Departure from Nalchik
Shoanin temple (stop)
Gonachkhirskoe Gorge (Lake Tumanly-Kel)
Transfer to Dombay, check-in at the hotel
Cable car to Mussa-Achitara peak (optional)
Free evening.

Jeep ride of your choice:
— Trekking to the Alibek glacier and waterfall, Lake Turye
— Chuchkhur waterfall
— Baduk lakes
The exact itinerary will depend on the time of year and weather conditions.
Departure to Nalchik.

The first stop will be the famous Shoanin Temple.

Shoanin Temple – built 11 centuries ago, attracts lovers of Christian culture. There is a version that this is the oldest Christian church in Russia. This man-made beauty against the backdrop of magnificent nature cannot but be liked. The history of this cathedral is very complicated. The temple was built in the form of a cross. The facade is relatively modest, inside the building is also very dilapidated, but nevertheless the huge dome, windows and partitions look reverent.

The temple is supported by the forces of local residents from nearby villages and donations from pilgrims. It is sad that in 2007 an uncoordinated repair was made inside the building, which finally erased the remains of the ancient wall painting of the temple of various eras and peoples.

Today, the temple is visited as a historical place, and once a year, on May 6, divine services are held in it, a centurion of pilgrims from many regions of Russia gather. Nearby are the remains of outbuildings and houses, because earlier the hillside was densely populated by residents. From the temple, a stone path was laid to the observation deck, made in the form of a gazebo with a bell. From there, a magnificent view of Mount Shoana opens up.

To the left of the temple, a spring comes out of the rock. Almost no one knows about it, the path to it is so imperceptible. The water in it is incredibly clean and tasty.

Next, we will go to the famous Tumanly-Kel Lake. Here you can take a lot of beautiful photos for memory. The name of the lake is translated as «foggy lake». Most often, it meets its visitors with just such weather, which does not detract from its beauty. The lake is equipped with places for tourists to relax, you can swim, but the water in it is cold, in summer it warms up to a maximum of 20 degrees. In winter it is covered with ice. Previously, they tried to breed trout in it, frequent mudflows prevented the development of a trout farm here, but this fish is still found here and you can try fishing.

We check into a hotel in Dombay glade, here you will have free time, those who wish can climb the cable car to the top of Mount Mussa-Achitara.

After breakfast, we check out from the hotel and go on a jeep tour according to the route agreed with you in advance. We offer several options for tours: Alibek glacier plus a waterfall, Chuchkhur waterfall, Turye lake, Baduk lakes. The route is coordinated based on the time of year and weather.

Alibek glacier – is low and easily accessible to tourists without any equipment and special climbing skills. Here you can walk in the snow and take memorable photos at any time of the year. Every year the glacier shrinks, gorgeous alpine meadows grow in place of the ice. The waters of the glacier created the Alibek waterfall and Lake Turye. Nevertheless, the size of the glacier is impressive. Its length is 4.5 kilometers, and the depth of the ice reaches 60 meters. At some point, admiring it, it seems as if the sky and the glacier seem to be united together. The Alibek waterfall, formed by a glacier, is comfortably located against the backdrop of Mount Ertsog. The views around are just amazing. When hiking, we recommend taking drinking water, a hat, sunglasses, comfortable shoes, and trekking poles if you have one. You can take light insulated clothing, as the ice in any case blows cold.

Chuchkhur waterfall is one of the most popular attractions in Dombay. The twelve-meter waterfall is very beautiful, and the path to it is simple, which attracts many tourists here. White foam of water descends powerfully against the background of green grasses and forests. The waterfall is formed by a strong river, which originates from a glacier near the Chuchkhur pass. A strong jet of water formed a thicket under the waterfall, in which the purest water is collected. The stones of the font are slippery and polished. It is surprising that the waterfall does not run along the rock, but directly through the forest area, rapidly carrying its waters down. From the side it may seem that we have 3 waterfalls in front of us, but this is one that has 3 cascades. There are many boulders of different sizes and bizarre shapes around, outlandish flowers in alpine meadows. The roar of the waterfall is heard from afar, long before it appears before the tourists. For those who climb to the very top of the waterfall, a gorgeous view will open up as a reward. After the Chuchkhur observation deck, we will go to the next sight of the region.

The journey to the cascades will take place from the village of Dombay through many unique and beautiful places. First of all, we will visit a clearing with an unusual name LII. In fact, everything is simple. Previously, the hostel of the Leningrad Research Institute was located here. There is no base, but the name has firmly entered this place.

From LII glade we will go to Russkaya glade. The journey will take about 30 minutes. The road will pass through a spruce-fir forest, raspberry, currant, walnut bushes, beautiful meadows. Polyana Russkaya has its name also due to the tourist camp of the Russian geological community. It is from here that an incredible view opens up with alpine forbs and magnificent Dombay peaks around. From here you can admire the Chuchkhur waterfalls, the Mussa-Achitara, Ptysh, Dzhuguturluchat mountains.

Chuchkhur Lake we will see in 15 minutes after visiting the waterfalls. The lake is small but very attractive. Under the sun’s rays, the color of the water becomes bright turquoise. Around the lake is a meadow with beautiful flowers and herbs, the shore is covered with cobblestones. It is especially good to visit it in August, when there are a lot of ripe blueberries around, which you can enjoy to your heart’s content.

A good road has been laid along the entire route, you can go on this trip even with children.

A trip to Baduk lakes is one of the memorable routes of the magnificent mountain Dombai. It will last 4-5 hours, to get to the 3 lakes you need to make a lot of effort, but they are worth it. The lakes are very picturesque, the waters are flowing, which makes them very cold. The snow-capped peaks of the mountains reflected in the surface of the lake attract crowds of tourists here. Special hiking trails are laid to the lakes, an additional fee is charged for visiting the sights.

The first lake is small, literally 80 meters. Water even in summer warms up by no more than 5 degrees Celsius. The second lake is located nearby. Its size is larger, about 200 meters. After another 130 meters, the third lake opens up, large, majestic, 330 meters long. The water surface of the lake is deep, turning from blue to green, the highest temperature in summer is 9 degrees.

The Baduk lakes are quite young, approximately they appeared about 200 years ago as a result of stone landslides. The Baduk River flows through all 3 lakes. Thanks to the pines and firs growing around the lakes, the air here is incredibly clean and fragrant.

The Baduk Lakes have a developed tourist infrastructure, this is achieved thanks to the famous Teberda Reserve and the popular ski resorts of Teberda and Dombay. A high-quality road has been laid, and a marked hiking trail leads to the lakes themselves, along which places for recreation and bridges have been established.

We have to overcome the route length of 4 km in one direction. After paying the environmental fee and registering at the checkpoint, we get to the first attraction of the route — a suspension bridge. It lies above a small but wide mountain river, and a magnificent panorama opens from it. Walking around the reserve is allowed only in strictly designated areas. It is impossible to stray from the path, it is well marked and trodden by thousands of tourists. Approximately in the middle of the route, a metal bridge was laid across the Baduk River, behind the bridge you can make a halt in the gazebo, rest and have a bite to eat.

After the forest is left behind, the path will go over the stones. You should move along them as carefully as possible.

Buduk lakes of incredible beauty, they are almost in a wild environment, covered with an aura of mystery and peace.

The tour runs from 8 am to 6 pm, which is why after 1 pm the entrance is no longer open so that tourists have time to return before closing. It is not allowed to stay overnight in the reserve. A leisurely walk with stops and photo sessions will take approximately 6 hours.