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Tour Programs for Lake Baikal Area
Monkey Business offers a variety of activities in Siberia, staying in traditional Siberian Villages of Listvyanka or Bolshoe Goloustnoe on amazing Lake Baikal - the deepest lake - to the wooden City of Irkutsk. There are camping trips on Olkhon Island, winter ski trips, and trips around the shore of Lake Baikal on the Circum-Baikal.
Read some background on these areas on the Lake Baikal Introduction page.
- Irkutsk
- Listvyanka
- Bolshoe Goloustnoe
- Circum-Baikal Train
- Olkhon Island
Hotels
Irkutsk is the drop off point to visit Lake Baikal, but it is an interesting City to explore in it's own right, especially the older part of the City which has been restored and has some excellent Siberian wooden architecture. There is also a modern feel to the City with a cafe culture and shopping arcades which are comfortable to wander around, whatever the weather outside.
Most of our tours include one or two nights in Irkutsk, depending on arrival/departure train schedules. We offer the Angara Hotel on most of our trips or the Uzori Hotel for our basic tours.
Angara Hotel Twin Room
The Angara Hotel is a large Soviet style hotel on the Kirov Square in the centre of Irkutsk (note the train station is the other side of the river).
We only book the renovated rooms in this hotel which are on the 5th/6th floors which all have private bathroom, TV, phone, safe and air-conditionning.
There is a bar on the 6th floor and there are two restaurants. A buffet breakfast is also served.
Prices
€ 87 - Renovated Twin / Double Room
€ 111 - Renovated Single Room
All prices per person, per night and includes breakfast.
This small hotel is in the centre of Irkutsk, just 500m from Karl Marx street and the Decembrists Museum. It is also close to the mini-bus stop, making it very convenient for the trip down to Listvyanka and Lake Baikal.
Prices
€ 25 - Standard Room
All prices per person, per night and includes breakfast.
Listvyanka
Listvyanka is 70kms from Irkutsk and close to the mouth of the Angara River as it enters Lake Baikal. Listvyanka is a well developed tourist area with museums, hotels, traditional style homestays as well as bars and souvenir shops.
Most of our tours include time at Listvyanka which is also a great stepping stone to explore Port Baikal and the surrounding Baikal National Park for hiking. There are good winter and active options to choose.
Listvyanka Toilet
Listvyanka is a small village, with streets of wooden one-storey square houses. They generally have a central chimney which feeds all four rooms, seperated by doors or curtains. As is common in village Russia, the bathroom is outside together with a typical Russian banya / sauna.
Homestay
You will stay in one of these traditional wooden homes with a Russian family and have your own bedroom, and share the kitchen facilities.
Sasha's Guesthouse
Some homes have been extended to sleep more people and the owners live nearby, but meals are still prepared and served by the family. Although you miss some of the interaction with the local family there are normally people around to meet - both local and other tourists.
We do not offer accommodation by itself but only as part of a tour to the area, where extra nights homestay only can be booked if required.
Prices are based on twin-share and include breakfast only in the Guesthouse and breakfast and dinner in the Homestay.
Terema Hotel Twin Room
We found the Tererma Hotel the nicest hotel in Listvyanka. It has a great location perched on a hill on the edge of the village with lovely views over Lake Baikal and the Krestovaya Valley. It is traditionally built in Pine which is used extensively throughout. All rooms are comfortable with en-suite with some in seperate log cabins with have air conditionning. Executive rooms also have a balcony. It has a nice restaurant with friendly staff.
We do not offer accommodation by itself but only as part of a tour to the area, where extra nights at the hotel can be booked after the standard tours as listed below.
Upgrade Prices from Homestay
€ 35- Twin / Double Room
€ 55 - Single Room
Regular Prices
€ 55- Twin / Double Room
€ 75 - Single Room
All prices per person, per night and includes breakfast.
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| Arrival Day |  Meet on early arrival at the train station and transfer by car to bus station, local bus to Listvyanka with guide with orientation tour and assistance checking in to Sasha's Guest House and first meal served. Free time to explore the Lake area. Overnight. |
| Full Day |  Breakfast, return to Irkutsk on the same minibus and check-in to Uzori Hotel for one night. Free time to explore Irkutsk City, overnight. |
| Last Day |  Breakfast, free time. Meet guide for transfer to train station and assistance on departure. |
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| DAY 1 |
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| AE-3L Option Day |
 An extra night in Listvyanka, to fit the additional
summer or winter options as below. |
| Transfer Day |  Breakfast. Transfer to a family stay in Irkutsk. Accommodation with a family or upgrade . Free time. Overnight |
| Last Day |  Breakfast. Transfer to the railway station. Assistance with re-boarding train for onward travel. |
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| DAY 1 |
|
| AE-3L Option Day |
An extra night in Listvyanka, to fit the additional
summer or winter options as below. |
| Next Day |  Breakfast. Free day in Listvyanka to explore the local area, dinner and overnight. |
| Last Day | Breakfast. Transfer to Irkutsk and to the railway station. Assistance with re-boarding train for onward travel. |
Day Activities and Tours to add into Tour AE2L / AE3L |
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|---|---|
| Diving |  Diving equipment is provided. Available
from June-October.Divers must have experience with cold water diving or have more than 50 warm water dives logged. Preparations for diving adventure. Diving from the lake's shore in Listvyanka with a highly experienced instructor (CMAS and IDD). Experience fresh, cold water diving and see the real beauty of the underwater world of the Lake with its endemic sponge, fishes, vertical rocky slopes with underwater grottos, old wooden-built mooring with 18-19th century bronze gun. |
Soft Trekking |
A gentle hike for 3-4 hours through the forest with your guide with a picnic lunch on the shore of Lake Baikal. Return to your homestay for a banya and dinner. (can be added to extra days in Listvyanka). |
| Snowmobiling |
Snowmobiling either through the forest or on the frozen lake for 2 hours. |
| Cross Country Skiing |
Cross-country skiing in the
forest with a guide. Lunch cooked on a campfire. |
Available from All Year Round
Available from December to March
Bolshoe Goloustnoe
The high-light of the trip was at Lake Baikal and staying with the Russian family by the lake.
John Hunt - April 2006
The village of Bolshoe Goloustnoe is 110km from Irkutsk, half the journey on sealed road and the other half on a good, graded gravel road. The population of the village is half Buryat, half Russian. The village is surrounded by mountains, has a nearby river, church, chapel and some sacred places.
Bolshoe Goloustnoe is pronounced "boll shoy (as in the 'Bolshoi' ballet) gall-oust-na" and we often refer to it as 'BG'.
Available all year round |
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| DAY 1 |  Transfer from the railway station to Bolshoe Goloustnoe (110km). Accommodation
with a local family in a wooden house. Lunch. Guided walking around the
village. Visit to the old Russian Orthodox church. Walking along the shore
of Lake Baikal. Visit to the old chapel. Sauna. Dinner. Overnight. |
| DAY 2 |
NOTE: When staying at Ushkani Cape local fishing families will provide lunch. For those stayng overnight there is a sauna and steam bath right by the lake shore. |
| DAY 3 |  Breakfast. Transfer to Irkutsk. 2 hour guided city tour
by car. Transfer to the railway station. |
Available all year round |
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|---|---|
| DAY 1 |  Transfer from the railway station to Bolshoe Goloustnoe (110km). Accommodation
with a local family in a wooden house. Lunch. Guided walking around
the village. Visit to the old Russian Orthodox church. Walking along
the shore of Lake Baikal. Visit to the old chapel. Sauna. Dinner. Overnight. |
| DAY 2 |
NOTE: When staying at Ushkani Cape local fishing families will provide lunch. For those stayng overnight there is a sauna and steam bath right by the lake shore. |
| DAY 3 |  Breakfast.
Transfer to Irkutsk. Accom. with family
in a modern apartment in the city center (or
upgrade to Hotel). Free time to see the architecture
of Irkutsk. Overnight. |
| DAY 4 | Breakfast. Transfer to the railway station. |
Circum Baikal
The Circumbaikal Railway is a historial railway line along the shore of Lake Baikal which starts in Kultuk village and ends in Port Baikal. Kultuk village is situated 8 km before Sludyanka. The route back to Irkutsk can be visited in a trip starting from Listvyanka. Within the 56-mile section from Sludyanka to Port Baikal alone there are 48 arches and tunnels.
Available
from May to October on Thursday and Sunday |
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| Day Trip |  Starts in Listvyanka!Take the ferry across the mouth of the Angara River to Port Baikal and visit the Port Baikal Museum before boarding the memorable and picturesque train trip along the old Circum-Baikal railroad (Port Baikal – Sludyanka – Irkutsk) with a lot of tunnels and bridges and several 'tourist' stops along the way at interesting sights and special views. Lunch and dinner boxes onboard included. Arrival to Irkutsk late evening and transfer to your family stay or hotel, or other arrangement. The train takes around 8 hrs with the total trip around 12 hours. |
Olkhon Island
Olkhon was absolutely brilliant and the guide Katja a lot of fun!
Kathrin Kohlschmidt, July 2008
Olkhon is a beautiful island that seems to have emerged from the fresh waters of Baikal. The island is very verdant and unique with its forest and sandy enironment, smooth meadows and rocky cliffs falling into the lake and three different climate zones of steppe, taiga forest and desert despite the island only being 730 square meters.
Available from 15th June to 15th September |
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| DAY 1 |  Transfer from the railway station to a family stay or a hotel in Irkutsk for shower and late breakfast. Free time. It takes 4 to 5 hours to reach Olkhon by minibus (300km) plus an hour by ferry (which is first come first served so occasionally a wait). Lunch on the way. Accommodation in the holiday resort 'Lada' in rooms for 2-3 persons. Visit to the local history museum. Dinner. Overnight. |
| DAY 2 |  Travel by car to the Hoboi cape the most northerly tip of the island, there are some of the best views of Lake Baikal showing the immensity and powerful beauty of the lake. Lunch on the way. Return to Khuzgir. Sauna. Dinner. Overnight. |
| DAY 3 |  Breakfast. Excursion to 'Shaman cape' where, according to legend, the God of the lake 'Burhan' lives and the sandy beach in Saraiskiy Bay where the dunes push up from the shoreline before petering out in the thick pine forests. Relax on the beach on a sunny day (of which Olkhon has 350 a year!). Lunch. Free time. Dinner. Overnight. |
| DAY 4 |  Breakfast. Transfer back to Irkutsk by minibus. Lunch on the way. Accommodation in a family stay or a hotel. Free time. Overnight. |
| DAY 5 | Breakfast.
Transfer back to Irkutsk by public bus. Lunch on the way. Accommodation in a modern
apartment with a family in the city center (or upgrade to Angara Hotel). Free time. Overnight. |
| DAY 6 |  Breakfast. Transfer to the railway station and assistance with re-boarding train for onward travel or other program. |
In case weather conditions prohibit your booked program, alternatives will be offered in consultation with you.
The last night of these packages is in Irkutsk, staying in a homestay. You do have the choice of the 3* Angara Hotel. We recommend upgrading to this hotel over a homestay as you may find that the city apartments do not match the wooden cottages down by the Lake.
Random Photo
