Once you travel to Lake Baikal make sure you visit these three most important tourist destinations: Irkutsk, Listvyanka settlement and Olkhon Island. Our fully guided program allows you to see the most interesting sights of Irkutsk during panoramic sightseeing tour around the historical center of the city. Tour includes all major attractions - Znamensky Orthodox Cathedral, old-style wooden houses with distinctive hand-carved trims, the Monument to Russian Pioneers of Siberia topped by a bronze statue of Russian Emperor Alexander III, ice-breaker "Angara" that used to carry Trans Sib passengers across the lake, and many more.
As we travel further to Lake Baikal we will stop for two-hour tour to Taltsy open-air museum of wooden architecture where one can discover the culture and the lifestyle of native Siberians and Russians lived in this area. When approaching Lake Baikal you will observe the outlet of the Angara River with the famous Shaman rock right in the middle. Learn the ancient legend of old mighty Baikal and his only daughter Angara who ran away to her lover Yenisei. While in Listvyanka enjoy a tour to Baikal Museum where aquaria with Baikal fish and Baikal nerpa, the only fresh water seal in the world, are displayed. Then, go for a short hiking trip or a chairlift ride to the top of Chersky peak from where one can admire breathtaking views of Lake Baikal and peaks of Khamar-Daban Mountain Range on the lake opposite side.
After that, the tour proceeds to Olkhon Island, the sacred center of shamanist believers. It is the only populated island at Lake Baikal. In Khuzhir, the largest settlement on Olkhon, we will visit the museum of Local Lore where some artifacts of Chingis Khan warriors are exhibited. Then we take you for a walk along the shoreline in Khuzhir surroundings to see the famous Burkhan Cape with Shaman Crag considered to be one of the top sources of shamanic energy around the globe. A nice sand beach is found a little further from the cape. Maloye Morye (Small Sea) strait separated by Olkhon Island from the main Baikal water area is renowned for its warm bays and sandy beaches. Few people know that the number of sunny days at Olkhon Island during the year is greater than at Italian sea resorts. This allows enjoying warm sunshine and sunbathing on the shoreline.