See hundreds of peaks and walk kilometers up. Active tour to the Caucasus

Program of the day: transfer to Kabardino-Balkaria – Cherek gorge – Cherek Gorge – Upper Balkaria village – Lake Tserik-Kel – Aushiger Aquacenter thermal spring complex (optional, extra charge) – transfer to Baksan gorge – Narzanov glade – Azau glade (2300 m above sea level).

08:30 Start.

Moving to the Cherek gorge of Kabardino-Balkaria is an extraordinarily beautiful place in the mountains of the Caucasus, which has preserved its unique nature, ancient sights, and distinctive Balkarian culture. It is here, high in the mountains, that you can touch the true history of the Balkarian people.

We will 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. Having visited the shores of this lake only once, you will want to return to it again and again!

Visit to the Aushiger Aquacenter thermal spring complex (additional charge). Relaxing in the pool with thermal waters will allow you to restore your energy and add positive emotions! (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.

Lunch and dinner on your own (extra charge).

Lunch can be served on a set menu at one of the cafes along the route (pre-order at the beginning of the tour/cash payment):

• 650 rubles/person, Altu cafe: soup: chicken/lagman/shorpa (beef) + lyulya (beef) + 1/2 khichin + bread + tea.

Accommodation in hotels in the Azau/Cheget meadow.

• Daily car race: 660 km.
• the sightseeing route.
• Duration: 10 hours.

It starts at 09:00.

Elbrus is the business card of the North Caucasus! Today, after breakfast, we will take the Elbrus cable car (ticket – extra charge) to Mir station (3450 m) 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. Impressions and emotions will remain for a lifetime!

Lunch – on your own (extra charge). It can be carried out according to the set menu in one of the cafes along the route (pre-order at the beginning of the tour /cash payment):

• 600-700 rubles/person, Snow Leopard hotel (Cheget), canteen distribution line: soup + second course + salad + tea/compote;
• 750 rubles/person, cafe "Freeride" on Azau glade: lagman/shurpa soup + khychin with cheese and potatoes + tea.

14:00 transfer to Vladikavkaz.

19:30-21:30 Alan evening show program in ethno-national style with dinner and tasting (extra charge). You can visit it once: on the first, third or eighth day of the tour.

• car race per day: 240 km.
• the sightseeing route.
• Duration: 9 hours.

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.

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

It starts at 09:00.

The Dzheyrakh gorge. An exciting trip to the Dzheyrakh gorge of Ingushetia, a historical, architectural and natural museum-reserve, to the "land of towers and legends".

The unique landscapes, beautiful views of the northern slopes of the Main Caucasian Mountain Range, mineral springs, the purest waters of mountain rivers and, of course, mysterious medieval tower complexes are outstanding examples of stone architecture.

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.

Erzi. Ingushetia is full of towers, but it is in Erzya that there are the most of them. Let's reveal the secrets of the construction and location of medieval defensive structures.

The Tsei Loam Pass. 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. The region, shrouded in legends and ancestral traditions, will immerse you in the mysterious atmosphere of ancestral tower complexes.

The ancient Egikal is the largest tower complex in the Targim basin. Hundreds of buildings of the once mighty village are scattered along the western slope of the Tsey Loam ridge.

Very close, there is a 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! The history of the fabulous towers is covered with the most amazing legends and legends.

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. In the 12th century, a Christian church was built on the foundation of this building.

Picnic lunch (extra charge). It is carried out 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, cafe in the village of Sigale: chapilg – national flatbread with cottage cheese + fresh salad + tea.

• Daily car race: 180 km.
• the sightseeing route.
• Duration: 8-9 hours

Program of the day: Digor gorge – Akhsinta Canyon – Lagty Dzuar Sanctuary – Zadalesk – Mother's Museum – Khanaz village – hike to the castle "Frigate" castle – fortress of the Sedanov brothers – Makhchesk, Abisalov Tower – picnic lunch (extra charge) - Uallagkom: villages Dunta, Kamunta, Galiat Fasnal – village Matsuta.

It starts at 08:30.

An unforgettable trip to the Digor gorge will allow you to explore ancient sanctuaries and crypts, find stones with petroglyphs, medieval defensive complexes and hear about Ossetian traditions, epic and culture.

Ahsinta Canyon, Ahsinti head (Devil's Bridge) over the Urukh River, beating among the rocks at a depth of seventy meters. On the way, the sanctuary of Lagta Dzuar will meet us and guide us on the good road.

We are going on a trip to medieval Ossetian villages to get acquainted with the way of life, culture and architectural traditions of medieval Ossetia-Alania.

Transfer to the village of Zadalesk, where we will visit the museum of Mother Zadaleski Nana, the mother savior, who gathered orphaned Alan children around her during the Mongol invasion and saved the future of the Ossetian nation.

When climbing higher to the village of Khanaz, there will be an easy trekking route to a unique medieval castle, which is called the "Frigate". There is no such architectural structure in the entire North Caucasus.

Nearby, on a rocky ridge, the ruins of the fortress of the Sedanov brothers amaze the imagination. One can only imagine how much effort it cost to build an impregnable fortress on this site, which no one has ever managed to take in the entire history of its existence.

On the way to Uallagkom (upper gorge), we will admire waterfalls, rivers and mighty mountains, and see ancient roadside monuments called tsyrts.

In the village of Makhchesk, we will see the Abisalov tower. The tower is built on a mountain ledge and seems to hover over the gorge.

Picnic lunch (extra charge). It is carried out 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, cafe in the Style: lyvzha (beef)/tolan (chicken) – national soup + Ossetian pies with cheese and potatoes (2 pieces) + fresh salad + tea.;
• 700 rubles/person, cafe in the village of Matsuta: lyvzha – nats. beef soup + Ossetian pies with cheese and potatoes (2 pieces) + fresh salad + tea.

In Uallagkom itself, we will visit three villages: Dunta, Kamunta and Galiat. They have amazingly preserved not only the spirit of bygone times, but also real ancient artifacts: stones with mysterious inscriptions and ruins of castles (galouans) and temple structures.

A walk through the unique medieval architectural complex in the village of Galiat. The houses here used to be built in tiers. The roof of one house served as a courtyard for another, and it is unlikely that residential "high-rise buildings" dating back to the tenth century can be seen anywhere else in the Caucasus Mountains.

Kamunta is now the most mountainous residential village in Digoria and the whole of Ossetia. It was here that the Great Silk Road once passed.

On the way back, we will see the picturesque ruins of a processing plant and a power plant built by the Belgians during the years of active prospecting for ores and metals in the Caucasus mountains in the village of Fasnal, and in the village of Matsuta we will stop at the crypt of Narta Soslan.

Accommodation in tourist complexes: Threshold of Heaven, Rostselmash, Dzinaga, Tana Park Hotel.

18:00 Dinner (extra charge).

• Daily car race: 180 km.
• Walking distance: 7 km.
• Climb: 600 m.
• Duration: 10 hours.

The program of the day includes an eco-hiking route along the trails of the Mountain Digoria, a hike to the Bayradi Waterfall, an ascent along the eco–trail to the Three Sisters waterfalls, the Taymazi glade and a viewing platform overlooking a significant part of the Digory Gorge.

09:00 Start.

A hike to the Bayradi Waterfall is the pride of the Alanya National Park, it falls from the cliffs as if from the sky. There are a lot of splashes around the waterfall, it seems to be enveloped in water vapor, so in sunny weather you can often see a rainbow there.

Climb the eco-trail to the Three Sisters waterfalls, which originate on the Taymazi glacier in the Khares Gorge. Three snow-white streams fall picturesquely from steep cliffs at a distance of 150-200 meters from each other.

Over the centuries, these rushing streams have created many bizarre ledges and depressions in the mountain range.

The path to the waterfall itself is no less interesting. The nature of Digoria opens here in all its splendor: mountain ranges, flower fields, river valley and other waterfalls on the slopes – breathtaking views!

From the observation platforms at the Taymazi glade, we will admire the magnificent views of a significant part of the Digor Gorge.

Picnic lunch. Extra charge (cash payment):

• 600-700 rubles/person, campsite Threshold of Heaven, canteen distribution line: soup + second course + tea/compote.

Free time at the campsite.

• Walking distance: 6 km.
• Climb: 500 m.
• Duration: 7 hours.

Packaged breakfast.

Program of the day: Digor gorge – Alagir gorge – Sanctuary and rock monument of Uastyrdzhi – Tsey gorge – hike along the eco-trail to the Tsey glacier – picnic lunch (extra charge) - Afsati monument – Biragzang thermal complex.

07:30 Start.

Moving along the Military Ossetian road in the Alagir gorge, to the right along the way, an extraordinary sculptural composition attracts attention. 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, George the Victorious is named after Uastyrdzhi, who is also one of the main characters of the Nart epic. Wastirji is 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.

The military-Ossetian road has played an important role in the relations between the north and south of the Caucasus since ancient times. The remains of the ancient Alan customs outpost "Zylyn duar" (from Ossetian – Crooked Door) have been preserved in the Kasar gorge.

We will turn from Transkam to the Tseysky Gorge or Tseyskaya horseshoe. The gorge has been sacred to Ossetians for many centuries – the most iconic places of worship and places of power are located here. In the Tseysky gorge there is one of the most famous historical and religious buildings – the ancient Alanian sanctuary of the River.

The entire 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.

The Tsey Gorge is recognized as a popular place for outdoor activities and has attracted the attention of tourists for a long time.

When you go to the Tseisk Glacier, you can be sure that an unforgettable adventure awaits you. The glacier formed about 150 million years ago. It is one of the largest and lowest-sinking glaciers in the Caucasus.

The glacier descends to a height of 2200 meters above sea level. The length of the Tsey glacier, together with the fir fields, stretches for 9 km, and its total area is 9.7 square kilometers. The main source of its nutrition is the snow of Mount Adai-Hoh.

The hiking route runs along the picturesque banks of the Ceydon River through coniferous and deciduous forests surrounded by rocks.

Monk Mountain is the motionless and stern guardian of Cei. According to legend, the monk decided to capture a golden-horned turk and present his horns as a gift to Wastirji, but he did not keep his word and was turned to stone.

Soon the forest opens up, we find ourselves in an area of alpine meadows and a glacier glistens ahead framed by high mountains. The glacier seems to be breathing, constantly making noise and living its own life.

We will be able to get closer to feel his power and indomitable temper, to feel the natural element. The Tseidon River bursts out of the glacier's icy grotto in a rapid, turbulent stream.

Picnic lunch (extra charge). It is carried out 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, family cafe in the village of Buron: lyvzha – national. beef soup + Ossetian pies with cheese and meat (2 pieces) + compote.

At the end of the exciting hike, we will leave back to Vladikavkaz, but on the way we will definitely stop at the Ganakh Therma thermal springs in the village of Verkhny Biragzang (ticket - extra charge) to swim in the mineral water pool.

The source is of volcanic origin. The water rises from a depth of 2,300 m and has a temperature of over 40 °C.

Here you can relax after a busy day and experience the miraculous power of the spring!

Return to Vladikavkaz by 17:30.

• car race per day: 275 km.
• Walking distance: 9 km.
• Climb: 450 m.
• Duration: 9 hours.

Program of the day: Genaldon gorge – Karmadon Gate – Dargava Necropolis – hike to Midagraba waterfalls – picnic lunch (extra charge) – playground and swing overlooking the Fiagdon Valley – Kurta and Tag Tower.

It starts at 08:30.

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 and the film crew of Sergei Bodrov 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.

Our main goal today is the Midagraba Waterfalls. The Midagraba Valley deserves special admiration. A large amount of bright vegetation along with the huge mountains create an incredible and breathtaking landscape.

Gradually, the valley turns into a gorge, which ends with a large stone wall in a natural horseshoe of steep cliffs. There are three glaciers hiding behind the stone barrier of the rocks – Donjety, Jimara and Zeigalan. They are the ones that give life to incredible streams that form several impressive waterfalls.

The unique creations of nature descend from an incredible height and give the impression of falling from the sky. The most famous cascades in Midagraba are eight: Zeigalan, Takhkadon, four Crystal and two Green.

The main waterfall of the Midagraba valley is Bolshoy Zeigalan. The waterfall's height of 750 meters is the largest waterfall in Ossetia and one of the highest in Europe.

Zeigalan is very powerful, therefore, together with the icy spray, it carries large stones, as well as fragments of a glacier.

The panorama of the Midagraba horseshoe with streams cascading from the slopes is truly a fantastic sight! The peak activity of the waterfalls falls in June-September. They are especially full of water at this time.

Picnic lunch (optionalpayment). It is carried out 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, family cafe in Lamardon: "karchi bash" – chicken soup + soyifykh tortillas – fried in melted butter (2 pieces) with potato and cheese filling + fresh salad + tea.

Next, we head towards the Kurtatinsky gorge to the observation deck of the Fiagdon valley. A distinctive attraction of this place is the "swing over the abyss" with a panoramic view of the Valley!

Going further down into the valley, we will make a stop at the legendary Tower of Kurt and Tag. The tower is the beginning of ancestral settlements and the cradle of the Ossetian people, a place of worship for the founders of the Kurtatian and Tagaur societies.

From generation to generation, people pass on the legend of the tower and its inhabitants. And we will definitely find out this story on our next tour of the Kurtatinsky gorge.

Return to Vladikavkaz by 17:30.

19:30-21:30 Alan evening show program in ethno-national style with dinner and tasting (extra charge). You can visit it once: on the first, third or eighth day of the tour.

• Daily car race: 135 km.
• Walking distance: 6 km.
• Climb: 400 m.
• Duration: 8-9 hours.

Program of the day: check out of the hotel and departure for an excursion with luggage – Kadargavan Canyon – Dzivgis rock fortress – hike to the village of Tsmiti – hike to the tower complexes of villages: Lats, Kadat, Urikau – Archon pass – Holy Dormition Alan Monastery.

It starts at 08:30.

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 gorge has been one of the main centers of formation of the Ossetian people and national culture since the early Middle Ages. The Kurtatinsky gorge is often called the "land of sleds". The Narts are the legendary people of the Caucasus, the heroes of the ancient epic, the ancestors of the mountain Ossetian societies.

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.

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.

We will continue to get acquainted with the history of Ossetia and go on a hike to the tower complexes of ancient villages. The architectural monument of the Middle Ages is the city of Tsmiti (Tsymyti), founded in the early 14th century. Its founder is considered to be Tsymyti, the military commander of the last Alan king Os-Bagatar.

Cmiti was a large city, the trade and economic center of Alanya. Exploring the ruins, we will learn a lot of interesting things from the history of these places, we will see dozens of architectural monuments.: crypts, battle towers, and ruins of apartment buildings.

Tsmiti is a real open–air museum, included in the list of objects of historical and cultural heritage of federal (all-Russian) significance.

Hike to the tower complexes of the villages: Lats, Kadat, Urykau. Among the objects of this complex of ancient villages are galuans (fortified complexes), ganakhs (house–fortress), ancestral family towers, sanctuaries, above-ground, semi-underground and underground crypts, an underground burial ground, as well as commemorative steles and pillars.

The cultural heritage site "Nartovsky Nykhas" is located on the territory of the village of Lats. Nyhas (oset. - word, speech) – a place where elders gather, discuss, and speak, where they "kept the word."

We will reach the famous bench with the inscription "happiness is just around the corner, it's in the mountains", located on the observation deck at the Archon Pass.

Until recently, few people knew about this place, but today sometimes you have to take a queue to take a photo on the already famous bench. From an altitude of 2,300 meters above sea level, you can enjoy unreal views with a panorama of the entire Caucasus Range!

On the way back, while descending into the valley, we will visit the most mountainous in Russia, the Holy Dormition Alan Monastery. Pilgrims come here from all over the south of Russia. The monastery has an amazing, though not so long-standing history, which we have to learn.

Let's get acquainted with the Fiagdon monuments. At the monument to the Grieving Horse, let us recall 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.

Picnic lunch (extra charge). It is carried out 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, cafe "Right Bank": Ossetian pies with cheese and potatoes (2 pieces) + chicken kebab + fresh salad + tea.

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

• Daily car race: 150 km.
• Walking distance: 6.5 km.
• Climb: 550 m.
• Duration: 8-9 hours.