The crossroads of worlds. Sightseeing tour to Altai

After breakfast, we will go to the Kyzyl-Chin tract, which the locals call the Valley of Mars.

Once upon a time, there was a warm Tethys Sea on the site of the Kyzyl-Chin Valley, followed by glaciers and a cold lake. 4-6 thousand years ago, people already lived here.

And today it is a Mecca for geologists, archaeologists, ethnographers and, of course, tourists!

They also jokingly call Kyzyl-Chin Mars — for the earth, painted in all possible shades of red and orange, for the blue-green-purple mountains.

What is more striking here is the landscapes or the history of planet Earth captured in them.

After exploring the amazing valley, the group goes to the village of Kosh-Agach.

We have lunch in a cafe and go to the museum of Kazakh culture, where they will tell us a lot of interesting things.

Check-in at the hotel.

In the evening, a Kazakh dinner will give you the opportunity to taste traditional dishes of Kazakh cuisine, for lovers of meat and dough it's just a holiday!

The evening will end with a concert of Kazakh music.

by car 140 km.

After breakfast we go on a guided tour.

We are going to see the Chuya meanders near the village of Ortolyk.

We will climb the mountain in prepared cars, from where a bird's-eye view of the bends and branches of the Chuya River opens up.

Further along the valley of the Elangash River, we drive to the Tanba-Tash petroglyph complex.

About 30 thousand drawings have been found on the rocks here, which can be up to 11 thousand years old.

There was once a road from China in this place, so there are many petroglyphs that reflect the themes of the road and travel.

The next destination is the Altai Moon.

This name was given to the hilly valley, the elevations of which are formed by clay rocks of a whitish-gray color.

There are wonderful photo locations here, including a lunar rover and an astronaut!

We will also visit another "Mars" valley with red rocks – there will be an opportunity to compare impressions.

After lunch, we go to the Altai national village as a snack.

A guided tour will be conducted here, as well as a concert of Altai music and the Altai national dinner will be organized.

Return to the hotel.

by car 140 km.

The main sightseeing attraction of this day will be the Tarkhatinsky megalithic complex.

It is called the "Altai Stonehenge".

It is a cultural and historical stone structure of sacred significance, the oldest calendar of the end of the III – middle of the II millennium BC.

You will see a circle with a diameter of about 60 m, lined with stones of different sizes.

The structure is precisely oriented to the cardinal directions.

Two pairs of megaliths form the so-called Western and Eastern Gates.

The megaliths of the first pair are called the Stone with a Gap (it is split) and the Bogatyr is the largest of the megaliths.

The other pair is a Stone with a nose (it has a stone protrusion similar to a nose) and a Sphinx.

From this megalith, from a certain angle, you can see the likeness of an animal's muzzle.

Scientists suggest that fertility rituals once took place here during the winter and summer equinoxes.

The same idea arises when looking at the fifth megalith, a stone in the shape of a huge armchair.

It is called "Kabai-tash" — "Cradle Stone", "Shaman's Chair" or "Cradle of Sartakpai", after the legendary hero of Altai.

It is also covered with petroglyphs and one of the drawings on it depicts a woman leading a bull with round, almost closed horns.

In ancient mythology, such a bull symbolized the Sun, the masculine principle, and the woman — the Earth.

Everything in the world came from their union.

It is no coincidence that such a sacred plot, symbolizing fertility, was carved on this particular megalith.

Perhaps that's why women who can't get pregnant go to Kabai Tash and leave gifts and offerings here.

There is also a theory that the stones arranged in a circle represent a model of the Solar system.

This served as the basis for the scientists' version that this complex was used in ancient times as an observatory.

Next, the group goes to the Teply Klyuch pass, 2,900 meters high.

There is a thermal spring with radon content in front of the pass.

A small lake Tarkhatinskoye awaits us at the top.

Here we will have a snack and admire the views.

In good weather (this is a sign of luck and spiritual purity of travelers), we will see the Tabyn-Bogdo-Ola mountain range, located on the border of Russia, Mongolia and China.

The vast expanses of the Ukok Plateau will also be visible.

Tired but full of impressions, we return to the hotel and have dinner.

UAZ 100 km.

Today, travelers will visit the Telengit Museum (a branch of the National Museum named after Anokhina) of the Chuya steppe in the village of Kokorya.

The Telengites are a small Turkic people living in Altai, mainly in the Kosh-Agach district.

Its history goes back thousands of years, and they still believe that you should not leave the place where you were born, as separation from your homeland undermines your strength.

Learn more about the culture and history of the proud Telengites (who even had their own principality in the 14th century!) They'll tell you at the museum.

Then the group will go on an excursion to the valley of the Kam-Tyttugem River.

The first stop during the tour will be another "Altai Mars", the valley of the Kyzyl-Shin River, hidden from many travelers, in maroon and purple tones.

The valley of the Kam-Tyttugem River is a sacred place for indigenous people, and besides, the red–book snow leopard lives here.

The valley is also famous for its archaeological sites.

We will not reveal all the secrets – you will see everything with your own eyes!

Depending on the weather and mood, you can take a walk to the waterfall.

Lunch in the form of a snack on the river bank.

Return to the hotel, dinner at a cafe.

100 km by car, 8 km on foot.

After breakfast, we set off on Altai all-terrain vehicles to a secluded valley, where a chain of Uch-Kol lakes is located.

Lunch in a small cafe.

After lunch, we drive to the highest point of the Yuzhno-Chuisky range, Mount Irbis-Tuu.

Its name translates from Altai as "leopard mountain".

The height of the peak is 3967 meters above sea level.

The surroundings of the mountain are very picturesque.

What are the blooming meadows against the backdrop of icy peaks!

Return to the hotel.

Dinner at the cafe.

UAZ 140 km.

The final day of the route.

Breakfast at the cafe.

Check out of the rooms.

Transfer to the eco-hotel "Taezhnik".

We'll have time to see a few more sights on the way back.

These include Geyser Lake (also known as Blue Lake, Silver Lake).

The depth of the lake is about two meters, the diameter is 25-30 meters.

It has an unusual color of water, does not freeze even in winter and is easy to reach on foot directly from the highway.

On the surface of the water, you can see streaks of rich turquoise color – circles or ovals that change shape.

This is a trace of bottom geysers that send a mixture of bluish clay and sand to the surface.

Who knows, maybe you'll be lucky enough to catch that very moment of the "eruption" and capture everything on camera.

Let's also look at the confluence of the Chuya and Katun rivers – the border is clearly visible by the color of the water.

Lunch at a roadside cafe.

Dinner at the restaurant of the eco-hotel "Taezhnik".

Transfer to Gorno-Altaysk, for those who have independently booked an overnight stay in the city.

For those traveling to Novosibirsk and Barnaul, the estimated departure time is 22:30 by car or by bus (this must be agreed upon on the day of arrival on the route).

by car 450 km.