This is a retrospective post from my trip to Lake Baikal in July 2023. (While I wait in Istanbul for the weather to improve so I can go and look at the Bosphorus).

I went to Lake Baikal in July 2023. I flew from Novosibirsk to Irkutsk. At the time I was living, and working, in Kemerovo, a city not far from Novosibirsk. The flight from Novosibirsk to Irkutsk takes about two hours. I have to say, it was surprisingly expensive. Usually internal flights in Russia are not expensive, but this route seems to be an exception. The return flight cost about $460.00 at today’s exchange rate. If you are thinking of visiting Baikal from Europe your route would probably be to fly to Novosibirsk from Istanbul and then on to Irkutsk.

I booked a Tour with a really excellent local guide, Elena, on youtravel.me. Unless you rent a four-wheel drive yourself, a guide is really your only option. Even then, their expert knowledge of, for example, ferry times, accommodation bases, etc. is really indispensable.

Even though I was only there for about 3 days, it felt like a much longer trip. We spent one night in a base on the mainland, and then went over to Olkhon island. Another night in a different base on the mainland, and then back to Irkutsk.

July was a great time to go. The weather was fantastic. On the drive out we stopped off at some interesting places – beautiful scenery, Alpine meadows, which I simply hadn’t expected. We took in a boat trip on the lake – which is, indeed, truly massive. (Larger than Belgium, I believe). The local culture is quite Buddhist – some religious sites are pictured above. I wouldn’t want to exaggerate it, but the atmosphere did feel very positive and high energy.

The most amazing thing is how few tourists there were. This was in July – so pretty much peak season, and at no point did it feel at all over-crowded. I went on several little walks, or mini-hikes, and didn’t meet a soul.

I am definitely hoping to go back sometime.