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Olkhon in winter

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Visit the only inhabited island on Baikal
Skate on the biggest skating rink in the world
Take pictures of all sorts of ice: stalactites and stalagmites, transparent ice and frozen ice splashes, bubbles made by the gas going from the bottom
Get courageous to cycle in winter. It will be something to remember! No special skills are required, just the ability to ride a bicycle.
Take a day trip on a hovercraft- a boat on an air cushion.
Enjoy winter beauty of Baikal

Tour cost: upon request
Tour duration: 4 days/4 nights

One of the great ways to explore winter Baikal is to go to Olkhon island in February- March.
These are the two months when you can enjoy more sunny days and expect more predictable weather conditions as well as drive on the ice road safely. This is the perfect time when you can get into caves and grottos beautifully decorated with ice and icicles.

Tour itinerary:

Day1

Pickup from the airport by a private guide and a driver.

Breakfast in Irkutsk followed by a short city tour to introduce you to the so called capital of Siberia, city of old wooden houses and the place of Decembrists's exile.

Driving to Olkhon island takes about 4-5 hours. En route we make various stops to streach your legs, enjoy the scenery and have lunch in one of the local cafes where traditional Buryat buuzy (big dumplings) are being served. Once reaching Baikal, you start driving on the ice road through Olkhon Gate- the strait which separates the island from the mainland. On the way to Khuzhir, the only inhabited village on the island. Upon arrival you go on a sightseeing tour around the village to introduce the history of the island, its shamanic traditions and believes. Get to Burhan cape, the holy place of the island.

Free time in the evening to enjoy sunsets and take gorgeous pictures.
Overnight stay at a guesthouse/mini-hotel

B- excluded.
L, D -included.

Day 2

4X4 drive to the northernmost tip of the island Cape Khoboy along the shoreline to enjoy breathtaking vistas and famous cliffs: Three Brothers and Tusk cliff more known as Khoboi. From Cape Khoboi you will have a panoramic view of the island and "the Small and the Big Sea". We will have various stops at grottos and caves which are beautifully decorated by mighty mother nature with ice and icicles . You will also see unusual ice formations - pressure ridges, frozen waves, as well as transparent surface of the ice.
After the tour, you will have free time to go ice-skating or just to walk around the village to visit the local museum or the local art gallery.

Overnight stay in a guesthouse/mini-hotel.

B, L, D- included.

Day 3

Driving back to Irkutsk (airport/ train station) or Lystvyanka. It takes about 6 h, roughly 300 km with a stop at Tazheranskaya steppe.
Stay overnight in Listvyanka.

B, L- included.
D- excluded

Options available on Day 2 or 3: 3-4 hour cycling on the ice of Baikal. You will be provided with a specially tyred bicycles. No special skills are required. You just need to be a confident bike rider.

Day 4

Day trip to Peschanaya bay on a hovercraft (depending on a group size it might be a private boat or you can join the group). During the tour you will have multiple stops to see frozen bubbles, ice formations, transperent ice where you can skate as well as hike to some hills to see some breathtaking views of Peschanaya bay.
Lunch is provided.
You can rent skates this day to skate on the biggest skating rink.

Limnological museum visit to learn about flora and fauna of Baikal and to see fresh-water seals known as nerpa.

B and L - included
D- excluded

Day 5
Morning transfer to the airport in Irkutsk

Included: private English- speaking guide, transportation, hovercraft trip ( private or group one depending on the group size), accommodation in guest-houses or 3* hotels, meals as per programm, transfer to the train station/airport
Excluded: optional activities, some meals, airfare and medical insurance.

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