Volgograd – Astrakhan – Elista

Today you will learn about the great history of Volgograd. Special attention will be paid to the Battle of Stalingrad, when the invincible Hitler’s army was defeated, and Russian soldiers took the offensive for the first time, after 2 years of the endless loss. It was a turning point of the belief that Russian army could stop the Nazis and fight them off from the Motherland. 

Your journey begins with the highest monument of Russia – The Motherland Calls on Mamayev Kurgan. This sculpture is taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York or the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro. While visiting the Museum-Reserve Battle of Stalingrad, you will get acquainted with weapons and history of the defense of the city, for example, the universally recognized symbol of victory, the legendary tank «T-34». 

Later on, you will visit the Joseph Stalin Museum, see Yakov Pavlov’s House, one of the bastions of soldier’s glory, and the ruins of the Gerhardt Mill. During a walk along the Volga River embankment you will enjoy the modern Volgograd: the «dancing bridge», the famous high-speed tram, the spiritual patron of the city.

Today your trip will start with a visit of Bogdo–Baskunchak Nature Reserve. Lake Baskunchak is called the «Russian salt-cellar» because 80% of national salt is extracted here. During the tour, our visit to Baskunchak will last a few hours. But how amazing it is to stay here for a week in the summer, and every morning come to a white beach, where sand is replaced by salt crust, enter the water, then smear yourself with medicinal clay. Besides the recreational treatment, it is possible to go in for hiking, climb the Big Bogdo mountain, or find «singing rocks». You can also taste Kazakh cuisine and drink kumis in local restaurants.

After the reserve, you will get acquainted with the village Selitrennoye. When you see this small village, surrounded by the desert steppe, you can hardly believe that one of the world’s capitals and major centers of civilization were located here on the Great Silk Road many centuries ago. You will see the ancient city Saray Batu, which used to be the capital of the Golden Horde in the 13th century, but nowadays it is an open-air museum. Here you can dive into antiquity, enjoy camel trips, buy souvenirs.

The next fascinating city on our route is Astrakan. You will see beautiful central streets, the embankment of the Volga, mansions of the 18th and 19th centuries, temples and mosques, and the Kremlin, the main symbol of the city. Built from the ruins of Saray-Batu, nowadays the Astrakhan Kremlin is a huge, fully preserved fortress of Russia, which includes beautiful Assumption Cathedral, Torture Tower, Cyril’s Chapel, and Trinity Monastery, Stepan Razin`s places and burial sites of Georgian tsars. Later on, you will see the grandiose building of the Opera and Ballet Theatre, the fabulous House of the merchant Tetyushinov, where you can dive into the Russian traditions.

The Astrakhan watermelon, very succulent and sweet, is one of the symbols of the city. Sugar flavor and huge size are the main distinguishing features of such watermelons. Astrakhan is also famous for its fish, therefore you are invited to visit the famous fish market «Selenisky Isads», where you will be surprised by a big choice of fresh and dried fish.

This day you will enjoy the unique nature of the Volga delta, its beautiful wildlife, and the fabulous valley of pink lotuses, the world’s largest one. Pink lotus, often called the Caspian rose or the Astrakhan rose, is impressive: leaves are about a meter in diameter, and the flowers – 0.6 meters in diameter. The period of blossoming of these amazing flowers is from the middle of July till the beginning of September.

This afternoon you will get acquainted with the Sturgeon Farm. It is one of the four largest enterprises for the cultivation of sturgeon fish in the Astrakhan region. The farm consists of 40 basins for growing sturgeon from eggs to fish and 180 sites for raising fish in the river. In the sturgeon farm, you will learn the whole process of cultivation of sturgeon, sterlet, beluga, and bester, and you can also participate in their feeding. And the highlight of the excursion will be the black caviar tasting, one of the most precious products and the pride of Russia. 

On the 6th day of our trip the amazing capital of Kalmykia, Elista, welcomes you! Today you will enjoy the exciting tour around a major Buddhist center of Russia. You will be impressed by the diversity of cultures, religions, and by the kindness of local Kalmyks, representatives of the oriental nomadic nation. Amazing Buddhist temples, monuments, City-Chess, and endless fields of magical tulips can leave nobody indifferent.

First, you will visit the largest Buddha temple in Kalmykia, the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni. The influence of Tibetan architecture is rather noticeable here. Then you will get acquainted with the history of Kalmyks` religion in the Museum of Buddhism. Afterwards, you will see a unique Chess City, hosting the largest international chess competitions, and beautiful monuments, such as the Pagoda of Seven Days and the Golden Gate, the latter is especially attractive in the evening.

You will make a unique trip to the Chornye Zemli (Black Lands) Nature Reserve, famous for tulips, and saiga antelope, its main symbol. Saiga antelopes are considered to be very ancient animals, they shared their habitat with mammoths and saber-toothed tigers many millennia ago.

Later, you will go to the settlement Adyk, where you will dive into the distinctive culture of Kalmyks. At the end of the program, traditional home treats will be available to everyone. After lunch, we offer you to visit a very instagrammable pink lake Mekletin. You will have the opportunity to look at burning springs, where the water burns, a very rare miracle. You can take this fire into your hands and feel that it’s very soft and not too hot. During our tour you will learn how to ignite the water correctly. At the end of the day, you will enjoy the singing barkhans, where sands make a sound that resembles the melody of the organ.

On your last day of the journey, you will visit the National Museum of the Republic of Kalmykia, where you can immerse yourself in the unique Kalmyk history and culture, and learn who the Kalmyks are. 

Afterwards, you will have a transfer to the airport to return home. Say goodbye to Russia.