Where to Go: Travel Itineraries on Baikal Lake
Way to Russia Route |
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| The main goal was to travel around Baikal and see as much as possible. We started from Ulan-Ude just because it is one of the two big cities on the lake and chose the following destination according to the advices of locals. We spent about 1 month on this trip. | |
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Moscow >> Trans-Siberian train (4 days, ~$100 each) >> Ulan-Ude (stayed 2 days, sightseeing, Buddhist datsan camping) >> hired minibus (3 hours, $50 for 4 people) >> Gremyachinsk (stayed 3 days, swam in Baikal, lived with locals) >> local bus (1 hour, ~$3 each) >> Goryachinsk (stayed 4 days, camped on the beach) >> local bus (3 hours, ~$5 each) >> Ust Barguzin (left directly) >> hired minibus (1 hour, $20 for 4 people) >> Svyatoy Nos peninsula >> trekking (2 hours) >> Kurbulik (stayed 1 night, camping) >> hired fishermen boat (30 mins, $10 for all) >> Snake Bay (stayed 3 days, camping, trekking, swimming) >> hired boat (1 hour, $15 for all) >> Kurbulik >> hired minibus (1 hour, $20) >> Ust Barguzin >> hired minibus (5 hours, $70) >> Ulan-Ude (stayed 1 night) >> train (7 hours, $10 each) >> Irkutsk >> hired minibus ($15 for all, 1 hour) >> Listvyanka (3 days, camping, swimming) >> bus (1 hour, $2 each) >> Irkutsk >> hired minibus (3 hours, $70 for all) >> Arshan (2 days, camping, trekking) >> route minibus (2 hours, $10 each) >> Sludyanka >> Circum-Baikal train (5 hours, $1) >> station on the Circum-Baikal railroad (camped 1 night) >> train – Port Baikal >> ferry (10 mins, $1 each) >> Listvyanka >> bus >> Irkutsk >> travel agency bus (7 hours, $15 each) >> Olkhon Island (7 days, camping, trekking, sightseeing, swimming, made tours) >> local bus >> Irkutsk >> plane (6 hours, $130 one way) >> Moscow. |
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The Baikal Ring |
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| This itinerary is for people who want to see the whole of Baikal Lake, but do not want to deal with transport arrangements and accommodation booking themselves. A good travel agency can arrange such a trip that you will be able to see all the main spots on Baikal and make a kind of "ring". We (WayToRussia.Net team) were not able to do that, because we couldn't find a boat that would take us from Svyatoy Nos peninsula (Eastern Shore) to Olkhon Island (West). So, we had to go back to Ulan-Ude and take a train to Irkutsk, and then a bus to Olkhon (took us in all about 2 days, while it's only 8 hours by boat). | |
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Irkutsk (1 day) >> Listvyanka (1 day, sightseeing) >> take Circum-Baikal train >> Sludyanka (take train to Ulan-Ude) >> boat >> various Bays along the Western shore of Baikal (Irkutsk side) >> Cherkushinsky Bay and Svyatoy Nos peninsula (by boat) >> Nerpa (water seal) watching >> Olkhon island (6 days) >> back to Irkutsk by jeep (5 hours).
See some great activities you can do here. |
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The Getaway |
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| If there's one place you can go to on Baikal lake, and you have more than 3 days, it should be Olkhon Island. It is a truly beautiful and amazing place with unbelievable landscapes, and a lot of opportunities to do what you like: from trekking and biking, to swimming, and living on the shore of the lake in comfortable yurts or rented tents. | |
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Irkutsk (1 day) >> bus or car to Olkhon (5 hours) >> Olkhon Island (spend at least 3 days there) >> back to Irkutsk. |
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Short Sightseeing Trip |
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| If you've got only a few days, then it's better to visit Listvyanka, which is only 1 hour from Irkutsk. There are a lot of good hotels (from comfortable 3-star ones, to budget dorm room options), Baikal is just next, you can make trekking walks, and rent a bike. Also, if you take a ferry across Angara river, you can boart a Circum-Baikal train, and in 5 hours you will be in Slyudyanka, where you can take any Trans-Siberian train. | |
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Irkutsk (1 day) >> bus or car to Listvyanka (1 hour) >> Listvyanka Settlement (stay about 2 days there) >> ferry to Port Baikal (10 mins) >> board Circum-Baikal train (5 hours trip) >> Slyudyanka >> take any Trans-Siberian train. |
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Most Recent Articles:
Olkhon Island on Baikal Lake
Olkhon is a beautiful nude land that seems to have emerged from the fresh waters of Baikal.
Where to Go: Listvyanka Settlement on Baikal Lake
A small village 1 hour drive from Irkutsk, on the western side of Baikal, Listvyanka is the most comfortable location on the lake.
Buryatia Shore of Baikal Lake: Goryachinsk, Gremyachinsk, Svyatoy Nos
The Buryatian side of Baikal Lake (the Eastern shore) is famous for its sunny bays and sandy beaches.