"Big Golden ring of Altay by car", 12 days/11 nights, 1720 euro
Tour item: PL0001
Tour type: car tour
Tour duration: 12 days/11 nights
Number of people: 4-8 people
Tour landmarks: Barnaul > Belokurikha > Shinok waterfalls > Denisova cave > Chuysky Trakt > Karakol Valley > Chike-Tama passover > Kalbak-Tash petroglyphs > Red Gates > Pazyryk burials > Katu-Yaryk passover > Stone Mushrooms > Teletskoye lake > Korbu > Ukok Princess
Dates: June, 06 – July, 07, 2013; July, 07 – July, 18, 2013; July, 21 – August, 01, 2013; August, 04 – August, 15, 2013; August, 18 – August, 29, 2013
Price: 1569 euro / 2109 dollars / 67000 rubles
Price includes:
• transfer from and to the airport
• all transfers on a comfortable off-road minibus
• 3 meals daily according to the program
• program excursions and museum tickets
• the guide’s and interpreter’s services
• boat rental on Teletskoye lake
• folk entertainment program
• all permits and licenses
• Rossgosstrakh insurance (450 000 ₱ coverage)
• Russian bath 4 times
Extra expences:
• additional charges in touristic complexes
• lunch, dinner on Day 1st; dinner on Day 11th
• strong beverages
• souvenirs
• personal expenses
You will be able to see the mummy of “The Altay Princess” found on the It is the Great round tour letting you see the most of indicative historical places of Altay and its nature diversity. You will have an opportunity to touch the mystery of “Denisova Cave”. The traces of prehistoric human life activity dated back to 300 thousand years ago were found here. Plateau Ukok; to go by boat around the Teletskoye Lake water area; to visit Karakol Valley where hundreds of archeological monuments are situated; to admire the scenery of the mountains at a height of 2000 metres; to enjoy the beauty of the biggest river of Altay Mountains – The Katun; to get acquainted with Pazyryk burial mounds (6th century BC); to take trekking to Altay waterfalls and the unique creation of nature – “Stone Mushrooms”; to be imbued with ancient culture of Altaian folk through original performers of throat singing and musicians. During the tour you go by a comfortable bus with an experienced guide and interpreter.
Tour itinerary
Day 1. Barnaul
Morning arrival in Barnaul airport. Meeting at the airport. Accommodation at the “Barnaul” hotel (double rooms). Breakfast in a café, rest. Transfer to a restaurant, lunch*. City tour. Excursion to the Altay State Local History Museum that contains collection of more than 150 thousand exhibits (the unique steam engine invented by I.I.Polzunov in 1763, numismatic and mineralogical collections, natural-science collections that represent biodiversity and natural resources of Altay). Dinner in a restaurant*.
Day 2. Altaian foothills. A resort town Belokurikha (410 km by bus)
Breakfast at the hotel. Car transfer to the Altaian foothills through Biysk till the national-famous resort Belokurikha known for its healing aeroionized air and radon waters. Lunch in a café. Excursion to the mountain Tserkovka by chairlift (801 m above the sea level). At the second part of the day – transfer to the Anuy river up to tourist complex “Iskra”. Accommodation in twin rooms with shared bathroom. Dinner in a tourist complex café.
Day 3. Waterfalls of the Shinok river (25 km by bus, 14 km on foot)
Breakfast at the tourist complex “Iskra”. A car tour to the Shinok river and Shinok waterfalls. Tourists have a ride in an off-road truck for 6 km, the rest 7 km they go on foot. After the excursion – return to the tourist complex “Iskra”. Dinner.
Day 4. Denisova cave - Chuysky Trakt (180 km by bus)
Breakfast. Excursion to the unique archeological monument of the world importance – Denisova Cave. Further transfer to the Chuysky Trakt through Ust-Kan village. Visit the local History museum of Altaian peoples. Lunch in the village. Further transfer to the valley of the Karakol river. Accommodation at the tourist complex “Karakol” in the four-bed felt yurts or ails. Facilities are on the territory. Dinner. The folk program with Kaichi’s throat singing, topshur playing and legends telling.
Day 5. Karakol Valley (60 km by bus, 1 km on foot)
Further ride to Boochi place full of archeological monuments: stellas, stone fences, Tumuli with balbals: the majority is oriented to the Uch-Enmek peak. Visit the Bashadar burial mounds. During lunch you will be able to taste traditional cuisine (Archi, Kurot cheese, Talhan). Return to the tourist complex. Dinner. Russian bath.
Day 6. Rock paintings – The Chuya river (175 km by bus)
Breakfast at the tourist complex. Drive along Chuysky Trakt up the Katun and the Chuya rivers. Passing through the Chike-Taman passover (1295 m above sea level). Further stop at the Kalbak-Tash petroglyphs (rock paintings).
Lunch at the “Chui-Oozy” café with Altaian traditional cuisine. Arrival at the ecotour complex “Kochevnik”. Accommodation in the four-bed Mongolian yurts. Facilities are on the territory. Dinner in the canteen. Russian bath.
Day 7. North-Chuysky range – Karasu waterfall (100 km by bus, 4 km on foot)
Car tour along Chuysky Trakt in the Mongolian border direction. From a huge intermountain kettle of Kurai steppe you will be able to observe an amazing view of snow peaks of the North-Chuysky range with its the highest peaks – Aktru-Bash (4075m), Karatash (3534m). Return to the tourist complex. Lunch. A walk around the tourist complex up to the picturesque waterfall Karasu. Return to the campsite. Dinner. Russian bath.
Day 8. Pass Katu-Yaryk – the Chulyshman river (190 km by bus, 3,5 km on foot)
Drive to the Chulyshman river passing the Red Gates, where the road goes through a narrow passageway between two rocks of reddish color. A tour to the Pazyryk site, where famous Scythian burial mounds are located. Crossing the picturesque Katu-Yaryk passover. That represents a serpentine road cut in the mountain slope and goes down from the height of 1200 meters. The Chulyshman Valley is one of the most beautiful places in Altay and it is included in the list of Objects of Natural World Heritage. Accommodation at an unequipped tent camp in the Chulyshman Valley. Dinner is cooked on fire.
Day 9. Stone Mushrooms (6 km on foot, by bus 60 km)
Early breakfast prepared by instructors at the fire. Radial hiking to the Karasu river and “Stone Mushrooms”. Return to the campsite, lunch. Transfer to the Teletskoye Lake to Kyrsay Cape. Accommodation on the territory of a tourist complex “Kyrsay”. Dinner. Russian bath.
Day 10. Pearl of Altay Mountains (80 km by boat)
Breakfast. Excursion along the water area of the Teletskoye lake to the northern part by boat. Visit Korbu waterfall - the most picturesque waterfall in the surroundings of the Teletskoye lake. Accommodation at “Artybash” hotel located at the Biya river source. Dinner in a cafe.
Day 11. (430 km by bus)
Breakfast. Departure for Gorno-Altaisk to visit the National museum named after G.I. Choros-Gurkin. The museum’s landmark is the mummy of “Altai Princess” found on Ukok Plateau. Further transfer to Barnaul. Lunch in a village Srostki in a café “Kalina Krasnaya”. Arrival in Barnaul, accommodation in twin rooms. Dinner in a restaurant*.
Day 12.
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport.
