Spirit of the Altai Nomads Tour
A comprehensive tour of the Altai Mountains in Siberia, Russia. The Altai Nomads Tour offers a combination of incredible sightseeing, undemanding adventure activities and culturally immersive experiences. You’ll be one of a few privileged outsiders to visit some of the most spiritually powerful places in Altai, according to the legends of the indigenous Altayan people.
You’ll visit traditional villages inhabited by ethnic Altayan tribes as well as remote settlements that are still home to some of the last of the Russian Old Believers. You’ll also follow the part of the route traversed by Nicholas Roerich’s 1920s expedition in search of the mysterious Shambhala. A great trip for those seeking a vivid cultural experience, this itinerary also mixes in light hiking, whitewater rafting and horse riding (or an optional helicopter flight) in the beautiful Belukha Mountain region.
SPIRIT OF THE ALTAI NOMADS TOUR – HIGHLIGHTS:
- Explore the mystical Karakol Valley, where for centuries the nomadic Altayans performed shamanic rituals. Search for evidence of these ancient practices within the protected Uch-Enmek Nature Park
- Experience whitewater rafting on the mighty Katun River. Things start off calmly, exploring a wide, gentle section of the river before working our way up to the Katun’s world-famous rapids
Moscow and St Petersburg in Style
Russia’s story is evolving at a rapid pace, and nowhere is this intermingling of the ancient and the avant-garde more apparent than in its two largest metropolises, Moscow and St Petersburg. This carefully crafted Moscow and St Petersburg Tour itinerary tells the tale of two cities – Moscow, the source of Eastern political, economic and spiritual influence, and St Petersburg – Russia’s cultural epicentre and window to Western Europe.
During this fabulous 9 day Moscow and St Petersburg tour, you’ll stay in some of the country’s most stylish, centrally located urban hotels. Discover Moscow and St Petersburg plus a portion of the historical Golden Ring route by plush private transport. Travel business class on the high speed Sapsan train between Moscow and St Petersburg and spoil yourself even more with a choice of optional activities including a sublime night out at the opera or ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre, a luxurious Moscow dinner cruise and an evening of classical music at one of St Petersburg’s beautiful palaces turned concert halls.
Moscow and St Petersburg in Style Tour Highlights:
- Enjoy a very special evening at White Rabbit, heralded as one of Restaurant Magazine’s top restaurants in the world. White Rabbit combines a whimsical Alice in Wonderland theme with elegant service, creative takes on Russian cuisine and a domed glass roof providing breathtaking views of the city
- Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of one of the world’s biggest metropolises on a guided walking tour of Moscow, including the Red Square, the Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral
Highlights of Moscow & St Petersburg
On this unique 7-day Moscow to St Petersburg tour, you’ll immerse yourself in the art, history and culture of Russia and explore the contrasting styles of her old and new capitals – the majestic cities of Moscow and St Petersburg. Your tour begins in Moscow, the mega-metropolis whose blend of Imperial decadence, Soviet austerity and vibrant contemporary energy is sure to entertain and enthral.
Moscow and St Petersburg Tour Highlights:
- Panoramic Tour of Moscow: See Moscow beyond the postcard images on a private excursion by car through the city streets including a drive along the banks of the Moskva River. Visit the famous Bolshoi Theatre, pass by Gorky Park and the Novodevichy Convent and admire the city from on high at the Sparrow Hill observation platform.
- Moscow Guided Walking Tour: Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of one of the world’s biggest metropolises and discover local haunts on foot, including the Red Square, the Kremlin and the multi-coloured domes of St Basil’s Cathedral.
Lake Baikal Photography Tour
This Lake Baikal Photography Tour will grant intrepid photographers the honour of focusing their lenses on some of Siberia’s most famously beautiful frozen landscapes. Summer sees the bulk of tourist activity in the area, but it’s in winter that the most devoted photographers make the pilgrimage, hoping to capture once-in-a-lifetime images of the natural world at its most powerful and surreal.
Lake Baikal Ice Photo Tour Highlights:
- Enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view showing the true scale of Siberia’s “inland sea” from Khoboy Cape, which contains a labyrinth of grottoes where sunlight dances off ceilings jagged with icy stalactites
- Khorin-Igri Bay: an ideal spot to photograph the natural phenomenon of frozen bubbles under Lake Baikal, rising to the surface in perfect discs suspended in the clear, dark water
Arctic Rail Explorer - Quest for Northern Lights
Experience a train journey unlike any other. An adventure on rails to the top of the world, the lands above the Arctic Circle where the mythical Aurora Borealis performs her breathtaking celestial dance in the velvet black Polar night sky. This compelling 12-day Northern Lights Train Tour showcases the unique contrast between two of Russia’s most majestic cities and the isolated yet charming communities deep within the Russian and Norwegian Arctic Circle. Commencing in St. Petersburg or Moscow, we visit some of the city’s most prominent historical and cultural sites, before embarking on this remarkable Arctic railway adventure in search of the elusive Aurora Borealis.
Northern Lights – Arctic Rail Explorer Tour Highlights:
- Admire the architectural splendour of one of Europe’s most beautiful cities on a guided two-day tour of St Petersburg that includes St Isaac’s Cathedral and the Hermitage, as well as a trip to Pushkin to visit the extravagant Catherine Palace
- In the extreme north of Norway, above the Arctic Circle lies Kirkenes, a tiny frontier town near the Russian border. Ride a snowmobile across the frozen fjords outside town and try your hand at fishing for the Arctic’s most prized seafood, the king crab
Kamchatka - Kingdom of the Brown Bears
Perhaps the most potent symbols of Kamchatka’s untamed nature are its towering volcanoes and the mighty Kamchatka Brown bears, the furry residents are the ancestor of the Alaskan Kodiak bears. These two iconic natural emblems are the main subjects of our Kamchatka bears and volcanoes tour, an adventure into the wilds of Russia’s Far East that’s equal parts thrilling and humbling. Including three nights staying in a cabin on Kuril Lake at the height of the bear’s salmon hunting season, this Kamchatka wildlife watching tour will get you closer than you ever imagined to the animal inhabitants of the Kamchatka peninsula.
Kamchatka – Kingdom of the Brown Bears tour highlights:
- Kuril Lake during the summer salmon run is one of only a few places where visitors can observe hunting brown bears in their natural habitat at close proximity. To get the best chances of adrenaline-pumping close encounters and amazing photos ops, we’ll watch bears feed and frolick along the shore from a motorboat, as well as on-land from a special viewing platform overlooking prime fishing grounds.
- Take off in a Russian Mi-8 helicopter for a breathtaking flight to the Khodutka River hot springs, nestled in a forested valley where we’ll bathe, relax and camp for the evening. The largest collection of hot springs in Kamchatka, water temperatures in the various spring pools range from 40 and 60°C.
Volga River Cruise and Two Capitals
On this mesmerising and romantic Moscow to St Petersburg river cruise, you’ll take in the sights, sounds and history of Russia’s heartland from the comfort of a stunning 5-star modern cruise vessel. After three days of touring the must-see sights of Moscow, we’ll sail through the Moscow Canal which connects the city to the majestic Volga River, the longest river in Europe. Heading north, you’ll experience the contrast between life in a heaving megacity and the languid pace of the gorgeous Russian countryside. Traversing the Volga with port calls in the timeless townships of Russia’s ancient Golden Ring, our Russian river cruise finishes in the glittering far northern metropolis of St Petersburg, one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
Moscow to St Petersburg Volga river cruise highlights:
- Highlights of Moscow: Enjoy guided excursions to the most lauded landmarks of the Russian capital. Walk the Red Square, enter the halls of the imposing Kremlin and marvel at the works of the Russian masters at the Tretyakov Gallery
- Uglich: One of the most magnificent towns to behold from the Volga, with its brightly painted Kremlin standing proudly along the waters’ edge, Uglich is home to the Church of St Dmitry, where the last heir of Ivan the Terrible met his mysterious demise
Legend of Lake Baikal
Dive into the Legend of Lake Baikal on this glorious summer excursion to the glittering Blue Pearl of Russia. Plummeting to 1,642m at its deepest point, Baikal is also the world’s most voluminous lake. Its mirror-clear waters are a reflection of Siberia’s wildness, its vastness, and its beauty. Baikal is a place where shamans still speak to the spirit world, wildlife-rich virgin forests thrive and lake-living seals fish and frolic in freshwater. Surrounded by jagged mountains and taiga of pine, fir, and cedar, Lake Baikal is a protected World Heritage site. Unsurprisingly, it is the most famous attraction in Siberia, but Baikal’s sheer size means there’s always an escape from the crowds.
Legend of Lake Baikal Tour Highlights:
- The Taltsy Museum between Irkutsk and Listvyanka is a fabulously comprehensive open-air museum, set over 64 acres. Over 40 historical buildings from both the Russian and Buryat cultures of Baikal have been painstakingly reconstructed and authentically furnished. Wander through the streets of an 18th-century Siberian village and get a feel for life in a nomadic Buryat summer camp
- Cruise to Olkhon Island, the largest of Lake Baikal’s islands and the “capital” of shamanistic culture. On a day tour of Olkhon’s natural wonders, discover untouched Siberian forests, craggy capes, pristine beaches, and jaw-dropping sunsets
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.
Treasures of St Petersburg
Before Moscow became the seat of Russian power, St Petersburg was the capital of the Russian Empire for 200 years. Inspired by London, Vienna, and Paris, Peter the Great transformed a tract of swampland on the Lena River delta into what would become renowned as one of the world’s most beautiful cities. This in-depth seven-day tour of St Petersburg will ensure you have plenty of time to relish all the most unmissable highlights of St Petersburg and its surroundings. St Petersburg, is, after all, one of the most visually compelling destinations in Russia, and its ornamental splendour was designed to be savoured.
Treasures of St Petersburg Tour Highlights:
- St Petersburg Walking Tour: Admire the spectacular urban architecture, old-world grandeur and a buzzing vibe on a guided walking tour of St Petersburg, including a stroll along the lively main drag, Nevsky Prospekt
- Take a hydrofoil boat trip to the World Heritage listed Peterhof Palace and Park, known as the ‘Russian Versailles’
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About 56th Parallel
56th Parallel is a travel company specialising in providing packaged tours and travel services in Russia.
Our goal is to redefine travel to Russia, focusing on creating the most rewarding experiences, which help travellers unfolds the soul of this exciting destination.
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