Sayan's Golden Ring: The Great Sayan Ring

The Great Sayan Ring is a unique opportunity to touch the nature and culture of three very different regions: the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Tuva and Khakassia Republics. You will learn how Siberians lived in past centuries as well as present day. You will feel the hospitality of local people and realize the richness of this nation's cultural traditions. Moreover you will touch the origins of religions - from the Orthodox Church to Shamanism.
This round a guarantee will be lead to all the declared dates!

Date of arrival to Krasnoyarsk: 11 of June, 02,23 of July, 06, 20 of August, 02 of September 2026

Itinerary:

Day 1. Arrival to Krasnoyarsk, check-in in the hotel. Meeting the guide and starting the sightseeing tour. Krasnoyarsk city tour to all significant sights, incl. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa chapel.
Excursion in the Ethnographical Museum. Trip to Stolby national park (Central group of rocks).

Day 2. Departure from Krasnoyarsk by a comfortable tourist bus or a car. The road goes along the river Yenisei. Mixed forest gradually gives place to fields and boundless steppes. During the day several stops and excursions: observation place Tsar-Ryba with the view on the Yenisei, Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station, border between Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Khakassia Republic, Abakan city, Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station.
Arrival to Shushenskoye village. Getting to know the rural life of the 19th century.

Day 3. Mountains and Steppes Mysteries. Impressive excursion in the ethnographical museum Shushenskoye. Departure from Shushenskoye to Tuva through the passes of the Western Sayan Mountains. You will pass the Ergaki nature park. Photo spot against the background of Sleeping Sayan mount. Arrival to Tuva, overnight at the hotel.

Day 4. Between 2 cultures. Kyzyl city tour, the capital of the Tuva Republic. Visit the Geographical Center of Asia. Walking along the Yenisei quay. Visit to the Buddhist temple "Thubten Shedrub Ling". Excursion about the Scythian gold in the National museum of Tuva. Treasures, found in the burial mound Arzhaan-2, became a sensation in the archaeological world! Dinner with traditional dishes of Tuvan cuisine (meat and dairy products). Tuvan tea ceremony and a traditional throat singing concert.

Day 5. Following nomads’ paths. Today tourists will cross Tuva from the east to the west, following the old nomads' paths. From the bus window you will see the stunning scenery. Stop near the saint mount Khairykan. Excursion to Buddhist temple Ustuu-Khuree. Stop at the Sayan Pass, starting point of the Khakassia Republic. Arrival to the camp in the taiga, in the Western Sayan Mountains. Overnight in wooden lodges.

Day 6. Day in taiga. The day in the taiga. You will go to the Bridge of Love (2 km from the camp). You can gather mushrooms, berries, cedar nuts or herbs (depending on the season). A real Siberian banya is waiting for you. After lunch, the group bids farewell to the Snezhny Bars camp and heads to the heart of Khakassia – the Kazanovka village. You'll visit the Khurtuyakh Tas stele – "stone mother," as the locals like to call it. At dinnertime, you'll arrive in the Kyug Valley.

Day 7. Way to Delight. You will have a tour of the Khakassian State Archaeological Museum-Reserve "Kazanovka." You'll be shown rock paintings dating back 3,000 to 5,000 years, taught how to copy them onto paper and you can take these rare souvenirs home. In the evening there will be the dinner with traditional Khakassian dishes and performance of a national folklore ensemble.

Day 8. Ancient heritage. After lunch group departs to Abakan. Upon arrival short Abakan city tour and then you will be able to see the exposition of stone monuments in the National museum of Khakassia.

Day 9. Valley of Kings. After breakfast departure to the Valley of Kings. The highlight of all tour will be the Great Salbyk burial mound. Its size is impressive: the circumference is 500 m, its height is more than 11 meters, the total weight of vertical stones is approximately 60 tons. Return to Krasnoyarsk.

Day 10. End of the tour. Transfer from the hotel to Krasnoyarsk airport or railway station.

Tour cost: 3900 Euro (TWIN sharing accommodation)

Price includes:

transport services (minibus, bus), including group transfers airport (railway) – hotel-airport (railway)
2-bed accommodation in the hotel "Krasnoyarsk" 3*, "Asia" 4*, in the guest houses of the museum "Shushenskoye", hotel "Buyan Badyrgy" 3*, camp "Snezhny Bars", yurt complex "Kyug"
full board (including mineral water, coffee, tea, local drinks)
guide services
guide services in the national park
recreational fee in the national park
entrance tickets to museums according to the program
tick-borne encephalitis insurance
folklore programs
excursions

Price does not include:

air or train tickets to Krasnoyarsk and back
luggage service
alcoholic drinks
tips
additional services at the accommodation