8-Day Altai Wildlife and Astronomy Tour with Snow Leopard Spotting

Upon arrival at Gorno-Altaysk Airport, take part in a traditional Altai welcome ceremony. Artists in traditional costumes offer good wishes and treat you to the national bread called Baursak.

Transfer to the Inegen agrotouristic complex for accommodation and rest.

Drive along the Chuyskiy Tract and get acquainted with unique monuments in the valley of the Chuya River.

Visit the Valley of Geysers, see waterfalls on the upper and lower Karasu River, admire the snow and glaciers of the majestic North-Chuyskiy Ridge, and get acquainted with the blast furnaces of ancient nomads.

In the afternoon, arrive in Kosh-Agach village, located near the Russian-Mongolian border. Kosh-Agach lies in the Chuya steppe, which surprisingly resembles Mongolia. There is a low level of precipitation here. The village itself is situated at an altitude of 1800 to 1900 m above sea level and is surrounded on all sides by four-thousand-metre mountain ridges. Due to these natural and climatic conditions, the starry sky over Kosh-Agach is especially suitable for astronomical observations. This is the place where you plunge into the riddles of the universe.

After breakfast, make a trip to Mars, the geological monument in the Valley of the Kyzyl-Chin River. Located on the line of the Charysh-Terekty tectonic fault, this area reveals the most ancient rocks of the Altai - the weathering crust formed long before the emergence of the modern Altai mountainous country. The valley's landscape is painted in a variety of shades of red, and because of this remarkable feature, the territory is called Mars.

Head to the banks of the ancient lake that filled the entire Chui Valley during the glacial age. Follow the traces of this huge Ice Age reservoir. Clays were brought here by the waters of the ancient glacial lake over thousands of years.

In the evening, return to the hotel.

Observe the night sky through a telescope.

Visit Saylyugemsky National Park, on the border with Mongolia, and climb to the top of the mountain to see rare animals such as argali, also called mountain sheep, and try spotting the snow leopard. In the Altai, there is the largest population of these rare animals, which live exclusively in the highlands, and this is also the northernmost area of snow leopard distribution.

In the evening, enjoy a throat singing concert and watch a shamanistic rite.

Enjoy traditional treats of the nomads of Altai for dinner.

Observe the night sky through a telescope.

Visit the top of Zhalgyz-Tobe Mountain to see petroglyphs. On Kurgak Mountain, see the longest runic inscription found in Altai. It is known that the Turks, from the 6th to 11th centuries AD, were excellent warriors and created the first written language among the peoples of northern Eurasia.

In the afternoon, visit one of Altai's most ancient and mysterious observatories - the Tarkhatinskiy megalithic complex, dating from the Aeneolithic to the Early Bronze Age. It has been proven that all the sanctuary objects are strictly oriented to the cardinal directions and have a different magnetisation and rock composition from the stones located nearby. To construct this ritual complex, the ancient builders had to transport enormous blocks over tens of kilometres. How and for what purpose the sanctuary was built remains a mystery.

In the evening, return to the hotel and go for a starry sky observation.

After breakfast, visit the valley of the Yustyt River, where the necropolis of the ancient nomads is located. The valley is replete with mounds, and there are many deer stones and petroglyphs. In the old days, a sizeable metallurgical area stood here, as evidenced by the remains of forges and ancient smelting furnaces. The Yustyt Valley can be compared to the Nazca Lines in South America because, from a height, you can see that the stone constructions of the kerexurs - mounds with an external framing of stones - intertwine into a single unique pattern.

Visit the temple mountain of the Turu-Alty sanctuary. This structure occupies the whole ridge of Turu-Alty. The ancient complex was a temple of the sun. On the slopes of Mount Turu-Alty, there are numerous mounds, ritual fences, and petroglyphs. At the highest point of the mountain ridge, there is the altar - a stone slab facing south with multiple images of deer symbolising the sun. It is possible that rituals and luminary observations were performed here in ancient times. On the days of the vernal and autumnal equinox and the winter and summer solstices, the sun sets on the horizon in strictly defined places. The mountain also has a unique acoustic effect. From the highest point, you can hear the prayer offering from the Kosh-Agach Mosque, located more than 40 km away.

In the evening, return to the hotel for starry sky observation through a telescope.

Drive to the vicinity of Gorno-Altaisk Airport.

As an option, take a helicopter flight to the mysterious Ukok Plateau. It is located in the heart of the Altai Mountains at the intersection of China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Through the Ukok Plateau, the civilizations of the ancient empires of China, India, Asia Minor, and the nomads of southern Siberia came into contact with one another. The mummy of the Ice Maiden, a noble lady who lived in the 6th-2nd centuries BC, was discovered here. Preserved in lenses of ice inside a mound, she is considered the patroness of Altai. At the end of the tour, make a helicopter transfer to the tourist complex on the Lower Katun.

Enjoy an early breakfast and transfer to the airport for your departure to Moscow or another city.