This is a resort area that understands visitors needs

Absolutely beautiful. Like you get off the bus and just stop. And take in the vast expanse of the lake, the wintery white sun and the snowcapped mountains around you. And just breathe. It's not a nightlife spot, but it is a beautiful place to spend a few days. Rest in a luxurious B&B (cheaply!), visit an authentic banya, eat... More

Get away from the tourist towns and this lake is an beautiful and breathtaking place. Clear water, cliffs and , omul (the local fish) prepared in a huge variety of methods. In the winter it freezes over and you drive across in a taxi. Hike over lakeside hills and see the petroglyphs.

If you have only one day for Lake Baikal, I think, you should do the following: 1. Start early morning from Irkutsk by bus or marshrutka to Listvyanka. 2. Have a one hour walk by road on the lake shore to the port. 3. Have your lunch in one of the restaurants near the port 4. Buy your trip by... More

After visiting the Baikal Museum, walk up behind it and head towards the Baikal Hotel. About 500 feet before the hotel, take the road to the left to get to the gondola. At the top of the mountain is a view that is indescribably beautiful! The walk back down is worth the time and exercise, but you can also ride... More

Irkutsk, as the closest city to it, is the gateway to Olkhon Island in the middle of Lake Baikal. To put this into a Siberian context, 'close' means a bumpy 7 hour mini bus and ferry ride away. So a bit like how the Isle of Wight is close to Manchester... But it was worth it. Lake Baikal is the... More

My travel partner and I had a little bit of frustration getting to Lake Baikal. The first day we were in Irkutsk, we had the darndest time just finding the hydrofoil port (the Lonely Planet map is a little misleading!). After much searching, we arrived only to find that the boats weren't running that day. Most discouraging! I don't think... More