Lake Baikal Day Tour - Listvyanka

Sightseeing  :  Russian Federation  :  Irkutsk Oblast  :  Irkutsk  :  Day Trips

One-day tour to Listvyanka is for everybody who wants to discover Lake Baikal and does not have much time for that. We will experience several different activities which will give you an understanding and feeling of local life and nature. We will visit a reconstruction of a real Siberian village, gathered from different parts of Baikal region. We will see the lake from several breath-taking viewing points, touch the legends and stories of this inspiring place. We will visit the old Orthodox church, the only one married couples during Soviet Union times. After that we will visit fish and crafts market, see the process of Baikal Omul fish smoking, and enjoy local meals for the lunch. The tour can include other seasonal activities (Winter: dog-sledding, snowmobiling, hoovercraft ride; Summer: boat ride, swimming) on request.Program:

• 10:00 Departure from Irkutsk. We pick you up from any point you requested
• 11:00 Open-air ethnographic museum "Taltsy". Taltsy museum is alive Siberian village of the end of 19th century. It has a school, watermill, real fortress ("ostrog"), Buryat and Mongolian yurts (gers) and, frankly speaking, everything necessary for living in the past. We see wooden houses made without any nails, look at the real Siberian treasures (which were not only gold) and get know, how the people lived in such severe lands
• 12:30 Shaman Rock, and the top of Chersky Hill. Shaman Rock is a stone located in the middle of the Angara headwaters, the only river flowing out from the lake. Shamanism is a traditional believing and way of life for locals, and this rock is a special place for them.
• 14:00 Wooden Ortodox church. This church was built in 19th century by local merchant, miraculously escaped from the death in Baikal storm. Sailors and merchants asked for the blessing for a good journey here, and the church is still important for the people
• 14:30 Lunch. We stop at one of the most popular cafes serving local dishes. During summer we can have a lunch right at the lake shore
• 15:30 Free time: fish, souvenir and crafts market. Listvyanka is a gateway to Baikal, and there is always something more to do: shore walks, Baikal Seal Show, Baikal Nature Museum, and seasonal activities (Winter: dog-sledding, snowmobiling, hoovercraft ride; Summer: boat ride, swimming)
• 17:00 Departure from Listvyanka. We depart from central part of the town
• 18:30 Arrival in Irkutsk. We arrive to Irkutsk and drop you off to where you need