8-Day Autumn Photography Tour of Lake Baikal

Russian Travel International Lake Baikal Autumn Photography

Exotic Photography Tour of Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is the deepest and largest freshwater lake in the world, located in the Republic of Buryatia and Irkutsk Oblast. The lake is narrow, long and curved, like a crescent moon, so it is also known as the "Moon Lake". It is 636 kilometers long, 48 kilometers wide on average, 79.4 kilometers wide at its widest point, with an area of 31,500 square kilometers, an average depth of 744 meters, a deepest point of 1,620 meters, and a lake surface elevation of 456 meters.

The water of Lake Baikal is clear, stable and transparent (transparency reaches 40.8m), which is among the best in the world; its total freshwater storage capacity is 23,600 cubic kilometers, which is the largest in the world. There are a total of 336 rivers of various sizes flowing into the lake around Lake Baikal. The largest is the Selenga River, and the only river that flows out of the lake is the Angara River, with an average annual flow of only 1,870 cubic meters per second. Lake Baikal has beautiful scenery and unique landscapes. The lake is rich in species and is a treasure trove of rich natural resources. There are more animals and plants in the lake than in any other freshwater lake in the world, and 1,083 of them are unique in the world.

Russian Travel International Lake Baikal Autumn Photography 8-Day Tour

D1 China Irkutsk-Listvyanka

Reference flights： S7 6312   05:35---08:55 (Flight time: about 3 hours)

Time difference: 0 hours

Take an international flight to Irkutsk, Russia, and your tour guide will pick you up at the airport and take you to the small town of Listvyanka.

Quietly shining in Siberia, perhaps it is her beauty, perhaps she once belonged to us, she is mysterious, and in the days to come, she will be beautiful beyond measure.

◆Visit to the Heroic Mother

◆Lake Baikal Museum

◆Talits Wooden Ethnological Museum （about 2 hours），

◆ Angara Holy Stone * Angara River（stop and listen to the legend about the holy stone）

We will go to the local fish market, where there are many special wild fish. You can choose one or two species to taste according to your preferences, such as whitefish, true whitefish, catfish, etc. You can also buy local handmade souvenirs according to your preferences. Check in at the hotel after dinner.

D2 Circum-Baikal Train

（The train's departure date, time and direction are not fixed, so the schedule will be adjusted according to actual conditions.）

After breakfast, take the Baikal Lake Tour Train from Li Town to start a one-day in-depth tour of Lake Baikal. The train stops all the way (5-7 stations, each stop for about 15-60 minutes for sightseeing). This is part of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and now it is the Trans-Siberian Railway Museum. The train keeps moving along Lake Baikal, and you will enjoy the beautiful scenery of the shore of Lake Baikal.

Driving in this poetic landscape painting of mountains and rivers in late autumn, the leaves of the birch forest on the mountain are golden yellow, and the leaves of the larch, larch and colorful shrubs that do not fall leaves all year round and remain crisp. This is definitely a great place to shoot blockbusters.

Lake Baikal is called the "Pearl of Siberia", with clear and transparent water and magnificent scenery. Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world. During the Western Han Dynasty, Su Wu was exiled here to herd sheep (the "North Sea" at that time). This is also the hinterland where Genghis Khan became a great hero, with many historical stories and beautiful legends...

D3 Irkutsk

After breakfast, we will start the photography trip to Lake Baikal that many photographers dream of.

The 362year history of Irkutsk has left more than 1,300 historical buildings and cultural heritage sites, with beautiful scenery. Go to Kirov Square, which is located in the center of Irkutsk. There are many famous local buildings around it. Although it is not big, the square has an elegant environment and many pigeons are strolling here.

See the Arc de Triomphe, go down the riverside street, and visit the famous Love Bridge + Love Locks on the Angora River:the railings on the bridge are hung with various locks symbolizing love. Lovers lock their love locks to express their loyalty to each other and their beautiful wishes for love. Visit three cathedrals: the prestigious Cathedral of the Epiphany (approximately 10 minutes from the exterior) The Cathedral of the Epiphany was built in 1693 and is the second oldest building in Irkutsk. It is still well preserved. The Polish Cathedral (approximately 10 minutes from the exterior) is the Catholic church in Irkutsk. Most of the locals believe in Orthodoxy. This church was built by Polish immigrants a hundred years ago and is in the late Gothic architectural style; the Cathedral of Christ the Savior is a model of early stone architecture in Irkutsk. From its paneling, reliefs and multi-layered flower frames, it can be seen that this is a typical Western Siberian Baroque building.

D4 Irkutsk---Olkhon Island

After breakfast, drive to explore the heart of Lake Baikal and experience the shaman culture - Olkhon Island Tour.

◆Olkhon Island - the largest island in Lake Baikal

◆Shaman Rock - one of the most important holy places in Shamanism

Introduction to the main attractions:

Olkhon Island: There are 22 islands in Lake Baikal, and Olkhon Island is the largest one. If Lake Baikal is the pearl of Siberia, Olkhon Island is the heart of this pearl, which will show you the most primitive ecological side. Olkhon Island is also the center of Shamanism, with very charming natural scenery and simple folk customs everywhere.

Shaman Rock: It is a huge rock protruding from the edge of Lake Baikal, and it is one of the most important holy places in Shamanism. Next to the rock stands a Shaman tree, which is wrapped with colorful prayer flags, which carries people's good wishes. In the evening, you can enjoy the sunset of Shaman Mountain and the beautiful natural scenery of Lake Baikal in winter from different angles. As the sun's rays change, the religious temple emits a strange light, and guests can enjoy the gorgeous scenery and take photos to their heart's content.

In Khuzhir, the largest town on Olkhon Island, you can admire the local colorful houses, birch forests, larch forests, beautiful grasslands and rolling hills, and see the best fusion of modern and primitive, humanity and nature.

D5 Olkhon Island Cape Hebo

After breakfast, you can go to the most beautiful sunrise viewing spot by yourself to welcome the beginning of a beautiful day.

◆Khuzhir-A quiet and simple town on Olkhon Island, surrounded by grasslands and forests, next to the famous Shaman Rock, with colorful and various shapes of Buryat cabins everywhere. In the evening, watch the beautiful sunset at the nearby Shaman Mountain, and appreciate the romantic and vast starry sky on the island at night, which will greatly relax your mind.

◆Cape Hebo-Passing Harants, Three Color Water, Three Brothers Mountain, Cape Hebo, Boy Mountain and Girl Mountain along the way, watch cabins, human face mountain, crocodile island, villages, strange pine forests, and beautiful red rocks.

Lunch is a special outdoor meal! (The driver prepared local fish soup + Russian bread for us)

Introduction to the main attractions:

The unique terrain of Cape Hebo is a great place to watch the sunrise. On this day, we can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Olkhon Island. Along the way, we passed Harants, Three Color Water, Three Brothers Mountain, Cape Hebo, Boy Mountain and Girl Mountain, and saw cabins, Human Face Mountain, Crocodile Island, villages, strange pine forests, and beautiful red rocks. The unique freshwater seals of Lake Baikal sometimes appear here. It would be a blessing if we could see wild seals here...

In the rolling mountains, in front and on the right is the lake with the sky and water. We will prepare local fish soup for you. With the beautiful scenery, enjoy a special picnic meal with everyone!

You can't see the crowded scene here, and don't worry about not finding a place to put the tripod. You can prepare all the preliminary work leisurely and wait for the moment when the beauty of nature comes.

Check in to the hotel after dinner.

D6 Olkhon Island South Route

In the morning, take a self-guided tour to shoot the sunrise at Shaman Mountain. After breakfast, take an off-road vehicle to the small sea at the southern end of Olkhon Island to shoot the magnificent subjects of Sanchi Peak, Wanerhai and other places. The magnificent scenery here will make you keep pressing the shutter of the camera.

Lunch is arranged for a special outdoor meal. When the sun sets, you can shoot the strange colors projected on the water surface with the sunset.

At night, you can voluntarily go to the observation deck to shoot the beautiful Milky Way at night in this environment away from light interference.

D7OLKHON ISLAND/IRKUTSK（Driving time: about 5 hours）

After breakfast, drive to the pier. After arriving at the pier, transfer to the ferry back to Irkutsk; have a Buryat lunch on the way and go to the city of Irkutsk. Visit [Zinaminsk Monastery] The monastery is located near the city center, on the banks of the Angara River. It was built in 1689 and is the only Orthodox women's monastery in East Siberia and one of the oldest monasteries in the region. Visit [Kazan Cathedral of Our Lady] It is an Orthodox church and the most gorgeous church in Irkutsk. It has a fairy-tale red wall dome and is as magnificent as a palace. In 1975, the Kazan Cathedral of Our Lady was recognized as a key cultural relic protection unit by the Russian Federation Government. Finally, visit Karl Marx Avenue and the 130th block where local young people linger. Freely choose satisfactory souvenirs.

According to the flight time, take a bus to Irkutsk Airport.

D8 Irkutsk-Beijing

Reference flights： S7 6311   01:40/04:40 (Flight time is about 3 hours) Time difference 0 hours

Take an international flight back to our great motherland. End of the exotic photography trip in Russia