From Khakassia to Tuva

This short tour of Khakassia is specially prepared for inquisitive travelers interested in geography, adventure, culture, art. Khakassia and Tuva are unique in variety of climatic zones and landscapes; natural, archaeological and historical monuments of the Republic are still little known to mass tourists. There is still a truly “pristine”, “wild” nature.
You will find an unforgettable meeting with the ancient steppes and healing lakes of Khakassia, dense forests, mountain rivers and snow-capped Sayan ranges! We will walk with you from the steppes to the alpine meadows, see fabulously beautiful mountains in blue haze, covered with impenetrable taiga, walk through the stone streams of kurums, under ringing cedars, through the grove of dwarf birch in the sky Sayan to a mountain lake with crystal clear water.

Day 1. Meeting at the railway station (at the airport) of Abakan. Transfer Abakan - Abaza - Kubaika b/o (230 km)
In the southern part of Khakassia, the ancient traditions of the Khakass, the indigenous population of the republic, are best preserved; today we will get acquainted with the traditional way of life of this people.
A visit to the museum "Ulug-Khurtuyakh-Tas" is a three-meter stone stele that was dug into the ground about 6 thousand years ago at the site of a geological fault, where a powerful radiation of special energy is noted. For a long time, this statue is considered the patron saint of all women of Khakassia and today is one of the most revered stone statues.
Also here is a real Khakass yurt (XIX century) with a full collection of traditional household items, mounds of Tagar archaeological culture (VII-III centuries BC).
Arrival at the recreation center "Kubayka", accommodation.
After lunch, a water walk along the river Ona. This is not just rafting, but a whole trip along the mountain river, with a rest on the picturesque banks and fishing! Do not forget to bring a photo or video camera, because often wild animals come to the river to drink water. We'll go fishing while rafting, and if we're lucky, we'll catch the harius.
Return to base. Bath.

Day 2. Today, the whole expedition (about 230 km in one direction) is a car tour "from Khakassia to Tuva"! Departure from Abaza along the Abakan-Ak-Dovurak highway through the Kanjul Pass (a magnificent panorama of the peaks of the Western Sayan) along the valley of the Karasibo River, through the Atgolsky Pass we go to the Ona River valley. (Sheer cliffs, narrow canyons, magnificent taiga and frenzied rivers), along the way unforgettable natural monuments - "Source of Youth" and "Blue Gate". A winding mountain road along the river B. On, leading to the Sayan Pass from the taiga to the high-mountain tundra, through lingonberry, blueberry and cedar places. Sayan Pass (2206 mN) – on top of the world! If you have time and desire, you can take a walk to the lake Nameless.

Day 3. Free day. Today you can continue to get acquainted with the archaeological and historical sights of Khakassia or stay at the recreation center to enjoy a holiday in the protected taiga, on the banks of the purest mountain river.
You will be offered an excursion to the open-air museum "Kazanovka" (optional, for an additional fee from 1800 rubles / person)
The museum is located in Askiz district of the Republic of Khakassia, about 127 km from Abakan. Here in February 1996, the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum-Reserve was created on the territory of 18 thousand hectares. Amazing nature, curious ethnography and archaeological monuments are the three components of "Kazanovka". Several millennia ago, people lived here who prayed to mountain spirits, depicted animals and various rituals on the rocks, built mounds. Archaeologists have been working in Kazanovka for many years. On the territory of the reserve more than two thousand only recorded monuments. Among them are excavated mounds and burial grounds, about a thousand cave paintings, which are six thousand years old. The earliest structures belong to IV-III in BC.

Day 4. Departure from the recreation center. Transfer to Abakan (230 km).
On the way, visit the excursion complex of the Khakass reserve in Abaza, where you will learn about the nature of the mountain-taiga part of Khakassia. Walk along the trail "Taiga Charter", visit the "Museum of Siberian crafts", located in a stylized hunter's hut with a canopy and labaz.
Trip to Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP (120 km), on the way (optional) visit the Church of St. Eudokia. Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP is the largest and most powerful power plant in Russia. During the tour, you will visit the observation deck and hear the history of the construction of the HPP.
Arrival at Abakan. A short tour of the city. Transfer to the railway station (to the hotel). If you leave Abakan the next morning, don’t forget to book your hotel in advance!