Irkutsk appears as a historic city museum, preserving unique 19th century wooden buildings, old streets and the special atmosphere of Siberian antiquity. The article explains where to start exploring the region, from the Nerpinarium and museums to Listvyanka, the Circum Baikal Railway, Olkhon, Sandy Bay, Small Sea and other scenic places of Baikal. This is an exciting route through places where history, legends and Siberian nature unite into one unforgettable journey.

Irkutsk is a historic city. It plays a huge role in the history of the Russian state. Irkutsk is classified as a city-museum, as it has preserved much of antiquity in its appearance, the glow of church domes above the expanses of the majestic Angara. Its streets are a reflection of many years of history, where centuries replace one another, and moving from one district to another, you seem to find yourself in a long-quiet past with its unhurriedness and solemnity.
Like all ancient cities, Irkutsk has experienced a great deal throughout its history, and this has been reflected in its distinctive appearance. In the 19th century, the famous Russian publicist Nikolai Shelgunov said this about the unique and original Siberian city: “Irkutsk…… The only city in Siberia that has an urban character… Just as England created London and France created Paris, so Siberia created Irkutsk. It is proud of it, and not to see Irkutsk means not to see Siberia…”.
It is no coincidence that Irkutsk is considered the “middle of the earth,” because so many different tourist routes begin here, and above all, the main thing you will be able to see and feel is LAKE BAIKAL, great, incomparable, and always different. You can stand by Baikal all day and all your life and never see it the same twice. And when you look at its endless transformations, it becomes clear why local people speak of it as if it were alive—respectfully and reverently, believing that Baikal may take offense if it is called a lake. Siberians call it the “sea.” And it is no coincidence that an old song begins with the line: “Glorious sea, sacred Baikal.” The impressions you take home will make you relive unforgettable moments again and again, and you will certainly try to return to the shores of the Sacred Lake.
Siberian tourism is very diverse, and it does not matter whether you go on a cruise by ship around Olkhon; or bask on the golden sands of Peschanaya Bay; or, having climbed the highest mountain of the Eastern Sayan, Munku-Sardyk, gaze spellbound from a bird’s-eye view at Mongolia stretching out at your feet... It would take a very long time to list the possibilities open to you, but in any case, the journey will be memorable for you.
And we would advise beginning your excursion with the city of Irkutsk itself.
Irkutsk
Irkutsk is considered the only Siberian city that has managed to preserve a unique 19th-century wooden development in its historic center. This is indeed so. And lovers of delicate wooden carving will get genuine pleasure both from restored monuments in their original form—the Shastin House (also known as the Lace House) or the Sukachev Estate—and from authentic low houses with stunningly beautiful carved window frames, which can be found both in the center and on the left bank of the Angara in the so-called Glazkovskoye suburb.
Be sure to visit the Nerpinarium, where Tito and Nessie every 45 minutes demonstrate their abilities in the program of the world’s only Baikal seal show. These freshwater seals are endemic to Baikal and are also very timid. Nevertheless, they have turned out to be brilliant performers, are trainable, and in the five years of the Nerpinarium’s existence in Irkutsk have managed to master the most difficult tricks, astonishing the imagination.
The traditional Mecca for all tourists in any city is the museums. Irkutsk is no exception, and the museums here are for every taste: an art museum, a local history museum, a city museum and, of course, an entire museum complex dedicated to the Decembrists. Paying tribute to these people is simply the duty of Siberians.
Baikal
Listvyanka
For visitors to the city, Baikal begins (and often ends) with Listvyanka. This is the easiest way to visit Baikal without much hassle or time spent, since the settlement is located just 70 kilometers from Irkutsk at the source of the Angara. Upon entering Listvyanka, there is a view of Shaman Rock. Legend says that Baikal’s daughter, Angara, deceived the vigilance of the guards and fled at night to her beloved Yenisei. The enraged father, awakened, hurled a huge rock after the runaway—Shaman Rock. In ancient times, the local inhabitants—the Buryats—believed in its miraculous power.
You have the opportunity to take a helicopter ride and a boat ride with a transparent bottom, to visit the Limnological Institute, entirely devoted to the study of the lake; here you can see in unique aquariums the endemic fauna of Baikal: seals, omul, and the broad-headed sculpin. On an improvised bathyscaphe you will reach the very bottom of Baikal.
For diving enthusiasts (including winter diving), there is a unique opportunity to descend into the icy waters of Baikal. The easiest way is to take the ferry directly from Listvyanka to the other shore, to Port Baikal, where the Circum-Baikal Railway begins.
Circum-Baikal Railway.
The Circum-Baikal Railway is one of the most beloved tourist routes along the southern shore of the lake. A small train runs daily along the Circum-Baikal Railway, locally called “Motanya” (which in the old local dialect means “transfer”), as well as the steam locomotive “Baikal Express,” restored especially for tourists—with real smoke from the chimney and a piercing steam whistle. Once this road was called the “golden clasp in the steel belt of Russia,” because it was the most difficult section of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Traveling along the Circum-Baikal Railway, you will become acquainted not only with the splendor and diversity of Baikal nature, but also with a wonder of engineering thought—there are more than 800 technical structures alone, already over a hundred years old, along the entire route! And all of them have been preserved in excellent condition.
Olkhon
The largest and most mysterious island of Baikal. According to one legend, it is on Olkhon that Genghis Khan’s grave should be located. On one of the small islands stands a shrine of the Buddhist religion, preserving twelve scrolls from around the world—the Stupa. A place with special energy—pilgrims come here every year to touch the seal of eternity. The island stretches for 70 kilometers in length and, in the outline of its shores, repeats Baikal itself. The hallmark of Olkhon is Cape Burkhan (Shamanka Rock). It is shrouded in ancient legends and beliefs, and is worshipped as a shrine. The southern tip of the island is Cape Kobylya Golova—it looks like a horse drinking water. The northernmost point of the island is Cape Khoboy. This is the most picturesque place in the north of Olkhon. Tourists have a unique opportunity to visit Lake Shara-Nur—the only lake on Olkhon Island located in the mountains. Translated from Mongolian-Buryat, “Yellow Lake,” it is revered by local residents for its healing mud. The warm water and shallow depth of the lake are very convenient for swimming. Gentle sea breezes, the varied landscape of these places, birds swimming on the lake—all this sets one in a mood of peace.
Peschanaya Bay
Next, Peschanaya Bay opens before your eyes—one of the warmest places on the island, leaving no one indifferent. As if the creator, while shaping the shores of Baikal, felt inspiration precisely here and with special love molded the cliffs, the gentle slopes of the mountains, and the correct semi-oval of the bay’s beach, harmoniously placing all this in a small space of the Baikal coast. There are many more sunny days here than at the famous southern resorts. Also growing in the bay are the famous “stilt” trees, whose roots have been exposed by constant winds and create bizarre forms. Beyond Peschanaya, the road goes over the mountains into the Sasy area, and the steppe landscape begins.
Small Sea
The Small Sea is the strait separating Olkhon from the mainland. If you take into account that two-thirds of the days in the year here are sunny, it is clear why the Small Sea is a favorite vacation spot for Irkutsk residents. Three hundred kilometers by car—and you are on the shore of the warm (!) Baikal. Many cozy bays, sandy and pebbly beaches, and also unique natural monuments, including one of the largest caves in Eastern Siberia—the Dream Cave—and the Sarma Gorge, where the strongest of the five main Baikal winds is born. In the Tazheran steppes adjacent to the strait there are unique salt lakes. It is also to the Small Sea that people go fishing and on horseback treks. You can get to the Small Sea not only by car, but also fly by helicopter and, of course, sail there—by boat, by yacht, by the high-speed “Barguzin.”
Ushkany Islands
The Ushkany Islands are located in the middle part of Baikal, 7 km west of the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula (the eastern shore of Baikal, territory of the Zabaikalsky National Park) and represent the peaks of the Akademichesky Ridge rising above the water surface. The total area of the islands is 10 km2. The archipelago consists of 4 islands: Big, Thin, Round, and Long. The islands have original fauna and flora, a special continental mild climate, and humidity in summer is 90–97%. Annual precipitation is only 306 mm. Big Island rises from the water like a mountain to a height of 216 m, and stretches from west to east for 5 km with a width of about 3 km. The three small islands rise above the surface of Baikal by only 17–22 m. The islands are composed of the oldest Precambrian rocks: marble, crystalline limestones with layers of quartzites. In the northern part of Big Island, 1–1.5 km from the shore, emerald-green marble was mined in small quantities, rare among the world’s deposits. Many scientists believe that the Ushkany archipelago rose from the depths thanks to a local tectonic uplift of the lake bed in the middle of the Quaternary period. The origin of the islands remains disputed to this day. On Big Island there is a well-preserved primeval forest of tall larches and pines. On Big Island one finds Dahurian larch (branching from the base) with a bottle-shaped thickening of the bark at the bottom of the trunk, the “Ushkanya” birch with black bark and sharp-toothed leaves (deep cuts along the edges), and flag-shaped tree crowns are often encountered. The isolation of the islands from the mainland shore has significantly affected the development of the animal world. One of the most interesting phenomena of the islands is anthills, whose total number amounts to several thousand. Big Ushkany Island is also known for three caves on the northeastern shore with open-air settlements of Neolithic humans (5000–4000 years ago) discovered in them. The largest of them is 4 m long, 6 m wide, and 3.1 m high at the vault. A permanently operating weather station is located on the island. The rocky shores of the islands serve as a haul-out site for the Baikal seal. This is the largest seal haul-out on Baikal. The Ushkany Islands are part of the territory of the Zabaikalsky National Park, and special permission is required to visit them
The Chivyrkuisky Bay extends inland between the mainland and the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula for 26 km, with a width of 6 to 12 km. The gentle shores of the bay are densely forested and have many bays and picturesque capes. The depth of most of the bay does not exceed 10 m, so its waters warm up well, reaching temperatures of +19 to +22 in early August. Sandy beaches are often found in the bays of Chivyrkuisky Bay. Favorable conditions for recreation attract a large number of tourists here. Good fishing. An abundance of cranberries and blueberries on the eastern shore of the bay. This bay is part of the territory of the Zabaikalsky National Park.
Everyone who has drunk Baikal water retains their own unique Baikal, with its regal beauty, openness, and untamed spirit.