Siberian Snowmobile Adventure

The Siberian Exhibition takes you on a winter tour of Lake Baikal, the largest, deepest and oldest freshwater lake in the world. Tucked into the subcontinent of Eastern Siberia and just north of the Mongolian border this geological marvel features 27 islands abundant with wildlife and vistas of unparallel beauty.

Known as the ‘Galapagos of Russia’ Lake Baikal is a snowmobiler’s paradise. Tours along the ice studded shoreline unveils an expansive landscape rich in forests, mountains and unique geological formations. Travel into remote and sacred places where shamans, hunters and fishermen are the only people to be encountered.

Hop aboard a hovercraft and cruise across the ice at thrilling speeds, ride a dogsled pulled by Siberian Huskies, sleep on the ice in a traditional Mongolian Ger, nourish yourself on smoked Omeu fish and fresh venison and soak in relaxing hot pools in Cape Katelnikovsky.

The wonders of this astonishing place are endless. The warmth and hospitable nature of its people is off-set by the raw and desolate beauty of the land where water has turned to ice.

At a Glance Your Siberian Snowmobile Adventure

Day 1 - Arrive Moscow.

Welcome to Russia and the starting point of your Siberian adventure! Your tour leaders will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel in downtown Moscow near Red Square and the Kremlin. We will have a kick-off briefing and follow it up with dinner. We will enjoy our first group dinner at an authentic Russian restaurant.

Day 2 - Day in Moscow. Night flight to Irkutsk.

Today you will explore this incredibly dynamic city by tour bus. You’ll see the most interesting attractions that eight hundred years of Russian history can provide. After a day full of sight-seeing, from medieval architecture to monuments of Imperial Russian and the Soviet Union, you will be ready to relax on a night flight to Irkutsk in Eastern Siberia.

Day 3 - Arrival in Irkutsk.

We arrive in Irkutsk and travel 40 miles to the small resort community of Listvyanka on the shores of Lake Baikal. Your first view of this enormous lake is one of immense space surrounded by beautiful mountains. After a cozy lunch at a local restaurant, perhaps sampling the popular smoked Omul fish, you will receive snowmobile instructions and take your first ride on the ice.

Day 4 - Listvyanka - Baguldeika.

Today we cruise Lake Baikal by hovercraft, we will see how easy it is to traverse an impressive distance over the ice. Speed of the craft depends on the weather, wind and ice condition. We will make our way to the village of Bolshoe Goloustnye, which began as a settlement in the 17th century. It’s history is largely associated with trade routes between Russia and China. We will stop here for lunch.

Today you have the chance to experience the thrill of dog-sledding or if ice-skating is more to your taste, lace-up your skates and glide over the deepest ice-skating rink in the world! In some places the ice is incredibly smooth and transparent, take a peek at the stones and fish under the thick layer of ice!

We also have the chance to stop at the beautiful nook of Peschannaya Bay to see the “walking trees”. This is a wonder of Lake Baikal, where sand erosion has exposed much of a tree’s delicate root structure to give the impression of it walking on stilts. When we arrive in the hunting center of Buguldeika village, we’ll have a short ride to Talovskoye hotel where we’ll sleep in cozy wooden houses. It is likely we’ll enjoy deer for dinner.

Day 5 - Baguldeika – Hadarta (Small Sea).

The real adventure starts today! We ride quads to Tazheranskay steppe, a unique natural composition of hills, steppes, lonely rocks, caves and lakes. The distinctive geological formations of Tazheransky Steppe were formed about 300 to 400 million years ago, and it is one of the most scenic and exotic places in the Baikal area. Due to its incredible wealth of mineral and rock, the eastern-Siberian region is mined for many resources. On the way we’ll make a stop at a marble quarry, where we’ll see a pit with smooth, blue and white monolithic walls.

Baikal Lake is known as one of the most mysterious and unusual places on our planet. Since ancient times, Buryat Buddists and Mongolian tribes have spiritualized this area. We will visit the sacred Erd Mountain where we’ll meet a shaman and have lunch in a Mongolian Ger. We’ll end our incredibly full day at a hotel in the bay of Maloye More or ‘Small Sea’.

Day 6 - Hadarta (Small Sea) - Kocherikovo.

Today we ride snowmobiles to explore some unique places in the region of the Small Sea where beautiful iced grottoes and glistening frozen rocks dot the landscape.

We’ll visit the largest island on Baikal Lake known as Olkhon Island. This island was originally inhabited by the Buryat people who are the largest indigenous group in Siberia and a major northern subgroup of the Mongols. The island is home to numerous Buddhist and Shamanistic shrines. We’ll stop at Shamanka Rock, a site endowed with mystical powers. Since ancient times the rock has been considered a sacred place, inhabited by the spirits of the island.
After lunch we’ll leave the Small Sea and ride on Big Baikal. From here we will enter the wilderness where we will occasionally encounter hunting cabins. We’ll stay the night in wooden houses; though they are new and clean, the facilities are found outdoors.

Day 7 - Kocherikovo–Cape Katelnikovsky.

Interesting and beautiful day for snowmobiling! Today you will experience the euphoria of riding on different ice surfaces. Depending on the ice regime, which differs every year, we may meet fields of hummock ice. We will ride over the velvety black and transparent ice that produces the visceral sensation of riding over water.

You will notice more snow accumulation while riding further north. Take your time listening to ‘Baikal Breath’ the fascinating sound of new cracks forming in the ice shield. Lunch is served on the ice! We’ll meet few if any people here except some fishermen or hunters. These places are remote and hidden from tourists, which makes it astonishing to find a comfortable hotel with hot pools. Our hotel is an oasis after a long and tough day of riding.

Day 8 - Cape Katelnikovsky.

Free Day. You can spend the day in the hotel, relaxing and swimming in the hot pools. We recommend visiting a fishermen camp to experience the lure of ice-fishing. In the afternoon we’ll enjoy an authentic Russian barbecue and have fresh fish from Lake Baikal.

Day 9 - Cape Katelnikovsky – Davsha.

Today we cross Lake Baikal on snowmobiles as we journey toward Davsha, the village of seven people. This is the administrative center of the Barguzinsky State Nature Reserve, the oldest state reserve in Russia. The reserve was established to help restore populations of fur-bearing animals such as the sables. To prevent total disappearance of these animals the government issued a decree to make this area protected. We will meet the gamekeeper and his family, who will provide shelter to us overnight. Barbeque in the evening.

Day 10 - Davsha– Civyrkuisky Bay/ Ust-Barguzin.

After breakfast we visit the local museum. The game keeper will take us for a short loop through the woods on hunting skis. We will learn about the native habitants of the area, the famous Siberian sables and the brown bears. We will continue our riding in the afternoon. If we are lucky we might see a Baikal or Nerpa seal. The Nerpa seal is the only freshwater species in the world, it is also the smallest and longest living seal species. These creatures usually spend winter under ice or often they are well hidden by snow-drifts or ice hummocks.
We’ll spend the night in authentic native Mongolian Gers erected on the ice. Small holes in the floor of the Ger facilitate fishing while in bed. Be ready for this unique experience as the latrine is, once again, outdoors! Enjoy star gazing in the icy desert.

We have the option to spend the night in simple guest houses in UstBarguzin, this will add 60 km to our route.

Day 11 - Civyrkuisky Bay/ Ust-Barguzin - Hadarta (Small Sea).

Today we will ride on the oldest, deepest and most voluminous lake in the world for the last time. We will cross Baikal Lake at its center and traverse where it is deepest (1637m). Before we reach the same hotel we stayed at previously in Hadarta, we will make several stops to admire the severe and breathtaking landscape. We will venture to Olkhon Island again but from the side of Big Baikal. On arrival we will have time to relax in a comfortable hotel room before dinner.

Day 12 - Hadarta – Irkutsk.

Transfer to Irkutsk. Enjoy a free day in the ‘Paris of Siberia’ the de facto capital of the region. Visit revived churches, historic and contemporary museums, monasteries, classy eateries and shops. Particular interests might lean toward a visit to the ice-breaker Angara, the oldest steam ice-breaker in the world, now a museum in the city port.

Day 13 - Flight to Moscow.

Today we take a morning transfer to the airport and depart for Moscow. We have had an amazing adventure to one of the most desolate and wild places in the world. We have immersed ourselves in the indescribable, pure and often severe beauty of this northern landscape. Tonight we will enjoy a very special final dinner together and reminisce about our incredible adventure.

Day 14 - Departure from Moscow.