Lake Baikal is famous for its bewitching beauty. In winter, it attracts with its power and grandeur. In summer - lush greenery and excellent opportunities for outdoor activities. There is only one question: when is it better to go to Lake Baikal? In summer, spring, fall or winter? It is worth saying right away that the lake is beautiful at any time of the year. It is worth identifying the benefits of travel.
What is attractive to Baikal?
You can talk about this amazing place on the planet endlessly. Many people know how unique the Russian lake is, therefore the only question that worries tourists: when is it better to go to Lake Baikal? The reviews are mixed. Someone prefers an active summer vacation with all its charms. And someone prefers the mesmerizing beauty of a mighty lake bound in ice. Nevertheless, tourists from different parts of the globe love Baikal and its environs. Why? The answer is obvious.
It is the deepest lake in the world (therefore it is often called the small sea). Moreover, Baikal is the largest source of freshwater in the whole world! The length of the lake exceeds 600 km, its width only in the narrowest place is 27 km. Most of the coastline is represented by reserves, national parks and reserves. The flora and fauna of Lake Baikal is truly unique. Therefore, do not think for a long time about what time it is better to go to Lake Baikal - each season is beautiful in its own way.
Rest in Russian
About 1 million tourists come not only from Russia, but also from other countries to the lake annually. And almost every traveler, collecting suitcases, thinks about when it is better to go to Lake Baikal. And this is not the only question that worries tourists. What to take on a trip? Which transport to choose? Traveling on your own or surrendering yourself to a tour operator? How to get to Lake Baikal? Where is better to go to have a rest in the summer? There are answers to these and many other questions, and it's time to find out the most relevant information about traveling to the ends of the world.
The most important thing is to choose a destination and a departure point and, based on this information, dance on. There are only three starting points: Severobaykalsk, Ulan-Ude, Irkutsk. All cities can be reached by train or plane, and then by shuttle taxis, regular buses or trains.
Where to relax
The unique geographical position of the lake, surrounded by mountain ranges, creates all the necessary conditions for a rich holiday in the most picturesque open spaces. So, you can enjoy the most beautiful views:
- Tunka Valley;
- Seascapes of the shores of South Baikal;
- the beauty of the east coast;
- Alpine regions of Khabar-Daban;
- Alpine meadows of the Eastern Sayan Mountains;
- landscapes of Tazheran steppes.
Each of these places is worthy of attention even of the most experienced tourist. The choice depends on the expected date of travel and personal preferences.
Outdoor activities or blissful idleness?
Before deciding when it is better to go to Lake Baikal, you need to decide on a travel program. So, the Baikal coast is divided into Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern, each of which is significantly different from each other and offers tourists a wide variety of excursion programs:
- Informative tourist routes with photo hunting for amazing representatives of the Baikal flora and fauna.
- Kayaking alloys.
- Ski holidays at a federal resort in the city of Baikalsk.
- Participation in cultural and educational events held annually on the lake.
- Many days of hiking and biking along the Baikal coast.
- Therapeutic recreation.
- Speleology.
- Climbing the mountain ranges.
Depending on which vacation is preferred, one should also choose when it is better to go to Lake Baikal. Now let's talk in more detail about the benefits of relaxing at different times of the year.
So warm and so bright summer
Perhaps this is the most popular time of the year for relaxing on the Baikal coast. In the summer, almost all sights and leisure opportunities are available to tourists. Cruises on a ship, caving, climbing mountains, kayaking, hiking and cycling, as well as blissful doing nothing on the Baikal coast.
Going on a tour, you can sit in a comfortable hotel or at a cozy recreation center, pitch a tent in a permitted place, and also join a group of tourists on a campsite. You can go hiking on Lake Baikal on your own or as an excursion. The Russians prefer to rent a hotel room or rent a cozy house on the coast and indulge in a blissful rest on the beach for several days. Air-sun baths are excellently combined with walking along the coast and excursions to interesting places. So, for example, sitting on the coast of Olkhon or the Small Sea, you can go to the caves of the Tazheran steppes or to the Sarma gorge. Tourists will also be able to swim in the mineral waters of Shara-Nur Lake, as well as take a boat trip on the Small Lake.
Autumn routes
The so-called velvet season on Lake Baikal begins closer to the second half of September. This time is the time of amazing landscapes when plant landscapes play with all the colors of the rainbow. This is a true paradise for photography enthusiasts.
At this time, calm and calm weather prevails on Lake Baikal, the sun's rays play in the branches of trees that have not yet completely turned yellow, there is very little rain, so you should consider autumn, thinking about when it is better to go to Lake Baikal.
September landscapes are a series of amazing pictures that eloquently demonstrate the beauty of the Baikal Territory. At this time, you can also visit all the sights and enjoy an active pastime.
Winter Holidays
Christmas and New Year ... Towards the end of December, tourists begin to think about when it is better to go to Lake Baikal. The answer is obvious - on New Year's holidays, because at this time an unforgettable atmosphere of fairy tales and magic reigns here. To plunge into the real New Year’s atmosphere, you should come to Lake Baikal in winter, or rather closer to Christmas.
When is it better to go to Baikal to relax? On the eve of the New Year, to make a wish that will certainly come true. Listvyanka is a popular place to celebrate - a well-equipped resort that will immerse tourists in the New Year's fairy tale. It has everything you need for a family vacation: an architectural and ethnographic museum, dog teams and snowmobiles, as well as an unforgettable holiday atmosphere.
Those who have not decided yet when it is better to go to Lake Baikal to have a rest, we inform you in the winter, since it is at this time of year that its surroundings are truly transformed. For those who wish to swim in the New Year holidays, there are hot springs Hakkusy or Pearls. Fans of skiing should go to Severobaykalsk.
If you have already decided what time it is better to go to Lake Baikal, you should think in advance about a hotel room or a cozy family-type house.
Ice rest
Many tourists think about when it is better to go to Lake Baikal - in summer or winter. Regarding the summer, everything is obvious, but because now we will talk about the winter tour. And it’s not at all about what New Year Baikal offers to many travelers, because with holiday trips it is also more or less clear. Let us dwell on the so-called "ice age" - the ice season. Thinking about when it is better to go to Lake Baikal - in winter or in summer? Of course, in the winter, if you are a fan of active and eventful relaxation.
The ice age on Lake Baikal begins in mid-February and continues until the end of April. Throughout this time, the lake is chained with ice, on which you can not only walk, but also ride jeeps, snowmobiles and cross-country skiing. By the way, the weather at this time is sunny.
The ice age is good in its own way. The rocky shores of the island of Olkhon literally transform before our eyes with the onset of severe frosts. Amazing and bizarre landscapes create splash formations, blue grottoes.
May holidays have come: time to go to Baikal
It was at this time that nature wakes up from winter sleep and begins to wake up literally before our eyes. Do you think when it is better to go to Lake Baikal by car? The beginning of May is the best time for this!
At this time, nature wakes up, the first leaves appear on the trees and primroses. Purple snowdrops in combination with a rosemary of the same shade create an unreal beauty that can only be seen in May. Around the beginning of the month, the ice drift begins - the spectacle is truly mesmerizing and impressive. For those who prefer a thrill, boat trips and (attention!) Ice floes are available.
What else can you do on Lake Baikal in early May? Of course, gather with friends for a picnic and, sitting on a sunny meadow along the outskirts of Irkutsk, enjoy the fresh Baikal air.
Weather features
This information will be very useful for those who have not yet decided when it is better to go to Lake Baikal to relax - in summer or winter. Indeed, intense heat or unbearable cold can significantly spoil the impression of relaxation. But not the climate of Baikal! The weather here is special - this is largely due to the geographical position of the deepest lake.
So, for example, it is much colder in summer than in Irkutsk, but warmer in winter. Winter is long and harsh. Not surprisingly, at the end of February, the lake is completely dominated by ice. Summer is short and dry. Strong winds blow from July to August. The warmest and driest place is Olkhon Island. Do you think when it is better to go to Lake Baikal? In July and August, since it is at this time that you can plenty of fun, fishing, boating and wandering around.
Best time in winter?
At the end of February, when nature should wake up from winter sleep, the air on Lake Baikal becomes a little warmer, but the lake itself is still chained with ice. Armed with a camera, you should go to the ice hummocks created by nature itself. You should definitely take part in the ice fishing competition. You can also extravagantly close the ski or start the swimming season - go down to the water on skis, but in a swimsuit.
In the cold season, you should definitely watch the Baikal Rice race. Better yet, take part in it. That's where the real excitement, sports aggression and a whole bunch of positive emotions.
Do not forget to bring sunglasses - it is simply impossible here without them. The sun shimmers in all colors with rainbows in the rays of sparkling snow.
And a few more words about the ice age. stepping on Lake Baikal in the midst of frost, you can hear the sounds of an alien origin - this is how the ice is cracking from mighty sighs. Every year, at the end of February, a mobile observatory is installed here, thanks to which you can observe stars, nebulae and other celestial bodies.
When is it better to go to Baikal to relax with children?
The answer is mixed. Someone prefers to temper young organisms with fresh air and goes on a trip in the midst of the ice season. Someone takes care of their own child and prefers to take it with them on a trip when the sun's rays thoroughly warmed the Baikal air. When it comes to children, it is quite difficult to unequivocally answer the question of when it is better to go to Lake Baikal.
In the summer, most likely when the weather is nice. You can rent a comfortable hotel room or rent a cozy house at a tourist base and spend several days on the shores of the most picturesque lake in Russia. Such rest can be combined with leisurely walks and excursions. Such a program will be interesting not only for adults, but also for children.
Young travelers will certainly enjoy a Baikal cruise. A boat trip will allow you to look into the most hidden corners of the lake, walk along protected paths and, of course, enjoy plenty of fishing. A boat trip is in demand, since it is it that allows you to appreciate all the power and beauty of Lake Baikal.
Hunting tours
Fishing is far from a pleasure for real men. No less popular is hunting on Lake Baikal. The season is open almost all year. Hunting for roe deer, wild boar, red deer, bear and capercaillie are organized. It’s better to walk a bear closer to the second half of May. An experienced huntsman will tell you where the taiga beast comes out of the den. Somewhere from the end of autumn until the beginning of spring, you can find the wild beast's den - then the trophy will certainly replenish the collection of an avid hunter. Manchurian deer are hunted from January to March, and roe deer are hunted from mid-autumn until mid-winter.
And a few more words about summer holidays on Lake Baikal
In June, the Baikal air begins to warm up. Water, by the way, too. About 15 degrees. This means that the swimming season can be opened. By that time, the air warms up even more - sun loungers with variegated bathing suits are increasingly found.
The peak of the bathing and sunbathing season is in July. By this time, tourist centers are already fully prepared for the meeting and reception of guests. This is also a good time for a boat trip. The air is warm enough, the weather is almost calm, Baikal has not yet begun to bloom - do you really need any more conditions for an excellent bite ?!
You can swim closer to mid-July. But here it is worth discovering one secret - you can’t swim in the lake at all. The water is too cold for this. Many say that there are so-called "branded" places for swimming, in which the water warms up to 24 degrees. So, this is not Baikal, but small bays crashing into land. The water in them is cloudy, with a lot of vegetation and not at all suitable for swimming.
Most tourist camps are located on Olkhon and in the Strait of the Small Sea. Here the water is much cleaner and more transparent, but colder. Unfortunately, no hotel has a heated pool so far and, most likely, will not appear soon.
There is one obvious advantage of traveling around Lake Baikal in June. The fact is that most tour operators offer a serious discount on a season that is not as popular as velvet autumn.
The real heat begins in July-August: both in terms of weather and in terms of tourist influx. The tourist camps are fully populated, there are camp sites and parked cars everywhere - a full house. By the way, its place under the Baikal sun should be booked in the winter. The probability that this can be done closer to mid-spring is zero.
From October to December is a dead season. The camp sites are empty, the air is getting colder, the storm is a common occurrence for this season. The lake comes to life again closer to the New Year holidays.
The majestic and powerful Baikal
It is not just a freshwater lake. Baikal is a great creation of nature. He can be quiet, calm and serene. And it can show a strong and strong-willed character, beat against the coast in huge waves and "walk" during the ice drift.
Baikal is fascinating. Nothing can convey the whole beauty of a frozen lake, on the surface of which thin white threads scatter to all ends and fanciful sounds are heard. So the great Baikal “breathes”.