By bus: from the Bus station at 8am and 10am every day. It takes about 3-4 hours to get to the last village on the mainland called MRS, where the bus is to be loaded on a ferry to cross the water connection between the mainland and the Island. If the bus arrived in lucky hour, you are immediately onboard, if not the next ferry is in 1 hour. When on the Island you may be demanded to pay fee at a small wooden cabin (this is only to be charged from the tourists staying in tents on the shore. You don't have to, if you are going to stay at a touristic base). From that stop another hour will be spent getting to the main village on the Island - Khuzir. Here you are.
This is an ideal scheme. At the worst the whole trip may take up to 8 hours. Return bus leaves around midday or 2pm and you get back to Irkutsk bus-station around 9-10pm.
In winter the passage between mainland and the Island works as an ice road starting from the moment when safe thick ice is formed. Understandably no fixed time-table at that time. Inquiries made at Nikita's Homestead.
By private minivan : call +7-(3952)-720007 and reserve a seat for a minivan going to Olkhon Island.Make reservation at least one day in advance.
Please ask Helen to book seats for your trip to Olkhon Island +7-964-8063338 or helen_pot@mail.ru.
What to do while on Olkhon Island:
- one-day trip to Khoboy Cape to watch nerpa seals is a must
- rent a bike and go across the Island to the eastern side of it
- visit a shaman
- visit Nikita's Homestead for good meals, shop of local souveniers and reliable advice on anything
- meditate
- swim and sunbath
- eat omul fish
I myself have been to the Island three two years ago and found it a stunningly beautiful place which I highly recommend as one of the best places on the lake Baikal.
My personal impressions of the infrastracture and the way the locals look after the place were complex. Hence the selection of pictures below (taken by my daughter). But despite a slightly bitter taste in the mouth after the trip, I am in love with fantastic landscapes and lake views, purity of air and waters...
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Famous Shaman Rock
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Same Rock as we saw it |
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Tranquil view with a boat
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...to the left from the boat |
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Bliss on the beach
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....300m away from the bliss
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Special offers: Russian banya ashore!
Famous 24-hour Russian sauna on a beach near Shaman Rock is a great solution for big swimmers who have nothing to do but only watch from the shore the inviting but too cold Baikal waters. Great sensations are provided to you, definitely you should go for it! Very basic construction provides hot steam inside to be followed by a jump into Baikal refreshing waters! Even kids do this :)
