From Yakutsk to Arctic Ocean ^Featured

1. Day 1, Yakutsk
   Transfer from the airport to the river port. Accommodation aboard. Free time. Dinner.
   Boarding from 10:00. 
   Yakutsk is a capital of Sakha Republic and one of the oldest Siberian cities. It was found in 1632 by Peter Beketov, the Yenisei Cossack. Yakutsk is situated on the Lena River’s left side in the Tuymaada valley. The distance to Moscow is 8468 kilometers. Since foundation times Yakutsk has been a resting base for the research of the North–East of Asia. Now Yakutsk is a big administrative center. The population is about 300 000 people. Yakutsk is situated in the permafrost zone, so it is unique for its pile-supported method of stone house building. Food industry, construction engineering, energy industry and diamond lapidary industry are developed in Yakutsk. Yakutsk is also a cultural center of the region. There are Opera and Ballet Theater, Russian Academy Theater, Olonkho Theater, choreographic school and circus in Yakutsk.    
   The ship leaves Yakutsk at 07:00 PM
2. Day 2, Lena Pillars
   Stop at the Lena Pillars (Stolby) National Park where one can see steep rocks, the unique natural phenomenon. The pillars are of 200 meters heigh and are stretched for 40 km along the river. One can distinguish colonnades, arches and battlements in their shapes.
   These cliffs spread over the Lena Rivers’ right bank. The beginning of rock formation is dated back to the early Cambrian period (560-540 mln. years ago). The formation of Lena Pillars as a landform is dated by a later period - about 400 thousand years ago. Time, fall-out, river water and wind gave the cliffs strange and magic forms. Lena Pillars National Nature Park was based in February, 1995. Its area is 485 thousand hectares. Lena Pillars were included in the list of UNESCO world heritage in June, 2012.
   After having a welcome ceremony with ritual dance you are guided to rock massif. From the top of one of the towers you will get a grandiose view of the great river, endless taiga forest, rocks and sky of different color shades that makes a man feel himself a part of a virgin nature and the great Universe.
3. Day 3,  Buotama
   Buotama is the first right Lena tributary. Its length is 418 km.  Buotoma is known for its rich flora and beautiful landscapes. Rafting here is popular among locals.
   Excurion to Bisonarium (bison farm). Bisons or wood buffalos were brought here from Canada in 2006 to restore mammoth fauna representatives.
   One can see Tabaginskii Cape to the left of the board 40 km up from Yakutsk. First road and rail bridges across the river will be built here a few years ago.
4. Day 4, Run
   The Lena river enters Central-Yakut lowland. There are many lakes and marshes in the river plain. A river bed is branchy, a navigable channel is quite changeable. Its depth can reach 16-20 meters. The ship passes by the Lenas's tributary Aldan river. During the river cruise one can see beautiful sights of the Verkhoyansk Mountains. The Lena banks keep disappearing, a vast area of the river valley is occupied by isles and creeks. Deserted unsettled banks pass by for many hundred kilometers in the boundless river environment.
   Program aboard.
5. Day 5, Zhigansk
   The name of “Zhigansk” comes from the Tungus language and means “an inhabitant of lower lands”. Main occupation of population is hunting, fishing and cattle-breeding.
   Zhigansk town has no all year-round road to Yakutsk. In summer one can get Yakutsk on a boat, in winter on the frozen river surface.
   As the river is shallow here, our ship will anchor on the river due to insufficient water depth, and you will reach the bank on a small ferry.
   Evenk welcoming ritual on the riverside. Walk to the town center. Folk concert, excursion to Museum of Local Lore and Orthodox Church.
   You will be impressed by performance of local actors who will present a music of blowing snow and wind whistle, whisper of leaves and grass, water hush, rush of flying bird wings through improvised epic songs and charming accords of ritual dancing. You will listen to a real music which is a world of nature and feelings.
6. Day 6, Kyusyur
   Our next stop is in Kyusyur settlement inside the Polar circle.
   Its population is only 2000 peoople. Local men are mainly deer-breeders and hunters, women make beautiful national clothes decorated with fur and beads. Their lifestile entirely depends on weather, severe climate and  strong winds of this land.
   Kyusyur will impress you by simplicity of village life typical to the Extreme North areas, warm and sincere attitude of local people. Local places here are known for their tragic history connected with hard life of emigres from the Baltic states and Central Yakutia.
   Folk concert.
7. Day 7, Neelovo
   We get to the Lena mouth. Landing, transfer to Tiksi town.
   You will be offered an excursion to Tiksi settlement, the sea gates of Yakutia. The name of Tiksi is translated from the Yakut language as a “place of meeting" or "mooring place”. Navigable period here is extremely short - 2,5 months. The rest of the year Laptev sea is covered with ice which is 1,5-2 m thick. In winter there are polar nights: the sun seems to forget about this area. Darkness arrives for several months. Sometimes one can observe Polar lights in the dark sky of the night. In summer there are white nights.
   The ship starts its way back to Yakutsk.
8. Day 8, Run
   The area of Lena estuary is over 32, 000 square km. The Lena river delta is a net of big and small streams, canals and lakes with more than 1 500 isles.
   Today we will spend our time aboard. The ship passes through so-called Lena “pipe”.  Rocky banks tower up to 400 meters and river bank-to-bank width is only 2 km.
9. Day 9, Siktyakh
   Syktyakh is a small village on a beautiful high bank of the Lena River. It is 300 years old.
   Welcome ceremony at the ancient church, visit to fishermen families to degustate traditional food.
10. Day 10, Polar Circle
    The Polar circle is an imaginary line on the Earth and a parallel in the northern hemisphere with the latitude of 66’33’38’’. During the winter solstice (December 21-22) northward of the Polar circle the sun does not rise at all and during the summer solstice (June 21-22) period the sun does not set. The Polar circle is constantly moving, its geographic location is not stable. In fact, it moves approximately for 2 meters during a day and almost for 100 meters during one year. A polar circle position can be easily determined any time with the help of modern technologies. During the trip our ship will cross the Polar circle in the area of Zhigansk district.  “The Polar circle” symbolic sign has been established on the left bank of the river on the initiative of Zhigansk citizens.
11. Day 11, Run
    Leaving the endless water environment beyond the Northern Polar circle we pass the estuaries of Viluy and Aldan rivers. Between Zhigansk district and the Viluy river estuary there is a natural boundary called “40 isles”. In fact, the isles number is bigger and you will really be impressed by them.
12. Day 12, Green Stop
    Stop in one of the most beautiful virgin places where you will enjoy a beauty of the picturesque greenland. Youwill go for a walk to this wild bank, see bounty of nature and enjoy a beautiful sunset. In the evening in honor of the cruise completion there will be made a symbolic Fire of friendship with songs in different languages.
13. Day 13, Sottintsi
    Excursion to Druzhba ("Friendship") historic-architecture open-air museum located on the place the first Yakutsk fortress was founded by the Russian Cossacks. The Museum presents samples of ancient wooden architecture in traditional Russian and Yakut styles. Expositions of wooden home utensils, national Yakut clothes and monuments of a Russian Orthodoxy are of great interest. Wonderful landscapes and interesting historical excursions make the museum visit both informative and pleasant.
14. Day 14, Yakutsk
    4:00 AM arrival in Yakutsk. Breakfast. One can stay aboard till 10:00 AM.
    Transfer to airport. Departure from Yakutsk.

Price per cabin in EUR 2025