In this article, we will find out how much money to take for a vacation on Lake Baikal in the summer and give practical advice that will help you plan your vacation more profitably. We will find out where it is better to relax on the coast and select the most optimal recreation centers with meals for children and adults. Our article will be useful for beginners who are going on vacation to Baikal on their own for the first time. By the way, we strongly recommend using our list of camp sites on the lake, they have been personally tested and deserve the full confidence of the tourist.
Advice!
When planning your trip, we advise you to take into account the long queues for the ferry crossing to Olkhon, especially when traveling with children. Even on weekdays, you can now stand waiting for about 8 hours there and back.
Where to go to rest?
According to tourists, the western shore of the lake is more acceptable for summer holidays on Lake Baikal, especially with tents. It is flatter and great for traveling with children. The main tourist trails run along the route and there are many places where savages stay.
Listvyanka village
About 70 km from Irkutsk along the Baikal tract. Accommodation for every taste and price, you can rent cottages on the beach for a large company.
Things to do? In the village there are several museums, cafes, an embankment with a market where they sell peled (maybe omul), there are places with paid gazebos by the water. You can try crossing the Angara towards the Circum-Baikal Railway. To do this, in the morning at 6.40 local time, we go to the other side of the coast. We advise you to move back at 18.15, by this time there are fewer people. Check the exact schedule on the VSRP website.
Must-see: Limnological Museum, nerpinarium, cable car, equestrian center. The local diving center offers kayaking and SUP surfing.
There is a transfer from Irkutsk to Listvyanka from the bus station and the central market (the fare by minibus is 150 rubles, the bus is cheaper).
Olkhon Island
Housing can be rented in the village of Khuzhir without intermediaries from 800 rubles per day (with amenities on the street), but it is better to book recreation centers via the Internet back in the spring. During the season you will not find places even in remote places.
What to watch? A huge number of places where locals conduct excursions, the cost is from 900 rubles for sightseeing programs. We definitely recommend to see: Cape Khoboy - Uzury, Ogoy island, Idiba pad and healing salt lake Shara-Nur, Cape Kobylya head and Lake Nuku-Nur, Shamanka rock and Peschanaya bay with stilted trees.
All the sights of Olkhon.
You can get there by bus, by car or by minibuses from Irkutsk. Travel time to Khuzhir will be about 4 hours including the crossing. But during the season there are queues in both directions! To avoid this, we recommend going to Lake Baikal in the middle of the week. We leave back any day in the morning, except Sunday.
- We recommend watching a unique video review of Olkhon Island:
Arshan
Where is the best place to relax in the mountains on Lake Baikal in the summer? Most tourists will answer - at the resort Arshan... There are several sanatoriums, hotels and recreation centers... Can be removed and private housing without intermediaries directly, cost per season from 800 rubles for accommodation in good conditions.
What to visit? Mineral springs in Arshan itself and its environs, be sure to collect water, waterfalls along the Kyngyrga river. It is worth visiting the local cafes and trying the Buryat cuisine, first of all we order minced meat bouza, then Sagudai. You can go to the Nilova desert, swim in radon baths.
Severobaikalsk
The surroundings of the city are rich in thermal springs.
What to watch? Ayaya Bay, where you can see the seal and Lake Frolikha, BAM, the Khakusy hot spring, Goudzhekit and Kotelnikovskiye springs, the Big Slyudyanskoye Lake, which warms up to + 25 ° C in summer, the Evenk Skazka tourist complex.
Climbers come to Severobaikalsk to conquer the Chersky mountain, rafters, to raft down the Tye river. You can get there by train from Moscow, local airlines or by boat from Irkutsk.
Slyudyanka
We advise you to stop not in Slyudyanka itself, but in the village of Utulik (selection of housing in Utulik), in the summer you can buy delicious strawberries and go on excursions to the mountains, ride catamarans at the nearest tourist centers.
Must-see: a unique railway station made of marble, a museum-estate "Gems of Baikal", a cliff "Bird's Bazaar" - a herring gull nesting site, Chersky Peak and Lake Serdtse. We definitely advise you to get to Baikalsk, there is an observation deck on Mount Sobolinaya, the cost of lifting is 230 rubles. You can also get to Warm Lakes by your own car, by the way, there is an online camera on the Internet, you can see a picturesque view of the Fairy Tale Lake.
From Irkutsk it is most convenient to go to Slyudyanka by train (travel time is about 4 hours). Be vigilant on your car, the road includes many turns and serpentines in the Kultuk area, stay away from trucks.
Small sea
The area near the coast with a huge number of recreation centers for every taste and cost. A vacation on Lake Baikal in the summer on the Small Sea will be ideal for a family trip. The most popular place among Russians to go for a week or more. When planning a vacation, we advise you to follow our selection the best tourist centers on the Small Sea.
What to do and what to see? Mostly people come here for a relaxing holiday and walks along the lake, for active youth we recommend settling in Zuun-Khagune, in the summer season they often spend Open air night clubs of Irkutsk.
The road to the village of Arshan
Where to go with children?
Traveling to the lake with a small child is problematic. Unless you are driving your car and are not afraid of long journeys. For families with children, it is better to choose Listvyanka, Arshan, Slyudyanka (or near Utulik). They are easier to reach, baby food and a good hotel can be found there. For a child from 8 to 16 years old on Olkhon Island, a children's camp Baikal-Lingua - Olkhon is open every summer. Children relax, learn English and take excursions around the island.
If you are worried about the issue of a long vacation on Lake Baikal with children and swimming, then we definitely advise you - the Small Sea, in the bays the water is the warmest, and the coast is shallow.
Prices for holidays on Baikal 2021
The price will include the purchase of air tickets, transfer, accommodation and entertainment. You might want to hire a guide, rent a boat, fly over the lake in a private jet, or purchase additional diving equipment. The price will increase accordingly.
Airfare prices
For obvious reasons, the cost of plane tickets to Irkutsk from Moscow is lower in winter and spring, and more in summer. The minimum cost of a round-trip flight in the summer season is about 12 thousand rubles per person. Whereas in winter only 14 thousand rubles.
It takes a little longer to fly to Ulan-Ude, but the cost of winter flights starts from 9,750 rubles. The minimum price for air travel in the summer starts from 7 thousand rubles.
- Monthly ticket prices to Irkutsk:
Baikal prices for food and nutrition
A good lunch in a cafe will cost 400-500 rubles per person. For example, pilaf or borscht cost 120-150 rubles. Pork shashlik - from 180 rubles, salad - from 150 rubles.
Advice! Avoid cafes where groups of Chinese people are fed; as a rule, prices here are too high. It takes a very long time to wait for an order, since foreigners eat in whole companies and all service is a priority for them, this is how the local business is arranged.
The cost of groceries in stores:
- cold smoked peled - 150 rubles for an average tail,
- fresh peled - 350-700 rubles / kg,
- pork - 380-400 rubles / kg (depending on the part of the carcass),
- veal - 330-440 rubles / kg,
- bread - 40 rubles,
- good wine - from 460 rubles. per bottle 0.7 l,
- water - 24-55 rubles,
- sausage - from 280 rubles per stick of smoked cervelat, boiled from 230 rubles,
- matches - 12 rubles,
- potatoes - 32 rubles / kg,
- juices - from 43 rubles. for 1 liter,
- charcoal - 110 rubles,
- means for ignition - 140 rubles,
- Rolton noodles - 58 rubles,
- pork stew - 130 rubles
The lowest prices are in supermarkets in Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude.
On Olkhon Island and Listvyanka, everything is 20% more expensive. On the contrary, fish on the market in Listvyanka is cheaper than in Irkutsk. From 120 rubles for a small fish, 150 rubles. big tail, while you can bargain.
Where to eat deliciously?
- When visiting the Arshan resort, we recommend visiting the Hamar Daban cafe.
- In Listvyanka, you can have a tasty meal in any cafe; there are paid gazebos on the coast - 100 rubles / hour. Of the restaurants, you can visit only the establishment at hotel Mayak, in the evening there is a fascinating view. After dinner, you can stay here to relax, the rooms are comfortable.
- On Olkhon and the Small Sea it is better to cook on your own, many cafes do not meet sanitary standards, most tourists eat at recreation centers.
The appeal! Dear tourists, as soon as you have eaten on the shore, please remove the trash after you.
How much does the housing cost?
Summer vacation at camp sites with meals will be optimal for a group of friends or when traveling with children. The cost of accommodation depends on the conditions and starts from 750 rubles for private accommodation without amenities in Arshan. On Olkhon, a good hostel option will cost from 1800 rubles / day. The city of Baikalsk is especially in demand during the strawberry festival; here it is worth booking accommodation in advance. You can rent an apartment or a private house from 1200 rubles / day.
It should be noted that the prices are for Chinese and European tourists. Expect to shell out decent bucks for amenities and minimal service.
Entertainment prices
For any tourist, rest on Lake Baikal is not complete without entertainment and excursions, especially when visiting the lake with children. More or less comfortable swimming will be in the bays of the Maloye More (choose camp sites in the bays) and mountain lakes (Teplye lakes). The water has time to warm up to maximum temperatures.
The prices for vacations on Lake Baikal are very different, but you have to pay for almost everything. The local population is trying to "cash in" on tourists in any case. For travel along the Baikal roads, passage along separate paths, and visits to reserves, a fee is also taken - from 50 rubles and more.
Walking on a motor ship or boat in Listvyanka - from 500 rubles / hour, a full-fledged excursion on water on Olkhon from 2500 rubles (we recommend evening programs). Visiting museums - from 150 rubles. Group excursions - from 600 rubles per person.
Visiting some regions is possible only if accompanied by a huntsman. Such places include, for example, Baikalo - Lensky Nature Reserve, where bears, lynxes and wolves live.
For tourists with a "big" wallet, vacation programs with VIP services have recently become popular. The program is calculated for about a week. It includes a visit to the wild places of the lake by helicopter, dinner in the mountains, sailing on yachts, fishing. The cost depends on the wishes of the tourist and starts from 250 thousand rubles. Tours can be purchased at local agencies in Irkutsk.
From entertainment we definitely recommend:
- take a cruise for the whole day, especially you will like the program from Irkutsk to Olkhon, tickets should be booked in advance on the official website of the VSRP.
- go on an excursion, in any place of rest you can take sightseeing tours.
- we recommend rafting on the Irkut River for active tourists, as this direction has been actively developing lately.
Sunset on Olkhon Island
How to get to Baikal?
The best option is by plane to Irkutsk. You can fly to Ulan-Ude, it is more convenient for those who are planning a trip along the eastern, high-mountainous shore of the lake, here you can stay nearby in Baikalsk or go to the hot springs in Goudzhekit, Khakusy, Cape Kotelnikovsky.
Advice! Do you like to save money? When looking for air tickets, consider a flight to Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude with Pobeda airline, compare the cost, it can be much lower.
How to get from Moscow:
- Direct flights Moscow - Irkutsk fly from Domodedovo. The journey takes about 5 hours. The main carriers are Aeroflot and S7.
- By train. The ticket price is comparable to the cost of the flight, but the travel time increases to 3.5 days one way from Moscow, plus meals. Train timetables and fares can be viewed on the Russian Railways website.
- You can go by your own car or by hitchhiking, but the Siberian roads do not have this type of travel, we also do not recommend considering this option when traveling alone.
How and what to get from Irkutsk:
- The bus to Listvyanka runs every day according to the schedule from the bus station. There are private minibuses nearby in the parking lot, the cost is a little more expensive.
- You can get to Olkhon from the Central Market, auto and railway station.
- It is cheaper to get to Baikalsk by train, but it takes a long time. We advise you to take a minibus from the Shopping Center in the area of paid parking.
- Motor ships go to remote towns and bays in the summer, departing from the maritime station in the microdistrict. Sunny, check the schedule on the VSRP website.
- All major locations can be easily reached by car. Before driving, we recommend checking the technical condition of the car and taking an additional spare wheel, in some places the road has sharp stones.
More information on how to get to the lake and the cost of travel.
The best camp sites on Baikal with meals
Prices for holidays on Lake Baikal in the summer start from 1200 rubles in small hotels and private houses, from 3850 rubles at recreation centers and from 8500 rubles in elite hotels with a view of the lake.
You can also rent the whole cottage, the rental price will be from 17,000 rubles. This option will be beneficial when traveling with friends.
If you are interested in inexpensive offers of housing and recreation on the coast in good conditions, we recommend that you consider the prices for hotels on the Small Sea. On Olkhon Island and in Listvyanka, the cost of renting housing is the highest. We recommend choosing one of the good destinations on the lake for a trip with the whole family.
Hotels on Olkhon (Khuzhir)
- Guest House "Resurrection"(Khuzhir). The cost of a double room with breakfast and a separate entrance is from 2164 rubles. Excellent breakfast on the terrace overlooking the lake. Free Wi-Fi and parking. Sauna and cafe on site, fireplace. Welcoming hosts. Each room has an electric kettle. Individual excursions. The hotel accepts card payments.
- Hotel «Baikal Khan Olkhon"(Khuzhir). The cost of a double room is from 2500 rubles. Modern design of the hotel. It offers a restaurant, bike rental, exchange office. Free parking and internet on site. The hotel is still under construction.
You can also rent a house on Olkhon in the private sector upon arrival, but be prepared that all good offers may be busy. The cost of housing with amenities - from 850 rubles for two.
We definitely use Booking, here is a good base of hotels in Khuzhir.
Tourist bases in the area of the Circum-Baikal Railway
Recreation center "Circum-Baikal"3 * (port" Baikal "). An excellent option located in good conditions, far from the bustle of the city. It is convenient to have a rest with a large group of tourists, and vacation on Lake Baikal with children in the summer in this place will be ideal. The cost of a room for two - from 1236 rubles. On the territory of the base there is a cafe, a swimming pool, a sauna and a bathhouse. Shared bathrooms. Quiet place, delicious food. Various excursions can be booked at the base. The Angara River is nearby. The airport is 60 kilometers away.
Small sea camp sites
Recreation center "Chara"(Small Sea). A room with a separate entrance for two - from 969 rubles. The base is on the shore of the Mukhorsky Bay. The water warms up in this part of the lake best of all. Suitable for families with children. The base has a children's room, animation, trampoline, bike rental. Own travel agency and guides. On the territory there is a restaurant with a fireplace, a bathhouse and a cinema.Airport shuttle (260 km) for a fee.
Be sure to check out our selection of inexpensive catered hostels for accommodation near Small Sea.
Accommodation in Baikalsk
In the city, you can rent private accommodation or a hostel near the Sobolinaya Mountain ski resort through Booking.
Of all the proposals, we definitely consider inexpensive hostel BaikalSki for active youth. Located in the city center, near a supermarket, embankment, post office. Lovers of coziness and comfort will definitely suit White sable at the foot of the ski resort, in summer it is quiet and peaceful.
You can choose from private accommodation in the city several cheap apartmentspersonally verified.
Hotel "White Sobol"
- A selection of housing in the city
Peschanaya Bay
A very attractive place for its pristine nature, it is fundamentally different from all the above-described places. Accommodation here is possible only in a few recreation centers, which should be booked well in advance of the trip. In addition, in summer you can get here only by water on a motor ship. Rest will be expensive, but the emotions you get are worth the money.
"Sandy Bay"
Listvyanka
One of the most accessible places off the coast of the lake. Getting there is the fastest, lots of entertainment, well-developed infrastructure (baths, cafes, a museum, trails for active tourism, nerpinary, walks on the water).
A huge number of accommodations for every taste and budget, while most of the hotels are designed for Chinese tourists. We have highlighted really relevant proposals for your time off the coast:
- Baikal dream
- Baikal seasons
- Nikola
Hotel "Nikola"
- Top hotels in Listvyanka
Turka village
One of the favorite places for recreation on Lake Baikal in the summer for savages with the whole family. There are a lot of places near the forest and sandy coast where you can stay with a tent. But we propose to consider the camping hotel "Alan Goa" with accommodation in yurts and a view of the lake, you will get a lot of impressions. You can book rooms on the official website.
Yurt camping "Alan Goa"
- Other accommodation options near Turki
Two more perfect spots with sandy beach:
- The village of New Enkhaluk. You can stay in tents or book private housing through booking.
- Ambassadorial rubbish. Here we recommend staying at the tourist centers: "Kultushnaya", "Energy", "5 Avenue". All other places are in a deplorable state. We reserve the listed offers only through the official websites.
Cape Kotelnikovsky
It is located near Severobaikalsk (65 km from the city). The northern part of Baikal, which is mainly chosen for a trip to the lake in winter. In summer, it is not very comfortable to rest, the temperature rarely rises to warm levels compared to the southern part of the lake, therefore there are few tourists here. In this area, all conditions have been created for the healing of the body in hot springs.
You can stay at the Cape Kotelnikovsky camp site. Mostly visitors from the western part of Russia rest here. The cost of accommodation starts from 4 thousand rubles with meals. We start planning your trip by visiting the official website.
Tourist base "Cape Kotelnikovsky"
Dignity: clean beach with clear water, remoteness from cities, few tourists, mineral springs, mountainous area with clean air.
Minuses: air and water temperatures are below average, winds often blow in the middle of winter.
Weather
The summer weather on Lake Baikal is changeable. A warm day can end in a real storm. Therefore, you should not set up tents on the very shore if you prefer this kind of rest. If you are looking for places, where can a savage rest, then we marked them with checkmarks on the map in a separate article.
When is the best time to relax on Lake Baikal in the summer, you choose, but it is worth considering that in June and July there are many mosquitoes in the taiga, as well as cold water. You need to take repellents with you. In August, there are much fewer insects, the water in the lake warms up to almost + 16 ° C, in bays up to + 23 ° C, but night temperatures can drop to + 3 ° C.
In June, the water is still icy, although the air warms up to + 25 ° C during the day, there is little precipitation. It is worth taking a windbreaker, warm sportswear and comfortable shoes with you on your trip. In August, we advise you to go on a trip in the second half of the month, during this period the rains end and the low season begins.
Autumn is the time for romantic trips, the beauty of the local foliage with a yellowish tint attracts tourists for beautiful photography from all over the world. The ideal solution is mid-September - mid-October, during this period, the minimum amount of precipitation.
- Monthly weather:
There are still questions where to go in Russia inexpensivelydon't know which places to choose? We advise you to visit the section on planning a vacation in our vast Motherland.
