Russia Private Tour (RUS011) Magical Ice World: Lake Baikal in Winter (6 Days 5 Nights)

• Arrive at Irkutsk International Airport (Irkutsk). A private guide and welcome sign holder with a VIP vehicle await to transfer you into Irkutsk, famously dubbed the "Paris of Siberia".
• Take a city tour of Irkutsk to experience the charm of unique traditional carved wooden architecture, visit historic Russian Orthodox churches, and explore Kirov Square in the heart of the city.
• Check in to your hotel in Irkutsk and relax at your leisure after your journey.

hotel Overnight Irkutsk

• Have breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the Taltsy Open-Air Museum of Wooden Architecture to see wooden houses, wooden churches, and the historical way of life of Siberian people amidst the pristine white snow.
• Enjoy lunch and savor Omul, a delicious endemic fish of Lake Baikal.
• In the afternoon, continue to the town of Listvyanka. Visit the Baikal Museum to learn about the ecosystem and rare endemic wildlife, then ride the cable car up to the Chersky Rock viewpoint for an aerial view of where the Angara River flows out of Lake Baikal.
• Return to the city of Irkutsk to relax at your leisure.

hotel Overnight Irkutsk

• Have breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Olkhon Island, the largest island in Lake Baikal (during winter, vehicles can safely and thrillingly drive across the thick ice sheet to the island).
• Have lunch en route. Arrive at Olkhon Island and check in to your accommodation in the village of Khuzhir.
• In the evening, visit the stunning Burhan Cape (or Shaman Rock), the most sacred site on Olkhon Island, as the setting sun casts an impressive sparkle across the ice.

hotel Overnight Olkhon Island (Khuzhir Village)

• Have breakfast at the hotel. Board a 4WD vehicle (UAZ) for a special ice-route excursion to the northernmost tip of Olkhon Island at Khoboy Cape.
• Marvel at ice caves, unique natural icicles, and mirror-clear ice sheets that let you see right through to the depths below, capturing memorable photos of this magnificent natural phenomenon.
• Enjoy an outdoor picnic lunch by the frozen lake, savoring hot local fish soup in the crisp winter air.
• In the afternoon, stop for photos at viewpoints featuring uniquely shaped ice and rock formations on the island before returning to your accommodation to relax at your leisure.

hotel Overnight Olkhon Island (Khuzhir Village)

• Have breakfast at the hotel, check out from Olkhon Island, and travel across the ice sheet back to the mainland.
• Head back to the city of Irkutsk, enjoying scenic views of snowfields and the vast Siberian nature along the way.
• Arrive in Irkutsk, check in to your hotel, and enjoy free time to stroll, relax, or shop for local souvenirs.

hotel Overnight Irkutsk