Vacation in the Altai Mountains: my trip and tourist reviews in 2024

The idea to fly to a distant republic on the border with Mongolia, Kazakhstan and even China was born spontaneously — I wanted to replenish the travel list with a new beautiful place in my homeland. As I thought at first, it was more for show, but the more I leafed through the reviews of tourists about holidays in Altai, the more clearly I realized: I need it. As a result, the Altai Mountains turned out to be a dream come true for me, the existence of which I did not even suspect until I found myself there.

In this large but very useful text, I will tell you how to get to the Moon and Mars in a couple of hours, where to see the “breathing” turquoise lakes, what is the village and why it is a great option to stop and why go to Altai in winter, when almost all mountain routes are closed to travel.

And, of course, with the urgent “How is it more convenient to get there?”, “Where is it necessary to go?” and “How much money should I take with me?” let’s figure it out too: I hope this will help you plan your vacation in Altai on your own in 2024.

Why should I go to Altai? My review and route

Is it worth going to Altai?.. The photos in this article and the impressions that I threw into the notes in the process will answer for me. I have never seen such a variety of landscapes and a riot of colors in Russia before (although I have traveled, it seems, most of the Caucasus and seen hundreds of fascinating panoramas).

• Here you will find huge mountains — both overgrown with trees and crowned with glaciers,
• colored stone rocks,
• noisy turquoise rivers and clear lakes,
• desert alien landscapes and coniferous forests with tall perennial pines,
• endless steppes and grasslands with flowers of all imaginable shades…

In general, a lot of visual enjoyment is provided! When I flew on vacation to Altai in 2023, I already had an idea about something like this from the reviews of tourists, but to look at it with my own eyes is a completely different feeling.

When is it better to go to Altai?

In general, it is best to spend your holidays in the Altai Territory from May to September. The air in the mountains has already warmed up, which means that you can safely go on day trekking, swim (for example, in Katun baths), rafting on mountain rivers or boating on the lake. In the mountains, the weather is at least somewhat predictable relative to winter, autumn or early spring, when rain or snow may fall at any second.

The tourist season officially opens on May 20.

In may people go to Altai first of all to see the flowering of maralnik — purple flowers that bloom everywhere in the mountains and on the rocks. At the end of spring, the rivers fill up, and the waterfalls coming out of them become as full—flowing as possible – it is at this time that they are most interesting to look at. Of the cons: The mountainous area has its own understanding of the seasons, and snow continues to lie on the peaks of the mountains until the beginning of June. Therefore, it is very likely that in May it will not be possible to get to the high-altitude attractions. However, as a compromise, the end of May is quite good: it is already comfortable to walk for a long time and make ascents, the tourists who arrived at the May holidays have already left, and the summer vacation season has not yet started. You can look at many locations without huge crowds and queues.

June in Altai — it’s a lottery. You may be lucky with warm air and clear skies, but sometimes the first summer month looks like the middle of spring in a flat area (after all, rains in the highlands are not uncommon). According to the stories of our guides, this year June in Altai turned out to be so rainy that the Katun River rose several meters and flooded some locations — it was not possible to get to them. In any case, both in May and in June, tourists actively travel around Altai — all kinds of entertainment (zip-line and bungee jumping) resume and extreme parks open.

• But be careful: at the end of May and June in Altai there is a peak in tick activity — there are a lot of them in the region. Pack your luggage wisely: don’t forget to bring your anti-luggage with you

They say from mid-July to mid-August tourists are especially comfortable — in summer it is consistently warm and sunny in the Altai Mountains, there are almost no rainy days and you can easily get to any point. I don’t know if the fact is that this rainy summer of 2023 was an exception to the rule, or it’s just the vicissitudes of the mountain weather, which likes to contradict any forecasts, but I was in Altai just during this period (the very beginning of August), and four sunny days out of six I had two rainy days.

But you can’t argue with the thesis about warm weather: although it was cool in the morning and I had to put on a hoodie, in the afternoon the temperature reached +27°C…+29°C. Because of the mountain wind, I personally endured these degrees more easily than usual in Moscow.

From mid-September to the end of April, the republic has a low season. In autumn, frequent rains begin in the mountains, and viewing the sights under a torrential downpour is such a pleasure. The cold is also getting stronger. Almost all waterfalls dry up by autumn, many mountain routes are closed for travel, entertainment is curtailed until summer, and even off-season jipping is reluctantly arranged. But there are places in Altai that only become more beautiful by the end of autumn: for example, Blue lakes, which by November are filled with turquoise water. And also, if you believe the reviews of tourists about the Altai Mountains, because of the small number of people, housing prices become much more pleasant.

And although the season is not suitable for a tourist trip to Altai, many people seek to visit the republic in December and February. The reason for this is the ski resorts in Manzherok and Belokurikha. They say they are not inferior to the popular ski trails in other regions of the country! But keep in mind that winter in the Altai Mountains is not winter on Rosa Khutor. The frost will be biting, and the temperature may drop to -25°C.

There are other winter activities in Altai, such as sledding in dog sleds and horseback riding through snow-covered forests. And recently, they also remembered about thermal springs — for example, those in the area of Mount Belokurikha — and about the Jumala springs. This is an unusual pastime: in a twenty-degree frost, swimming in water with a temperature of +20 ° C.

How can I get to Altai?

Getting to the Altai Territory itself is a simple matter, but getting to the most beautiful places of the republic is a task that will require effort. As a “green” resident of the capital, I had to go through several options on how to get to Altai in order to find the best one.

Below I will tell you about the main methods:

• Plane + bus/car

The first thing you need to do is fly to Novosibirsk, Gorno-Altaysk or Barnaul. The price of tickets depends very much on the season, the place of departure and arrival and the flight time. One-way prices from Moscow range from 5000-7000 rubles to almost 20,000 rubles. Here is the Aviasales widget that demonstrates how much it costs to fly from your city to Novosibirsk, which is more convenient than others:

I was flying through Novosibirsk, and in early August, a ticket for an overnight flight from the capital cost 10,000 rubles. But by the end of August, tickets are getting cheaper by up to 6,000 rubles. I advise you to arrive in the morning in order to get to your destination before it gets dark. Then you can rent a car for a few days, order a taxi (preferably from a trusted company, private traders will charge exorbitantly) or take a bus waiting for you from a tour operator.

I actually chose this option: even though it is the most expensive, it is definitely the fastest and does not take up a lot of energy. But it is so important to save it before an active trip to the mountains! Near the airport, we were met by a tour jeep, in which we moved from place to place. But if you want to save money, you can get to the Novosibirsk city bus station and take a regular bus to the settlement you need.

• Train + Bus/car

If you have reached the last one and there are only flights of 30 thousand (a rare event, but this also happens), there is an option to get to one of the nearby cities by train. From Moscow, for example, you can come to Novosibirsk (trains from many cities run here, from Sochi and Kislovodsk to Vladivostok), Barnaul (trains from the capital run every other day) or Biysk (a small city in the Altai Territory, where Moscow trains also run every two days). There is no railway in Gorno-Altaisk.

Reserved seat tickets from Moscow to any of these cities will cost an average of 9,000 rubles — sometimes it is more profitable than a plane, but sometimes the same thing happens. But what you need to prepare yourself for is 2.5 days in the car. Although I love trains, for me three nights and two days in a carriage sound like a nightmare.

Well, upon arrival in the city, as in the previous version, you can rent a car, order an intercity taxi or get to the bus station.

• Car

Finally, you can come to Altai by car on your own. This option will be especially convenient if you live in the regions neighboring Altai (Omsk/Tomsk/Novosibirsk region or Krasnoyarsk Territory) — then you will get to the republic itself quickly and without problems.

From Moscow, the road will take a little more than two days (if you drive continuously — which, of course, is a bad idea if there is only one driver in the car). From St. Petersburg in the same scenario — 2 days and 6 hours, from Kazan — 1.5 days, and from Yekaterinburg — a little more than a day.

But for such a trip, it is desirable to have experience driving along serpentines and mountain roads, which are not even flat. But the main advantage of such an adventure is the landscapes that await along the way. What is worth only one road in the area of the Chui tract — the heart just falls down! Another plus is that you can load as many things with you as you need, because you don’t have to carry heavy luggage manually from place to place.

Author’s tours to Altai

If you are one of those who does not like to plan and make a program a lot on your own, you can always choose an author’s tour — and entrust your trip to local residents.

I confess, I am just the type of person who prefers to choose from ready-made tours, so I picked up a good, budget option with a rich program. I must admit, I was sincerely pleased! Even more different tours of Altai — both long (from 5 days) and shorter (for 3 days or timed to the holiday weekend) — can be selected on services with author’s tours:

• A Big Country
• or Youtravel.Me

Where to relax in Altai?

All the most interesting, beautiful and breathtaking things in Altai are located not in cities, but in the vicinity of mountain villages. In terms of infrastructure, they are much inferior to cities — for example, hot water goes through a heater, so there is enough for three people at a time. As a rule, there are only a couple of grocery items per village, and the assortment is not always rich, and in local cafes, according to the classics, there are not half of the positions…

• And yet, you will most likely have to make stops in villages, because you will not like riding every day from the conditional Gorno-Altaysk to the main attractions. Of course, you can check for yourself, but it’s better to take my word for it.

Of course, it takes 40 minutes to get to Manzherok, and 2 hours to get to Chemal, but imagine what time you have to get up in order to drive 5 hours to Aktash and the same amount back? But there are so many interesting things near the village that you can’t see everything in one day! The only exception is if you are going on a trip to Altai for 3 days and plan to visit only those places that are located near Gorno-Altaysk, and as part of excursions.

But what to sprinkle with meaningless names. Let me tell you about the villages where it is better to stop to get acquainted with the local Altai beauties:

1. Chemal — 100 km from Gorno-Altaisk

This village lies at a crossroads between several shamanic “places of power” at once:

✔️ Patmos Island (near Chemalskaya HPP),
✔️ Uch-Enmek Nature Reserve Park
✔️ and the Seminsky pass.

It is also convenient to get to Kamyshlinsky waterfall, Katun baths, Dragon’s Teeth and Blue Lakes from here (the latter, however, is relevant only in autumn).

There are attractions in the village itself — for example, an observation deck at an altitude of 550 meters, from where the Chemal and the Katun ribbon encircling it appear in the palm of your hand, the dry waterfall Dragon’s Heart and the Yelandinsky rapids, where tourists like to rafting on the river.

In terms of infrastructure, it is quite decent here: there are a couple of chain stores (although the queues are kilometers long in the evenings), pharmacies and several cafes by the roadside. You can’t buy souvenirs in the village, but you can do it on Patmos or on the way to the Seminsky pass.

The basement is small, but there is plenty of housing here: more than 200 houses, recreation centers and apartments — there is definitely something to choose from!

Houses and recreation centers in Chemala >>

2. Aktash — 350 km from Gorno-Altaysk

The way to Aktash lies through the incredibly cinematic landscapes of the Chui tract — high red, orange and white rocks that change color depending on how the sun falls on them, huge mountains and a winding road serpentine. I even got out through the hatch of the jeep — I really wanted to see the views from all sides.

Well, next to the village itself, a whole set of postcard locations scattered:

✔️ and Altai Mars,
✔️ and the blue Geyser Lake,
✔️ and several waterfalls at once,
✔️ and Ilgumen rapids of the turquoise mountain Katun,
✔️ and the point of confluence of Chuya with Katun,
✔️ and the Aktash repeater, from where you can see the highest mountain of Altai — Belukha.

You can drive from here to the Katu-Yaryk plateau (although you will have to find a person in an SUV who will be ready to drop you there). The infrastructure in Aktau is not great, but at least there are several good grocery stores where you can buy food for breakfast and snacks on a trip. We didn’t come across any cafes along the way, and judging by the maps, there are only a few in the village. Everything is sad with a souvenir: there is nowhere to buy it here, so it is better to do it in advance, in villages closer to civilization (about them below).

It would seem that the number of ticks above hints: in a village close to so many of the main attractions of Altai, there should be plenty of housing. But no, the village is small, and there are not so many options:

• Here is a good mini-hotel for 4,600 rubles per day for two
• Or a studio apartment for three for 4000 rubles per day

3. Manzherok — 35 km from Gorno-Altaisk

Perhaps you have already heard this name before — and this is not surprising: the main ski resort of Altai is located here. Therefore, those who come to the republic in winter usually go there. I won’t say that the place is incredibly popular, but it’s a pity: the resort is beautifully decorated, with modern equipment, a new cable car, trails of several levels, a children’s leisure center and a comfortable hotel at the foot of the mountain (which, however, takes up space very quickly).

But even if you are not a skier or a snowboarder, there is still a reason to visit Manzherok! Come here in the summer — you will see the lake of the same name, take a ride on a two-level cable car overlooking Malaya Sinyukha Mountain, and if you have the time and desire, you can visit one of the music festivals, which, judging by the numerous posters that have come into my field of vision, take place here almost every month.

In terms of infrastructure, this is probably the most successful village in Altai: only in one lobby of the cable car there are several quite decent cafes and coffee shops, there are souvenir stalls, and in the village itself there are even more eateries, grocery stores and pharmacies. But the main thing is that a large, modern (and expensive) hotel was built in the village. According to tourists, hotels in the Altai Mountains are the weak point of the region. But this particular one — 5* Cuffs — is very good. Well, where there is one decent hotel, others appear there (demand is growing): I really liked the futuristic glamping of Geometrica.

Hotels in Manzherok >>

4. Aya — 35 km from Gorno-Altaisk

Of the attractions of the village itself, perhaps, I will single out only the fresh lake of the same name. But it is convenient to go horseback riding from here — to the Devil’s Finger Rock, the Scoundrel Mountain or the Stone of Desires. As you can see, the names here have distinguished themselves as much as possible — and the name of the village itself, translated from the local language, by the way, means “moon”.

There is an extreme amusement park in Ae — you can bungee jump or ride a zipline over the lake. Cafes are available, but not in abundance and not at the level, and the choice in grocery stores, compared to the chain ones in the aforementioned villages, seemed to me quite meager. Nevertheless, it is quite possible to stay in the village for one night if you are returning from Manzherok, but do not want to overpay for housing: nevertheless, prices in the resort village are slightly higher than in the neighboring one, and the distance between them is literally 20 minutes.

In the village of Aya, you can spend an inexpensive and comfortable night at a recreation center with the inspiring name Path to yourself (from 2500 rubles per day for two), and stay with the whole family in a guest house (from 2500 rubles per day for four).

If you are not going for the sake of conquering peaks, waterfalls and stormy rivers, but just planning a relaxing holiday in the Altai Mountains in 2024 — to improve your health in fresh and clean air, forget about the city — pay attention to these villages:

• Spring. Probably the number one among Altai resorts for those who are looking for solitude and silence. The mild climate, many eco-friendly resorts and sanatoriums (will be especially useful for those with high blood pressure or skin diseases). Oh yes: there is also a Large Spring lake in the village with salt water and silt mud — all this splendor is used in treatment in local health resorts. A great place to stay with a small company or family: it is often chosen for holidays with children in the Altai Mountains.
• Belokurikha. A high—level resort village – it has its own ski complex, a horse farm with horseback riding, a craft house where folk workshops are held… In general, there is no time to be bored here, neither young people nor older tourists, so people come to Belokurikha all year round.
• Zavyalovo. A simple, calm and fairly budget holiday resort in the Altai Territory near the picturesque Zavyalovsky lakes, where people come to sanatoriums. Another group of people who are attracted to Zavyalovo are fishermen who often return from here with a generous catch.
• Turquoise Katun. An ideal option for a family holiday: the infrastructure here is on the level. A well-maintained beach by the river, water slides and other attractions. Nearby there is a cable car, a rope park and an extreme amusement park like rafting on river rapids. There are also the Tavdinsky caves, the Crossroads of Worlds archaeological Park, where ancient excavations are kept, and you can quickly get to the Kamyshli waterfalls, Chemala with its river rapids, gorge and Che-Chkysh waterfall.
• Teletskoye Lake and its settlements. It is better to choose settlements in the north of the lake: there is the most developed infrastructure. And to live for a few days next to a huge transparent lake, get to its waterfalls and see the stone beach, as they say in the reviews, is definitely worth it! I didn’t get to Teletskoye Lake this time, but I feel like I’ve lost a lot, so there’s a reason to definitely come back.

Housing in Altai and how to find it? Tourist reviews

Although Altai is considered a hard—to—reach region – mainly because a sturdy SUV is vital here, and often also a guide – but it is on a par with Moscow or Kazan in the matter of booking accommodation.

The ubiquitous assistants of the Russian traveler will find anything and for any price tag (although the minimum in Altai is still higher than the average in Russia):

• The island
• Yandex.Journeys
• and Daily.roo

Usually, the first and second services specialize in finding hotels, inns and hostels, and the third is more about apartments and apartments, but it is unlikely that you will be able to rent an apartment in a village in Altai. There are no high-rise buildings there, so you will be able to find apartments in a private guest house at most. Therefore, in the case of the Altai Mountains, all three services simply combine to offer you a variety of options for living or just spending the night. And at the same time you can see the prices of housing in Gorny Altai for two or for a company, read reviews and see real photos, which, as for me, is very convenient.

Regional specifics also overlap: on services, almost half of the options for stopping are camp sites. There is even a whole MirTurbaz website where you can choose a recreation center based on your desires and financial capabilities. Of the advantages, there is really a lot of choice, almost in any corner of Altai, and in the card of each base all accommodation options, the price per night and proximity to the mountain river (mostly Katun) are indicated. On the downside: there are very few reviews, and for some positions there are none at all.

If you are staying for the first or last night in Gorno-Altaysk, it will not be difficult to find a hotel there (even a hotel with its own spa center, even an inexpensive nice studio. Prices for apartments and hotels here are quite adequate for a city with a fairly dense tourist flow.

But the further away you go from the cities, the more interesting things are with accommodation and the more difficult it is to find some kind of luxury hotel.

In the villages, they mostly rentvillages are traditional housing, which I would call a “yurt with amenities.” Here is an example with photos and prices. At first glance, such a place may seem quite exotic, but I assure you, do not be afraid to stay in the village!

I lived in a village in Chemal — and it was a very authentic experience: the house is very decent, cozy and warm (and at night it can be cool in the mountains even after hot days). Inside there was everything basic — a bed, a bedside table, a wardrobe. The shower was in a separate building next door — but inside it was clean, newly renovated and even had a hairdryer, and for an additional fee you could go to the sauna. Our village was adjacent to the master’s house, where there was a kitchen (dishes and a refrigerator are at our disposal). In the evenings, you could go out on the terrace, listen to the sound of the river and get some fresh air. But the main highlight of the program is, without a doubt, our view from the courtyard: right on the mountains and stormy Katun! You go out early in the morning towards the shower with a towel on your shoulder and a toothbrush in your fist — and literally drop your jaw from the landscape with misty mountain ranges and such close clouds. For me, villages are a great option where to stay inexpensively in villages where the infrastructure is still worse than in the city.

However, if you do not want to try the “nomad dwelling” at all, you can stay in a more modern guest house. Here are a few nice ones offhand and with good reviews in the Series:

— Three Bears Guest House in the middle of a pine forest (from 2,200 rubles per day)
— Altai San recreation center (from 3,500 rubles per day)
— Cottage for rent (from 3,500 rubles per day), there are also many such options; there are even special view rooms

But there is another traditional and time-tested option in Altai, how to find a place to live. I have already encountered him in Dagestan, where the most interesting locations are also far from the main cities of the republic. Some owners of guest houses, cottages and camp sites advertise their houses through social networks in the old-fashioned way, and some even make reservations only by phone. And it’s not that they are inferior to those that are displayed on the Island or Daily — they are often more than good! — but all kinds of services simply did not reach the villagers. For example, I did not find any of the guest houses in which I lived as part of the Altai tour on any services, but they were all just great, with fairly comfortable rooms, a sauna and a terrace. Therefore, if someone of your friends, for example, made a trip to Altai as part of a tour or as a savage, choosing a place to spend the night upon arrival, and was satisfied, you can ask if they still have contacts of the owners. This is especially true when you are planning a trip in high season and almost all the options on the services have already been booked.

The best recreation centers in Altai

As you might guess from the long passage above, recreation centers are a very frequent choice of tourists in Altai: there are many rooms, there is a place for both traveling alone, and for a large company or family.
In general, it seems to me that if the accommodation is good, then the emotions from the trip will remain warmer and more pleasant, so it always takes me a lot of time to choose a really decent option.

• Manor on the mountain (Chemal, from 2500 rubles per day) — a quiet base with mountain views; within walking distance of Patmos island and Chemalskaya HPP
• Manzherok tourist complex (Manzherok, from 4,500 rubles per day) — base in a pine forest near the river bank
• Manor in the mountains (Lake Teletskoye, from 4000 rubles per day) — if you go to explore the area of Lake Teletskoye, it’s good to live in a mountain base with a swimming pool and a pretty veranda
• Altai dachas (Aktash, from 2000 rubles per day) — a modern campsite with view rooms opposite the mountains

By the way, there is another non—obvious and rather unusual, but recently gaining popularity option for a stop in Altai – glamping. And don’t be afraid of the prospect of spending the night in the open air: unlike campsites, the infrastructure here is very well organized. Take a look at this bright representative of modern glamping in Manzherok.

In addition to comfortable houses with soft beds and panoramic windows (and often with fresh repairs, given that the trend for glamping flew not so long ago, and the buildings did not have time to physically age), there is a kitchen, showers and restrooms, there is electricity, sockets and Wi-FI on the territory, and sometimes even cafes work or coffee shops.

In general, glamping has almost nothing to do with a “wild” vacation without civilization: you can settle in without fear of being carried away by a bear along with a house in the middle of the night. The only “but” is that such a pleasure is not cheap, and one night will cost an average of 10-15 thousand rubles. Oh, yes — it is unlikely that you will find glamping in a very small village that is many kilometers away from the city… But sometimes the attempt is not torture: in Cheposh, for example, there is a hypersympathetic glamping Forest Lagoon, also at a fairly adequate price.

What to see in Altai?

First, I will tell you about the places that I managed to see in five full days during my trip to Altai in 2023 — and then I will tell you about those where I did not get and for which I plan to definitely fly to Altai again!

Route for the first day: Tavdinsky caves — Kamyshlinsky waterfall

• Tavda caves. Literally a monumental complex of 30 karst caves. In the semi-darkness, the stones take on bizarre shapes of animal heads and mythical creatures, and there is always a pleasant coolness inside. It was especially fun to squat a few meters down a corridor about a meter high — a completely new and unusual experience in my life. We were very lucky with the guide — an erudite and humorous girl, savvy in both history and geography of the region. We paid 300 rubles for admission.

✅ For the record: there is a long row of souvenir stalls next to the caves: you can drink herbal Altai tea or buy delicious homemade mead.

• Kamyshlinsky waterfall and the Tsarskaya Okhota Bridge. The waterfall consists of two cascades — first we looked from below, and then we reached the place where it originates from and falls noisily on the rocks. We admired the bridge from a motorboat — we somehow did not want to walk 3 kilometers along the goat road after two hours of sleep for a day and a half. At the same time, I rode a motorboat for the first time in my life, and although she flew through the water at the speed of light, it turned out to be not at all scary and very fun. Well, along the way, we got gorgeous views of pine groves on the shore and stone islands on the water! It would have cost 200 rubles to cross the bridge, but for a boat trip we paid 500 rubles one way and 500 rubles the other way. They didn’t regret it!

✅ A similar tour from Gorno-Altaisk:

Route for the second day: Chemal village and surroundings.

• We started the day with Apiary No. 13: we visited the village where bees live, and learned how the “bee hierarchy” works, saw the mini-museum of Soviet life, tasted mead, tinctures and cognac on honey and bought delicious tea, honey and chocolate-honey candies. It is especially pleasant that the tour was free.
• We walked over the Suspension bridge over the noisy and stormy Katunya to the stone island of Patmos (of course, we did not walk to Greece — Chemale has its own eponymous one) and looked into the small wooden church of St. John the Theologian (this is a new building, but if I did not know, I would take the church for a building of the XVI century, it is very naturally stylized!). From there, we got from there to the Chemalskaya hydroelectric power station, followed the goat trail to the Gate of Sartakpai. Admission to the island is free, but it is very difficult to leave without buying anything from at least one of the dozens of souvenir kiosks.
• Then we went to the Che-Chkysh gorge. Climbing to a height of 550 meters along the same goat trail in 30 degrees of heat, of course, was quite a task, but the landscape from the observation deck was worth every step off-road! The silver ribbon of the river, the village below is very tiny, and ahead there are mountain expanses. And for the last hundred meters, the road lay through meadows with various grasses, yellow, white, purple and pink flowers — almost alpine landscapes and a wonderful herbal aroma. On the way, we looked at the small waterfall Che-Chkysh, next to which it was fresh even in such heat. The entrance fee was 150 rubles.

• After climbing, we went to the Elandin rapids. Along the huge boulders, you can go directly to the bubbling mountain river, sit next to it and watch for a long time as new waves break and run up – the shafts reach up to three meters in height. I sat by the turquoise water for 20 minutes — it seems that the sight is not unusual, but it is so calm, atmospheric and fresh that I did not want to leave for a long time. By the way, rafting is organized along these rapids — the restless river is great for extreme water sports. I didn’t go rafting — I’m not a fan of this business — but if you have such an intention, keep in mind: you need to sign up in advance, because there are a lot of people who want to!
• On the way back, we looked into one of the local caves-tunnels. We paid 100 rubles for admission.
• Nearby, by the way, is the Orokto Bridge over the Katun River. We did not go there — the guides said that the views from there are not particularly impressive — but many tourists stop there to look at the water from a height.
• There are also Blue lakes of Askata in the vicinity of Chemal. They change color in the sun and can be greenish, turquoise, and light blue. But they become full-flowing by the middle to the end of autumn and exist all winter, and by the middle of spring they dry up until the next October-November. Of course, there was no point in going there in the summer just to look at the recesses in the ground at the place of the lakes.
• We finished everything with the “dry waterfall” Dragon’s Heart. This is a narrow corridor that was once cut through the rocks by a waterfall. Now it has dried up a long time ago, but the place itself reminded me of a stone bag or a mountain gorge on minimalks — I advise you to go and see at least once! Climbing and descending literally took one minute, but it really turned out to be the route that I dreamed about later. And it’s not about some dizzying landscapes. I just had to get to the Dragon’s Heart on an almost vertical plane, holding on to a chain suspended from the side, so I had to wash my light jeans after my grand descent. In general, my advice to you is to choose a dark bottom on the day of your trip to the dry waterfall 🙂 We paid 100 rubles for the entrance, and wonderful spotted mountain goats accompanied us to it.

✅A similar tour from Gorno-Altaisk:

The route for the third day: the remaining surroundings of Chemal + Chuisky tract and neighboring attractions.

• We started with Katun baths — these are several small reservoirs framed by stone shores with greenish water and views of nearby mountains. The water in the baths themselves is quite calm, but we wandered into the very depths — climbed over several mossy cobblestones and moved along an indentation on a low cliff — and came to a place where the mountain Katun was raging again. By the way, you can swim in the baths, which several girls from our group did — according to them, the water may not be the most transparent, but it is relatively clean (and oh, very invigoratingly cool).

• We visited a place called Dragon’s Teeth — in fact, these are several pointed triangular rocks that protrude from the river like the chiseled teeth of a mythical creature. But I was personally struck not so much by them as by the view of Katun and the mountain landscapes from the bridge. Admission is free.
• Rain caught us at the Seminsky Pass and the Chike-Taman pass, but this did not prevent us from climbing up a ladder among coniferous trees to the observation deck and enjoying views of mountain serpentines and massive ridges from the observation deck. Yes, I had to get wet for the sake of photos, just not to pose in a raincoat — but I don’t regret anything.

Note: if you are moving from Chemal towards Aktash, it is better to buy souvenirs, tea and local sweets here. Then there will be no such rich choice.

• From there we drove to Uch Enmek Park, where we walked around the protected area — in general, the territory of the park is so huge that you can’t get around it in a day. We had to climb the observation deck from the small Mezhelik mountain surrounded by pine forests and rocky landscapes in raincoats: the higher we drove into the mountains, the more the downpour raged. However, despite the weather, it was still interesting to see the ancient Altai petroglyphs on the rock, the statue of a boy with a gopher on top of the mountain and the stone idol at the foot of the mountain. The visit to the park is free of charge.

• And by the middle of the day, the weather cleared up in just half an hour, as if at the touch of a button, and when we arrived at the Ilgumen rapids The sun was already shining (and mercilessly baking). It takes about seven minutes to walk from the place where we parked to the rapids themselves — and what a picturesque walk it is! The path lay across a small bridge, past huge mountains that surrounded us on all sides — not a stone bag, of course, but still a fairly dense and very massive mountain ring, in which you feel very tiny. It seems that in Altai I found out that I have some kind of weakness for the rapids of mountain rivers, because the same story repeated itself as the day before in Elandinsky: I sat on boulders for a long time and could not take my eyes off the raging water on a quiet day. Well, the sound of the river became audible in general long before we saw it. We paid about 150-200 rubles for the entrance – I didn’t write down the exact figure, because as soon as I got there, I forgot to think about everything in the world!

• We stopped several more times to look at the confluence of the Chuya and Katun rivers, to see a piece of the old Chuya tract andmonument to the drivers of the Chui Highway near the White Bom rock. It is less than 200 kilometers from here to the border with Mongolia, so the landscape has become not only mountainous, but also steppe, wild, and even more “free”. Again, they didn’t pay a penny for any of this.

• Finally, we climbed the Shirlak waterfall (among the people, Girlish tears). It was located right by the road, the climb took about 15 minutes, but, of course, after the waterfalls of North Ossetia and Karachay-Cherkessia, I was not so impressed. As the guide explained, we did not find it in the most full—flowing form – in spring, the water flows are much more powerful and thicker, and the spectacle is much more interesting. But by the end of summer, Shirlak is already far from hitting with all possible force, like most waterfalls in Altai.

The route for the fourth day: the village of Aktash and the surrounding area.

• In the morning we went to Altai Mars in the Kyzyl-Chin gorge, and he gave me the most vivid emotions not only during my trip to Altai, but also, perhaps, during all my trips around Russia. As a gipping fan, I really enjoyed the trip — but perhaps not everyone will enjoy such entertainment. Along the way, the car conquered one turn after another, drove down steep slopes, stumbled over rocks and raised clouds of dust, and we were thrown from side to side and thrown up to the ceiling of the car. It all felt like a safari in the wild — the arid desert landscapes outside the window also added to the atmosphere of a distant other continent, if not another planet. We made several stops — on the Moon with a view of a small silvery river, on Mars-2 in front of layered rocks, where a variety of colors mixed — from yellow and orange to black and bluish, and on the territory of Mars-1 (where they paid 300 rubles for admission) for an hour, climbing the mountain and walking along They admired the flat islands, stone pillars, caves made of red clay and absolutely cosmic views of the colored mountains. To the Mars-3 site it was impossible to get there: after two months of bad weather, as we were told, the place was not in the most picturesque condition.
  By itself, visiting the park is free, but there is a small catch. It is physically almost impossible to get to the locations on foot: only you will have to walk for an hour or two to the first point, the rocky descents and ascents are very steep and sometimes loose, in general, you will only be able to drive. A passenger car of the local landscape will not pull: most likely, you will say goodbye to the wheels in the first few minutes. You will only be able to drive an SUV, and on a very powerful one. We went on a trip on “loaves” — it cost us 1000 rubles per person for a 3-hour trip.

• In the afternoon we went to Tydtugem waterfall — a mountain river flows nearby, and pine trees grow around, the air is coniferous, fresh and clean. I liked the views around the most: the waterfall itself is very tiny. However, considering that admission is free, it’s still worth a visit.
• In the evening, we moved to another recognizable location from all the postcards — the Geyser Lake. An improved path with wooden flooring leads to it — it takes 7-10 minutes to walk through a clearing and a small forest. It’s really as incredibly turquoise as in the photo — and it’s not about filters, but about the blue clay at the bottom of the reservoir. Oval patterns expand and contract on the surface.: these geysers lift clay from the bottom to the surface, which creates the feeling that the lake is “breathing” in front of tourists.

• At the end of the day we reached the Red Gate rock and the waterfall on the Boki River — but by August the river was no longer as full-flowing as in mid-late spring, so, again, the waterfall was not beating at full strength. If you find yourself in Altai in April-May, I think you will be much more impressed by it than I was at the end of summer. You can see the rock and the waterfall for free.

• By the way, there is another unusual attraction in this area — the Aktau repeater. It is not the communication tower itself that is interesting there, but the Upper Mountain Where it is located: from the hill there is a 360-degree view of the neighboring mountains, noisy rivers and zigzags of roads. You will have to go there off-road, but judging by the reviews of tourists about Altai in 2023, the difficult road is worth the views that will appear before you! It will not be possible to get there on your own, but the prices for the trip start from 2000 rubles: in general, it is relatively affordable for jeeping.

The route for the fifth day: the rapids of the Chuya River — the villages of Manzherok and Aya.

• The Hippopotamus threshold on the Chuya River has such an unusual name because of the pebbles on the water, which from a certain angle reminded the locals of the muzzles of hippos. I really had to strain my imagination to see them. While everyone went down to the river, we decided to climb the mountain through the undergrowth and found a cliff with a nice view of two bluish mountain ranges, which reminded me of the humps of a camel. What am I doing all this for? Don’t be afraid to explore the surroundings! Entrance to the threshold is free.
• Then we moved to another threshold — the Horizon. The place is absolutely breathtaking: a long narrow strip of steep cliffs, stretched out by a corridor, and below, at a great height, there is a view of the silver snake of the river. I would compare it with Dagestan’s Sulak Canyon, although the horizon, of course, is not that deep. And yet there is something in common in the atmosphere. You can visit the Horizon for free.
• On the road there is a fresh lake Cheybekkel, or a Dead lake. We couldn’t get there: most likely, due to natural disasters, it is temporarily closed to tourists.
• From there, we set a course for Manzherok, a resort village where the local cable car is located, and in the cold season there is a ski slope. The local cable car did not work for several months, but it opened just a week or two before our visit – so we were lucky to ride upstairs in a closed cabin. However, because of the rain, only one level of the cable car out of two worked, but this did not make it worse – the misty halo around the mountains even added some mystery, or something. It was very pleasant to drink cedar latte and treat yourself to nutty ice cream surrounded by misty peaks, and a little rain did not blur the impression at all. A cable car ticket (up and down) cost us 1200 rubles per person, but for children from 6 to 11 years old and pensioners it costs 800 rubles.

Note: if you walk a little away from the observation deck and climb up a wooden ladder, you can see another local landmark — the Golden Baba. Tourists make wishes next to her and ask for health, and there are a couple of souvenir kiosks nearby where you can buy jewelry and figurines made of Altai minerals and moonstone.

• After Manzherok, we went to the areaAya Lakes, where some guys took a ride on a zip line (this pleasure cost them 3,500 rubles per person). Please note: this attraction only works in summer. Bungee jumping has recently appeared there (1,500 rubles). Well, I stayed in the jeep, hiding from the sudden fierce downpour — which, by the way, started at 6 p.m., and did not end until the morning.

Of course, we have not traveled all of them! I have already grown a whole list of places that I want to visit on my next visit — I read something in the reviews about my vacation in Altai, the guides told me about something, and the guests of the guest houses where we stayed even advised something. It takes a long time to get to these places, into the very depths of the republic, to many the route passes through the off-road. These locations are rarely included in standard tours, but they have long gained great popularity and love among tourists.

Belukha Mountain is the highest peak of Altai at 4509 meters above sea level, which is located on the border with Kazakhstan. The always white, huge mountain can be seen from afar from several of the highest Altai observation decks, but it is better to get to it personally — even though the route will be difficult, long and long. This mountain range is part of the Katunsky Reserve and is included in the UNESCO Heritage List.
🔹Katu-Yaryk Pass is one of the most difficult passes in Altai. From a height of 900 meters, the valley of the Chulyshman River opens, where a long descent runs along a mountain serpentine.
The Ak-Kurum Rocks, also known as Stone Mushrooms, are giant boulders that have grown as a result of weathering over many millennia. Scientists say that in a couple of hundred years they may collapse, so it’s worth seeing them on your own while it’s possible!
Teletskoye Lake is the largest in the republic, for which it received the nickname “Little Baikal”. The lake is surrounded by mountain paths, along which you can walk and go out to a couple of waterfalls, Korba and Kishte, or Stone Bay, where, according to a local story, a meteorite once fell, and now the coast is strewn with giant boulders. And you can also take a ride on a boat or a motor ship — can you imagine how beautiful it is when there is only clear water and silhouettes of mountains on the horizon for many meters around?
🔹The Multin Lakes — a cascade of several blue lakes among coniferous forests, flowering meadows and mountain slopes.
The Ukok Plateau is a plateau that Altai shamans call the place where the sky “begins”: it is located on the border of four countries — Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China, at an equal distance from four oceans, and its height is 2000 meters above the sea.

Prices for holidays in Altai in 2024 — food, groceries

As for food in Altai, things were pretty sad for me: there are few cafes in the villages. Well, as a person who does not particularly eat meat, I had a very hard time: the menu was mostly entirely meat dishes — lagman, shish kebab, stewed game…

Almost all settlements have grill bars and canteens – with inexpensive (around 100-150 rubles per serving), but not particularly appetizing—looking food, so they did not inspire confidence in me. She was interrupted by delicious (but, alas, not particularly satisfying) tortillas with herbs and cheese from local markets and her favorite cedar latte — wherever she saw it on the menu, she bought it without hesitation.

• It was possible to find a place with at least a somewhat familiar and varied menu only in Manzherok, in the lobby of the cable car – however, the food prices there correspond to the resort ones: conditionally, pizza (albeit large) — about 400-500 rubles, a glass of coffee 0.4 — around 300 rubles.

But on the third day we found a way out — in the evening we bought groceries in the store, which are available in almost any village in Altai, and cooked lunch in the morning, at home, and then took the ready-made food with us on a trip. At the same time, we bought snacks: it’s better to have a granola bar and a bottle of yogurt with you if you want to refresh yourself on the way, and it’s still a long time before the stop — sometimes you can drive for an hour or two and not meet a single cafe along the way.

Well, the products in the Altai chain stores, it seemed to me, are still a little more expensive than in Moscow, so in the end I got a decent amount of money.

Excursions in Altai

It is very convenient (and safe) to select excursions in Altai on the services:

• Sputnik8
• And the Tripster

Whether you are interested in group bus tours of one day, a jeep ride in a small company or individual mountain climbs, you will surely choose a guide and a program that perfectly complement the trip.

I think this section will be especially useful for those who have decided to take a risk and are now planning a trip to Altai on their own, and not as part of a tour. Before making a program, I advise you to carefully dig into the reviews of tourists about the sights in the Altai Mountains: the region is huge, and it will be difficult to go around everything in one visit, and you will have to move from place to place often — most likely, once every couple of days for sure.

You can choose where to go on vacation: get lost among the Martian landscapes and caves of red clay, ride to the waterfalls on Lake Teletskoye, climb to the observation deck, from which the whole Altai is visible, and if you like horse riding — ride a horse through the endless fields — why not? You can read reviews about excursions in Altai on the program pages: I have attached links for convenience.

Interesting excursions in Altai:
(from Gorno-Altaysk)

Title	Description	Price
🏔️ Guided tour-constructor	A trip with an individual flexible route to any places of interest in Altai. It is convenient that there is an opportunity to see places where excursions are not particularly conducted, for example, Mars in Altai and Geyser Lake near Aktau.	21,000 rubles for the tour (individual car rental for 1-6 people)
🏔️ Visit to Teletskoye Lake	A trip to one of the main pearls of Altai — the protected Teletskoye Lake. Not only will you see the lake, but also take a ride on a boat or a motor ship to the neighboring waterfalls.	6000 rubles per person (group bus and pedestrian)
🏔️ Landscapes of Chemal	You will see all the main sights and learn the legends of one of the most beautiful and famous villages of Altai: the Che-Chkysh gorge with its legendary observation deck and waterfalls, the Sartakpai Gate on Patmos Island, the high Elandinsky Katuni rapids and dead-end caves-tunnels.	14,000 rubles per tour (individual car and pedestrian parking for 1-3 people)
🏔️ A trip to the Katu-Yaryk pass	You will see one of the most beautiful and inaccessible places in Altai — the Katu-Yaryk pass, climb its observation decks and look at the alpine lakes.	18,500 rubles per tour (individual car and pedestrian parking for 1-5 people)
Trekking to the Round Mountain	The organizers promise an inspiring active hike among the picturesque landscapes, through pine groves — towards the mountain range, from where the best angles of the mountain ranges open. And along the way, you will hear about the interesting and complex history of the Altai land.	5200 rubles per tour (individual walking for 1-3 people)
Horseback riding in Belokurikha	Get to know the animals on the farm — from goats and mini pig to guinea pigs and rabbits, and then ride a thoroughbred horse through the Altai fields overlooking the mountains.	3,500 rubles per tour (individual horse riding for 1-5 people)
🏔️ Traditional Altai workshops	Join the craft traditions of the republic: you can weave a bracelet, belt or doll on the machine, cook fragrant bread, and then attend a traditional Russian lunch.	7,500 rubles per tour (individual home for 1-5 people) 7,500 rubles per tour (individual home for 1-5 people)
Manzherok and the surrounding area	The tour is for those who want to get to know Manzherok closer: you will walk through the oldest stone labyrinths, stroll through the Tavdinsky caves and climb the Malaya Sinyukha by cable car.	9200 rubles per tour (individual car rental for 1-6 people)
🏔️ Jipping to the repeater in Aktau	By SUV, visit the legendary observation deck near Aktau and look at Altai — from the villages lying below to the distant non—melting glaciers – from a height of 3000 meters.	12,000 rubles per tour (individual car rental for 1-4 people)

Tourist reviews of holidays in Altai in 2023

Practically during every trip, I face the eternal problem in the form of a crookedly planned budget – I constantly grab less than I need. So that no one repeats my mistakes, I will tell you below about the prices in Altai in 2024, and at the same time I will tell you about a couple of nuances that you should prepare for on the trip.

My expenses in Altai.
Before the trip, the organizers of the tour wrote that in some places in Altai they do not accept either cards or even a transfer (moreover, there is not communication everywhere), so it is advisable to have about 5,000 rubles for spending. I withdrew 8000 rubles — with a margin — and even that was not enough. The cash melted away in the first four days. My advice to you is to withdraw 10,000-15,000 rubles per person in advance.

If you are wondering how much it costs to relax in Altai, I have tried to calculate my costs below.

Flight from Moscow to Novosibirsk and back — 22,000 rubles.

Author’s tour for 5 days — 24,000 rubles. The amount included transfer from the airport to Gorny Altai and back to Novosibirsk, accommodation (2 nights in a village in Chemal, 2 nights in a guest house in Aktau and 1 night at a campsite in Ae, plus a night in an apartment in Novosibirsk) and movement from point to point. Compared to other tours with a similar program and the price is 2 times higher, it seems that I hit the jackpot!

Entrance to various attractions – 2500 rubles. The Ilgumen rapids of Katun, caves-tunnels, the Mars-1 observation deck, the observation deck in the Che-Chkysh gorge.

🚤Various extras .activities (motorboat, jipping, cable car) — 3000 rubles.

🥗Food — 4000 rubles. I rarely ate in a cafe and mostly bought it in a store, and in local chain stores, as I said, prices for many products are slightly higher than in Moscow.

And finally, something in the region of 9,000 rubles flew away *drum roll* for a souvenir, to which I am usually cool. This time I decided not to skimp on gifts to friends and family, so I spent about 5,000 rubles on tea (about 10 packages), about 2,000 rubles on all kinds of sweets made of cedar, to which I always breathed unevenly, 600 rubles for three liters of delicious homemade mead with different flavors (classic, cherry-almond, blueberries). I supplemented all this happiness with several postcards for 150-200 rubles and a moonstone medallion for 700 rubles: I really liked it.

Total in 5 days, not counting the flight (we bought tickets in advance), I spent 43,000 rubles, including the amount of the tour with accommodation and movement. Of course, this is not the minimum required amount at all — I think, if desired, you can meet 35-40 thousand along with the flight.

By the way, for an additional fee in some guest houses, you can go to the sauna: where we lived, it was almost everywhere, and in an hour they took around 1000-1500 rubles, and one of the houses even had a swimming pool!

Well, if you have a soul for all kinds of extreme entertainment, you can safely put them in the region of 7-8 thousand more (it is also advisable to have them with you in the form of cash). For example:

• horseback riding to the waterfalls — about 3000 rubles;
• bungee jumping — from 500 to 1500 rubles;
• paragliding — 6000-7000 rubles;
• rafting — 2000 rubles;
• zipline — 3000-3500 rubles.

Prices in Altai rise every year, sometimes several times a season, so sometimes even fresh reviews can “lie”. In addition, more and more places in the republic are becoming paid — therefore, the situation here is within the norm when Google reports that you do not need to pay for a visit, and upon arrival at the place there is an improvised ticket office at the entrance and you are asked 100-200 rubles for admission.

Pros and cons of holidays in Altai

I’ll start with a good one — there was so much of it during my vacation in the Altai Mountains in 2023 that I vied with each other for another week about the trip and showed photos to everyone with whom I started a conversation.

So, the pros:

+ Absolutely magnificent, untouched by man, especially “living” landscapes — in my opinion, the most important point that outweighs everything else (and among the reviews of tourists about the Altai Mountains, this point almost always comes first). While driving through the Chuisky tract, I generally felt like the heroine of a road movie about a big trip — absolutely cinematic views!

+ Lots of great photos which you will bring back from the trip (if, of course, you have such a desire). In Altai, I wanted to take pictures on every mountain threshold, on any observation deck and next to all lakes. And when I saw the photo from Mars-1, some of my friends decided that I had gone somewhere abroad: they had never associated Altai with views of the lifeless white desert and caves made of red clay.

+ Altai is a great place to reboot. I am quite skeptical about various kinds of spiritual practices, but if they are close to you, in the settlements of the Altai Mountains you will find dozens of “places of power” for internal recharging. If you want, you can generally go away from civilization and communication, to the Mongolian or Kazakh border, and arrange a small retreat for yourself. Well, I just managed to break away from reality for a while and collect my thoughts — nevertheless, this is a very sincere, free, far from the usual experiences place.

+ Local tea, cedar sweets and honey I decided to make a separate point — there is something to tell you about! I brought a variety of tea — for example, at Apiary 13 I bought several packages of black tea for the family with the addition of different fruits and flowers: the combination of flavors is simply incredible, juicy and interesting, so my family and I are very satisfied. I bought a real collection of Altai herbs for friends in mountain villages — there are a lot of variations of herbal tea, so you can choose what you like. About honey — a little remark: I usually don’t like it at all in almost any form. At the tasting, according to the classics, I decided that since it was free, why not try it — and it turned out to be very tasty! So do not pass by, I advise you to grab at least a small jar of 100 ml. Of the sweets, I really liked cedar marzipan (I bought assorted — classic and with northern berries), cedar marmalade based on jam from nuts and candy Cedar mix based on nuts, honey and Siberian berries. In short, if you have friends or family members with a sweet tooth, these are ideal options that you can bring with you from Altai as a gift (and you can also pamper your loved ones). And if you’re a coffee soul like me, be sure to taste a cedar latte.: I just fell in love and drank it at every opportunity during the trip.

There were fewer disadvantages for me, and they did not spoil our trip at all, but just in case, I will indicate them below.

— The sudden “tribute collection” at the entrance to places that are marked as free on the Internet sometimes surprised not only us, but also drivers who take tours here several times a month. According to the guides, every year, if not every month, more and more places in the Altai Mountains are becoming paid, where previously it was possible to go for free. Moreover, even the locals do not know who is asking for this money and on what grounds. Yes, the amount for admission is almost symbolic everywhere — usually from 100 to 250 rubles, but in the end, a couple of thousand dollars runs up in a few days of the trip.

— Problems with nutrition. The people here live nomadically, and eat simply and without special frills, in all villages with cafes things are very sad: the menu is meager, consists of dishes of positions, but half of the positions are constantly missing (and, as they say the reviews of tourists about a trip to the Altai Mountains in 2023, such a story is not only in villages where we were making stops).

— Off-road driving on the way to the local beauties. Of course, it is not ubiquitous: there are many smooth, convenient roads in Altai, and you can drive along them quickly and comfortably. But some attractions, such as the Katu-Yaryk pass, the observation deck on Altai Mars or Belukha Mountain, cannot be reached without an SUV.

But this is all tinsel, of course: you can buy delicacies in your city, but I did not come to Altai on a gastro tour; and I would not mind paying twice as much for the views that open from the observation decks. Well, you can’t scare me off—road in principle: jipping is one of the few near-extreme things that I really like.

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