Lake Baikal: Ice, Sun, Snow & Fun

Once so remote that only the hardiest adventurers would make the gruelling 4,202km trip from Moscow to Irkutsk, capital of the Baikal region, now, a short flight and less than four exhilarating days are all you need to experience some of the most iconic sights and exciting activities that Lake Baikal winter tour offers, the “jewel of Siberia” has to offer. Don’t let the season put you off! Mid-winter is arguably when Lake Baikal is at its most visually stunning, completely covered in crystal clear ice that shimmers gem-like in the abundant winter sunshine.

The perfect combination of culture and adventure, this lake Baikal Winter tour packs in some of Baikal’s signature ice and snow-based activities and attractions, while offering downtime against a backdrop of some the most magical winter scenery imaginable.

Lake Baikal Winter Tour highlights:

• Cosy up in the lovely lakeside village of Listvyanka, affectionately known as the “Riviera of Siberia”. While it’s become a hub for tourists visiting the Baikal region, Listvyanka retains an authentic feel. Standing close to the lakeshore are many timber houses in the traditional Siberian style, intricately decorated with wooden lace, brightly painted shutters and picket fences

• Meet Siberia’s furriest and most lovable mascot, the loyal and adorable husky. In remote parts of Siberia, dog sledding is still a common form of transport. After a crash course with an experienced handler, you’ll get to try your hand at “mushing” a team of huskies yourself on a short but unforgettable ride through the snowy landscapes of the Baikal coast

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Trans-Siberian Winter Fairytale

In Russia, life is as vibrant in winter as it is all year round. Explore Russia’s Golden Ring city – Suzdal, which features dozens of exceptional architectural monuments, including Russia’s iconic onion domes. Go on a troika sleigh ride or stroll through a snow forest under the winter morning sun. Sleep snugly on the Tsar’s Gold, your heated private train, on this 13-day private journey from Moscow to Ulan Bator via Lake Baikal!

Trans-Siberian Winter Fairytale tour highlights:

• Explore Russia and Mongolia in a fairy-tale setting and experience a very special night in a Mongolian yurt
• Marvel at rare Russian architecture and the impressive landscapes of Siberia
• Enjoy the indescribable atmosphere and views of Lake Baikal in the winter. Take a stroll and a snowmobile or dog sled ride on frozen Lake Baikal

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Moscow & St Petersburg Winter Escapade

Arriving in Moscow and St Petersburg during winter has been likened to stepping into a novel – a land of exotic fur hats and snow-dusted cathedral domes. This tour will take place between December 29 and 5 January to include an unforgettable New Year’s Eve in Moscow, one of the most exciting cities in the world to celebrate with the locals and “party like a Russian!” Or you can choose any other dates.

While in Moscow you’ll discover some of the city’s most iconic attractions and lesser-known gems, including a guided tour of the Kremlin and a day excursion to the opulent royal estate of Kolomenskoye.

Next, we’ll travel by high-speed train to St Petersburg to experience the romance of one of the world’s most beautiful cities in dazzling white winter dress. Delve into the treasures of the Hermitage Museum (without the summer crowds!) and enjoy a traditional troika sleigh ride in Pavlovsk Park.

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Lake Baikal Photography Tour

This Lake Baikal Photography Tour will grant intrepid photographers the honour of focusing their lenses on some of Siberia’s most famously beautiful frozen landscapes. Summer sees the bulk of tourist activity in the area, but it’s in winter that the most devoted photographers make the pilgrimage, hoping to capture once-in-a-lifetime images of the natural world at its most powerful and surreal.

Lake Baikal Ice Photo Tour Highlights:

• Enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view showing the true scale of Siberia’s “inland sea” from Khoboy Cape, which contains a labyrinth of grottoes where sunlight dances off ceilings jagged with icy stalactites

• Khorin-Igri Bay: an ideal spot to photograph the natural phenomenon of frozen bubbles under Lake Baikal, rising to the surface in perfect discs suspended in the clear, dark water

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Wrangel Island - Expedition Cruise in Russian Arctic

Cruise to Wrangel Island, an area 140km off the northeast coast of Siberia, separated from northern Alaska by the Chukchi Sea. For 10 frozen months of the year, this lonely wilderness is completely cut off from the outside world. Reaching Wrangel and braving its polar climate is not for the faint of heart. Only the most dedicated nature lovers make the journey – but the rewards are without parallel. There is simply no better destination than to meet the wild denizens of the Arctic up-close, virtually undisturbed by human interference, and in numbers that will simply astound you.

Wrangel Island – Russian Arctic expedition cruise highlights:

• Whale Bone Alley is the name given to a beach on Yttygran Island in the Bering Sea. Landing on the beach, you’ll take in the haunting atmosphere of this ancient site, where gigantic whalebones appear to sprout out of the ground, stretching along the coast for nearly half a kilometre
• Wrangel Island: After 6 days we reach the highlight of our cruise. Explore the island on foot and via Zodiac, searching for wildlife such as polar bears, musk oxen and reindeer amid majestic tundra landscapes with brilliant pastel patches of Arctic wildflowers

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Kamchatka Photo Expedition - Bears and Volcanoes

This 2-week Kamchatka photography tour is designed especially for landscape, nature, and wildlife photography enthusiasts. Stay on the shores of the iconic Kurilskoye Lake and take part in some of the best brown bear photo opportunities as the bears gorge themselves during the annual salmon run. Hike to the summits of some of Kamchatka’s active volcanoes for thrilling shots of steaming vents, acid lakes, and smoking craters. Your aim is to return to “Earth” with images of alien landscapes and wild nature worthy of the pages of National Geographic. Our Kamchatka photography tour suits all professional and amateur photographers, as well as active and adventurous travellers. No prior mountain climbing experience is required, but a decent level of fitness is strongly recommended.

Kamchatka photo tour highlights:

• Brace yourself for a bone-rattling journey on a Russian 6WD all-terrain vehicle on a road tracing the western coast of Kamchatka (complete with river crossing) to isolated Pauzhetka village. Pauzhhetka is a tiny settlement between the Sea of Okhost and Kuril Lake, surrounded on all sides by towering volcanoes

• Embark on the off-road drive to Kurilskoye Lake for a two day shooting and photo workshopping season among the brown bears who gather at the lake in large numbers during the salmon season to get the best chance of heart-stopping close encounters and amazing photos ops, we’ll watch the bears on land and on boat, staying overnight in log cabins close to the lakeshore

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Lake Baikal Ice Adventure

Our Lake Baikal Ice Adventure tour takes place during late February and March. The beginning of spring in the Baikal region, at this time of year, the temperature climbs above zero, but the surface of the lake is still largely frozen, covered by solid winter ice so clear you can see rocks and other objects at the bottom of the lake as far as 40m below. During spring, Baikal receives few visitors compared to the summer high season, allowing you to feel an inspiring sense of isolation and communion with undisturbed nature during this handcrafted 7-day tour. Be amazed by the frozen beauty of the world’s oldest and deepest lake and experience real-life walking on water. We’ve included a few activities exclusive to the cooler months such as ice skating snowmobiling to add a sprinkle of spills and thrills to this thoroughly enjoyable adventure.

Lake Baikal Ice Adventure Highlights:

• Embark on an over-ice expedition on and around Olkhon Island, the largest of Lake Baikal’s islands and the centre of shamanic energy for the Buryat people. Spend three nights on the island and discover pristine beaches, craggy capes, and untouched Siberian forests

• Enjoy over-ice hovercraft expedition to Ogoy island – one of the sacred places in the region.
• Enjoy one of the most popular winter activities – snowmobiling and dog sledding.

Lake Baikal - Frozen beauty of Olkhon Island

Lake Baikal winter tours are rightfully upheld as Siberia’s most famous attraction – its clear-as-a-mirror waters are a reflection of Siberia’s wildness, its vastness and its beauty. The crescent-shaped lake extends for 636km from north to south and is up to 1,637m deep, making it the deepest lake in the world. In fact, 20% of the world’s freshwater is contained within Lake Baikal. The vast Baikal region is home to unique indigenous cultures such as the Buddhist Buryat people. Traditional villages are dotted along the lake’s shore, interspersed with taiga forest and rocky steppes.

This tour takes place at the end of winter to provide guests with the unique opportunity to experience winter activities on the frozen surface of Lake Baikal and a trip to the region’s spectacular ice caves. READ MORE