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Best Things to Do
Popular Best Things to Do in Irkutsk [2025]
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Lake Baikal
4.7
/5
410 reviews
7.5
Based on 491 reviews
>100 km from downtown
Address: Russia
Recommended sightseeing time: 2–3 days
Featured in 2026 Global 50 - Fall Viewing Attractions
Highlights:
Taste Baikal's unique Omul fish
Shaman rituals & blue ice bubbles
Saved by 169 users154 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Lake Baikal, one of the world's largest freshwater lakes, is located in southern Siberia, Russia. Its crystal-clear waters resemble a sapphire nestled among the mountains. Lake Baikal is not only a treasure trove of biodiversity but also a popular destination for scientific research and tourism, attracting visitors and scientists from around the world.
Surrounded by metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous rocks, the shores of Lake Baikal are pulled away from each other at a rate of two centimeters per year. Lake Baikal has many typical characteristics of the ocean - unfathomable depth, huge reservoir capacity, undercurrents, tides, strong storms, big waves, ever-increasing rift valleys, geomagnetic anomalies, etc. The Baikal Depression is asymmetrical, with the western slopes being steeper than the eastern ones.
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Olkhon Island
4.4
/5
128 reviews
5.1
Olkhon Island | >100 km from downtown
Address: Irkutsk Oblast, Russia
Recommended sightseeing time: 1–2 days
Verified user reviews
It is definitely worth visiting, especially the ice cave, icicles, blue ice, and the sunrise and sunset at Shaman Rock. The sky is transparent, and the sun is reflected on the ice, which is like a dream, just like a fairyland.
The largest island in Lake Baikal. The only downside is that it is not completely frozen yet, so there is no blue ice.
Blue sky and white clouds, sunset. Very beautiful, come on, come on, come on, it's fun
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Kazanskaya Tserkov'
4.6
/5
79 reviews
4.3
>100 km from downtown
Phone +73952778126
Address: Ulitsa Barrikad, 34/1, Irkutsk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, 664001
Recommended sightseeing time: 1–2 hours
Highlights:
At 4 P.M., sacred light bathes the church
Red walls and blue roofs, a radiant Byzantine style
28% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Russian architectural aesthetics
This is a free attraction and no reservation is required
You can take photos, but don't take photos of people who are praying. On the one hand, it is impolite
On the other hand, some people are doing confession. Locals believe that this will make confession ineffective. Tourists can just visit quietly.
The church in Irkutsk is like a miniature version of the Moscow Cathedral. The colors are bright and fairy-tale-like. Ladies need to wear scarves and dress appropriately. The paintings inside are very beautiful and worth a visit.
No.
4
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The Circum-Baikal Railway
4.1
/5
23 reviews
4.3
>100 km from downtown
Address: Kultuk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, 665910
Recommended sightseeing time: 1–2 days
Highlights:
Designed by Italian & Russian engineers
Lake view from panoramic platform
Verified user reviews
Amazing landscape and unique experience. I will recommend this journey to all train lovers who also respect real nature.
Taking a train is a good choice for visiting Lake Baikal. There is a special one-day train tour here. Everyone sits on an old-fashioned red train and circles around Lake Baikal. The scenery along the way is very beautiful. The train is divided into four locations where you can stop and take pictures. It is definitely worth experiencing.
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