Visiting Olkhon island in winter is awesome adventure! Possibility to see miles and miles of frozen water, observe ice caves, hear and sometimes see how THE LAKE cracks and moves is something surreal ! Unlike in summer, winter trips let you be in touch with nature without seeing many other tourists around... This tour is suggested as the main tour for everyone who can spend 4 days and 3 nights in the area.

Full description of the 4 day / 3 night Tour to Olkhon island

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.

Finally, we reach the ferry pier (250 km, 4hr). Since this year, the old small ferry is going to be replaced by the large new ones. If this is the case, we will not have to wait, or wait a little and drive on its board. The ferry rides across the 3km Olkhon Gates strait. If you look to the Small Sea direction, you'll see famous for its dangerous wind Sarma Gorge and a Horse Head Cliff (part of the island).

Once we are on the island, we have to drive another 36km, 40min. Olkhon island has dry sunny climate. Couple of kilometers from the ferry pier, you will be seeing the long inland bay, which is apparently the driest stop in Eastern Siberia! You can also see grey 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

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!!!

Options (paid extra)
- mountain biking
- horse riding

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 which is not accessible for the regular cars and too far to cycle up there in one day. 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'. From Khoboi Cliff you can see amazing 300 degrees panorama of the lake and its widest 80km part.

Our lunch is cooked on fire by the driver. Usually, it is a fish soup with sandwiches. We have our picnic near the Northern tip of the island is a lovely forest. We leave our left over fish behind to feed foxes or other animals. During our picnic we would not see any animals but as our driver say - we are being watched!

This 4WD drive around is a must do activity. Unfortunately, we may see other minibuses packed with tourists following the same route.

We return to our homestay in Khuzir by 4-6pm.

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.