Exciting one-day excursion with a visit to the Tukulaan sand dune and the Ust-Buotama wood bison nursery.

Part of the journey is by car, part by motor boat along the great Lena River.

Tukulan “Kysyl Eleesin”. The wind lifts sand from the bare vegetated bank to a height of several tens of meters, forming a huge sand dune that, moving towards the taiga, devours living trees like a predator. The Tukulan digests them in its body, and after hundreds of years, dried trees appear on the opposite side of the Tukulan…

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✨ What makes it special?

🏜️ Tukulan “Kysyl Eleesin” — a huge living dune up to 40 m high and 1.5 km long, slowly engulfing the taiga and resembling a giant dragon
🦬 Safari to wood bison — meet the contemporaries of mammoths, brought from Canada, on a 100-hectare territory in their natural environment
🌲 Sand vs. taiga — a fantastic contrast: a sizzling dune, green coniferous forests, and the eternal Lena River in one day
🛥️ Motor boats on the Lena — a mini-cruise along the great river to the bison nursery and back, wind and open space
☕ Outdoor tea party — hot tea and a safari excursion with a story about prehistoric bison and the return of the species
🚙 Full day of adventure — no overnight stay — early start from Yakutsk and return by evening, a packed route for those with little time

The Ust Buotama Bison Nursery is a breeding base for huge shaggy wood bison that returned to their prehistoric homeland from Canada in 2006. The nursery welcomes guests with a sign strictly reminding: “Wood bison are of enormous state value.” And indeed they are: the wood bison, a contemporary of the mammoth, is an endangered species listed in the International Red Book. Yakutia is the prehistoric homeland of these animals, which migrated from here to the North American continent in ancient times. Today there are no more than four thousand wood bison in the world, and all of them, excluding the residents of the Ust-Buotama nursery, are concentrated in Canada. The bison nursery, established on the territory of the Lena Pillars National Nature Park, has become an “alternate airfield” for the entire population.

📌 Tour details

🗺️ Tour route: Yakutsk – Bulgunnyakhtakh village – Bison Nursery – Sand Dune – Bulgunnyakhtakh village – Yakutsk.
⏱️ Duration: 8-10 hours.
👥 Number of participants: from 1 participant.
📍 Start: Yakutsk.

🏷️ 📅 Price and tour dates

📅 Tour dates

📅 • Group tours: from June 5 on Saturdays until the end of August.
📅 • Private tours: on any date upon request.

🏷️ Tour price:

For groups of 10+ people – 11,500 RUB/person (discounts available for large groups over 15 people).

For groups of 4–9 people – 13,500 RUB/person.

Group of 2-3 people – 42,500 RUB per group

Private for 1 person – 39,500 RUB/group

Private tours – available on any date, price upon request.

⏱️ Tour program

🌄 Tukulans and Bison Nursery

8:00 -11:00 Departure from Yakutsk to Bulgunnyakhtakh village.
11:00-12:00 Arrival in Bulgunnyakhtakh village, transfer to motor boats and departure to the Ust-Buotama bison nursery.

— Tea party, departure for a safari excursion around the bison nursery.

Wood bison nursery. It was opened in 2006 at the mouth of the Buotama River. The animals were brought from Canada, since no bison remained in Yakutia after centuries of hunting. This nursery is a step toward restoring the region’s original fauna. It occupies a large area — about 100 hectares, so the animals do not feel captive.

The wood bison, a contemporary of the mammoth, is an endangered species listed in the International Red Book.

15:00-15:30 Departure to the Tukulaan sand dune.

Kysyl Eleesin sand dune — charming in its uniqueness, a huge dune formed by winds over millennia. The dune resembles a lying giant dragon, 1.5 km long. The dune’s height reaches 40 meters. The wind lifts sand from the bare vegetated bank to a height, forming a huge sand dune that, moving towards the taiga, devours living trees like a predator. The Tukulan digests them in its body, and after hundreds of years, dried trees appear on the opposite side of the Tukulan…
— Excursion to the dune, free time.

18:30 Departure to Yakutsk.

We arrive in Yakutsk at approximately 21:00

✅ ❌ What’s included and what’s not

✅ Included

Transport according to the program;
Visits and excursions according to the program;
Permit to enter the nursery and the national park territory;
Accompanying guide services.

❌ Not included

Flight tickets to/from Yakutsk;
Accommodation and meals in Yakutsk;
Meals;
Souvenir products;
Additional bonuses (gratuities) for the guide and driver.

🔔 Important information and conditions:

📌 Note:

The time stamps in the program are APPROXIMATE and depend on weather and other factors.
The program may be adjusted depending on the date and time of tourists’ arrival, and the tour operator reserves the right to change the visited sites (museums and cultural objects), overnight places, and slightly adjust the itinerary at its discretion.
Copying, distribution, or any other use of the tour program without the written permission of the author is not allowed.

💳 Booking and payment conditions:

The tour is considered booked upon payment of a deposit of 30% of the tour price by bank transfer to the account of Chuchuna LLC based on the contract.
The balance of payment by non-cash method no later than 28 calendar days before the start of the tour, unless other terms or other forms of payment are agreed separately.