Lake Baikal is a rift lake, situated in the south of the region of Siberia, between the Republic of Buryatiya to the southeast and the Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest.
Olkhon Island is the largest island at Lake Baikal and the most beautiful and mysterious place at the lake. The landscape and climate are different from the rest of the lake.
If you love four wheel driving, you will be thrilled by the magic ice kingdom of Lake Baikal. The average temperature in summer is 20-23°C/68-73.4°F above zero, providing many sunny days and seldom rains. In winter though the temperature is about -20°C/-4°F, the spot is windy and there is not much snow.
The nature of Olkhon Island is outstandingly various. You find spacious steep hills, pine tree forests, gorgeous sandy beaches, picturesque rocks and dramatic capes all beautifully colored. Imagine all these covered with ice. If you have never seen it, you wouldn’t be able to imagine such vast expanse covered with 1 m/3.3 ft thick crystal armor.
The road to Olkhon is partly a bumpy dirt road, going up and down snowed hills, so the entire drive takes about 6 hours including a lunch stop. If you are a four wheel driving enthusiast, this winter tour to Olkhon Island is for you!
