A trip to the heart of the Caucasus Mountains

Program of the day: Cherek gorge — Upper Balkaria — Blue Lakes — Aushiger — Baksan gorge — Narzanov glade — Terskol.

Starting at 08:30, collection from the hotels.

Transfer to the Cherek gorge of Kabardino-Balkaria.

Explore the Cherek gorge, the narrowest part of the gorge. It is here that you can observe the picturesque steep cliffs that amaze with their size and grandeur, as well as see the full power of the Cherek River, which formed the gorge itself.

The observation deck overlooking the Cherek Canyon will be one of the unforgettable stages of the tour.

Climbing higher, we find ourselves in the mountainous village of Verkhnyaya Balkaria, which is known as the "open-air museum" because it is here, surrounded by mountains, that buildings from the late Middle Ages have been preserved.

The Abai-Kala Tower, Amirkhan-Kala, as well as the ruins of once-existing traditional Balkarian settlements.

One of the main natural attractions is the Lower Blue Lake, which is part of the Lake Balkaria complex. The largest and deepest karst lake, which the ethnic population calls "bottomless," is shrouded in a huge number of legends and mysteries.

Visit to the Aushiger Aquacenter thermal spring complex (additional fee 500 RUB). Relaxing in the thermal pool.

We recommend taking bathing accessories, towels and flip-flops.

Next, we will go to the foot of the highest mountain in Europe — Elbrus (5462 m), along the way we will get acquainted with the sights of the largest and most famous Baksan gorge in the Central Caucasus, visit the beautiful Narzan Meadow.

We'll drink the life-giving narzan, which shoots out of the ground in powerful streams in several places, and here we'll look at the local market to buy souvenirs.

Then we will climb to the glades of Azau and Cheget (2300 m above sea level) and here we will stay in a hotel. Before dark, you can walk along the path between the glades, which is beautiful at any time of the year. Coniferous forest, mountain air, and natural narrows create a good mood and strengthen the immune system.

Accommodation in hotels in Terskol.

An additional fee is paid for lunch according to the set menu in one of the cafes along the route (pre-order at the beginning of the tour / cash payment) 650 rubles per person.

Duration: 10 hours, 360 km.

09:00 Excursion to Elbrus, ascent to the Mir station 3450 m.

Transfer to Mineralnye Vody (187 km).

Elbrus is the calling card of the North Caucasus and the place where we end our fascinating journey.

Today, after breakfast, by cable car (additional fee 2,700 rubles) we will go up to the station and explore the surroundings: the intoxicating feeling of conquering the highest peak in Europe, the endless panorama of snow-capped ridges and clouds passing under our feet.

Along the way, we will learn the story of the conquest of one of the most beautiful peaks in the world, a dormant volcano, which is associated with many mystical events. The cable car will take us to the eternal snow and ice, to the unimaginable panoramas of the Main Caucasian Mountain Range.

Those interested in history can visit the Museum of the Military Glory of the Defenders of Elbrus during the Great Patriotic War, and someone will just want to go to a cafe, try local pastries, hot dishes, tea, coffee, mulled wine.

Those who wish will be able to climb to the top station of the cable car — Gara-Bashi (3850m) and ride snowmobiles and snowmobiles (extra charge).

14:00 Transfer to the airport/ railway station Mineralnye Vody

Lunch on your own (extra charge). An additional fee is paid for lunch according to the set menu in one of the cafes along the route (pre-order at the beginning of the tour / cash payment) 600-750 rubles per person.

14:00 Transfer to Vladikavkaz.

19:30-21:30 Alan evening show program in ethno-national style with dinner and tasting. Ticket — 2,600 rubles for an adult, 2,200 rubles for a child under 18 years old, 800 rubles for a children's menu up to 8 years old.

Duration: 9 hours, 240 km.

Important: to enter the border area of the Dzheyrakh Gorge, the presence of a Russian passport is mandatory, and foreign citizens need to obtain a pass. The pass is issued by the tourist himself one month before the start of the tour.

Beginning at 09:00, collection from hotels.

Program of the day: Jeyrakh gorge — Erzi — Tsey-Loam pass — ancient Egikal — Targim —Vnushki tower complex — Thaba-Yerdy Temple.

The trip will take place along the most popular route through the Daryal Gorge.

Crossing the Terek River, we head to Jeyra and find ourselves at one of the largest medieval tower complexes. Let's reveal the secrets of the construction and location of medieval defensive structures.

From the height of the Tsey Loam mountain pass, magnificent views of the snow-capped peak of Kazbek will open and stunning photos can be taken from the observation deck.

Next, we head to the Targim basin, the heart of mountainous Ingushetia. A land shrouded in legends and ancestral lore. The ancient Egikal is the largest tower complex. Hundreds of buildings of the once mighty village are scattered along the western slope of the Tsey Loam ridge.

Very close to the stop at the Targim tower complex. Four tall towers confirm that in ancient times there were four castles of influential Ingush dynasties here.

The Vnushki Towers are one of the most striking monuments of medieval architecture in Ingushetia, recognized as a finalist in the Seven Wonders of Russia competition!

Acquaintance with the oldest Christian church in Russia — Thaba-Yerdy in the Assinsky gorge, on the right tributary of the river Assi, near the border with Georgia. Built back in the 8th century, it was originally pagan.

The end of the excursion day in Vladikavkaz is at 16:30.

An additional fee is paid for a picnic lunch according to the set menu in one of the cafes along the route (pre-order at the beginning of the tour /cash payment) 600 rubles /person.

Duration: 8 hours, 180 km.

Beginning at 08:30, collection from hotels.

Program of the day: Uastyrdzhi sanctuary and rock monument — Tsey gorge — cable car to the Skazsky glacier — Mamison gorge — Lisri village — obelisk to the Gazdanov brothers.

Moving along the Military Ossetian road in the Alagir gorge, to the right along the route, attention is attracted by a mighty sculptural composition. This is Nykhas Uastyrdzhi, as they call him in Ossetia. This place is a dzuar, a holy place. The sculpture is attached to a rock and weighs 28 tons!

In the Ossetian tradition, Uastyrdzhi is one of the main characters of the Nart epic — a celestial being, the patron saint of men, travelers and warriors. The monument is considered one of the largest equestrian monuments in the world.

On the way we will see the cave and the sanctuary of Sau Baraga (the Black Horseman). The place and the very image of the Black Horseman are shrouded in many legends and beliefs that we have to learn.

We will turn from Transkam to the Tseysky Gorge or Tseyskaya horseshoe. Places of power are Alan historical and religious buildings. The entire Tsey Gorge is a state nature reserve, and the figure of the patron saint Afsati at the entrance symbolizes protection for everyone living in this beautiful corner of the Caucasus.

Monk Mountain is the motionless and stern guardian of Cei.

We will take a chairlift to the Skaz glacier (ticket extra charge 900 RUB), see the ice grotto from where the Skazdon River is rapidly bursting out, enjoy the views of the mountain element.

An additional fee is paid for a picnic lunch according to the set menu in one of the cafes along the route (pre-order at the beginning of the tour /cash payment) 500 rubles/person.

Moving further along the Transkam into the depths of mountainous Ossetia, we head to the Mamison gorge, one of the most remote and once inaccessible corners of Ossetia. Military and residential towers and entire fortified complexes of medieval mountain settlements are still preserved here.

In the ancient village of Lisri, we will encounter artifacts from past eras, and see architectural structures of ancient architecture. We will learn about the legends and history of other settlements in the gorge: Tib, Tli, Kalak, Zgil.

On the way back to Vladikavkaz, we will stop at the piercing obelisk of the Gazdanov Brothers in the village of Dzuarikau to pay tribute to the memory of those who died in the Great Patriotic War.

Return to Vladikavkaz by 16:30.

Duration: 8 hours, 220 km.

Beginning at 08:30, collection from hotels.

Program of the day: check out of the hotel and departure for an excursion with luggage — Karmadon — Dargavs (City of the Dead) — Kurta and Tag Tower — village of Tsmiti — Holy Dormition Alan Monastery - Kurtatinsky gorge — Kadargavansky canyon — Dzivgis rock fortress.

Karmadon is one of the narrowest and most rugged gorges in Ossetia. The gorge's infamy is associated with the collapse of the Kolka Glacier in 2002. As a result of the collapse, residents of the gorge died.

Transfer to Dargava Valley. The Dargava necropolis, popularly called the "City of the Dead", consists of more than 90 crypt structures of original shape. Watchtowers of the 16th and 17th centuries.

An additional fee is a picnic lunch according to the set menu in one of the cafes along the route (pre-order at the beginning of the tour / cash payment) 600 rubles per person.

The Kurtatinsky gorge is located in the very center of mountainous Ossetia. To this day, ancient Ossetian villages with family, military, residential and signal towers, cave fortifications, and religious buildings have been preserved here.

The Kurta and Tag Tower is one of the symbols of Ossetia, located on top of a cliff at the convergence of three gorges. In the Middle Ages, the tower was of crucial strategic importance in defending against the enemy and in rallying Ossetian clans.

The observation deck offers spectacular views of the Fiagdon Valley, other family tower complexes, and terraces reclaimed from the mountains for planting crops.

The highest mountain monastery in Russia is the Holy Dormition Alan Monastery. Fiagdon monuments: at the monument "The Grieving Horse" let us remember the soldiers of the Kurtatians who gave their lives for their Homeland in the Great Patriotic War. We will also see the world's first monument to Lenin and a bust of Stalin.

Dzivgis rock fortress. The fortress dates back to the time of the invasion of Tamerlane, that is, around the 15th century. An amazing tactical contraption created by the highlanders to protect them from enemy raids.

Kadargavan Canyon. A unique place where you can see how, over hundreds of years, a mountain river has eroded the soft limestones of a rocky ridge, and a huge boulder that fell from the mountain has become a natural bridge over the canyon.

16:30 Arrival in Vladikavkaz.

Duration: 8 hours, 120 km.

Return to Vladikavkaz by 16:30 and group transfer to the airport/train station for evening flights/trains later than 18:00.