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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Northern lights in Murmansk - Quest for Aurora Borealis

To visualise the Northern Lights Murmansk experience, imagine a place that lives, works and plays above the Polar Circle. This extraordinary place is the Kola Peninsula in the far north-west of Russia.

Why do we visit Murmansk in the coldest part of the year? Well, the Northern Lights are best seen in the winter months. Murmansk city, being so close to the Arctic Circle, is one of the world’s premier destinations to see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful natural phenomenon visible from Earth.

Northern Lights in Murmansk Tour Highlights:

• Murmansk is the northernmost city in Russia, with a population of around 300,000 people, by far the largest city above the Arctic Circle, and it’s considered one of the best places in the region to view the Northern Lights.

• Visit a Siberian husky farm. The local Saami people will introduce you to their beautiful dogs and teach you how to navigate a dog sled through a specially prepared route through the forest

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Arctic Rail Explorer - Quest for Northern Lights

Experience a train journey unlike any other. An adventure on rails to the top of the world, the lands above the Arctic Circle where the mythical Aurora Borealis performs her breathtaking celestial dance in the velvet black Polar night sky. This compelling 12-day Northern Lights Train Tour showcases the unique contrast between two of Russia’s most majestic cities and the isolated yet charming communities deep within the Russian and Norwegian Arctic Circle. Commencing in St. Petersburg or Moscow, we visit some of the city’s most prominent historical and cultural sites, before embarking on this remarkable Arctic railway adventure in search of the elusive Aurora Borealis.

Northern Lights  – Arctic Rail Explorer Tour Highlights:

• Admire the architectural splendour of one of Europe’s most beautiful cities on a guided two-day tour of St Petersburg that includes St Isaac’s Cathedral and the Hermitage, as well as a trip to Pushkin to visit the extravagant Catherine Palace

• In the extreme north of Norway, above the Arctic Circle lies Kirkenes, a tiny frontier town near the Russian border. Ride a snowmobile across the frozen fjords outside town and try your hand at fishing for the Arctic’s most prized seafood, the king crab

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Kamchatka Heli Ski

This Kamchatka heli-skiing tour takes you to soaring ridges blanketed in untouched deep powder snow, and to the top of the majestic volcanoes of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Your helicopter touches down in the middle of nowhere – the summit of a towering and very-much-alive volcano. The Mi-8 helicopter is the ultimate chairlift, and the volcanic slopes of Kamchatka are the ultimate free ride.

As the chopper disappears from view, the sense of isolation and the sheer silence of the mountains is profound. Take a moment to meditate on exactly where you are – one of the wildest, most remote places on Earth – then take a deep breath and away you go. Kamchatka is the ultimate winter wonderland for ski enthusiasts.

Kamchatka heli-ski tour highlights:

The exact volcanoes that will be flown to on this Kamchatka Heli-skiing trip will be dependent on the weather and conditions allow. Some possible highlights include:

• Kamchatka’s trophy volcano for heli-skiiers is Mutnovsky (2,322m). Mutnovsky consists of several cones joined together. Thousands of years ago, the main cone collapses inside the volcano and formed a massive crater with glaciers, fumaroles and boiling mud geysers. And yes, it is possible to ski into the crater, directly into the fumarole fields!

• Viluchinsky (2,173m) is a perfectly cone-shaped volcano that boasts dozen beautiful gullies and wide slopes. Landing on the top you’ll be greeted with an incredible panoramic view through the clouds to fijord-like valleys below

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