12 pearls of Dagestan

Dagestan is an extraordinary miracle. Here you can travel for months, be fascinated, disappointed, get used to the culture of the peoples of Dagestan. To remain indifferent is impossible, unthinkable. There is a high degree of beauty and heights, simple and bright national cuisine, emotions, kind people, dance. And in Dagestan - folk arts, inherited, Olympic champions, tightrope walkers, poets and ancient history. You won’t be able to see everything in five days. During this time, the most important thing will happen – your heart will revive and your soul will open to everything that will affect you during the tour “12 Pearls of Dagestan”. And this spirituality you will take with you forever.

1 day

Arrival at 11:00. Recommended flight of Aeroflot SU 1052.

Meeting at the airport from 11:15 to 11:30. Opposite the exit from the arrival zone, an accompanying person meets on the street with a sign “12 Pearls of Daghestan”.

11:30-14:00 transfer to Derbent 120 km, 2.5 hours.

Derbent. To think that it is several thousand years old. This place is strategic. In the past, the port. This is why it has been so important throughout history to dominate Derbent. To anyone who conquered it or tried to conquer it, it was important.

There was a time when there was not a single resident in Derbent. And yet the city blossomed again and again - so the Caspian Gate (as Derbent was called) was significant for the development of civilization. Today, the two walls that embrace Derbent, like the hands that protect the child, and the fortress-mother remind of those turbulent times.

14:00 lunch at the Derbent restaurant. National cuisine.

15:00 – 16:00 check-in at the Derbent Cognac Factory (if it is not a holiday or a day off for the store)

16:30 – 17:30 excursion to the Magals. Magals are ancient districts of Derbent. Houses no higher than a couple of floors are made of limestone. In the Magals is the oldest Juma mosque in Russia. In Juma mosques, sacred Friday prayers are held. You can go inside to see the modest atmosphere and feel the prayerful atmosphere. At the entrance to the courtyard – a box with handkerchiefs and robes for visitors. According to custom, a woman can enter the mosque only in closed clothes with a long sleeve and a scarf, and a man in pants and a shirt with a sleeve.

Another attraction of the Mughals is the Maiden Baths, where the brides were washed. The baths had warm floors, a pool with hot water and held bachelorette parties before the wedding.

17:50 – 19:30 Naryn-Kala Fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the 80s of the last century, archaeologists discovered artifacts indicating that settlements existed on the modern territory of the fortress 5000 years ago. Why, then, does the figure of 2,000 years appear in many sources? This is one of the questions you will find during the tour.

On the territory of the fortress there is a Christian cross-domed temple of the VII century AD. Also in the fortress there was a water pipe through which mountain spring water entered the fortress. You will see and visit the well-preserved baths, once heated in a way now lost.

19:50 - Arrival at the hotel, accommodation in the hotel "Europe" 3 *, "Ocean" 3 * or similar.

2 days

Breakfast at the hotel.

9:00 On the way 180 km, 3.5-4.5 hours with two stops (one on the highway, the second in the village on the way to the mountains). Arrive at the entrance to the Karadakh cliff (attention!) In rainy weather, the visit to the cliff is canceled for security reasons. Imagining huge, stuck in narrow places boulders, literally hanging over their heads at high altitude.

To enter the cliff, you will need the help of a guide. The entrance to the cliff is barricaded with improvised materials so that livestock does not enter. The fact is that during heavy rains, the gorge is filled with water and animals can drown. A low ladder is thrown through the barricade.

In the cliff there are several places equipped with stairs. An escort will help overcome these obstacles.

14:30 Lunch at the Highlanders.

Moving. The next location is the village of Old Goor. Here is a landmark marked on Yandex maps as the "Moorese language of Troll". This is a rock formation hanging over a deep abyss. Here, at the tip of the stone tongue, tourists like to be photographed. In addition, the village itself is beautifully located on the mountain. Not far from the edge of the gorge, the skeletons of the towers rise and the ancient cemetery with stone tombstones peacefully sleeps.

Moving. The last point of visit for today is the Datun temple near the village of Hebda. It was built by Georgian missionaries in the late X - early XI century, in the era of the spread of Christianity in Dagestan.

Transfer to Gunib/Choch about 1 hour, arrival at the guest house about 19:00. If you spend the night on the plain – 3.5 hours on the way and arrival after 21 hours.

3 days

Breakfast at the guest house/hotel.

8:45 departure to Hunzakh district.

From Gunib - 60 km, 1.5-2 hours on the way / from Makhachkala - 150 km, 3.5 hours on the way.

12:30 Arrival at the observation deck, which overlooks the waterfall Tobot. Water falls from a plateau 70 m high. The most spectacular period is in May, when the glaciers melt. Later, the water becomes less.

In 60 m from the waterfall Tobot there is an object of cultural heritage - Araninskaya (Khunzakh) fortress. Built for the Russian army during the Caucasian War, which lasted 25 years. The building is well preserved due to the thoroughness of the builders. The thickness of the walls of the fortress is about 1 m. An interesting fact: it was in this fortress, then quite reliable and inhabited, that Alexander II slept with his retinue during his stay in the Caucasus in 1871.

14:00/14:30 Lunch at the house of the mountaineers.

The Matlas Plateau rises 1800m above sea level. From here there are beautiful views, and there are also attractions. For example, the observation deck on which there is a small stone mosque. You will also see the memorial complex "In memory of Leo Tolstoy and Naib Haji Murat".

Another attraction is the so-called Matlas stone bowl. These are mountain crevices that form rock halls. Impressive are the size of the crevices, their smooth flat bottom and sheer walls. During the rains, water flows from the plain. Therefore, you can only go down here in dry weather – during rain it can be dangerous.

17:00 – Departure to Gunib/Choch. Overnight in guest houses / in the hotel Makhachkala

Dinner - for a surcharge, on pre-order, it must be made no later than 14:00.

4 days

9:00 Departure to the foot of the slope, at the top of which is the abandoned village of Gamsutl. Walking takes about an hour. It is impossible to climb to the top by car, so please consider your physical abilities. The slope is moderately steep. Let's get up slowly, with stops. There is no guarantee of transportation by car or horse. If possible, it is paid for an additional fee.

14:30 Lunch in a cafe or visiting the mountaineers.

Salta Falls. In periods when this beautiful cave waterfall is full, otherwise, as in bog boots, you can not go to it. The spectacle of a powerful stream falling into the cave is definitely worth it.

18:00 Departure. Return to the plain, accommodation in Makhachkala, in hotels 3* or in the hotel "Sarykum" 4 *

5 days

Breakfast at the hotel.

9:00 Departure to the Chirkey reservoir. 70km, 2 hours on the way.

11:00 You are waiting for an interactive half-hour boat ride on the largest reservoir in the North Caucasus, as well as jokes of cheerful captains and moderately thrilling.

11:45 Sulak Canyon. After skating in a good mood, we will rise a little higher, to the observation deck in Dubki. To go to the observation room, it is enough to cross a small hill. The observation room is equipped with handrails. From the site there is a view of the Sulak canyon. Far below carries its bluish-green waters Sulak river, filling the Chirkey reservoir. Perhaps in the same place admired the Canyon Dumas senior. His impressions he describes in the narrative of the Caucasus and does it very emotionally. “It seemed as if there was no ground under my feet...” I was in a hurry... But that wasn’t enough, I lay down on the ground and covered my eyes with my hands.

13:30 Departure to Glavryb

14:20 lunch. "Glavryba" is the name of the restaurant complex and trout farm. There is quite a large infrastructure, there is a playground, excursions around the territory are held. Prepare phones - so beautifully poured in cups of tea with thyme only here, in the "Glavryb". For lunch, trout with vegetables baked on coals and Dagestan cakes will be served.

15:45 Departure to Sarikum Barkhan. It's 40 minutes.

16:30 ascent to the ecotrail barchan. Another high on this tour. The climb to the top of the barchan takes about 20 minutes. Barhan is a local mystery. Scientists have no answer to this question. Dagestan single barhan height of 260 m is one of the largest in Eurasia. Desert flora and fauna prevail here. Interestingly, representatives of the sandy world are not found anywhere else in Dagestan.

Departure to the airport at 17:30, travel time 1 hour.

transfers, accommodation in hotels and guest houses, excursion services, breakfasts, lunches, tickets to tourist facilities, duties.