Experiences you'll have
You will travel to the heart of Altai – the Uymon valley. This unique mountainous area has been the center of nomadic culture and great migrations since ancient times. This is where the Russian artist, philosopher and scientist Nikolai Roerich went on his expedition in 1926. He believed that a city of the future should be built here and that a new civilization would begin to blossom here.
This tour is suitable for tourists with children and for those who enjoy comfortable sightseeing.
You will stay in a cozy eco-hotel located in a picturesque spot at the place of confluence of two Altai mountain rivers — the Katun and the Koksa Rivers. Every day you will enjoy light hiking in the mountains, picnics in nature and excursions with immersion in local culture.
During this trip you will:
We accept bookings for groups of 6 or more
The route passes in the border area of the Russian Federation. For foreign citizens, including citizens of the CIS, it is necessary to issue a border pass. You need to submit the documents for it 40-45 days before the start of the tour.
Special family offer: when purchasing the tour for two adults staying in the rooms of "Standard" or "Studio" category, participation of one child under 12 years old is free.
Itinerary
The journey begins in Gorno-Altaisk, where you should get to on your own on the first day of the program by 10 am. We are ready to assist with the purchase of tickets. If necessary, leave a comment in the application.
Day 1 Arrival in Ust-Koksa village
After meeting at the Gorno-Altaisk airport you will be transferred by minibus to Ust-Koksa village (extra charge). The road goes first along the famous Chuysky tract among the rocky ridges of the Altai Mountains, and then along the Kansk steppe to the Uymon valley.
Ust-Koksa is a village founded in 1807 at the confluence of the Katun and Koksa rivers. Near the village, at the foot of the Terektin range, there are burial mounds of the Scythian period (VIII-V centuries BC) and two mounds of the Afanasyev culture (IV-III centuries BC).
Upon arrival to the village of Ust-Koksa you will be accommodated in an eco-hotel, have dinner and rest.
The route length is 375 km by minibus.
Day 2 Meeting the herbalist
Today you will get acquainted with the medicinal flora of the Altai. After breakfast you will have a meeting with the local herbalist. You will study herbs in nature, listen to the stories about their medicinal properties and their application in life and medicine.
Under the herbalist's guidance you will gather herbs for tea and learn the basic rules of survival in the wilderness. Then you will have an open-air picnic: you will taste traditional Siberian tea brewed on fire with flatbread made on the hot stones.
By the evening you will come back to the hotel in Ust-Koksa, where you will have dinner.
The route length is 50 km by car, 2 km by foot.
Day 3 Excursion to the Verkhny Uymon village
A rich excursion program awaits you today. After breakfast you will visit the memorial museum of Nikolai Roerich. It was created on the territory of V. S. Atamanov's manor built at the end of the XIX century. Here the participants of the famous Central Asian Roerich Expedition stayed in August of 1926. This was the center of expedition activity in Altai.
After that you are going to have an excursion to the Old Believers’ Museum. You will get acquainted with its founder Raisa Kuchuganova. She will tell you everything about the Russian Old Believers’ culture and traditions. You will learn about the structure of their izba (Rus. for “village house”) and ways of cooking traditional dishes of old believers' cuisine with the use of wild plants.
Then you will travel to the village of Bashtala, where you will visit the Museum of the Sun. It was created by a Novosibirsk woodcarving enthusiast. The exposition of the museum includes depictions of the Sun in different variations. Works of masters from all around the world, including children, can be found here. The creator of the museum will give a tour, during which he will play different musical instruments.
At the end of the tour you will go back to the hotel in Ust-Koksa village and have dinner. In the evening you can take a walk to the picturesque place of the confluence of the Katun and the Koksa Rivers. The boundary of the rivers is clearly seen, as the Koksa is blue and the Katun is turquoise.
The route length is 36 km by car, 1-2 km by foot.
Day 4 Altayka Mountain climbing
Today you are going to have a short hike to the top of Altayka Mountain (1500 m high). It is located on the southern slope of Terektinsky ridge, just above Ust-Koksa village. The ascent is not difficult and goes entirely along the road.
The top of Altayka Mount offers a magnificent view of the whole Uymon valley and the confluence of the Katun and Koksa rivers. When the weather is good, you can see the Katunsky Mountain Range with its highest point – the Belukha Mountain (4509 m).
You will have a picnic on the route and return to the hotel for dinner.
The route length is 8 km by foot.
Day 5 Trip to the Multinskiye lakes
Today you will travel to the beautiful Multinskiye lakes. You will be taken from Ust-Koksa to Multa village, where you will board a UAZ or GAZ-66 cross-country vehicles and drive up to Nizhneye (Rus. for “Lower”) Multinskoye lake. It is located at an altitude of 1710 meters. The length of the lake is 2370 meters, the width is 900 meters.
Then you will take a walk to a picturesque place where Middle and Lower Multinskiye lakes join and have a picnic on the shore. By evening you will return to the hotel in Ust-Koksa and have dinner.
The route length is 115 km by auto, 7 km by foot.
Day 6 Route to Tyungur village
This day you will travel to Tyungur village. This is the starting point of all hiking and mountaineering routes to the highest peak of Siberia — the Belukha Mountain.
Its name is translated from the Oirotic language as "three-headed". In reality, though, the mountain has two peaks in the form of irregular pyramids — Western and Eastern Belukha (4440 m and 4506 m), with a saddle between them. The peak of the Belukha is covered with sparkling snow and glaciers almost completely, which feed Katun, the "mistress of Altai" — the largest and most beautiful river in the Altai Mountains.
You will walk around the village and make beautiful pictures of the Belukha if the weather is good.
The route length is 120 km by car, 5 km by foot.
Day 7 Walking along the Mayak Mountain
In the first half of the day you will set out to the viewing place on the Mayak (Rus. for “Lighthouse”) Mountain. You will be able to enjoy a new perspective of the Uymon valley panorama from the its top.
You will have lunch at the hotel and drive to Gorno-Altaisk. You will arrive to the city by 8 pm and check-in at the hotel (transfer and hotel accommodation are extra payable).
The route length is about 375 km by bus and 8 km by foot.
Day 8 Return home
You will get to the airport of Gorno-Altaisk on your own and return home.
Accommodation during the trip
During this trip you will stay at the eco-hotel "Altair" 3* in the Ust-Koksa village. It is located in one of the most beautiful areas of Altai, on the glade between two mountain ranges, at the confluence of the Katun and Koksa rivers. There is a summer cafe and a sauna (extra charge) on the territory of the complex.
The price of the program includes accommodation in economy rooms for 2-3 people. There are three single beds or one double bed, and the room area is 13-15 square meters. There is one bathroom with a shower per three rooms. Rooms are located on the second floor of a log house, and the windows overlook the forest.
You can choose more comfortable accommodation in Standard or Studio double rooms for an extra charge if you wish.
Standard rooms have an area of 17.5 square meters and are located in a wooden cottage with a mountain view. There are double or twin beds, two bedside tables, a desk, coat rack, a dresser, kettle, tea set, TV, bathroom with shower cabin and hairdryer. The surcharge to the cost of the tour is:
Studio rooms of 30 square meters are located in a wooden cottage with a view of the forest and the mountains. There are double beds or two single beds, one additional folding bed, two bedside tables, a table, hanger, dresser, kettle, tea set, TV set and a bathroom with a shower cabin and hairdryer. The surcharge to the cost of the tour is:
The final night before your departure you will spend in a hotel in Gorno-Altaisk (extra charge). We recommend staying in the "Lyubimy" (Maima village) or "Igman" (Gorno-Altaisk) hotels.
Common questions
An experienced guide will be with you throughout the tour. You will travel with local herbalists to gather medicinal herbs.
The cost of the tour includes three meals a day, except meals on the way from Gorno-Altaisk to Ust-Koksa. You will have breakfast and dinner in the cafe on the territory of the tourist complex, and during the day tours you will have open-air picnics.
A paid transfer from Gorno-Altaisk airport to Ust-Koksa and back will be organized for 5000 rubles per person (around 58 EURO)
Note: the drive to Ust-Koksa includes long sections of gravel road with big potholes. The road has not been repaired for many years, so the drive turns out to be quite difficult and tedious. The road also goes through 4 mountain passes, and during the ascent, the bus driver turns the air conditioning off to reduce the load on the engine in order to clear the pass safely. Please keep these factors in mind when planning your trip.
If you want to significantly reduce the time on the road or are not ready for a rather complicated bus drive, we advise you to get from Gorno-Altaisk to Ust-Koksa and back by plane. You can book tickets by yourself at the airline's website (costs from 3000 rubles per person round trip, flight time – 1 hour). At Ust-Koksa airport you will be met and taken to the "Altair" base.
When purchasing the tour for one adult and one child under 12, you get a 10% discount for the child’s participation with accommodation in any category of a room.
When purchasing the tour for two adults staying in the rooms of "Standard" or "Studio" category, participation of one child under 12 years old is free.
Booking
Accommodation during the trip
Languages
accommodation in an eco-hotel (double/triple rooms of "Economy" category)
breakfasts, lunches and dinners (except meals on the route)
transfers as per program
excursions as per programs
guides and interpreting services
entrance tickets to museums
air tickets to Gorno-Altaisk (starting at 138 EURO for a round-trip)
single accommodation in the Economy room (+85 EURO per person)
alternative accommodation option (see details in the "Accommodation" section)
transfer to Ust-Koksa from Gorno-Altaisk and back (+60 EURO per person)
Russian sauna (+12 EURO per hour for group up to 10 persons)
hotel accommodation in Gorno-Altaisk on the final day of the program
accommodation in an eco-hotel (double/triple rooms of "Economy" category)
breakfasts, lunches and dinners (except meals on the route)
transfers as per program
excursions as per programs
guides and interpreting services
entrance tickets to museums
air tickets to Gorno-Altaisk (starting at 138 EURO for a round-trip)
single accommodation in the Economy room (+85 EURO per person)
alternative accommodation option (see details in the "Accommodation" section)
transfer to Ust-Koksa from Gorno-Altaisk and back (+60 EURO per person)
Russian sauna (+12 EURO per hour for group up to 10 persons)
hotel accommodation in Gorno-Altaisk on the final day of the program