Update 2022: with the advent of inexpensive flights, a stream of independent tourists, unprepared for the harsh reality, poured into Altai.
Just understand that Altai is not yet the most convenient region for independent travel, make sure you have backup options, spare days, money, and don’t take it lightly. Below are ready-made options from our subscribers.
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We analyze options for independent and solo travel in Altai
Both planned and in case the tour was suddenly cancelled. With examples.
In our newsletter we had a survey about what option to describe about a week of rest if your tour was suddenly canceled or you just found yourself in Altai alone. The “hybrid” option, which contains little of everything, without strain or extreme, won the survey by a large margin.
Well. I agree that this option is quite interesting. Not the maximum experience, of course, but it’s quite suitable for having a good time.
Nutrition
skogarmykr.livejournal.com
You can provide yourself with food during your trip in Altai, just like on any other hike through the mountains, rivers and forests. Living in a tent, you will cook over a fire using the products that you purchased in the nearest large city along the way. This is the most economical option.
If you have booked a room at a camp site or sanatorium, then there is a chance to relieve yourself of household responsibilities and delegate the cooking process to others. But in this case, be prepared that you will not get any delights or variety. In Altai, food is hearty and simple. The basis is always meat, milk, bread, cereal. But seasonings and hot peppers are used rarely and in limited quantities.
If you rented a room with breakfast only, then in most tourist villages there are enough cafes and restaurants where you can have lunch and dinner. In this case, the average check is about 300-500 rubles. But be prepared for the fact that due to the lack of high competition, the chefs do not try very hard. But people don’t come to Altai for the delicacies?
Pros and cons of other options
1. Transfer (without car rental, on buses and rideshares)
Old bridge to the island of Patmos
Cons: very heavy and even a little extreme option. Honestly, Altai is not at all suitable for traveling without a car, especially to the most interesting places - there is practically no public transport. It doesn’t run in winter; if it does run in summer, it’s overcrowded, the schedule is inconvenient and unstable. The only Gazelle going where you need it may simply not stop and that’s it, spend the night by the road. I rode like this myself - you have to be strong and resistant to difficulties). And not cheap, unless you drive a Blablacar. Not all places can be visited this way. If your bag is larger than a small hand luggage, you will suffer.
Pros: coverage, strong emotions, quest and overcoming, surprises, and savings.
2. Automotive (about the features of a car for rent in Altai )
Cars that are rented out in Altai are not the newest ones
Disadvantages: high cost and responsibility for a car, which suffers greatly on our roads, some boredom and asocialization, searching for housing (you can’t really book anything), you also need to book a car in advance. I wouldn’t go in cold weather without good driving skills - the roads are not easy.
Pros: large geographical coverage (but if you don’t take a crossover, then of course it’s limited and the car is killed, you can get money), freedom of movement, physically light and comfortable.
3. Recreational
Camp site with a swimming pool. Almost Türkiye!)
Cons: well, maybe a little boring), there’s not much to see in Altai, maximum trips around the surrounding area.
Pros: calm, stress-free, relatively inexpensive.
Why go here?
Altai is the name given to the entire Altai Territory in geographical terms, and also includes the Republic with the same name. Although, in fact, these are two different regions. In any case, those who want to relax away from noisy cities, civilization and experience the culture of this wonderful place will like it here.
pikabu.ru
In addition to the amazing nature, people come here to experience shamanic magical rituals, see extraordinary ancient actions, and get to the fabulous land called Belovodye, which is associated with many mystical stories and legends. It is here that ancient superstitions, belief in magic, service to gods and spirits, and communication with nature on an energetic level remain in force. It is not surprising that Altai attracts curious tourists more and more every year.
Most of the region's attractions are natural sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. These include Mount Belukha, Lake Teletskoye, the Ukok rest zone, the Altai and Katunsky nature reserves. Some plants and animals are considered rare and can only be seen in this area.
Hybrid option
Observation deck on Mount Tiyakhta - you can get there by hitching a ride or a Gazelle.
Let's try to plan your week so that you spend it interesting, see more, but also don't get bored to the point of apathy, as in the transfer version. Let’s take the height of the summer season, when all excursions are open, because in the off-season everything freezes and you’ll just have to sit at the camp site (there’s not even anything to write about).
Day 1. Arrival and Gorno-Altaisk
In Gorno-Altaisk everything is called by its proper name
. So. You arrive at Gorno-Altaisk airport or arrive at the bus station.
I recommend having a snack right away, because in hotels there is generally nothing to eat. For example, our tourists like the Skovorodovna pancake house - delicious pancakes and delicious coffee.
Check into a city hotel (it doesn’t matter which one), take a shower and go for a walk.
Here I will indicate with dots:
- Climb Mount Tugaya in the late afternoon. View and panorama of the city.
- Take a walk around the city.
- Rent a bike (from 500 rubles) and ride (route “Ed”)
- Go to the main Museum (from 250 rubles)
- Try national Siberian cuisine in Elgran (from 300 rubles)
Go to the bus station and get a ticket to Artybash the next day.
Day 2. Go to Lake Teletskoye
Large bodies of water have their own special way of life.
We pack our things and go to the bus station. We take the bus to Artybash. On Lake Teletskoye we check into a camp site for two nights, leave our things and go for a walk. We have a snack (but I don’t recommend the Evseich cafe, no matter how hungry you might be). Today can be a land day. Possible points:
- ride an ATV (from RUB 2,000)
- ride a horse (from 500 rubles)
- take the ski lift to the Artybash ski resort (from 200 rubles)
- go to the Third River waterfalls (cool, but a bit difficult)
- take a walk and enjoy the lake. Even take a swim. Light a fire in the evening and watch the sunset.
- buy lake fish and fry it.
Day 3. Water day
Teletskoye Lake is huge.
If there is a boat - take a seat (from 1500 rubles), if not - try to team up with someone on the boat. See the ship's operating schedule; the trip to Teletskoye can be adjusted to it.
The ship does not always operate and only visits one waterfall - Korbu. But this is a piece of history. And the boats are faster, cover more distances and can be hired any day. You can’t hire one for one - it’s a little expensive, but the contribution will be about the same as a ship.
Day 4. Transfer to Chemal
The Gorno-Altaisk bus station has not been renovated since Soviet times.
You can say that it is a historical monument) In the morning, take the bus and go to Gorno-Altaisk. You can spend the night in Gorno-Altaisk, but I would recommend immediately transferring to the bus to Chemal. It doesn’t matter how, but you should be in Chemal by the morning of the fifth day, or better yet this evening. While transferring, eat amazingly delicious ice cream at the bus station, which has been sold since the 90s. Such a nondescript window, you need to enter from the platform.
Day 5. Mecca of Altai tourism - Chemal
Goat trail
Let's take a break. Let's breathe in the healing Chemal air. Let's take a walk and admire it. There are not many points - a walk around Chemal to all the sights, the Chemal hydroelectric power station, the Goat Trail, the island of Patmos. You can go rafting or another short excursion, I recommend going to Chech-Kysh. And we rest before the next day.
Day 6. Excursion to the Karakol Lakes (from 1000 rubles)
View of the lakes from above.
Purchased in Chemal from the locals. Starts early, arrives late. Bring a snack with you. Try the pies at the starting point of the walking part. Drink tea on the lakes. You will get tired, but it will still be a thrill; the beauty on the lakes is simply incredible. How the excursion goes is in the photos here (the transport is harsh there)
Day 7. We move to Gorno-Altaisk
From Biryuzovaya there is an interesting rafting route for an hour.
But along the way we will make several stops. I recommend:
- stop at Turyuzovaya Katun: rafting (from 600 rubles), caves (100 rubles), bask on the lake (150 rubles).
- and on Turyuzovaya there is an excellent apiary with a cool excursion
- further to Gorno-Altaisk, but you can stop by Lake Aiskoye along the way. You can spend the night there, go to a disco, and in the morning take a taxi to the airport (25 kilometers), or you can immediately go from Biryuzovaya Katun to Gorno-Altaisk and spend the night closer to the airport.
The final
On the morning of the 8th day you leave for the airport. This concludes the week of traveling alone. Not exactly simple, but not very complicated either. Not cheap, but not expensive either. I didn’t bother to calculate the cost, it strongly depends on many factors, prices are constantly rising, nothing can be guaranteed (well, depending on your needs and abilities). Fork, I think - 25-70 thousand rubles.
Housing issue
People don’t go to Altai to relax in a luxurious “five-star” hotel. Most travelers try to make their trip on a budget, and are aware that they will have to live in tents, campsites, or, at best, in an average-level recreation center. There is no need to compare hotels by their star rating.
The advantage is that in almost the most picturesque areas of Altai there are enough opportunities to stay in a relatively developed place. For example, in the village of Artybash and other settlements, areas for tent camps and parking lots have been organized. All this will cost a nominal fee per day of 150-300 rubles.
And in order to live among the mountains in comfortable conditions, you will have to book a room in a hotel, at a recreation center, or rent a room from local residents. But remember that during the peak tourist season, the most popular establishments may be busy. And in order not to stay on the street in the middle of the night, it is better to book rooms in advance on.
tourister.ru
Altai's hotel base is not bad and is constantly developing. Here you can also find modest residential houses with a minimum of furniture and simple amenities, but there are also good apartments with their own kitchen, bathhouse, barbecue facilities, Internet and children's playgrounds. Where it is better to stay is up to you to decide, depending on your personal preferences and financial capabilities. But remember that the most luxurious establishments set exorbitantly high fees for accommodation, which can reach 7,000 rubles per night.
We list the most popular and popular recreation centers among tourists:
- “AltaiRai” is located in the village of Elekmonar. For 3,500 rubles you will get not only a roof over your head, but also three meals a day, a clean beach on the banks of the Katun River and even access to a water park. The tourist office on the territory of the base will offer a huge variety of excursions and interesting routes around the Altai Territory.
- "Manzherok" is a park hotel located in the middle of a pine forest. There is a cable car next to it, and in the courtyard there is an open-air swimming pool, a sauna and a barbecue area. Families with children often come here, since for 1500-3600 rubles you can get a complete vacation with high quality service.
- “Zaimka Kamza” is located in the village of Tyuguryuk. Almost all rooms are located in separate wooden houses. The base has a swimming pool, playgrounds, and gazebos. It will be very interesting for children here, since deer are kept on the territory and children can play with the animals. The cost of the room is low - about 2000 rubles. However, car parking is available for a fee.
- “Lesotel” is another wonderful place in Souzga. Completely well-groomed area, equipped to the highest standard. There are wooden houses that look more like country cottages, free internet, a spa center, a restaurant, a swimming pool, and a cafeteria. Vacationers can choose from a variety of entertainment and excursions in the surrounding area. True, you will have to pay a lot for such luxury - from 3,000 to 9,000 rubles.
- Gold Camel is a real yurt camping experience. Living in it, you will get a lot of new impressions and vivid emotions, since this is not just an overnight stay, but an authentic home of the northern peoples. You can find it near the village of Kosh-Agach. Activities also include camel riding, cycling tours or jeep rides to more remote and inaccessible areas. Another advantage is that such a vacation is affordable for everyone - the price for a yurt for five people ranges around 3,000 rubles.
Case of independent travel using the super hybrid option
And here is a real example - a subscriber sent her version of an independent trip to Altai in 2022. This is a case in which the capabilities of Altai are well used, and the photographs show real life. With the permission of the author, I am publishing the letter and adding my comments, which will look like this.
So let's get started. Below is the text and photo of Ekaterina, the author of the letter.
I’ve been receiving newsletters from you for almost a year, ever since my husband and I decided to go on vacation to Altai. In your last letters you touched on the topic of independent or hybrid trips, and I decided to share our route. Maybe you will be interested. Our trip lasted two weeks - from the end of July to the beginning of August 2017. In a similar way, several years ago we already traveled around the Urals, it turned out very cool, and I had some experience in planning a route. I wanted to repeat something similar in structure.
Usually, planning a route requires effort and time. But, as practice shows, there is nothing complicated about this, it just takes time and desire. And, of course, there is a certain pleasure in this, because preparation is already like a journey, only virtual, a lot is lived in advance.
We live in Moscow. We planned to get there by plane and rent a car. We had the opportunity to use Aeroflot miles. Aeroflot does not fly to Gorno-Altaisk, so it was decided to fly to Barnaul. If there were no miles, we would definitely fly to Novosibirsk: it’s cheaper, there’s more choice of options, there’s more choice of rental cars, and the drive is only 2 hours longer than from Barnaul, on a good road.
Novosibirsk is a large transport hub; there are many times more flights flying there and prices are lower. But! The road from Novosibirsk and Novosibirsk itself should not be underestimated. The road is busy, narrow and only from the Novosibirsk airport and from the city it takes 1-2 hours, and if there are traffic jams, then even more. It’s ~500 km from the airport to Gorno-Altaisk, but we drive, even at night without traffic jams or stops, for at least 6-7 hours, and in the summer during the day you can kill a whole day, the road is exhausting. Novosibirsk itself is terrible in terms of transport - traffic jams, all traffic through the city (there is no bypass). From experience: fly to Barnaul, quickly get in a car and leave - to Gorno-Altaisk = 4 hours. The same thing to Novosibirsk - 8 hours minimum.
Having booked our tickets, we started looking for a car rental. We were immediately faced with the fact that there are no international well-known chains in Barnaul, but only a small selection of local rental options. Some of them did not respond to requests at all; some companies told us to contact us a week before arrival. We wanted certainty earlier. In the end we settled on . Car: Renault Sandero.
our car
Looking ahead, I will say that we were given the car on time, as agreed. But it turned out to be very battered by life, there was an unpleasant smell inside, and along the way it turned out that the air conditioner did not work. On the way back, 80 km from Barnaul, our battery died and we got stuck on the highway. Fortunately, the flight was the next day and it’s scary to even think what would have happened if this had happened somewhere in Ust-Koks... Friends who went on a similar trip in September took advantage of it, everything was fine with them.
Yes, it’s like that with rentals (about the features of car rental in Altai). There are no networks because it doesn’t pay off due to the short season. And in private rentals, you need to look at the reviews, because the cars are usually not new (private businesses do not have the opportunity to pay off leasing given such seasonality, they take ownership) and read how they look after the car.
Second point. Private companies have a small fleet of vehicles. In winter it sits idle, and in summer it plows without rest, which is why in the middle of summer everyone’s cars are already tired.
Then I started developing the route.
The initial wishes to ourselves were as follows:
- visit as many beautiful and interesting places as possible. Preference for natural attractions rather than museums or petroglyphs.
- overnight stay in comfortable conditions with a bathroom in the room, with a budget of up to 3 thousand rubles/night.
- I also wanted to fit in some kind of tour for three days, perhaps with tents, to see something more inaccessible.
I started by looking for a three-day tour so that I could plan the rest of the route based on it. But, unfortunately, I didn’t find routes for 3 days
