This tour is a great chance to probably the most beautiful part of lake Baikal. Staying with a local family in the authentic Siberian village, seeing truly Shamanic sites, hiking and taking a 4WD photo safari will make this tour unforgettable. This tour is suggested as the main tour for everyone who can spend 4 days and 3 nights in the area.

Description of the 4 day / 3 night Tour to Olkhon island in winter (February - March)

Day 1

You'll be picked up from my hostel (or train station or any other place in Irkutsk) at 10 am. Vehicle: a 8 sit minibus. We will be driving through vast open spaces - so called Buryat Steppes - where we eventually see herds of caws and horses on green fields. In 2 hrs, we will be driving by a silver painted statue of a Horse Man - symbol of a Buryat nation and a landmark for the main Buryat town in Irkutsk region - Ust' - Oldynsky.

In 3 hrs, we'll stop for lunch in an off road cafe (NOT included). Meals there are inexpensive but good. The menu usually has 2 or 3 salads, 2-3 variety of soups and -always - a local specialty - big meat dumplings - "Posy". Those cafes selling Posy are scattered along the main driving routes and called "Posnaya" - Posy House. Hot poses are always available there. So it is probably Siberians healthy alternative to McDonalds (which we - thanks God - don't have yet in our region).

After lunch we continue towards lake Baikal. We will be driving through the 5000 people village of Elantsy, and a very special unpaved part of our journey - Steppe of Tazeran: dry hilly forestless inhabitant area, full of mystery.

In winter season - February and March - we drive across the small sea for 10-12km using the ice road. It is an official way with marks and signs where the ice is constantly being checked and cleaned.

Once we are on the island, we have to drive another 36km, 40min.

You'll see wooden polls with colourfull ribbons along the road. The island still remains being the truly shamanic place. Those polls are the 'borissa' - horse tethering post - a mark, where travelers have to stop (or slow down) and drop on the ground a little item (usually coin or piece of material) to show their respect ot the spirit of this area. In fact, dropping a coin is a routine daily ritual conducted every time you pass though this place. Presumably, once a year, people from the villages nearby should have a proper ceremony and sacrifice an animal.

We will be getting the main village of the island - Khuriz - later afternoon at 4-5 pm. Khuzir is the largest town here: 1000 people out of total 1500. Population of the island stays remarkably constant. When the first group of Russian Cossacks cane to the island in 1640s, they reported about a 1000 people living there. Its maximum of 3000 people was reached during the lovely Josef Stalin purges when hundreds of political prisoners enthusiastically worked here at the fish factory.

We will be spending all 3 days of our tour at the same place in Khuzir: it is a home of Olya and Kolya. I met Kolya in 1996 during my first visit to the island. I was with 2 friends and we got stuck in sand dunes 20 km after the main village. Kolya and his fishing brigade pulled out car. We drunk all night and become friends. I started to bring tourists to Olkhon in 1999 and accommodate them at Olya and Kolya's place. It is not the best place on the island but they are my reliable friends and we try to make the place better. Also, it is probably the only source of income for them during the last 2-3 years as Kolya gave up fishing (but not drinking)

Accommodation is in the main wooden house or a wooden guesthouse especially built for the tourists. The place has no running water but it is the Banya / Sauna. What is Banya and What To Do There

Toilet is a squat outhouse. When I asked Kolya how he can use this toilet in winter when it is -30C, he said: quickly!

Dinner. Meals are home cooked. Most of meals are based on famous Baikal fish 'Omul'. Vegetarian meals can be offered on request.

Day 2

Usually, we have breakfast at 9am, lunch at 2pm and dinner at 8pm. If you want different times, please let us know.

Breakfast.

This is our time to explore the island. I'd recommend to walk to the shore, taking the left hill, enjoy the view of magnificent Shamanka or Burkhan Cape (once a center of shamanism, now a great object for practicing your photography skills) . Continue to the Cape itself, up to the right hill, down to the sand beach.

Lunch

You may also want to stroll 3 km along the beach, walk up through the forest to the main road and return to the village (3.5 hr walk).

Dinner

Russian steam bath - sauna!!!

Day 3

Breakfast.

At 10 am we are picked up by a local guy on a 4WD minibus. This excursion is the great way to explore the Northern part of the island on ice. Total driving mileage for this day is 70km.

We will be driving along the Eastern shore of the island. Our drive is combined with stops to observe the cliffs and landscapes and - of course - to take photos.

We will be visiting the most famous Cliffs of the island: 'Three Brothers' and 'Khoboi / Tusk'. As we drive on ice, we have a change to inspect the footsteps of the cliffs and their caves. Countless icicles make the inside of those caves looking like the Snow Queen palace!

Khoboi Cliff from the ice looks like a lady. According to the legend she used to be a wife of one of the spirit of the island. However, her behavior was so bad that Baikal spirits turned her into a stone till her character improves.
Also, end of the island is a start for enormous ice crack which appears at the same place. It is a separation of Northern Baikal ice plate and Middle Baikal ice plate. So, one we are there we can try to walk around the lady cliff if the chaotic broken ice plates will let us to.

We'll be eating our snack lunch and have hot tea in the car.

We return to our homestay in Khuzir by 4pm.

Tea with cookies.

Russian steam bath - sauna!!!

Day 4

Breakfast. Return by road to Irkutsk by 3-5pm.

En route: Lunch (not included).

Overnight in Irkutsk at Baikaler Hostel can be arranged.

Price per person: from 8000R |Currency converter|

Price depends on the number of people, season and my availability. Min number of people for the tour is 2. Ask the final price!

To book a tour please contact Jack Sheremetoff

Prices include all services, pointed in the itinerary:
private car (and driver) transportation, 3 night accommodation, meals as noted (day 1: D, day 2: B-L-D, day 3: B-L-D, day 4: B) , local guide-interpreter services, national park fees, 4WD Jeep rent and taxes. No hidden costs.