Chechnya, Dagestan and Russia's deep south
This exclusive program leads you through the best and remote jewels of Caucasus! You will go along the North edge of mountains from Vladikavkaz to Makhachkala, visit castles of ancient kingdoms, see the preserved unique culture of Chechen and Dagestanian tribes, attend a real Chechen wedding ceremony party and, of course, commemorate to the tragedies happened on the places of recent wars.
The highlights: Itum Kale, Derbent fortress, Chechen wedding!
Special note: The route is completely safe!!
We can change the following itinerary by adding an extra day in Moscow for sighseeing.
Season: All around year
The cost: for 2 people - $1500 per person, for the cost for a different number of tourists please contact us.
Day 1 Arrival to Moscow. Transfer to the hotel, welcoming dinner. If time allows, evening walk around Red Square.
Day 2 Flight from Moscow to Vladikavkaz - the capital of the republic North Ossetia-Alania.
You will be taken to your hotel for a briefing followed by a trip to Beslan, a town that is now infamous following a school siege by Chechen rebels in 2005. The school is now a moving memorial to the people killed in the massacre. Then we will have a short city tour of the capital of North Ossetia.
Overnight in Vladikavkaz.
Day 3 Vladikavkaz - Dargavs – Vladikavkaz
We will drive into the mountains of Vladikavkaz to visit the village of Dargavs and the nearby Plague huts. In the early 19th century when plague came to the village local people would lock themselves in the huts to die, to prevent the spread of plague to other villagers.
Overnight in Vladikavkaz
Day 4 Vladikavkaz – Nazran - Grozny
We will head to the republic of Ingushetia, stopping in Nazran to see the towering monument to the victims of Stalin's repression and to eat lunch. Then we will enter Chechnya and spend the afternoon exploring the newly rebuilt Grozny - the capital of Chechnya.
Overnight in Grozny.
Day 5 Grozny – Itum Kale - Grozny
We will take a trip into the Chechen countryside stopping in beautiful Itum Kale which contains ancient watchtowers that were used by the Chechens to get advanced warning of attacks by other Caucasian tribes. You will also be able to get an insight into life in rural Chechnya before returning to Grozny to experience the newly rebuilt city. We will take you to a real Chechen wedding party with gun shooting and traditional dancing!!
Overnight in Grozny.
Day 6 Grozny – Gunib - Makhachkala
Following an early start, we will cross over the border into our final republic, Dagestan, where we will take a drive into the mountains. Stopping for lunch at the village of Gunib. This village is set on a high plateau and the natural fortress saw the final stand of the legendary Imam Shamil after his 30-year fight against Tsarist troops in the 19th century. We will then drive back to Makhachkala - the capital of Dagestan.
Overnight in Makhachkala
Day 7 Makhachkala – Derbent - Makhachkala
We will head down to the UNESCO world heritage city of Derbent. Derbent means “shut gate” in Persian and for 2,500 years it was a fortified town with the sole purpose of defending the Persian Empire from the barbarian hoards north of the Caucasus mountains. The world's only surviving Sassanid era fort was the end point of a 40 kilometre wall that stretched from the Caspian Sea to the mountains. We will have plenty of time to explore the fort, the walls, the old city and the atmospheric Islamic mausoleums and tombstones that litter the hills around the city.
Overnight in Makhachkala
Day 8 Flight from Makhachkala to Moscow
Day 9 Departure from Moscow
The trip includes:
Accommodation
Internal flights
Transport
Guiding
Breakfasts
Entrance fees
The trip does not include:
Visas
Insurance
International Flights
Lunch & Dinner
Drinks
