The best summer tour in the south of Baikal

The Circum-Baikal Railway is one of the most expensive railways in the world. On average, one engineering structure is built for each hundred meters. The CBR is called the “Golden buckle of the steel belt of Russia”.

An interesting area is 84 km long, on the western coast of Lake Baikal. Here the greatest number of monuments of engineering art is concentrated: 470 bridges, 280 retaining walls and 39 tunnels. You will watch it from the water, you can make stops and land on the shore if you wish.

The territory of the center is divided into four zones. Each zone has separate procedures and entertainment. In the morning on the terrace with panoramic views of Lake Baikal practice yoga and breathing exercises with an instructor will be held.

After breakfast, you can enjoy the outdoor heated pool. Water temperature is up to 23 °C. If you wish, soft drinks and fruits will be brought to the pool. On the pier there will be organized fishing and jet skiing with the instructor. All necessary equipment will be provided — fishing tackles, wetsuits and vests.

In the fireplace hall will be a tea ceremony with tasting of Siberian honey, jam from taiga berries and fir cones.

Cooking of detox and vitamins cocktails. There is a separate area with Thai foot massage and manicure.

In the evening, one of the best Russian bath attendants, Gennady Nikolaev, will work with you. In addition to steaming, he will prepare cosmetic compositions for face peeling, hair masks and body scrubs. Cosmetics are made on the basis of Baikal water, Siberian herbs and berries. Also, the massage therapist will work in banya.

There will be scented candles and peasant background music in the closed rooms. At the dinner we will organize wine and cheese tasting from the Baikal cheese factory.

Lakes Sobolinie are located in the gorge of the Snezhnaya River, 25 kilometers from Baikal and surrounded by peaks of the Khamar-Daban mountain range. The length of the lakes is three kilometers, the depth is up to fifty meters. In this area there are blueberries, raspberries, currants, cranberries and mushrooms. During the year, this place is visited by no more than 500 people. With a probability of 99%, you will not find any tourist here.

The road to the lakes takes 2–2.5 hours with several stops for rest and photography. The trail does not require special physical training, but it is better to be in good shape to walk with a pleasure.

You will go along the gorge along the Snezhnaya River. The length of the path is five kilometers. The first half of the way is almost flat, with rare steep descents and ascents. The second half is more difficult — stones, roots, descents and ascents come across more often.

On this day there is a time limit. It is necessary to go down by the airboat along the river before dark. If you do not reach the Lakes Sobolinie at the appointed time, a picnic lunch is organized in the current location. It's ok, it's beautiful everywhere.

The room rate includes breakfast (buffet).

Mamai is the Mecca of mountain skiers and snowmobilers around the world. The gorge looks like a small village of huts. In summer and autumn everything resembles alpine meadows there, and the air is so full of aromas of herbs and flowers that you want to eat it with a spoon. Today, Mamai is present in 50% of our programs on Lake Baikal.

We use all-wheel drive SUVs to storm Mamai Mountain. Cars are equipped with: reinforced suspension, mud rubber, power bumpers, winches, walkie-talkies.

The length of the path is 12 kilometers, one half goes through the forest, another half is a steep rocky climb, with several fords. If in the process of climbing somebody will feel bad, you can go on foot. On average, the climb takes one and a half hours without stopping. If it rained before the arrival, the driving time could increase to 2–2.5 hours.

When you arrive a guardian will meet you and introduce you the terrain and life of the gorge.

We will deliver in advance to the Mamai Mountain chefs, kitchen equipment and products. The chef will cook according to the menu agreed with you in advance. Usually we set up several professional grills outside, where guests together with the chef prepare meat and home sausages for the beer. Also, we will bring a collection of different types of homemade samogon and a barrel of beer from the Baikal brewery.

On the territory of the gorge there is only one comfortable cottage. During your stay at Mamai we rent it so that you have the opportunity to spend the night in a comfortable environment. The cottage has a toilet, shower, kitchen, living room with TV and Internet.

The Baikal Biosphere Reserve is a three-hour drive from Irkutsk, in the village of Tankhoy. Its main goal is to protect cedar forests, the area of which is comparable to the territory of Mauritius. The reserve is included in the world heritage list and is protected by UNESCO.

At the reserve there is a museum of nature and ethno town with a Buryat yurt and a Russian hut. On the first floor of the visitor center there is an interactive hall dedicated to Lake Baikal and its environmental protection. In a separate building there is an exposition telling about the history of the Circum-Baikal Railway, in the street there are restored railway carriages of tsarist times. Also, there is an enclosure with Baikal sable.

There are more than a thousand species of plants in the reserve, many of them are listed in the Red Book and are found only here.

Here you can meet: wild boar, roe deer, elk, sable, black kite and brown bear.

The director conducts a tour of the reserve. For three hours you will inspect the exhibition and feed the sable. After that you will walk along the cedar alley, which was built by volunteers from around the world. The path is lined with a board and a part is neatly cut down in the soil. On the way you will overcome several suspension bridges over a mountain river. After a walk you will have lunch on the second floor of the visitor center with a panoramic view of Lake Baikal.

"Siberian cheesecake", which you will be served as a dessert is a cake with reserved blueberries and homemade sour cream. It is baked by one local woman. The dough is airy and the sea of berries explodes in the mouth, the taste is amazing. If you like it the hostess will be happy to share the recipe.

Features are special services that can diversify the journey. Add an individual menu, a test drive of a sports car or a master class on helicopter control. Features make the rest individual.

Breakfast is included in the room rate.