Wild steppe tulips of Kalmykia

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Singing dunes and burning water, Buddhism and chess, camels and nomads, cordiality and originality – all this is about Kalmykia. We will find ourselves on the shores of an incredible Pink Lake, meet the sunset at the "Lonely Poplar", get acquainted with the traditions of the former nomadic people, their difficult history and unusual, but hearty and delicious cuisine. But the most important highlight of this tour is the flowering of tulips – once a year, the hospitable Kalmyk land is covered with bright, colorful buds. Don't miss the opportunity to take amazing photos in the sea of tulips.

You will have a fantastic immersion in the history and culture of the peoples of mysterious Kalmykia!

Location

Russia, Republic of Kalmykia, Elista

Sightseeing tours

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

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Tour highlights

Central Khurul of Kalmykia

We will see the famous Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha and the Seven Days Pagoda

Singing dunes

You will be able to hear this natural phenomenon for yourself – in dry weather, the sands emit a sound similar to the sound of an organ

Culture of nomadic peoples

Let's get acquainted with the life and traditions of the Kalmyk nomads

A sea of flowers

Let's have a mini picnic among blooming wild tulips and take fantastic pictures

A rich program

We will visit 3 regions of the south of Russia at once: Kalmykia, Astrakhan and Volgograd regions

Healing bathing

We will go to Lake Baskunchak, on the coast of which there are deposits of medicinal clay and springs with healing properties

Itinerary

Day 1 - Elista tour and sunset meeting in the steppe
The tour starts in Elista (we recommend arriving in Volgograd at 8:40 and then using an individual transfer for an additional fee).
At the Marco Polo Hotel in Elista, you will be met by a professional tour guide, you will stay, relax a little and then go for lunch to a cafe of national cuisine, where you will taste traditional dishes of Kalmyk nomads.
After that, you will check into the hotel and take a city tour.
Elista is one of the largest centers of Buddhism in Russia.
You will visit the Central Khurul of Kalmykia — the Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha and the Seven Days Pagoda, where the largest prayer drum in Europe is installed — "kurde" with 75 million mantras.
Also during the tour you will see the statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and the Golden Gate.
After that, you will go to the steppe, where you will meet the sunset at the "Lonely Poplar" — one of the places of power in Kalmykia.
You will hear the legend of this place and find out why it became a Buddhist shrine.
Upon returning to the city, you will have dinner at the restaurant and return to the hotel.

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Day 2 - Fields of tulips
After breakfast, you will go to the steppe to admire the extraordinary landscapes of blooming wild tulips.
The journey is approximately from 10 to 60 km, depending on where there will be more blooming fields of tulips in a particular year.
You will have a mini picnic in the field among the flowers.
Lunch in nature in the form of a snack, take pictures, and then move to the "camel island", a tourist club in the vicinity of the city, a specially equipped place for camel riding.
They also live here.
You will get to know camels and ride them.
Next, you will have dinner at the national cafe and at 18:00-18:30 h., and then go on an excursion to the museum of nomadic peoples, where you will be shown how to prepare traditional Kalmyk tea — jomba, you will shoot an arrow, learn what "Todo bichig" looks like — old Kalmyk vertical writing, and also learn how to knit a Kalmyk knot.
In the evening, you can walk around the chess town.
Then you will return to the hotel and relax.

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Day 3 - Singing dunes, pink lake and ethnic program in Adyk
In the morning you will have breakfast at the hotel, and after that you will go to the village of Adyk, next to which there are singing dunes.
Travel time 1.5 hours – 140 km.
Before the tour, you will have an early lunch – and then the route will pass through the desert with Singing dunes.
This natural phenomenon is famous for the fact that in dry weather, the sands emit a sound similar to the sound of an organ.
Then you will continue the route and go 35 km to the unique salty Mekletinsky lakes.
Migrating birds brought here a small pink crustacean, which bred in the lake, and therefore now the water in it seems pink.
In addition to staining water, this crustacean is involved in the formation of therapeutic mud, which is used in cosmetology and the treatment of skin diseases.
In ancient times, there were camps of various nomadic peoples along the shores of the lakes.
Fragments of ancient clay vessels and arrowheads belonging to the pit, Catacomb, Sarmatian and Scythian cultures can still be found on the hillsides.
Next, after 10 km we will arrive at the "burning spring" and you will take part in the ritual of its ignition.
The program of the day will end with a visit to the Kalmyk yurt, the traditional dwelling of a nomad, where you will have dinner.
An ethnic program will be waiting for you here.
You will be told the history and way of life of the Kalmyk people, the history of the reserve, and you will see a real Kalmyk puzzle.
At the master class, you will learn how to properly throw a noose on a horse and learn how to tie a Kalmyk knot.
The program will end with a dinner in a yurt with dishes of national cuisine.
After that, you will be taken to Astrakhan, 450 km long, where you will check into a hotel and relax.

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Day 4 - Astrakhan Kremlin and the Capital of the Golden Horde
After breakfast, you will have a guided walk through the territory of the Astrakhan Kremlin.
More than 20 architectural monuments have been preserved here: ancient temples and chapels, towers, travel gates and various civil structures.
After that, you will have lunch in a cafe and then you will be transferred to one of the main attractions of the Astrakhan region — the reconstructed capital of the Golden Horde, Sarai Batu.
Founded in 1250 by Khan Batu, grandson of Genghis Khan, the ancient city grew out of a headquarters for nomads.
By the end of the XV century, enemy raids, natural disasters and time destroyed the capital of the Golden Horde.
Initially, a museum was supposed to be at the excavation site, but in 2010 the Barn-Batu was reconstructed for the filming of the film "St. Alexy" ("Horde").
In the late afternoon, you will arrive in Akhtubinsk and stay at a hotel.
On the way – 300km.
After dinner at a restaurant near the hotel or in a cafe, you will walk along the boulevard along the Akhtuba River.

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Day 5 - Bogdo Mountain and Baskunchak Lake
After breakfast, you will go to the territory of the Bogdinsky-Baskunchak Nature Reserve, the main attractions of which are Mount Bogdo and the unique salt lake Baskunchak.
A short trekking trip to Bogdo Mountain awaits you.
It is the highest point of the Caspian lowland (150 m above sea level).
The age of the rocks that make up the geological layers of the mountain is more than 200 million years old.
The uniqueness of Bogdo Mountain also lies in the fact that it continues to grow, and its height increases to 2 mm per year.
After visiting Mount Bogdo, you will take a walk deep into Lake Baskunchak.
On the way, you will stop for lunch at a cafe in the village of Nizhny Baskunchak.
The basin of the reservoir is filled with salts and clay deposits of the Permian and Triassic periods, as well as rocks of Quaternary age.
Since the 8th century, salt has been mined on the lake and sent along the Silk Road.
There are deposits of medicinal clays on the coast, and bathing in brine (a source with a highly concentrated salt solution) has a healing effect.
After the tour, you will go further along the route to the village of Kolkhoznaya Akhtuba, located near Volgograd (travel time 300 km), have dinner in a cafe and check into rooms at the tour base.

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Day 6 - A tour of Volgograd. Returning home
In the morning, after breakfast, you will have a short transfer to Volgograd.
There you will visit the famous memorial complex "Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" on Mamayev Kurgan.
Listen to the sounds of war as you walk between the ruined walls, see the changing of the guard in the Hall of Military Glory, and also inspect other compositions of the complex.
The main sculpture of the ensemble "Motherland is calling!" is in the final stage of restoration.
You will also visit the panorama museum "Battle of Stalingrad", which is located near the central embankment of Volgograd.
After lunch at the cafe, you will be taken to the airport for the evening flight.
We recommend flights after 16:00.

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Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Hotel

5 nights

Comfort

Midscale
Upscale

The tour provides double accommodation in hotels along the route (hotels and bases along the route can be replaced with similar ones in terms of service).

The cost of the tour for 1 person is 69,000 rubles.

The surcharge for single occupancy is 15,000 rubles/person.

Children under 10 years old receive a discount of 3,000 rubles.

You will spend the first two nights of your trip at the Marco Polo Hotel in Elista. It offers a restaurant, a 24-hour front desk and free Wi-Fi. Your room will have one double or two single beds, air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a refrigerator, a kettle, and a bathroom with a shower cabin, a hairdryer and toiletries.

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Tour conditions

Group

up to 12 tourists

Minimum age

6 years old

Duration

6 days 5 nights

Group meets at

Russia, Republic of Kalmykia, Elista

Included in price

accommodation according to the program;
breakfast, lunch and dinner (except dinner on day 4);
transfer to Volgograd airport;
transportation services according to the program;
guide services;
camel riding;
guided tours according to the program;
entrance tickets to sightseeing sites and eco-collections;
the ethnic program in Adyk.

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Elista and back from Volgograd;
transfer from Volgograd to Elista (on the first day if you arrive in Volgograd);
a visit to the sauna on the 5th day (only by prior reservation);
dinner on day 4 – the Labyrinth restaurant, or a cafe in the hotel, as well as the opportunity to order food that will be delivered to the hotel;
single accommodation along the route (+15,000 rubles/person);
personal expenses.

It's important to know

wind and moisture proof trousers and a hooded jacket;
A long sleeve T-shirt;
light boots or sneakers;
an individual first aid kit;
repellents;
personal hygiene products.

Dates and Prices

The tour dates are not confirmed yet. Please, for clarification

$670

8 – 13 Apr, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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