Altai Republic road trip: Novosibirsk to Chemal and Patmos
The route with a length of covers the main attractions of the Altai Republic: from Novosibirsk through the legendary Chuysky tract to Gorno-Altaisk, then to Chemal and to the island of Patmos on the Katun River. This path shows the contrasting geography of the region from plains to mountain passes and gorges.
- Mode
- Places
- Start
- Chuysky Tract Highway
- End
- Ostrov Patmos
- Stops
- 4
- Video author
- travmap
- Updated
Stops on this route
- Chuysky Tract Highway — 968 km highway connecting Novosibirsk to Altai mountain regions
- Gorno-Altaysk — Capital city of Altai Republic with population under 65,000
- Chemal — Village on Katun River where Island Patmos and Chemal Hydroelectric Station are located
- Ostrov Patmos — Small rocky island with sheer walls on Katun River near Chemal village
Useful for your trip
- Transport
- Chuysky Tract (R26) is 968 km of high-quality highway with good pavement and markings, included in the list of the 10 most beautiful roads in the world. It begins in Novosibirsk and is truly beautiful in the mountainous part of Altai.
- Where to stay
- There is an airport in Gorno-Altaisk. The city is the starting point of travel in Altai, from here you can rent a car or start the route by your own transport.
- Tip
- To visit the sights, you do not need to know the exact addresses. It is enough to enter the name of the object into the navigator (lake, waterfall, pass, etc.) and the system will plot a route.
- Timing
- Lake Aya is one of the few warm lakes in the Altai Mountains. In the summer season, the water warms up to +21°C (in other mountain lakes about +15°C). The infrastructure is well developed: hotels, restaurants, beaches.
- Transport
- You can walk to the Kamyshlinsky waterfall ~ 2 km through the forest or take a special tourist boat that takes tourists in 10 minutes.
- Tip
- River rafting is a popular type of tourism in Altai. Tourists on boats pass beautiful panoramas with stops in iconic places. All rafting travelers stop at the Kamyshlinsky waterfall.
- Food
- Near the Chemalskaya hydroelectric power station and next to the Kamyshlinsky waterfall there is a tourist infrastructure: places where you can eat and buy souvenirs.
- Where to stay
- In the village of Manzherok (36 km from Gorno-Altaysk) there is a well-developed infrastructure: hotels, guest houses, complexes with forest houses, beaches, a water park, helicopter rides are possible.
- Tip
- About 70% of the ~100 attractions of Altai can be reached by ordinary car. The remaining 30% are only accessible on foot, on horseback with tents and overnight stays.
- Where to stay
- Near Lake Nizhnemultinskoye there are 4 mountain campsites with houses, baths and equipped parking lots for tourists.
- Transport
- The road to the Multinsky Lakes: first get to the village of Multa, then drive another 12 km.
- Timing
- About 2 million tourists come to Altai every year. It is better to plan your trip taking into account the tourist seasons.
Video on this route
OVER ALTAI. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN THE WORLD