ETERNAL NATURE AND DISAPPEARING CULTURES 

We offer bespoke Tofalaria Tours for private travel parties and lone wolves alike. As a traveller-oriented boutique operator, tailored trips and bespoke adventures are our bread and butter. Get in touch for more info on our customised journeys to Tofalaria! 

DAY 1 - Irkutsk

  • Meet-and-greet at Irkutsk International Airport, transfer to our hotel of choice, Soviet-themed city tour around Irkutsk and short boat excursion on the mighty Angara River.

  • Overnight in Irkutsk.

DAY 2 - Nizhneudinsk

  • Free morning in Irkutsk and post-lunch transfer to the quintessentially Soviet town of Nizhneudinsk.

  • We’ll arrive in Nizhneudinsk in the late afternoon and spend the last daylight hours touring the many USSR-era remnants scattered around town.

  • Overnight in Nizhneudinsk.

DAY 3 to DAY 8 - Tofalaria

  • In the morning we’ll visit the local market in Nizhneudinsk to stock up on food supplies and other essential goods we may need while in Tofalaria, a magical land covered with impassible forests: you can't take a train or a bus to reach Tofalaria, no roads, not even a dirt track.

  • Around midday we’ll head for the local airport and board our Soviet-built Mil Mi-8 helicopter to the village of Alygdzher, the unofficial capital of Tofalaria.

  • The wilderness in Tofalaria is ancient and untarnished, mostly made up of dense forests, canyons and mountains; and yet, even here some humans have found their way in: the Tofalars, the shy and gentle Turkic-Siberian people that have been inhabiting this extremely isolated patch of the Taiga well before the advent of the Russian Empire.

  • We’ll spend the next six days in Tofalaria, exploring its majestic nature and getting to know its secretive dwellers.

  • Highlights of our stay in Tofalaria will include staggering natural sights, such as the Kinzelyuk Waterfalls (second highest in Russia), traditional Tofalar culture in the settlement of Verkhnyaya Gutara, a motorboat ride along the Agul River, and daily hikes through the untamed wilderness of the Siberian Taiga.

  • Meals and overnights in guesthouses and tents.

DAY 9 - FAREWELL TO THE TAIGA

  • After a last Tofalar meal together, we'll say dasvidaniya to our Taiga guides and begin our journey back home via Nizhneudinsk.

  • For those flying out: transfer to either Irkutsk International Airport or Krasnoyarsk International Airport.

  • For those wishing to take the train/bus to reach further destinations: transfer to the local train/bus station in Irkutsk.

  • Possible tour extensions to this itinerary include: Transbaikal and/or Khakassia.

  • End of the tour.

4950 €

 

INCLUSIONS | Double/twin-room accommodation (breakfast included), helicopter flight to Tofalaria, private transportation during the entire trip (jeep/minivan/speedboat), all entrance fees, English-speaking guiding service, camping gear, all meals and drinks in Tofalaria, 24/7 on-site and remote assistance.

EXCLUSIONS | Single supplement, international flights, main meals outside of Tofalaria (lunches and dinners), extra drinks, visa fees (if required), tips, travel insurance.