Great Baikal Trail
The most popular and challenging route in Baikal
The Great Baikal Trail consists of six points:
Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty — Kadilnaya Pad’ — Bolshoe Goloustnoe — Peschanaya Bay — Buguldeyka.
The way from the first to the last point takes few days. The further you move away from Listvyanka, the fewer fellow travelers you will meet. It’s no wonder, experienced tourists only can pass the whole Trail. Usually tourists choose the first two parts of the Great Baikal trail, so we will look at them closer.
Great Baikal Trail on the map
Great Baikal trail facts:
- The route length is about 175 km
- Great Baikal trail is a volunteer project to develop Baikal lake tourism
- The trail is a part of Pribaikalskiy National Park
- Construction of the Great Baikal trail started in 2004
The trail runs along the hills
Great Baikal trail routes
So, there are two popular ways of the Great Baikal trail:
- Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty
- Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty — Bolshoe Goloustnoe
Let’s start from the first option.
Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty
So, let’s talk about the route Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty. It would help if you found Gudina street. This street leads to the starting point of the Great Baikal Trail. The Gudina street connects to a central road, right between Nerpinarium and Fishmarket. There is a big poster with inscription «Большая Байкальская Тропа» (Great Baikal Trail in Russian). We are sure you can’t pass by.
Gudina street. The pointer is on the right
Then, all you need is to go straight. After leaving Gudina street, you will come to a forest. There you’ll see a tiny building. It is the Irkutsk Tourism Department registration point. Great Baikal Trail is a part of Baikal National Reserve. So, you commit yourself not to litter or light a fire in the wrong places throughout your journey. First, you need to tell an officer your name and when you plan to come back. Then pay 50 rubles as a fee.
Registration point
After the payment your travel has begun!
In general, the route Listvyanka to Bolshie Koty isn’t challenging. At the first 40 minutes of the way, you’ll have to go uphill. It is a comparatively tricky part of the way. The further will be easier.
A short ascent
What else? Sometimes the path is apart for two tracks. Don’t worry; they both will make one path again later.
Beautiful views from the track
Pointers are everywhere
There are some cosy places for rest
The route between Listvyanka and Bolshie Koty is about 25 km long. Our team have passed this distance in six hours.
Baikal flowers along the trail
The trail will lead you to Baikal shore for several times
In Bolshie Koty
After coming to Bolshie Koty you will need a ferry transport to get back to Listvyanka. There are two ways to find a ship:
- Ask local people for service
- Book a ticket in Eastern-Siberian Inland Navigation Company
Bolshie Koty residents use to help tourists. However, the price for service can be very different. Normally it costs about 500 roubles, but once we were asked to pay three thousand rubles for a one-way trip!
Obviously, this is a very unreliable option.
The second way is to buy tickets on the website of Eastern-Siberian Inland Navigation Company
It is pretty easy to do, we put a link on the right.
Some descents are very steep
A view from the trail
Ship comes to Bolshie Koty pier according to a schedule. All you need is just to be near the pier in time, then show your ticket to an officer. It’s enough to show the downloaded ticket in your smartphone. After 20 minutes you will be in Listvyanka.
Bolshie Koty isn’t a big village
Bolshie Koty pier
If you want more you can walk further 25 km from Bolshie Koty to Bolshoe Goloustnoe.
Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty — Bolshoe Goloustnoe
Some tourists overnight in Bolshie Koty and then go to Bolshoe Goloustnoe. It’s 25 kilometers more. The way from Bolshie Koty to Bolshoe Goloustnoe has the same comlexity as the first part of the route.
In Bolshoe Goloustnoe tourists can keep going through the Great Baikal trail or come back to Irkutsk by route buses.
The road takes three hours. We recommend to buy tickets in advance.
So what can we say in conclusion?
The Great Baikal Trail is a perfect place to admire the wildlife. You will see mountain tops on the horizon, unique Baikal forest and crystall clear water of the lake. At the same time, the route is very accessible and simple.
Have a good travel!
How to get to the Great Baikal trail
The Great Baikal trail starts in Listvyanka. So you need to know how to reach this village. Listvyanka is 60 km from Irkutsk, the road won’t take much time.
Car trip takes about 50 minutes.
Great Baikal Trail
The most popular and challenging route in Baikal
The Great Baikal Trail consists of six points:
Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty — Kadilnaya Pad’ — Bolshoe Goloustnoe — Peschanaya Bay — Buguldeyka.
The way from the first to the last point takes few days. The further you move away from Listvyanka, the fewer fellow travelers you will meet. It’s no wonder, experienced tourists only can pass the whole Trail. Usually tourists choose the first two parts of the Great Baikal trail, so we will look at them closer.
Great Baikal trail facts:
- The route length is about 175 km
- Great Baikal trail is a volunteer project to develop Baikal lake tourism
- The trail is a part of Pribaikalskiy National Park
- Construction of the Great Baikal trail started in 2004
The trail runs along the hills
Great Baikal trail routes
So, there are two popular ways of the Great Baikal trail:
- Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty
- Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty — Bolshoe Goloustnoe
Let’s start from the first option.
Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty
So, let’s talk about the route Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty. It would help if you found Gudina street. This street leads to the starting point of the Great Baikal Trail. The Gudina street connects to a central road, right between Nerpinarium and Fishmarket. There is a big poster with inscription «Большая Байкальская Тропа» (Great Baikal Trail in Russian). We are sure you can’t pass by.
Gudina street. The pointer is on the right
Then, all you need is to go straight. After leaving Gudina street, you will come to a forest. There you’ll see a tiny building. It is the Irkutsk Tourism Department registration point. Great Baikal Trail is a part of Baikal National Reserve. So, you commit yourself not to litter or light a fire in the wrong places throughout your journey. First, you need to tell an officer your name and when you plan to come back. Then pay 50 rubles as a fee.
Registration point
After the payment your travel has begun!
In general, the route Listvyanka to Bolshie Koty isn’t challenging. At the first 40 minutes of the way, you’ll have to go uphill. It is a comparatively tricky part of the way. The further will be easier.
A short ascent
What else? Sometimes the path is apart for two tracks. Don’t worry; they both will make one path again later.
Beautiful views from the track
Pointers are everywhere
There are some cosy places for rest
The route between Listvyanka and Bolshie Koty is about 25 km long. Our team have passed this distance in six hours.
Baikal flowers along the trail
The trail will lead you to Baikal shore for several times
In Bolshie Koty
After coming to Bolshie Koty you will need a ferry transport to get back to Listvyanka. There are two ways to find a ship:
- Ask local people for service
- Book a ticket in Eastern-Siberian Inland Navigation Company
Bolshie Koty residents use to help tourists. However, the price for service can be very different. Normally it costs about 500 roubles, but once we were asked to pay three thousand rubles for a one-way trip!
Obviously, this is a very unreliable option.
The second way is to buy tickets on the website of Eastern-Siberian Inland Navigation Company.It is pretty easy to do, here is a link:
Here is the Eastern-Siberian inland navigation company link
Only in Russian language
Some descents are very steep
A view from the trail
Ship comes to Bolshie Koty pier according to a schedule. All you need is just to be near the pier in time, then show your ticket to an officer. It’s enough to show the downloaded ticket in your smartphone. After 20 minutes you will be in Listvyanka.
Bolshie Koty isn’t a big village
Bolshie Koty pier
If you want more you can walk further 25 km from Bolshie Koty to Bolshoe Goloustnoe.
Listvyanka — Bolshie Koty — Bolshoe Goloustnoe
Some tourists overnight in Bolshie Koty and then go to Bolshoe Goloustnoe. It’s 25 kilometers more. The way from Bolshie Koty to Bolshoe Goloustnoe has the same comlexity as the first part of the route.
In Bolshoe Goloustnoe tourists can keep going through the Great Baikal trail or come back to Irkutsk by route buses.
The road takes three hours. We recommend to buy tickets in advance.
So what can we say in conclusion?
The Great Baikal Trail is a perfect place to admire the wildlife. You will see mountain tops on the horizon, unique Baikal forest and crystall clear water of the lake. At the same time, the route is very accessible and simple.
Have a good travel!
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How to get to the Great Baikal trail
The Great Baikal trail starts in Listvyanka. So you need to know how to reach this village. Listvyanka is 60 km from Irkutsk, the road won’t take much time.