SHAMANS, STEPPES, TAIGA AND WILD HORSES
July 14 ⇾ July 24
In addition to our regular group departures to Tuva and Khakassia, we also offer tour services for private travel parties and lone wolves alike. As a traveller-oriented boutique operator, tailored trips and bespoke adventures are our bread and butter. Get in touch for more info on our bespoke journeys to Tuva!
ITINERARY
DAY 1 TO DAY 2 - Kyzyl
Meet-and-greet at Kyzyl Regional Airport, transfer to our hotel of choice in central Kyzyl and introductory briefing about Tuva, an extremely remote and irresistibly fascinating Autonomous Republic predominantly inhabited by an obscure Turkic-speaking Mongol ethnicity: the proud and gentle Tuvans.
We’ll spend our first two days in Kyzyl, a pleasant Soviet provincial capital with a unique Mongol flavour: Buddhist temples, Soviet monuments, shaman houses, interesting museums, and colourful bazaars.
Since our group departure is planned to coincide with Naadym (midsummer folk festival), we will be able to enjoy a full program of throat singing concerts, handicraft workshops, horse races, archery competition, folkloristic parade, wrestling sessions and a yurt building contest held amongst the representatives of the seventeen administrative provinces of Tuva.
Even if you won’t be able to travel to Tuva during Naadym (i.e. if you opt for a private tour outside the festivity period), you will still have the opportunity to pay a visit to a local shaman and witness khuresh (wrestling) and khoomei (throat-singing) performances: a truly mesmerising spectacle of ancient traditions and mystic rituals.
Overnights in Kyzyl.
DAY 3 TO DAY 4 - Todzha
Early start from Kyzyl for the long overland journey to Todzha, an enchanted and secluded semi-autonomous area in the far north of the republic and a unique world of endless taiga, nomadic traditions, and shamanic rituals.
Besides the routine stops for food, photography and physiological needs, we’ll break the long haul at the traditional village of Boyarovka.
In the afternoon we’ll eventually reach Toora-Khem, a picturesque wooden village functioning as the administrative capital of Todzha.
We’ll check-in at a local guesthouse and spend one-and-half day exploring the many natural and cultural wonders of mysterious Todzha.
Overnights in Toora-Khem.
DAY 5 - Kyzyl
We’ll spend a lazy morning in Toora-Khem enjoying the stunning nature of its surroundings and the slow-paced life rhythms shaping this almost magical village.
After lunch we’ll then head back for Kyzyl, driving once again along the scenic Todzha Road we took on our way in.
Overnight in Kyzyl.
DAY 6 TO DAY 7 - Southern Tuva
After breakfast we will drive to the Tuvan Deep South, a land of sand dunes, endless steppes and Soviet cowboys.
We'll base ourselves in the end-of-the-world Soviet outpost of Erzin and devote two days to the region.
The list of highlights of our sojourn in Southern Tuva will include: the healing salty waters of lake Dus-Xol, the taiga-flanked Durgen Canyon, the camel-shaped Teve-Khaya mount and the Tsugeer Els sand dunes.
During our time in the area, we will also have the unique chance to meet with nomadic camel herders and horse breeders, who will share with you their food, their home and the mystic secrets of their endangered culture.
Overnights in Erzin on Day 6 and back in Kyzyl on Day 7 (late afternoon arrival).
DAY 8 - Western Tuva
We'll leave Kyzyl in the early morning and head to the Wild West of the republic.
First stop will be Chadan, a traditional Tuvan town renowned for its peculiar horse culture.
We'll then continue our bumpy ride across Tuva's stunning landscapes to finally reach Ak-Dovurak, a surreal Soviet urban reality lost in the Tuvan plateau.
Overnight in Ak-Dovurak.
DAY 9 - Mountain Roads
We'll drive north on the scenic A161, a remote mountain road connecting Tuva to neighbouring Khakassia, a gorgeous Autonomous Republic within the Russian Federation that represents the titular homeland of the little-known Turkic-speaking Khakass people.
We'll break the 6-hour drive stopping at the Sayansky Point, one of the highest mountain pass in the whole former Soviet Union, and in Abaza, a traditional Khakass town surrounded by beautiful taiga-covered valley.
We'll then proceed towards Askiz, a relatively small Khakass village built along the shores of the Abakan river.
Overnight in Askiz.
DAY 10 - Abakan
In the morning we'll drive across the Shushensky National Park, a remote reserve of extraordinary natural beauty, and tour the nearby city of Shushenskoye, where we'll enjoy a guided visit to the small wooden house where Lenin was exiled during the Tsarist persecutions.
After lunch we'll eventually reach Abakan, the leafy and tidy capital of Khakassia, where we will spend the last hours of our journey visiting the main cultural and architectural sights of the city.
Overnight in Abakan.
DAY 11 - FAREWELL TO SIBERIA
2990 €
INCLUSIONS
Double/twin-room accommodation (breakfast included), private transport in Tuva and Khakassia (car/minivan), all entrance fees, English-speaking guiding service, 24/7 on-site and remote assistance.
EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement, international flights, main meals (lunches and dinners), extra drinks, visa fees (if required), tips, travel insurance.
TUVA TOURS