“Top 7 Beauty of Altai”, excursion tour

The nature of Altai is divine, the soul rejoices from incredible bright colors and endless rainbow colors. The warm sun warms with gentle rays. The breath of life is felt everywhere. Sunsets and sunrises fight on the ground with unimaginable colors and untold beauty.

In just a week you will pass through the most beautiful and famous serpentine of Altai, try to unravel the bizarre drawings of the Blue Lake, touch the ancient stone statues, which are thousands of years old, visit the rainbow mountains of Altai Mars, and also see the delightful beauty of the waterfalls of the Chulyshman Valley, and how “Stone Mushrooms” grow from the earth for thousands of years.

Tour dates: 01 - 07 June; 10 - 16 June; 19 - 25 June; 28 June - 04 July; 07 - 13 July; 16 - 22 July; 25 - 31 July; 03 - 09 August; 12 - 18 August; 21 - 27 August 2024

Day 1: Group meeting at Gorno-Altaisk airport from 9.00 to 10.30. Transfer to Askat village, Chemal district, RA. Settlement in houses on the base, surrounded on all sides by picturesque mountain ranges. Within walking distance is the beautiful Katun River. The village of Askat is famous for the presence of masters of various crafts: pottery, leatherwork, painting, painting and wood carving, etc.

After a short rest, a sightseeing tour "Legends of Chemal", during which we will visit the island of Patmos, passing through the suspension bridge over Katun to the temple of John the Theologian; Chemal hydroelectric power station - the oldest hydroelectric power station in the Altai, the confluence of the rivers Chemal and Katun.

Patmos is a small island with steep rocky slopes on the Katun River, on which the Orthodox Church of John the Theologian is located. It is a wooden replica of an ancient temple, recreated in 2000 and differs from most temples with its picturesque atmosphere, which does not suppress heavy religiosity. At the moment, the temple is an active women's hermitage, where services are held, at the same time it is available for visiting by everyone.

A visit to the temple of John the Theologian Patmos is an opportunity to plunge into a calm and man-made atmosphere. Passing the bridge at an altitude of 30 meters from the water of Katun, you will get to this important and unique place.

After the tour, we will visit the fair of Altai and Mongolian goods and souvenirs, buy natural products of Altai: honey, herbal teas, pine nut, etc. In the evening we will get acquainted with the village of Askat. We will climb Mount Menjelic, at the foot of which there is a village. From the observation deck there are unforgettable views of Katun and the surrounding mountains; then we go down to the Marmorka rock on the banks of Katun, walk to the silver spring; look at the grass shop of the Basargin sisters or visit the Algiz workshop.

Day 2: Today the day will be dedicated to the Chui tract - the road, which takes the 5th place in the list of the most beautiful roads in the world. Luxury landscapes, frequent change of locations, stops with walks, historical facts and stories of the guide will not let you get bored on the road.

The main locations of the day: Seminsky Pass; Chike-Taman Pass; the confluence of Chui and Katun; Yalomansky Arc; Katun Terraces; the archaeological complex "Adyr-Kan"; the old Chui tract. The end point of the day is the village of Aktash.

Day 3: Excursion "Majoy cascades" in the valley of the Chuya River. Narrow rock corridor, where the annual competitions of watermen-extremes "Chuya-Majoy-rally", extreme kayak-race King of Asia.

After lunch - a walk to the Blue Lake on the Myona River. Warm underground springs blur the silt and blue-white clay at the bottom and create bizarre drawings.

Next, we will go along the Chui tract through the Kurai and Chui steppes. In the Kurai steppe we will stop and enjoy the views of the glaciers of the North Chui Ridge - the largest ridge in Central Asia.

By the end of the day we will visit the amazing valley with colored lands of Kyzyl-Chin. Translated from the Turkic language, it sounds like “Red Gorge”, and tourists call this place “Altai Mars”. We climb the mountainside and be sure to go down one of the canyons, feel the powerful natural energy of this place.

40 km of traffic

Day 4: After breakfast, we go along the Ulagan Highway, through the Red Gate to Ulagan. The road runs along the Chibitka River and gradually gains altitude. On the way we will see the alpine lakes. The landscape around gradually changes, the trees become lower, the temperature drops, and the picture is more like high-altitude tundra.

We will stop at Lake Kedelu and walk to the Ulagan Pass on foot. The height of the pass is 2080 meters above Ur.m. At the top of the pass there is a gazebo, and white ribbons hang on the trees, as evidence of the special attitude of local residents to the sacred places of Altai.

From the observation deck of the pass we will see the peaks of the Eastern Altai and the Kurai Ridge.

We will visit the Pazyryk tract with ancient burial mounds. The burials belong to the elite of the Pazyryk society VI – III centuries BC.

Then from the observation deck, from a height of 800 m, we will admire the grandiose view of the valley of the Chulyshman River and the surrounding mountains.

Walking descent along the serpentine to the Chulyshmansky canyon - Katu-Yaryk, 3.5 km.

Day 5: The morning will begin with a boat crossing over the Chulyshman River and walking to the Kurkure waterfall, 25-30 m high.

Then get in the car and go deep into the valley of Chulyshman 30 km.

After lunch, we will take a walk along the Karasu River in the Ak-kurum tract. Here are amazing natural formations - geological remains in the form of fungi.

30 km of traffic

Day 6: Today we go along the Chushyshman Canyon and the Greater Ulagan Valley in the direction of Aktash village. On the way, we will visit the Tudan threshold on the Chulyshman River and the Kuluzun Waterfall.

Walking along the serpentine to the Chulyshmansky canyon - Katu-Yaryk, 3.5 km.

Upon arrival in the village of Aktash - a bath and a farewell fire. Exchange of addresses and impressions.

140 km of roadlessness

Day 7: Return to Gorno-Altaisk.

Organizational details of the tour:

Start and finish: Gorno-Altaisk airport.

The route thread: Gorno-Altaisk - Askat - Chemal HPP - Patmos - Chui tract - "Majoy Canyon" - Altai Mars - Ulagan tract - Kurkure waterfall - Stone mushrooms - Tudan threshold - Aktash - Gorno-Altaisk.

Tour format: excursion car tour with radial exits.

Difficulty of the tour: easy.

Age restriction: from 6 to 70 years. The tour is not recommended for children under 6 years of age due to the intensive program and long journeys. However, if you think your child is ready for such a journey physically and emotionally, you can take them on tour.

Group size: The tour will take place when recruiting a group of 4 people. The maximum number of participants in the group is 10 people.

Transportation: SsangYong Istana

The length of the motor part of the route: 1250 km, of which 310 km off-road.

The tour price does not include:

• Tickets to the meeting place Gorno-Altaisk
• Meals in the cafe, average check 400-450p.
• Insurance against tick bite (May - June).

Food: Not included in the tour price. Meals at the cafe. The average check is 400-450 rubles. It is possible to prepare food on your own in the common kitchen at the camp.

Conditions of accommodation:
1 day - Askat village, 3 local (shower, comfortable toilet on the street)
2.3 days - Aktash village, Irbis camp, two/three local houses (shower, comfortable toilet on the street).
4.5 days - the valley of the Chulyshman River, the tourist base "Chulyshman Valley", three local houses (shower, comfortable toilet on the street).
Day 6 - Aktash village, Irbis camp, two/three local houses (shower, comfortable toilet on the street).

Accommodation options:
Triple - 38800 rubles.
Double - 43300 rubles.
Single - 47800 rubles.

What to take with you on the route:

• warm set of clothes: windscreen jacket, sweater, warm trousers or fleece suit, hat, several pairs of warm socks;
• raincoat / waterproof suit with hood;
• summer camping comfortable things (several T-shirts, shorts, trousers, socks, headdress from the sun - cap or bandana);
• shoes – comfortable, well-spent shoes or sneakers, slates or sandals for rest;
• a small backpack for things on excursions, walks (to put a jacket, a water bottle, a first aid kit, etc.);
• personal hygiene items, a small towel,
• individual first aid kit, individual medicines, in the presence of chronic diseases,
• bottle 0.5 l under water;
• sunscreen, sunglasses (high solar activity),
• swimsuit
• camera or video camera with sealed packaging,
• cash for souvenirs, other personal expenses,
• documents, passport, MHI policy,
• insurance against tick-borne encephalitis, if any,
• powerbank,
• Repellents, means of protection against ticks (the greatest activity of ticks in May and early June).

Conditions of cancellation:
100% refund - no later than 35 days before the start of the tour or within 24 hours after booking 50% refund - 34 to 16 days before the start of the tour
No return - 15 or less days before the tour starts

Other conditions:
1) The tour organizer reserves the right to change:

• the procedure for providing services without reducing their volume;
• placement of the group on the same.

2) In the Chulyshman Valley from lunch on the 4th day until lunch on the 6th there is no mobile connection and it will not always be possible to charge the phone, because electricity is supplied from the generator only in the evening. We recommend you bring a Powerbank with you.
(3) Be prepared: on the tour you will have to face the lack of usual comfort, difficult expensive, radically changing weather, but also, of course, with unearthly beauty and breathtaking impressions!

• High traffic throughout the route.
• Accommodation.
• Guide escort.
• Bath 1 time.
• Crossing the Chulyshman River.
• Payment of all recreational fees on excursions.