Guided tour “Along the Caucasian Ridge”

Arrival in Makhachkala, excursion to the Museum of Kaytag embroidery

Arrival by morning flights to the airport (railway station) of Makhachkala. At 12:30 group transfer to Derbent. On the way near the town of Izberbash, tourists will have a view of Pushkin-Tau Mountain, which is incredibly similar to the profile of the famous poet's face.

Lunch (on your own).

After lunch – departure for the village of Majalis, which was founded in 1581 by the ruler of the Kaitag utsmiystvo, Sultan Ahmad Khan, as a new capital and residence. At that time, Majalis was a fairly large and multinational settlement. Visit to the Museum of Kaitag embroidery.

Arrival in Derbent in the evening. A walk along the Caspian Sea embankment. Accommodation in a hotel****.

Derbent, Dagestan republic

After breakfast you will depart for a sightseeing tour around Derbent. You’ll inspect the citadel “Naryn-Kala” (2500 years old), which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage. Derbent is one of the most ancient cities not only of the Caucasus, but also of all Russia. Under the protection of powerful city walls the ancient mosques and madrasahs, temples and synagogues, magnificent medieval baths and impressing khan palaces still remain there. From the ramparts you can see the endless horizon of the Caspian Sea and imagine yourself at the place of a guard walking down it thousands of years ago.

Lunch in one of the local restaurants in the Old city (on your own).

Visit to the Kubachi ethno-house (it presents hundreds of exhibits from different eras, carefully selected by the owner), the Museum of Carpets and Decorative and Applied Arts, located in the Armenian-Gregorian Church. A trip to the well-known hovercraft «Lun» - a new attraction in the suburbs of Derbent. This so-called "Caspian monster" truly makes a deep impression.

Return to the hotel.

Sulak canyon and Sarykum dune, Dagestan republic

Breakfast. Check-out from the hotel. Early departure for the tour.

Today you will see the real miracle of these places - the Sulak Canyon. It is often compared to the Grand Canyon in America - just imagine - the height is 1920 meters! In some places, the canyon widens so much that the opposite side becomes invisible.

Lunch (on your own).

On the way to Makhachkala, you will see the Sarykum dune - one of the highest in the world. Its height is more than 250 meters, and the size and shape of the peaks are constantly changing at the will of the winds. Its age is estimated in hundreds of thousands of years.

Transfer to the hotel*** in Makhachkala. Check-in.

Transfer to Grozny. City tour

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out.

Transfer to Grozny. On the way you will stop in Argun, where the guide will show you the mosque named after Aimani Kadyrova (or "Mother's Heart"). The mosque, designed for 15,000 people, was inaugurated in June 2014. For the convenience of believers, the designers have provided many entrance doors – about 26. Arrival at the hotel at about 13:30, check-in at the hotel***.

Lunch with dishes of national Chechen cuisine (on your own).

After lunch, you will depart to a walking sightseeing tour of Grozny. You will visit the mosque "Heart of Chechnya". The mosque is a unique structure. The exterior and interior walls of the mosque are decorated with the rarest rock - travertine, and the interior of the mosque is richly decorated with white marble, which is mined on the island of Marmara in the Sea of Marmara. Several fountains are installed on the adjacent territory, places for recreation and alleys are laid out.

You will also see the Cossack Church of Archangel Michael, founded in 1868. Visit to the National Museum or Memorial Complex of A. Kadyrov (at the choice of the group).

Return to the hotel. Free time.

Lake Kezenoy Am – Shali - Grozny, Republic of Chechnya

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for a trip to mountain Lake Kezenoi-Am, which is one of the most highland in Russia. It is located at the border of three republics at an altitude of 1869 meters above sea level, in size and depth it can be put on a par with Lake Ritza in Abkhazia, or Lake Goluboye (Tzerik-kel) in Kabardino-Balkaria. It is used as sports base for rowing. The lake is stunning with its beauty. Several rare species of fish listed in the Red book inhabit this lake.

Lunch at the café by the lake (on your own).

Free time at the lake.  You can enjoy the nature, take boat trips or horse rides (at extra fee).

Return to the hotel.

Mountainous Ingushetia, Republic of Ingushetia

Attention! The territory of the Mountainous Ingushetia lies in a border zone, only citizens of the Russian Federation are allowed to pass there with no restrictions. For foreign citizens, including the CIS countries it is necessary to get the border pass – it takes about 45 days to prepare the documents.

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out.

Transfer to Ingushetia. You will start by one of the most exciting and exotic tower complexes among the ancient defensive structures of Ingushetia. Monument Vovnushki consists of three main towers, two of them are at the top of one rock and one on the opposite side.

Boxed lunch (included)

Then you will get acquainted with the most ancient Christian temple Thaba-Erdy, which is situated close to the border with Georgia. The date of its construction varies within the 700 years, from VIII to XIV centuries. It is certainly one of the oldest Christian temples in Russia.  The program will continue with the visit of the castle complex Egikal. The complex is located in Targimsk basin at the foot of Mt Tsey-Loam. They say it was the cultural, political and economic center of the middle Age.

Arrival at the hotel*** in Vladikavkaz. Check-in.

Excursion to the Kurtatinsky gorge and Dargavs

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out.

The tour will continue by visiting the gorges of North Ossetia. In the Gizeldon gorge you will find the Dargavs necropolis - the largest architectural complex in the North Caucasus, consisting of about a hundred funerary buildings. They date back to about 16^th-18^th centuries. It is amazing that the necropolis still continues to perform its function, the crypts still contain skeletons and many mummified dead.

You will visit the Dzivgis rock fortress, built in the XIII-XVI centuries. The fortress almost merges with the rock, and in summer it cannot be noticed behind the trees. You will also visit the Kadargavan gorge.

Lunch at a cafe of national cuisine (on your own).

Transfer to Kislovodsk (4.5 hours on the way), check-in at the hotel***,

Free day in Kislovodsk

Jeep-tour to the north of Elbrus (Dzhily-Su)

Breakfast (dry ration).

Early in the morning you will depart for an excursion to get acquainted with the legendary Elbrus and the Dzhily-Su boundary.

You will have an active day in the north of the Elbrus region, where there is practically no civilization. There are no hotels, cable cars and cafes here, which makes it possible to fully enjoy nature. By off-road vehicles you will climb to an altitude of about 2400 meters above sea level on the territory of the National Park "Elbrus". You will get acquainted with the sights on foot - you will be able to try different types of narzan, see seventy-meter waterfalls. You will learn about the conquest of Elbrus, which happened almost 200 years ago, when General G.A. Emmanuel organized the first expedition of climbers to Elbrus (1829).

Lunch (included).

On this day you will fully enjoy the beauty of the highest mountain in Europe, snowfields, waterfalls, mineral springs (bathing at your request), the unusual natural landscape.

Return to the hotel.

Kislovodsk, Stavropol territory - Dombay, Karachai-Cherkess republic

Breakfast. Check-out.

You’ll have a short walking excursion around Kislovodsk - the city of Narzan and sun – and around Kislovodsk Park. It has the second largest park territory in Europe (1000 hectares) and over 250 species of trees. You will pass by the famous Mirror pond and river Olkhovka, where there is the bridge named "Lady's Caprice". During the tour you will see Cascading staircase, stroll through the Resort Boulevard, and learn the history of the resort city.

Lunch (on your own).

About 13:00 – meeting with the driver. Transfer to Dombay. Arrival at the resort. Check-in at the hotel***. Free time.

Dombay, Karachai-Cherkess republic

Breakfast at the hotel.

Today you are going to ascent on Mount Mussa-Achitara by the cableway (extra fee from 2000 RUB per person) with your guide. From this height you could see a breathtaking panorama of snow-capped peaks, glaciers sparkling on the sun, turbulent, fast flowing rivers and murmuring waterfalls. The guide will tell you the legends, will speak about the customs and traditions of local people.

Lunch in the café in the mountains (on your own).

After lunch you’ll go to the gorge of the Gonachkhir River to Lake Tumanly-Kel at an altitude of 1,850 m above sea level. By the middle of summer, the water here warms up to +20C. They say that after bathing in the lake, a person is charged with positivity, heals from moping and stress.

Return to the resort, free time. At extra fee you can visit the sauna or hammam. 

Dombay, Karachai-Cherkess republic – Adygeya

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out.

About 10:00 - departure to Adygea. On the way you’ll have a short walk in the Lower-Arkhyz settlement. This monument of ancient architecture is one of the first temple complexes in Russia and is located at the foot of the Bolshoy Zelenchuk river. On the territory of the complex there are three medieval Christian churches. In the X-XIII Centuries the capital of the ancient North Caucasian state of Alanya was situated in this area.

Lunch on the way at a cafe (on your own)

Continue your way to Adygea. By the evening - arrival, check-in at the hotel ***.

Adygeya –Krasnodar, Krasnodar territory

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out.

Today you will go to the plateau of Lago-Naki. It offers the pristine beauty of nature and a variety of landscapes. This plateau is unique because it is located in several climatic zones. In a short period of time, you can walk through broad-leaved forests, admire Alpine meadows, and finally reach the glaciers. The program includes a visit to the Azish cave (extra fee from 600 RUB per person), a visit to the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve (walking distance up to 2 km).

Lunch at the national café (on your own).

Departure to Krasnodar, check-in at hotel***.

Dinner (on your own).

Departure

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out till 12:00. Transfer to the airport * 

*If desired, you can also continue your trip by staying in Krasnodar or on the Black Sea coast