First Ice and the Russian New Year
A private New Year celebration on Baikal’s early winter ice
About
BBT designed this five-day journey around Baikal’s first winter ice and a private Russian New Year celebration. The route reaches Olkhon by hovercraft, follows the ice formations of the Maloye More Strait and ends with an outdoor lunch above the still-open waters of the lake. A slower day for Siberian banya and a Buryat dinner gives the group time to enjoy the island rather than moving on after every activity.
Parameters
- Season
- 1–5 January 2027
- Duration
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Format
- Closed private group · Up to 16 guests
- Route
- Irkutsk → Maloye More → Olkhon → Tazherany → Irkutsk
- Airports
- Irkutsk / Irkutsk
- Rhythm
- Ice exploration, private celebration and recovery
- Physical activity
- Moderate · Winter walks; ice activities by choice
- Best suited to
- Private groups drawn to early ice, New Year traditions and time together
- Est. price per person
- $13,600
Itinerary
Day 01: The First Ice on the Way to Olkhon
The journey begins with the transition from inland Siberia to the first ice of Baikal.
- Experience
- Arrival breakfast in Irkutsk; route through Ust-Ordynsky country and the Primorsky Range; early ice and Dragon Cape on Ogoy Island.
- Arrangements
- Private Mercedes V-Class or Sprinter transfer, then hovercraft across the Maloye More Strait; arrival dinner at Port Olkhon.
Day 02: A New Year Evening in an Ice Grotto
Transparent ice and the cultural landscape of Olkhon lead to a New Year celebration created for the group.
- Experience
- Shaman Rock at Cape Burkhan; hovercraft route through ice grottoes and natural ice formations; private evening celebration inside a grotto.
- Arrangements
- Soft illumination, music, hot drinks and snacks; skating and buggy rides by choice on ice sections approved by local safety specialists.
Day 03: Siberian Banya and Island Traditions
After the ice celebrations, the pace changes to warmth, recovery and local hospitality.
- Experience
- A free morning by the lake; Siberian steaming with a bath master, hot tub on the shore and a Buryat dinner introduced by an Olkhon-born host.
- Arrangements
- Steaming intensity adapted to the guest; swimming in an ice hole is entirely optional.
Day 04: Lunch Above the Winter Lake
The route back to Irkutsk includes a private lunch overlooking the transition between frozen and open Baikal.
- Experience
- Hovercraft to the mainland; Tazherany rock formations and high viewpoints; specially prepared lunch on a cliff above the lake.
- Arrangements
- Private onward transfer to Irkutsk, check-in at RODINA and dinner featuring nineteenth-century Pribaikalye cuisine.
Day 05: Departure from Irkutsk
The journey closes with a breakfast and a departure timed to the group’s flight.
- Experience
- Breakfast and private transfer to Irkutsk Airport.
