Caucasus sightseeing tour

Day 1 The Sarykum dune and Sulak canyon

After meeting at Makhachkala airport you will go to the Sarykum Barchan. This is the largest dune in Europe and the third largest in the world: its height reaches 250 m. The dune is a part of the Dagestan Reserve and is considered a natural monument with unique flora and fauna. Here you can meet rare and endangered species of plants and birds listed in the IUCN Red List of Russia and Dagestan.

Then you will be taken to the Sulak Canyon, the largest in Russia and one of the deepest in the world. Its length is 53 km and its depth reaches 1920 m. You will stop at the viewpoint, enjoy the panorama, and drink tea.

Then you will move to Stary Zubutli village. Here you will take a boat trip along the mouth of Sulak River. 

In the evening you will arrive at Dubki village, where you will stay in a hotel, have dinner and rest.

Day 2 The Gimri Gorge and Mountain Dagestan plateaus 

After breakfast at the hotel, you will go to the mountainous part of Dagestan. Passing through the longest tunnel in Russia, you will get to the Gimrinsky Gorge. Visit Gimrinsky Tower, built in the 19th century to defend the nearby village. The guide will tell you what happened in these places during the Caucasian War. 

The next stop is the viewpoint of the Irganay reservoir, the second largest in Dagestan. Here you will have a picnic and admire the emerald water surface.

Then you will explore the Khunzakh plateau and Tobot waterfall, one of the largest and most powerful in this part of Dagestan. It falls into the gorge from 100 m height.

You will also visit the Matlas plateau. This is one of the most picturesque places in Dagestan, located at 1800 m altitude. Numerous canyons, waterfalls, and mountain lakes make the landscape especially beautiful.

Afterward, you will hike through the Kamennaya Chasha (Rus. for Stone Bowl) gorge. It is a stone hall system with narrow passages decorated with mosses and mountain flowers.

Lunch will take place on the shore of Mochoh Lake, located between two ridges. Then you will go to the tourist base in Chalda village. The day will be finished with a delicious dinner of Dagestani meals.

You will spend the night in a guest house in Chalda village.

Day 3 The Saltinsky waterfall and Gamsutl ghost aul

In the morning after breakfast, you will go to the Saltinsky waterfall. This is the only underground waterfall in Russia. It is formed by the Saltinka River, which falls through an almost perfectly round hole inside the gorge.

Then you will visit the Gamsutl ghost aul, called the Dagestani Machu Picchu. It is located on the mountain crest at 1500 m altitude above sea level. You will hike up to the aul on foot and walk along its ancient streets: look at the stone arches and inscriptions in Arabic carved on the stones. The guide will introduce you to the centuries-old settlement history, which the last inhabitant left in 2015.

Coming back down, you will have lunch in the guest house of Gunib village. Caucasian cuisine will be on the menu. Then you will be transferred to the guest house and have dinner.

Day 4 The Karadakh Gorge and Stary Goor aul

After breakfast at the hotel, you will go to the Karadakh Gorge, spread over more than half a kilometer. The depth of the gorge is about 170 m. In some parts, the high vaults are practically close together and huge stone boulders rise overhead.

Then you will move to Stary Goor aul, located on the edge of the abyss. A resident will give you a tour and introduce you to the history of the settlement. Everyone can take photos on the Dagestani Trolltunga, a rocky ledge above the 100-m abyss.

Afterward, you will move to Makhachkala, where you will check in at a hotel, have dinner and rest.

Day 5 Derbent

Today you will get acquainted with the sights of  Derbent, the oldest city in Russia.

First, you will take a look at the Lun-class ekranoplan, a unique military development of the USSR times, a hybrid of a sea vessel and an airplane. Now it is an exhibit of the open-air museum on the Caspian Sea shore.

Then you will be taken on a tour of the ancient fortress Naryn-Kala. This is the main attraction of Derbent, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fortress walls offer a magnificent panorama of the ancient city and the coast of the Caspian Sea.

Coming from the fortress, you will visit Juma Mosque, the oldest mosque in Russia, built in the late XIV century.

You will have lunch at the guest house and then will be taken to the airport of Makhachkala.