Winter excursion tour Snow jewels of the Sayans (7 days/6 nights, period November-April) route goes along territories of Khakassia and Krasnoyarsk region.

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Region

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.

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.

Meeting and seeing off

Transfers are not included in the tour's price. Tourists are met with a board, where tourist’s name or a name of a company is printed.

The price for an individual transfer Krasnoyarsk airport-hotel is 45 euro. Krasnoyarsk railway station-hotel is 22 euro. A return transfer Abakan hotel-airport 20 euro.

The guide meets the group on the 1 day in the hotel hall at 14:00 with a meeting board where the name of the tor is printed. You will get the phone number of your guide 7 days before tour starting.

Accommodation

Amaks City Hotel (3 nights)

AMAKS HOTELS & RESORTS is one the best Russian chains of the hospitality industry. Hotel is located on the right bank of the Yenisei River, offers beautiful views. Not far from here Sports Palace, which includes sports fields, tennis courts, stadium. In the immediate vicinity of the hotel there are museums, theaters, exhibition and concert halls, shopping and office centers. Twenty kilometers from the hotel there are ski slopes and cable car, which offers magnificent views of the National Park Stolby. Our guests will overnight in twin or single (for extra fee) standard rooms (shower, WC). For guests a buffet breakfast will be served on the ground floor. A lunch may be served either in the hotel restaurant or on request in your room. 

On the train (1 night)

The tour program means overnight on a train (11 hrs aboard). We take a night train №124 Krasnoyarsk-Abakan. 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.  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 3 a dinner is not provided. On the day 4 breakfast will be served in the cafe.

Snow leopard camp (2 nights)

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

During the tour Snow jewels of Sayan tourists will be accommodated in wooden houses for 2 people, which are furnished and there is a brick Russia furnace, a room for personal hygiene with bio-toilet and washstand.

There is also the main hall with a big hall, upholstered furniture, fireplace, bar, karaoke, billiards, a café, Russian bathes, sports ground for playing volleyball. During the winter illumination is provided with a diesel engine-power station.

Abakan hotel (1 night)

Abakan hotel has already been opened for 50 years for the guests who appreciate the value of money. Attentive and polite attitude of the staff will make your stay in the hotel for a longer period of time. All rooms have cable TV, a fridge, a phone, a lavatory. Accommodation in standard twin rooms, for extra fee in single rooms. The total quantity of rooms is 62. There is also a bar, a café, a hairdressing salon, a beauty salon, a conference hall for 30-50 people and a medical centre. The hotel is situated in the centre of the city. 

Meals

During all the tour you will be offered hot food. We can also take into consideration the tourists' preferences in dietary or vegitarian food as far as possible.

The taiga сuisine is an integral part of our program. The menu includes dishes from meat of a maral, delicatessen fish - grayling, the firm cowberry pie, famous Stoktysh baking, ferns, etc.

Useful tips

Make sure you have taken fleece thermolinen – trousers and a sweater, the down waistcoat, the warmed trousers or semioveralls, a warm jacket (it is desirable a down-padded coat), woolen socks of 2 pairs, free footwear with a high top, a hat with earflaps or ear-phones, gloves (preferably knitted) + warm mittens, a bathing suit (you may need it in a bath). Since a winter diesel power provides the supply of electricity to the tourist camp Snow Leopard - do not take unnecessary electrical appliances to avoid a short circuit.

Security and medical support

All vehicles along the route are equipped with first-aid kit and all our guides and drivers have been specially trained to do primary medical assistance.

On the most part of the tour the cellular network coverage is available. Mobile phones operated by local operators (MTS, Tele2, Beeline, Megafon) are working alright. Please note that in territory farther Abaza communication won't be, communication will be accessible on base by a portable radio set.

Special information

Tours can not take place for the following reasons: severe weather conditions, such as a frost below -30С or a wild wind.

Transportation terms

Comfortable buses and minivans (for small groups) with air conditioner service in all the programs of the company. In every bus there is audio and video system.

It is forbidden to smoke in buses, stops in some places, preserves.

Guide services

Throughout the tour you will be accompanied by qualified guides who speak one or two European languages, have long-term experience on the route and have attended an obligatory course on first aid, due to this fact the tours of the company Sayan Ring 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 traveling.

Water

Water provided during the tour is clear and doesn’t need any additional purification. You will be given water for drinking (still or fizzy) in any amounts you like, that’s why there will be no need in taking water with you.

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.