Journey along the Chuysky tract

Day 1 National Museum of the Altai Republic

You will be met at the airport and taken to the city center, where you will have breakfast in a cafe. Then you will have a short sightseeing tour of Barnaul, and after it you will move to lake Teletskoye, that is considered to be "the pearl of the Altai Mountains". It is one of the fifth deepest lakes in Russia (325 m).

On the way you will stop in the village of Srostki. It is a birthplace of the famous Russian writer and actor Vasily Shukshin. In Gorno-Altaysk you will visit the National Museum. One of its main exhibits is the mummy of the "Altai Princess" found on the Ukok plateau. The sarcophagus with the mummy is open on a certain schedule of the museum. 

After lunch you will arrive to lake Teletskoye, stay in hotel and have dinner in the restaurant.

The length of the route is 430 km by minibus.

Day 2 Hunting hut Kono

Today you will ride a snowmobiles or ATVs to the hunting hut Kono located in a deaf taiga. Accompanied by an instructor, you will go along the old forest roads to a cozy cedar house, where the hospitable hosts will treat you with taiga herbal tea. 

After the tour you will return to the hotel and have lunch. Then, if desired, you can take a short walk to the top of the observation point at Tilan-Tuu Mount or to the Silver spring. In 1839 it was consecrated by the monk Makarios Nevsky who was the founder of the Orthodox mission in Altai. The spring water is enriched with silver ions and has healing properties.

A 500-year-old cedar grows in a grove near the spring and shares its power with anyone who tries to embrace its powerful trunk. To embrace it entirely, you need at least 4 people.

In the evening you will return to the hotel, have dinner, and then you can relax in the Russian banya.

The length of the route is 30 km by snowmobile/ATV, 2 km on foot.

Day 3 "Manzherok" Ski resort

After breakfast you will move to the Katun river valley. On the way, you will stop in the village of Manzherok, where the same called lake and a ski resort are located. You will rise with a cableway to Mount Sinyukha. From the height you will see a beautiful panorama of the Katun river valley and lake Manzherok. If you want you can go skiing or snowboarding at the ski resort (extra charge). 

You will have lunch in a cafe, and then will move to the village of Uznezya. There you will stay in comfortable hotel rooms, have dinner and relax. 

The length of the route is 250 km by minibus.

Day 4 Blue Lakes

After breakfast you will move to the picturesque mountain Chemal village. Here you will have a sightseeing tour to Chemalskaya hydropower plant, built in 1935.

Following the "goat trail" along the Katun river, you will reach the steep rocky island of Patmos, where the female skete of the Barnaul Znamensky monastery is located. The island is connected to the river bank by a long suspension bridge. An image of the Virgin and Child is carved in the rock near the temple.

After lunch you will go to the Blue lakes. They are changeable (disappear during the flood of the Katun river) and are formed as a result of the decline in the water level of the river. Lakes do not freeze in winter. The cold powerful springs hits at the bottom of the river. They give so much water that the lake does not freeze at 40 degrees (Celsius) below zero. The bravest can go swimming here. Then you will return to the hotel, have dinner and rest.

The length of the route is 60 km by minibus, 4 km on foot.

Day 5 Along the Chuysky tract

After breakfast you will travel along the ancient trade route — the Chuysky tract. You will overcome the highest point of the tract —Seminsky mountain pass (1739 m above the sea level) and the picturesque serpentine type Chiket-Aman pass (1295 m above sea level), Also you will see the ancient the ancient tombs of the Turks and the so called "stone women" guarding their peace.

Ar midday you will have lunch in a cafe of national Altai cuisine. Then you will visit Kalbak-Tash Hole, It is a large natural complex with ancient rock paintings. There are more than 5 000 petroglyphs carved with stone or metal tools by ancient people.

In the evening you will arrive to Aktash village, stay in hotel and have dinner. 

In the program with the arrival on January 3, 2021 instead of visiting Kalbak-Tash Hole, you will go to the bison kennel in the village of Kamlak, In the evening you will stay at "Barskaya Usadba" hotel located in in the village of Ongudai.

The length of the route is 240 km by minibus (180 km in the program with the arrival on January 3, 2021).

Day 6 Geyser lake

After breakfast you will enjoy a tour of the Ulagan district. First you will walk to the picturesque Geyser lake, which does not freeze even in winter and has an amazing turquoise color. From time to time geysers come to life  at the bottom of the lake, throwing to the surface a mixture of bluish clay and sand.

Next you will continue the way and pass the "Red gate". It is a monument of nature, where the road passes in a narrow place between two rocks of a reddish color. Then you will see Chёybekkol (Dead) and Uzunkёl (Live), filled with plenty of fish. You will reach the Ulagan pass (2080 m) and return to the Chuysky tract.

After lunch in Aktash village you will head along the Chuysky tract towards the Mongolian border. From the huge intermountain basin of the Kurai steppe you will have a magnificent view of the highest peaks of the North-Chuisky ridge: Actry-Bash (4075 m) and Karatash (3534 m). Here is a great place to shoot the sunset over the snowy peaks of the mountains. After that you will return to the hotel, have dinner and relax.

In the program with the arrival on January 3, 2021 you will first pass through the picturesque Chiket-Aman pass (1295 m above sea level), will see the ancient tombs of the Turks and the so called "stone women" guarding their peace, and visit Kalbak-Tash Hole. After that, you will go on a tour of the Ulagan district with a walk to the Geyser lake, lunch in the village of Aktash and then will head along the Chuysky tract towards the Mongolian border In the evening, you will return to the hotel in Ongudai village and have dinner.

The length of the route is 2 km on foot and 180 km by minibus (360 km in the program with the arrival on January 3, 2021).

Day 7 The Arzhan-Suu spring

After breakfast you will go back to Barnaul. On the way you will visit the Arzhan-Suu spring. Its water is saturated with silver, copper and other mineral impurities, so it can be stored for a long time and improves metabolic processes in the body. Next to the spring there is a large Bazaar where you can buy a variety of souvenirs and local products. 

After lunch in the cafe you will continue travelling to Barnaul. You will arrive to the city around 7 pm and stay in the hotel.

The length of the route is 610 km by minibus.

Day 8 Departure

In the morning you will have breakfast after that you will be taken to Barnaul airport.