Spring Baikal is a world of ideal purity, bizarre ice forms and unforgettable impressions! On this tour you will visit the most beautiful and secluded corners of Lake Baikal, walk through ice caves, see the purest and most beautiful ice on the planet, and meet the toughest and cutest Siberian dogs! And also real jeeping, a Siberian bathhouse and ice rafting! Yes, you heard correctly - rafting on a real ice floe! Holidays on Lake Baikal in February-March are simply a bomb of vivid impressions and emotions!
This particular tour was included in the “30 Most Unforgettable Travels” by National Geographic Traveler magazine. This is the tour that is chosen by the most famous travel bloggers in Russia, such as Sergey Dolya and the Followmeto team for broadcast on First!
Every year we improve the tour for your comfort and safety: in the winter of 2020, for the first time, we launch ice routes on TREKOL - a cool all-terrain vehicle capable of moving equally confidently off-road, endless ice and even on water! Unique, official, safe!
Travel around half of Lake Baikal in one tour and recharge yourself with emotions for the whole next year - this is the “Baikal Ice” tour!

Arrival dates 2020: 10-15.02, 13-18.02, 16-21.02, 19-24.02, 22-27.02, 25.02-01.03, 28.02-04.03, 02-07.03, 05-10.03, 08-13.03, 11-16.03, 14-19.03, 17-22.03


1 day
You will see: ice grottoes, transparent ice, Trekol all-terrain vehicle
You will try: walking on the ice of Lake Baikal for the first time, paying tribute to local spirits, climbing ice grottoes, traditional Buryat cuisine
Route: Irkutsk, Tazheran steppes, Ogoy, Maloye More, 8 hours of adventure

Meals: lunch, dinner

Welcome to Baikal! The general group gathering and departure is scheduled for 10:00, so please purchase tickets for flights arriving in Irkutsk before 09:30 local time. Your Baikal guide will meet you at the airport. Boarding a comfortable minibus and heading to your cherished destination – Lake Baikal.
Along the way, you will have a stop at the Buryat cafe “Yurta” - here you will taste delicious dishes Siberian cuisine - Buryat poses, buhler.
After a hearty lunch, continue the journey and here it is - the long-awaited Baikal. Your first trip to the ice awaits you in a completely safe vehicle – TRECOL! This vessel is capable of moving on water, on land, and on ice - everything is completely safe and official - no one else on Baikal has this! In addition to its driving characteristics, this vehicle looks very impressive, and photographs against its background are a separate form of art!
In the evening you will have free time. You can walk or skate on the ice - believe me, it’s a memorable and impressive experience!
After your first busy day on Lake Baikal, you will find relaxation in warm and cozy rooms, as well as a delicious dinner. Have a good rest, the fun begins tomorrow!

Day 2
You will see: the endless beauty of icy Baikal, the famous Olkhon island, ice hummocks and grottoes, ice splashes on the rocks, the Buddhist stupa of Enlightenment, the uninhabited island of Ogoy
You will try: experience new sensations, play golf on the ice of Lake Baikal, take photographs with ice, be initiated into ice travellers, sagudai - a traditional dish of Baikal cuisine made from fresh fish, hot smoked fish
Route: Khuzhir, Cape Sagan-Khushun, Cape Khoboy, Maloye More, 10 hours of adventure

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
After breakfast, you will board the all-terrain vehicles already familiar to you, on which you will go around Baikal ice explore the ice wonders of the Small Sea!
First of all, you will visit the Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment on Ogoy Island.
Along the way there will be stops in the most interesting places to explore grottoes and splashes, incredible caves with ice stalactites.
Our entire trip will be accompanied by mysterious legends and myths about Baikal, its capes and rocks.
In one of the picturesque places, a picnic lunch awaits you right on the ice of Lake Baikal. And after lunch - ice activities: skating, ice golf, photo shoots with ice, where you will become a professional photographer for yourself - what else, when there is so much inspiration around? - and initiation into ice travelers.
Towards evening you will return to our cozy camp site. And the evening will end with gatherings in a cozy, warm common room. We will share our impressions, relax, and have dinner.

Day 3
You will see: a panorama of Baikal, many splashes and grottoes, ancient rock paintings, beautiful rocky shores, high mountains, a unique Baikal sunset, the purest ice
You will try: decipher ancient rock paintings, take pictures against the backdrop of Baikal, delicious venison dumplings, climb into the deepest grotto, take pictures in hummocks, climb Mount Tan-Khan
Route: Maloye More, Ust-Anga Bay, Cape Sagan-Zaba, Buguldeika, 10 hours of adventure

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
After breakfast at the camp site, a new stage of your journey begins - a day of exploration of the Tazheran steppes. You will move in a southerly direction, towards the village of Buguldeika. A trip to the most interesting, beautiful and significant places awaits you.
Along the way, you will climb to the observation peak Tan-Khan, from where a magnificent panorama of Lake Baikal and a view of the Primorsky Range opens.
Picnic lunch on the shore of Lake Baikal, after which you will have time to walk and explore the grottoes and splashes.
In the evening, arrival at the village of Buguldeika and visit to the marble quarry - one of the largest marble deposits in Russia. Accommodation at the Talovskoye hunting and tourism center, dinner and rest. If desired, you can order a bathhouse.

4 day
You will see: the famous Peschanaya Bay, stilted trees, conglomerates, the purest ice of Lake Baikal, the Devil's Bridge, the bottom of Lake Baikal through the ice, places that have received a million likes
You will try: climbing a stilted tree, riding a khivus, making unusual photo on the ice, see Baikal fish through the ice
Meals: breakfast, lunch
Route: Buguldeyka, Peschanaya Bay, village. Nikola, 8 hours of adventure
After a hearty and home-style meal delicious breakfast boarding a car and transfer to Buguldeika. Here you will change transport - you will ride on a hovercraft "Khivus" along the route of the village. Buguldeika - village Listvyanka.
Along the way, visit the famous places of Lake Baikal: Cape Arka, Peschanaya Bay, Skriper Cliff and, if nature is favorable, you will see those same bubbles in the ice! These places are famous for their beautiful pure ice, from here you can take away shots of incredible beauty!
There will be lunch on the way. But that’s not all: there is a great way to cheer up and throw out everything that has been accumulating in you for months - the “Baikal anti-stress” fun. Intrigued? Come visit us and find out what it is!
In the evening you will arrive at the hotel at the very source of the Angara River. This is where you will stay for the rest of your trip.

5 day
You will see: a gorgeous view of Baikal, the famous Baikal seal, Baikal from the water, the widest source in the world, Siberian dogs
You will try: photograph a seal up close, learn about the uniqueness of Lake Baikal, raft on an ice floe, visit a real Siberian bathhouse, take a steam bath with fir brooms, swim in an ice hole, experience incredible emotions, ride a chairlift, take the best selfie with the cutest dog
Route: Nikola village, Chersky Stone, Baikal Museum, Rafting on the Angara, village. Nikola, 10 hours of adventure

Meals: breakfast, lunch
After breakfast visit observation deck"Chersky Stone". The ascent takes place on a chairlift, and from above there is a magnificent view of Lake Baikal and the source of the Angara.
Afterwards, you will have an educational excursion to the Baikal Museum, as well as an acquaintance with all the inhabitants of Lake Baikal (including the Baikal seal) in the huge aquariums of the museum.
After lunch at the restaurant, departure to the source of the Angara, where rafting on the ice floe begins. This event is absolutely safe, our company has been holding it for 9 years! Here you will meet wonderful Siberian dogs - they will become your companions for the next hour. A storm of positive emotions and beautiful photos you are guaranteed!
Rafting on an ice floe takes from 1 to 1.5 hours. During the rafting, snacks and surprises will be prepared for you!
After the rafting, a real Siberian bathhouse with swimming in an ice hole awaits you.
After the bath, return to the hotel.

Day 6
Meals: breakfast
Departure home.
Breakfast. Now it's time to say goodbye to Baikal! A transfer to the airport of Irkutsk awaits you. See you again on Baikal!

Tour cost for 1 person in rubles: 97,700 rubles

Included in cost: meeting at the airport; airport transfer; rental of all-terrain vehicles on low-pressure tires "TRECOL", 3 days, 2 units for 6 people each; hovercraft rental "Khivus"; accommodation at the Hadarta camp site, Maloye More, in double rooms, 2 nights; services of a professional guide around Lake Baikal throughout the entire route; meals according to the program; picnics during day trips; accommodation in the Talovskoye hunting and tourism center, Buguldeika village , in 2- and 3-bed standard rooms, toilet and shower on the floor, 1 night; excursion to the Baikal Museum; excursion to the observation deck; walk with Siberian sled Alaskan malamutes/huskies; rafting on an ice floe accompanied by a hovercraft "Khivus"; bathhouse , 3 hours; accommodation at the Nikola Hotel, Listvyanka village (Nikola), in double standard rooms, toilet and shower in the room, 2 nights; impressions and emotions for life!

The price does not include: air tickets to and from Irkutsk; alcohol and tobacco products; dinners in the village of Listvyanka, photographer services (provided separately, cost on request).

This program does not require any special preparation! You can take part in the tour with children over 6 years old.

The only thing you need to do is prepare good warm clothes and shoes.

February and March are a traditional period when many Russians, tired of the endless frost, go to Asian countries for sun and warmth. So this year I was finally ready for a similar trip. I made a route, saved up the required amount, and found travel companions. The only thing that was not ready was the international passport, which was promised to be done by mid-March.

Meanwhile, it was February 17th. Defender of the Fatherland Day was approaching and the weekend, which turned out to be longer than usual this year. And I really wanted to take this opportunity and spend it on travel. The choice, however, was limited only to Russia. And now I understand that it was even for the better! I then remembered how a couple of years ago, at one of the photo exhibitions, I first learned what winter Baikal was like. His fantastic landscapes inspired me so much that I promised myself to see this magnificence in person someday.

When, on the same day, I came across an announcement about the upcoming tour to Lake Baikal, I realized that the time had come! True, very quickly and somehow suddenly. My brain resisted for a long time, analyzing the trip budget. “Yes, for this amount you can fly to Thailand for 2 weeks! And you choose a 5-day tour, and even in the cold. It’s not enough for you in Moscow, or what?” However, such a response was felt in my soul! My intuition told me that I would still have time to fly to Asia. And in the case of Baikal, you need to seize the moment! In addition, February is the most favorable time to travel there in winter.

And now on the evening of February 21st I was sitting on the plane, filled with adventurism and the spirit of a pioneer. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something adventurous and even somewhat expeditionary awaited me ahead. After all, Baikal, especially in winter, has not yet become a popular tourist resort. And this fact could not but rejoice!

Upon arrival in Irkutsk, we met with the guide and within half an hour we boarded a transfer to our destination. I couldn’t believe that in 5 hours the real Baikal would open before me - the purest and deep lake in the world that we were told about back in elementary school. Moreover, I will spend 5 days in its very heart - on the famous Olkhon Island! Intoxicated by these thoughts and having not slept for a day, I fell into a sweet sleep straight to our guest house.

The place where we lived turned out to be more than worthy! The rooms are very cozy and warm, there is a small fireplace in the living room. It also has its own bathhouse and dining room, where they cook wonderfully!

And the house itself was located near a beautiful pine grove.

This is the view from our veranda!

On the first day, I enthusiastically set out to explore the island.
It was something incredible! What I managed to see and learn over all 5 days is difficult to fit into one article. So many discoveries, emotions and new impressions! It seems that I gave a piece of my soul to this wonderful place...

1. Hummocks

The instability of the physical composition of the lake and the temperature of the ice cover lead to the formation of hummocks - ice debris rising above the frozen surface.

The pronounced turquoise tint of hummocks is formed in approximately the same way as the blue color of reservoirs. Sun rays passing through ice are refracted and scattered. Long red rays are absorbed more, and short blue rays are better scattered, visually coloring clear water in a stunning turquoise color.

The height of hummocks is usually small - up to 1-1.5 m. But at the end of winter, when powerful ice movement occurs, they can be taller than human height!

In some places there were not just ice fragments, but real blue mountains.
I cannot express in words how much these landscapes excite my imagination... You are mentally transported somewhere to the Ice Age or to the North Pole!

It’s as if a chronicle is depicted here on ice parchment

And here you can see ice floes in the form of sunken ships, whose sails rise above the snow cover...

2. Music

Yes, yes, winter Baikal has its own music! And we are not talking about local folklore or folk instruments at all.

This sound cannot be compared with anything... It was incredible, grandiose and scary at the same time!
The sound when such a huge lake breaks is like thunder. My guide explained that winter Baikal only seems quiet and asleep until spring... In fact, under the ice the water continues to move, and how! It is these underwater currents that create hummocks and cracks that cover almost the entire surface of the lake. By the way, it is thanks to cracks that all living creatures living under water receive oxygen.

When I heard these sounds for the first time, it seemed to me as if a car was driving somewhere in the distance with music on. It really does sound like a muffled beat! But when the sound gradually grew louder, and no car appeared, it became uneasy. My rich imagination was already picturing the approaching Loch Ness monster, which was about to break through the ice right under my feet!

And here and there, by the way, there were actually cracks where someone could easily have plunged into. Probably, only now am I beginning to realize where I was in the first place... 😉

3. Snow and ice patterns

Since real cracks start to appear after April, in February-March you can calmly and without any fear enjoy the unique patterns that cover the lake. You can spend hours looking at this endless canvas, where not a single stroke, not a single crack, not a single pattern will be repeated! And when you realize that all this was created by nature, you are once again convinced that people still have time to learn and learn from it.

Thanks to the combination of ice and snow, the outlines of faces or animals could be seen here and there. This is how the phrase suggests itself: “There are traces of unseen animals on unknown paths...”

In some places the snow lay like snow-white, untouched carpets, and the ice nearby was clean, without cracks. This created a truly dizzying effect - as if you were walking on clouds rather than on ice!

Like a path between the clouds 😉

4. Sokui and ice grottoes

Splashes on the shores and rocks that form when the lake freezes at the very beginning of winter are called sokui. Just like patterns on ice, sokui come in a wide variety of weird shapes!

Sometimes it looked like beautifully frozen waterfalls...

Behind the splashes there are many caves and grottoes that are inaccessible in summer due to the higher water level. Despite the fact that I have been in real and quite large caves more than once, the Baikal grottoes really impressed me. It’s like an ancient sacrament that you’re afraid to disturb with unnecessary movement or sound. And it’s hard to believe that in the summer all this conceals and disappears.

The ceilings of the grottoes are dotted with many icicles resembling stalactites.

5. Bubbles frozen in ice.

It was always interesting to imagine what a bubble frozen in ice would look like. And is this even possible in principle? It turns out that it’s still possible!
Methane gas released by algae rises to the surface from the bottom of Lake Baikal. When the lake becomes covered with ice, the bubbles of this gas also freeze. And since they freeze at different depths, it creates an amazing visual effect!

6. Ice transparency

It’s not for nothing that Baikal is still officially recognized as the cleanest lake in the world. Its waters are rich in oxygen and so clear that you can read a newspaper or watch a movie through the ice.

Should you add pieces of ice to tea, or is it just that way 😉

It is believed that Baikal owes its crystal clear water to a microscopic crustacean - the Baikal epishura, which filters the water by passing it through itself.

7. Vehicle and active rest.

Winter tourists going to the island. Olkhon, we were much luckier than in summer.
After all, there is no need to wait for the ferry, which will take a long time to ferry you from one shore to the other. Thanks to the ice, enormous freedom of movement opens up and the opportunity to visit even the most inaccessible corners of Lake Baikal. However, this opportunity should be used only in February and March, when the ice is already quite strong and has not yet begun to melt.

Ice is also a great place for active recreation. Here everyone is having fun as best they can.

And our group had lunch one day right in the middle of the lake. Very unusual sensations, I tell you! It’s as if we are participants in a long, long road on which there are no signs of civilization. When our driver cooked fish soup online in a pot, it seemed to me the most delicious fish soup in my life!

But the most interesting entertainment that I saw was making a fire right on the ice. Someone clearly lacked adrenaline :)

Summing up, I would like to say that everyone should visit Baikal at least once. And exactly in winter!
You will experience a range of sensations that you will not get anywhere else.

But that is not all! It is also worth mentioning a few words about the Olkhon, in particular – about the village Khuzhir, which is also rich interesting features and riddles.

During an introductory walk around the village, my guide stopped near one house and pointed to a small hole in the fence.

– What do you think it is?

My assumptions that this is a window for domestic cats, or that it is used instead of a peephole or as an opening for the transmission of something, have failed. Looking around, I realized that there is such a hole in the fence in almost every house. What is so important that all local residents might need? Moreover, this window opens from the outside.

My guide laughed and said that such a question was even in the program “What? Where? When?" It’s a paradox, but the residents of Khuzhir, which is located on the shores of Lake Baikal, drinking water They are brought in special water carriers. When residents are not at home, utility workers open the window in the gate, extend a hose and pour water into a barrel, which is always there at the ready. I never expected to hear this! Then they told me that even electricity was installed here only in 2005.

Another thing that surprised me while walking was that many of the houses still had Christmas decorations hanging on them! I already wanted to attribute this to the characteristics of the local pace of life... But then my eyes were opened to the fact that the Buryats, who make up a large part of the population of Olkhon, are celebrating New Year on the night of February 26-27.

It’s a pity that on the evening of the 26th I already had a return transfer to Irkutsk. It would be interesting to look at local traditions and how they celebrate this important holiday!

I also remember the atmosphere on the territory of the abandoned Malomorsk fish factory. Once upon a time it was the real pride and beauty of Khuzhir and the Irkutsk region. Several workshops functioned here: fish production, processing, net shop, timber shop, mechanical shop, etc.

But this is the picture that opens on the pier near the fish factory... Somewhat gloomy, but beautiful and even attractive.

Graffiti artists did a very good job on some of the ships, turning them into masterpieces of sorts. I even had a question: why aren’t operational ships painted like this?)
This place of accumulation of old ships can even be called a kind of local museum. Each ship seemed to have its own soul...

I couldn’t help but notice the local temple, which rose beautifully on a hill not far from the entrance to the village.

It was quite unusual to see him here. Personally, I have always associated Baikal and Olkhon with shamanism or Buddhism. But even more surprising was the story of the construction of this temple, which I later read on the Internet. I quote from the source:

“The servant of God Natalya came to me,” says the dean of the Verkholenskoye deanery, Fr. Vyacheslapav Pushkarev. “Grieving for her deceased husband, she spoke about one decisive event in her life: half asleep, the Mother of God appeared to her and told her to sell an apartment in a prestigious area of ​​Irkutsk, on Gagarin Boulevard, and buy one on Fr. Olkhon house, and with the remaining money she built a temple there. In doubt, she went to Fr. Kalinnik, who did not see any charm in her dream, but sent her to me as the dean of this area. We decided to try it. If it is from God, then it will work, but if not, then it will stop. The proceeds from the sale of the apartment were not enough. Therefore, the temple was built bit by bit by the whole world over several years.” This idea evoked a great response from European tourists, who left considerable donations for the construction of the temple.

Now this is the Temple of the Sovereign Icon Mother of God. The doors there are open, there are no employees, you can take candles and pay as much as you want.

Thus, Olkhon is a place where paganism and Christianity coexist peacefully.

By the way, the hill on which the temple stands was simply created to watch sunsets from it and reflect on the eternal...

I wish everyone who goes to Lake Baikal in winter to experience as many vivid emotions and sensations!

1 day

Meeting at the airport (arrival in Irkutsk at 9:00).
Boarding Nissan Safari expedition SUVs (3 or 4 passengers each) and departure to Lake Baikal, Olkhon Island. Along the way, you will visit the Tazheran steppes and see ancient rock paintings.
Lunch at the Yurta cafe, where you will taste best dishes Buryat cuisine.
Next you will have a crossing to Olkhon on ice. During the crossing, visit the famous Buddhist stupa on the island. Oga, built by volunteers from all over the world. Watching the sunset on Ogoy and arriving in Khuzhir.
Accommodation at the Baikalov Ostrog camp site. Dinner, rest.

Day 2

After breakfast, you will go by jeep on the Baikal ice to explore Olkhon Island. Along the way there will be stops at the most interesting places to explore grottoes and splashes. In one day you will explore almost the entire island and see such famous places as Cape Shamanka, Peschanka Bay, Cape Sagan-Khushun and Cape Khoboy.
Picnic lunch right on the ice of Lake Baikal.
After lunch, a lot of ice activities await you: tubing and skating, ice golf, photo sessions with ice and initiation into ice travel.
In the late afternoon, return to the camp site. Dinner and rest.

Day 3

After breakfast, departure in a southerly direction along Lake Baikal to the village of Buguldeika. Along the way, you will climb Mount Shebety (near the village of Ust-Anga), from where a magnificent panorama of Lake Baikal and a view of the Primorsky Range opens. Then you will go to Cape Sagan-Zaba, visiting ancient rock paintings.
Lunch-picnic on the shore of Lake Baikal. Walks and inspection of grottoes and splashes.
In the evening, arrival in the village of Buguldeika. Accommodation in the Talovskoye hunting and tourism center. Dinner.

4 day

On this day you will ride on a hovercraft "Khivus" along the route of the village. Buguldeika - village Listvyanka. Along the way, visit the famous places of Lake Baikal: Cape Arka, Peschanaya Bay, Skriper Cliff and Devil's Bridge. These places are famous for their purest ice; you can arrange a good photo shoot here!
Picnic lunch on the shore of the lake.
In the evening, arrival in Listvyanka, accommodation at the Dauria Hotel.

5 day

After breakfast, you will go on snowmobiles to the Chernaya Pad, overcoming a steep pass along the way.
Upon arrival, lunch in the winter hut.
Further along the ice of Lake Baikal you will travel by dog ​​sled to the village of Listvyanka.
In the evening return to the hotel.

Day 6

After breakfast, visit the Chersky Stone observation deck. The ascent takes place on a chairlift, and from above there is a magnificent view of Lake Baikal and the source of the Angara. Afterwards you will get to know all the inhabitants of Baikal (including the Baikal seal) in the huge aquariums of the Baikal Museum.
Closer to lunch, departure to the source of the Angara, where rafting on an ice floe begins. This event is absolutely safe, our company has been holding it for 6 years. Rafting on an ice floe takes from 1 to 1.5 hours. During the rafting, a picnic with hot mulled wine and chocolate fondue will be organized for you.
After the rafting, a real Siberian bathhouse with swimming in an ice hole awaits you. And also special surprises from the tour operator!
After the bath, return to the hotel.

Travel plan

Irkutsk – Maloye More (290 km)
Welcome to Baikal! Your Baikal guide will meet you at the airport. Boarding expedition SUVs and setting off to the cherished goal - Lake Baikal. Along the way, you will have a stop at the Buryat cafe “Yurta” - here you will taste delicious dishes of Siberian cuisine - Buryat poses, sagudai, buhler. After a hearty lunch, continue the journey and here it is - the long-awaited Baikal. Departure to the ice, inspection of ice grottoes, splashes, capes and islands of Olkhon and the Small Sea, visit to the Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment on Ogoy Island. After a busy expedition day, you will be transferred to the Hadarta hotel complex, a quiet and secluded place on the shore of a beautiful lake. Check-in to rooms, dinner.
Meals: lunch and dinner.

Maloye More (170 km).
After breakfast, you will go by jeep on the Baikal ice to explore the ice wonders of the Small Sea! Along the way there will be stops in the most interesting places to explore grottoes and splashes, incredible caves with ice stalactites. Our entire trip will be accompanied by mysterious legends and myths about Baikal, its capes and rocks. In one of the picturesque places, a picnic lunch awaits you right on the ice of Lake Baikal. And after lunch there is a lot of ice entertainment: tubing and skating, ice golf, photo sessions with ice and initiation into ice travelers. Towards evening you will return to our cozy camp site. And the evening will end with gatherings in a cozy, warm common room. We will share our impressions, relax, and have dinner.

Maloe More – Tazheran steppes – Buguldeika.
After breakfast at the camp site, a new stage of your journey begins - a day of exploration of the Tazheran steppes. You will move in a southerly direction, towards the village of Buguldeika. A trip to the most interesting and significant places awaits you. Along the way, you will climb to the observation peak Tan-Khan, from where a magnificent panorama of Lake Baikal and a view of the Primorsky Range opens. Picnic lunch on the shore of Lake Baikal, after which you will have time to walk and explore the grottoes and splashes. In the evening, arrival at the village of Buguldeika and visit to the marble quarry - one of the largest marble deposits in Russia.
Accommodation in the Talovskoye hunting and tourism center, where you will say goodbye to your beloved ice captains! And in the evening - dinner and rest.
Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Buguldeyka - Peschanaya Bay - Listvyanka.
After a hearty and delicious home-style breakfast, board the car and transfer to Buguldeika. Here, on the shore of the lake, you will change transport - you will have to ride a hovercraft "Khivus" along the route of the village. Buguldeika - village Listvyanka. Along the way, visit the famous places of Lake Baikal: Cape Arka, Peschanaya Bay, Skriper Cliff and, if nature is favorable, you will see those same bubbles in the ice!
These places are famous for their beautiful clear ice; here you can arrange a great photo shoot. There will be snacks and lunch along the way. But that’s not all: there is a great way to cheer up along the way - the “Baikal anti-stress” fun. Intrigued? Come visit us and find out what it is!
In the evening you will arrive at the hotel at the very source of the Angara River. This is where you will stay for the rest of your trip.
Meals: breakfast, lunch.

Hotel - Chersky Stone - Baikal Museum - Rafting on the Angara - hotel.
After breakfast, visit the Chersky Stone observation deck. The ascent takes place on a chairlift, and from above there is a magnificent view of Lake Baikal and the source of the Angara. Afterwards, you will have an educational excursion to the Baikal Museum, as well as an acquaintance with all the inhabitants of Lake Baikal (including the Baikal seal) in the huge aquariums of the museum. After lunch at the restaurant, departure to the source of the Angara, where rafting on the ice floe begins. This event is absolutely safe, our company has been holding it for 7 years! Here you will meet wonderful Siberian dogs - they will become your companions for the next hour. A storm of positive emotions and beautiful photographs are guaranteed to you! Rafting on an ice floe takes from 1 to 1.5 hours. During the rafting, a picnic will be organized for you, and special surprises from the tour operator await you!
After the rafting, a real Siberian bathhouse with swimming in an ice hole awaits you.
After the bath, return to the hotel.
Meals: breakfast, lunch.

A little about fishing. If you think that they fish for omul in the same way as for sor (lake) fish such as perch and sorozhka, then you are sorely mistaken... When a man sits by the hole, drinking beer twenty meters from the shore and, shaking the fishing line, languidly talking to neighbor, periodically pulls out small fish with red fins from the hole... this, I tell you, is not a drive at all. And the drive is fishing for omul.
Omul is a noble fish and will not go to just anyone.
Omul is a schooling fish. The school may pass under you, or it may pass about five hundred meters away, and its “ear” will not point in your direction. Omul, as you know, is a noble and finicky fish, no matter how it will not be caught. Professional fishermen call ice fishing for omul in short - drill fishing.
Bormash, an amphipod crustacean, is the main omulin food and the main fishing bait and bait. This arthropod, similar to a cockroach and a small shrimp at the same time, is considered a noble orderly of Lake Baikal, as it destroys dead organisms.
For one fishing trip, a 0.5-1 liter jar of bait is enough. Before going directly to fishing, purchased or caught crustaceans are poured into felt boots. Felt boots are needed for drill comfort and warmth. After all, for fishing you need live bait, but in a jar the crustacean will freeze and die.
The second stage of preparation is the most secret - fishing rods. Every angler has a whole set of fishing rods for winter fishing. They differ from each other only in the color and quality of the “fly” - artificial bait. For omul, the “fly” should resemble a bormysh, its main food. Bait is most often made from thick thread (for example, yarn). Moreover, fishermen try to adhere to fashionable trends. For example, a couple of decades ago, a “fly” made from English cloth (material for overcoats from the time of World War I) was considered especially chic. The owner of a rag the color of swamp mud became the object of envious glances.
Currently, a whole “fly industry” has been established. Craftsmen make and sell simply amazing products! To the experienced eye of a fisherman, it is a real work of art, incomparable in beauty. But each fish has its own beauty. And what she sees with her fish eyes is almost impossible to predict. After all, how can we explain the fact that in the early morning, at dawn, the omul bites exclusively on the zebra? "Zebra" is a "fly" made from black and white plastic rings attached to a hook. From a human point of view, this striped structure is least like a bormysh, but the omul (at dawn!) thinks differently. But closer to noon, brown “flies” are already used, but they are not always attractive to this picky fish.
Often the color of the “fly” depends on the weather conditions (every self-respecting fisherman should be able to navigate this well). This is, perhaps, the whole main secret of fishing.
How does drill fishing happen?
Let's move on to the process of omul production itself. First you need to drill a hole. Considering that the ice can be up to 120 cm thick, this is hard physical work. On average, this activity takes 5 minutes. It takes up to 10 minutes to fully prepare the hole - widening it with a crowbar and scooping out the ice with a slotted spoon.
The fishing process itself takes place with the participation of the crustaceans already mentioned more than once. A small (non-through) depression is pecked next to the hole, which is connected to the hole by a channel. The drill caught the day before is sent into this depression filled with water, which independently moves through the channel into the hole and attracts the omul with its presence. At this moment, a fisherman is already waiting for the fish, dangling fake food near its nose. As soon as the omul swallows the bait, you need to be able to hook it and do it quickly. The omul can easily break off as the ice fishing hook is barbless. That is why the main position for catching winter omul is standing. In this position it is more convenient to jerk the fish. Doing this while sitting is more difficult.
However, some aces, more often than not, as entertainment at the end of fishing, catch fish while lying down. This method is called "close-up". The fisherman lies down on the ice and begins to peer into the depths of the lake. After a few minutes, when the eyes get used to the darkness, it becomes clear what is happening deep in the water. According to the fishermen, the spectacle is unforgettable. From a distance, the omul looks like small sharks with an open mouth. These monsters run around in search of food. And out of nowhere, a large gaping mouth grabs a “fly” hanging in the water. Here the fisherman, captivated by the spectacle, needs to be able to not get confused and hook the fish in time...
And although not all fishermen are blessed with a successful bite, there are still moments in omul fishing when almost everyone catches fish. This is the moment of passage of a flock or school. It is interesting to observe this phenomenon from the outside. Several dozen fishermen suddenly begin to actively wave their arms, imitating a windmill. And all they do is wrap a multi-meter fishing line around their hands. You can’t stop – the omul may break loose. Yes, in general, fishermen have no time to think about fatigue. That's what they're going for.