Baikal is simply magical in winter! Find out where it is interesting to relax on Lake Baikal in the winter of 2020-2021, what to do on the shore and on the lake itself. How much are tickets, ski passes and bathing in thermal springs?
What a winter on Baikal
Siberia has a sharply continental climate, so the Baikal winter is long, frosty and sunny. In November, snow already lies on the shores of Lake Baikal, and the water in the bays freezes. The main water area is covered with ice after the 20th of December and completely freezes in the second half of January. The source of the Angara remains ice-free even in severe frosts.
In winter, on Lake Baikal, the thermometer shows from -4 ° C to -30 ° C, but sometimes it can drop to -50 ° C. In the north, the lake is always colder than in the south. The strongest winds blow on Olkhon and the shores of the Small Sea.
Spring comes after March 20th. Since April, snow has been melting on the coast with might and main, and the ice on the lake becomes loose and fragile.
Spend the night in a tent with a stove
Connoisseurs of comfort in winter stay on Lake Baikal at recreation centers and hotels, and real adventure seekers spend the night in tents. Extreme lake tours are offered by many agencies. What could be more beautiful than frosty air, a warm sleeping bag, a pleasant company of friends and a delicious dinner cooked over a fire! Keep in mind that in winter it is convenient to carry equipment not in backpacks, but on a sled.
Look for hotels and recreation centers operating in the winter on Hotelluk.
Take stunning photos of Baikal ice
As beautiful as Baikal is in summer, in winter it turns into a real fairy tale. A huge freshwater lake becomes a giant ice rink. To see the unique Baikal ice in all its glory, come from mid-January to the end of March. During these months, the ice cover on the lake is the strongest, 100-110 cm thick, so walks on the lake are quite safe.
Baikal ice is called differently - shah, osenets, kolobovnik, zabergi. The most beautiful places with amazing bluish-white ice are located near the capes of Olkhon Island and the Maloye More islands. It is here that you can take pictures of spectacular ice splashes, caves, deep cracks, air bubbles shimmering in the sun and hummocks the size of a house. Imagine what tourists experience when they see fish through the Baikal ice at a depth of up to 40 m!
Take a ride on Baikal with a breeze
From mid-winter to the end of March, the frozen lake is available for various types of transport. For small and long distances on the Baikal ice people go on skates, skis, bicycles, snowmobiles, cars, dog sleds and all-terrain vehicles.
The Khivus hovercraft are popular for trips around Lake Baikal in winter. On them tourists willingly travel from Listvyanka to Olkhon, to Peschanaya Bay, to Tankhoi, Buguldeyka, Sakhyurta and to the southern end of the lake along the Circum-Baikal Railway. The cabin of the boat is well heated, so it is comfortable in it in any frost. Renting "Khivus" for an hour costs 7,500 rubles, and an excursion for 5-6 hours - 6,000 rubles per person.
Popular excursions on Lake Baikal:
- One day tour from Irkutsk to Listvyanka - 6500 ₽ for 1-3 persons.
- Tour by jeep or Toyota from Irkutsk to Listvyanka - 9890 ₽ for 1-4 people.
- A trip in a UAZ around Olkhon - 11,300 ₽ for 1-9 people.
- Shaman-Stone, Listvyanka, Chersky's stone - 7800 ₽ for 1-5 persons.
Look at the seal
The Baikal seal, or seal, is found throughout the lake, but to see it, you need to know the rookeries. Seals hibernate in hummocky areas of Lake Baikal and in piles of ice floes, which are called pressures.
Agile animals feed in water but breathe air. In places of overnight stays, there must be "vents" with a diameter of 1-2 m and small vents of 10-15 cm through which you can stick your nose out. Seals make these holes instinctively, raking the ice with the claws of their front paws.
Make a wish in shamanic places
While relaxing on Lake Baikal in the winter of 2020-2021, it is worth looking into the places where the most cherished dreams come true. For happiness, prosperity and good luck in love, go to the Shamanka rock, to Cape Khoboy, to the Cape of Love on Olkhon Island and to the shrine of the Barguzin Valley - the Bukhe-Shulun bull rock. Tourists who are interested in Buddhism go to the Ivolginsky Datsan near Ulan-Ude. Buy a shaman tambourine as a souvenir of a trip to winter Baikal, and you will see that life will change!
Find out what to see at Baikal.
Go fishing
The ice fishing season on Lake Baikal begins in January, when the shallow bays are frozen by ice. On the first ice, you can catch perch, roach and pike - a simple fish that local fishermen call rubbish... In February, they walk on solid ice to the places where the famous Baikal omul, grayling and burbot are caught. The most catchy time on Lake Baikal is from mid-March to early April, when the ice is still thick and the sun is hot.
You don't have to carry everything with you for fishing. Helpful travel agencies and camp sites have long brought civilization to the shores of Lake Baikal. You will be provided with the necessary tackle for hire, a transfer to the place and even a hole drilled.
Take a dip in the thermal spring
It is a pleasant pleasure to swim in hot water in the bitter frost. Natural springs with fluoride-hydrocarbonate water with temperatures up to + 50 ° C are located in Buryatia and in the north of Lake Baikal. The most famous ones - Goudzhekit and Dzelinde - are easily accessible by train.
The hydropathic establishments are quite comfortable. The pools are tiled and the changing rooms are heated. If you don't have a towel, rent a sheet! For using the pools, they charge 150-400 rubles.
Relax in a ski resort
"Sobolinaya Mountain" is a popular winter recreation center not only for residents of the Baikal region and Transbaikalia, but also for tourists in all corners of Russia. The magnificent snow-covered slopes of the mountain lie in the south of Baikal, in Baikalsk. The skiing season is long - from November to May. Entry to the resort costs 100-150 rubles, an hour of skiing - 400-500 rubles, a ski pass for the day - 1100-1900 rubles, and a one-time visit to the cable car - 110-200 rubles. On New Year's holidays, prices increase slightly.
Find out which ski resorts in Russia are the best.
