New Year's trip to Dagestan

A New Year's trip to Dagestan impresses not only fans of domestic tourism, but also experienced travelers who have visited many parts of the world! 

On this tour you will see picturesque mountains, the deepest canyon, an endless tunnel, you will be able to walk along the dune, feel the power of nature and its creative beauty on the crystal waterfalls of the Caucasus, visit old mountain villages and take dozens of New Year's photos!

Location

Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala
from
$897
$762
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
6 Days
5 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • Dates for next season
    • 3 – 8 January, 2026
or
Accommodation
  • Hotel
    6 nights
Comfort
  • Midscale
Difficulty
Moderate
Involves moderate physical activity
Group
From 6 to 18 tourists
Minimum age
6 years old
Group meet at
Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
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Tour highlights

Desert walks
You will find yourself in the place where the legendary film "White Sun of the Desert" was filmed
The Soul of Dagestan
Gamsutl's houses partially fuse with the rocks and closely resemble the dwellings of the Peruvian Indians, which is why it is often called Dagestan Machu Picchu.
Hospitable Derbent
It is impossible to imagine a trip to Dagestan without visiting one of its main cities
National treats
Oriental sweets, urbech, seasonings, spices, tea, the sweetest southern fruits
Ekranoplan on the seashore
The miracle of Soviet engineering is a hybrid of an airplane and a rocket-carrying ship that can hover both above ground and above water.

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Arrival. Sarykum dune, Sulak Canyon

    08:00 Gathering of the group at the Makhachkala railway station.

    Dagestan is called the Southern Gateway of the Caucasus, and it is through them that you will embark on an amazing journey along the Caspian coast.

    The entire route of the New Year's tour runs from the north to the south of Dagestan, so that you can fully enjoy the diverse sights of this mountainous republic!

    There are many places that make Dagestan amazing and unusual, and one of them is the Sary-kum dune.

    This dune stretches for as much as 12 km in length, 4 km in width, and reaches a height of 260 meters!

    Of course, the height of any dune is a relative value.

    Next, we will visit the most famous attraction of Dagestan — Sulak Canyon!

    The canyon has a maximum depth of 1,560 meters.

    Its length is 53 km — it is one of the longest in the world, and its width ranges from several tens of meters to 3 km.

    Fantastically beautiful photos are obtained here!

    Also today we will see the Chirkeyskoye reservoir, which is as huge as the sea.

    He will arrive at the hotel in the evening, where we will stay for the next 3 nights.

    The active part of the New Year's tour of Dagestan: 4.5 km, 170-250 m elevation difference (Sary-kum dune).

    2 more photos
  • Day 2 - Khunzakh plateau, "White Cranes", Matlas stone bowl
  • Day 3 - Avar Koisu reservoir, Karadakh gorge, Datun temple. The ancient cities of Kahib and Goor, the Troll language
  • Day 4 - Aul Choh and the legendary ghost gord Gamsutl
  • Day 5 - Derbent: Naryn-Kala fortress, old town tour
  • Day 6 - Departure
Difficulty
Involves moderate physical activity
Tour organizer's comments

The difficulty level of the route: 85% moderate, 15% average. 

There are minor trekking elements along the route. The group travels by bus most of the day; the group walks for about 2-4 hours a day, and about 4-6 hours on the day of its visit to Gamsutl village.

Since the distances between the attractions in Dagestan are large, the route usually runs from 09:00 to 18:00-19:00, on days with more remote locations – from 08:15 to 20:00. The bus travels part of the way along the mountain serpentines. There are elements of trekking in the tour, which is walking through mountainous (rough) terrain. Movement takes place along a dirt road, a forest path, rocks (sometimes slippery), stairs in gorges, and small patches of snow. The route in some gorges and waterfalls runs along rivers, in some places it is necessary to cross the river on stones (sometimes slippery).

This type of outdoor activity involves gaining and dropping heights (ascents and descents). The routes will have an altitude difference of 20 to 100 m per day, and an altitude difference of 250 m per day. Climbing 250 m is about the same as climbing 85 floors.

The route runs at an altitude of 10-1680 m.
Route length: 32.2 km.

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Hotel
    6 nights
Comfort
  • Midscale

The tour includes accommodation in a hotel.

  • 4 nights in the mountains — Sarir, Khadija or Tsada hotel.
  • 2 nights in Derbent — Safia hotel or similar.

A possible placement option is indicated. It can be replaced with similar ones.

The surcharge for single occupancy in a hotel room is 16,000 rubles. for the entire period of rest.
Khadija Hotel or Sarir Hotel 4 nights
Khadija Hotel

Located in Bolshoy Gotsatl Village, Khadija Guest House features a garden and a terrace.

Another option
Sarir Hotel
Safiya Hotel 2 nights

Tour conditions

Group
From 6 to 18 tourists
Minimum age
6 years old
Duration
6 days 5 nights
Group meets at
Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala

Included in price

  • road crossings along the route;
  • hotel accommodation, 2-, 3-bed rooms, room facilities;
  • Meals: breakfast (day 2-6) is served at the hotel according to a set menu (the menu is not individual!);
  • entrance tickets to Sary-Kum dune, Karadakh gorge, Saltinsky waterfall, Naryn-Kala fortress;
  • group first aid kit;
  • the services of an instructor-guide.

Paid extra

  • air and railway tickets to Makhachkala and back;
  • additional payment for 1-bed accommodation;
  • meals: lunches, dinners. The cost of lunches / dinners in a cafe starts from 600 rubles.
  • insurance (optional).

It's important to know

Personal equipment you need for the tour
  • jacket, hat, gloves. The air temperature in the mountainous part of the route is -5...+8C.;
  • fleece. 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;
  • The buff. Protects the neck from burning, can be used as a headdress;
  • running trousers;
  • thermal underwear;
  • lingerie;
  • socks;
  • winter non-slippery shoes or winter trekking boots;
  • flip-flops (for walking in a hotel;
  • for girls optional: dress for a photo shoot on the background of mountains;
  • waterproof clothing or raincoat from the middle of the thigh and below;
  • trekking poles. They may be useful on the route to Gamsutl.;
  • 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;
  • 0.5-0.7 L plastic bottle (for drinking water on the route);
  • toilet paper (useful during the day, on the route);
  • a thermos bottle with a volume of 0.5-1.0 liters, useful during the day;
  • wet wipes;
  • thread, needle;
  • backpack for walking (volume 20-25 liters). The backpack contains the tourist's personal belongings (fleece, raincoat, water bottle, etc.;
  • sub-colonel;
  • shoe dryers;
  • sunscreen, lipstick;
  • cash money;
  • individual first aid kit. Required: elastic bandage, Band-aid.
Is insurance included in the price of the tour?
Are tickets included in the price of the tour?
Where is the beginning and end of the route?
Can the program be changed?
What is the infrastructure on the route?

Dates and Prices

  • from
    $762
    3 – 8 Jan, 2026 6 days 5 nights
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    No need to pay now

Reviews

  • E
    Elena
    about provider
    8 Jul, 2025
    5 more photos
    The tour was exceptionally well organized! Thank you for that! A special thanks to Karina for the engaging walks, fascinating stories, and for making sure there was never a dull moment!!!
  • D
    Damira
    about provider
    19 Jun, 2025
    The accommodation was warm and cozy, with a shower and toilet in every room The instructor was absolutely outstanding — special thanks for the fun games ❤️ The route was perfect, with something new to experience every day.
  • AI
    Andrey Ivlev
    about provider
    17 Jun, 2025
    6 more photos
    The welcome, overall organization, instructor’s work, and daily support were all excellent. Some items on the packing list were unnecessary, but that’s just a minor detail. Overall, a great experience.