Siberia, a vast land in the middle of Russia, remains mysterious and inaccessible even for locals. Three fascinating regions – Krasnoyarsk, Tuva, Khakassia – have three strikingly different landscapes and three unique cultures… Dense taiga forests and endless steppes, cozy fields and majestic bare mountains, Christianity and Shamanism – all this has been co-existing for centuries in Siberia.
In the end of the tour, you will be able to say that you have been to Siberia – after you have wandered in Siberian taiga breathing in the warm scent of cedar and pine, knelt the knees in front the ancient burial mound, stayed overnight in real Tuvan and Khakassian gers, listened to the ringing silence of the steppe, made an offering to the local spirit at the sacred site, and left a part of your heart in this land…
This tour is a shorter and less inclusive version of the tour Great Tour of Siberia.
Day 1Arrival in Krasnoyarsk by a flight from Moscow in the morning. Transfer downtown (55 km). Free time for breakfast and to accommodate the jet lag.
Meet your local guide at hotel “Krasnoyarsk”. Start the acquaintance with Siberia by a visit to the Local Lore museum, known as one of the richest and best local lore museums of Siberia. Take your time in the museum to learn about the exploration of Siberia and different peoples inhabiting this land; the museum visit will give you insight to the history and ethnic traditions that you encounter further in this tour. Lunch downtown.
In the afternoon, have a trip to Krasnoyarsk Stolby (“pillars”) nature reserve. Stolby is a natural collection of rocks standing out of the surrounding green sea of the forest. Time, rain and wind weathered the rocks and shaped them into odd gigantic sculptures. A knowledgeable local “stolbist” (a local pillar climber) will guide us around the central group of Stolby and will show us the most scenic rocks, each of which is given a special name according to the likeness of its shape – Grandfather, Little Elephant, Lion’s gate, Feathers, etc (walk 8 km). Majestic silhouettes of Stolby against the sky and local stories of our old guide will make this trip special.Return to the city in time for dinner. Visit Paraskeva Pyatnitsa chapel (symbol of Krasnoyarsk) and admire a panoramic view over the city. Transfer to the railway and departure by train to Abakan at 22.00. Night on train (in a 4-berth compartment).
Day 2
Breakfast on train (at your own expense). Today is the day of acqauntance with old Siberian towns; we are moving deeper into Siberia. Arrive at 10 am in Abakan. After a short sightseeing tour of Abakan, the capital of Khakassia, depart for Minusinsk. In Minusinsk, an old Siberian town on the right bank of the Yenissei river, we will walk around the old city quarters featuring merchants mansions and will visit Martianov’s museum that brought once upon a time a fame to the city. If you wish, you can drop by the Saviour’s cathedral and visit the local market to buy some local products. Lunch.
In the afternoon, leave for Zharki complex located in the forest, with the view to the mountains. Check-in and dinner. You can walk around or (optionally) enjoy banya (Russian steam sauna) or horse riding for an extra-fee on the spot.
Night in the tour complex Zharki (**, double-basis, WC/shower shared by 2 rooms).
Day 3
Today is a day of fascinating encounters with the local cultures and nature. The day distance by mini-bus is rather significant, but the day is so full with amazing impressions of landscapes and different peoples that the trip will not seem long. After breakfast and a short transfer, arrive in the historical town of Shushenskoe, once upon a time a notorious place of political exiles in Krasnoyarsk region (famous among Russians as Lenin’s exile place). The inhabitants of the town are also proud of their folk traditions and hospitality.
Visit the State Ethnographical open-air museum-reserve “Shushenskoe” to find out about the history of the settlement. See the old wooden houses (izba) and their interior, learn about the household traditions of Russian peasants in Siberia. In Shushenskoe, you will also have a shot of the local spirit or a cup of tea infused on local taiga herbs, accompanied by a piece of the famous bird cherry pie or delicious pancakes.
Continue the trip to the village Tanzybei. Here, a local family will host you for lunch and discussion. You will see how the locals live and find out what they do and what their concerns are in live discussion. Shashlyk, fern, traditional pies, home-made jam and vegetables just picked from the kitchen garden patch will add to your impressions.Continue the trip further, to Tuva (430 km), with numerous stops on the way. You can stop the driver next to Tanzybei village at the small local market to buy some Siberian natural medicines (medicinal herbs and oils) or berries and cones of tasty fried cedar nuts.
Further on the way, the spectacular mountains of the East Sayan await us. Stop at the viewpoints over the Yergaki mountain range and Sleeping Sayan (Master of the local lands) to admire the views and listen to the legends.
Having crossed the border with Tuva, you will need another stop to take in a completely different, utterly stunning landscape – majestic bare mountains and endless steppes stretching over hundreds of kilometers. 
Closer to the evening, stop at Arjaan II. Here, the surrounding amazing steppe gives an intense feeling of freedom. Arjaan II is an archeological site (burial mounds) dating back to VI BC. While the guide narrates about the burial traditions of Scythes, walk between the ancient tombstones and feel the mystery of the past centuries.
Closer to the evening, stop at Arjaan II. Here, the surrounding amazing steppe gives an intense feeling of freedom. Arjaan II is an archeological site (burial mounds) dating back to VI BC. While the guide narrates about the burial traditions of Scythes, walk between the ancient tombstones and feel the mystery of the past centuries.Arrive in the evening in Biy-Khem camp located in steppe on the bank of Biy-Khem river (Big Yenissey). Accommodation in the “yurt”s (Tuvinian felt gers), dinner.
This day wil be completed with an unusual experience - traditional amazing undertone singing called “khoomei” performed by a local Tuvan band (incl). Night in gers in Biy-Khem (double-basis, 4 modern shower cabins per camp, civilized toilets outside)
Day 4
Today is the day to discover Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva, the culture so different from others. After breakfast, we will undertake a short transfer (22 km one way) to Kyzyl. Walk along the embankment to enjoy the view of the mountains on the other side of the river, find yourself in the geographical centre of Asia, take your time in the Buddhist temple and visit the Shaman clinic.
After lunch in the town cafe, there will be free time for walks in the city. It is possible to visit the National Museum of Tuva with its outstanding collection of the gold and silver findings of Scythian culture (extra fee).
Dinner of Tuvan national cuisine in the ger camp. In the evening darkness, come in a circle around the fire to witness a bewitching ritual by a local shaman – “kamlanie”, a rite of talking to the spirits, feeding the fire and purification. Night in ger complex Biy Khem.
Day 5
Today we’ll cross Tuva east to west following the way of ancient nomads (535 km). We will stop at the Khayrakan mountain sanctified by the Dalai Lama XIV. Once a year, local shamans come to this site to take the energy. Lunch as a picnic, in the company of the locally venerated "Seven Sisters" - old larch trees growing from one and the same root.
Next stop will be soon at Ustuu Khuure (venerated by all Tuvans place, a destroyed and now restored Buddhist monastery).
Next stop will be at the Sayan pass (2206m), from where the land of Khakassia with its fabulous mountains and pine&cedar taiga forests syarts. Accommodation in the comfortable wooden houses of camp Snow Leopard, located in the midst of taiga at a height of 1250 m. After dinner, meet the local staff – interesting personalities who grew up in taiga and have a deep knowledge of taiga herbs and fauna. Spend the rest of the evening in their company and enjoy guitar, songs or unhurried discussion. Night in wooden houses at the taiga camp Snow Leopard, to the warm crackling of the firewood in the stove (double-basis, no running water).
Day 6
Today is a day for strolls in taiga. Wander around to explore the picturesque surroundings of the Snow Leopard camp. The trails of different length (1-15 km) are available and clear. Enjoy the scenery of Siberia on your own - panoramic view of the green sea of taiga, pine scent of the purest air, abundance of berries and mushrooms. The local taiga guide can tell you about the use of the local herbs in traditional treatment so popular in Khakassia and Tuva. You can also rent a horse or have medicinal Phytosauna experience (optional, extra-charge on the spot). Lunch and dinner at Snow Leopard.
In the evening, you will have an excellent experience of a true Siberian banya (steam sauna). Use birch-tree whisks to get rid of the illnesses, dip into the clear cold water of the nearby river or lie in the moss. Afterwards, sitting at the campfire, listen to the silence, look into the starry sky, and feel the harmony. Night in the taiga camp Snow Leopard in the wooden houses.
Day 7
After breakfast, bid farewell to Snow Leopard and its welcoming owners, and depart by bus to explore Khakassia further. Make a stop at the so-called museum of one stone – human-shaped rock Hurtuyah Tas, considered a sacred place of fertility and frequented with offerings by Khakassian women. In the afternoon you will arrive in the Kug valley, 137 km from Abakan. Another landscape awaits us here – smooth soft lines of rounded green mountains. Visit Kazanovka, the State museum-reserve of Khakassia, to see 3-5 thousand years old petrogliphs (rock drawings).
Accommodation in a ger complex (this time Khakassian wooden gers). Have dinner and enjoy an evening of Khakassian folklore by the locals who will play the traditional music instruments and give an overview of Khakassian song types.
Night in ger complex Kug (double-basis, 4 modern shower cabins per camp, bio-toilets outside)
Day 8 After breakfast, leave for Abakan, the capital of Khakassia (140 km). Briefly visit the Republican regional Museum to see its amazing collection of stone statues – sunlike gods, fantastic creatures, figures with animal heads.
Have a trip to the Valley of Kings (140 km), an immense archeology site in the multi-coloured steppes, with 30 burial mounds dating back to the III-IV century BC, and particularly impressive Great Salbyk Mound. Lunch next to the Great Salbyk Mound with a wonderful view over the Valley of the Kings.
A way back to Abakan, dinner and departure by night train for Krasnoyarsk. Night on train (in a 4-berth compartment).
Day 9
Arrive in Krasnoyarsk in the morning (appr at 6 am). Transfer to the airport (1 hr) for a flight to Moscow and further on to your home country
