ANCIENT BELIEFS
NEW HORIZONS
ETERNAL BEAUTY
June 30 ⇾ July 09
In addition to our regular group departures to Altai, we also offer tailored services for private travel parties and lone wolves alike. Get in touch for more info on our customised Altai Tours!
DAY 1 • WELCOME TO ALTAI
Meet-and-greet at Barnaul Regional Airport and entire day devoted to Barnaul, the capital of the Altai Krai and a quintessentially Soviet city full of grandiose monuments and eye-catching mosaics.
In the evening we'll go out for a musical concert either at the Philharmonia or at the Orchestra of Russian National Music Instruments or maybe we’ll opt for a raunchy show of one of the many young indie bands enlivening the town's nightlife.
Overnight in Barnaul.
DAY 2 • OLD BELIEFS
Right after breakfast, we will start our trip to one of the most interesting area of the Altai Krai: after a three-hour southwards drive, we will find ourselves surrounded by a pastoral landscape of gentle slopes and rolling meadows.
We'll continue our southward journey to the picturesque village of Topolnoye inhabited by the descendants of the Old-Believers who separated in 1666 from the official Russian Orthodox Church.
Traditional old Russian dinner and overnight in Topolnoye.
DAY 3 • SHAMANIC CHANTS
In the morning we’ll take our leave from the Altai Krai and head for the Altai Autonomous Republic, the true homeland to the indigenous Altai people, a Turkic-speaking Mongolic nation of shamanic traditions and nomadic roots.
En route to the Altai Republic, right before crossing its administrative boundaries, we will visit the world-famous Denisova Cave: a true Eldorado for palaeontologists, as this is the very place where a fossilised phalanx of a girl’s finger was found and the subsequent DNA-analysis showed that it belonged neither to the extinct Neanderthals nor to Homo Sapiens, but represented a separate branch within the evolution of our species.
After lunch, we will eventually enter the Karakol Valley, a sacral place among the Altai people, the Turkic-speaking Mongolic nation of shamanic traditions that consitute the titular ethnicity of the autonomous republic we've just entered.
We will stay for the night at a local family and learn about the traditions and the rituals of Altai people.
In the evening we will also meet the local kaichi (shaman-cum-dance-cum-singer) and enjoy a concert of throat singing accompanied by national musical instruments such as the topshur and the komyz.
Traditional Altai dinner and overnight in the Karakol Valley.
Bespoke Experiences
Authentic kaichi performance in the Karakol Valley and optional horse ride in the Chuya Steppe.
DAY 4 • LEGENDARY RIDES
In the morning we will enjoy some sightseeing around the Karakol Valley: ancient petroglyphs, Scythian burial mounds, and mysterious monoliths.
We will also pay our respect to the Ground Squirrel Monument, erected to thank the fluffy rodent for having saved - with its own flesh - the local population during the famines.
We will then enter and travel along the Chuisky Trakt, a stunning road that National Geographic named as one the world's best drives.
During our journey we will, of course, stop at several picturesque tiny Altai villages of ails (traditional wooden yurts) and Soviet allure, such as Kulada, Boochi, and Bichiktubom.
Overnight along the Chuisky Trakt.
Day 5 • FLAMING ROCKS
We'll continue our drive down the Chuisky Trakt and cross en route the Kurai Steppe, a very beautiful inter-montane basin where you can admire, depending on weather conditions, impressive views of the mighty Chuisky Ridge.
Exiting the Kurai Steppe we will explore the coloured rock formations of Kyzyl-Chin, locally known as Mars, and the peaceful Altai village of Chagan-Uzon.
Overnight in Chagan-Uzon.
Day 6 • Steppe BY STEPPE
Today we’ll head for the end-of-the-world settlement of Kosh-Agach, where we will visit the market full of smuggled goods from Mongolia, the traditional wooden mosque of the local Kazakh community, and the mandatory Lenin statue.
We will then explore the Chuya Steppe, travel along the River Yustyd, home to ancient burial mounds, and stop at the secluded hamlet of Kokoryu, which hosts a mummified head of a Sarmatian warrior.
During our time in steppe, besides admiring the breathtaking and slightly surreal sceneries, we will also get acquainted with the Kazakh culture visiting the extremely remote Kazakh settlements of Jana-Aul and Tashanta.
Overnight in Kosh-Agach.
DAY 7 • BACK ON TRAKT
We’ll start the day early and head back north driving again along the scenic Chuisky Trakt.
Besides the usual stops for food, toilet and photography, we'll break the long haul by visiting stunning natural attractions, such as the Blue Geyser Lake and the Red Gate rock formations, as well as a few more Altai villages and towns, such as Ortolyk, Kurai, Aktash, and Ongudai.
If time permits, we will also take a short scenic detour across the Ulagan Valley, a place of staggering vistas and ancient traditions.
Overnight along the Chuisky Trakt.
DAY 8 • MOUNTAIN RETREATS
We will continue our trip along the Chuisky Trakt and, after crossing the once-feared Seminsky Pass, we’ll begin our descend towards the Katun river basin.
We’ll first stop in Kamlak to visit a surprisingly well maintained botanical garden, a real cornucopia of local herbs and flowers, then head for the hamlet of Anos, where the famous Altai artist Choros-Gurkin once had his workshop, and eventually drive further south to the Soviet-era resort townlet of Chemal.
Overnight in Chemal.
Teletskoye Detour
Depending on weather conditions, we may follow an even more scenic alternative route on our way north towards Gorno-Altaysk: on Day 7 we will proceed from Ulagan to the otherworldly beautiful Chulyshman Valley and then cross the mighty Katu-Yaryk Pass to reach the southern tip of Teletskoye, an enchanting alpine lake listed as UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. On Day 8 we will board a ferry across the lake and sail to the lovely village of Artybash, before eventually reaching Gorno-Altaysk on Day 9.
DAY 9 • A CAPITAL ENDING
We’ll spend a lazy morning in Chemal, filling our lungs with the fresh air of Altai: a last restock of pure crispness before returning to the restlessness of our daily grind.
In the early afternoon we will eventually arrive in Gorno-Altaysk, the tiny leafy capital of the Altai Republic, wherein, after a well-deserved coffee break, we'll pay a de rigueur visit to both the National Museum and the main Soviet monuments and memorials dotting the cityscape.
We’ll then conclude our gallivanting around Altai with a grand Siberian dinner at the best restaurant in town.
Overnight in Gorno-Altaysk.
DAY 10 • FAREWELL TO SIBERIA!
After sharing a last breakfast together, we'll take care of your transfer to Gorno-Altaysk Regional Airport for your homeward flight via Novosibirsk or Moscow.
Possible tour extensions to this itinerary include: Tuva and/or Buryatia.
End of the tour.
2490 €
INCLUSIONS
Double/twin-room accommodation (breakfast included), private transport in Altai (car/minivan), all entrance fees, English-speaking guiding service, 24/7 on-site and remote assistance.
EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement, international flights, main meals (lunches and dinners), extra drinks, visa fees (if required), tips, travel insurance.
