At the crossroads of two cultures. Volgograd – Elista – Astrakhan for 5 days

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Tired of the mundane and want to plunge into the world of original cultures? Then our tour is perfect for you!

You will visit three colorful cities at once – Volgograd, Elista and Astrakhan, and get acquainted with their rich history and traditions. You will have a trip to the most important sights, national treats and unforgettable impressions.

Location

Volgograd

Sightseeing tours

from

US$ 409

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Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)

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Tour highlights

The past and present of Volgograd

We will walk along the central embankment, visit the memorial complex "Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" on Mamayev Kurgan, the square of Fallen Fighters and much more

Folk program

Let's listen to Kalmyk songs from the soloists of the folk ensemble "Zulturgan"

Ethnic immersion

We will see the central hurul "The Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha" – the largest Buddhist temple in the Republic of Kalmykia and one of the largest in Europe

Literary education

Let's get acquainted with the biography of the poet Velimir Khlebnikov, see the monument to Alexander Pushkin in the center of Elista, and also get acquainted with the work of David Nikitich Kugultinov, a classic of Kalmyk literature

The amazing "Bumba Country"

We will visit the only desert in Europe, a salty Pink lake and a burning spring

By time machine in Astrakhan

Let's walk through the White City, Spit, Village, Strelka, Boathouse and the Astrakhan Kremlin

Itinerary

Day 1 - Volgograd. Transfer to Elista
09:00-09:45 Meeting of tourists at the airport or at the railway station in Volgograd.
10:30 Brunch at the Elite cafe in Volgograd - included in the price.
11:10 Meet Volgograd – 2 hours.
The main places and the rich history of the "city of three names" on an eventful sightseeing tour.
The past and present of Volgograd.
You will see all the iconic sights of the city: kilometer zero, Fallen Fighters Square, Eternal Flame and Pavlov's House, where Soviet fighters heroically defended for 58 days. Take a walk along the central embankment and the Alley of Heroes, appreciate the modern Volgograd Arena stadium and explore the ruins of the Gergardt steam mill of the early 20th century. And also visit the famous memorial complex "Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" on Mamayev Kurgan and watch the changing of the guard of honor in the Hall of Military Glory.
13:30 Departure to Elista - 290 km - 4 hours.
14:40 Sanitary stop in the village of Dubovy ravine. There is a cafe, coffee and tea are purchased independently.
16:00 Stop at Khlebnikov field, Maloderbetovsky district, Kalmykia – 90 km from Volgograd,
Monument to Velimir Khlebnikov.
Velimir Khlebnikov is a poet, novelist, founder of Russian futurism and the largest figure of Russian avant–garde. According to Roman Jacobson, he was the greatest world poet of the XX century.
The birthplace of the greatest of the poets of the Silver Age is the Kalmyk village of Malye Derbety.
16:30 We continue our journey to Elista -200 km - 2.5 hours.
19:00 Arrival in Elista.
19:15 Dinner in a cafe of Kalmyk cuisine (On request, European cuisine) is included in the price.
Folk program: well-wishes from the soloists of the folk ensemble "Zulturgan".
Kalmyk songs.
Check-in at the hotel, rest.

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Day 2 - Meeting with Stepan Kimovich Botiev. Visit the central Hurul "Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha", participate in the daily prayer service. Walking tour of the city
09:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
10:00 Meeting with the author of the monument to V.Khlebnikov, sculptor Stepan Kimovich Botiev.
In the event that the sculptor is not in the republic at this time, because he often goes to exhibitions and forums, a replacement will be made for a meeting with an interesting interlocutor, an expert in the work of Khlebnikov, Kugultinov
Stepan Botiev is an illustrator of the works of Velimir Khlebnikov, as well as other Russian writers and poets.
A master class in graphic drawing from a Member of the WTO "Union of Artists of Russia", Honored Artist of the Republic of Kalmykia (2012). "Honored Artist of the Russian Federation" (2019), Stepan Kimovich Botiev.
11:30 Visit to the central Hurul "Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha", participate in the daily prayer service.
The largest Buddhist temple in Russia and Europe was inaugurated in the capital of the Republic of Kalmykia on December 27, 2005 after the visit of the spiritual leader of Buddhists, His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, to Elista at the end of November 2004.
12:30 Lunch time in a cafe in the city, payment on your own.
13:30 Visit to the "Syakyusn Syume" hurul.
Syakyusn-syume (kalm. Sakusn-sum) is a Buddhist temple in the Republic of Kalmykia. Khurul is located six kilometers from the capital of Kalmykia, near the village of Arshan.
14:20 Departure to the steppe, to the border of two geomorphological zones,
The Kumo-Manych depression and the Ergeninsky hills, a visit to the natural monument and the Buddhist shrine "Lonely Poplar" with a healing spring - 20 km.
15:00 Visit to the natural monument "Lonely poplar" - the winner of the competition "The main tree of the country - the Russian tree of the Year" 2019. This year's winner is a poplar from Kalmykia, 103 years old according to the CDE for 2019 (No. 390 in the register of old–age trees of Russia) scored 13421 votes!
17:30 Walking tour of the city center with a tour of the rotunda "Pagoda of Seven Days", where the largest prayer drum in Europe is installed – "kurde" with 75 million mantras, sculptural compositions, statues of Buddha Shakyamuni, Altn Bosch - Golden Gate.
Visit to the monument to Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
The Kalmyk theme is reflected in a number of Pushkin's works, since the Kalmyks had already been subjects of Russia for more than two hundred years, fought against its enemies and faithfully guarded the southern borders of the state. The Kalmyk cavalry participated in the Northern War in various areas of combat, in battles with the Crimean and Kuban Tatars, as well as in the Persian campaign of Peter I; the Kalmyk cavalry regiments gained great fame in the Patriotic War of 1812.
Acquaintance with the work of David Nikitich Kugultinov – Soviet Russian poet, classic of Kalmyk literature, war correspondent, People's poet of Kalmykia, member of the Union of Writers of the USSR.
Free evening, dinner is paid for independently.

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Day 3 - Visit to the museum of nomadic peoples. Visit to the N.N. Palmov National Museum
Breakfast at the hotel.
10:00 Visit to the Museum of nomadic peoples.
The Museum of Oirat-Mongolian Nomadic Culture is the first interactive museum in Elista. In the Mongolian yurt, where the museum is located, guests will be able to get acquainted with the household items of nomads, with the way of nomadic life, listen to a story about the empire of Genghis Khan, about the history of the Oirat Mongols, about the traditions and culture of the Mongolian nomadic peoples.
Presentation "TODO BEACHG" - old Kalmyk vertical writing Clear writing.
Todo bichig is a traditional writing system created on the basis of the classical Mongolian alphabet in 1648 by the Oirat scholar and educator Zaya Pandita (Mong. Ogtorguin Dalai; tib. Namhaijamtso). The name of this writing literally translates as “Clear writing”, because unlike other Mongolian writing systems, Todo bichig is the most understandable and easy to read.
Photo shoot in national Kalmyk costumes.
11:00 Meeting with jangarchi, the narrator of the epic "Jangar".
Let's get acquainted with the heroic epic "Dzhangr", a joint reading and discussion of the epic.
12:00 Lunch time - self-payment.
13:00 Visit to the N.N. Palmov National Museum.
Free time.
19:00 Dinner at the meat restaurant Gourmet/Tamerlane/Legend, tourists purchase on their own.

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Day 4 - The eco-route "Bumba Country". Transfer to Astrakhan
09:00 Breakfast at the hotel.
Room release.
10:00 Departure to the village of Adyk -150 km.
11:30 Eco-route "Bumba Country", 2.5 hours.
Excursion to the "Singing dunes".
In ancient times, there were parking lots of various nomadic peoples on the sands. Fragments of clay vessels and arrowheads of the Yamskaya, Catacomb, Sarmatian and Scythian cultures can still be found on the blown-out hillsides.
A tour of the Pink Lake.
The route passes along the shores of the salty Mekleti lakes, in the water of which the microscopic crustacean Artemia Salina lives, which turns the water pink and participates in the formation of therapeutic mud, which is used in the treatment of skin diseases and the production of cosmetics.
Excursion to the burning spring – an artesian well that can be set on fire and take the burning water in your hands.
14:00 Reception in the camp, solving the Kalmyk puzzle "Nyarn Shinj", camel riding Kalmyk double-humped camels of the Bactrian breed, archery. Lasso throwing is enabled.
15:00 Lunch at the cafe in Yashkul village - included in the price.
16:00 Transfer to Astrakhan 200 km - 2.5 hours.
18:30 Check-in at the 3* Astrakhan hotel.

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Day 5 - Astrakhan. Completion of the tour
Breakfast at the hotel.
Eviction.
10:00 Sightseeing tour of Astrakhan, 2 hours.
Almost the entire central part of the city has retained its buildings since the 19th century, which makes a sightseeing tour of Astrakhan especially fascinating, similar to traveling by time machine. You will visit such old districts of Astrakhan as the White City, Spit, Villages, Strelka, Boathouse and others. The main decoration of the city and the constant object of tourists' visits is a unique architectural ensemble, a monument of military engineering art of the second half of the XVI century – the Astrakhan Kremlin.
12:00 Lunch time, self-paid.
13:00 Excursion to the Velimir Khlebnikov House Museum.
The tour includes an overview of the museum, which consists of two parts.
The first one is actually the apartment where the Khlebnikov family lived. It was here from 1911 to 1919. Velimir Khlebnikov repeatedly visited his parents. The apartment includes five rooms with a corridor and a veranda:"Pedigree", "Living Room", "Vera's Room", "Velimir's Room", "Velimir Khlebnikov's Hall", "Velimir's Departure", "Khlebnikovskaya Veranda".
The second part of the museum is the apartment opposite, where the Khlebnikov's neighbors lived and exhibition halls are currently located (the exposition is on a permanent basis).
14:00 Visit to the fish market, souvenir shops.
16:00 Transfer to the airport.

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Difficulty

For any person

Accommodation

Hotel

4 nights

Comfort

Upscale

The tour includes accommodation in a hotel in Elista and Astrakhan.

Double TWIN accommodation in Elista - Elista 3* hotel, in Astrakhan – Bonotel 3* hotel.

The cost of an individual tour:

for 2 people. 121 000 rubles from 1 person.;
for 4 people 73,200 rubles from 1 person.

The cost of a group tour:

for a group of 6 people, 55,950 rubles per 1 person.;
for a group of 8 people 47,800 rubles per 1 person.;
for a group of 10 people 43,200 rubles per 1 person.;
for a group of 12 people, 39,950 rubles per 1 person.;
for a group of 14 people, 37,700 rubles per 1 person.;
for a group of 16 people, 36,000 rubles from 1 person.

TWIN double accommodation in Elista - Marco Polo 4* * hotel, in Astrakhan - Azimut 4* hotel.

The cost of an individual tour:

for 2 people 95,400 rubles from 1 person.;
for 4 people 63,900 rubles from 1 person.

The cost of a group tour:

for a group of 6 people. 53,500 rubles from 1 person.;
for a group of 8 people, 48,000 rubles from 1 person.;
for a group of 10 people, 45,000 rubles from 1 person.;
for a group of 12 people, 42,900 rubles per 1 person.;
for a group of 14 people, 41,500 rubles per 1 person.;
for a group of 16 people, 40,200 rubles per 1 person.

Elista Hotel 3*

Elista Hotel is located in Elista, 600 m from the center of Elista. It offers a bar, private parking and a terrace. The hotel has a restaurant and a 24-hour front desk. Free Wi-Fi is available. Room service is available. Guests can enjoy drinks at the snack bar.

All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a desk, a refrigerator, a kettle, as well as a shower and free toiletries. Some rooms have a safety deposit box. Each room has a private bathroom and a wardrobe. All rooms at the Elista Hotel are equipped with towels and bed linen. There is no hairdryer in the rooms, but it can be requested at the reception.

A continental breakfast is served daily.

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Another option

Marco Polo Hotel 4*

Marco Polo Hotel is located in Elista, 4.3 km from the center of Elista. It offers a restaurant, free private parking, a shared lounge and a terrace. The hotel is 6.3 km from Shargadyk Farm and Magna Village, and 10 km from Gashun-Bulg Village. The hotel offers a 24-hour front desk, airport shuttle service, room service and free Wi-Fi.

The rooms are equipped with air conditioning. They are equipped with a flat—screen TV with satellite channels, a wardrobe, a refrigerator, a kettle, a shower and bathrobes. Towels and bed linen are provided in all rooms.

The Marco Polo Hotel serves a buffet breakfast or a hearty English/Irish breakfast.

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Bonothel 3*

The Bonotel Hotel is located in Astrakhan.

The beautiful old hotel consists of spacious, bright, comfortable rooms, which have all the necessary amenities: private bathroom, set of towels, personal hygiene products, refrigerator, TV, wireless Internet.

There is a delivery service for breakfast, food and drinks. The Mikhailovsky Grocery store is 647 m away.

There are many attractions within walking distance: Astrakhan Kremlin, TYUZ, Astrakhan Museum of Culture, Bratsky Garden, Lenin Square, embankment. The distance to the railway station is 2.5 km, to the airport — 7.1 km.

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Another option

Azimuth 4*

AZIMUT Hotel Astrakhan is located in the city center, not far from the embankment. The hotel offers free parking, Wi-Fi, a fitness center, table tennis, billiard room, massage. Each room has furniture, telephone, TV, satellite TV, refrigerator, mini-bar, air conditioning. A buffet breakfast is served in the morning. There is a restaurant on site. Negotiations can be held in the conference rooms. The Ethnographic Museum, the Crimean Tower, the Assumption Cathedral, the Guardhouse, the planetarium, the Arc de Triomphe, and the park are 2 km away. The distance to the railway station is 4 km, and the airport is 9.2 km away.

Comfortable rooms of various categories are available for accommodation. Each of them has exquisite furniture, telephone, flat-screen TV, satellite TV, small refrigerator, mini-bar, air conditioning system. The spacious bathroom is equipped with high-quality plumbing. All rooms are cleaned daily to keep them clean.

A buffet breakfast is served every morning for hotel guests. The hotel has a cozy restaurant where you can taste delicious dishes of Russian and European cuisine. Room service is also available. In the lobby bar, guests can enjoy reading an interesting book, order their favorite drinks and snacks. To make the movie show at the summer cinema even more enjoyable, popcorn, snacks and drinks can be purchased at the bar.

The hotel has all the conditions for business communication. The spacious conference halls "St. Petersburg", "Sochi" and "Moscow" can host a seminar, forum, presentation, meeting, negotiations. The hall can be equipped with a computer, a flipchart, a screen, a blackboard, a multimedia projector, a TV, a sound system, a DVD player, microphones and lecture areas. The staff will help organize the event and provide the necessary multimedia equipment.

Within two kilometers there is an Ethnographic Museum, the Crimean Tower, the Assumption Cathedral, a guardhouse, a planetarium, the Arc de Triomphe, Druzhba Park. The train station is 3.3 km away and the airport is 9.2 km away.