Circum-Baikal Railway
It is when Baikal nature’s beauty and unique architecture of the 19th century split together!
Circum-Baikal Railway is one of the oldest tourist routes on Baikal. Construction of the railroad began in the 19th century in Imperial Russia. This route is unique — here, tourists can enjoy the beautiful Baikal nature and see numerous tunnels made of hewn stone, viaducts, and giant retaining walls.
The route starts in Kultuk and finishes in a small village Port Baikal. The distance from Kultuk to Port Baikal is 84 km. On the way, you will go through 39 tunnels and 16 retaining (or protective) walls; their total length is almost 9000 meters!
The Circum-Baikal Railway facts
- On March 17, 1891, Emperor Alexander the Third issued a decree to construct a railway in Siberia.
- The Circum-Baikal Railway was built in two years and three months
- Route length – 84 km
- The construction of the railway was attended by stone laying specialists from Italy
- The Circum-Baikal Railway is one of the most complex and most beautiful railways in the world
- Walking along Baikal shore
A protecting construction
The first tunnel we met going from Port Baikal to Kultuk
Travel to the Circum-Baikal Railway
So, there are three ways to visit Circum-Baikal Railway (CBRW):
- Walk all the railroad by foot
- Take a tourist train
- Make a short ferry trip to the CBRW
Let’s look at all options closer.
Walk the Circum-Baikal Railway
Honestly, it is not easy to walk over the railroad for the whole day. Meanwhile, there is a narrow path going along the railroad. But for the first, there are many small, sharp stones from the railroad on the track. And for the second, sometimes the path disappears! So, you have to walk through the railway again.
However, this is where the difficulties end. There are no descents or ascents on the route, and comfortable places for rest are quite common.
There are four small camping hotels on the Railway
In the other one camping hotel
An average tourist can cover 84 kilometers from Kultuk village to Port Baikal village for two or three days. The route won’t seem difficult for experienced travelers. Need to be noticed, there are two options to cross the Circum-Baikal Railway by foot:
- Start your trip in Kultuk village and finish it in the town of Port Baikal
- Vice versa, choose Port Baikal as a starting point and Kultuk as finish one
There is no significant difference between these two options. But in the first variant, when you come to Port Baikal, you will need a ferry transport to reach Listvyanka village and then go to Irkutsk. There is a regular ferry route from Port Baikal to Listvyanka and back. Also, you can ask local ferry owners for service. Their price is 500 rubles. It will be much more difficult to find any transportation in the village in the evening time.
We recommend learning bus or train schedules from Kultuk to Irkutsk in the second variant.
There are many different bridges on the way
Circum-Baikal Railway attractions
Here is an incomplete list of attractions that you will see:
1st km – Kultuk Village
17th km – Here is one of the most beautiful viaducts
23rd km – Nesting site of a silver gull on a 300-meter rock
36th km – Marituy Station
47th km – Polovinniy tunnel (807 meters). Here is an appropriate place to spend the night in a tent.
51st km – Marble place (a place where marble come to a surface)
54th km – Picturesque gallery with a protective wall of carved stone.
56th km – Berezovsky bypass tunnel
57th km – Birch Bay
65th km – Cape Tolstiy
66th km – Katorzhanka Fall
76th km – Larch Fall
84th km – Port Baikal
Through the Circum-Baikal Railway on the tourist train
It is the most comfortable and the fastest way to make a journey across the Circum-Baikal Railway. And get unforgettable emotions! There are two kinds of trains available: an old-style steam train and a modern one. Trains go from Kultuk to Port Baikal and Port Baikal to Kultuk, making stops in the most picturesque places.
The Circum-Baikal Railway lays along the Baikal shore
Some of the tunnels are very short
Beautiful views are everywhere
On the ferry along Circum-Baikal Railway
Private ferry owners provide tours along the Circum-Baikal Railway all summer long. Their small ships are based in the middle of Listvyanka. The price is about 700 rubles for one person. A ferry takes off when all passengers (about 12 people) are boarded. A tour goes for one hour. The ferry makes a short stop on the Circum-Baikal Railway during the trip. After a short walk on the shore, the ferry returns to Listvyanka.
It is essential to note that you will see one tunnel only using this service, and your trip will be very short.
A view from the Railway
A view from the Railway
A view from the Railway
Each variant is suitable in its way. But, no matter which one will you choose, we’re sure you’ll get memorable impressions! Such monumental and unique old buildings in combination with the nature of Baikal will not leave anyone indifferent!
Weather on the CBRW
It is always warm in the summertime. Sometimes the weather can be more than 30 degrees Celsius. Don’t worry; in the dark and long tunnels, you will find calm wind and protection from the sunshine. Don’t forget a jacket, in case of rain.
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How to get to the Circum-Baikal Railway
It’s easy to get to the Circum-Baikal Railway, especially using public transport. The road to Slyudyanka or Kultuk takes about 2 hours by car or minibus.
It is much easier to reach Listvyanka. Take a seat in a route bus on the Central market or purchase a ticket on the Irkutsk bus station. The both options have equal price — 150 roubles.
There is no train traffic between Irkutsk and Listvyanka.
You can use the services of ship owners in Listvyanka to visit the Circum-Baikal Railway or contact us to organize your trip.
Related posts
Circum-Baikal Railway
It is when Baikal nature’s beauty
and unique architecture of the 19th century split together!
Circum-Baikal Railway is one of the oldest tourist routes on Baikal. Construction of the railroad began in the 19th century in Imperial Russia. This route is unique — here, tourists can enjoy the beautiful Baikal nature and see numerous tunnels made of hewn stone, viaducts, and giant retaining walls.
The route starts in Kultuk and finishes in a small village Port Baikal. The distance from Kultuk to Port Baikal is 84 km. On the way, you will go through 39 tunnels and 16 retaining (or protective) walls; their total length is almost 9000 meters!
Circum-Baikal Railway on the map
The Circum-Baikal Railway facts
- On March 17, 1891, Emperor Alexander the Third issued a decree to construct a railway in Siberia.
- The Circum-Baikal Railway was built in two years and three months
- Route length – 84 km
- The construction of the railway was attended by stone laying specialists from Italy
- The Circum-Baikal Railway is one of the most complex and most beautiful railways in the world
- Walking along Baikal shore
A protecting construction
The first tunnel we met going from Port Baikal to Kultuk
Travel to Circum-Baikal Railway
So, there are three ways to visit Circum-Baikal Railway (CBRW):
- Walk all the railroad by foot
- Take a tourist train
- Make a short ferry trip to the CBRW
Let’s look at all options closer.
Walk the Circum-Baikal Railway
Honestly, it is not easy to walk over the railroad for the whole day. Meanwhile, there is a narrow path going along the railroad. But for the first, there are many small, sharp stones from the railroad on the track. And for the second, sometimes the path disappears! So, you have to walk through the railway again.
However, this is where the difficulties end. There are no descents or ascents on the route, and comfortable places for rest are quite common.
There are four small camping hotels on the Railway
In the other one camping hotel
An average tourist can cover 84 kilometers from Kultuk village to Port Baikal village for two or three days. The route won’t seem difficult for experienced travelers. Need to be noticed, there are two options to cross the Circum-Baikal Railway by foot:
- Start your trip in Kultuk village and finish it in the town of Port Baikal
- Vice versa, choose Port Baikal as a starting point and Kultuk as finish one
There is no significant difference between these two options. But in the first variant, when you come to Port Baikal, you will need a ferry transport to reach Listvyanka village and then go to Irkutsk. There is a regular ferry route from Port Baikal to Listvyanka and back. Also, you can ask local ferry owners for service. Their price is 500 rubles. It will be much more difficult to find any transportation in the village in the evening time.
We recommend learning bus or train schedules from Kultuk to Irkutsk in the second variant.
There are many different bridges on the way
Circum-Baikal Railway attractions
Here is an incomplete list of attractions that you will see during the walk:
1st km – Kultuk Village
17th km – Here is one of the most beautiful viaducts
23rd km – Nesting site of a silver gull on a 300-meter rock
36th km – Marituy Station
47th km – Polovinniy tunnel (807 meters). Here is an appropriate place to spend the night in a tent.
51st km – Marble place (a place where marble come to a surface)
54th km – Picturesque protective wall of carved stone.
56th km – Berezovsky bypass tunnel
57th km – Berezovsky bay
65th km – Cape Tolstiy
66th km – Katorzhanka Fall
76th km – Listvennichnaya Fall
84th km – Port Baikal
The Circum-Baikal Railway lays along the Baikal shore
Through the Circum-Baikal Railway on the tourist train
It is the most comfortable and the fastest way to make a journey across the Circum-Baikal Railway. And get unforgettable emotions! There are two kinds of trains available: an old-style steam train and a modern one. Trains go from Kultuk to Port Baikal and Port Baikal to Kultuk, making stops in the most picturesque places.
Some of the tunnels are very short
Beautiful views are everywhere
On the ferry along Circum-Baikal Railway
Private ferry owners provide tours along the Circum-Baikal Railway all summer long. Their small ships are based in the middle of Listvyanka. The price is about 700 rubles for one person. A ferry takes off when all passengers (about 12 people) are boarded. A tour goes for one hour. The ferry makes a short stop on the Circum-Baikal Railway during the trip. After a short walk on the shore, the ferry returns to Listvyanka.
It is essential to note that you will see one tunnel only using this service, and your trip will be very short.
A view from the Railway
A view from the Railway
A view from the Railway
Each variant is suitable in its way. But, no matter which one will you choose, we’re sure you’ll get memorable impressions! Such monumental and unique old buildings in combination with the nature of Baikal will not leave anyone indifferent!
Weather on the CBRW
It is always warm in the summertime. Sometimes the weather can be more than 30 degrees Celsius. Don’t worry; in the dark and long tunnels, you will find cool wind and protection from the sunshine. Don’t forget a jacket, in case of rain.
How to get to the Circum-Baikal Railway
It’s easy to get to the Circum-Baikal Railway, especially using public transport. The road to Slyudyanka or Kultuk takes about 2 hours by car or minibus.
It is much easier to reach Listvyanka. Take a seat in a route bus on the Central market or purchase a ticket on the Irkutsk bus station. The both options have equal price — 150 roubles.
There is no train traffic between Irkutsk and Listvyanka.
You can use the services of ship owners in Listvyanka to visit the Circum-Baikal Railway or contact us to organize your trip.
