Trekking to South Dagestan

An intense trekking tour through the most beautiful locations of Dagestan. 

During the week you will visit the Lun ekranoplan, thermal springs and villages with ancient houses, trek to the Zrykhsky waterfall, climb the Shalbuzdag mountain, and walk around Derbent..

To travel along the tourist routes of this region, all tourists need a pass to the border zone. 

Location

Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala
from
$615
$523
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
7 Days
6 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • Dates for next season
    • 1 – 7 June, 2025
    • 8 – 14 June, 2025
    • 7 – 13 September, 2025
    • 14 – 20 September, 2025
or
Accommodation
  • Guest House
    6 nights
Comfort
  • Basic+
Difficulty
Moderate
Involves moderate physical activity
Group
Up to 18 people
Minimum age
6 years old
Group meet at
Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
Or text us in messengers

Tour highlights

Relaxation in the sources
Let's relax and enjoy the hot thermal water
A delicious journey
Let's try the most delicious dishes of the national cuisine of Dagestan
Trekking with comfort
After a busy day, we will relax on soft beds in a cozy house

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Arrival. Derbent, Naryn-kala fortress
    • 10:50-11:20 Gathering of the group at the railway station and at the airport of Makhachkala.
    • 13:30-14:00 Gathering of the group at the Derbent railway station.
    In Makhachkala, you can stay at the Markaz Hotel, which is 400 m from the railway station.
    Derbent is waiting for us today – the "Caspian Gate", as the ancient Greek geographer Hecateus of Miletus called this city. 
    And to confirm his words, we will definitely visit the main attraction of Derbent – the Naryn-Kala fortress.
    After the tour of the fortress, transfer to south Dagestan, to the village of Kurukal. 
    Here we will stay in a hotel, where we will stay throughout the tour.
    Duration of the trip and the excursion: 7-8 hours, 3 km on foot.
    Depending on the weather conditions, the physical condition of the participants and other factors, the route may be changed.
    1 more photo
  • Day 2 - Zrykh village, Zrykhsky waterfall
  • Day 3 - The ghost village of Stary Filya
  • Day 4 - Kurush village
  • Day 5 - Gdym village, Gdym waterfall and thermal springs
  • Day 6 - Trekking to Mount Shalbuzdag to Lake Zam-Zam
  • Day 7 - The city of Derbent, the Lun ekranoplane. Departure
Difficulty
Involves moderate physical activity
Tour organizer's comments

The difficulty level of the route: 80% moderate, 20% average. The group travels by minibus and all-terrain vehicles (UAZ, Niva, Gazelle). Part of the way the cars move along the mountain serpentines.

The route is trekking and provides for 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, large and small stones. The routes will have an altitude difference of 300 to 600 m per day. On one day of the route, the altitude difference will be 800 m. 

Climbing up 300-600 m is about like climbing 100-200 floors.

Route length: 48.8 km.

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Guest House
    6 nights
Comfort
  • Basic+

The tour includes accommodation in the village of Kurukal in the guest house Akhtyn baths.

The surcharge for 1-bed accommodation is 13,000 rubles./ the entire period of rest

"Akhtyn baths" 6 nights

Double and triple rooms, in-room amenities.

1 more photo

Tour conditions

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

Included in price

  • road crossings along the route by minibus;
  • road crossings along the route on cross-country vehicles;
  • accommodation in the Akhtyn Baths guest house: 2-, 3-bed rooms, room facilities;
  • 2 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);
  • group first aid kit;
  • entrance tickets to the Naryn-Kala fortress;
  • entrance tickets to the thermal springs;
  • the services of an instructor-guide.

Paid extra

  • air and railway tickets to Makhachkala and back;
  • Meals: lunches (day 1, 5, 7), dinners;
  • the surcharge for 1-bed accommodation in a hotel room is 13,000 rubles/ the entire rest period;
  • insurance (optional).

It's important to know

Personal equipment you need for the tour
  • child's passport / birth certificate;
  • to obtain a pass to the border zone, you must have with you a black and white copy of the second page of the passport and the registration page. It is impossible to issue a pass without a photocopy of the passport, as a result, the tourist will not be able to visit one of the trekking;
  • cap / panama hat;
  • jacket (air temperature in the early morning and late evening +8...+12C);
  • fleece, we recommend taking 2 fleece: 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;
  • 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 boots up to the ankle and above;
  • for tours in June: waterproof shoes (crocs, galoshes or shoe covers). In June, there are many sections on the Zrykhsky Waterfall route where you will need to walk on water;
  • for tours at the end of May and the first week of June — lanterns (gaiters, gaiters, shoe covers). On Shalbuzdag Mountain, the trail will run through snow in some sections;
  • 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;
  • trekking poles (poles significantly reduce the load on the knees, we recommend physically strong and healthy tourists to have sticks with them; tourists who have problems with knees, joints and overweight must have trekking poles;
  • 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;
  • 1 L 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;
  • thermos of 0.5-1.0 liters for tea for lunch and during the day;
  • wet wipes;
  • thread, needle;
  • a backpack for walking (volume 20-25 liters), in the backpack there are personal belongings of the tourist (fleece, raincoat, water bottle, etc.), as well as public products for lunch, which are 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, patch).
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 is the infrastructure on the route?
Where is the beginning and end of the route?
Do I need to get a pass to the border area?

Dates and Prices

  • from
    $523
    1 – 7 Jun, 2025 7 days 6 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $523
    8 – 14 Jun, 2025 7 days 6 nights
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    No need to pay now
  • from
    $523
    7 – 13 Sep, 2025 7 days 6 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $523
    14 – 20 Sep, 2025 7 days 6 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now

Reviews

    KE
    Kaoaseva Elena
    28 Mar, 2022
    about provider
    The trip to Baikal was a success! The organization of the tour was impeccable. Thanks to the manager in the Big Country Yulia Trubinova. All the planned trips were at a good level, the accommodation also corresponded to the promised, i.e. with all amenities. Many thanks to our instructor of the Voskhod tour club - Alexey Dusenko and all the participants of the tour. Thanks to them, the tour turned out to be very interesting, rich and diverse for me. Of course, Baikal must be seen firsthand, photos and videos will only remind you of these days, and will not convey all the beauty! It is also remarkable that we were very lucky with the weather. The sun was shining, the ice shone like crystal. I am very glad that I was lucky enough to see all this and meet such wonderful people!
    28 Mar, 2022
    M
    Margaret
    19 Mar, 2022
    about provider
    Wonderful!
    19 Mar, 2022
    E
    Elena
    14 Mar, 2022
    about provider
    I didn't understand what the role of the organizer was, but there were no unpleasant moments, so the organizer is good
    14 Mar, 2022