Lake Baikal is on almost everyone’s Russia travel bucket list – both for Russians and for foreigners. If you’re exploring Siberia on the Trans Siberian Railroad, your journey from Ulan-Ude to Irkutsk will take you right along the shore of this massive lake. The contrast between the vast, ocean-like water and the Siberian forest make for stunning views as the train approaches the lake and starts to skirt around its edges. The glimpses of the lake you can just barely catch between the trees as the train climbs a hill and finally turns away leave you determined to see more of this magical place. While Lake Baikal isn’t directly on the Trans-Siberian, many travelers choose to make the detour to explore the Baikal area more.
Why is Baikal special? Lake Baikal is the world’s largest freshwater lake by volume, containing about ⅕ of all of the freshwater. in. the. world. It’s also the world’s deepest lake, reaching 1,642 meters (5,387 feet). We heard that about 80% of the nature around Baikal is endemic, found nowhere else. Many of the plants and animals found around Baikal are “in the red book” as they say in Russia (the Red Data Book is a document listing rare and endangered species found in Russia).
On our journey, we spent a good amount of time in the Lake Baikal region – we were able to complete a breathtaking full day hike along the shores of Baikal to a village that can only be reached by boat (or, in the winter, by car – when the ice has frozen to about 1.40 meters thick and vehicles can drive on the lake’s surface).
We also took a ferry to the largest island inside the lake, Olkhon, a magical place to learn about Buryatian yellow shamanism . We explored the island by foot, bicycle, and extremely bouncy van to see its pine forest beaches, stunning coastline and pristine water views.
We also visited a town at the foot of the Sayan Mountain range, one peak of which made for a devastatingly beautiful (and incredibly brutal) hike. There, we tried the free flowing mineral water which makes this town famous among Russian tourists and where many Russians used to come to be cured of medical malaises in “sanitoriums” – truly the OG spa town.
If any of these adventures sound appealing, read on for how to’s and tips for making the most of your Baikal experience!
Our Baikal Route, with How-To’s and Advice
The city that you will use as a springboard for exploring Baikal will undoubtedly be Irkutsk. While many people go straight to Baikal from here, we recommend taking a few days to explore the city and rest between Baikal adventures. There are many hostels and hotels that will let you store your things if you are coming and going, which is really helpful.
Side Quest #1 Listvyanka and the Great Baikal Trail
If you are a hiker, you will not want to miss the chance to hike along Baikal’s shores for a day or several. The incredible variety of plants throughout the entire hike, the misty shores of the lake far below you giving way to sunshine that lights up the icy green waters below – it’s a once in a lifetime experience. The Great Baikal Trail is a hiking path that will allow you to go on this journey. This group has ambitious plans to eventually have trails around the whole lake, though right now it’s in its baby stages and you do a few days of this path “safely” … which we will get into later.
We’re focusing on this as a one day hike or a weekend trip. The section of this trail from Listvyanka (Листвянка) to Bolshie Koty (Большие Коту) is about 24 kilometers (just under 15 miles) – so it’s a long day hike, but without too much elevation gain and definitely doable if you have a little hiking experience. Bolshie Koty is the isolated village you’ll spend the night at and take a ferry back the next day. If you are prepared for wilderness camping, we also saw several beautiful campsites along the trail, especially a bit further along after Bolshie Koty. You’ll just need to apply for the appropriate permit at the entrance to the forest (more on that below).
How to get to Listvyanka (Листвянка) and start the hike
You can get to Listvyanka by fast ferry from Irkutsk. The journey will take about an hour and cost. There are also buses leaving Irkutsk that take only slightly longer. Many non-hiking tourists go to Listvyanka as a way of exploring Baikal and some even take the ferry to and from Bolshie Koty (“Big Cats” village), so expect transport to be crowded, especially in the summer season. When we got to Listvyanka we hung out at a cafe for a few hours waiting for the rain to stop. We didn’t end up starting our hike until close to noon, so if you get a late start like us it’s still possible to complete before dark.
You’ll walk through the village to the start of the hike, where you’ll have to get a permit (propusk) and pay a few hundred rubles to continue. It’s technically possible to get the pass ahead of time, but we found it wasn’t worth it considering how easy it was to just walk up. From there, the route goes uphill for about 5 km through the woods before emerging for a beautiful view of Baikal, weather permitting. Don’t worry, the first 5km are the hardest! From there, the trail continues along the shore, sometimes closer to the lake with possible detours to the beach, and sometimes rising high above the water again. This trail is absolutely stunning. All trail information, including directions, is available in English on their website.
Bolshie Koty (Большие Коты)
The Great Baikal trail takes you straight to this village – there is only one store here with irregular hours and limited vegan options. We suggest bringing enough food with you for the day of the hike, dinner that night (Lesnaya 7 has a kitchen with a kettle and hot plate, so you can easily make something like ramen or a simple hot meal), and breakfast/lunch for the next day. We really recommend where we stayed, called Lesnaya 7 – you will stay in a cozy cabin with access to the communal kitchen and bathrooms. Their website also states they will cook you a “vegetarian” meal if you give them enough notice – so if you don’t want to bring as much food, you can contact them online and see if you can work out a hot vegan meal for your arrival. It’s a good idea to book ahead of time either way.
The ferry from Bolshie Koty leaves at about 18:00, so the next day you can just relax, wander around the village and admire the view, or continue a little bit further on the Great Baikal trail. Just a warning – there are some parts of this trail that felt a little unsafe to us (a narrow path cut from the side of a cliff for example). I thought “no way it is legal to let people cross this section,” before watching a father and his child traverse the area without hesitation. Just be very careful and watch your step if you decide to go past Bolshie Koty! There’s more information on the website about the next section as well. The flip side – the views from Bolshie Koty to Cape Skriper are also stunning, you’ll be able to see more of the lake, you’ll get the chance to take an icy plunge in the lake (only for the very brave!) or have a beautiful picnic along the shores. It’s your decision – if you decide not to hike you’ll still be able to relax at the village before taking the ferry back. We recommend getting your ferry tickets ahead of time! We did not and luckily were able to purchase two of the last remaining tickets – otherwise, you might be staying longer than you’d planned. You can take the ferry straight from Bolshie Koty back to Irkutsk.
Side Quest #2 – Olkhon Island (Остров Ольхон)
We wanted to visit Olkhon Island because it’s often painted as a mysterious, beautiful and mystical place. Olkhon Island is the biggest island in Lake Baikal, with an area of about 730 square kilometers (280 square miles). You can only get to this boat by ferry, but once on the island there are extremely bumpy dirt roads that will take you through and around. The nature on this island is extremely varied – it contains taiga, steppe, desert and even its own lakes (lake within a lake?). Actually, most of the island is prohibited to visit and retains its natural ruggedness. The capital, and where you will likely stay if you visit, is called Khuzhir.
The Buryats believe Olkhon to be an extremely spiritual place and you will see many “serges” – or Buryat ritual poles, throughout the island. As mentioned, this is a great place to learn about the Buryat people and their version of yellow shamanism, a type of shamanism common in Buryatia and Mongolia that incorporates elements of Buddhism. We had a great time on Olkhon Island, but just want to caution people to temper their expectations – the island, particularly Khuzhir, is extremely prepared for tourists (read: touristy) and sometimes felt even a little Disney-like when we went in high season (July/August). You’ll be able to get out to explore, but be aware that you will be far from the only one and might often get the feeling that the island is mostly inhabited by tourists. If you don’t mind being “on the beaten track,” Olkhon is still a place of extreme natural beauty that will transport you to another world. If you’re interested in the how-tos, read on.
How to get to Olkhon Island
There are regular buses that leave from Irkutsk and go to Olkhon island – but your journey will be a long one. The bus will take 6-8 hours, including the ferry and another hour or so of driving on the island to get to Khuzhir. A lot of the trip length will depend on the wait for the ferry – there is often a line to get on the ferry, so you could be in that area for up to an hour on a busy day. Buses usually get their own, shorter line so it’s recommended to come by bus vs personal car. The bus will stop at a few gas stations and a roadside cafe for lunch. We recommend vegans bring snacks – even if there was something we could’ve potentially eaten there, nothing looked fresh, so we just went with a black coffee.
Buses leave from the central bus station or from the market in Irkutsk – we left from the market and were able to buy tickets on site without reserving. If it gives you peace of mind to reserve in advance, this, this and this company offer reservations – as you can see, there is plenty of tourist infrastructure. You can expect to pay about 1200 rubles for a one-way ticket, or about $16. Be aware that most of the transport is by marshrutka (or mini bus/van) so try not to bring too much luggage – depending on how full the bus is you might be putting it at your feet or on your lap. Most marshrutkas will take you directly to your accommodation in Khuzhir.
Where to stay on Olkhon Island
We usually don’t provide accommodation recommendations, but we do have a few tips. One of the biggest problems on Olkhon island is waste disposal, and I’m sure it’s very difficult for hotels to figure out this issue. Many accommodations provide private cabins with a shared outhouse. If you can afford it, we would really recommend splurging on accommodations with an actual flushing toilet – maybe it’s because there are regulations about chemicals for waste disposal, but using the outhouse at our lodging was one of the most foul experiences imaginable. Without giving too many details, it was so bad that if you were in there for more than 30 seconds or so, your clothes started smelling like waste. So, tip #1 is to splurge on a place with running water toilets. Tip #2, if you stay in a cabin or outside, keep all of your belongings inside! There are many stray animals wandering around Khuzhir – goats, cats, cows, dogs…and many of them are interested in your things. Jordan lost a shoe because a dog had wiggled under the fence at the property and taken it from the front porch of the cabin. Learn from our mistakes!
What to do on Olkhon Island
- Catch the sunset over the lake. One of the best and most beautiful things we did was to take a walk along the west shore of the island in the evening around sunset. You will be far from alone, but there is plenty of green space around to set up a picnic blanket, do some exercise or yoga, or just hang out and watch the sun dip below the mountains on the far side of Lake Baikal. This is a time and place where you really feel the magic of Olkhon.
- Walk to Cape Burkhan, or Shaman Rock. This is an easy walk from Khuzhir as well. You can go during the day and hang out at the nearby beach as well – though as mentioned, the water in Lake Baikal is COLD! This place is also magical at sunset, so if you have time to see it both by day and by night you will not regret it.
- Explore by water – you can get tickets to a sunset or daytime boat tour from Khuzhir, as well as a kayak trip if you feel like paddling yourself.
- Explore by bike – many lodgings offer mountain bike rental by the hour or afternoon, and this can be a good way to explore past Khuzhir. Just be aware that Olkhon island is hilly and the roads are sandy, so unless you are an experienced mountain biker this will not be the easiest activity. We are in generally good shape but don’t have much biking experience – and about an hour after renting bikes for the whole afternoon we realized that we were not in good enough shape to continue riding – we ended up finding a beautiful pine forest beach outside of town and stashing our bikes in favor of lying on the beach. So, our suggestion – use the bikes to find yourselves a beautiful, isolated spot to enjoy Olkhon’s nature, but don’t expect to enjoy biking for hours and hours along extremely sandy, hilly roads.
- Take a tour of the north of the island. Again, there are several companies that offer this journey so no need to book ahead of time. This was one of the best things we did on Olkhon. You’ll be able to reach the very northern tip of the island, Cape Khoboy, visiting other interesting sites along the way which usually include Burkhan Rock, former fishing village and beach Peschanka Bay, and Three Brothers cape. Most trips are basically full day and include transport and lunch – vegan note: you will be able to eat at least part of the lunch but make sure you ask about ingredients. Please be aware that these roads are unpaved, EXTREMELY pot-holed and bumpy, and your van will likely have no suspension. If you get carsick easily you WILL DEFINITELY want to have some non-drowsy motion sickness medication for this day trip.
If you have bad weather, you can visit the small Khuzhir Local Lore Museum of Revyakin in Khuzhir to learn a little about the history of the island. Go in equipped with google translate if you don’t speak Russian.
Eating Vegan on Olkhon Island
Olkhon island is a location we highly recommend coming prepared. As you can imagine, everything needs to be transported to the island by ferry, so not only are goods sparse, but they are much more expensive than elsewhere in Russia. There are a few small grocery stores in Khuzhir, but no full supermarkets. Usually, the products are behind the counter and you must ask the shop assistant for them specifically, so it’s hard to check labels here. We brought enough food for our trip and cooked at our accommodation, supplementing with products from the stores in Khuzhir.
If you want to eat out, the Bistro Francais has a few salads that can be veganized (check their English menu). Their potato dumplings might also be able to be ordered vegan, and they have a few pasta dishes that look veganizable as well.
You can also get a coffee or tea at the Baikal View cafe and, as the name implies, enjoy the fantastic view of the lake.
Кудесница (Kudesnitsa) restaurant has the vegan “v” on their online menu button, but the menu itself isn’t working to view online and confirm – if you go and discover they have legitimate vegan options, please let us know!
Side Quest #3 – Arshan (Аршан)
We actually weren’t even planning on visiting Arshan, and therefore our trip was planned extremely last minute. We had actually booked a week hike through the Altai Mountains, but the extremely unprofessional Altai-Tour company failed to mention to us that our hike was canceled due to lack of participation. We found out less than two days before the scheduled tour when we messaged them asking for a confirmation of our trip. If we hadn’t asked, we might have actually gotten all the way to the Altai mountains before realizing our trip wasn’t happening. So, we recommend avoiding this company. However, we are so happy we ended up with Arshan as a plan B!
Arshan is a small village located at the base of the Sayan mountains and situated in an extremely picturesque part of Buryatia, about 210 km from Irkutsk. We really loved Ulan-Ude, also located in Buryatia, so we were initially drawn to Arshan because of its location that would allow us to explore more of this region. Arshan is famous for its mineral waters which flow freely from many spigots located in town. In fact, the name “Arshan” in Buryat means “healing spring.” You’ll have the opportunity to try several different kinds of mineral water, which differ in their temperature and specific mineral composition. There are two famous sanitoriums here where you can partake in spa rituals. In Arshan, you can also visit beautiful waterfalls, climb mountains, have a look at a Buddhist temple, or peruse a Mongolian market. Read on to discover the best things to do in Arshan.
How to get to Arshan and where to stay
There are extremely regular buses from Irkutsk to Arshan and the trip should take about 3-4 hours. There is also a slightly longer bus from Ulan-Ude, but we were using Irkutsk as our home base to explore the Baikal region and so opted to leave from Irkutsk. You can additionally take a bus from the town Slyudyanka on the shore of Baikal and on the Trans-Siberian route – this is the most direct way if you are traveling East to West and don’t want to go all the way to Irkustk to later backtrack.
When your bus pulls into the station, you will notice several people with signs showing the word “Жилье.” Many people in Arshan have rooms for guests that they rent out per night and it’s extremely common to find lodging this way – if you have a sense of adventure, you can approach someone holding a sign and use gestures to work out your stay. Otherwise, there are several places available on sites such as booking.com. For vegans, we recommend booking accommodation that has kitchen access.
What to do in Arshan
1. Hike Love Peak (Пик любви)
After our Alti hiking plan fell apart, we were especially eager to find an alternative plan that still included mountains. Love Peak was definitely the top attraction here for us. Browsing the Russian site rutrail for different hike options, we came across this one and thought it sounded like a fun adventure. This hike was more than we bargained for and yet still somehow an absolute blast. According to rutrail this hike to the peak has a 1219m (almost 4000 feet) elevation gain. The way up the mountain is pretty much straight uphill – the beginning few kilometers start mellow with stairs, switchbacks and viewing points, after which it becomes a standard hiking trail with the added bonus of being incredibly and relentlessly steep.
The way down is also steep, sometimes requiring the use of tree branches to aid in descent (we didn’t have hiking poles). Do NOT attempt this in weather that is anything less than great. I would rate this trail as strenuous and would not recommend it if you don’t do regular physical activity. We really enjoyed the challenge of this hike, but were pretty beat by the end of it. That being said, the mountain was really stunning and the views from the top are amazing. On one side, you have the 200km long Tunka Valley stretching flat into the distance. On the other side, mountains as far as the eye can see. Flowing down the mountain and through the valley, the River Kyngarga is so far below you that the water looks frozen in place. Feel free to take your time at the top to enjoy the landscape.
You’ll need to bring enough food and water with you for the whole hike. Hiking shoes or trail runners will be your best bet but sneakers would be okay as long as the trail isn’t wet; poles would be nice but aren’t necessary. You’ll need sunscreen. There are many paths that lead to the base of the mountain from the town – one of them is leaving from the sanatorium. You can go through the park and climb the white staircase.
2. Arshan Waterfalls and the River Kyngarga
If you don’t find the idea of scrambling up a mountain fun, but still want to get into nature, the first waterfall is a less than 30 minute walk from the village on a pleasant forest path. This path was no doubt more crowded, but if you leave early you might have the path all to yourself. The waterfall is pretty, though unfortunately graffitied. The path supposedly continues to other waterfalls a further 11km, but we did not find it – we started following a “path” that went straight up a mountain that seemed so steep to us as to be wrong – but maybe it’s just the Siberian way? Either way, we turned back so we cannot say how to access the further waterfalls. You can also access ziplines along this path if you dare. We saw several people soaring above the river. The river itself is also pretty beautiful and worth walking along.
3. Drink some Mineral Water
This is the reason many people travel to Arshan, and in fact you will see people walking around with giant containers ready to be filled with mineral water. People believe that the water can be used to treat gastritis, digestive issues, and even for preventing disease. The area around the springs is beautiful as well – the tree trunks are tied with “hadaks” – ribbons showing gratitude for the cure the waters bring. The mineral water is directed to a pump room which you will find near the Mongolian market with the river to your left – it’s a small town and this is the main attraction – it’s impossible to miss. There is also a source a little further up, through the grove of trees, next to the river. The water comes in different mineral compositions and temperatures, though mostly considered to be “carbonic-sulfate-magnesium.” We thought the water was not the most delicious, however, we drank it the entire time we were in Arshan and who knows? Maybe we were able to ward off some disease?
4. See the Mongolian market
Remember that you are actually not that far from the border of Mongolia! This is a market where you can buy a lot of different Mongolian goods. Many of these goods are not vegan – camel wool products and leather goods are king here, unfortunately. However, you can also try some local herbs or buy products made of birch or cedar wood. We found the market to be a little gimmicky but still worth strolling through, especially as you must be in this area anyway to access the mineral water and the waterfall path.
5. Visit a datsan in a beautiful location
The Khoymorsky datsan (or Buryatian Buddhist temple) is an absolutely beautiful temple where you can feel at peace while looking at the surrounding mountains. We loved the opportunity to look at another datsan in Buryatia, and this one’s surroundings are unmatchable. You just need to cross the large bridge over the Kyrganga and go along the road leading to the forest for about 15 minutes – you’ll see the datsan from the road. Remember best practices for datsan visits – visit in a clockwise direction and try not to turn your back on the Buddha.
6. Crystal Lake (Хрустальное озеро)
Crystal lake is actually translated to “dead lake” due to the absence of living animals in its depths. While there is a path here starting from the town, it’s advisable to do this route with a guide – we saw posters in town advertising this excursion. You’ll be taken through forest, beautiful alpine meadows, and finish with a beautiful lake view at 1776 meters above sea level (over 5800 feet).
What to eat vegan in Arshan
This is another destination we really recommend coming to prepared with snacks or meals you could cook in the kitchen of your lodging. There are a few small stores (продукти) in town but you will not have access to the same selection as you would in a city. We walked into several restaurants that had nary a vegan option. We were able to get some fries and vegetable dishes at Shangri-la (ШангриЛа) but cannot find the menu to verify. Khamar-Daban (Хамар-Дабан) offers a fresh vegetable salad (order no mayonnaise), korean carrots, fresh cabbage salad, olives, fries, rice/buckwheat, or pickles. Don’t expect to find anything that is vegan on purpose. For a few days you will be more than fine as long as you come prepared!