yakutia: the pole of cold festival

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YAKUTIA: THE POLE OF COLD FESTIVAL
Journey to a land where going to extremes is part of everyday life.
Experience the annual Pole of Cold Festival in Oymyakon, the coldest
inhabited place on earth!
TOUR DURATION
8 days / 7 nights
The “Poles of Cold” are the places where the coldest temperatures on earth
have been recorded. In the northern hemisphere, the honour goes to a
remote Siberian township known as Oymyakon, widely regarded as the
coldest permanently inhabited place on the planet. Around here, the
average low temperature for January is － 50°C. Our Pole of Cold tour
takes place during March, when the average low is a comparatively
comfortable － 40°C!
GROUP SIZE
4-8 people
The Pole of Cold International Tourism Festival has taken place in Tomtor
village annually since 2001. During the festival, you’ll witness lively
celebrations showcasing the traditional costumes, music and dance of the
indigenous Evens people as well as reindeer racing, ice fishing, dog
sledding and native cuisine. This tour is about much more than
experiencing one of the most unique cultural festivals on earth. It’s about
immersing yourself in a completely different reality, a place where people
rely on time-tested traditions to live in a place that challenges the very limits
of human endurance. This is the harsh, frozen Siberia of your imagination.
A real place, where the cold brings people closer to each other, both literally
and figuratively. You’ll be astonished not only by the incredible fortitude of
the people who survive here, but by their extraordinary warmth and
hospitality.
SEASON
Winter Season, March
* price p/person, based on 6 people in the group (twin-share) and will vary less than 6 travelers.
Call us on +61-2-9388-98-16, write us on [email protected], or visit our website www.56thparallel.com
REGIONS VISITED
Yakutia
START CITY — END CITY
Yakutsk— Yakutsk
TOUR CATEGORY
Culture
PRICE
From US $4650*
DAY 1: WELCOME TO SIBERIA
Welcome to Yakutia, Siberia’s arctic wonderland. Our group meet at the airport and transfer to a hotel in downtown of
Yakutsk. In the afternoon, we head out on a tour of city starting with a visit to tthe Old City district. Next we drive to
Chochur Muran, a fascinating cultural ethnographic complex and reproduction of the original Yakutsk fort built by Cossacks
in 1632. After lunch, we spend a few hours with the famous Yakut Laika dogs. Enjoy dolg sledding experience! Next, we
wander through the extraordinary underground gallery, The Kingdom of the Permafrost. Relish a cool drink from the ice
bar and admire the gallery’s stunning ice sculptures, which are stored year round in natural permafrost. After we will be
transferred to Ytyk-Khaya Tourist Center, which is famous for its traditions, and hospitality. It is an introduction to a world of
ancient rites such as fire taming, sun welcoming, purification, and shaman fortune telling.
MEALS INCLUDED:
B, L, D.
DAY 2: JOURNEY TO THE POLE OF COLD
DAY 2
Our journey by road to the northern Pole of Cold begins! Today we’ll travel for 8-9 hours to the small settlement of
Khandyga, 432km east of Yakutsk. Our route passes through four districts: Megino-Kangalassky, Churapcha, Tattinsky and
Tomponsky. On the way, our bus will navigate two ice crossings over the Lena and Aldan rivers. En route, we stop to visit the
Cherkehsky Musuem complex. This open air museum was opened as a memorial to the exiles banished to Gulag camps
in remotest Yakutia. Built on the banks of the peaceful Tatta River, it contains several fascinating reproductions of the houses
and yurts of Russia’s political prisoners. We arrive in Khandyga by late evening for a traditional meal and homestay
accommodation.
MEALS INCLUDED:
B, L, D.
* price p/person, based on 6 people in the group (twin-share) and will vary less than 6 travelers.
Call us on +61-2-9388-98-16, write us on [email protected], or visit our website www.56thparallel.com
DAY 3: ROAD OF BONES
We continue onwards to Oymyakon, 540km (about 12 to 14 hours) further east. This historic route passes through the
spectacular Verkhoyansk mountain ranges on the iconic Kolyma Highway, Russia’s infamous “Road of Bones”. Built
under the rule of Joseph Stalin, the Kolyma Highway was notorious - back-breakingly carved out of the sides of mountains by
over 800,000 slave labourers – political prisoners and captives from the German-occupied territories. Scores of prisoners
died from cold and hunger, and their bones were buried just below the surface and rolled into the road, giving the highway its
haunting nickname. We arrive at Oymyakon at night in time for dinner and a well-earned night’s rest.
MEALS INCLUDED:
B, L, D.
DAY 4: MEET THE LORD OF FROST
Our time in the coldest inhabited place on earth begins with a morning tour of the township. We visit the official Pole of Cold
monument. You’ll be given an official certificate from the local government commemorating your visit! We’ll also drop into
the Ice Residence of Chyskhaan, the mythical Lord of Frost. Set underground beneath the permafrost, this icy gallery
contains unique exhibits on the local history and wildlife, the throne room of Chyskhaan, numerous icy tunnels to explore
and an ice bar where you’ll taste Yakutian dishes and local vodkas. Our next stop is the Literary Museum which reveals the
harsh realities of life in the Gulag prison camps. In the afternoon, we’re absorbed into the colourful celebrations of the Pole
of Cold Festival. Today’s events include folklore performances, an ‘extreme tourism’ photo exhibition and the annual Miss
«Pole of Cold» beauty contest, featuring some mightily inappropriate outfits! Our evening is spent at a homestay in the
village.
MEALS INCLUDED:
B, L, D.
* price p/person, based on 6 people in the group (twin-share) and will vary less than 6 travelers.
Call us on +61-2-9388-98-16, write us on [email protected], or visit our website www.56thparallel.com
DAY 5: REINDEER HERDERS CELEBRATION
Today, we visit Yuchyugey village, 50km from Tomtor, in time for the annual reindeer herders celebration. This fascinating
show is based on the ancient customs of the indigenous Evens people. Reindeer sleds are elaborately decorated in
traditional ornaments, ready to take guests for a ride through the Taiga. The main event is the reindeer races, where
herders demonstrate the strength and agility of their animals. The reindeer has a vital place in Yakutian culture, providing
transport, meat, milk and the fur clothing essential for survival in these freezing conditions. We spend the night in Yuchyugey
village, in the cosy, wood fire-warmed home of a reindeer herding family.
MEALS INCLUDED:
B, L, D.
DAYS 6-7: BACK TO YAKUTSK
Over the next two days, we journey back to Yakutsk over the same route.
MEALS INCLUDED:
B, L, D.
* price p/person, based on 6 people in the group (twin-share) and will vary less than 6 travelers.
Call us on +61-2-9388-98-16, write us on [email protected], or visit our website www.56thparallel.com
DAY 8: TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
Our extraordinary adventure to the Pole of Cold has come to an end. In the morning, we transfer from our hotel to Yakutsk
airport, ready for the journey home.
MEALS INCLUDED:
B, _, _.
ACCOMMODATION ON TOUR
YAKUTSK / «POLYARNAYA ZVEZDA» HOTEL
«Polyarnaya Zvezda» hotel is located in the administrative, business and cultural center of Yakutsk in the 20-minute drive
from the airport. The hotel offers a splendid panorama of the city, look at the Academic Theatre named after Alexander
Pushkin and the city's main avenue - Lenin Prospect. Here you will find not only superior rooms with all amenities, excellent
bars and restaurants with various cuisine, but also a great selection of entertainment, recreation services.
HOMESTAYS IN OYMYAKON AND KHANDYGA VILLAGES
Once we depart Yakutsk, we head into extremely remote territory in the subarctic heart of Yakutia. Hotels are few and far
between here, so we have organised homestay accommodation in local villages to ensure you have an immersive,
enlightening and thoroughly enjoyable cultural experience. Homestays are simple, family run affairs, set up in the guest wing
of traditional wooden houses. Rest assured you’ll sleep warm at night, and be well fed on basic, hearty Yakutian cuisine,
prepared by your hosts in the family kitchen.
* price p/person, based on 6 people in the group (twin-share) and will vary less than 6 travelers.
Call us on +61-2-9388-98-16, write us on [email protected], or visit our website www.56thparallel.com
INCLUSIONS
WHAT'S INCLUDED
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Group airport transfers
All transfers on tour
Accommodation in Yakutsk
Homestay accommodation in the Oymyakon region. This is an extremely remote region, so
accommodation is limited to small, family-run guesthouses
All experiences detailed in the itinerary
All meals for the duration of the tour
English speaking guide
Satellite communication in remote areas
Russian visa support letter
NOT INCLUDED
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Optional tours
International flights
Insurance
Visa fees
FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND
First of all, you need to remember that Siberia is still Siberia. It is not Colorado in the US, it is not even British Columbia in
Canada and not similiar to Laplandia in the Finish Scandinavia. That’s Siberia. Yakutia as the biggest Siberian region has its
own pecularities. They are:
1. WINTER IS COLD.
Not so snowy, but pretty cold. In the period December – February, the temperature varies from -40C to -60C. Though the cold
is dry. No strong winds, so if you are outdoor for a few minutes, you’ll feel more or less comfortable. Certainly, at such temp,
the frost bites quickly.
2. BIG DISTANCES, REALLY BIG.
Just look at the Yakutia map with its 3 million sq km. Closest settlements might be located at distance of 100 km up to 400
km.
3. NO EUROPEAN/AMERICAN/WHATEVER-STYLE RESTAURANTS ON THE WAY.
Just small road cafes and stores are available in settlements.
4. NO EUROPEAN/AMERICAN/WHATEVER-STYLE HOTELS IN SMALL SETTLEMENTS.
Of course, in big cities like Yakutsk and Mirny, you might find good hotels. Meanwhile, in villages and small towns there are
private guest houses, where local travelers tend to stop for nights. Even Oymyakon, the most popular travel destination, have
small guest houses (a regular Yakutian one-store wooden house). All guesthouse owners will provide 3 meals.
5. ATMS ARE AVAILABLE IN BIG CITIES LIKE IN YAKUTSK AND MIRNY.
There are some cash machines in Russian bank’s affiliates in the administrative centers of Yakutia’s districts, though they are
mostly available during work hours of bank offices, i.e. in the daytime. Most ATMs in Yakutia have cash withdraw limits. They
are very small actually. Foreign banks put also limits on withdrawal in Russia. So, before going to Russia, be sure to check
with your bank in regards to applied limits.
6. MOBILE COVERAGE IS AVAILABLE ACROSS YAKUTIA, BUT IN THE AREA OF SETTLEMENTS.
Once you are out of villages, you have no mobile connection with the world. Only satellite communication.
* price p/person, based on 6 people in the group (twin-share) and will vary less than 6 travelers.
Call us on +61-2-9388-98-16, write us on [email protected], or visit our website www.56thparallel.com
7. MOBILE INTERNET.
Even if mobile operators promise their clients to have GPRS and 3G, actually what you have is EDGE. So, it means the
mobile Internet is more dead than alive. 1 Mb costs around 4 – 8 rubles.
WHAT TO KNOW
VISAS AND PERMITS
All foreigners require a valid Russian visa to visit Russia for tourist purposes. For most travelers, a tourist visa (single or
double entry is valid for a maximum of 30 days from date of entry) is what you will attain.
Getting a Russian visa involves 3 easy steps: Invitation, Application and Registration.
Please note, if you book a tour with us, we will supply you the Visa support document, FREE OF CHARGE.
INSURANCE
You must have medical travel insurance to travel with 56th Parallel. You’ll need to supply details of your travel insurance policy
to your tour group leader before embarking on your Russian adventure. It’s extremely important that your chosen policy
covers all aspects of the trip you’re undertaking. We recommend contacting your insurance provider for advice if you’re not
sure which policy to take out.
LOCAL TOUR LEADERS
56th Parallel employ local Russian tour leaders, guides and drivers. This way, we’re able to provide much-needed jobs within
Russia’s fledgling tourism industry, while our guests benefit from our guides’ intimate knowledge of the regions we visit. All our
key staff are English speaking, and we absolutely encourage you to engage them with your questions and cultural
comparisons. A great rapport with your tour leader goes a long way to making your holiday experience truly memorable.
TIPPING
Tipping of guides, drivers and hotel/restaurant staff is up to your discretion. While it’s not considered compulsory in Russia, a
tip of 5-10% is reasonable if you’re happy with the service provided. Tipping is common in restaurants and makes up a
significant part of the take-home pay for wait staff.
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
At 56th Parallel we are firm believers in sustainable tourism and responsible travel.
Our tours and tour leaders are committed to an environmentally and culturally sensitive approach to visiting wilderness areas
and local communities. Please visit our Sustainable Tourism page (http://www.56thparallel.com/how-we-travel-russia/sustainabletourism/ ) for more information.
ABOUT THIS INFORMATION
All information here is provided in good faith and has been compiled with all reasonable care. However, our itineraries and
accommodation sometimes have to be adjusted according to booking availabilities, weather conditions and other factors. We
do our best to keep all the information on our website and information kits up-to-date, but please be aware that things can
change at the last minute. We encourage you to contact our customer service team if there’s anything you need to be sure of
– we’re always happy to help!
* price p/person, based on 6 people in the group (twin-share) and will vary less than 6 travelers.
Call us on +61-2-9388-98-16, write us on [email protected], or visit our website www.56thparallel.com