Traveling with a Caucasian accent

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, collection from the hotels.

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.

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.

The duration is 10 hours, the route length is 360 km.

09:00 Start.

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 or on the third day of the tour.

The duration is 9 hours, the route length is 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.

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 fairy 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.

The duration is 8 hours, the route length is 180 km.

Program of the day: Karmadon – Dargavs – City of the Dead – Kurta and Taga Towers – village of Tsmiti – Holy Dormition Alan Monastery - picnic lunch (extra charge) – Kurtatinsky gorge - Kadargavansky Canyon – Dzivgis rock fortress.

It starts at 08:30.

A great journey into the historical past of Ossetia-Alania, acquaintance with culture and traditions. Ossetia or Alania is a land where the spirit of freedom reigns, where peaks to the skies alternate with picturesque gorges, where guests are welcomed with hugs.

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.

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.

In the distance, the ancient village of Tsmiti can be clearly seen on the slope – the territory is literally strewn with dozens of cultural heritage sites.

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.

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;
• 600 rubles/person, family cafe in Lamardon: "karchi bash" – chicken soup + tortillas fried in melted butter (2 pieces) with potato and cheese filling + fresh salad + tea.

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.

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.

16:30 Arrival in Vladikavkaz.

The duration is 8 hours, the route length is 120 km.

Program of the day: Digor Gorge – Akhsinta Canyon – Lagty Dzuar Sanctuary – Zadalesk – Museum of the Mother of God, Abisalov Tower – picnic lunch (extra charge) – Uallagkom: Dunta, Kamunta, Galiat villages – Fasnal – Matsuta village.

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.

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

On the way to Uallagkom (upper gorge) we will admire waterfalls, rivers and mighty mountains, we will 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 Fasnal village: 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.

Return to Vladikavkaz by 19:00.

The duration is 10 hours, the route length is 255 km.

Beginning at 08:30, collection from hotels.

Transfer from Vladikavkaz to Grozny.

The first part of the tour includes stops in particularly picturesque places of the Argun Gorge, as well as storytelling trips. An ancient road, carved out of limestone cliffs, leads up the gorge of the turbulent river Chanta-Argun.

Nihaloevsky waterfalls is a cascade of twelve waterfalls. Overhanging cliffs on one side and a fast mountain river on the other will allow you to enjoy the magical scenery, breathe in the purest mountain air and take impressive photos.

The Ushkaloy twin towers are located directly under a steep slope. Using their example, we will reveal the history of watchtowers and signal towers, what function they have performed over the centuries.

In the village of Itum-Kali, we will visit the Huseyn Isaev Museum of Local Lore, on the territory of the Phakoch castle complex. Let's get acquainted with the history and way of life of Chechens since the Middle Ages. The museum houses antique weapons, utensils, household items, and tools that are more than a hundred years old.

Lunch (extra charge), organized according to the set menu in one of the cafes along the route (pre-order at the beginning of the tour/cash payment):

• 800 rubles/person, cafe Paris in Shawls: kharcho, flatbreads with cottage cheese "chepalg" and pumpkin "khingal", fresh salad, bread, tea.

Transfer to Grozny.

17:00 Evening sightseeing tour in Grozny: Grozny City – Flower Park – Heart of Chechnya Mosque – Archangel Michael Temple – Prospect M. Esambayeva – Walk of Fame.

Grozny today is a very beautiful and hospitable city, reborn from the ashes of a distant war.

The spiritual heart of Grozny is the Heart of Chechnya Mosque, which resembles a fragile flower from a distance, but admires the grandeur of architecture up close.

The Church of the Archangel Michael, built by the Cossacks in 1868 and restored after the war.

We will visit the Grozny City high-rise complex, with an ascent to the panoramic platform on the 33rd floor, from where you can enjoy a view of the city and the surrounding area.

The Flower Park near the Grozny City complex, also popularly known as the Park of Wonders, is one of the most popular places in Grozny. We will walk along Mahmud Esambayev Avenue, visit the memorial complex "Alley of Glory".

Transfer to Vladikavkaz.

Duration: 10 hours, 360 km.

Program of the day: Uastyrdzhi sanctuary and rock monument – Tsey gorge – cable car to Skazsky glacier – picnic lunch (extra charge) - Mamison gorge – Lisri village – obelisk to the Gazdanov brothers.

The unique Tsey Gorge is the most beautiful corner of the Caucasus and the majestic Mamison. The day will be full of impressions: high mountains, colorful gorges, glaciers, waterfalls and iconic places of attraction of the ancient history of Ossetia.

Starting at 08:30, collection from the hotels. Check out of the hotel and departure for the tour with your luggage.

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! The sanctuary and rock monument of Uastyrdzhi. In the Ossetian tradition, Uastyrdzhi is one of the main characters of the Ossetian 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.

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 – ancient Albanian 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. 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.

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

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.

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.

Previously, the military-Ossetian road passed through the gorge, which connected the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia. 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.

Mamison gorge is famous for its mineral springs. The healing Tibetan waters, valleys with a beautiful landscape, and a variety of natural vegetation attract many tourists to the gorge.

With the opening of the all-season mountain and thermal resort "Mamison", a second life came to the gorge. Among the ruins of ancestral towers and temples, the mountain resort seems designed to combine history and modernity, age-old traditions and sports.

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

Duration: 8 hours, 220 km.