Kalmykia is 100%%

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Traveling through Kalmykia is an unusual landscape for the European eye. There is only an endless steppe around, where real desert dunes sing, an unusual pink lake with healing mud and rare steppe antelopes.

Only in Kalmykia will you be able to appreciate the taste of real mutton served at the tables of Arab sheikhs and taste other dishes of nomadic cuisine.

Location

Astrakhan

Sightseeing tours

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

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Tour highlights

Ancient antelopes

Look for steppe saigas, which are considered to be the same age as mammoths

The Musical Desert

You will hear how the sands of the dunes emit a sound similar to the melody of an organ

City Tour

You will hear the music of the wind as you walk under the Golden Gate decorated with 28 paintings by local artists

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival in Astrakhan. Guided tour of the Mekletinsky Nature Reserve
11:00 Arrival in Astrakhan, meeting, boarding a transfer (transfer from the railway station on request).
13:45-14:45 Lunch on the way (on your own).
15:30-19:00 Guided tour of the Mekletinsky Nature Reserve.
Excursion to the Pink Lake – microscopic Artemia salina crustaceans live in the water of this lake, which give the lake such an unusual color.
The mud of the Pink Lake is used in the treatment of skin diseases and the production of cosmetics.
Guided tour of the "Singing Dunes".
Kalmykia has a real desert with typical flora and fauna – lizards, snakes, exotic birds.
In dry weather, the sands of the dunes emit a sound similar to the melody of an organ. In ancient times, there were camps of various nomadic peoples here.
Ancient artifacts of the Sarmatian, Yamskaya and Scythian cultures can still be found on the blown-out hillsides.
Excursion to the "Burning Spring".
Not far from the singing dunes there are springs with water that can be set on fire, and it will burn! Along the way, you may encounter ancient antelopes, the same age as mammoths – steppe saigas.
The tourist complex "Country of Bumba" – acquaintance with the life of nomadic Kalmyks, master classes in Kalmyk puzzles, lasso throwing, photographing in national costumes.
Dinner on your own.
20:30 Arrival in Elista, check-in at the hotel.

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Day 2 - A lonely poplar tree. Khuruli of Kalmykia. Elista City Tour
08:30-09:30 Breakfast.
09:30-12:00 Excursion to the steppe to the place of power – A lonely poplar tree with a cascade of springs.
This relict tree is a place of worship and a natural monument.
It is a sacred place where various Buddhist rituals and prayer services are performed.
8 Buddhist stupas have been erected around the poplar tree.
Nearby there is an open source with healing properties, which were first described by the doctor S.R. Zalkind.
12:00-13:30 Guided tour of the Geden Sheddup Choy Korling Cultural Complex.
The Shakyusn-Xume Hurul is a Buddhist temple of the Geden Sheddup Choy Korling hurul complex, located in the suburbs of Elista.
This place was consecrated in 1992 by the Dalai Lama XIV himself during his second visit to Kalmykia, and four years later the Shakyusn-Xume hurul was erected on this site.
In 2004, the Dalai Lama visited Kalmykia and Elista for the third time, with the aim of holding the radne ceremony, after which hurul rightfully became a real abode of deities.
13:30-15:00 Lunch (on your own).
15:00-16:30 Guided tour of the Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha in Hurula.
The Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha" (Kalm. Burkhn Bagshin altn siume is the largest Buddhist temple in Europe.
The entire architectural plan of the temple has the shape of a mandala.
The hurula building is surrounded by 17 pagodas with statues of the great Buddhist teachers of Nalanda Monastery.
In the prayer hall of the Central Hurul "The Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha", the first, the main object in size and significance that attracts the eyes of any person is the figure of Shakyamuni Buddha. The height of the statue is 9 meters.
16:30-19:30 Elista City Tour.
Let's go for a walk around the city.
We will walk through the city center, through the Seven Days Pagoda, which is the hallmark of our capital.
It symbolizes the exit from samsara and the achievement of nirvana.
The largest prayer drum in Europe, the Kurde, is installed in the Pagoda, which is filled with 75 million mantras.
After making a wish, walk around it three times, and it will definitely come true!
You will hear the music of the wind as you walk under the Golden Gate, decorated with 28 paintings by local artists.
The Kalmyk people have a tragic page in their lives – the deportation of 1943-1957.
We will visit the monument "Exodus and Return", dedicated to the victims of Stalinist repression, created by the outstanding contemporary sculptor Ernst Neizvestny.
19:30 Dinner (on your own), free time.

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Day 3 - Kalmyk artist's workshop, National Museum of Local Lore, horseback riding or camel riding
08:00-09:00 Breakfast.
09:00-10:00 Guided tour "Acquaintance with Buddhist painting". Meeting in the workshop of Alexander Povaev, Kalmyk national artist, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Arts, art critic.
10:00-11:30 Visiting souvenir shops.
11:30-13:00 Visit to the N.N. Palmov National Museum of Local Lore.
13:00-15:30 Lunch (included in the price).
15:30-17:00 Horseback riding or camel riding.
17:00 Free time

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Day 4 - Departure
08:00-09:00 Breakfast.
Check out of the hotel.
09:00-10:00 Gathering of guests from hotels.
10:00-15:00 Transfer to Astrakhan airport (included in the price).
Transfer to the airport of Elista or Volgograd is paid additionally.

Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

or

Camp Site, Guest House

3 nights

Comfort

Midscale
Upscale
Premium

The tour includes accommodation in a hotel/guest house or glamping.

The cost per 1 person, depending on the accommodation, RUB.:

Living conditions	2-bed standard (adults and children over 6 years old)	1-local standard
The Marco Polo Hotel 4*	53 300	64 200
Hotels "Nomad", "White Lotus", "Elista" 3*	48 000	55 500
Guest house	37 300	40 200
Glamping "Arshan" (Barnhouse for 2 guests)	58 200	–

Arshan Glamping

Glamping is located near a pine forest, not far from the city. It consists of stylish and comfortable A-frame cabins (4+2 guests), Barnhouse (for 2 guests). Each house has a kitchenette with the necessary set of dishes, refrigerator, air conditioning, bathroom, TV.