01 / THE PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY
Go beyond the view.
Winter Lake Baikal's most striking feature is its captivating blue ice. Sunlight turns the ice a deep blue, like Siberia's blue eye, crystal-clear and irresistible. There is no urban noise or bustle here, only nature's beauty and wonder. For photographers, it is a once-in-a-lifetime must-visit.
Winter on Lake Baikal
This mysterious Russian lake Becomes an astonishing blue-ice wonderland in winter As Li Jian's song By Lake Baikal plays in our ears We seem to feel that tranquility and purity
A blue-ice encounter
Winter Lake Baikal's most striking feature is its captivating blue ice. Sunlight turns the ice a deep blue, like Siberia's blue eye, crystal-clear and irresistible. Walk along the shore and feel the light reflected by ice, as though entering a dream of snow and ice. Winter Lake Baikal is a pure, peaceful world that cleanses and relaxes the soul. There is no urban noise or bustle here, only nature's beauty and wonder. For photographers, it is a once-in-a-lifetime must-visit.
Irkutsk
Irkutsk, in Russian Siberia, has distinctive charm and a rich history. Its titles—Heart of Siberia, Paris of the East, and Pearl of Siberia—reflect its unique position and appeal. An important Siberian transport hub, Irkutsk has extensive railway and road networks connecting east and west. Many historic buildings and museums display Siberian history and culture. Among the best-known is Irkutsk Cathedral, a magnificent city landmark and an important example of Russian Orthodox church architecture.
The journey in pictures
Leading photographers: Weixi Lin →
Destination illustrations · select a photo to explore
02 / IN GOOD COMPANY
A different way of seeing.
Leading photographers
Weixi Lin · View photographer profile →
Weixi Lin
Has led photography trips to Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, Russia, Indonesia, Semporna, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Niubei Mountain in western Sichuan, Nyingchi, the Qiantang River, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Wuxi, Yongfu in Fujian, Dongying, Zhongwei, the Yuanyang rice terraces, Xianggong Mountain and Zhangjiajie.
03 / THE DAYS AHEAD
A rhythm shaped by light.
Shooting locations, accommodation and transport are subject to confirmation before departure and may change with the weather.
The order of activities may change with local conditions without changing service standards. Return flights and meeting location and time are pending confirmation with the operator.
Itinerary dates and text times without their own zone use: Asia/Irkutsk。Exact times use your selected timezone; dates alone and descriptions such as “morning” are not converted.
DAY 01Jan 22 · Asia/IrkutskDay 1: January 22 — Home cities–Beijing–Irkutsk
Meet at Beijing Capital Airport Terminal 3 at the designated time and take an international flight to Irkutsk, Russia. Arrive in Irkutsk, meet the guide, and photograph sunset glow along the Angara River near Alexander III Square. Have dinner, then check into the hotel and rest.
Accommodation:Irkutsk hotel
Meals:Dinner
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 02Jan 23 · Asia/IrkutskDay 2: January 23 — Irkutsk–Listvyanka
After breakfast, drive to Taltsy Wooden Architecture and Ethnographic Museum, a vivid representation of Russian and Buryat homes and daily life. Photograph morning mist downstream of the hydroelectric station on Irkutsk's Angara River. In winter, lower temperatures create more rime and extraordinary beauty. After lunch, visit Baikal Museum to understand the lake's history, culture, and ecological value, then take a cable car uphill for elevated photography overlooking frozen Lake Baikal and magnificent lake-and-mountain scenery.
Accommodation:Distinctive Listvyanka hotel
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 03Jan 24 · Asia/IrkutskDay 3: January 24 — Listvyanka–Khuzhir, Olkhon Island
After breakfast, drive to Olkhon Island, Lake Baikal's largest island and a center of shamanism, with spectacular scenery and enchanting sunsets and sunrises. The journey is 280 kilometers, 5–6 hours. Have lunch en route and continue to the Small Sea pier, changing to a four-wheel-drive bus for the island. Arrive in Khuzhir, check into the wooden-cabin accommodation, rest, and photograph Shaman Hill. Rest after dinner.
Accommodation:Wooden-cabin hotel on Olkhon Island
Meals:Hotel breakfast, lunch, dinner
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 04Jan 25 · Asia/IrkutskDay 4: January 25 — Photography on Olkhon Island's southern route
Go independently to a sunrise photography location early in the morning. After breakfast, take the southern route to photograph intricate ice cracks, mirrorlike surfaces, and raised crystal-clear ice glowing beautifully in sunlight. Photograph icefalls and icicles. Plants beneath the lake release methane that freezes near the surface, creating exquisite bubbles. Search the ice for suitable viewpoints and use frozen bubbles as foregrounds.
Accommodation:Wooden-cabin hotel on Olkhon Island
Meals:Hotel breakfast, lunch, dinner
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 05Jan 26 · Asia/IrkutskDay 5: January 26 — Photography on Olkhon Island's northern route
After breakfast, timed according to daylight, take a 4WD bus to Cape Khoboy at Olkhon's northern tip, passing Kharantsy, Crocodile Island, Face Mountain, and Three Brothers Mountain. Photograph blue ice at Khoboy; if overcast, switch to ice cracks at the Small Sea's southern end. Minimize stops outbound, prioritizing blue ice in good light, then photograph other sights on the return. For blue-ice photography, stay safe and avoid the foot of cliffs because falling rocks and icicles are dangerous. Have a picnic lunch and continue photographing blue ice in the afternoon. At night, the leader and guide take you to a designated location for star photography.
Accommodation:Wooden-cabin hotel on Olkhon Island
Meals:Hotel breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 06Jan 27 · Asia/IrkutskDay 6: January 27 — Olkhon Island–Small Sea or Cape Khoboy
After breakfast, spend another full day photographing blue ice or ice cracks, decided the previous day according to weather. At Cape Khoboy, you will be surprised by multicolored rocks changing color with viewing angle. The interplay of lake and sunlight makes the stones radiate magical colored beams. Pass beaches, Three Brothers Mountain, Love Mountain, Face Mountain, and Crocodile Island.
Accommodation:Wooden-cabin hotel on Olkhon Island
Meals:Hotel breakfast, lunch, dinner
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 07Jan 28 · Asia/IrkutskDay 7: January 28 — Olkhon Island–Irkutsk
Return to Irkutsk on a long drive of approximately 5–6 hours, 250 kilometers, traveling across deserted snowfields. If snowy forests appear en route, arrange 1–2 photography stops. Finally reach Love Bridge and Irkutsk's mother river, the Angara, to photograph evening glow. Have dinner and check into the hotel.
Accommodation:Irkutsk hotel
Meals:Hotel breakfast, lunch, dinner
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 08Jan 29 · Asia/IrkutskDay 8: January 29 — Irkutsk–Beijing
Today focuses on Irkutsk cityscapes and local life. Its many churches include Kazan Cathedral, Spasskaya Church, the Church of the Epiphany, and the Roman Catholic Church, along with nearby Kirov Square and the triumphal arch. After lunch, visit Karl Marx Street and the 130 Quarter, popular with local young people. Transfer to the airport at the appropriate time and fly home.
Accommodation:None
Meals:Hotel breakfast, lunch, dinner
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefWhere we stay
Nights 1 and 7: hotel in Irkutsk. Night 2: distinctive hotel in Listvyanka. Nights 3–6: wooden-cabin hotel on Olkhon Island with private bathroom. City accommodation is listed as local three-star standard; properties are pending confirmation with the operator.
Getting there
The following services are the tour leader's reference options, not mandatory or confirmed group transport. Services and times are pending confirmation with the operator. [Departing Guangzhou] Outbound: January 22, 2027: Guangzhou–Beijing Capital CA1310/08:00/11:15 January 22, 2027: Beijing Capital–Irkutsk CA869; departure and arrival times pending confirmation with the operator Return: January 29, 2027: Irkutsk–Beijing Capital T3 CA870/18:00/20:40 Before booking transport, please confirm the departure and travel arrangements through this website.
04 / A CLEAR PICTURE
Know what is included.
Platform service fee to be confirmed
Deposit USD 1,194.45 Original CNY 8,000 · Reference rates 2026-09-18 · Frankfurter / person
Included
Hotels: Local three-star city hotels and Olkhon wooden-cabin accommodation near Shaman Hill, with private bathrooms;
Transportation: Local tour vehicles: 10-seat bus for 5+1; 19-seat bus for a group of 9; 30-seat bus for a group of 12; Russian off-road vehicles on Lake Baikal;
Local guide: Chinese-speaking local guide services;
Admission: Listed attractions;
Meals: As listed in the itinerary;
Photography instruction and services throughout the journey;
保险：旅行社责任险、以及团体旅游意外保险（最高保额30万/人）；
Daily drinking water supply; waste is not permitted.
Not included
Round-trip airfare and taxes from your city to Irkutsk; the organizing team can help book;
Visa fee: Russian tourist visa;
Overseas guide and driver tips are paid separately; amounts are pending confirmation with the operator.
Accommodation is in standard twin rooms. Room sharing, extra beds and private rooms are pending confirmation with the operator; single supplements are paid separately, with amounts to be confirmed.
Overtime: Drivers and guides work 10 hours/day. Special note: On Olkhon Island, Russian off-road drivers work 7 hours because daylight is short and conditions are cold. Any overtime charges must be paid to drivers/guides and shared equally by guests on site;
Tips for hotel porters, restaurant staff, etc. are payable individually;
Personal expenses;
In force majeure circumstances, such as natural disasters, war or strikes, or exceptional events including flight delays or cancellations and consular visa delays, the organizing team reserves the right to cancel or modify the itinerary. Additional expenses, including extended visas abroad, accommodation, meals, transport and national airfare adjustments, may be charged at expense. We will nevertheless try within our ability to minimize participants' losses;
Other unspecified additional service charges;
Tax is excluded; the applicable invoice tax must be paid additionally if an invoice is required.
Service fees, supplements, taxes and the final total are subject to written confirmation.
05 / BEFORE YOU GO
Clarity before departure.
Availability and registration
This website accepts expressions of interest in this trip and does not synchronize the operator's remaining places in real time. Please contact us to confirm group departure, availability, the final quotation and booking conditions.
Cancellation and breach provisions
Before departure, participants and the organizing team may sign a written travel contract or give notice terminating the trip agreement. The contract is legally binding. If termination is requested more than 30 days before departure, excluding day 30, neither party is liable for breach. Days are calculated by subtracting the date the termination notice is received from the departure date; the same calculation applies below. If the organizing team terminates the agreement, all travel fees must be refunded without deducting visa or entry-permit fees. If a participant terminates after a visa or entry permit has been processed or a flight booked, the relevant visa, entry-permit and flight cancellation charges are deducted. The organizing team must refund the travel fees within 5 working days of receiving the termination notice. If either party terminates within 30 days of departure, including day 30, the terminating party bears liability for breach. [Liability of the organizing team] If the organizing team terminates the trip agreement within 30 days of departure, including day 30, it must refund all travel fees without deducting visa, entry-permit or similar charges, and pay compensation according to the following schedule: 30 to 15 days before departure: compensation of 2% of the total trip fee; 14 to 7 days before departure: compensation of 5% of the total trip fee; 6 to 4 days before departure: compensation of 10% of the total trip fee; 3 to 1 days before departure: compensation of 15% of the total trip fee; On the departure date: compensation of 20% of the total trip fee. If this compensation does not cover the participant's actual losses, the organizing team must compensate those actual losses. The organizing team must refund the full trip fee and pay compensation within 5 working days of receipt of the cancellation notice. [Participant liability] Participants terminating the agreement within 30 days of departure must pay the organizing team a business-loss charge according to the following schedule: 30 to 15 days before departure: 5% of the total trip fee; 14 to 7 days before departure: 15% of the total trip fee; 6 to 4 days before departure: 70% of the total trip fee; 3 to 1 days before departure: 85% of the total trip fee; On the departure date: 90% of the total trip fee; If these percentages do not cover the organizing team's actual losses, the participant must compensate the actual losses, up to the total trip fee. After deducting the business-loss charge, the organizing team must refund the remaining travel fees within 5 working days of receiving the participant's cancellation notice.
Trip information
[Registration] Registration for this trip is confirmed upon receipt of the deposit. [Transport] 1. Flights booked by the organizing team are economy-class group tickets. Once issued, they cannot be endorsed to another carrier or refunded. 2. Actual flight, driving and boat travel times on the day apply. 3. Airlines and flight schedules above are for reference only. Changes to flight times may require minor itinerary adjustments; the departure notice takes precedence. [Accommodation] Accommodation is based on 2 people sharing 1 room. We will try to pair solo participants with another participant of the same gender. Participants who do not wish to share, or cannot be matched, must pay the single supplement for a room of their own. [Group meals] We try to choose meals suited to Chinese tastes and ensure that every guest receives an adequate portion. [Photography] 1. Photography activities follow the itinerary. In exceptional circumstances, time spent photographing each location will depend on the actual conditions that day. 2. Please read this itinerary carefully and choose a photography trip suited to your circumstances. If you give up part of the itinerary for personal reasons, including health, or request to forgo accommodation or transport, this is considered voluntary withdrawal. expenses already incurred are non-refundable. You are responsible for your personal safety while not participating in the itinerary. 3. Participants may not leave the group without permission during group photography activities, except during free time. Leaving partway through the trip is considered a breach by the participant. Unused photography activities, meals, accommodation and vehicle services are non-refundable, and the organizing team is not responsible for accidents occurring while the participant is away from the group. 4. If force majeure events such as typhoons or blizzards prevent travel according to the agreed itinerary, additional or reduced expenses following changes will be settled according to the travel agency's actual group operating expenses. [Payment adjustments] the organizing team reserves the right to adjust the amount payable if major fluctuations in international oil benchmarks cause substantial increases in fuel surcharges. If the increase is within what we can absorb, the trip fee will not be adjusted. [Departure notice] 1. The departure notice will be sent no later than 1 day before departure. If arrangements are confirmed earlier, we will notify you as soon as possible. 2. If the online itinerary differs from the departure notice, the departure notice takes precedence. [Optional activities at your own expense] Under the Tourism Law provisions prohibiting travel agencies from organizing or arranging optional activities at additional expense, guests wishing to join such activities should contact the service provider themselves for information, payment details and participation. If language difficulties lead you to ask a guide or tour leader for additional assistance, any paid or unpaid help is provided solely in that person's individual capacity, not on behalf of the organizing team or the local receiving agency. the organizing team has no involvement in the expenses, transaction amounts or service standards of free-time activities; guests bear the outcomes themselves.
Fitness, equipment and conditions
Equipment and fitness requirements will be provided by the operator.