Join our Listvyanka tours:
On the Baikal Helicopter tour, you will see the unforgettable Baikal landscapes and the Circum-Baikal railway from a bird’s-eye view.
There is nothing quite like this Traditional Siberian Fishing trip. Spend a day fishing on the banks of the Angara River 85km from Irkutsk. Enjoy traditional Russian banya after the fishing.
Circum-Baikal Railway tour. Spend a day in a comfortable train moving along Lake Baikal shore by the Old railroad through numerous tunnels and bridges built during Tsarist Russia in 1902-1904 and enjoying stunning landscapes and views.
During the One-day Baikal Fishing trip our guide will teach you different techniques and reveal the secrets of successful fishing.
Taltsy tour. The museum preserves the old Pre-Russian architecture. With a guide, this not only a tour of buildings but Russian history as well.
Take the the tour by hovercraft and enjoy winter views of the Circum-Baikal Railway from its warm and comfortable cabin.
Whatever route of the Full-day snowmobile tour you choose, either through taiga or over the frozen surface of the lake, make sure you’ve got your camera with you because the views are breathtaking!
Book the Dogsled Tour along the Circum-Baikal Railway and enjoy working with powerful Baikal huskies, the beauty of the Baikal’s winter nature and the architectural monuments of the Circum-Baikal Railway.
• 📍 Where: western shore of Lake Baikal, at the source of the Angara River, about 70 km (43 mi) from Irkutsk
• 🚌 Getting there: 1–1.5 hours from Irkutsk by bus, taxi or transfer; by boat in summer
• 🗓 Season: all year round. Boats and hiking are best from June to September; winter brings lake ice, hovercraft, dogsleds and snowmobiles
• ⏱ Time needed: half a day for the main sights, a full day or an overnight stay if you also hike or join a tour
The Angara is the only river that flows out of Baikal, and it leaves the lake right in the village, roughly 860 m wide at its source. Shaman Rock stands in the middle of the current. Because of the flow, the water here stays open even in severe frost, so thousands of waterfowl winter at the river mouth.
Listvyanka is also the start of the Circum-Baikal Railway, and the Great Baikal Trail passes through the village. The Taltsy Architectural and Ethnographic Museum stands about 20 km before Listvyanka on the road from Irkutsk, so it combines easily with the trip.
The museum is devoted to the lake’s nature and science. Large aquariums hold Baikal fish and other lake species. The Bathyscaph exhibit, a room styled as a submarine with screens, simulates a dive to the deepest part of the lake. A live-camera display shows Baikal seals and the museum’s arboretum. Outside, a real deep-sea submersible can be visited for an extra fee.
The Baikal seal, or nerpa (Pusa sibirica), lives only in Lake Baikal and is one of the few seals in the world that live entirely in fresh water. At the Nerpinarium, trained seals perform a show of about 35 minutes. They dance, play ball games and “paint” pictures, and visitors can buy a painting at the end of the show.
Chersky Stone (Kamen Cherskogo) is a viewpoint at about 725 m above sea level, named after the geologist and explorer Ivan Chersky. A covered platform looks over the source of the Angara, Shaman Rock, the village, the port and, on clear days, the Khamar-Daban range across the water. The chairlift of the BaikalGora ski resort runs all year, and in winter it takes skiers up the slope.
Eco trail from Listvyanka to Bolshiye KotyThis trail in Baikal’s Pribaikalsky National Park runs about 20 km to Bolshiye Koty and can be walked in a day in either direction. From Listvyanka, walk towards the market from the last bus stop or the quay, then turn right onto Gudina Street. After about 2 km you reach the start of the trail and cross the stream on its left side.
The first 4.5 km are a steady climb and the hardest part. Near the top the path splits; take the right-hand branch. The summit is at about 860 m above sea level (around 400 m above the lake) with wide views over Lake Baikal. The trail then follows the shore, crossing streams on bridges built by volunteers, and in places runs along cliffs.
A visitor permit is required (see below). In summer you can walk one way and return by boat; see the Bolshiye Koty guide for details.
Listvyanka sits inside the Pribaikalsky National Park area, and a paid visitor permit is required for hiking routes such as the Bolshiye Koty trail. Foreign visitors pay a few hundred rubles per person, and the permit is valid for about a week. The fee is revised from time to time. You can buy it online at baikalpass.ru or at the Listvyanka forestry office (2 Gorkogo St).
By bus (year-round). Buses leave from the Irkutsk Bus Station (11 Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii St). The trip takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1.5 hours and costs roughly 300–350 RUB one way. Buses stop at the Listvyanka ticket office and some also at the Baikal Museum. Some departures also pick up near the Central Market (Timiryazeva St); the booking page shows the exact pick-up points. You can check timetables and buy tickets at the Irkutsk Bus Station online service or at the ticket office. Operators and timetables change, so check the times, especially for your last bus back.
By boat (summer only). From about June to September, high-speed boats leave the Raketa pier in Irkutsk (98/1 Marshala Zhukova Ave) for Listvyanka and Bolshiye Koty. The ride to Listvyanka takes a little over an hour and costs about 1,500 RUB one way. Check the operator’s timetable (in Russian), as some sailings call at Listvyanka only on request.
By car or transfer. The Baikal Highway covers the 70 km in about 1–1.5 hours. A taxi or private transfer is the simplest way if you are traveling as a group; see our Irkutsk transport guide for options.
Check out the full list of the most interesting tours in Russian cities.
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