Golden Mountains of Altai Adventure Tour

This awe-inspiring circuit within the dramatic Altai Mountain range crosses vast distances to reach some of the most beautiful places in Siberia. Stretching from the capital, Gorno-Altaysk almost to the Mongolia and China borders and back, this Altai adventure takes you into the rugged heart of this untamed region. Along the way, sample some of the adventure activities that have put Altai on the map among an exclusive set of intrepid travellers. Experience hiking, rafting and horse-riding and a road trip along the Chuysky Trakt, named by National Geographic Russia as one of the most beautiful roads in the world.

This Altai Mountains tour showcases Altai’s amazing biodiversity and unique mix of ethnicities and cultures. Once the domain of roaming nomadic tribes, today you’ll be welcomed by some their ancestors in traditional villages scattered across Altai’s plains and valleys.

ALTAI ADVENTURE TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

• Walk the narrow suspension bridge over the might Katun River in Chemal to Patmos Island, the site of an old wooden monastery

• Experience whitewater rafting on the internationally renowned Katun River. Start by exploring a broad, calm section of the river, working your way up to thrilling high-speed rapids

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Karelia & Kizhi Island in 3 Days

This short detour from either Moscow or St Petersburg gives you the chance to explore some of the most remarkable historical and natural landmarks of Karelia. Known as Russia’s ‘Land of Lakes’, Karelia is a republic with its own unique culture, bordering Finland and the White Sea. Your tour begins in Petrozavodsk, the largest city in Karelia and the gateway to Kizhi Island, the most visually spectacular cultural site in Karelia. We’ll reach Kizhi by rapid hydrofoil boat, giving us plenty of time to explore the World Heritage Listed Kizhi Pogost, a collection of 17th and 18th-century churches, elaborately and fantastically crafted entirely out of wood.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• The Kizhi Open Air Museum is a World Heritage site and one of the most unmissable greatest cultural attractions in Russia. The island contains some 83 relocated buildings from the 17^th to the 19^th centuries, each one elaborately crafted out of wood

• The crown jewel of Khizi is the Transfiguration Church, an architectural masterpiece featuring a chorus of wooden domes, gables and ingenious decorations designed to keep water off the walls. Built without using a single nail, it has withstood the elements for over 150 years

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Kamchatka Photo Expedition - Bears and Volcanoes

This 2-week Kamchatka photography tour is designed especially for landscape, nature, and wildlife photography enthusiasts. Stay on the shores of the iconic Kurilskoye Lake and take part in some of the best brown bear photo opportunities as the bears gorge themselves during the annual salmon run. Hike to the summits of some of Kamchatka’s active volcanoes for thrilling shots of steaming vents, acid lakes, and smoking craters. Your aim is to return to “Earth” with images of alien landscapes and wild nature worthy of the pages of National Geographic. Our Kamchatka photography tour suits all professional and amateur photographers, as well as active and adventurous travellers. No prior mountain climbing experience is required, but a decent level of fitness is strongly recommended.

Kamchatka photo tour highlights:

• Brace yourself for a bone-rattling journey on a Russian 6WD all-terrain vehicle on a road tracing the western coast of Kamchatka (complete with river crossing) to isolated Pauzhetka village. Pauzhhetka is a tiny settlement between the Sea of Okhost and Kuril Lake, surrounded on all sides by towering volcanoes

• Embark on the off-road drive to Kurilskoye Lake for a two day shooting and photo workshopping season among the brown bears who gather at the lake in large numbers during the salmon season to get the best chance of heart-stopping close encounters and amazing photos ops, we’ll watch the bears on land and on boat, staying overnight in log cabins close to the lakeshore

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Lake Baikal Ice Adventure

Our Lake Baikal Ice Adventure tour takes place during late February and March. The beginning of spring in the Baikal region, at this time of year, the temperature climbs above zero, but the surface of the lake is still largely frozen, covered by solid winter ice so clear you can see rocks and other objects at the bottom of the lake as far as 40m below. During spring, Baikal receives few visitors compared to the summer high season, allowing you to feel an inspiring sense of isolation and communion with undisturbed nature during this handcrafted 7-day tour. Be amazed by the frozen beauty of the world’s oldest and deepest lake and experience real-life walking on water. We’ve included a few activities exclusive to the cooler months such as ice skating snowmobiling to add a sprinkle of spills and thrills to this thoroughly enjoyable adventure.

Lake Baikal Ice Adventure Highlights:

• Embark on an over-ice expedition on and around Olkhon Island, the largest of Lake Baikal’s islands and the centre of shamanic energy for the Buryat people. Spend three nights on the island and discover pristine beaches, craggy capes, and untouched Siberian forests

• Enjoy over-ice hovercraft expedition to Ogoy island – one of the sacred places in the region.
• Enjoy one of the most popular winter activities – snowmobiling and dog sledding.

Sea Kayaking in Kamchatka

This epic Kamchatka Sea Kayaking tour covering roughly 110km of rarely visited Pacific Coast will take you to parts of this dramatic region only accessible by small sea craft. Tracing the peninsula’s shoreline south from the calm waters of Avacha Bay, you’ll paddle beneath the shadows of snowy volcanoes and explore mysterious sea caves.

Visit the incredible Starichkov Island Nature Reserve – one of the Pacific’s largest seabird colonies, and impressive Russkaya Bay for world-class marine mammal encounters. Discover a side of the Kamchatkan wilderness only a few have ever experienced on an unforgettable Russian Sea Kayaking adventure.

Kamchatka sea kayaking tour highlights:

• Be immersed in the scenic splendour of Avacha Bay, a tranquil harbour surrounded by soaring cliffs and coastal forests. Dramatic rock formations rise from the water, including the ‘Three Brothers’, said to be the guardians of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

• The vast colonies of seabirds that nest on Starichkov Island Nature Reserve are a breathtaking sight. You’ll see thousands of cormorants, gulls, guillemots and puffins, while in the morning, dozens of large seals can be found sunbaking on the rocks.

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