The Great Sayan Ring: Krasnoyarsk Territory, Tuva, Khakassia. Ethnotour

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Siberia is still mysterious and inaccessible to many. A trip through the Great Sayan Ring will lift the veil of this mystery, and everything you see will undoubtedly remain in your memory for a long time.

You will get acquainted with the way of life of Siberians of the past centuries, with the modern way of their life, feel the hospitality of local residents, learn how multinational and rich in cultural traditions this boundless land is.

You will also touch upon the origins of religions, from Orthodoxy to shamanism. The expanses of Siberia will not leave you indifferent! The Great Sayan Ring is a unique opportunity to experience the nature and culture of three completely different regions: the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Tuva and Khakassia.

Location

city of Krasnoyarsk

Sightseeing tours

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

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Tour highlights

The Heart of Siberia

Get acquainted with the main symbols of Krasnoyarsk and the famous Krasnoyarsk Pillars

A real Siberian village

You will enter the inn, where a surprise awaits you, visit a real merchant's shop and get acquainted with the craftsmanship of artisans.

Yurt complex

Stay in real felt yurts, get acquainted with the traditions, culture, folklore and cuisine of the Khakass people.

Valley of the Kings

Go to the Valley, where there are about 30 burial mounds of the III-IV century BC.

Natural landscapes

You will be surrounded by taiga, mountains, rivers and steppes — all in one tour, creating the feeling of traveling to the heart of Siberia.

The greatness of hydroelectric power plants

Visit the largest hydroelectric power plants — Krasnoyarsk and Sayano-Shushenskaya — this is an opportunity to see the power of engineering

Itinerary

Day 1 - Getting to know Krasnoyarsk
Arrival in Krasnoyarsk, group transfer from the airport to the hotel (for arrivals from 06:00 to 08:30), meeting at the railway station (06:00-08:30) is also possible.
Accommodation at the Krasnoyarsk hotel in the city center (check-in is possible from 00:00 to 10:00).
Breakfast, short rest.
Attention! Night flights from Moscow are usually exhausting. We recommend that you arrive in Krasnoyarsk the day before so that you can spend the night at the hotel and start the excursion program with renewed vigor in the morning.
Meeting with the guide at 10:30 and the start of the program.
The acquaintance with Krasnoyarsk will begin with a visit to the main symbol of the city – the chapel of Paraskeva Friday.
During the sightseeing tour, you will visit the historical part of the city with its architectural monuments of the XVIII-XIX centuries, the mansions of Siberian merchants and patrons, see the monument to the founder of the city Andrei Dubensky, the Theater Square and much more.
Next, you will have an excursion to the Museum of Local Lore, rightfully considered one of the best museums of the history and ethnography of Siberia. It is the museum that will become a kind of prelude to the upcoming trip.
The tour, which is not tedious but full of information, will give you the first idea of what you will see on the Sayan Ring.
After lunch, guests will be introduced to the Krasnoyarsk Pillars.
The Krasnoyarsk Pillars National Park is the lungs and soul of the city. A walk along the taiga trails awaits you.
Accommodation in the Krasnoyarsk 3* hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel, lunch and dinner at a restaurant in Krasnoyarsk.
80 km by bus, 3 km on foot.

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Day 2 - Shushenskoye settlement
After an early breakfast, the group says goodbye to Krasnoyarsk and heads south through the city of Divnogorsk, along the way you will see one of the world's largest dams – the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric power station.
Stop at the border of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia.
Lunch will take place at the Abakan restaurant, and after that you will have an excursion to the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP (external inspection) and transfer to the village of Shushenskoye.
Arrival in the village of Shushenskoye, which will be a kind of transition from civilization to antiquity.
You will spend this night in the architectural and ethnographic complex of the Shushenskoye Museum-Reserve, which has preserved the customs and traditions of the Siberian village of the late 19th century. The estates of the hotel complex have been recreated while preserving the cultural styles of the Angara Region and the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
The realities of peasant life are successfully combined with the modern comfort of living.
Dinner with traditional dishes of Russian cuisine.
In the evening, a visit to the sauna is possible for an additional fee.
Accommodation in guest houses of the museum-reserve "Shushenskoe".
Breakfast at the hotel, lunch at the Abakan restaurant, dinner at the guest houses.
620 km by bus.

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Day 3 - The way to Tuva through the mountains of the Western Sayan
After breakfast, you will have a guided tour of the Shushenskoye State Ethnographic Museum-Reserve.
The history of the museum is inextricably linked with the name of V. I. Lenin, who lived in exile in Shushenskoye in 1897-1900. You will visit a real Siberian village at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. This corner of antiquity is located on the banks of the Shusha River, not far from its confluence with the Yenisei.
Numerous monuments of rural architecture are located on an area of 7 hectares: peasant houses, a merchant's shop, a prison, a tavern, about 200 wooden buildings in total. This is an amazing place with an atmosphere that takes your breath away even from inveterate skeptics.
You will visit an inn, visit a real merchant's shop and get acquainted with the craftsmanship of artisans.
After lunch, you will drive through the mountains of Western Sayan, observing the mesmerizing landscapes. You will meet with the owner of these places, the Sleeping Sayan. If you look closely, you can see him in the outlines of the mountains: he is lying on his back with his arms folded on his chest.
The road to Tuva runs along the famous Ergaki Nature Park.
In the late afternoon, the group arrives in Tuva. It's amazing, but as soon as the bus crosses the border of the republic, even the landscape changes dramatically. It feels like you're on another planet and at another time.
There are almost no signs of modern civilization on most of the territory of Tuva, steppes stretch for hundreds of kilometers, interrupted by the ruins of mountains with sharp ridges.
Arrival in Kyzyl– the capital of the Republic of Tuva. Accommodation in a 3* hotel. Supper.
Accommodation at the Buyan Badyrgy 3* hotel.
Breakfast in guest houses, lunch, dinner in the hotel restaurant.
350 km by bus.
Day 4 - Kyzyl City Tour
Excursion to Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva.
Visit the geographical center of Asia, which is symbolically located near the confluence of two rivers – Biy-Khem (Big Yenisei) and Kaa-Khem (Small Yenisei). Then the famous Great Yenisei River begins, crossing Siberia from south to north.
Visit to Thubten Shedrub Ling Buddhist Monastery.
Visit to the National Museum of Tuva (guided tour of the "Gold of the Scythians" exhibition). The tour is dedicated to the famous Arzhaan-2 mound, which was excavated in 2000-2003 by Hermitage specialists in cooperation with the German Archaeological Institute.
The treasures found in the mound (more than 20 kg of gold items in total) have become a real sensation in the archaeological world.
Free time in the city, visiting souvenir shops, a mineral spring in the vicinity of Kyzyl.
After a dinner with dishes of Tuvan national cuisine, performers of the traditional Tuvan throat singing "khoomey" will perform.
Throat singing is a fantastic ability of Tuvans (and some other ethnic groups of Siberia) to simultaneously produce two or three musical sounds of different heights and at the same time pull them for 25-30 seconds without taking a breath.
If you listen with your eyes closed, you can't believe that these sounds are made by a person and not a musical instrument.
Accommodation at the Buyan Badyrgy 3* hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel, lunch at the restaurant, dinner at the cafe.
20 km by bus.
Day 5 - Ustuu-Khure Monastery. The nature of Khakassia
On this day, the group crosses Tuva from east to west, following the path of ancient nomads.
Before lunch, stop at the breathtaking Khayyrakan Mountain, one of the most revered places in Tuva.
In 1992, it was chosen as an energetically strong place and consecrated by the Dalai Lama XIV. At least once a year, local shamans come here to recharge their batteries, strengthen and purify their spirits.
Lunch-picnic. Walking, relaxing.
On the way you will see the center of Buddhist culture of Tuva, the restored Ustuu–Khure monastery. The temple became the crowning achievement of Buddhist construction in Tuva. There was no such thing not only in Tuva, but also throughout the former Soviet Union.
In 1930, after the adoption of a special decree, Ustuu-Khure was closed, and in 1937 it was demolished. In 1999, the Russian government, recognizing the historical and architectural value of the unique Ustuu-Khure temple, decided to restore it.
In July 2012, during the celebration of the music festival of the same name, the Ustuu-Khure Monastery was officially opened.
Khakassia begins at the Sayan Pass, at an altitude of 2214 meters above sea level.
You will spend the night at the Snow Leopard campsite surrounded by mountains and fabulous cedar taiga.
After dinner, you will meet the Snow Leopard instructors, amazing people who are in love with nature, the taiga, who know all the surrounding paths, and who understand the healing properties of herbs.
For the rest of the evening, guitar songs and soulful conversations are waiting for you until late at night.
Accommodation in wooden cedar houses with stove heating.
In the evening, you will find a steam room with brooms made of coniferous branches and birch, an ice font in the taiga river and the taste of herbal tea.
Accommodation at the Bars campsite.
Breakfast at the hotel, lunch-picnic, dinner at the campsite.
440 km by bus.
Day 6 - Outdoor recreation
A day in the taiga will surprise you with the silence that you have long forgotten about in the city. After breakfast, walk to the love suspension Bridge (2 km one way, 2.5 hours). The suspension bridge crosses the Bolshoy On high mountain River.
The river flows swiftly, overcoming rapids and ripples, among the centuries-old cedar taiga.
During the walk, you can pick mushrooms, berries, cedar cones and medicinal herbs. The taiga is so generous that you don't have to look for mushrooms and berries, everything grows literally under your feet.
Siberian cedar is a unique tree. Those cedars, surrounded by which you will find yourself, have survived for centuries, have fed dozens, if not hundreds of generations of taiga inhabitants.
The taiga gives a different sense of time and a sense of unity with nature, which you will want to experience more than once. The clean taiga air is healing, but the true panacea for all ailments is the Russian bath.
After lunch, the group says goodbye to the "Snow Leopard" and goes to the very heart of Khakassia – the village of Kazanovka.
The ancient land of Khakassia is ahead of the whole of Siberia, if not the whole of Russia, in terms of the concentration of archaeological monuments.
Here, right by the road, you can see rock carvings depicting sacred rituals, burial mounds or stone sculptures that are still worshipped by local residents.
On the way, you will visit the Hurtuyakh Tas stele, the "stone mother" as the locals like to call it.
By dinner, arrival in the Kyug Valley, translated from Khakass, is a pleasure.
In the silence of the Khakass valley, you can truly relax your soul, and the fragrance of beautiful irises will give you new strength.
The yurt complex, which will house the group, is located on the banks of the small Askiz River between the Altai and Sayan mountain ranges.
Accommodation in the Kyug yurt complex (used facilities).
Breakfast and lunch at the campsite, dinner at the yurt complex.
242 km by bus, 4 km on foot.
Day 7 - Guided tour of the Khakass State Archaeological Museum-reserve "Kazanovka".
After breakfast, a guided tour of the Khakass State Archaeological Museum-reserve "Kazanovka".
The reserve was founded 15 years ago on the initiative of Leonid Eremin, a historian, archaeologist, and simply caring person who sincerely loves Khakassia.
Kazanovka is an example of how to treat historical and cultural heritage, it is a brand in demand by scientists and tourists from all over the world.
They will show you rock carvings that are 3-5 thousand years old, teach you how to copy them on paper, and you can take these rare souvenirs home. In addition, you will learn the purpose of the mysterious vertical stones sticking out of the ground throughout the territory of Khakassia.
Lunch at the base.
After lunch, we continue to explore the archeology of Khakassia.
In the evening, a dinner with elements of Khakass national cuisine and a performance by the Khakass national folklore ensemble.
Accommodation in the Kyug yurt complex.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the yurt complex.
15 km by bus.
Day 8 - Abakan City Tour
In the morning, you will continue to get acquainted with the archeology of Khakassia in the Kazanovka Museum-Reserve.
After lunch, departure to Abakan, the capital of Khakassia.
Sightseeing tour of Abakan. In the Khakass National Museum of Local Lore you will see a unique collection of stone sculptures – the echoes of ancient cults and beliefs.
It is believed that many of these statues still have not lost their power.
Check-in at the Asia Hotel.
Breakfast and lunch at the yurt complex, dinner at the hotel.
Up to 160 km by bus.
Day 9 - Valley of the Kings
On this day, the group goes to the Valley of the Kings, where there are about 30 burial mounds of the III-IV century BC.
The culmination of the whole trip will be a visit to the Large Salbyk Mound, once built over the grave of a noble family of the Tagar tribe. The mound had a circumference of 0.5 km and a height of 11.5 m, and the weight of vertically standing stones reached 60 tons.
Lunch at a cafe.
Arrival in Krasnoyarsk in the evening.
And do not immediately try to comprehend everything that you have seen during the journey. It will come later. To begin with, the most important thing is the strongest emotional charge. And let it last until the next trip to Siberia.
Accommodation in the Krasnoyarsk 3* hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel, lunch at the cafe, dinner at the restaurant.
450 km by bus.
Day 10 - Farewell to Siberia
At 05:00 group transfer to the airport, at 10:00 to the railway station.
Tourists are escorted to flights departing from 07:30 local time. If you leave before 07:00, you will not be able to arrive at the airport on time by group transfer.
For your convenience, you can always book an individual transfer.
Breakfast at the hotel or packed at the airport.
Up to 50 km by bus.

Difficulty

Involves moderate physical activity

Accommodation

Hotel

5 nights
Guest House

1 night
Camp Site

3 nights

Comfort

Midscale

The tour provides 2-bed accommodation in:

in the hotel "Krasnoyarsk" 3*;
"Asia" 4*;
in the guest houses of the Shushenskoye Museum;
at the hotel "Buyan Badyrgy" 3* ;
The Snow Leopard campsite;
in the yurt complex "Kyug".

The cost of the tour for 1 person with 2-bed accommodation is 200,000 rubles/person.

Accommodation in the Krasnoyarsk hotel before/after the tour standard check-in:

TWN/DBL – 3,400 rubles/person;
SNGL – 5,600 rubles/person.

Accommodation in the Krasnoyarsk hotel before the tour with early check-in (without breakfast on the day of arrival):

TWN/DBL – 4600 rubles/person;
SNGL – 8,300 rubles/person;
breakfast – 1000 rubles/person.

Discounts for children aged 12-16 – 10%.

The surcharge for single occupancy is 29,000 rubles/person.

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Tour conditions

Group

From 8 to 18 tourists

Minimum age

12 years old

Duration

10 days 9 nights

Group meets at

city of Krasnoyarsk

Included in price

transportation services (minibus, bus), including group transfers airport (railway) – hotel-airport (railway);
2-bed accommodation in the Krasnoyarsk 3* hotel, the Asia 4* hotel, in the guest houses of the Shushenskoye Museum, the Buyan Badyrgy 3* hotel, the Snow Leopard campsite (houses with amenities in the house), the Kyug yurt complex;
full board (including mineral water, coffee, tea, local drinks);
guide services;
excursions;
folklore programs;
museum entrance tickets;
insurance against tick-borne encephalitis.

Paid extra

air or railway tickets to Krasnoyarsk and back;
luggage tray;
shaman's slaughter;
alcoholic beverages;
meals not specified in the program;
transfer (l/a) hotel — airport — hotel 3500 rub. one way, 7000 rub. both ways;
transfer (l/a) hotel — railway station — hotel 1800 rub. one way;
sauna in the guest complex "New village" 3250 RUB/hour. for a group of up to 5 people.

It's important to know

First of all, travel clothes should be comfortable.

Please take with you what you normally wear for hiking and relaxing.

a light-colored long-sleeve shirt and light trousers that can protect your feet from the prickly grass in the steppes of Tuva;
light-colored shorts and T-shirts;
warm sweater or fleece jacket, thermal underwear, gloves, hat in May and September;
cotton socks 2-3 pairs; wool socks in May, late August and September;
windproof and waterproof jacket/raincoat;
2 pairs of shoes: a pair of light athletic shoes (preferably closed type) and a pair of waterproof shoes. If you are going on a trip in May, in the second half of August and September, we advise you to take rubber boots or good trekking boots with high tops, you will need them for hiking in the taiga at the Snow Leopard campsite;
a hat or cap to protect your head from the sun;
sunglasses;
sunscreen (high solar activity in Tuva and Khakassia);
a swimsuit (you may need it in the sauna);
You will need a flashlight in the evening at camp sites and yurt complexes.;
personal hygiene items;
the agreement confirming the purchase of the tour;
compulsory medical insurance policy;
insurance against tick-borne encephalitis, if any;
individual medications, in the presence of chronic diseases;
cash (for souvenirs, shaman's receptions, worship, sweets, alcoholic beverages, and other personal expenses).

Travel bag, backpack or suitcase: what to choose for a trip is up to you, all options are suitable. You won't have to carry your luggage over long distances.

Throughout the tour, you will be provided with three hot meals a day.

Hot meals, coffee, and tea will be offered in hotels, yurt complexes, and even on picnics. Alcoholic beverages are not included in the price.

We also take into account, if possible, the wishes of dieters and vegetarians. To do this, you need to fill out a questionnaire indicating your wishes and send it to us in advance. If you have not specified any special nutritional requirements, you will be provided with standard European meals with elements of national cuisine. Changing the menu during the tour is only possible for an additional fee.

National dishes of Russian, Tuvan and Khakass cuisine are an integral part of our program.

Traditional dishes of Russian cuisine are pancakes, fried and baked pies, dumplings, pickles, vinaigrette, cabbage soup, fruit drinks and much more.

The main food of the Khakass is meat dishes in winter and dairy dishes in summer. Bread is also held in high esteem by the Khakas. Soups (eel) and broths (mun) with boiled meat are common. The most popular are cereal soup (charba ugre) and barley soup (koche ugre).

Meat and dairy products form the basis of the Tuvinians' diet. In fact, they only eat meat, everything else is an addition to it. Dishes that are a combination of meat and flour are particularly popular. These are soup with meat and noodles (uzken bydaa), steamed dumplings (boozy) and ordinary (manchy), belyashi (huuzhuuri), minced meat with dough (tyrtkan), etc.

In addition, on the table of Tuvans you can see milk vodka — araga, which is distilled from sour milk, boorzaks — pieces of dough fried in boiling oil, and tortillas, which are an independent dish, soktan dalgan (crushed barley). As well as black pudding, green tea with milk, either salt or butter is added to it, sometimes both.

The role of dairy products, as well as meat products, is very important in the diet of Tuvinians. They have developed various methods of preparing products from milk: cheese (byshtak), butter (sarjag), cream (oreme), koumiss (khymis), kefir (tarak), curdled milk (khoitpak), dried cottage cheese of a firm (kurut) and crumbly (aargy) consistency, etc.

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11 – 20 Jun 10 days 9 nights

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Reviews Leave a review

O
Olga

about provider

28 Oct, 2025

Thank you for the smooth and well-coordinated work of everyone involved in the tour - from the hotels to the drivers, everything went perfectly ! I highly recommend this travel company to everyone.
L
Lyubov

about provider

6 May, 2025

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The tour was well-organized and thoughtfully planned. The program was rich and engaging, without ever feeling rushed or overwhelming. A special thanks to our guide Inna — her excursions were interesting, captivating, and full of valuable insights!! We only regret one thing: the weather didn’t allow us to climb the 'Grandfather’s Shoulder'. However, Andrey’s philosophical perspective on "Stolbism" offered a unique and thought-provoking way to understand this phenomenon. Thank you for a wonderful tour!!
AA
Anatoly And Lyuba Gryaznovs....

about provider

9 Apr, 2025

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The tour managers of the gastronomic tour really thought of everything, from delicious meals to helping us get to know the city.. The days were packed with activities from morning till night.. Thank you..