See the Many Forms of Water at Lake Baikal This Winter | With Travel Guide.
|With Travel Guide. I originally planned to spend 5 days at Lake Baikal. The round trip from Listvyanka to Olkhon Island takes 2 days, so I was torn between going to Olkhon Island for a deep dive into Lake Baikal or relaxing in Listvyanka.
I finally decided to spend 2 days on a round trip to Olkhon Island. The main reason was to experience the snowy scenery of Siberia on the way, including rime, ice rivers, and the frozen Lake Baikal.
🚘🚘🚘Transportation Plan:
1️⃣Beijing to Irkutsk, red-eye flight
2️⃣Irkutsk to Listvyanka, hotel paid pick-up
3️⃣Listvyanka to Khuzhir, round-trip private car with Chinese-speaking driver
4️⃣Olkhon Island South and North Lines, 2-day private car on the island
We chose to take a private car from Listvyanka to Olkhon Island with a Chinese-speaking driver. The driver was from Northeast China and came here on a student visa. He studied Russian while working as a private car driver. We left the homestay in Listvyanka at 9 am and headed to Olkhon Island. The journey took about 5–6 hours, with a stop for a Russian meal (photo 12) along the way. Remember to treat the driver to a meal!
✅✅✅Olkhon Island South and North Lines Private Car/Cost:
1️⃣The South and North Lines each take 1 day. We traveled as a couple, so the South and North Lines took 2 days in total, costing CNY 2,500.
2️⃣An additional environmental management fee of about CNY 10 per person per day is charged. The driver will pick you up at the hotel at around 9 am every day and pay the fee at the village committee before departure. The fee includes a lunch box prepared by the driver, which you can eat in the car, and hot water in a thermos (photo 17).
3️⃣See photos 4 and 16 for the car model, also known as the Russian Little Cannon.
The temperature at Lake Baikal in winter is about -20 to -40°C. Don't worry too much. Just make sure to protect yourself from the wind and avoid exposing your skin. Gloves, hats, and scarves are essential.
🚶🚶🚶My Outfit: (The following outfit is a bit cold)
❤️Top: Thermal quick-dry underwear + hoodie + long thick down jacket
❤️Bottom: Quick-dry long johns + Uniqlo fleece thermal long johns + thick sweatpants + warmers