The capital of Siberia and Altai mountains

Highlights

We combine in this travel Altai nature and Novosibirsk city tour. The tour been designed to show the most interesting and memorable points of the Altai without losing comfortable accommodations. Visit Altai mountains. Enjoy Altai nature, that have collected many amazing and wonderful places. We will show these places to you.
Be amazed of Altai nature.

Itinerary

Day 1. Novosibirsk

In the evening, you'll land in Novosibirsk airport. Our guide will meet you at the airport and drive to the hotel.

Day 2. Novosibirsk — Belokurikha

Novosibirsk is the third largest Russian city, and is called “The capital of Siberia”. In the morning you'll have short (about 2 hours) Novosibirsk sightseeing tour. After that we start our travel to Altai Mountains. The road will take about 6 hours by bus. That night you'll stay in a 3 stars hotel.

Day 3. Belokurikha — Chemal

At the morning you'll have breakfast and after that, we'll drive you along the beautiful hairpin bend roads of Altai making a few stops on the viewpoints (the most interesting are "Rocky mountains", and Worship Cross (Christian shrine on a high rock)). Next point will be the Andreevka village (historical and architectural complex, where you'll have a masterclass of traditional Russian blacksmithing. It will be held by the only female-blacksmith in Russia. After the masterclass we'll drive you to the Chemal district (the road will take about 2 hours). Today you'll stay in a hotel near Ust-Sema village in a double/twin room with a toilet and shower indoor.

Day 4. Chemal

After breakfast, you'll have an excursion to the Chemal area, where you'll visit the picturesque Island of Patmos and walk along the Goat trail. Then we'll drive you to the place called Chech-Kysh, where will be able to see drawings of prehistoric rock art and visit the viewpoint of the Katun river valley. At the evening you'll visit the Altai ethnic Museum "Arrow" with a gift shop inside. This night you'll stay in the same hotel. Drive distance: 100 kilometers.

Day 5. Chemal - Chuya highway - Aktash

We are setting off for Chuya highway. Today you'll see 2 mountain passes:
Seminsky mountain crossing-the highest one in Gorny Altai,
Chike-Taman mountain crossing (it isn’t as high as Seminsky mountain-crossing, although the landscapes, revealed from there are much more impressive). Then, we will make a stop to look at The Chuya and Katun’s confluence (big rivers of Altai Mountains). A lot of people consider it the most beautiful place on Chuya highway. Not far from the confluence is a place called Kalbak-tash. There you'll have an excursion and learn about the rock art of the ancient humans, who inhabited this part of Siberia thousands of years ago, that since remain unchanged. Among these pictures there is a map of the starry arch and water lens, which was used as primitive telescope; the calendar, displaying the main celestial events of the year (the days of solstice etc.);the notion of the ancients about the world order – the diagram of the world, hell and paradise. This night you'll stay in a hotel near Aktash village that does not have a category in a double/twin room with a toilet and shower inside. Drive distance: 350 kilometers.

Day 6 (Summer option). Aktash - Katu-Yaruk pass - Aktash

After an early breakfast at the hotel, you'll have a roundtrip to the Katu-Yaruk pass (Drive distance each way: 100 kilometers.). A road to the pass goes through the Ulagan Plateau, where many beautiful lakes are placed. Katu Yaruk is the most scenic pass in Altai. From the pass, you'll see the canyon of the Chulyshman river, the Karasuu waterfall. On top of the pass you'll have lunch and after that, we will drive you back to the hotel near Aktash village. The approximate time of arrival to the hotel is 6 - 7 p.m.

Day 6 (October and November option). Eshtykol plateau

Using 4wd off-road car we'll drive you to the Eshtykol plateau, there you'll have a picnic.
We’ll spend the night at the same hotel near Aktash village.
Drive distance: 170 kilometers.

Day 7. Aktash area

The program of the day will start with visiting Geyser lake, which surface is decorated with colourful moving circles. After that, there will be a transfer to Kurai steppe and a panorama of the snowy peaks of the North-Chuya range. Then you’ll visit the unique Kyzyl Chin – colored mountains, which are rightfully called Martian because of bright red and bright yellow and green clay, covering its sides. As an extra option, in the evening we can offer you a concert of Altai throat singer. We’ll spend the night at the same hotel near Aktash village. Drive distance: 170 kilometers.

Day 8. Aktash - Chuya highway - Chemal

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we will start a return trip along Chuya highway. During the trip, we'll turn off the road and visit: Ilgumen rapids. Rapids are the places of riverbed rocks and water power’s battle, which began hundreds of thousands years ago and still continues. The cliffs cut the water making it «boil», seethe, whirl, producing deadly swirls. This night you'll stay in a hotel that does not have a category in a double/twin room with a toilet and shower inside. Drive distance: 370 kilometers.

Day 9. Chemal

This morning you'll have a free time. After the lunch you'll check out from the hotel and drive to the Biisk. In Gorno-Altaisk will be making a stop, where you'll visit the Anokhin Museum of Gorno-Altaisk with the exhibition of the mummy of the Altai Princess and many other interesting showpieces. In the evening you'll have a train from Biisk to Novosibirsk. In the train group riding without a guide.

Day 10. Novosibirsk

Early morning you'll arrive to the Novosibirsk railway station. Our guide will meet you near a train car and drive you to the hotel, where you'll leave luggage and get a breakfast. After that we'll show you Novosibirsk city center, where you'll see:

• Square of Revolution.
• The center of Novosibirsk and its main sight is the Opera and Ballet Theater. It is the biggest theater in Russia and it’s fascinating. There wasn’t enough space in Bolshoy Theater in Moscow for the staging of the Opera and Ballet Theater - the stage appeared to be smaller.
• Lenin square.
• The Chapel of St Nicholas — the geographical center of Russia.
• A Monument to the Heroes of the Revolution (memorial of the Soviet time).
• The Monument of the Bridge is the real old rail bridge span.
• Locomotive museum. Locomotives of different eras, the Royal carriages, etc. are placed here.

About 7 p.m. we'll drive you the hotel there you'll have time to get a rest.
Most likely, later at the night you'll have a back flight. So, we'll drive you to the airport 3 hours before departure.

The cost includes:

• Transfer (except flight),
• tour-guide services,
• 3 meals a day,
• accommodation,
• museum visit,
• visa invitation