Day 1 Beijing → Irkutsk
All day
Today, tourists gathered at Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport to take a flight to Irkutsk.
Full refund if visa is rejected:
This itinerary requires an electronic Russian visa, including visa services. Documents must be submitted to the designated email address on China-TravelNote approximately 14-21 days prior to departure. If there are no document issues, a visa will be issued within a week of departure. In the event of a visa rejection, a full refund will be provided. For details, please see "Fees Included - Visa" section.
After arriving in Irkutsk, the tour guide will pick you up at the airport and enjoy a Russian barbecue meal.
Day 2 Irkutsk → Listvyanka
·morning
Irkutsk is a city steeped in legends and history, earning the nickname "Paris of the East." After breakfast, let's explore the city and embark on a city walk.
Proceed to the Victory Square, near the Angara River, where tourists will visit the Church of the Savior, the Polish Catholic Church, the Cathedral of the Epiphany of the Lord, and the government building. Then, pass by the Eternal Flame and reach the Bridge of Love, encountering the Angara River, the mother river of Izmir. From the bridge, you can admire the statue of the Siberian pioneers in the distance.
Finally, visit the famous Kazan Cathedral.
·afternoon
After lunch, we'll continue to the small town of Listvyanka. Upon arrival, we'll head to Chersky Mountain (700 meters above sea level), home to the Baikal ski resort. Tourists will take a cable car to the summit. Afterwards, it's a 10-minute walk to the observation deck at the summit, offering breathtaking views of Lake Baikal. From here, you can see the river's entrance into the lake. Because the Angara River never freezes, tourists can also see the distinct boundary between ice and water.
Check in after going down the mountain.
After a short break, we split into two groups and headed to a wooden, two-story boat by the lake to experience a Russian sauna to relieve the fatigue of the day's journey. Our guides would swat the tourists with the famous Russian banana leaves. The boats also offered small desserts and Russian drinks.
Sauna Bath Notes* (Group sauna baths may be divided into two time periods)
1. Avoid being overworked or hungry
2. Pay attention to hydration
3. Do not wear jewelry, bring your own swimming trunks, swimsuit and change of clothes
4 People with colds or during menstruation should not take a sauna
After enjoying the sauna, return to Listvyanka town and check in to the hotel.
Day 3 Listvyanka full day tour (with free time)
·morning
After breakfast, visit the Baikal Museum, where visitors can get up close and personal with the mysterious Lake Baikal and its biodiversity and minerals. The Simulated Underwater Submarine Observation Room showcases the distribution and activities of flora and fauna across the lake's different water layers. Also at the museum is a visit to two Baikal freshwater seals, endemic to the lake. Thanks to their plentiful diet, they are so plump that locals nickname them "torpedo seals."
Visit the Listvyanka fishermen's market and experience the beauty of life in Listvyanka. Tourists can take care of their own lunch at the fishermen's market.
·afternoon
After a free lunch, enjoy a unique ice float experience on Lake Baikal. Donning red water-resistant thermal suits, tourists transform into crayfish on the ice of Lake Baikal, performing a variety of unique poses to capture memorable moments with their companions.
Afterwards, if there is enough time, tourists can move freely and enjoy the pleasant winter afternoon.
Recommended at your own expense:
1. Dog sledding, experience the feeling of Erha taking you galloping, the whole round trip is about 3 kilometers. Friends who don't want to experience it can explore the town freely.
2 Ice diving (appointments must be made in advance). The underwater Lake Baikal is very pure. Standing upside down on the bubble ice is like walking on the moon, which is very interesting.
3. Hovercraft: Small ones can carry 8-9 people, and large ones can carry 18. You can go to the other side to see the abandoned railway station from the Tsarist Russia era and the pristine ice of Lake Baikal.
Day 4 Listvyanka → Olkhon Island
·morning
After breakfast, drive to Olkhon Island, the largest island in Lake Baikal and the center of shamanism.
Enjoy a unique Siberian [Buryat lunch] on the way, take a short break after the meal and continue on your journey.
·afternoon
Arrive at Xiaohai Pier and transfer to a [Watts off-road vehicle] to Olkhon Island, the largest island in Lake Baikal, and check in at the wooden house area in Khuzhir Town.
If it is still early when you arrive, you can go to Shaman Mountain under the guidance of the tour guide to watch the sunset. Tourists can stand on the mountain and overlook Shaman Rock and the vast Lake Baikal.
After Russian dinner, check in to hotel and rest.
Day 5 Olkhon Island (Northern Route Day Tour)
All day
After breakfast at the hotel, we will start our exploration of the northern part of Olkhon Island by off-road vehicle.
The final destination is Cape Hebo, the northernmost point. Along the way, you'll pass Crocodile Island, Human Face Mountain, and Three Brothers Mountain before reaching Cape Hebo. Along the shore, you'll find icicles, ice piles, and ice caves, offering visitors a chance to experience them firsthand. The off-road bus races across the endless expanse of ice, offering an unprecedented sense of vastness!
Northern Line at a glance:
The first stop is Crocodile Island: There is a big rock in the middle of the lake very close to the village that looks like a crocodile.
The second stop is the Three Brothers Stone: listen to the legendary tragic love story.
·afternoon
For lunch, the Russian uncle will prepare fresh fish soup for the tourists, accompanied by snacks and black tea. After the fish soup picnic, we will continue the ice safari.
The third stop is Cape Hebo: This is the northernmost tip of the entire island, where you can encounter the largest blue ice pile in Lake Baikal.
The fourth stop is Love Mountain: a naturally formed heart-shaped mountain. Local newlyweds pray for children here. After choosing a mountain, they place a token of their love. The left side of the mountain is for boys, and the right side is for girls.
After the northern tour, we will return to Khuzhir Village to check in and rest.
Day 6: One-day tour of the southern route of Olkhon Island
·morning
After breakfast, take a day trip to the southern part of Olkhon Island.
Along the way, you can see icefalls, icicles, and ink-like petrified mountains and rivers. 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.
The southern route includes three or four scenic spots, each lasting about 20-30 minutes. At the second or third stop, a Russian man will prepare a fish soup lunch for the tourists. The meal includes potatoes, sausage, and fish soup. Bring your own thermos; drinking hot water in the car is a real lifesaver in the freezing cold.
·afternoon
After lunch, we will continue our tour. The driver and tour guide will lead the tourists to have fun on the ice. In the evening, we will come to the area where the ice bubbles are densely packed to enjoy the sunset on the southern front of Olkhon Island.
Afterwards, return to Khuzhir Village for check-in.
Day 7 Olkhon Island → Irkutsk
·morning
After breakfast, depart from Olkhon Island and return to Irkutsk by bus.
On the way back to Irkutsk, you can enjoy the beautiful snow-covered birch forest.
·afternoon
Upon arrival in Irkutsk, head to the 130 Russian Style District, a collection of traditional Russian wooden houses of various styles. These have been transformed into restaurants, cafes, bars, bookstores, and souvenir shops, creating a vibrant and trendy shopping district for Irkutsk's working professionals.
After a free dinner, check in to the hotel and rest.
Day 8 Irkutsk → Beijing
·morning
After breakfast, embark on a military experience tour. Ride in an armored vehicle through the deep Siberian forests and experience firsthand shooting training (AK47 for men, AK74 for women). The feeling of pulling the trigger and hearing the bullet whizzing out is truly thrilling! Many tourists are new to this, but with the instructors' patient guidance, they quickly master the techniques.
The four safety principles of shooting grip, safety, and firing are :
1. Always assume every gun is loaded.
2. Never point the gun at anything other than your target, and never, ever, ever at your teammates.
3. Keep your finger outside the trigger guard when not ready to shoot or holding the gun securely.
4. Double-check your target and surroundings before shooting.
·afternoon
At noon, you can experience the [Russian Food Making] where tourists prepare Russian meals by themselves and deeply experience the local food culture.
In the afternoon, if you have enough time, you can go to Karl-Marx-Allee for free activities.
Then go to the airport to catch the flight back to Beijing.
·night
The trip ends after arriving in Beijing.
