Winter tour in Altai «Siberian holidays»

Highlights

During the tour, you'll see beautiful and stern Altai mountains nature, enjoy Russian winter entertainments.

• enjoy dog and riding sledding;
• have excursion to maral (red deer) farm
• visit Andreevka village (historical and architectural complex);
• get experience with Russian banya in winter;
• see glacier waterfall;
• visit the famous Orthodox temple on the Patmos rocky island;
• enjoy Chech-Kysh, where you can see prehistoric rock-art
• have a walk through Tavdinsky cave to a top of the mountain;
• observe the coloured mountains of Kyzyl-Chin, called Martian because of bright red, yellow and green loam, covering its sides;
• see the confluence of Chyia and Katun rivers
• visit Geizer lake
• enjoy panorama of Kurai steppe and North-Chuyskiy ridge;

Itinerary

The weather in Altai is very changeable in winter, therefore you have to be ready for changes in the program.

Day 1. Welcome to Altai

Launch points for the tour are the Biisk railway station and Gorno-Altaisk airport.
Today we are going to the Belokurikha village area, located at the foothills of Altai mountains. There you visit Andreevka village (historical and architectural complex). In the village, you'll have a master class of traditional Russian blacksmithing. It will be held by the only female-blacksmith in Russia.
In the evening you'll ride in a sleigh - Siberian winter entertainment. Tonight you'll stay in a comfortable hotel. 
Drive distance: 160 km.

Day 2. Fauna of Altai

Today you'll enjoy fauna of Altai:

• in the morning we will drive you to the swan lake, where swans stay during all winter long.
• in the evening you'll have an excursion to maral (The red deer) farm.

Between these points you'll visit Tavdinsky caves, there you'll have a walking through a cave to the viewpoint on the top of the mountain.
Today you'll check-in the Altika eco-hotel.
Drive distance: 210 km.

Day 3. Chemal district

This morning you will have a walk to the Kamyshlinsky waterfall. Length of the road depends on the ice crossing available: on the ice crossing it's 500 meters, over the bridge - it's about 3 kilometers.
In the evening you'll meet one more representative of the fauna, for this purpose we'll drive you to a european bison farm. Tonight you'll get a rest in the same hotel.
Drive distance: 50 km.

Day 4. Chemal district continue

The main sight of Chemal district is the Patmos island and goat trail, that goes above Katun river with a viewpoint on the confluence of Chemal and Katun rivers. After breakfast, we are going to visit this sight of Chemal. Then we'll drive you to the Chech-Kysh. Here we head for the top to see prehistoric rock art and viewpoint of the Katun river valley and "the egg" island. After that you'll come back to the hotel.
Drive distance: 150 km.

Day 5. Chuya Highway

After check-out the Altika hotel, we will set off for Chuya highway and go through Seminsky and Chike-Taman mountain passes (the second one is not very high but landscapes from its steep hillside are impressive). 60 kilometers after Chike-Taman is waiting for us the confluence of Chuya and Katun rivers. Their colors are different and before waters are totally mixed, you can relish picturesque paints of turquoise whirls. We are going to arrive in Aktash village about 6 p.m. Tonight you'll stay in a hotel near the village.
Drive distance: 350 km.

Day 6. Multicolored nature

There are 2 sights of the day have unusual colors:

• The Geyser lake. Surface of the lake is decorated with colourful moving circles.
• The unique multicolor Kyzyl Chin mountains, which are rightly called Martian because of red, yellow and green loam, covering its sides.

One more sight for this day is a viewpoint of Kurai steppe and the North-Chuya range peaks.
In the evening we will come back to the same hotel. Drive distance: 170 kilometres.

Day 7. Chuya Highway

After breakfast, we start a back journey along Chuya highway. During the route we'll make a few stops to enjoy some picturesque rapids (including the Ilgumen rapid). Rapids are the places of cliffs and water power’s oppositions, which began hundreds of thousands years ago and still continue. The cliffs cut the water making it «boil». Also, we will turn in the direction of picturesque the Ursul river canyon.
In the evening we'll come back to the Altika hotel.
Drive distance: 370 km.

Day 8. Depart

After an early breakfast, we will drive you to Gorno-Altaisk airport.
Drive distance: 50 km.

Accommodation

Altika Hotel

Altika hotel located on the Katun river bench.
You'll stay in this place 2 nights (1st and last) in a twin/ double room.
A toilet and shower are in the room.
This is one of the best hotels in surrounded area.

Hotel near Aktash village

This is the only one option for accommodation in surrounded area in the winter. You will stay in a pretty simple twin/double room with toilet and shower in the room.

«Gemchujina Belokurikhi» hotel

This hotel is located in the Belokuriha village. You'll stay here in a twin/ double room. Toilet and shower are in the room.

The cost includes:

• Transfer en-route from Biysk or Gorno-Altaisk,
• tour-guide services,
• 3 time meals,
• accommodation

Additional information

The international flights arrive in Novosibirsk- the biggest city of Siberia. In case you arrive there, you will need to have one day before the tour and one day upon its completion for the transfer. Our staff members in Novosibirsk will meet you, arrange the excursions, order the meals and the accommodation for you. Biysk and Novosibirsk are cities, connected by a branch of Trans-Siberian railway. We can organize a transfer by train or by car to the starting endpoint of the tour.