Trekking in Dombay. Comfort tour with a hotel

In the very heart of the Caucasus, on the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia, there is an amazing land – Teberda-Dombai.

Dombai is rightfully considered one of the brightest corners of the Western Caucasus! It is famous for its large-scale and panoramic views. In these places it is very easy to see snow and bright flowers in one frame. There are a lot of forests here, so in the golden autumn Dombai turns into an exquisite photographer's dream.

In this tour we have collected the most beautiful gorges, lakes and waterfalls, which are the hallmark of these places.

Location

Russia, Stavropol Territory, Mineralnye Vody
from
$463
$440
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
7 Days
6 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • 6 – 12 October
    • 13 – 19 October
    • 20 – 26 October
    • 27 October – 2 November
or
Accommodation
  • Hotel
    6 nights
Comfort
  • Midscale
Difficulty
Moderate
Involves moderate physical activity
Group
Up to 18 people
Minimum age
6 years old
Group meet at
Russia, Stavropol Territory, Mineralnye Vody
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
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Tour highlights

Shoan Temple
It is one of the five most ancient temples in Russia
Lake Kara-kel
One of the most beautiful natural sites in Karachay-Cherkessia and the Teberdinsky Nature Reserve
Mount Dombai-Ulgen
The most beautiful and highest mountain of Dombai and the Western Caucasus
Juchhur Waterfall
A 12-meter cascade spread over the territory of the Dombai-Ulgen gorge
Baduk Lakes
We will visit the shores of the Baduk lakes, which preserve their pristine purity surrounded by virgin forests at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level
Moussa Achitara
We will climb Mount Moussa Achitara, from where you can see an unforgettable panorama of mountain ranges and even the western peak of Elbrus

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - The Shoan Temple. Lake Kara-kel

    Gathering of the group in Mineralnye Vody:

    • 11:30 railway station (near the main entrance from the city side);
    • 12:00 airport (near the main entrance).

    Transfer by minibus to Dombai village (travel time 4-4.5 hours). On the way, an excursion to the Shoan temple and Lake Kara-kel.

    The Shoan Temple.

    In the vicinity of the village of Kosta Khetagurova, on a spur of Mount Shoana, there is a Shoan temple. It was built during the heyday of the Alan state and dates back to the tenth century.

    Along with the temples of the Nizhne-Arkhyz settlement, the Shoaninsky Temple is one of the five most ancient temples in Russia. 

    The construction was carried out by Byzantine architects for the Christian Alans. There are remnants of ancient decorative paintings on the walls of the temple.

    The program of the tour to Dombai necessarily involves a small ascent to the temple. From the hill on which it is located, there is a magnificent view of the surrounding area!

    Lake Kara-kel.

    On the outskirts of the city of Teberda there is the warmest lake of the Teberda reserve – Kara-Kel. In summer, the water temperature here reaches +18...20C.

    Translated from the local language, Kara-Kel means "black lake" – so it was named for the special, dark color of the water. 

    The lake reflects the rocky peaks of Mount Kel-Bashi, and magnificent, tall fir trees grow on the shore.

    If you went on vacation to Dombai with a child, do not worry, he will be able to do all the walks.

    In the evening, arrival in Dombai, check-in at the hotel, sightseeing tour of the village of Dombai.

    The active part of the route is 2.3 km, the sightseeing facilities are located at an altitude of 1030 m (Shoan Temple) and 1340 m (Kara-kel).

    Clothes and shoes for the tour on the first day: cap, T-shirt, trousers, sandals or light trekking shoes. With you in a backpack: raincoat, swimsuit, towel, camera, drinking water. There will be an opportunity to swim in the lake, the water temperature is +15...+18C.

    1 more photo
  • Day 2 - Trekking in Dombai-Ulgen gorge, Chuchhur waterfall
  • Day 3 - Trekking to Amanauz Canyon and Sufrudzhinsky waterfalls
  • Day 4 - Trekking to the Baduk lakes
  • Day 5 - Cable car to the horizon of Moussa Achitara
  • Day 6 - Trekking in Alibek gorge, Alibek waterfall
  • Day 7 - Departure
Difficulty
Involves moderate physical activity
Tour organizer's comments

The route is trekking. Trekking is walking through mountainous (rugged) terrain. This type of active recreation involves daily climbing and dropping heights (ascents and descents).

The route passes through forest trails, dirt roads, alpine meadows, large and small stones. The routes will have an altitude difference of 340 to 580 m per day. Climbing up 340-580 m is about like climbing 110-190 floors.

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Hotel
    6 nights
Comfort
  • Midscale

The tour involves accommodation in the village of Dombay in the Dombay Ice Cherry hotel or a hotel of a similar class: double or triple rooms. 

The surcharge for single occupancy in a hotel room is 11,000 rubles. for the entire rest period.

Dombai Ice Cherry Hotel 6 nights

Offering barbecue facilities and a terrace, Ice Cherry Dombai Guest House is located in Dombai. It offers a shared lounge, a bar and ski storage. 

A cozy hall with a fireplace in the hotel and a gazebo with a barbecue in the courtyard are places where we always gather as a group for evening games and gatherings :)). There is a private parking for cars in the courtyard of the hotel.

The reception is open 24 hours a day. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. There is a shared kitchen at the property. 

All rooms at the guest house are equipped with a wardrobe, a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom, towels and bed linen.

Room amenities, TV, Wi-Fi, towels are provided, a hairdryer and a refrigerator are available on the floor. There is a thermopot on the ground floor of the hotel, where you can get hot water for tea. 

15 more photos

Tour conditions

Group
up to 18 tourists
Minimum age
6 years old
Duration
7 days 6 nights
Group meets at
Russia, Stavropol Territory, Mineralnye Vody

Included in price

  • road crossings along the route;
  • accommodation in the village of Dombay in the Dombay Ice Cherry hotel or a hotel of a similar class in double or triple rooms;
  • two meals a day. Ready-made breakfasts (day 2-7) are served at the hotel according to a set menu (the menu is not individual). Lunch (day 2-4, 6) in the form of dry rations in the mountains (sausage, cheese, tea, cookies, chocolate, sweets);
  • registration of a pass to the Dombay border zone;
  • environmental fees in Teberdinsky National Park: entrance tickets to Alibek, Amanauz, Dombai-Ulgen gorges, Baduk River gorge;
  • cable car entrance tickets;
  • group equipment rental: boilers, gas burners (for making tea for lunch in the mountains in June-August), a group first aid kit;
  • the services of an instructor-guide.

Paid extra

  • air and railway tickets to Mineralnye Vody and back;
  • lunch (day 1, 5), dinners. The cost of dinner in a cafe: 400-500 rubles;
  • the surcharge for single occupancy in a hotel room is 11,000 rubles. for the entire rest period;
  • insurance (optional).

It's important to know

Personal equipment you need for the tour
We draw your attention to the rules of choosing clothes for the trip: in the Caucasus, you can wear trousers and T-shirts. Shorts and T-shirts should not be taken
for the trip.
 
The list of equipment for tours from June 01 to September 20:
 
Air temperature: early morning and late evening +8...+12C, in the afternoon +18...+25C (sunny day), +12...+16C (cloudy day).
 
  • cap / panama hat;
  • jacket. The air temperature in the early morning and late evening is +8...+12C;
  • fleece;
  • T-shirt;
  • lightweight long sleeve shirt. The shirt will protect your arms and neck from burning;
  • Buff. Protects the neck from burning, can be used as a headdress;
  • running trousers;
  • lingerie;
  • socks;
  • trekking shoes up to the ankle and above;
  • flip-flops (for walking in a hotel);
  • swimsuit;
  • for girls on request: a dress for a photo shoot on the background of mountains;
  • waterproof clothing or raincoat from the middle of the thigh and below;
  • trekking poles. Sticks significantly reduce the load on the knees. Physically strong and healthy tourists are recommended to have sticks with them. Tourists who have problems with knees, joints and overweight must have trekking poles. If necessary, the club provides trekking poles for rent;
  • passport / birth certificate of the child. It is mandatory to have the original documents (not a copy);
  • camera/video camera and charger. In several gorges along the route that enter the border zone, it is forbidden to use a quadcopter for filming;
  • toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, razor);
  • hairbrush:
  • sunglasses;
  • 0.5L plastic bottle (for drinking water on the route);
  • toilet paper (useful during the day, on the route);
  • mug, spoon, plate. In the mountains, tourists drink tea from a mug that comes with a thermos or take a separate mug. The plate is useful to put chopped and small products (vegetables, cheese, olives, etc.) into it during lunch. The mug and plate should be non-breakable;
  • wet wipes;
  • thread, needle;
  • backpack for walking (volume 20-25 liters). The backpack contains the tourist's personal belongings (fleece, raincoat, water bottle, etc.), as well as public food for lunch, which is issued by the instructor (the weight of the products is 400-600 grams);
  • hoba (tourist foam);
  • shoe dryers;
  • sunscreen, hygienic lipstick;
  • individual first aid kit. Required: elastic bandage, patch;
  • cash;
  • hat, gloves. They can be useful in the evening, on cold and cloudy days and during a visit to the cable car. The group ascends by cable car to a height of 3200 m, there may be a sharp change in the weather, a decrease in air temperature, wind;

The list of equipment for tours from September 21 to November 15:

Air temperature: early morning and late evening +1...+7C, in the afternoon +10...+18C (sunny day), +8...+12C (cloudy day);

  • jacket. The air temperature in the early morning and late evening is 0...+8C, in the afternoon +10... +14C (until October 15), +5...+12C (after October 15th);
  • hat, gloves;
  • fleece. In autumn, we recommend taking 2 fleeces: one for walking on the route (it gets a hiking smell quickly enough), the second clean and fresh fleece for walking in the hotel;
  • T-shirt;
  • thermal underwear;
  • Buff. Protects the neck from burning, can be used as a scarf or headdress;
  • running trousers (before October 15), insulated running trousers or running trousers + bottom of thermal underwear after October 15;
  • lingerie;
  • socks;
  • trekking shoes up to the ankle and above;
  • flip-flops (for walking in a hotel)4
  • swimsuit;
  • for girls on request: a dress for a photo shoot on the background of mountains;
  • waterproof clothing or raincoat from the middle of the thigh and below;
  • trekking poles. Sticks significantly reduce the load on the knees. Physically strong and healthy tourists are recommended to have sticks with them. Tourists who have problems with knees, joints and overweight must have trekking poles. If necessary, the club provides trekking poles for rent;
  • passport / birth certificate of the child. It is mandatory to have the original documents (not a copy);
  • camera / video camera and charger;
  • toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, razor);
  • hairbrush;
  • sunglasses;
  • thermos flask (volume 0.75-1 l);
  • toilet paper (useful during the day, on the route);
  • mug, spoon, plate. In the mountains, tourists drink tea from a mug that comes with a thermos or take a separate mug. The plate is useful to put chopped and small products (vegetables, cheese, olives, etc.) into it during lunch. The mug and plate should be non-breakable;
  • wet wipes;
  • thread, needle;
  • backpack for walking (volume 25-35 liters). The backpack contains the tourist's personal belongings (fleece, raincoat, water bottle, etc.), as well as public food for lunch, which is issued by the instructor (the weight of the products is 400-600 grams);
  • hoba (tourist foam);
  • shoe dryers;
  • sunscreen, hygienic lipstick;
  • cash;
  • individual first aid kit. Required: elastic bandage, Band-Aid.
Are tickets included in the price of the tour?
Is insurance included in the price of the tour?
Is there a mobile connection on the route?
What documents are needed to obtain a pass to the border zone?
What is the infrastructure on the route?

Dates and Prices

  • from
    $440
    6 – 12 Oct 7 days 6 nights
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  • from
    $440
    13 – 19 Oct 7 days 6 nights
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  • from
    $440
    20 – 26 Oct 7 days 6 nights
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  • from
    $440
    27 Oct – 2 Nov 7 days 6 nights
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  • from
    $440
    3 – 9 Nov 7 days 6 nights
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