Ethno-tour to Yamal

Day 1 Discovering Salekhard

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred by minibus to your hotel. On the way, you will stop at the “66th Parallel” monument. Salekhard, the regional capital, is the only city in the world located directly on the Arctic Circle. Upon arrival, you will check into your rooms, rest after your flight, and enjoy breakfast on your own.

In the afternoon, you will have lunch at a local café (payable locally) before setting out on a guided city tour of Salekhard.

You will visit the historic and architectural complex Obdorsky Ostrog, a 16th-century wooden fortress built without a single nail during the reign of the last tsar of the Rurik dynasty. You will see the Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul, constructed in the 19th century, which is the only pre-revolutionary church still standing in the city. The tour also includes the open-air aviation museum, city landmarks, sites of the 501st construction project, and the Ivan Shemanovsky Museum.

In the evening, you will enjoy dinner on your own at a local café before returning to the hotel.

Day 2 Journey to the Reindeer Herder’s Camp

After breakfast, you will receive a safety briefing and set off across the tundra in all-terrain TREKOL vehicles (60–80 km) to the reindeer herders’ camp.

On arrival, you will meet the family and settle into a chum — the traditional dwelling of the nomadic peoples of the North. The hostess will welcome you with a lunch of national dishes.

You will learn about the unique design of the chum — simple, practical, and perfectly suited to a nomadic lifestyle. There are no separate rooms or extra furniture, since every item adds weight during seasonal moves. In winter, the chum is insulated with reindeer hides and heated by a wood stove, keeping it warm and cozy even when the temperature outside drops to –40 °C.

In the evening, you will enjoy dinner and rest. If the skies are clear, you may be lucky enough to capture the Northern Lights on camera.

Day 3 A Day in the Life of a Yamal Nomad

In the morning, you will have breakfast and continue discovering the everyday life of the reindeer herders.

During winter, Yamal’s nomads move to a new location every 3–4 weeks, traveling several dozen kilometers across the tundra. The men tend to the herds, while the women manage all aspects of daily life. It is the women who prepare reindeer hides used to cover the chum in winter. The hides must be carefully treated and smoked before use. Another vital responsibility is sewing warm, practical clothing for the entire family.

Both lunch and dinner will be served in the chum.

Day 4 Farewell to the Reindeer Herders

After breakfast, you will ride a reindeer sleigh out to the herd. Today, you will immerse yourself in the daily life of the Nenets herders and witness one of their essential tasks — catching draft reindeer.

When the herd returns to the camp in the morning, a corral is quickly set up using sleds (narty) arranged in a semicircle and tied together with rope. First, the draft reindeer are driven inside. Then begins the catching: men step out of the corral, pressing down on the rope, while women pass the rope over their heads to help guide the animals.

The herders will demonstrate how to lasso a reindeer, harness it properly, and handle the sleigh. If you’d like, you’ll even have the chance to try your hand as a kaur — a reindeer sled driver.

After lunch, it’s time to say goodbye to your hosts. You will return to Salekhard by all-terrain vehicle, arriving around 19:00–20:00. Back in the city, you will settle into your familiar hotel and enjoy dinner at a café of your choice.

Day 5 Departure

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred by minibus to the airport for your flight home, taking with you unforgettable memories of Yamal.