When planning your route to Lake Baikal, take into account where you are going. There are three large cities around Lake Baikal - Ulan-Ude, Irkutsk and Severobaikalsk.
It is these cities that can be reached by train or plane. Each of them has its own attractions and beautiful places - if you are going to a specific place, see which major city is closest to it and read our tips for a specific city.
If you are traveling with children, do not miss the article-guide to family vacation spots from a real practitioner, a mother who has been taking her child to Baikal for years.
What kind of worthwhile places are there on Lake Baikal and how to get to each specific one - read here, and if you are going to Irkutsk, be sure to read the article about its interesting places and about the sights of Olkhon Island.
It’s not enough just to get to Baikal – you also need to competently organize the process of visiting interesting places and natural attractions. Without a car, most of them will be inaccessible to you, and even with a car you won’t be able to drive everywhere. Therefore, the most correct tactic for visiting Baikal is to participate in an organized tour. This way you are guaranteed to get to the most worthwhile places and not miss anything important. And you will only have to get to Irkutsk, which can easily be done by train or plane. We recommend looking for tours in the Alem-Tour company https://www.alem-tour.ru/baikal/ - a large selection of routes, reasonable prices and good reviews from those who have already gone.
So, they get to the Small Sea and Olkhon from Irkutsk, to Arshan and the Circum-Baikal Railway - from Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude. Ust-Barguzin, Maksimikha and Cape Svyatoy Nose - buses go here from Ulan-Ude. And the wildest places - Lake Frolikha, Dzelinda, Khakusy - are located in the vicinity of Severobaikalsk (material for those who are planning a trip to the savages).
We have discussed in detail the options for how to get to Baikal and the cities around it by train or by plane:
Where is Baikal
Baikal is located in Eastern Siberia, between the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. The lake stretches for 636 kilometers, and the length of the coastline is more than 2000 kilometers. You will find it on the map at coordinates 53.405332, 107.673058.
There are 2 large cities near Lake Baikal: on one side Irkutsk (72 km from the coast), on the other - Ulan-Ude (170 km). Each of them has an airport and a railway station.
There are many villages and small towns scattered on the shores of Lake Baikal. They have tourist centers, hotels, and houses that locals rent out.
- Irkutsk region - Listvyanka, Kultuk, Slyudyanka, Utulik, Baikalsk, Solzan, Bolshoye Goloustnoye, Buguldeika, Onguren, Zama, Sarma, Sakhyurta, Khargino.
- Kabansky district - Vydrino, Tankhoi, Klyuevka, Babushkin, Posolskoye, Oymur, Sukhaya.
- Pribaikalsky district - Gremyachinsk, Turka, Goryachinsk.
- Barguzinsky district - Ust-Barguzin, Maksimikha, Monakhovo, Katun, Kurbulik.
- Severo-Baikalsky district - Severobaikalsk, Nizhneangarsk, Baikalskoye, Davsha.
We fly by plane
The fastest way to get to Baikal is by plane. Along the coast of the lake there are two large cities where flights arrive from Moscow - Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude.
The duration of the flight by plane is 5.5 - 6 hours. The average cost of a flight is from 9,000 rubles. The ticket price may vary depending on the season, time of purchase and air carrier. The most profitable flights are from December to March. The high season lasts from July to September. At this time, the cost of an air ticket may increase to 14,000 rubles.
If you are traveling to Baikal with the aim of visiting the Small Sea, Arshan, Listvyanka, Olkhon Island, then it is best to take a ticket to Irkutsk. The city is located closest to these attractions.
On the Ulan-Ude side, the tourist infrastructure is not so well developed, so a vacation here is more suitable for an independent holiday. You can visit local wild places, such as Enkhaluk.
In winter, hot springs located near Severobaikalsk are especially popular. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights to the city. You can get here by rail.
Once you have reached one of the major cities, you still have to travel about 70 km to the lake itself. For this purpose, you can use tourist buses or rent a car.
How to get to Baikal
To get to Baikal, they usually fly or arrive by train to Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude. And from these cities they go to small villages on the lake shore.
By plane
The cheapest tickets to Irkutsk from Krasnoyarsk and Chita are from 2800 rubles one way. And the most expensive flight is from Khabarovsk and Vladivostok - from 15,000 rubles and only with transfers.
Fewer planes fly to Ulan-Ude and tickets there usually cost 2-3 thousand more than to Irkutsk.
If you live in Moscow, you are in luck: there are more options for direct flights from different airlines. But the flight is long - almost 6 hours, both to Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude.
- Moscow - Irkutsk. Prices for one-way tickets start from 3,500 rubles. The cheapest way is to fly Pobeda or S7 without luggage. The cheapest tickets with luggage (up to 10 kilograms) are from Ural Airlines - from 4,000 rubles.
- Moscow - Ulan-Ude. It is most profitable to fly Smartavia - tickets from 6,000 rubles, without luggage, but with hand luggage up to 10 kilograms.
Look for plane tickets on aggregator sites that collect information from all available airlines. This way you will definitely be able to choose the most profitable and convenient flight.
Don't leave your ticket purchases until the last day in anticipation of discounts. The cheapest ones will most likely be sold out and you will have to pay almost twice as much. It is worth buying at least 5-7 days before the trip.
Please note that on holidays, such as New Year or May weekend, tickets are more expensive. If you don’t want to overpay, you should arrive a little earlier.
By train
Trains "Moscow - Irkutsk" depart every day from Yaroslavsky station. It's a long trip, 3 days and 16 hours. And tickets are more expensive than plane tickets: reserved seat from 4,500 rubles, compartment from 9,000 rubles.
A train ticket to Ulan-Ude costs about the same. It takes a little longer - almost 4 days.
By personal car
Those who live near Baikal can get there by car. It will be more profitable than by plane or train, although the journey will be longer.
The beauty of traveling to Baikal by private car is that you don’t have to go through Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude, you can go straight to one of the coastal villages. But it is unlikely to suit those who live far away. For example, from Moscow you will have to travel 4 days, and this does not take into account stops for lunch and sleep.
On the other hand, you can plan an exciting trip and travel halfway across the country. On the way, stop in Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Chelyabinsk, Omsk and Novosibirsk.
Train tour option “Baikal Tale” No. 1
Tour schedule
Date: July 23, 2022
Duration: 9 days/8 nights
- Double-decker train: Moscow – Port Baikal
- Motor ship "Kometa": Port Baikal - o. Olkhon – Port Baikal (at the request of tourists)
- Motor ship "Voskhod": Port Baikal - Listvyanka village
- Transfer Listvyanka – Irkutsk Airport
- Charter flight Irkutsk – Moscow
Travel for tourists from Moscow to the Port Baikal station is provided on a new double-decker train, which will make stops in the cities of Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Slavgorod, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk. To create a unique and exciting tourist program, the schedule is designed in such a way that the train arrives in each city in the morning and departs in the evening.
From Slyudyanka station to Port Baikal station, the train follows the Circum-Baikal Railway with stops for photo sessions.
Upon arrival at the final station of Port Baikal, at the request of tourists, a transfer to the island will be organized. Olkhon and back by high-speed motor ship "Kometa". Delivery of tourists from the Port Baikal pier to the Listvyanka village pier is carried out on the Voskhod motor ship. Transfer from the village of Listvyanka to Irkutsk airport is organized by buses.
Return to Moscow is provided by a charter flight from Irkutsk International Airport with meals provided on board.
The price of the tourist package includes:
1. Transport services:
- Travel by train on the route Moscow – Port Baikal
- Transfer by boat from the Port Baikal pier to the island. Olkhon and back (optional)
- Transfer by motor ship Port Baikal – Listvyanka village
- Transfer from Listvyanka to Irkutsk airport
- Flight from Irkutsk to Moscow
2. Services on the train:
- Bed sheets
- Sanitary and hygiene kit
- Press
- Internal multimedia portal “Fellow Traveler”
- Meals on the train (according to the schedule)
For a fee, tourists can purchase additional services: bedding sets, tea and souvenirs. To provide meals for tourists, the train includes a dining car.
The price of the tourist package does NOT include:
- Tourist programs in host cities
How to go to Baikal on your own?
When to go?
The climate on Lake Baikal is special, for example, in summer it is colder on the lake than in Irkutsk, and warmer in winter. This place is characterized by harsh, long winters and short summers, as well as strong winds. The driest place on Lake Baikal is Olkhon Island, which is also very sunny and warm in summer. But the southeastern coast is considered the rainiest place, in the area of the Khamar-Daban ridge.
Here, as always, a lot depends on the purpose of the trip. If your goal is to go fishing, swim in the icy water of the lake, or go trekking in the surrounding mountains, then it is best to go in July-August. These are the only two months of the year when Lake Baikal is relatively warm. In June, the water does not warm up enough even in the Small Sea, and in the northern regions of the lake the ice can melt only by the end of May!
In the first half of September it gets a little colder (at night it can be significantly colder), most people go home, and you can enjoy unity with nature by walking along the sandy beach of Olkhon or arriving in Chivyrkuisky Bay.
In winter, getting to Baikal on your own is quite difficult, since regular transport is mainly reserved for the summer. However, groups are organized for skating on the clear ice of Lake Baikal or ice fishing.
From mid-March to mid-April, when the frosts subside, and in September-October, when Siberian nature delights with its bright colors - an excellent time for photographers and true connoisseurs of silence and solitude
Getting to know Lake Baikal
Getting to know Baikal is a unique opportunity to see Lake Baikal at any time of the year. Incredible...
- Taltsy
- Small Sea
- Ogoy Island
- Olkhon
- Rock Shaman
- Circum-Baikal Railway
- Arshan
Listvyanka
Auto excursions
Fishing
7 days 6 nights
from 60,000 rub.
Season: winter, spring
Upcoming dates:
- December 19 – December 25
- December 26 – January 1
- January 2 – January 8
- January 9 – January 15
- January 16 – January 22
- January 23 – January 29
- January 30 – February 5
- February 6 – February 12
- February 16 – February 22
- February 20 – February 26
- February 23 – March 1
- February 27 – March 5
- March 6 – March 12
- March 13 – March 19
- March 20 – March 26
- March 27 – Apr 2
- April 3 – April 9
- April 10 – April 16
- April 17 – April 23
- April 24 – April 30
- May 1 – May 7
- May 8 – May 14
- May 15 – May 21
- May 22 – May 28
- May 29 – June 4
- June 5 – June 11
- June 12 – June 18
- June 19 – June 25
- —
- 5 Dec – 11 Dec
- 12 Dec – 18 Dec
View tour
Hot ice of Baikal
An active journey for the elite, for the secrets of the mysterious western coast of Lake Baikal...
- Listvyanka
- Buguldeyka
Peschanaya Bay
Auto excursions
6 days 5 nights
from 98,000 rub.
Season: winter, spring
Upcoming dates:
- February 14 – February 19
- February 21 – February 26
- February 28 – March 5
- March 7 – March 12
- March 14 – March 19
- —
- 31 Jan – 5 Feb
- 7 Feb – 12 Feb
View tour
Weekend on winter Baikal
In this tour you will visit many places of winter Baikal in just 3 days! Our tour will suit…
- Small Sea
Ogoy Island
Auto excursions
3 days 2 nights
from 29500 rub.
Season: winter, spring
Upcoming dates:
- March 05 – March 7
- March 18 – March 20
- —
- 25 Feb – 27 Feb
- 04 March – 6 March
View tour
Crystal ice of Baikal
Travel through four different worlds. From a modern city to an ancient village. From the village to...
- Taltsy
- Peschanaya Bay
- Arshan
Listvyanka
Thermal springs
Auto-excursions
4 days 3 nights
from 31000 rub.
Season: winter, spring
Upcoming dates:
- March 05 – March 8
- March 17 – March 20
- —
- 04 Feb – 7 Feb
- 20 Feb – 23 Feb
View tour
A car ride is a romantic adventure
One day I had the chance to drive along the fascinating route Moscow - Ulan-Ude by car, my friends suggested going to Baikal, and since my relatives live in Ulan-Ude, we couldn’t help but stop by this beautiful city. The road is very long and difficult, it’s physically difficult to drive, it’s good that we had several drivers. The distance between the cities is 5,600 kilometers, which is at least three days on the road, if you don’t take into account overnight stays, but on such a road you definitely need to stop for the night. We made three stops, in Perm, Omsk and Krasnoyarsk. We thought for a long time about which route to choose and decided to go to Yaroslavl.
- Leaving Moscow, we found ourselves on the M-8 highway, I really like this road, it has four lanes, you can drive freely and quickly. There is a lot of traffic despite it being early in the morning. The coverage is very good, there are no holes. Gas stations are common, and so are cafes, but there is no particular need for them at this stage.
- You can go on an excursion to Yaroslavl, but we bypassed it and turned onto the P-400 highway to Kostroma. The road is also good, although there are already two lanes, but the surface is without damage, which made us very happy.
- From Kostroma we take the P-98 highway, but soon it goes to the left, and we continue towards the village of Sharya. Having driven along a road of average quality, we got onto the R-176 highway, along which we got to Kirov. On this section (Kostroma-Kirov) the road is probably of the worst quality on the entire route; you can’t go fast here. There are almost no gas stations and traffic is light.
- Having passed Kirov, we drove to Perm along the P-166 highway, this is a good road, in some places there are bad sections, which really annoyed me, because I wanted to get to Perm faster, since that was our first overnight stop. But there weren’t that many bad areas, so we got to Perm without any problems. There are already gas stations and cafes here.
- There is a very good highway R-242 leading to Yekaterinburg, here you can press the gas well, the surface is of very good quality, there are often gas stations along the way. There are sharp turns in places, you need to watch carefully.
- The P-351 highway leads to Tyumen, here the road is narrow, with two lanes, and there are often trucks along the road. I don’t recommend driving very fast, although the track is in excellent condition, there are occasional holes and cracks, but most of the track is of ideal quality. There are many gas stations and cafes.
- Having passed Tyumen, we found ourselves on the P-402 highway, also a good road, almost unbroken, also narrow with two lanes, but the asphalt is of good quality, there are almost no potholes. Cafes and gas stations aren't common, but there are a few good places to grab lunch.
- To Novosibirsk we drove along a very good highway R-254, in some places it is broken, but basically it is an excellent road, the main advantage of which is that it is smooth and straight, without sharp turns. There are not many gas stations and cafes here, but you can see the horizon and beautiful scenery on both sides.
- We drove to Krasnoyarsk along the R-255 highway, this is also a good road that winds through the taiga. Here you have to slow down a little, but the quality of the road is good and you can drive without fear. There are already a lot of gas stations and cafes in this area.
- From Krasnoyarsk we continued driving along the same road, but for the first 50 kilometers the quality of the road is much worse, there are holes and cracks, but then it’s quite normal. Only in Kansk the road around the city is simply terrible, and even beyond Kansk there are sometimes bad sections. And then all the way to Irkutsk the route is normal. There are not many gas stations, but they are common.
- From Irkutsk to Ulan-Ude we take the good highway R-258, there are very good sections with new asphalt, and there are quite bad ones, broken with potholes, but the former still predominate. The route runs along Lake Baikal, but the lake itself is not always visible because of the trees. There are many gas stations along the route, cafes too, and interesting viewing platforms.
It's expensive for Russian citizens
Over the phone to a correspondent of Realnoe Vremya, a consultant from the tour operator “My Baikal” said that most tourists fly from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, and Crimea.
Among foreigners, the primacy is occupied by the Chinese, Koreans, Germans and French. A popular week-long tour costs 40 thousand rubles. — Holidays on Lake Baikal are very expensive. For this money you can buy a trip abroad along with a flight. It’s expensive for Russian citizens, but for foreigners, after the ruble collapsed, it became cheaper. That’s why we have a lot of Chinese, Koreans, Thais are gradually starting to come, the Germans love Baikal. Prices are high because the infrastructure is not developed. We have no roads or sewerage. Business exists not thanks to the state, but in spite of it, because there is no investment from the state,” said a consultant for the My Baikal tour operator.
According to her, on the most popular resort island, Olkhon Island, there is not even a good pier, and the road was built only a few years ago.
Although tourists have chosen only four months to relax on Lake Baikal, travel companies claim that there is something to do on the lake at other times of the year. Photo vk.com/planetabaikal
