Gorny Altai for tourists. How to get to Altai: air tickets and other subtleties How to get to Altai by train

Altai is a magical place. No wonder the Roerichs were looking for Belovodie here. I definitely have some kind of magnet here that makes me come back. Exclamations of acquaintances: “Back to Altai, you were there!” only cause confusion. You can’t just put a flag on the map “I was here”. Where exactly was it? On Lake Teletskoye? Beluga? On the turquoise Katun? On the Multinsky or Shavlinsky lakes? In the Kurai steppe? In the Aktru area? These are not just different points on the map, these are places, nature, people and lifestyles that are completely different from each other. You can't really see everything at once. Once here, you know that you will definitely come back.

In Ust-Koksa, I met a man who came to visit a friend 7 years ago, and stayed that way. I'll tell you how to get to these "dangerous" places.

By plane

All the beauties of Altai are in the mountains, behind hundreds of kilometers of serpentine, off-road, so you will have to get from another region of the country by no means of transport. Of course, if you are not that desperate hero who travels around Russia by car.

Ordinary tourists start from Barnaul, Gorno-Altaisk or Novosibirsk, so I will tell you about the logistics of traveling through these cities. Tickets can be searched on well-known search engine sites or.

Gorno-Altaisk

The airport closest to the main attractions and recreation centers.

S7, Aeroflot, Yamal, Ural Airlines, UTair and Taimyr offer several flights a day from Moscow, but more often with transfers (in Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Krasnoyarsk and even Krasnodar). And this means that instead of 4 hours, the flight can take up to 33 hours.

The cost from Moscow is from 13,000 rubles (did you want cheap tickets to Shambhala?). Prices in the peak season (summer) are even slightly cheaper than in autumn and winter, which is most likely due to a reduction in the number of flights in the low season.

For Petersburgers, a flight to Gorno-Altaisk is indecently expensive (more than 20,000 rubles). But you can always take the Sapsan or the night train to Moscow.

There is no particular hope for early booking, it is better to track prices and monitor airline promotions.

So "Krasavia" periodically offers to fly from Novosibirsk to Gorno-Altaisk for 2000-3000 rubles. Although for the same money you can get by bus, but more on that later.

For youth (under 23) and pensioners Aeroflot, S7 operate special rates, but in Gorno-Altaysk they are usually no better than standard ones. Track information on the sale of subsidized tickets on airline websites, it appears in the first quarter of the year. Discount tickets can be purchased at the offices and through the contact center.

If it turns out that leaving the city to the beginning of the route on the first day does not work, we know.

Barnaul

If the Roerichs organized a whole expedition to the Altai, today you can be in the capital of the Altai Territory in just 4 hours.

Many domestic airlines (Aeroflot, S7, UTair, Ural Airlines, IrAero) make several daily flights to.

Prices are comparable to flights to popular European resorts and even to Asia. Standard fares start from 13,500 rubles (from Moscow) and 12,000 (from St. Petersburg, which is surprising) for a round-trip flight. Prices do not differ significantly in the low and high (summer) season. The early purchase rule does not work in the case of Altai. Here it is important to catch the moment when airlines throw away cheap tickets (from 7,500 rubles round trip). It is easy to do this by subscribing to aggregators or special resources that collect promotions and bugs from air carriers.

If the moment is missed, look at the next option.

Novosibirsk

And the total cost of such an assembly (Moscow-Novosibirsk-Barnaul) is an additional argument in favor of stopping in Novosibirsk.

Not only that, you can get to Novosibirsk from almost any city in Russia at reasonable prices, but Pobeda also throws out crazy tickets from 2000 rubles one way from Moscow.

Taking into account the cost of a bus to Barnaul (600 rubles) or an airplane to Gorno-Altaisk (from 2000 rubles for a promotion), very tasty prices are obtained. The nuances of traveling by bus are below.

If you have time, ingenuity and a thirst for adventure, you can make an interesting combined route a la "a tour of cities that most of European Russia will never get to." For example, through, - I do not limit your imagination. Each of these cities has something to surprise even the most experienced traveler.

By train

This option is not so much for aerophobes, but for romantics who are ready for adventure. Once in a lifetime, you can ride to the middle of the map of Russia! I love trains: maps, books, endless teas, interesting fellow travelers. The road to Barnaul (55 hours) or Biysk (57 hours) makes it possible to read half of "War and Peace" (leave the second for the return journey); see hundreds of geographical sights of Russia not in the atlas, but live; learn how to play chess, backgammon and everything that the guides have.

Unfortunately, the cost of such an adventure, even in a reserved seat, is comparable to a flight, and on the top shelf in a compartment it is more expensive than an airplane.

By bus

Part of the Siberian trip can be traveled by bus, especially since the roads in the Altai Territory are now better than in some areas of the European part of Russia.

From Novosibirsk to Barnaul

Many active recreation tour operators organize transfers from Novosibirsk. So why not solo travelers follow suit?

You can start directly from Tolmachevo Airport to Barnaul (4 flights from 5:45 to 19:00) or from the bus station (departures every hour from 5:40 to 22:00). The trip takes 4.5 hours.

From other cities

From Novokuznetsk and Kemerovo it takes longer (7-7.5 hours) and more expensive (from 800 rubles).

Advice from personal experience: allow time for force majeure. My first bus trip nearly disrupted the entire trip to Altai: the only night bus broke down at some small station, and we had to wait for an oncoming one who dropped off his passengers and picked us up.

To the beginning of the route

If you have reached Barnaul, exhale early. Usually from this moment the road trip through the steppes and mountain serpentines only begins.

Both times I had a booked transfer waiting for me, so all I had to do was dive into the car, enjoy the views and pray that we didn’t fly into the river at the narrow turns.

Independent travelers will have to think over the route in advance. From Barnaul () can be reached by public transport even to the most remote villages:

buses go to Chemal 2 times a day, ticket 600 rubles;
to Multa, from where the route to the Multinsky Lakes begins, flights every other day, cost from 600 rubles;
to Tungur, from where the journey to the main peak of Altai - Belukha - starts from 800 rubles.

I advise book tickets in advance, since flights are rare (usually 2 times a day), and there are many who want to.

Alternative- get to Gorno-Altaisk by bus, which departs from Barnaul every hour, and then take a taxi.

It is better to be in Gorno-Altaisk in the first half of the day: this way there are more chances to get there on the same day and bargain for the best price. It makes no sense to negotiate in advance with private traders: they will not wait for you, but will leave with the first tourists.

Group transfer to the beginning of the route or the recreation center is easy through numerous local travel agencies. So a seven-seater bus from Barnaul to will cost 10,000 rubles, Chemal - 8,000, Tungur - 18,000.

Finally

I hope the difficult route will not frighten anyone. Already on the first day, the ringing mountain air dissolves all the burdens and horrors of the road (even night crossings over the raging Katun and car breakdowns). Then it remains only as part of a larger adventure. And on the way back, a long road is only a joy: you don’t want to leave.

Great news! As soon as Natalia Dolidenok opened the "Altai" rubric with her article yesterday, the topic was continued. It turned out that many people are not indifferent to Altai, and there are even travelers who travel to Altai by car for more than a year. Blog reader Elena Sebyakina in the comments to the article told a lot of interesting and useful things. Her road trip experience is unique. A real treasure. In addition to specific information, Elena shared her photos with us. Read, watch, enjoy. Write your questions for Elena in the comments.

Elena: It is quite possible to get to Altai by car. The road is decent, the ride is not tiring, the landscapes are excellent. It's a pleasure to ride. But having a car in Altai is an incomparable plus. Opportunities increase tenfold. We have been to Altai 3 times and will go again, that's for sure! We live in Moscow.

The most important thing is to get to Chelyabinsk, then the number of cars decreases sharply, and the trip really becomes a thrill. We really dislike the M5 road, somehow it is very busy, we always drive along the M7. There are fewer machines, the quality of the canvas is quite tolerable. I write "always", because in addition to Altai, they went to Kazakhstan, and Perm, and Orenburg, and the Urals. There are already two lanes for a long enough distance, so getting to Ufa is not a problem at all. Cafes, motels abound all the way.
The most unpleasant place is the road from Sima to Miass. Long ascents and descents, movement in one row, a huge number of trucks. We prefer to overcome at night, but we must be very careful, because even at night there are quite a lot of traffic cops. The road from Chelyabinsk to Kurgan is slab, which is a little annoying, but in general, asphalt without holes, this is more important.
You can, of course, go through Kazakhstan, the road is better there, but we went through customs for a very long time, even for transit, although this was 5 years ago, maybe everything has changed.
After Kurgan, long journeys begin without settlements, but even here there are motels and cafes, and we have a gas-powered car, we always found gas. Sunrises and sunsets in the swamps are very beautiful, fog at dawn is nothing at all ... The road from Omsk to Novosibirsk abounds with them. This is the main problem, because you can just take a break only on the side of the road, and, accordingly, if you press into the toilet, it is also only at the car.
Of the whole road, the most unpleasant piece - after Kurgan 40 km on the M51. It is located on the border of regions, and, apparently, they cannot decide whose fiefdom is from the settlement of Berdyugye towards Ishim. But we succeeded once, though on the way back, we missed the turn in Ishim and drove straight to Golyshmanovo. Yes, longer, but the road is excellent. If 100 km. not a detour, then you can go like this, time will be saved for sure.
I highly recommend visiting Omsk. Very beautiful city.

Me: Tell me, what time do you drive? Do you make overnight stays? If yes, how much and where? Interested in everything.

Elena: Since we are not in a hurry, the ride always develops in different ways. We went for three days, and four ... as the mood ... of course, we stop ... Most often we make the first night in Chelyabinsk, but sometimes we have to do it earlier. It all depends on what time we left and after what day we went (tired or not). And then how lucky.
A couple of times they slept in the car ... It was a thrill to drive and they came to their senses that it was time to sleep, already at one or two in the morning. At this time, it is already difficult to find a place in a motel, but we have a car that allows ... we carry a mattress, pillows and blankets, so we sleep there in this case ...
My husband is an owl and he is more thrilled to drive at night, and I like to drive in the morning, at dawn ... Therefore, it happens that we don’t sleep at all.
Once they took their son with them. But his mountain climbing is not impressive.
During trips to Altai, we drove the entire Chuisky tract to Tashanta, we did not know that a pass was needed further, and the entire Chamalsky tract. We were on Lake Teletskoye not from the side of generally accepted routes, but from the other side of Chulyshman, turn to Aktash. It is impossible to visit everywhere, but every visit to Altai is an amazing fairy tale that remains in your heart.
And I also want to add that the Altai Mountains and the Caucasus Mountains are fundamentally different from each other. I just heard from people this opinion: well, mountains and mountains, what's wrong? in the Caucasus...
No, the Caucasus is beautiful in its own way, Altai in its own way...
Ask if you have questions...

And now photos from Elena's travels in Altai.

Valley of the Chulymshan River

Katun

Chike-Taman pass

The M-51 highway, complete bespridel, there is no asphalt, or rather, once upon a time, now there are remnants along which it is impossible to drive.

Ob near Novosibirsk

Barnaul. House of the Shadrins

Bridge across the Ob at the border of Barnaul

Monument to Vasily Shukshin in Barnaul

The road to Katu-Yaryk, the road passing even for a puzoterka.

Descent along the Katu-Yaryk pass

Road in the valley of the Chulyshmana river

Chulymshan

teletskoye lake

majestic rocks

Road to Tashanta

Beginning of the Kurai steppe. The height is about 2 thousand meters. Cold. The climate in the valley is very specific. There, as in a plate, around the mountains, and in the middle of the valley.

It's already in the valley. Kurai steppe. Around the mountains are covered with snow caps.

Ascent to the Chike-Taman pass

Chike-Taman pass. The road is carved into the rocks. They left the car at the bottom, climbed to the very top.

Turquoise Katun

Do you remember what building?

A few more photos of the M-51 highway. Fortunately, they are only 30-40 km

On the right is a motel and a cafe, and then a good road will go further.

Fog over the swamps at dawn. Below is the old road from the Chike-Taman pass.

sand bong

Road on the edge of the abyss

The confluence of the turquoise Katun with Chemal

After the rain

The quality of the road is amazing. The Chuysky tract, albeit in one strip, but the most wonderful.

Red gate. You can even drive to them on a puzoterke. The road is gravel.

The inscription impressed

Chibitka River

I don't know the name of this lake, but the view is just awesome

Sunset near Ulagan

Seminsky pass. In the evening it was +25, and in the morning there are such snowy peaks. There is a hotel here. Not bad, toilet, shower, TV set in the room.

Kamyshlinsky waterfall. There is no road to it, they went on foot, back by boat.

Forest near Omsk

P.S. I asked Elena to make a route for their Altai trips, so that it would be clear how to get to Altai by car and what to see there, where to visit. This route looks like this: "Vladimir - Nizhny Novgorod - Cheboksary - Kazan - Ufa - Chelyabinsk - Kurgan - Ishim - Omsk - Novosibirsk - Barnaul - Biysk - Gorono-Altaisk - Ust-Sema - Chemal - Ust-Sema - Ongudai - Aktash - Ulagan".
The second and third times Elena and her husband also went to Aktash, but without stopping by Chamal. Also in one case we went to Kosh-Agach and Tashanta, and in the second we went to Ulaganu, then Balyktuyul, Koo, Balykcha and Lake Teletskoye.

I tried to plot this path on the map. Alas, it didn't work out completely. For some localities, Google stubbornly wrote "Navigation information is not available for part of the route." But here's what happened:

When I look at this card, it sounds in my head:

Wide is my native land,
There are many forests, fields and rivers in it.
I don't know another country like this
Where a man breathes so freely.

There are several ways to get to the Republic of Altai:

1. By plane. This is the fastest and easiest way to get into the res. Altai. But also the most expensive. The only airport is located in Gorno-Altaisk. You can fly there by direct flights from Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk. But the cost of air tickets, especially during the season, is quite high, about 30,000 rubles. from Moscow, round trip. You can save a lot by flying to Novosibirsk. Direct flights fly to this city from all major cities of the Russian Federation and many cities of the world. The cost of an air ticket, for example from Moscow, round-trip, from 8,000 to 15,000 rubles. Round-trip, from Yekaterinburg you can fly for 3000-5000 rubles. 80% of travelers fly to Novosibirsk, because this allows you to save a significant amount of money. Also, you can fly to Barnaul, air tickets there are more expensive than to Novosibirsk, but there are various promotions. Get from Novosibirsk or Barnaul to Res. Altai can be taken from the bus station by bus (the ticket price from Novosibirsk to Chemal is about 1,800 rubles with luggage) or by ordering an individual transfer, the approximate cost for a car is 10,000 rubles. Novosibirsk-Chemal.

2. By train. This is the most budgetary way to get to Novosibirsk, Baranaul, Biysk for residents of Siberia and the Urals. All trains traveling on the Trans-Siberian Railway pass through Novosibirsk. Therefore, if you decide to travel by train, then keep in mind that the extreme point to the republic where you can get by train is the city of Biysk, from there you will also need to go to Res. Altai by bus or order an individual transfer.

3. By own car. If you decide to go to Altai by your car, then most likely you already know how many kilometers you have to overcome and through which cities to go. The quality of the Chuisky Trakt motorway is excellent. But, if you want to see the most beautiful places in Altai, then you can get there only on a prepared, passable car, or by signing up for a hiking, horseback trip. Here, we would recommend that you join an organized tour group (the cost of transfers and auto-transfers is usually the basis of tour pricing, so if you are in your own car, the tour will cost you much less).

4. By car rented. This way of travel is not developed at all in the region due to the high cost and the small number of rental offices. You can rent a car in Barnaul, Novosibirsk. Each car is equipped with a device that determines your location. A separate coefficient is charged for a trip around Altai. Also, there is a rule not to leave the track, which is quite difficult due to the incredible beauty of dirt roads.

5. Hitchhiking. This method is chosen by a fairly small number of people. If you haven't had this experience before then Altai is not the best place to try. If you still decide, then you should have a backpack with you, prepared for autonomous overnight stays in nature. Be prepared that in remote areas of Altai there may simply be no transport, or it will be very rare to walk. Also, be prepared for the fact that if the locals stop, then in 70% of cases they will ask for money for the fare, and it is very important to resolve the financial issue before starting the trip. You can go only after making sure that the person really understood that you want to go for free and agreed to take you free of charge. Otherwise, there may be problems at the end of your journey together.

You finally decided to buy a ticket to Altai, and now it all comes down to finding the easiest and cheapest way to travel, because the most attractive tour loses in the “battle” with the road. I would like the tour to be interesting, like a good break from everyday routine. But if it starts somewhere in the outback, in a village or at a camp site, which is difficult to get to, the desire to go will quickly come to naught. The choice of a tourist trip always depends on your capabilities and preferences, but you need to know in detail how to get to Altai, and then get to a specific meeting point for the group. The solution of the last task is simplified by the fact that most travel agencies provide a transfer, which makes the trip more comfortable.

We hope that a detailed description of how to get to Altai by different modes of transport will help you decide, choose the most convenient travel option, taking into account the location of your city, time and finances.

Possible ways to travel to Altai

By train:

the great thing about traveling by train is the ever-changing scenery outside the window, the cities that you can catch a glimpse of. In fact, the vacation will begin as soon as you get on the train, because the train goes from Moscow to Novosibirsk for almost three days. There will be time for long conversations, but for this you need to go not alone, but at least with a small company, the road will be more fun with friends. Random fellow travelers can become a serious hindrance if the relationship did not work out from the very beginning of the trip;
keep in mind that there is no extensive network of railway transport across the territory of the Altai Republic, there are only the central highways of Russia, the trains of which will take you to Novosibirsk, Biysk or Barnaul. The cost of tickets varies from 3.5 to 7 thousand rubles, and this is the cost of the road only one way! To the price of a ticket (reserved seat, coupe, vip), feel free to add the cost of food, payment for the services of a conductor and finances for the purchase of various kinds of entertainment literature, games, souvenirs, etc .;
if you go to Novosibirsk or Barnaul, then you will have to get to Biysk, as the point closest to Gorny Altai, by commuter train, bus or private taxi. Behind Biysk there are only roads, so there will be another transfer to another transport already to the place where the tour itself will begin. From Barnaul, you can also get to the camp site by wheeled transport, but this is about 150 kilometers of bus “accommodation”. Gorno-Altaisk does not have a railway, but there is an excellent bus station;
railway stations in Barnaul and Biysk are located almost next to the bus stations, and there are private “cabbies” for transporting things - a minimum of effort on your part, but also an additional expense. Private cars will take you to any accessible point of the Altai Mountains, but there is some danger - you do not know the person, besides, the price for moving will be "sky-high". There are private companies that are engaged in passenger transportation, and if you call in advance, a taxi or minibus will be waiting for you where you arrive by train;
the schedule of suburban traffic in Barnaul can be found in the travel agency, via the Internet, and all bus stations have their own sites with a feedback function to clarify the schedule of intercity buses.

By plane:

convenient, fast and in some cases inexpensive way to travel from Moscow to Gorny Altai. Similarly for other cities where there are direct or transit flights to Novosibirsk, Gorno-Altaisk or Barnaul. If necessary, you can combine an airplane flight with a suburban electric train schedule from Barnaul. Flights to Gorno-Altaisk and Barnaul from Moscow 2-3 times a week, to Novosibirsk daily;
the cost of one-way tickets is from 4 to 5 thousand rubles, depending on the air carrier, you can find even cheaper promotional tickets. For example, the cost of air tickets to Novosibirsk varies depending on the day of purchase, the method of purchase (with online booking, offline). So it turns out that the flight will be cheaper than a train ride, and even faster - direct flights on average up to 4.5 hours of flight, with a transfer - from 6 to 18 hours. The time savings compared to the train is simply gorgeous, and the transfer from the airport is provided by almost all travel agencies;
do not think that it is cheap to fly to Altai by plane, the point above is promotions and other "charms" offered by airlines to attract customers. Regular tickets with reservations cost from 7-8 to 10-11 thousand rubles one way with a direct flight. But the money still pays off, because there is no need to stock up on food and other “supplies” for the road. Flights with transfers are slightly cheaper, but the transfer itself to another flight is usually longer than the flight itself;

You should take into account the arrival time of the aircraft if you are traveling on your own:

it is better to fly to Gorno-Altaysk at night to be in the city in the morning, when there are more bus routes and taxis. This will make it possible to reach the starting point of the route in the evening. Tip for independent tourists: never immediately agree on the price that a private cab will announce, you can and should bargain, besides, there is a choice of private traders. The competition is strong and you will most likely be whisked away to a location for less.
time is not critical for arrival in Novosibirsk, you still have to go further by bus (by train) to Biysk or Gorno-Altaisk (by bus). It is inconvenient for those who took a lot of things on the road or travel with children, because there will be at least two transfers to the place of rest. Upon arrival in Barnaul, you will also have one or two transfers, although this is a more economical option for traveling to Altai. A bus takes about three hours to Biysk, a trip by train or train will take the same amount of time, a bus goes longer to Gorno-Altaisk - almost 5 hours. Transfer again, and you are already on your way to the starting point of the tour or the place of stationary rest.

By car:

important: the car must be suitable not only for driving on the highway, but also on dirt roads. Before the trip, a complete technical inspection of the car is required, the purchase of spare parts that can be replaced independently;
a thorough study of the route is necessary not only in Altai, but also before entering the Republic. It is even better if you follow in the footsteps of your acquaintances, who will give a detailed description and maps of their trip. You need to know not only where to stay for the night, but also gas stations, decent cafes, medical stations (you never know what can happen on the road?);
it is clear that this method of transportation is suitable for those who love their car and freedom. The option is convenient, but there are nuances: you should not plan such a trip with small children, or with those who do not tolerate long-term sitting in one position, who suffer from chronic diseases of the joints, the cardiovascular system;
the average travel time from Moscow to Novosibirsk will be about three days with bio-stops and overnight rest. And this is not the end point of the route - more than 200 kilometers to Barnaul, and more than 250 kilometers to Gorno-Altaisk through Biysk. Then there will be those reserved places, because of which you are going to Altai, and again you need to know where everything is located:
The Chuysky tract from Biysk is a magnificent and majestic sight, even for the sake of it it is worth going by car. If you are free in travel time, you can see a lot in Altai: popular holiday destinations, sights, nature reserves, mountain passes and many, many extraordinarily beautiful landscapes.

Now you know how to get to Altai, and you can choose the option that suits you both in terms of time and money.