Miracles of Altai

Everyone knows about the beauty of Siberian nature, but it is not necessary to go on a three-week trip along the Trans-Siberian Railway to enjoy it. Just one flight from Moscow and you are already at the foot of the Altai Mountains, in one of the most untouched corners of Siberia, in the land of lakes, waterfalls and mesmerizing landscapes. Walking on hanging bridges over mountain rivers, Scythian burial mounds, climbing to mountain peaks and a trip along one of the most beautiful roads in the world are waiting for you!

DAY 1. MOSCOW

• Arrival in Moscow
• Meeting with the guide. Transfer to the hotel
• Check-in at the hotel ****
• Dinner at the hotel

DAY 2. MOSCOW

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Check-out from the hotel
• Sightseeing tour of the city with Novodevichy Convent visit
• Time for lunch
• Stop at Red Square with GUM visit
• Walking tour along Arbat
• Tour of the Moscow Metro
• Dinner
• Transfer to the airport

DAY 3. MOSCOW – GORNO-ALTAISK

• Flight from Moscow to Gorno-Altaysk (tickets are paid additionally)
• Arrival in Gorno-Altaysk
• Meeting with the guide, transfer to the hotel
• Check-in at the hotel ***
• Breakfast at the hotel
• Free time
• Lunch at the hotel
• Visit to Kamyshlinsky waterfall
• Dinner at the hotel
• Evening meeting by the fire and dedication to tourists

DAY 4. ALTAI MOUNTAINS

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Visit to Lake Teletskoye. Boat trip on the lake to Korbu waterfall
• Excursion to the Stone Bay - the place of the meteorite fall
• Lunch at a cafe near the Korbu waterfall
• Return to hotel
• Free time
• Dinner at the hotel
• Russian bath with birch brooms and tea with Altai honey

DAY 5. ALTAI MOUNTAINS

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Excursion around the village of Chemal and the island of Patmos
• Lunch at the hotel
• Visit to Lake Aya and Mount Devil's Finger
• Return to the hotel
• Dinner at the hotel
• Russian bath with birch brooms and tea with Altai honey

DAY 6. ALTAI MOUNTAINS

• Breakfast at the hotel
• One day trip along the Chuysky tract with a visit to the Seminsky pass
• Visiting the famous "Katunskaya podkova" - a picturesque bend of the Katun river
• Excursion to the Ininsky steles, Scythian burial mounds and the archaeological site of the Bronze Age
• Lunch at a restaurant of Altai cuisine, accompanied by an ensemble of Altai throat singing
• Walking tour to the confluence of the Chuya and Katun rivers
• Return to the hotel
• Dinner

DAY 7. GORNO-ALTAISK

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Return to Gorno-Altaysk
• Excursion to the Anokhin National Museum with a visit to the sarcophagus of the Altai Princess (Princess Ukok)
• Lunch at the hotel
• Ascent by funicular to the top of Mount Sinyukha and the ski resort "Manzherok"
• Free time
• Farewell dinner

DAY 8. GORNO-ALTAISK – MOSCOW

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Check-out from the hotel
• Transfer to the airport
• Flight from Gorno-Altaysk to Moscow (tickets are paid additionally)
• Arrival in Moscow
• End of the tour

DURING THE TOUR YOU WILL SEE:

• Moscow is a modern metropolis and the capital of Russia. Its history begins in 1147 when Prince Yuri Dolgoruky founded a small outpost on the banks of the Moskva River. The next day after your arrival you will devote to acquaintance with this amazing city. During a sightseeing tour of Moscow you can admire the view of the city from University Square on Sparrow Hills and see all the main attractions: the Moskva River embankment, the monument to Peter the Great and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. You will stroll along Arbat, one of the most beautiful Moscow streets, known since the 15th century and visit the famous Novodevichy Convent, which has repeatedly found itself at the center of dramatic events in Russian history. Being one of the most beautiful architectural ensembles of the 17th century, this monastery during the first two centuries of its existence actually served as a place of imprisonment of female royal persons.
  A visit to Moscow is unthinkable without stopping at Red Square - the main symbol of the country! Here every year they pay tribute to the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War and celebrate the most beloved Russian holiday - New Year. Here the mausoleum of the first Soviet leader and one of the most famous Orthodox churches - St. Basil's Cathedral (whose masters, according to legend, were blinded so that such a masterpiece would not appear anywhere except the Russian capital) coexist in historical harmony.
  Before you say goodbye to the Russian capital, you will have a tour of a unique museum of its kind, Moscow Metro, a real underground museum where each of the 222 stations has a unique design. It organically combines marble, mosaics, stained-glass windows, various bronze decorations, sculptures.
  
  
• Gorno-Altaysk and Altai mountains. Gorno-Altaysk is the capital and the only city of the Altai Republic. It is located in the valley of the Maima River, at the foot of the Altai Mountains. The Altai Mountains are one of the most beautiful and untouched corners of Siberia. They originate in the Altai Republic and stretch south to Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia. Few travelers get to this remote region, but those who have seen "Russian Tibet" will never forget its breathtaking beauty.
  Acquaintance with the nature of this amazing place is the purpose of our journey so you will not stay in Gorno-Altaysk, but immediately, upon arrival at the airport, go to a cozy but modern eco-hotel located in the very heart of Altai on the banks of the Katun River. Altai is the land of waterfalls so on the very first day you will get acquainted with one of them. Crossing the suspension bridge to the other side of the river, you will see the Kamyshlinsky waterfall, considered a place of power for local shamans, where they could easily find contact with the spirit world.
  The next day you will devote to Lake Teletskoye, included in the list of UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites. This lake, surrounded by mountains, indented with many picturesque bays, stretching for almost 80 kilometers, is considered the second largest lake, right after Lake Baikal. A boat trip along the lake will lead you to the Korbu waterfall, formed by the river of the same name, which, from a height of 12 meters, almost vertically breaks against the coastal rocks, forming a spectacular water fan. Then you will go to Stone Bay, whose amazing landscape and unique flora are believed to be the result of a meteorite fall.
  In the evening we invite you to visit a traditional Russian bath. The bathhouse has always been for the Russian person not just a place for hygienic procedures, but a special, almost sacred structure, where cleansing takes place both on a physical and spiritual level. The third day of your trip to Altai you will begin with a visit to the village of Chemal, known not only for some of the most beautiful landscapes, but also for its amazingly mild, warm climate. The main attraction here is Patmos - a small island on the Katun River with steep rocky slopes, named after the Greek island where the holy Apostle John the Theologian once lived and prayed. To get to the island and the Church of St. John the Evangelist located on it, you have to cross a suspension bridge over the Katun River.
  After lunch, you will head to the picturesque mountain lake Aya. Filled with clear spring water, this small lake is one of the few mountainous Altai natural reservoirs where you can swim in water at a comfortable temperature in summer. Then the minibus will take you to the Devil's Finger Mountain covered with many legends. Despite the low height, only 250 meters from its top, an amazingly beautiful panorama of the Katun River and the Altai Mountains opens up, so you will enjoy it during a leisurely walking descent.
  The next day you will drive along the Chuisky tract that National Geographic magazine included in the list of the ten most beautiful roads in the world! A trip along this ancient road can be a separate journey, but in one day you can immerse yourself in its incredible atmosphere. You will visit the Seminsky pass - the border of the Northern and Central Altai, the highest pass of the Chuysky tract; "Katunskaya podkova" - a picturesque bend of the Katun river; and, of course, the Ininsky steles - a ritual complex of the Stone Age!
  At lunch you will not only get acquainted with Altai cuisine, but also hear kai - Altai throat singing. Kai is not just a singing technique, but is an ancient art form that keeps the legends, fairy tales and traditions of the Altai people! After lunch you will go for a walk to the observation deck to see how the powerful mountain river Chuya, full of muddy glacial waters, crashes into the transparent and calm Katun.
  On the last excursion day, you will briefly return to Gorno-Altaysk to see the "Altai Princess" ("Princess of Ukok") - a perfectly preserved mummy of a noble woman of the 5th century BC, found during excavations in Altai in 1993. The population of Altai believes that the "princess" is the guardian of peace and stands guard over the gates of the underworld, and the extraction of the mummy from the mound has become the cause of natural disasters that have befallen Gorny Altai in recent decades.
  The final point of your journey through Altai will be the ascent by funicular to the top of Mount Sinyukha. The ascent along the longest cable car in Siberia will take you about half an hour. A stunning panorama of the taiga, the Katun River, Lake Manzherok and the Altai Mountains opens from its height. You will have enough free time to walk along one of the routes from the observation deck to the top of Sinyukha and enjoy the nature of Altai once again. In the evening a farewell dinner with barbecue and national Altai drinks awaits you.

Other tours

Masterpieces of Vologda

MOSCOW – VOLOGDA – FERAPONTOVO – KIRILLOV – VOLOGDA – MOSCOW. 4 DAYS/ 3 NIGHTS

«Exploring»

This tour is for the most active and curious who want to see the utmost possible in St Petersburg for 2 days.