Author: Dimitriy Yakovlev

Airplane tickets prices drop

Pobeda, the biggest low-cost airline in Russia announced about 50% discounts starting June 1 this comming summer for all in-Russia flights. Some tickets prices will go under 10 USD.

Irkutsk Free Tour is experiencing a total lack of customers right now. People stopped travelling to Irkutsk and Lake Baikal, unless there is a private airplane to use. My friend Alexander Konkov who lives on Olkhon island was happy to meet traveler from USA, who landed there for fuel and fun on the island in the middle of Lake Baikal, on the April 29th few days ago.

**Private American airplane taking off from Olkhon Island**
(Photo by Alexander Konkov)

**Great way to travel during pandemic situation**
(Photo by Alexander Konkov)

Any other way to travel to Lake Baikal is not available, so I have decided to teach myself to make virtual tours in form of videos and video streams on Youtube. It seems the easiest way, and I like it, it’s fun.

So please take a look at what I got ready so far. I promise to develop skills in the future, it is very interesting for me. Here is the link to my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/soyhim

I hope you can take a look and see that it is not very bad after all. Sorry for the quiet sound, I will fix that in future. Please write to me if you want to learn something special about Irkutsk and Lake Baikal.

Also I am thinking about live streams, where I can make a virtual tours with live communications. Let me know if that is what may be interesting.

A virtual tour to Irkutsk

Because travelling in the world has stopped Irkutsk Free Tour cannot stop working. Please take a look at the first virtual tour to Irkutsk.

It is a random photo slideshow with comments from a local guide.

Souvenirs 10% OFF Coupon

One of the oldest souvenir shops in Irkutsk located on the road cross of Lenin and Karl Marx street offers 10% off for the visitors of our website. Khudozhnik shop, which means ‘artist’ in English.

They have a great variety and prices, Russian and Siberian souvenirs, and the most welcoming sales staff even though they don’t speak English.

The coupon is available at this link: https://irkutskfreetour.ru/souvenirs-with-discount/

Lake Baikal Dog Sledding

The season of dogsledding in Irkutsk and Lake Baikal has started, so welcome to experience this exciting activity.

We offer private and group trips to dogsledding locations. The prices start from 1800 RUB per person for a 10-minute ride. There are 3 main locations, later we will create a special page for that.

But if you don’t want to wait, just call us or write a letter and we can discuss the price and make it happen. Everyday availability. Dogs are waiting and happy to run!

Every dogsledding company is unique and located in a great natural place with forests, rivers, lakes. And lots of snow. Great stuff for nature lovers.

Why travel to Irkutsk?

First

People care about how the city looks and feels.

It is really one of the most beautiful cities in Russia. Maybe because it is a well-traveled location for the last 100 years since Transsiberian Railroad was finished. Even before it had more attention from the government, church, and people because everybody understood that this place is unique. Travelers stopped here more than anywhere in Russia to visit Lake Baikal shore, except the two capital cities.

It feels like local people always wanted their city to look pleasant and in some way decorated. It is the tradition of Irkutsk.

Even when you see these destroyed wooden houses you can imagine easily how beautiful they once were and how skilled and creative were the builders.

The details of the churches are so interesting and some of them are almost ancient.

Second

Beautiful nature right in the city.

Angara River is one of the cleanest rivers in Russia. Enjoy a boat ride around the island and learn about the city from the water. Very nice solution on a hot summer day. There are several islands in the center of the city. Some of them are connected by the excursion railroad. Some of them have restaurants. One has an observation weel.

Third

Meet interesting people and have unique experiences.

People from all over the world travel to see Lake Baikal. All types of transportation. Starting from people who just like to walk finishing with exotic ways like hot air balloon to travel across Baikal, or submarine to go to Lake’s depths.

All year round Baikal is well-traveled and different travel-related events happen all the time organized by companies and individuals. Scientists, schoolchildren, bikers, hikers, runners, religious groups, sportsmen, artists, name any, there is always a chance to meet interesting people around this magical Northern Sacred Sea of Russian Siberia.

And of course, it is great to learn how local people live in this hard climate.

The main reason is that Irkutsk is near Lake Baikal. From Irkutsk, it is just a 1-hour car ride to the shore of the lake to the most popular Listvyanka settlement.

But Irkutsk is also worth of visit on its own. A good example of Siberian city.

Fourth

Irkutsk and Lake Baikal is warm Siberia

Much warmer than the rest of Siberia. It is never too cold like you would expect it to be. Because of the big body of water of Baikal and Angara water reserve temperatures are 10 degrees warmer on average compared to other regions of Siberia.

It takes a long time for Baikal to freeze over. It is covered with 1-meter ice only at the end of January, and then winter starts to get warmer during February. It is usually very sunny and cold is not that hard after everything freezes over, and the weather becomes less windy.

Best Train Food Ever

Tasty, healthy and super easy to prepare. Get it as soon as you reach Irkutsk city. Great for all kinds of travel. Fall in love with your Trans-Siberian Train even more.

The following information significantly improves the quality of your train travel and other trips in Russia, Mongolia, and China.

Made in Irkutsk, here space technologies meet the best culinary traditions.

Made in the downtown of Irkutsk. Factory’s high tech kitchen is inside a traditional Siberian mansion. Design of the 19th century.

The Product

It is a soft container 15 x 20 cm (6 x 7 in) made of hard metal-plastic material. Designed to keep the meal inside for 1 year.

The meal that is inside is ready to eat.

Preparation

Just warm up the container. It is super easy, but don’t use a microwave oven, the packing material contains metal.

Tip: On the train, use a hot water boiler which is in every wagon and is free for all. Just put packs on top of the boiler, 3 minutes should be enough, 4 packs usually fit just perfect. Keep them up there for more time, if you like your soup to be hot. Be careful, in some trains the top of the boiler is very hot!

It tastes really good

More information

A unique product, cooked from natural ingredients. No chemical preservatives are used. It is the technology of cooking and packing that keeps food good for 1 year.

The package will keep your food safe in a wide range of temperatures from -30 to +50 Celcius. The material is hard to break and it can be transported in very difficult conditions.

Where to get

In Irkutsk, this product is sold in Slata (Слата) supermarkets. They are located all over the city and usually work 24 hours every day. Angara Hotel, Karl Marx Steet, 130-th District all these and many other locations have Slata supermarket where Factory’s products can be found.

Welcome to visit Factory of Healthy Food, doors are open from AM 10:00 to PM 6:00 every working day, closed on Saturday and Sunday. Availability is usually much better at the Factory and the price is lower.

Russian name: Фабрика Здоровой Еды
Pronunciation: Fábrika Zdoróvoi Yedí
Meaning: Factory of Healthy Food

Address: Тимирязева, 5Б (Timiryazeva 5B)

Enjoy your meal.