Festival “Pole of Cold” in Oymyakon

🌄 Day 1. Getting to Know Yakutsk

Getting to know Yakutsk

9:30 Meeting with the guide in the hotel lobby, departure for the excursion.

9:45–11:00 Excursion to the exhibition “Treasury of Yakutia”.

— A short walk around the “Old Town” district and a sightseeing tour of Yakutsk on the way to the ethno-complex.

12:00–13:30 Tour of the ethnographic complex “Us-Kut”, performing the ancient blessing ritual “Algys”.

The tourist complex “Us-Kut”, located in the outskirts of Yakutsk, is famous for its good traditions and is based on the hospitality and hard work of the Atlasov family, who put their love for their native land into it. Tourists can get an idea of the ancient culture of the Sakha people: hear the khomus and toyuk, see national rituals – feeding the spirits, purification, greeting the sun. On the territory of the center there are buildings characteristic of Yakut life.

13:45–14:30 Excursion to the underground complex “Kingdom of Permafrost”.

“Kingdom of Permafrost” is a complex inside a glacier, located inside a mountain, with the residence of the Yakut Winter, Chyskhaan – the Master of Cold, the room of the Master of the North, exhibition halls of the Ice Sculpture Festival, a large paleontological exposition of mammoth fauna objects, an ice slide and an ice bar.

14:45–16:00 Lunch at the restaurant “Chochur Muran” (national and European cuisine, not included in the tour price).

“Chochur Muran” is an ecological and ethnographic complex built as a tribute to the Cossack pioneers who explored and annexed all the vast lands beyond the Ural ridge to the Russian state. Inside there is a national restaurant, which is also a museum. The walls are decorated with hunting trophies, a collection of antique weapons and dishes.

16:30–17:30 Visit to the peasant market of Yakutsk.

This is one of the most exotic places in the city and its real attraction. Here is the coldest outdoor market in the world. In addition, not only fresh-frozen products are sold here, but also in the covered part of the market you can buy souvenirs, a variety of local meat, fish, dairy products and much more.

17:30–18:30 Souvenir shop “Ilin Ener”.

18:30 Transfer to the hotel.

🌄 Day 2. Khandyga and the road on the bones

— Early breakfast at the hotel (you will need to pick up breakfast at the reception desk).

08:00 Departure from Yakutsk towards Khandyga. Distance from Yakutsk to Khandyga: 365 km.

Along the way we cross the great Siberian rivers Lena and Aldan on an ice road (winter road), driving more than 25 km on frozen channels and riverbeds.

— Lunch at the roadside cafe “Tyungyulyu” (average check 500 rubles, not included in the tour price).

16:30 Visit to the Cherkekh Historical and Memorial Museum “Yakut Political Exile” in the village of Cherkekh, Tattinsky ulus, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

— Continuation of the journey.

— Dinner at the roadside cafe “Uolba” (not included in the tour price).

— Crossing the Aldan River.

22:00 Arrival in Khandyga late in the evening.

Accommodation in an apartment-type hotel (simple comfort).

🌄 Day 3. On the way to the Pole of Cold

8:00 Departure from the hotel (Khandyga – Kyubyume – Oymyakon). Distance from Khandyga to Oymyakon along the highway — 560 km.

10:00 Breakfast at the roadside cafe in the village of Tyoply Klyuch (not included in the tour price).

— Along the way on the federal highway “Kolyma” there will be beautiful views against the background of the Verkhoyansk Range and sections of roads with mesmerizing views: Yellow Cliff, Black Cliff, Hare’s Loop. These sections once made motorists tremble with their difficulty.

12:00 Photo session at the Tomporuk Pass, at the memorial cross to the victims of the Gulag.

13:00 Stop at the non-freezing stream “Tonmot-Uu – Shaman Spring”. Collecting healing water from the source.

— Late lunch-dinner at the roadside cafe in the village of Kyubyume “Kuba” (average check 500 rubles, not included in the tour price).

22:00 Arrival at the hotel late in the evening.

Accommodation in the village of Tomtor in a private guest house (simple comfort).

— Late dinner at the hotel, rest.

🌄 Day 4. Oymyakon — Pole of Cold

8:00 Breakfast, departure for an excursion to the village of Oymyakon (40 km from the village of Tomtor).

10:00 Visit to the “Pole of Cold” stele with the Bull of Winter, where we will meet the fairy-tale character of Yakut mythology Chyskhaan (the Holder of Cold) and receive from his hands certificates of visiting the coldest inhabited place on Earth.

10:30 The coldest photo exhibition in the world — Gallery of Semyon Sivtsev.

11:00 Departure to Tomtor.

12:00 Opening of the “Pole of Cold” festival. Then — according to the festival program.

During the festival there will be reindeer sledding rides, tastings of national Evenk dishes, various competitions and performances.

13:00 Skyrunning competitions on the “Ebe-Khaya” mountain.

14:00 Games of Chyskhaan — team competitions.

15:00 Snowmobile competitions.

16:00 Singing competition “Brilliant Notes”.

17:00 Show program “Chyskhaan welcomes guests”.

18:00 Departure from the village of Oymyakon to the village of Tomtor.

— Dinner at the hotel in the village of Tomtor.

— Upon request, a banya (sauna) can be arranged.

🌄 Day 5. The source of the Indigirka in the village of Sordonnookh

9:00 Wake up. Breakfast.

10:00 Departure to Sordonnokhsky nasleg (70 km from the village of Tomtor).

11:00 Visit to a horse farm with Yakut breed horses. Photo session. Lunch of national dishes.

12:00 Visit to the source of the Indigirka River. Master class on stroganina by the river. Hunter’s trail. Snowmobile ride along the riverbed. Meeting with the spirit of the river — Indigir-Khotun. Tea drinking in a hunting tent.

13:30 Master class on cooking the national soup of the Oymyakon Yakuts “Үөрэ Миинэ” according to an ancient recipe in the local Archy house.

16:00 Return to the village of Tomtor.

— Dinner, rest.

🌄 Day 6. Return to Yakutsk

06:00 Breakfast.

07:00 Departure to Yakutsk.

13:00 Lunch at a roadside cafe (not included in the tour price, average check 500 rubles).

14:00 Continuation of the journey.

— Dinner at a roadside cafe (not included in the tour price, average check 500 rubles).

23:00 Approximate arrival time in Yakutsk. Transfer to the hotel.

🌄 Day 7. Lena Pillars

8:00 Meeting with the guide in the hotel lobby. Departure to the Lena Pillars Nature Park along the route: Yakutsk – Lena Pillars by car (220 km, estimated travel time 4 hours).

• In the period from December to mid-February, part of the way is covered by snowmobile on the ice of the Lena River (distance 3 km). In spring, with strong winds, the road to the Lena Pillars may be covered with snow, then part of the way may also be covered by snowmobile.

Lena Pillars is a unique natural monument and geological history of the Siberian Platform. They amaze the imagination of a person who first finds themselves on the great Siberian river Lena, which cut its valley in the Prilenskoye Plateau of Central Siberia. They stretch with small breaks for 35 km. However, for about another 200 km, lonely cliffs are located in isolation against the background of screes or green slopes overgrown with forest. The height of the Lena Pillars is determined by the depth of the incision of the Lena River valley into the Prilenskoye Plateau and is about 200 m.

— Lunch (take food with you).

12:30–13:30 Ascent to the Lena Pillars. Excursion. Photographing.

13:30 Free time.

16:00–20:00 Departure along the route Labyya area – village of Tit-Ary – Yakutsk (190 km).

20:00 Arrival in Yakutsk. Transfer to the hotel.

🌄 Day 8. Way home

— Transfer to the airport.