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.
The nature of Siberia is imprinted forever in the culture of the peoples who live here: the freedom of steppe is in the Tuvan undertone singing, the roaring of the powerful Yenissei river is in the rumbling of a Buddhist monk prayer, and the unity of Nature and a human being is in mysterious shaman’s rites. In this tour, you will enjoy the genuine Siberian hospitality and get a true feel of the life of Russians, Tuvans, and Khakassians many years ago and nowadays. 
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…
Day 1
Arrival in Krasnoyarsk by a flight from Moscow in the morning. Meet your local guide at the airport. Transfer to a hotel *** (55 km) and check in, time at leisure to accommodate the jet lag. Lunch. Start the first day in Siberia with Krasnoyarsk city tour. Visit Paraskeva Pyatnitsa chapel, the symbol of Krasnoyarsk, and admire a wonderful panoramic view over the city from the Karaulnaya Gora hill. Find out the history of the old streets, stop to see the Yenissei river splitting the city in two, learn about the exploration of Siberia and different peoples inhabiting this land in Krasnoyarsk Region Museum, one of the richest and very best local lore museums of Siberia. The museum visit will give you insight to the history and ethnic traditions that you encounter further in this tour.
Welcome dinner and night in the hotel in Krasnoyarsk (***, double-basis).
Day 2
Today continue exploration of Krasnoyarsk and its picturesque surroundings – Stolby nature reserve. After breakfast, go to the Surikov’s estate – a wooden house with auxiliary structures dating to the beginning of the 20th century, where the local Vassily Surikov lived before becoming a world famous artist. Free time for walking in the city center. Lunch.
In the afternoon, we will have a trip to Krasnoyarsk Stolby (“pillars”) nature reserve. Stolby is an natural collection of rocks standing out of the surrounding green sea of the forest, some of them are 100 m high. 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 3+ km). Majestic silhouettes of Stolby against the sky, view over the city, and local stories of our old guide will make this trip special.
Return to the city, dinner and night in the hotel in Krasnoyarsk.
Day 3
Siberia covers and immense area, and today a long way into the Siberian land awaits us (appr 300 km). After breakfast, check out. We start our trip in a comfortable mini-bus. We will pass the city of Divnogorsk (“Wonderful Town”) named after the Divnye (Wonderful) mountains on the opposite shore of the river Yenissei. Cross the river along the dam - Krasnoyarsk hydropower station, one of the biggest dams in the world - and learn about the period of Soviet construction and mega-projects. See how the landscape changes while we are moving southwards: the green woods turn into fields, the fields suddenly turn into scenic steppes when we cross the border between Krasnoyarsk region and Khakassia.
After lunch, we will stop in steppe lined by the blue strips of the lakes to explore the burial mounds of Scythian culture (VIII-VII BC). While the guide tells the traditions of Scythes, walk between the ancient tombstones and feel the mystery of the past centuries. Those wishing can go up the nearest hill to have a stunning view over Krasnoyarsk Sea. In the evening, arrive in Zharki complex located in the forest, with the view to the mountains. Check-in. Optionally, you can enjoy massage or medicinal baths after the long trip by bus (extra-fee).
Dinner and night in the tour complex Zharki (**, double-basis).
Day 4
Today we are going to Krasnoyarsk land and Tuva for fascinating encounters with their cultures and nature. The day distance is great (appr 500 km) but the day 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. Visit the tavern, where a local small choir of cosaccks will welcome you with a traditional song accompanied by accordion and a shot of local alcohol. In Shushenskoe, you will also have a cup of tea infused on local taiga herbs and 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 will add to your impressions.
Continue the trip further, to Tuva, 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, famous for the recent discovery of preserved Scythian treasures exhibited nowadays in Tuva museum.
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 will be completed with an usual experience - traditional undertone singing “khoomei” performed by a local Tuvan band. The undertone, or “throat”, singing is an amazing capability of Tuvans and some other cultures to issue two or three sounds of different tone simultaneously. Listening to such a performance, it is difficult to believe that the sounds are produced without any instruments, by only one person. The traditional musical instruments and voice render the melodies, which are a natural part of life in Tuva – the clatter of the horse’s hooves, roaring of the river, etc. Night in gers in Biy-Khem (double-basis, 4 modern shower cabins per camp, civilized toilets outside)Day 5
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, visit the National Museum of Tuva with its outstanding collection of the gold and silver findings of Scythian culture and have some time on your own to walk in the town.
After a short trip to the venerated mineral spring next to Kyzyl, return to Biy-Khem. On the way back you might have an opportunity to stop at a cattle breeder’s ger to get acquainted with live traditions of the simple Tuvan locals.Dinner of Tuvan national cuisine. 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 6
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. Have a small walk to the human-shaped natural rock statue and listen to a legend. Next stop will be at the Sayan pass (2206m), from where the land of Khakassia starts with its fabulous mountains and pine&cedar taiga forests. 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 huts at the taiga camp Snow Leopard, to the warm crackling of the firewood in the stove (double-basis, bio-toilet inside, no running water).
Day 7
Have a short stroll in taiga (1-5 km) to the mountain “Mayak” (Lighthouse) from where is a panoramic view of the green sea of taiga, or to a hunter’s hut, or to the nearby Lovers’ Bridge. Note: longer itineraries are available, the choice is defined by the group fitness level, group preference and the weather. After lunch at Snow Leopard, free time. Enjoy the scenery of Siberia on your own – you can take further walks (the trails are rather clear) or rent a horse or have medicinal Phytosauna experience (optional, extra-charge). In the evening, the hosts of Snow Leopard will offer you the excellent experience of a true Siberian banya. Afterwards, sitting at the campfire, listen to the silence, breathe in the aroms of pine and cedar trees, look into the starry sky, and feel the harmony. Night in the taiga camp Snow Leopard.
Day 8
In the morning, The local guide will tell you about the habits of the animals in this area and the use of the local herbs in traditional treatment so popular in Khakassia and Tuva. Also, you can just relax in the camp or pick some herbs for tea brewing or a ride by horse in the scenic surroundings (optional, extra-charge). After lunch, bid farewell to Snow Leopard and its welcoming owners, and depart by bus. 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.
By the evening arrive in the Kug valley. Another landscape awaits us here – smooth lines of rounded green mountains. 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.
Day 9 After breakfast, visit Kazanovka, the State museum-reserve of Khakassia, to see 3-5 thousand years old petrogliphs (rock drawings).
After lunch, continue the archaeology excursion by foot to the sacred signs of the ancient shamans and a cult obelisk Akhtas, famous for its healing energy field (5-7 km).
Night in ger complex Kug (double-basis, 4 modern shower cabins per camp, bio-toilets outside)
Day 10
Today a visit to Abakan, the capital of Khakassia, and to the renowned Valley of Kings is in store for us. After breakfast, leave the camp. Transfer to Abakan (137km), short city tour and a visit to the Republican regional Museum to see its amazing collection of stone statues. Have a trip to the Valley of Kings, 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 view over the Valley of the Kings.
A long way back to Krasnoyarsk, check-in at a hotel, rest. Dinner and night in the hotel in Krasnoyarsk (***, double-basis). Day distance (auto): 570 km
Day 11
After breakfast, check-out. Transfer to the airport for a flight to Moscow and further on to your home country
