City tour of Elista - the highlights of this tour include: 

• The Golden Abode of the Buddha Shakyamuni – this is the main Buddhist temple in the city. It was built on a site blessed by the 14th Dalai Lama when he visited Elista in 2004. Surrounding the temple are 108 pure–white stupas, 17 padogas with statues of Buddhist teachers and four prayer wheels. The 12-metre statue of the Buddha here is the tallest in Europe. Religious items were placed inside the statue, including mantras, incense, valuable, handfuls of land from around the republic, and plants and grains which grow in Kalmykia. It is coated in gold leaf and incrusted with diamonds.
• Golden Gates - traditional Buddhist style gates. The arch represents the main entrance and symbolises a holy threshold, kindness, wellbeing, a new beginning, strength and power. Walking through the Golden Gates and entering Elista is said to cleanse your soul and set you on a spiritual journey to purity and long life. People make wishes here to the sound of bells.
• Exodus and Return Monument – this monument is dedicated to the Kalmyks who were deported to Siberia en mass in 1946 and other victims of political repression. It is the work of sculptor Ernst Neizvestny and was unveiled in 1996.
• Chess City - it was the idea of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who was simultaneously the president of Kalmykia and FIDE, to create a centre of chess in Elista to hold the 33rd Chess Olympiad in 1998. The Olympiad took place at the Chess City which includes cottages, hotels and even a Chess Palace, all of which remain today.
• Khar-Buluksky Springs - Khar-Buluk translates at clean spring and is located close to a single poplar tree. One tree, one spring and the seemingly endless Kalmyk steppe. There is a legend that this tree was planted by the monk Purdash-bagshi who brought it back from his trip to visit the Dalai Lama in Tibet. Kalmyk Buddhists consider the poplar to be a holy tree and pray and meditate under it. It is thought to be over 100 years old and stands at around 35 metres. Each year you can observe how older people come to pray at the tree and ask it for protection, for rain, for a plentiful harvest, for a good year; they leave coins here, light lamps and tie ribbons to the tree's branches.

  During the excursion you will try national Kalmyk cuisine - Kalmyk cuisine features meat (lamb is the meat of choice, but pork is also eaten), dough and dairy products. The Kalmyks especially favour fatty, high-calorific food as their ancestors required such food as nomads travelling around the steppe.  

 Duration: 4-5 hours |  Transportation: by a private car

 Night in Elista.

 Pink Salt Lakes - this salt lake is pink due to the artemia salina brine shrimp that live here and leave a pink tint as they die. However, legend explains its colour by the Kalmyk warriors who would bathe here after the battle to heal their open wounds - their blood leaving the salt pink.  

• Astrakhan Kremlin – an outstanding monument of ancient Russian architecture which was built and added to over four centuries. The construction of the stone Kremlin was began during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and continued under Boris Godunov. The project was overseen by masters from Moscow. It was specially built so that it was protected on all sides: in the north-west, there is the Volga, in the east the River Kutum and in the south, there were originally deep bogs. The relief determined the form of the kremlin and the position of its fortifications. The highest and strongest walls and towers were built at especially strategic points.
• Dormition Cathedral - this enormous cathedral rises above the whole city and is visible from many points. It was built in 1710 and is one of the best examples of the Moscow baroque style. In structure, it follows the traditional ancient-Russian style with a straight-edged cubic form. It is topped with five gold-coated domes with crosses standing on small dome drums.
• Tetyushinov House - this house, dating from 1872, is a unique example of Russian wooden architecture. The use of traditional forms of Russian architecture and elaborate wooden carvings have created a ‘terem’ building resembling something out of a Russian fairy tale.
• Gubin House – this is one of the best examples of a house belonging to the city's merchant class, it was once owned by the successful timber merchant Aleksandr Gubin. It was built in an eclectic style (partly baroque) and its modern-style facade features sculptures and repoussage.
• Exchange Built – this excellent building was built at the beginning of the 20th century in the modern style with elements of constructivism.
• Astrakhan Embankment – this embankment runs for 3km along the Volga. It is a favourite place for strolling along for both locals and visitors. On the route there are several fountains and the most popular is the Petrovsky Fountain which is named in honour of Peter the Great and where a musical display is held each evening.
• Selenskie Isady Fish Market – this is one of the many centres for the trade-in locally caught fish. You can find here all delicacies which the area is famous for: sturgeon, sterlet, beluga, catfish, pike, roach and sablefish. Of course, you can also buy black caviar here, but remember to keep the receipt to be able to confirm at customs that you have bought it legally.

 Duration: 3h |   Transportation: by a private car

 Transfer to the Sturgeon Farm.

 Distance: 60km

 Guided tour around the Sturgeon farm. 

  Sturgeon is considered a royal fish and are extremely valuable. Sturgeon caviar is indeed worth its weight in gold. At present practically all forms of industrial fishing of wild sturgeon, including for caviar, has been banned. Helping the population of sturgeons to recover are specialised farms which breed Russian and beluga sturgeons and produce caviar. Today the Astrakhan Region is one of the world’s leaders in farming sturgeons. Annually the farms in the region release millions of sturgeon fry, bred in captivity, into the Caspian. On this excursion, you will learn about the fish and gain an insight into the unique methods of breeding and raising them and see for yourself live sturgeons and beluga.

 Duration: 3-4 h |   Transportation: by private car

 Transfer to the Volga Delta.

 Distance: 65km

  Excursion around Volga Delta by boat.

  Volga Delta – is the largest delta by area in Europe; it begins 45km from Astrakhan and consists of over 500 branches and streams. In the last few centuries, the delta has increased in size. It is an unbelievably beautiful place with its mix of meadows, deserts, forests, reeds, lotuses, lakes, islands and sand dunes. The wildlife found here is just as varied – pink and Dalmatian pelicans, cormorants, pheasants, swans, Caspian seals, wild boar, antelopes and saiga, plus an addition 280 species of birds.

  In the waters of the delta, there are over 70 species of fish, including famous species of sturgeon – Russian, sterlet, starry (sevruga) and beluga sturgeons. Anglers from all over Russia come to Astrakhan and the Volga Delta, which for centuries has been considered the fishing capital of the country.

 Duration: 8h   Transportation: by private car and boat

 Night in Astrakhan.