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Make an unforgettable adventure along the Altai territory!
The mysterious mountainous country of Altai has long been full of heroic legends, myths, and folk songs. Being in the center of the giant mainland, Altai experienced numerous influences. Here almost every river has its own history, each hillside has its own legend, each gorge has its own stone guard, and each stone is an indispensable participant in the story of life and time. Join Altai Tour with ExploRussia!
Altai Tour Highlights:
Altai tour includes 3 days in the capital of Russia Moscow and 6 days of adventures in the Altai mountains. This tour is a great chance to combine a city tour, exploring the big city of Moscow diving into the active life of local citizens with an adventure tour that gives a chance to merge with nature and feel the power of Altai.
In 2019, Moscow received the prestigious international tourism award World Travel Awards as the best city in the world. Beautiful, cozy with huge parks, many vibrant festivals, theaters, well-kept yards, clean streets, an incredible metro – all these you can find in Moscow. Together with our local guides, you will discover off-the-beaten tracks as well as popular touristic places.
After Moscow, you will move to “another” country within Russia.
From the first step from your plane breath deeply the fresh air and look around, how splendid the scenery is. Start your trip from discovering Patmos island, travel along Chuisky trakt, see the picturesque serpentine road, be astonished by the place of Chuya and Katun’s great mountain rivers confluence. Find yourself on Mars! Yes, we are not joking. Kyzyl Chin mountains are red, yellow and green. Photos are so impressive as if you are somewhere on Mars. Take a chance to have a ride on all-road Russian truck and see Geyser (hot-springs) lake and Eshtykel Plato. In case you are a real adventurer and like campings, then we can organize sleeping in the camp in a touristic tent and even horseriding to local villages instead of cars. Those who want to emerge with nature have 20 kilometers horse riding a day and feel like a real local.
Explore the main Altai highlights and after a good rest full of energy return to your homeland.
For more inspiration please read our article 6 inspiring facts about Altai Mountains!
Altai Tour Plan
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DAY 1: MOSCOW (WELCOME TO THE RUSSIAN CAPITAL!)Pick up at the airport. Transfer to the hotel.
Meet your guide for an exciting walking tour of Moscow! Enjoy all the best Moscow has to offer: Red Square, St Basil’s Cathedral, GUM department store, Lenin’s Mausoleum, Bolshoi theater, Tverskaya street), and then take a step back from touristic paths to discover the authentic local lifestyle and some secret places that the guide will show you.
We keep this tour fun and interactive. We will focus on the key facts about Russia, unfolding the most dramatic and humorous aspects of Russian history and modern-day life. You get a chance to ask us any questions – what an average Russian life looks like, what Russians think about their country, their opinion about different social issues and current politics, and where they prefer to spend their holidays.
DETAILS:
Duration – 3 hours.
Overnight at a hotel in Moscow
DAY 2: MOSCOW METRO AND STALIN SKYSCRAPERS AND NIGHT OUT/ MODERN ART TOURJoin this exciting morning Moscow Metro Tour to get familiar with architectural symbols of Soviet Russia! Explore the Underground which looks a lot more like a museum or a palace than an actual transport system: Moscow Metro stations are spacious and light, their walls are covered with mosaics and frescoes. You will learn how the metro was built when it was opened and why it got such a gorgeous look. Get to know about the great role the metro played in the life of the capital of Russia during World War II, and how it functions nowadays.
You will also go outside to see Stalin skyscrapers, that are also known as Seven Sisters. You will have an opportunity to see three of them: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Hotel “Leningradskaya” and the Krasnie Vorota (Red Gate) building. Learn when and why they were built, who used to live there and where the eighth skyscraper was supposed to be built.
In the evening there are two options for you. The first option we offer to join a night out tour and learn how to drink and party like a Russian. The tour is not just vodka drinking. Learn more about drinking culture in Russia, traditional toasts. Visit local bars, taste vodka, nastoikas and craft beer from a local brewery. In case you do not drink alcohol, learn about the history of vodka, local funny stories, relax and enjoy your stay in Moscow.
In case you are interested in Modern Art, then we invite you to discover thrilling Russia’s contemporary art scene and the Moscow modern art style! You will visit local design studios and art galleries. Take a walk around Winzavod, a former wine factory, currently – the place for Russian artists. Explore modern trends in interior design in ArtPlay, Moscow’s hub for artistic activity. Learn about Russian art and design from a local, knowledgeable guide.
DETAILS:
Duration of both tours – 6 hours
Starting point -pick up at the hotel lobby
Overnight in Moscow
DAY 3: EAT LIKE A RUSSIAN: LOCAL MARKET TOUR AND COOKING WITH A LOCAL HOSTGet ready to eat like a Russian on this delicious foodie tour of the Danilovsky neighborhood in Moscow. Check out the bustling local market and discover what Russian cuisine is all about, find out what locals like to eat on special occasions (spoiler alert— caviar is involved!) and take a trip down memory lane to discover the foods of countries that once belonged to the USSR.
Highlights
- Explore the colorful Danilovsky market with a local guide
- Taste some of our favorite Russian cuisine
- Try tvorog, a deliciously traditional dairy treat
- Discover more about the diverse range of people who live in our beautiful city
- Visit an off-the-beaten-track neighborhood and see how locals live day to day
After exploring the market, we invite you for a cooking class with our localhost. Learn how and where to buy all the necessary food and move on to the kitchen!
DETAILS:
Walking tour, indoor activity
Duration – 3 hours
Starting point – do be discussed with your guide.
Inclusions – food sampling during the tour (caviar, honey, cottage cheese, pilaff, pastry, drinks)
Overnight at your hotel in Moscow
DAY 4: FROM MOSCOW TO GORNO-ALTAISKIn the morning transfer to the airport to take a plane to Gorno-Altaisk (4.4 h).
Pick up at the airport of Gorno-Altaisk. Transfer to the hotel in the village called Ust-Sema located on the Katun river.
Today your Altai tour starts! Your way will head to the most popular place in the Altai mountains – Chemal. Take your chance to walk along the goat trail that leads to a stone island called Patmos. The views from here are incredible, mountainous terrain, fast emerald river and high cedars. Learn the story of the island and visit an Orthodox Church with the miraculous icon inside.
DETAILS:
Plane tickets
Transfers to/from airports
Transportation by car
Lunch and dinner are included
DAY 5: CHUYSKY TRAKT/CHUYA HIGHWAYChuysky trakt is the oldest way from Siberia to Asia. Starting from Novosibirsk it ends on the border with Mongolia reaching a distance of 968 kilometers. In 2014, National Geographic magazine included the Chuysky tract in the list of ten most beautiful roads in the world.
The First stop will be on Chike-Taman- incredibly beautiful Altai mountain pass. The height of the pass is 1460 meters. “Chike-Taman” is translated from the Altai language as “flat sole”.
Then we will drive you on the road, that runs along the river Ursul. Putin’s village is located on this road, placed in the confluence of the Katun and Ursul rivers. It is a very impressive road and place. You will see the Ininsky steles — the place of Chuya and Katun’s confluence. All steles face the north with symbolic faces and have stood motionless for thousands of years as if guarding someone’s peace. A lot of people consider the most beautiful and powerful place on Chuya highway.
Arrival in Aktash, overnight at a hotel.
DETAILS:
Transportation by car
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included
DAY 6: GEYSER LAKEAfter breakfast you will go to Geyser (hot spring) lake located 10 km from the Aktash village. The geyser lake is rare in beauty, clean and not covered with ice even in winter. It is always the “earth eye” of astonishing turquoise color. After that, there will be a transfer to Kurai steppe. The panorama of the snowy peaks of the North Chuysky ridge is really impressive. From the road, you can take many great photos!
Then visit the unique Kyzyl Chin mountains. The mountains seem to be colored in stripes in different shades of red, yellow and green. Colored mountains of Kyzyl-Chin – that’s what Mars in Altai is! They resemble Mars and are called Martian mountains.
Find out what is a traditional Altai nomad settlement – ail. You will have lunch here and discover the nomad’s way of living and their dwellings.
DETAILS:
Transportation by bus/car
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included
Overnight at a hotel in Aktash
DAY 7: ESHTYKEL PLATOAfter breakfast, you will go to Eshtykel Plato located between North-Chuysky ridge and the Chuya river and called by the locals “mossy field”. From Plato, you will be impressed by a beautiful view of the mountains.
DETAILS:
You will travel by all-road Russian truck GAZ-66
Have lunch on the open air.
Then the road to hotel in Aktash.
DAY 8: CHYUA HIGHWAYOne more chance to admire the scenery of Chuya highway.
There will be an excursion to the ancient sanctuary of Kalbak-tash area. This is an open-air museum where you will see petroglyphs – ancient cave paintings. The paintings of an ancient human, who inhabited this part of Siberia thousands of years ago, remain unchanged there. Here you can see more than 3,000 images that were made at different times – from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. The earliest images include drawings of animals that were hunted; to later ones – people, weapons, hunting scenes, snakes, bears, fantastic animals, symbolic signs. Among these pictures, there is a map of the starry arch and water lens, which was used as the first simplest telescope.
Then you will visit the Rapids. River Rapid is a section of a river with a relatively large drop in water level and an increased flow rate.
Katun – the largest river in Altai is replete full of stony rapids and shivers.The places where you can see “boiling” water.
Then rest during your last Altai tour night in the mountains, tomorrow you’ll be transferred to the airport for flying back to Moscow.
DETAILS:
Transportation by car
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included
Overnight in a hotel in Chemal
DAY 9: TIME TO SAY GOOD BYEThis is the end of your Altai mountains adventure. Breakfast and way to Gorno-Altaisk airport.
Drive distance: 50 kilometers.
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- Accommodation in 3* or 4* hotels with breakfast
- Airport Transfers
- Personal Guide
- Private tours in cities
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- Entry fees in museums
- Food and Beverages
- Train stations transfers
- Train tickets