"Baikal - Amikan", individual tours and nature at Baikal Lake

Dear friends and visitors, I am happy and honoured to present you an updated version of our web-site on www.baikal-amikan.com. On Yarki islands of Northern Baikal  A new face and new breath for the site as me on this picture:-) A huge work has been done by @savorli who is a talented artist and a good friend! I am going to keep you posted on best tours and news and interesting places on Baikal. So far the web-site is not completerly full with tours descriptions, but I hope to finish it soon. Therefore if you haven't found what you are looking for - feel free to contact me! Also if you have notice smth that could be modified or improved - I would be very thankful for your comment and advise! Thank you for travelling with "Baikal-Amikan"! Live and discover!!!

Krupenichka is a Slavic baby doll that attracts wealth and wealth to the house. Its main symbol is grain ("croupa" in Russian), which means a good harvest and profit. Krupenichka traditionally had no face, as well as other ritual dolls in Russia.  Below you may find hand-crafted Russian Krupenichka-dolls made by me. Krupenichka is a doll with a special meaning. It was usually given for Christmas, Kolyada and holidays associated with the harvest. Such a doll was made of cloth, grain was stuffed into it, as a rule, wheat, buckwheat or several kinds of grain at once, so that the crop would be rich simultaneously for all kinds of grain. While making a doll, women read a prayer or sing songs. In Russia, porridge was very important, as it was mainly eaten, because porridge (any) has a lot of energy and is easily assimilated. Zernushka (or Krupenichka) is the main amulet in the family, she lures the house well-being and prosperity, and promises a good harvest a...

Dreaming about travelling among endless spaces of frozen Baikal? Baikal lake is freezing very soon, it is -31C today! And in southern corner of Baikal there is already thin layer of ice! Can't wait to walk on the ice just like we do? Then you have a real chance to join us for ice-trek to cross Baikal from Listvyanka to the opposite shore! It is avaiable from middle of February till end of March. During this tour you will ice-trek in the middle of frozen Baikal lake, spend one night in tent on ice, listening to Baikal breath, walk on skis in deep snow of wintry taiga, experience warm sauna and spend the night in wooden hut in the silence of surrounding forest. Also you will try traditional Russian cuisine and may experience dog-sledding (optional). The approximate itinerary is: Day 1.Transfer Irkutsk - Listvyanka (70 km). Start of trekking on ice. Day-distance is about 20-25 km. Overnight in tent. After you arrive to Irkutsk you will be met by a local guide. Transfer to...

I made a short video-sketch about a trip to the North of Baikal lake last june 2017 to reindeer herders - Evenki people. A full video version is coming...

With reindeer of Northern Baikal On the North of Baikal lake, in the highlands of Verkhnelenskiy mountain range there is a reindeer farm. This remoted place has preserved old unique culture, lifestyle of Evenki people - the native people of Siberia. They are called "Deer people" as reindeer breeding, hunting and fishing used to be their main activity. I was lucky to meet these people myself this June 2017. We stayed and travelled together for 5 days in dense untouched taiga and tundra. We have met no other people during all that time except for the Evenki who live there and watch for the reindeer. A little piece from my notes which I made during my stay: "This trip is adventure of the lifetime. I still remember clearly the valley where our deer were eating the moss, the place where we set up our Chum, the meadows of the wild flowers and Rhododendron blossoming, the fresh footprints of bear on our path, the grace and mighty of this huge wild animal chasing away u...

Dear friends and travellers! You are welcome to join our on-going tour "Trekking along the shoreline of Baikal lake" and "Trekking to Cherskiy Peak" from 29 July 2017 till 6 August 2017! The program is below: Day 1. (24.07.17). Arrival Day. Day 2. (25.07.17) Transfer to Olkhon island, excursion to Burkhan cape 10.00 - Transfer to Olkhon Island – the biggest island on Baikal lake by public mini-bus. It takes about 6 -7 hours to cover the distance of 300 km. Our way runs partly through the forest, flowering meadows, little villages on both sides of the road. You can stop for some special local ritual of worshipping the local spirits. You’ll have a lunch stop on the way in one of the road cafes. For lunch you can try traditional Buryat dish – Pozy (Boozy). When you arrive to Small sea – part of Baikal which is separated from main part by Olkhon Island from one side and Primorskiy mountain range from another – you’ll cross Olkhon Gates Strait by a ferry...

We invite you to make an exciting one-day trip by train along the old Circum-Baikal railway. You can see the grand structures of the Circum-Baikal railway, get off the train on the most remarkable sights, walk through the tonnel, visit an old village along the way, may have a swim in the water of Great Lake. Arrival to Irkutsk late in the evening. For season 2017: On Thursdays  and Sundays  the excursion program starts at 8-00 am (8.30) from Irkutsk (departure by bus from Drama theatre), then transfer by bus to the village of Listvyanka, then get on ferry from Listvyanka to Port Baikal (started at 10-00). Visit museum in Port Baikal, board on train and start the train ride to Sludyanka village  (arrival at 18.00) and further to Irkutsk train station (arrival at 21.00). On Wednesdays and Saturdays the tour starts from the central Irkutsk train station at 07.45.  Board on train and ride to Sludyanka (arrival at 10.10) and at 10.45 start to Circum-Baikal ra...