During this 8-day self-guided tour to the Altai Mountains, you will see all of the main tourist sights of the area and cover 900km.  We have prepared this tour along the Chuisky Highway - one of the most scenic roads in the world. You will pass through three mountain passes, cross many bridges and visit lots of sights, both popular must-see tourist places and some other places still hidden away from most visitors.  You will then cross Lake Teletskoe from south to north and head for Biysk, where the Chuisky Highway begins and your tour ends.  From here it is possible to continue the tour to Barnaul, Novokuznetsk or even to Novosibirsk to catch a train on the Trans-Siberian.

  Mountainous Altai (as the Altai Republic is often called to distinguish it from the Altai Territory) is one of the most beautiful parts of Russia - often compared to the Alps and even called the Russian Switzerland. The mountains here consist of several of the highest ranges in Siberia, separated by deep river valleys and vast basins. The Russia state borders with Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan are also located here.

  The Altaisky and the Katunsky nature reserves, Lake Teletskoe, Mount Belukha and the Ukok Plateau make up the Golden Mountains of Altai UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the terrain changes from steppe, forest-steppe, mixed coniferous forest, sub-alpine and finally spine.

  You can combine this tour with a trip on the Trans-Siberian or the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM).

1 DAY / GORNO - ALTAISK - CHEMAL

 Arrival in Gorno-Altaisk. Transfer to Chemal.

Distance: 85km

  The route will take you along the Chemalsky Highway, one of the most picturesque roads in the world, next to the River Katun - the main river in Altai. To your left you will see views of the Manzhigan Mountain Range which extends for around 20km. Its name translates as “winding tracks”. On the way to Chemal you will pass through several settlements each picturesque in their own way and located among beautiful surroundings.

  When travelling through the village of Elekmonar you can visit the Paleopark - a museum with a collection of skeletons and models of animals from the ice age, and various minerals found in Altai.

 Night in Chemal.

2 DAY / CHEMAL

 Breakfast at the hotel.

 Day for exploring Chemal. 

•   Chemal - one of the most visited places in Altai. This village is surrounded by the valley of the same name, formed by the Iolgo and Seliminsky ranges. In the neighbouring village, there are Mount Verblyud (930m) and Mount Krestovaya (1335m)
•   Patmos Island - this island got its name in honour of the Greek island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea.  On this Altai Patmos there is a convent and a church consecrated to John the Apostle.  The only way to get to the island is via a pedestrian suspension bridge 15 metres above the River Katun.  The bridge moves as people are walking across it and many people are too scared to cross. 
•   Chemalskaya Hydro-Electric Station - this is the main manmade sight in the area. It is located on the confluence of the rivers Katun and Chemal to the south of the village of Chemal. From the dam you can enjoy spectacular views of the reservoir and the water outlet.
•   Confluence of the Chemal and Katun - this is a picture-postcard beautiful sight that is a must for anyone visiting Chemal as the transparent Chemal flows into the opaque turquoise waters of the Katun.

 Night in Chemal.

3 DAY / CHEMAL - KARAKOL VALLEY

 Breakfast at the hotel.

 Transfer to the Karakol Valley.

On this day you will travel 172km along the Chuisky Highway. It follows an ancient route from Siberia into Asia, and in the beginning of the 19th century a bustling trade between Russia and Mongolia developed here. For the whole stretch of the road, the view out of your window will change as you progress through various natural zones. 

 Seminsky Mountain Pass - at 1717 metres above sea level this is one of the highest mountain passes on the whole of the Chuisky Highway. The highest point is located at the treeline where the forest meets sub-alpine meadows with small tundra plants. It is always windy at the pass and the weather can change very quickly. In winter blizzards are frequent and snowdrifts form.

Dinner. 

Russian Banya.

 Night in tourist base in the Karakol Valley.

4 DAY / KARAKOL VALLEY

 Breakfast at the hotel.

A day in the Karakol Valley. You can trek around the valley or ride a horse to better explore the place. There is a nice museum in Kulada village, which has a collection of rarities from various eras depicting the life of nomads who lived here and the associated Pazyryk culture. 

Lunch

 Karakol Valley - this valley is formed by the River Karakol and from all sides, it is protected by high mountains. It is considered a holy place for the Altai people and around 5000 various cultural, historical and architectural monuments have been discovered here: petroglyphs, stone pillars known as ‘balbal’ and other stone obelisks which are thought to have served as altars for various peoples, including the Scythians and other Turkic tribes (known as the Karakol and Afanasievo cultures). 

Dinner.

Russian Banya.

 Night in tourist base in the Karakol Valley.

5 DAY / KARAKOL VALLEY - AKTASH

 Breakfast at the hotel.

 Transfer along the Chuisky Highway to Ulagan village.

Distance: 225km

 On the route to Ulagan you will pass a stunning section of the Chuisky Highway.

• Chike Taman Mountain Pass - the name translates as “flat sole” and it runs for 11km, with an ascent longer than the decline. It is 1295 metres above sea level, lower than Seminsky Mountain Pass, but it feels higher due to the steepness of the slope. The pass has been cut out of a mass of granite and forms a winding road with lots of twists and turns. It crosses a north-eastern ridge of the Terektinsky Mountain Range between massive upwards-pointing rocks on one side and a sheer drop on the other.
• Katunskin Terraces (Bomy) - these sheer cliffs are formed by rivers. Starting at the 683rd kilometre of the highway and lasting for 12km, the road meanders between massive rocks, sometimes rising up to 200m high, and a sheer drop down to the rapid waters of the Katun.
• Confluence of the Chuya and Katun - another truely stunning place on the Chuisky Highway. From a high vantage point (the equivalent of standing on top of a nine-storey building), you will enjoy this spectacular view of the Chuya flowing into the pristine turquoise waters of the meandering Katun. 
• Petroglyphs in Kalbak Tash - these are the most famous rock art in the whole of Altai. There are around 3000 depictions on flat rocks, dating from the Neolithic Period (6000-4000 BCE) to the time of the ancient Turkic tribes (1000-700 BCE). The petroglyphs depict the life of the people who made them, from their mythology to more mundane everyday tasks.
• Aktash Village - this former village of miners is located next to a fishing lake and the valley of Pazyryk Kurgans (burial mounds)
• Geiser Lake - this lake has a depth of 2 metres and a diameter of almost 30 metres. It is famous for its thermal sources and the light blue silt which gives the lake its turquoise colour. You can even see ripples on the surface created by the streams of water escaping from the earth.

 Night in Aktash

6 DAY / AKTASH- CHULYSHMAN VALLEY

 Breakfast at the hotel.

 This day you will cross the spectacular Katu Yaryk mountain pass.

• Katu Yaryk Mountain Pass - this is a steep slope from the Ulagansky Plateau to the Chulyshman Valley, consisting of a manmade 3.5km zigzag of nine sections cut out from a 70º slope descending 800 metres. The narrow road runs next to a sheer drop. Along with the Balyktuyul-Balykcha road, it was constructed relatively recently in 1989. Before this, it was only possible to get to the Chulyshman Valley and the southern coast of Lake Teletskoe by crossing the lake itself, or by horse. Cars have to drop off their passengers first who are left to walk the way.
• Pazyryk Kurgans - these ancient burial mounds date from the Scythian era (the Iron Age). Inside the mounds, there is a wooden structure with a double set of walls and a roof, which holds a 5-metre long sarcophagus made from a carved-out larch trunk and decorated with ornaments and figurines depicting real and mythological beings. Outside the burial vault, there is a space for horse burials, complete with riding equipment. Up to 14 horses have been found in some kurgans.
• Viewing Platform - this platform is located just before the descent into the valley. From here you will get amazing views of the small winding River Chulyshman and the Chulyshmanskye Mountains forming an approximately kilometre tall wall from where a 100-metre waterfall drops.

 Night in the Chulyshman valley.

7 DAY / CHULYCHMAN VALLEY - ARTYBASH

 Breakfast at the tourist base.

 Crossing Lake Teletskoe on a boat - you will have a boat trip from the southern coast to the northern coast of the largest lake in Altai. In Russia, it is second only to Lake Baikal in terms of water volume. There are more than 70 rivers of varying sizes flowing into Teletskoe, but the biggest inflow is made by River Chulyshman, which starts in the mountain lake of Dhzhulukul at a height of over 2000 metres. Near the villages of Artybash and Logach is the start of the River Bui.

 Night in Artybash.

8 DAY /  ARTYBASH - BIYSK

 Breakfast at your guest house.

 Transfer to Biysk from where you can get a train to Barnaul or Novosibirsk. We can also organize for you a transfer by a car to Novosibirsk or Novokuznetsk for Trans-Siberian railway or BAM.

Distance: 260km

• The tour is available from May to October.
• Optional excursions should be booked before the start of the tour to schedule the itinerary.
• Best time to travel on this route: from the end of May to mid-August.

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