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7-Day Lake Baikal Photography Tour: Dreamy Blue Ice

D1

Day 1 Beijing → Irkutsk

All day

On this azure planet, there lies an ancient and magical land, vast in territory, vibrant in color, and peaceful in appearance. Some say it's synonymous with ice and snow; some say ballet is its calling card; others say its church is its symbol. It's a country shining with a unique light on the Eurasian continent—Russia!

At around 2:00 AM, we met up with our tour leader and fellow group members at Beijing Daxing Airport for a pre-departure briefing. We then completed boarding and customs procedures and flew to Irkutsk, the capital of East Siberia. Over 350 years of history have left behind approximately 1,300 historical and architectural monuments, creating a picturesque and picturesque landscape. Upon arrival, we followed our tour leader through customs.

Upon arriving in Irkutsk, we'll begin by photographing Kazan Cathedral. The building, adorned in red, boasts an ornate, vibrant exterior. Beautiful blue accents grace the domes, window frames, and roof. Beyond its grandeur, the interior is truly exquisite, boasting rich and exquisite murals instead of sculptures. (Please refrain from photographing if worshippers are inside!) After our photo session, we'll have lunch.

After lunch, we will return to the hotel to check in and rest briefly. Before dusk, we will head to the Ankara Riverbank to photograph the three main churches: the Cathedral of the Epiphany of the Lord, the Polish Cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (a Siberian church adorned with frescoes both inside and out), the Government Building, and the Bridge of Love.

Then we went to the Angara River, China-TravelNote [specially arranged to take portraits of Russian beauties in the snowy environment (2-3 sets of clothing)].

Return to the hotel after dinner.

Note: In the winter, the sun rises late in the Baikal region (around 9:00 am) and sets early (around 5:00 pm).

D2

Day 2 Irkutsk → Olkhon Island

All day

I got up early and went to the hydroelectric power station on the lower reaches of the Angara River to photograph the morning mist. In winter, the lower the temperature, the greater the probability of rime appearing.

Then we will drive to Olkhon Island and taste the local Buryat cuisine on the way.

Arrive at Xiaohai Wharf in the afternoon and take a Watts off-road vehicle to the largest island of Lake Baikal. Arrive at Khuzhir Town and check in. After a brief rest, go to Shaman Mountain to photograph the sunset.

Driving distance: Irkutsk to Olkhon Island (about 450 kilometers, about 5 hours)

Notes: Note 1: Generally, off-road vehicles can reach the frozen lake from January to March, but the ice-covering period varies from year to year. Whether your vehicle can reach the ice depends on the specific weather conditions. If your vehicle cannot reach the island directly, you will need to transfer to an airboat at the dock to reach the island.
Note 2: Olkhon Island is a relatively undeveloped region in Russia, so accommodations are relatively primitive and difficult.
Note 3: The island's centralized heating system is not particularly reliable, and there is a chance that heating will not be sufficient in sudden cold weather. We recommend bringing a down sleeping bag as a precaution. Note 4:
The drive from Irkutsk to Olkhon Island is quite long, so we recommend bringing some dry food, snacks, motion sickness medication, etc. In winter, the bus may not be heated throughout the journey, so we recommend bringing a thick jacket for warmth. Due to Russian conditions, there may be a strong diesel odor inside the tour bus when the heating is on.
Note 5: The packed breakfast is usually a cold breakfast (bread and a drink).

D3

Day 3: Full-day photography on the southern route of Olkhon Island (Small Sea)

All day

You can get up early in the morning to take pictures of the sunrise.

After breakfast, we drove to Xiaohai and took photos along the way. Here we can take photos of ice waterfalls, icicles, and ink-and-wash petrified mountains and rivers (Olkhon Island is picturesque and very suitable for photography). The raised ice blocks are crystal clear on the mirror-like water surface, and look like a dream under the sunlight. There are also intricate cracks on the ice surface, which is beautiful.

After the picnic at noon, we continued to create. The driver and tour guide led us to the ice to find a suitable shooting spot. In the evening, we came to the place where ice bubbles were densely packed and took pictures of the ice bubble sunset with the ice bubbles as the foreground.

Return to rest after dinner!

Note: Lunch on that day is a picnic with simple contents. It is recommended to bring some dry food with you.

D4

Day 4: Full-day photography on the northern route of Olkhon Island (Cape Hebo)

All day

Get up early and walk to the east of Khuzhir Town to photograph the sunrise over the village.

After breakfast, we will take an off-road vehicle to Cape Hepo, the northern end of Olkhon Island. Along the way, we will pass Harants, Crocodile Island, Human Face Mountain, and Three Brothers Mountain, and arrive at the shore of Cape Hepo to photograph ice hangings, ice piles, ice caves, ice cracks and other subjects.

After a picnic at noon, we continued to shoot. At Cape Hebo, we encountered the largest blue ice pile in Lake Baikal.

After returning, take photos of the sunset around your accommodation depending on the conditions of the day.

At night, you can photograph the starry sky on the ice surface under the guidance of the team leader (the specific departure time is controlled by the team leader according to the moon phase and the rise and fall of the Milky Way).

D5

Day 5 Olkhon Island → Listvyanka

All day

After breakfast, we will depart for Listvyanka, a famous resort town on Lake Baikal. Passing through the snowy forest, we will take photos along the way where there are safe and convenient parking areas.

Arrival in Listvyanka, dinner and overnight stay!

Driving distance: Olkhon Island to Listvyanka (approximately 400 km, approximately 5 hours)

D6

Day 6 Listvyanka → Irkutsk

All day

In the morning, we will take some free photos on the shore of Lake Baikal. After breakfast, we will go to the Baikal Museum to learn about the aquatic animals of Lake Baikal and the formation of Lake Baikal.

After lunch, take the cable car up the mountain and take a bird's-eye view of the flowing Angara River estuary and the frozen Lake Baikal from the top of the mountain.

Afterwards, we returned to Irkutsk and climbed up to the city observation deck to take photos and record the cultural heritage of this old industrial city. We then enjoyed a farewell dinner on 130 Folk Street.

Go to the airport in time and take the flight back to China the next morning.

Driving distance: Listvyanka to Irkutsk (approximately 150 km, approximately 2.5 hours)

D7

Day 7 Irkutsk → Beijing

All day

We boarded the early morning flight back to Beijing, checked in with our tour leader, and boarded our flight back to Beijing. Our Lake Baikal blue ice photography trip concluded successfully. I believe every tourist has gained a lot. After returning, please share your photos on China-TravelNote Photography Network.

Doubt 1: Russia feels so far away from us, so far, so far~~

It's actually not that far! Flying from Beijing to Irkutsk takes only 2.5 hours. Sit back, gaze at the clouds and snow-capped mountains, enjoy your meal, and finally take a nap—and you'll be there.

Question 2: Is it troublesome to apply for a Russian visa?

If it is a visa, you just need to find an agent and provide the relevant information. The price is about 500-700.

If getting a visa individually is too much of a hassle, a simpler option is to join a tour group! Russian groups are exempt from visas! Russian groups are exempt from visas! Russian groups are exempt from visas!

Question 3: How cold is Lake Baikal?

How cold is it? First, let's take a look at just how cold Siberia really is. This is the legendary home of cold fronts. Weather forecasters often point a finger at the "culprit," saying, "It's because of this cold front moving south that we're experiencing a drop in temperature." Indeed, the Northern Hemisphere's coldest point is right here. In Oymyakon, temperatures can reach -60°C. However, the Lake Baikal region is a special case. Some say that Lake Baikal is a giant, two-way "air conditioner," regulating the climate of its shores. From January to May each year, the lake freezes, releasing latent heat and mitigating the winter's harshness. In summer, the lake thaws, absorbing significant amounts of heat and reducing the heat. Consequently, Lake Baikal's winters are roughly as cold as those in Northeast China, and on average, temperatures are about as cold as those in Harbin.

We packed our clothes for temperatures of -20-30 degrees Celsius, but since this year is the warmest time of the year at Lake Baikal, the daytime temperature outside is only around -10 degrees Celsius, which isn't too cold. As for how thick you need to be to withstand -20-30 degrees Celsius, the general rule is to wrap yourself up tightly.

Keep your cameras and mobile phones warm!

Battery issue: In low temperature environments, the camera battery will lose power quickly and the battery life will be only half of its usual capacity, so try not to expose the camera to excessively low temperatures for a long time. You can also choose to buy equipment to compensate for this.

To address the fogging issue, have a plastic bag handy. If you need to temporarily go from outside to inside, wrap your camera in the bag beforehand. This way, moisture will condense on the bag once you get inside. Once you're back at the hotel after a day of shooting, you can leave the bag behind and let it air dry. As for shooting indoors after the outdoors... well, once you're inside, just snap away and try to finish before the fog sets in...

iPhones are prone to shutting down in sub-zero temperatures. Your phone might even go dark before your hands even feel the cold. If you're using your phone to take photos, be sure to bring a power bank with you to keep it charged.

Lake Baikal: The deepest and largest freshwater lake in the world. Its narrow, curved shape, resembling a crescent moon, earns it the nickname "Moon Lake." It is 636 kilometers long, with an average width of 48 kilometers and a maximum width of 79.4 kilometers. Its area covers 31,500 square kilometers, an average depth of 744 meters, a maximum depth of 1,620 meters, and a surface elevation of 456 meters. Lake Baikal's waters are crystal clear, with a constant transparency of 40.8 meters, the second highest in the world. Its total water capacity is 23,600 cubic kilometers. 336 rivers flow into the lake, the largest being the Selenga River. The only river flowing out of the lake is the Angara River, with an average annual flow of only 1,870 cubic meters per second. Lake Baikal boasts stunning scenery, unique landscapes, and a rich biodiversity, making it a treasure trove of natural resources. The lake has more flora and fauna than any other freshwater lake in the world, 1,083 of which are endemic to the world.

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