JEEP TOUR TO WESTERN SHORE OF LAKE BAIKAL and to OLKHON ISLAND BESTSELLER

7 Days / 6 Nights
From late May till mid November, crossing the strait by ferry
Winter Tour from February till April, on the ice, see Tour 4.6 From 1 to 6 clients. Any age.

Tourists visit the most interesting and beautiful areas of Lake Baikal and make walking tours along the shore and into the taiga-forest. The best time is from mid June through mid September. Driving by van (such as used in the Russian army) to the heart of the lake, this trip gives you the perfect chance to feel the magnificent beauty of the Baikal, see the life style of native Buryat people and admire the famous Olkhon sunsets. On the route you can combine different activities like hiking, paddling a canoe, exploring ancient rock paintings, camping on the solitary beach and try fishing.

Note: 1. The road to Olkhon (totally 300 km) is partly a bumpy dirt road going up and down woody hills (50 km), so the whole drive takes about 6 hours with the lunch stop at a small cafe.
2. Other 4WD-offroad car tours in different areas in the vicinity of Lake Baikal, the East Sayan Mountains, the Lena River region, in the Altay mountains and in other areas of Russia can be arranged at your request.

OLKHON ISLAND brief information:

Olkhon is the largest island at Lake Baikal. It is 71 km long and 15-25 km wide. Olkhon is the most beautiful and mysterious place at the lake. The climate and landscape here are different from the rest of the lake. Average temperature in Summer is 20 - 23°C above zero, many sunny days, rains are seldom. In winter there is not much snow, windy, temperature is about -20°C. Nature of Olkhon is outstandingly various: there are gorgeous sandy beaches, spacious steppe hills, dramatic capes, pine-tree forests and picturesque rocks, beautifully colored with yellow, red, orange lichens. The island's dry southern end is rolling grassland - great for off-road mountain bike. This transform in the mid part into thick woodland and at the northern tip there's a fair chance of spotting freshwater seals. The channel between the island and the mainland is called Maloe More, it is one of the few places at Baikal where water in summer is warm enough for swimming.

The island had been formed during millions of years of tectonic development. Lake Baikal's deepest point (1637m) is near the Eastern Shore of the Island. On the island there are several small lakes, the highest mountain is the forbidden Zhima Peak, 1300m-high, long time a place for shaman's ceremonies and funerals. Olkhon Island has several archaeological sites, beginning with the remains of an Iron Age fortress built by mysterious Kurykans, the ancient Chinese people who lived here between 500 and 1000 AD. The Island is famous as the center of Shamanism, the common religion of the indigenous peoples of Siberia - Buryats. Many of the shamans sacred places and rock paintings are still founded there. The biggest settlement of Olkhon is the fisherman village of Khuzhir with population of about 2.000 people .

Itinerary and description:

Day 1: Arrival in Irkutsk, arrival transfer to hotel / homestay, 3-hour walking city tour with one museum.
Day 2: Driving to Maloe More (Small Sea). By ferry to Olkhon Island. Accommodation in tents on the shore of Lake Baikal. Walking tours.
Day 3: Driving around Olkhon Island, boat riding. Overnight in tent.
Day 4-5: Back on main land. Drive up northward along the shore of Small Sea. Walking tours, O/V in tent.
Day 6: Driving back to Irkutsk via settlements Elanzy, Ust-Orda (mainly along modern highway). Accommodation in Irkutsk.
Day 7: Transfer to station / airport. Departure from Irkutsk.

Including: Accommodation hotel/homestay in Irkutsk 2 Nts, b/b, 3-hour walking city tour + 1 museum. On the route: private car, guide, full board, camping outfit, National Park fee.