Baikal is one of the greatest lakes on Earth, and the harsh charm of the surrounding nature cannot be compared with any other corner of the planet. However, tourism on Lake Baikal is poorly developed today due to the lack of appropriate infrastructure in place that can offer high-quality service at affordable prices. In addition, getting to the Pearl of Siberia from most remote corners of Russia is expensive or time-consuming.
Geographical location of Baikal
The largest natural reservoir of freshwater water is located in Russia, on the territory of Eastern Siberia. Its shores and waters belong to the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia.
The most convenient way to get to Baikal is from Irkutsk - there are many types of transport and only 70 km to the lake. Ulan-Ude is located much further, and there are much fewer options for communication.
The climatic zone in which Baikal is located is a temperate zone, however, due to the amazing and unique shape, bottom topography and coastline, the deepest lake of the planet is divided into three separate parts - South, Middle and North. Moreover, each of these zones has its own natural and climatic features, each is characterized by unique flora and fauna.
The beauty of Lake Baikal, the special energy of this place, the unique flora and fauna, as well as the opportunity to go diving, hunting, fishing, photography, etc., attract millions of tourists from all over the world here.
The length of Baikal from north to south is almost 600 km, and the maximum depth of the reservoir is 1620 m. This is the deepest lake on the planet Earth.
How to get to Baikal
There are two main ways to get to the lake: by plane or by rail. By air, you can fly from almost any major airport in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Vladivostok, etc.) and by direct flight or with a transfer arrive to Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude.
It is the same with railway transport: from almost any corner of Russia, regardless of the significance and size of the city or village, you can directly or on the checkpoints get to the administrative centers of the Irkutsk region or the Republic of Buryatia.
It is noteworthy that in Africa there is a "twin brother" of Baikal - Lake Tanganyika. It is also distinguished by the uniqueness of the ecosystem, it has a similar shape to its Siberian counterpart, only its semicircle is turned in the opposite direction.
The distance from Moscow to Irkutsk by rail is almost 5,200 km. High-speed train overcomes it in 3, 5-4 days.
Both Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk are located a few tens of kilometers from Lake Baikal, and from these cities you can get to the lake by taxi, electric trains and trains, by minibus or bus. In summer, yachts and motor ships go to the lake from Irkutsk, from the Raketa pier.
