Itineraire et activites : region d'Irkutsk, lac Baikal

Day 1
Arrival to central railroad station of Irkutsk, meeting. Excursion around historical center of the city, lunch at the cafe, visiting ethnographical museum and local open market for food. Accommodation and dinner at local family.

Day 2
Just after breakfast transfer by car to Olkhon island region. 320 km to go, stop for a lunch in road cafe, dishes in traditional burjatish (local) cuisine. Car excursion on forest roads near shore line of lake Baikal. Trek to the top of sacred Shibite mount. Take a look on ancient stone hand-made walls, enjoy wonderfull view to Baikal lake and it's shore line for many kilometers both sides!
Driving to the Tageran steppe. At this place landscape of the Western shore changes, forest hills transforming into the Mongolian-looking steppes.
Set up tent camp on the top of rocky cliff, trek trip around area.
Diner over campfire, overnight in tent.

Day 3
Just after breakfast we will have a car excursion to valley of the stone spirits. Whole field covered with different-looking amazing shaped rocks. By the local legend all that stones previously was warriors on a battle field and they was stoped here by major spirit of the land thousands years ago. Continue driving along shore line of Baikal lake
Lunch at the road cafe. Transfer by car on ferry boat to Olkhon island, car trip across southern part of Olkhon to the main sattelment on the island - Hugir village. Visiting local ethnographical museum. Accomodation and dinner at Nickta Bencharow homestead. In the evening you will have unfoggetable experiens of Russian steam sauna - banja!

Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6
Breakfast at the homestaed, preparation to mountain bike trip. It takes us 3 days to explore most attractive and beautifule areas of Baikal lake - Northern end od Olkhon island. Classic cross country ride first throw the forest and after at the opend steepas areas. During this trip will will see unbelivable beautifule landscape sights - cliff three Brothers and Hoboy cape. Last one looks like "end of the land" in direct meaning. High rocky cliff surrounded from 3 sides with huge opend lake - that's how looks nothern end of Olkhon island. Also we will visit small sandy desert which is famouse for it's dunas and old destroyed prison from early Soviet times (GULAG).
All three days we will bike, make trekking trips around area and camp in wild surrounding. At the end of Day 6 we will be back to Nickita Bencharow homestead and that night we will spend in log cabin.

Day 7
Transfer by car back to Irkutsk (365 km) probably it takes us 4-5 hours to get to Irkutsk. Lunch stop in a road cafe. Accomodation in Irkutsk at local family. In the evening dinner and spare time on your own.
Day 8
Morning transfer by car to Arshan village, which is situated near the slopes of rocky Saynas mountains. 260 km to go on paved road, approximately 3 hours drive with short lunch stop at the road cafe near south extremity of Baikal lake. The drive goes along the south of Baikal and picturesque landscapes of the Tunkinskaya Valley. In the village of Arshan we will walk towards the mineral springs, waterfalls of the Kyngarga Canyon and Buddhist Temple (Datzan).
In the evening we will have dinner at the local cafe and prepare our backpacks for tomorrow's trekking tour.
Overnight - local family, log house.

Day 9
One day trekking excursion to deep rocky canjon of Kyngarga river. It take less then 2 hours of trekking on narrow mountain trail to get to the blue-coloured and high ice-falls on a side branches of Kyngarga river. Ice climbing training and climbing on ice falls of side streams of Kyngarga river. Some of them are vertical, some parts are not that steep, which is good for training.
Lunch will be prepered over campfire, after the meal we will have some more trekking and later we will came back to Arshan village. Dinner at the cafe.
Overnight - same place.

Day 10
Transfer back to Irkutsk by car, on the way - daytour to the Zhemchug village. This place is located on the bank of Irkut river and famous for its hot mineral springs and healing dirt, where it would be possible to take a hot bath on a open air and wash out all the traveling dust to feel yourself 100% refreshed.