Glamping tour to Altai

The second day will be calm and relaxing. You'll have time to unwind from the flight and long transfer, explore the glamping site and surrounding area, lounge in a hammock, and take a photoshoot in nature. In the afternoon, we'll take an easy trek up a nearby mountain, offering breathtaking panoramic views. In the evening, relax by the fire under the starry sky. If you wish, you can also visit a hot cedar sauna on the bank of a mountain stream: simply warm up or enjoy a steam bath with fragrant birch twigs.

Today we'll take a road trip along the Chuya Highway towards the Mongolian border. First, we'll visit Geyser Lake, a small body of water with a piercing turquoise color, where hot springs gushing from the bottom create stunning patterns on the surface. Our next stop is the endless Kurai steppes. Against the backdrop of this vast, flat expanse, a chain of snow-capped peaks rises on the horizon—the stunning North Chuya Range. To fully appreciate this spectacle, we'll take a short trek to a viewing platform. Then, we'll explore the Chuya steppe, its landscapes reminiscent of nearby Mongolia, and a true natural wonder—the Altai Mars. The bizarrely shaped rocks were formed by wind and erosion, and the unusual red hues of the stones and earth are due to their unique mineral composition. This day, you'll also have lunch in an ayil, a traditional dwelling of the Altai people, and gain a closer understanding of the local culture.

This is the most active day of the program, with two trekking excursions. After breakfast, we head to the Maashei (Mazhoi) Gorge, where the Maashei River flows. The hike will take 1-2 hours, and you'll be rewarded with incredibly beautiful views of pristine nature: majestic mountain slopes, verdant meadows, and turbulent streams and rivers. Before heading back along the same route, we'll have a picnic at the river mouth. In the afternoon, we'll trek to the Chibitsky Waterfalls (it takes about an hour). The streams, squeezed between dark rocks, don't fall from a very great height, but they are impressive. On sunny days, rainbows form above them, giving one of the waterfalls a second name—Rainbow.

On day five, we'll take a self-drive excursion to the most remote and protected areas of Altai. Early in the morning, we'll set off on an off-road bus. Along the way, crossing the Ulagan Highlands, you'll see the Dead Lakes and learn their name, cross the Ulagan Pass with its centuries-old pine trees, and visit mysterious Scythian burial mounds. Then, a spectacular sight awaits: the Katu-Yaryk Pass, a narrow, winding ribbon stretching down a nearly vertical cliff. We'll stop at the summit to take photos against the backdrop of the pass and the valley far below, and then descend this incredible road to the Chulyshman River Canyon. After lunch, we'll take a short hike to the full-flowing Kurkure Waterfall. In the evening, we'll return to the glamping site.

We leave the welcoming Taigala glamping site and return to civilization along the familiar Chuysky Tract. Along the way, we'll make stops at locations we missed on the first day of our journey. We'll also stop for lunch. In the afternoon, we'll arrive at the Altai Nomad Camp ethno-glamping site at the Biryuzovaya Katun resort. In the evening, we'll enjoy a farewell dinner with traditional nomadic dishes and a short cultural program, during which everyone will have the opportunity to try on traditional Altai costumes.