Active excursion tour Sayan Expanses(11 days/10 nights, July-August) route goes along territories of Krasnoyarsk region, Khakassia and Tuva.

Booking and payment

In order to buy a tour one needs to inquire to the office of the tourist agency Sayan Ring, located on 117 Uritskogo str, office 201, 660049, Krasnoyarsk, Russia. One can contact us by e-mail info@sayanring.com. When reserving a tour, 30% payment upfront is required. The rest 70% of the payment should be covered in not less than 20 days before the beginning of the tour. In case one makes the reservation in 45 days before the tour one needs to cover 100% of the tour price when making the final confirmation.

We should sign the contract. Payment is possible via bank to our account.

Download the questionnaire of the tour participant

Credit cards Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Union can be used in many big stores in Krasnoyarsk and Abakan. It won't be a problem to find a ATM working 24 hours a day, so you can draw some money from your credit card at any time. As for the other places of the route you can pay cash in Rub.

You can exchange the currency in a bank upon arrival to Krasnoyarsk. As the next place you can do it will be only in Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva.

Participation in the tour

The minimum hiking experience in the mountains is recommended, as well as a wish to abandon the usual comfort. During the tour you won't carry heavy backpacks with tourist equipment. Untrained tourists, as well as children, can make the minimum hiking to the place of accommodation and around (up to 30 km for the whole route).

Participation in the tour is not recommended for children under 12 years of age, due to the long hiking trips up to 20 km per day and long journeys 300-350 km per day. But the parents reserve the right of final decision. If you think that your child is emotionally and physically ready for this trip, the tour operator will not mind.

We also don't recommend to participate in the tour people with high blood pressure, due to high altitude difference. Particularly dangerous part of the way is the Sayan pass (2214 m), an hour later the group again descends to an altitude of 1200 m.

Regions

Krasnoyarsk region is located in the eastern part of Siberia along the basin of the Yenisei river. It covers 3000 km from the South to the North, where it is washed  by Kara sea and Laptevs’ sea. The population of the region is about 3 million people.

The region is subdivided into three climate zones: arctic, subarctic and mild.

Krasnoyarsk region territory is the domain for 450 species of plants, 340 species of birds and 90 species of animals including snow leopard, Putorana bighorn sheep, snow fox, stoat and musk-ox. In region there are 6 nature reserves under state protection: Great Arctic, Central-Siberian, Putorana, Stolby (Rock pillars), Sayano-Shushensky and Taimyr reserves.

The main religion here is Orthodox Church, but other confessions are also spread: Catholicism, Islam, Judaism etc.

The capital of the region is Krasnoyarsk – megapolis situated on the both sides of the Yenisei river. It was founded by Russian military man Andrey Dubensky in 1628. The population of Krasnoyarsk is about 1 million people. Time difference with Moscow is +4 hours, distance to Moscow is 3995 km. There are many old buildings and places of interest here. Krasnoyarsk is the motherland of painter Surikov, geographist and scientist Potanin, singer Khvorostovsky, violinist Tretyakov, Olympic champion Yarygin, writer Astafiev.

The symbol of Krasnoyarsk is Paraskeva Pyatnitsa chapel built in 1805 on Karaulnaya hill. It is printed on the 10-roubles banknote.

Ergaki national park is more a cult idea, than a geographical place. Everything connected to this name is a mystery for common people and an answer to all questions for a witness. Metugul-Taiga, Sheipir-Taiga, Tazarama, Ambuk, Left Chebezhek, Aradan, Small Kazyrsug are hard to pronounce for those who have never been to Ergaki and are so attractive for those who have already visited this mountain land. Many people dream to visit Ergaki, that's why a lot of tourists, sportsmen, romantic artists and photographers come to Ergaki every year.

In April of 2005 the territory of this fairytale land was proclaimed to be a reservation area.

The nature reserve is rather small. It takes only 2 weeks to go around it. But the park is a keeper of precious wild nature peculiarities. A specially protected zone of the park is situated in the central part of the West Sayan mountains (24.4 % of the total area). This area is pristine. A lot of rare animal species inhabit this territory. The workers of the nature reserve prevent all destructive activity here.

5.5 hectares of the territory is occupied by camping, hotels, tourist centers and service objects. There are cozy clean cottages, a café, a parking place and special flooring built for late travelers.

The possibilities for tourism here are numerous. Recreational and tourist zones occupy 73.2 % of the whole territory in the right part of Us river basin. The federal route M-54 crosses this region. The "fairytale" begins on the 622nd kilometer. You are met by the legendary Sleeping Sayan mountain while still driving a car.

Ergaki park is known among tourists as a Mecca for skiers and alpinists. Rock-climbers usually choose Star, Dragon's tooth, Dinausaur and Parus peaks - sharp and almost vertical granite rocks. High safety level provided by the region's compactness, easy descending routes and stone falling absence let practice rock-climbing technique, check the equipment and teach newcomers enjoying picturesque sceneries. Mountain ski routes are situated everywhere. Wide valleys with grassy slopes and mountains with height changes up to 1200 meters seem to be created specially for winter sports.

Mixed routes are highly developed here due to many mountain, water and snow barriers. The best time for ski tours is March and the first decade of April. The main difficulty of such tours is the danger of avalanches, characteristic for this period. Summer season is also good for skiing. Every summer mountain skiers' expeditions go to the Sayan mountains. Many ski in swimming suits. Speleologists love winter caves Accord and Oreshnaya.

Kyzyr and Bolshoy river rafting is considered to be serious rafting. Those who like to raft in rubber boats can also easily choose an appropriate river. You can go fishing to the lake Buybinskoe or hunting with an instructor. It is also a good idea to go camping to Medvezhye lake and admire pristine beauty of a cedar forest, berries and mushrooms. But of course it is necessary to remember that it is allowed to make a fire, paths and to leave cars only in special places.

There are a lot of mysterious legends and stories about Ergaki part told by tourists and local people. Many of them say that they have heard unusual music in mountains. Sometimes it was a choir, sometimes classical music. Scientific research proves that there are strange things happening in Ergaki mountains.

Frank talks near the fire place are considered to be healing. The view of a night sky is the most beautiful in the world.

Ergaki paths were discovered by ancient people. Archaeologists found artifacts proving this fact. In 1910 convicts built a road of a military purpose here.

In the southern part of the nature reserve there is a famous Tuvan mineral spring named Arjaan Uru.

The natural park Ergaki belongs to Sayano-Shushensky state biosphere nature reserve and is a part of a specially protected eco zone in Altai-Sayan region.

Tuva is situated on the South of Eastern Siberia in the geographical center of Asia. It borders Krasnoyarsk region, Khakassia republic, Mongolia, Altai republic. Tuva is very rich in natural resources: besides huge geological deposits, there are about 8000 rivers, including famous Khemchik and Yenisei, about 20 big fresh and salt water lakes, lots of healing mineral springs. Fauna of Tuva is very unique and diverse: here one can meet a camel, a desert dweller, and a reindeer, inhabitant of northern territories, Tuvan mountains Tannu-Ola are the realm of snow leopard. Also bear, wolf, squirrel, moose, sable, roebuck, lynx, glutton and birds like hazel-hen, blackcock, goose, duck, eagles and even swans are often met here. From fish such species can be mentioned: Siberian and Mongolian grayling, salmon, bass, pike and many others.

The population of Tuva is about 315 thousand people. The capital of the republic is Kyzyl, the place having been calculated and depicted to be the geographical center of Asia. Distance from Abakan – 400 km, from Krasnoyarsk –1000 km. Time difference with Moscow is +4 hours.

Main confessions: Orthodox Church, Buddhism, Shamanism.

Places of interest in Kyzyl are: free Arat square, The Geographical center of  Asia obelisk, National Tuvan museum, Tuvan national theatre, Shaman clinic.

Khakassia republic is located in South Siberia on the left side of the Yenisei basin. It occupies territory of 62 thousand sq.km. Its population is 535 thousand people. Time difference with Moscow is +4 hours.

Khakassia is often called "a huge open-air museum". The history of Khakassia is very great, it counts not only the centuries but thousands of years. The first state of Din Linnes, who lived here in 7-3 centuries BC, left the remembrance about themselves in marvelous burial mounds, mystic rock paintings.

Khakassia is famous for its huge lakes with healing water concentrating in Shira district. Many territories of the republic are devoted to the protected nature reserves, which are inhabited with rare species. Some of them like red wolf, snow leopard and argali are endangered and included into Red list of WWF.

The administrative center of Khakassia is Abakan, a city with population of 160 thousand people. Sightseeing in Abakan: Khakassian national museum, Preobrazhensky cathedral, Lora stele, landscaping park Gardens of the Dream.

How to get

The tour starts in Krasnoyarsk

One of the main transport hubs in Siberia is Krasnoyarsk. It is passed through by Trans-Siberian railway, so it provides tourists with possibilities to travel actively. Krasnoyarsk posses the airport both of local and international level, river port and well-developed road vehicle infrastructure.

Information about railways to Krasnoyarsk can be inquired at managers of Sayan Ring Co.

Airport in Krasnoyarsk Yemelianovo accepts planes from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Norilsk, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Vladivostok, Kamchatka and many other cities in Russia, also from international flights from Beijing and Bangkok. You can reach Krasnoyarsk by flights of following  airlines Aeroflot, S7, UTair, NordStar etc.

How to get from KJA airport to the railway station in Krasnoyarsk

You arrive at the airport of Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo (KJA) which is situated 60 km from the city.

From the airport you can get to the city railway station by public buses, which run from the airport to the city coach terminal every 30 minutes day and night. A ticket costs about 80 roubles. Time on the way 1 h.

Arrived to the coach terminal you should take the public bus №81 going to the end station – Railway station.

Meeting and seeing off

The group will be met at the Krasnoyarsk railway station at fixed local time 08.30-09.00. Tourists are met with a board Sayan Ring. You will get the mobile phone of your guide 7 days before the tour starts.

On the territory of the station there is a cafe, cloak room, help service, hairdressers, gift shops, business center (computer, fax), porter services are available.

For those who arrive to the airport or at different time an individual transfer can be organized for additional fee. During seeing off tourists are transferred to flights for an additional fee, the group will be at the Krasnoyarsk train station at 06.30 in the morning. We earnestly recommend you to book tickets according to this time.

The way from/to the airport takes about 1 hour, so the transfer will be organized 3 hours before a flight. The transfer airport-railway station costs 45 euro one way without any guide assistance and 55 euro with an English, German or French speaking guide.

We highly recommend you to arrive to Krasnoyarsk the day before, to have chance to take rest after long flights and to start excursions relaxed. The hotel will be provided on your request.

Weather

The climate in Tuva is sharply continental. Summer there is dry, temperature up to 40 C. Winters are cold and not snowy.

The climate in Khakassia is also continental: cold winter, hot summer, with significant variation of temperature and precipitation level. Summer duration in steppes is from the middle of May till the middle of September, in highlands – from the middle of June till the end of August. The hottest month is July (average temperature is 20 C). Sometimes there is Indian summer in the end of September.

Each season in Krasnoyarsk region has its advantages; therefore the choice depends only on what month seems to be the best in your opinion.

July is the hottest month, but sometimes there might rain for a week. The weather is stable and it's warm in the day time and at night. At the end of the month the steppe starts getting dry.

The first half of August is warm, but later it starts getting colder. Nights get colder. At the end of the month there is a change of colors in nature surroundings: leaves get red and yellow. At this time of the year there is a great many of mushrooms and berries.

In Ergaki dominates continental climate. The climatic conditions of the territory are very heterogeneous. Summer in the mountains lasts only one to two months.

In the summer when the weather is good warm, even hot, and when bad weather the temperature can drop to 0 degrees or below. The average temperature in July in the mountains +17-18 C. Weather in the area is very unstable, often storms (which can be very dangerous during the ascent), fog, much rain falls, sometimes rain can last a whole week. But winter is warmer than in the foothills and intermountain basins, while from September to middle June the slopes are covered with snow.

Clothes

Travelling clothes must be comfortable. Please, take clothes you put on for walking and outdoor activities with you.

• Travel bag, suitcase or backpack for the main prt of the tour + small backpack for Stolby and Ergaki hiking

• Light-toned T-shirts with long sleeves and light pants to protect your skin from spiny plants in Tuvan steppes

• Shorts, T-shirts in light colors

• Warm sweater or fleece jacket, thermal underwear, gloves, hat

• Cotton socks 2-3 pairs; wool socks

• Windproof and waterproof jacket / raincoat

• 3 pairs of shoes: a pair of sport shoes (preferably closed), a pair of waterproof hiking shoes, slippers

• Hat or cap to protect your head from the sun

• Sunglasses

• Sunscreen (in Tuva and Khakassia high solar activity)

• Swimsuit

• Flashlight

• Personal hygiene items (incl. soap and toilet paper)

• Towels

• Repellent sprays

• Personal sleeping bag and air mattress to make it softer to sleep in tents

• Sweets, cakes, nuts, other snack, alcohol beverages to your taste. It's possible to buy them in Krasnoyarsk, Abakan, Shushenskoye and Kyzyl.

• Personal set of utensils (fork, spoon, cup, plate)

• Insurance

• Individual medicines in the presence of chronic diseases

• Cash (for souvenirs, shaman's rituals, sweets, alcohol drinks, other personal expenses).

It is recommended to stretch shoes by wearing them during some holidays or sport exercises. It is good to rub them with fat or some special cream, so they become pervious. If there is not any special solution, put your shoes into soapy water and so they become waterproof for 2-3 days. You will also need an additional pair of shoes, e.g, trainers to let your feet have a rest from boots. Don’t use high-heeled shoes, sandals or slippers. At night you should put your shoes under the camp (don’t put dirty shoes into the camp). If shoes get wet, change the shoes and wash the first ones with warm water or milk. In the evening dry out the shoes putting them far away from heat sources.

During the hiking part to Ergaki it is necessary to take all worth things with you. All items should be packed in waterproof bags. Your excess baggage, necessary for the other part of the tour, you can leave in the cloak room before going on the hiking part. Your belongings will also need to be packed in waterproof bags.

Accommodation

Krasnoyarsk

There are many hotels in the city (from economy class to comfortable 4-star hotels), where our guests can stay in and have rest. Comfortable rooms and cafes are waiting or you. You  can get information about hotels at our website Hotels:

During the tour Sayan Expanses the accommodation in Krasnoyarsk is not included.

We advise you to choose Krasnoyarsk, Oktyabrskaya, Amaks or Ibis hotels 3*.

Stolby reserve (1 night)

The first night of the tour the tourists will spend in the guest wooden houses in the reserve Stolby on the territory of scientific and educational complex Narym. They are located in the heart of the reserve, 1 km from the central group of rocks, 8 km from Krasnoyarsk. Overnight outside that area of the reserve is prohibited for reasons of nature protection. Houses construction maintains soil cover and vegetation intact.

Each house is designed for 6 people, but we provide one house for 2 guests. But at the same time if you are traveling in a large family or close friends, you can stay all together in one house. At these houses a single accommodation is not available. In each house: a double bed, a single bed on the upper level, and three sleeping places on the third level, a dining table, chairs, electric heating, sink, electric kettle, a minimum set of dishes.

On the territory of the cordon there is an office building, where you can take a shower, there are also toilets.

Meals will be organized in the hut of our ranger, which is located 100 meters from the guest house.

On train (2 nights)

The tour program means overnight on a train (11 hrs aboard). We take a night train №124 Krasnoyarsk-Abakan and return. The train runs everyday. The timetable may be changed. At the moment we are going to leave Krasnoyarsk at 19:20, to arrive to Abakan at 06:45. On the final day we are going to leave Abakan at 19:00 and to arrive to Krasnoyarsk at 06:30. The average cost of Krasnoyarsk-Abakan train ticket in economy class (6-berth) is about 35 euro/person, in a compartment (4-berth) will be 70 euro/person.

The every carriage has a toilet, sink, air conditioning. The train has a dining car, on the day 2 you can take dinner with you from Krasnoyarsk. On the day 3 breakfast will be served in the cafe. On the day 10 dinner is in a cafe, breakfast on the day 11 is not provided.

Please note that on day 10 of the tour main tour program ends in Abakan by 18:00-19:00. Therefore, in principle, there is no need to return to Krasnoyarsk. You can also go by train №067 to Moscow (via Novosibirsk, Yekateriburg) or stay overnight in Abakan hotel, and in the morning fly to Moscow by Aeroflot or S7.

The lake Svetloe (3 nights)

The summer camping is situated on the area of natural park Ergaki, on the coast of lake Svetloe, at the height of 1510 meters above sea level. There are tents for 2 or 4 people. Single accommodation is not possible. During the stay you get all equipment: mats and sleeping bags. On the coast a banya is built. All tourists will get three times hot meals a day cooked by a cook on the fire. During hiking tourists get lunch boxes. Please take with you an individual set of utensils (fork, spoon, cup, plate).

The camp is equipped with dining room, banya, toilets, a volleyball court, a medical tent, a generator to recharge the batteries.

Yurt camp Biy-Khem (2 nights)

The yurt camp is located 22 km from Kyzyl, on the bank of Yenisei river, and is specially designed for tourists’ accommodation. These are yurts with low door facing the East. They are furnished for 1 or 2 people (single accommodation is possible for extra charge). There are 2 beds, a cupboard, bedside tables in yurts. At the door you can find a washstand. Electrical heating, electrical outlets. Toilet and shower are in a special big yurt. Also canteen and bar are situated in a separate yurt.
Extra service: banya, shamans' kamlaniye ritual, throat-singing concert.
Address: Tuva Republic, Piy-Khem kozhuun, Kara-Khaak settlement

Snow leopard camp (2 nights)

Camp is situated in the taiga in highland district of Khakassia,1250 m above the sea level. Speciality of the camp is Russian bathes on the bank of mountain river.

During the tour tourists will be accommodated in wooden houses for 1-2 people with with a bio-toilet and washstand. Single accommodation is possible for extra charge. There are single, double or bunk beds, a table, a chair, a cupboard and a bedside table. Furnace heating. Please note that the camp is located deep in the taiga, electricity from the generator, so the houses are no outlets for personal use (to avoid overloading the network and fires).
There is also the main hall, upholstered furniture, fireplace, bar, billiards, a café, sports ground for playing volleyball. There is an outdoor shower as well as Russian banya (one visit free of charge for 2 nights stay).
Address: Khakassia Republic, Tashtyp district, Stoktysh area, 301 km from Abakan.

Meals

During all the tour you will be offered two or three meals a day. Whether it is yurt complex or picnic in the open air, you will be served with hot food, mineral water, coffee, tea  – they are included in tour price list. Alcohol beverages are not included in the price. We can also take into consideration the tourists' preferences in dietary or vegitarian food as far as possible. In order to have it during the tour, you should fill in the questionnarie about pecularities in food and send it to us in advance. If you won’t have informed us, you’ll get standard european meal with some additional national dishes. During the trip the menu can be changed only for an extra fee.

The national dishes o Russian and Tuvan cuisine are essential parts of the program. The traditional dishes of Russian cuisine are thought to be pancakes, rosted and backed pies, meat dumplings, salty cucumbers, beetroot salad, cabbage soup, fruit drinks and many others. Speaking about Tuvan people, they also can’t do without meat and diary products. In fact, they eat mostly meat and all other food is just an addition to it. Various dishes made of meat and flour are quite popular with local people, these are soup with meat and noodles (uzken bydaa), meat dumplings prepared on steam (boozy) and traditional ones (manchy), round fried meat pie (khuzhuury), minced meat with pastry (tyrtykan) and many others.

Moreover, you can find on the table of Tuvan people vodka made of milk (araga), which is made of sour milk, boorzaki – pieces of pastry fried in boiled oil, cakes, which are eaten not with prepared food, but as “individual dish” and soktaan dolgan – ground barley. Also Tuvan people like blood pudding, green tea with milk (it is drunk with butter or salt). The importance of diary products as well as meat product is very high for these people. They developed different ways of cooking products made of  milk such as – cheese (bashtyk), butter (sarzhag), cream (oreme), koumiss (khymys), kefir (tarak), sour clotted milk (khoitpak), dried cottage cheese – of hard  and crumbly consistence (kurut and aarzhy respectively).

In case the meal preferences were not specified, one will be provided with standard menu. Any altering in meal during the tour is possible only for additional fee.

During their stay in tents tourists will be provided with hot meals that the chef prepares on a fire. During the hiking dry rations are given. On the train, you can eat in the restaurant wagon, or take food from a supermarket.

Transportation

Our tour is organized by comfortable minivans, minibuses (Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter) or large buses depending on the number of people in the group. The final decision, what kind of bus to coose, is made upon group's formation, usually 10 days before the tour start.  In every bus there is air conditioning system, audio and video system. Each day we cover the distance of approximately 300-350 km. Every 1,5-2 hours we make stops, that's why the journey does not seem very tiresome. There are days included into the program when tourists stay at camps and do not travel by bus. It is forbidden to smoke in buses, stops in some places, preserves. Driving during the night is also forbidden because of the seasonal pasture.

Guide service

We have highly qualified guides working in our company, due to this fact the tours of Sayan Ring Co. have become so interesting and fascinating. They say, without a guide any journey, even a short one is nothing more than going some distance, but with a guide it is already travelling. You will be accompanied also by trekking guides. Along the tour we pro
Tipps to our guides and drivers are not included in the tour price.

Security

All vehicles along the route are equipped with first-aid kit and all our guides have been specially trained to do primary medical assistance. Also all our tourists are insured (medical and tick-borne encephalitis insurance). Insurance company is Nadezhda, phone of 24-hour customer service center +7 812 325 72 92, +7 800 333 72 92

Mobile phones

On the most part of the tour the cellular network coverage is available. Mobile phones operated by local operators (MTS, Beeline, Megafon, Tele2) are working alright. There is no mobile connection in Snow Leopard and in some parts of Tuva and Khakassia.

Ticks and mosquitoes

In Tuva there are not many mosquitoes, but there can be a lot of mosquitoes because of continuous rains, which is a rare phenomenon for Tuva. In alpine region, where the campsite Snow Leopard is located, there are almost no midges and mosquitoes. We recommend tourists to make sure their arms and legs are covered in twilight because mosquitoes are enlivened in the evening time. We provide you anti-mosquitoes repellents.

There are ticks in steppes of Tuva and Khakassia. The territory of yurt camps Biy-Khem is treated by the pest control. The area around the Snow Leopard camp and in the Ergaki park has no ticks due to the alpine location. The peak of ticks activity is from May to Middle July. In this period each tourists gets special anty-ticks repellents. The tour price includes also the tick-borne encephalitis insurance. In any case, we recommend everyone to regularly check your cloths, open skin areas, the head. Most often ticks fasten on legs and then crawl up, sucking to the upper body, above the waist.

Souvenirs

In Krasnoyarsk you can buy the paintings of local artists, souvenirs made of stones, bones, ceramics, things of birch bark made by local craftsmen, also you can buy semi precious stones and antiques. Besides that, you can take Siberian vodka, herbal and berry liqueurs, jewelry, handicraft (embroidery, hats and headscarves). In Shushenskoye village there is a wonderful store in a local museum of XIX-XX centuries, where you can purchase postcards, books, things made of ceramics, wood, and glass beads, kitchenware made by regional craftsmen and children as well. As you continue the journey you will be able to buy real cedar nuts, cedar oil, herbs.

In Tuva there is a wide choice of souvenirs, presented at the numerous stores in Kyzyl - items made of 'soapstone' aghalmatolit, Tuvan chess, national dresses, gowns, hats, souvenirs made of wood, metal, amulets, also CD's and tapes with the performers of guttural singing.

In the Snow Leopard camp you can gather herbs yourself (cowberry tree, wild rose, feverfew, coltsfoot), widely used in everyday life of local inhabitants, also you can gather different berries (cowberry, huckleberry, honeysuckle, great bilberry), mushrooms (boletus, orange-cap boletus, brown mushroom, variety of edible mushroom, saffron milk-cap, chanterelle), and of course, cedar cones, Siberians' favorite delicacies.

Khakassiya is rich with ceramic and wooden items, embroidery, various amulets, national instruments, you can buy there CD's and tapes of national folk singers.

Other information

Information including meeting guide telephone and timed program is provided 7 days before the first day of the tour. You can get your insurance certificates, air and railway tickets booked in advance from your guide at the starting day.

Guarantees

Sayan Ring is the incoming tour operator in Krasnoyarsk regional, Khakassia and Tuva. The company is in the Federal Register of Tour Operators, according to it our Certificate Number is # PTO 015694, given by Federal Tourist Agency. We are the member of Association of Russian Tourism Companies.

Financial insurance guarantee #194732061 for 1 000 000 rubles is valid from the 20.12.2019 to 19.12.2020.

Have a good journey!