Pearl necklace of Khabarovsky Kray

Possibility to see all pearls within a single tour: the Amur River, indigenous ethnic groups, nature, culture, people, local handicraft.

Type of tourism: educational, excursion-orientated, ecological, ethnographic; the intended target audience:  without age and nationality restrictions; season: all year round; tour duration: 5 days/ 4 nights; populated areas:  Khabarovsk, Sikachi-Alyan village, Komsomolsk-On-Amur.

Name and textual description of objects (natural, cultural, sports, etc.) and events (cultural and national festivals, sport events, etc.), which can be included in Itinerary in a free format: Kray museum named after N. I. Grodekov, “Priamurskiy” Zoological Garden named after V.P. Sysoyev, Nanaian Sikachi-Alyan village, Sikachi-Alyan petroglyphs, “Volkonsky ”small-arms system, country house or agricultural farm, workshop dedicated to the painting of Russian wooden matryoshka, excursion to the food production factory in Khabarovsk (as chosen), “Suhoy” Komsomolsk-On-Amur Aircraft Production Association Museum named after Yu. A. Gagarin, Komsomolsky Museum of Local Lore, Nanaian “Verhnyaya Ekon” village, art workshop in Komsomolsk-On-Amur, the Trans-Siberian Railway, fishing (summer and winter) in the Amur River branches.

Itinerary by days

Day 1: KHABAROVSK

08:00 Arrival in Khabarovsk by train/plane. Meeting with the guide, transfer to the hotel.

09:00-12:00 Guided tour to Khabarovsk: N. N. Muraviev-Amursky Street, V. I. Lenin Square. City pounds, “Dinamo” park, railway station forecourt and the monument to Yerofey Khabarov, Spaso-Preobrazhenskiy Cathedral, Glory Memorial, Soboro-Komsomolskaya Square, the Cathedral of the Assumption, Central Park of Culture and Recreation, viewing platform for the observation of the Amur River.

12:00-13:00 Visit to the Kray Museum named after N. I. Grodekov and Amur Cliff.

13:00-14:00 Lunch in “Dacha” restaurant (home cousine)

14:00-18:00 Continuation of the guided tour in the northern part of Khabarovsk: Severny Park and the Cathedral of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, Amur Bridge, Museum of the Amur Bridge History, “Priamurski” Zoological Garden named after V.P. Sysoyev.

19:00 Dinner in “Hong Kong” restaurant (Chinese cousine). Hotel check-in (at option: Amur, Butik-Hotel, Khabarovsk-City, Inturist, Turist).

Day 2: SIKACHI-ALYAN

08:00-09:00 Breakfast in the hotel. Leaving hotel for Nanaian village of Sikachi-Alyan (about 70 kilometers from Khabarovsk).

10:30 Arrival in Sikachi-Alyan village. Guests will be met by the guide, a native woman in ethnic dress. Guided tour to the school museum intended to introduce character of native people, their way of life and ethnic habits and traditions. Visit to the local kinship community of the Wu family. Getting acquainted with this family which cherishes traditions of their ancestors. Excursion in the house. Observing household and everyday life of modern Nanai people, studying the tradition of their national costume and learning how to distinguish between types of ethnic embroidery. Workshop: for women — making a talisman doll “aoka”, for men — angling and filleting fresh river fish

13:00 Dinner in the nomad camp, tasting national Nanaian cuisine (salad made of fresh vegetables or fern, fish or potato “Tala” — salad made of fresh potato or fresh fish, “boda” — starch drink made of different groats (rice, pearl barley, millet, oatmeal), “holto” — conny fish broth (skygazer, mirror carp, Chinese bass, orca) or “cholo” — soup with purple sage, “silon” — grilled fish, boiled potato, “tasima” — Nanaian scones, tea or fruit drink with the Far East herbs: brier, hawthorn, magnolia-vine

14:00-15:00 Exursion on Nanajian boats (in summer) or on foot (in winter) to Sikachi-Alyana petroglyphs (2000-year-old rock engravings). Tourists will be told about the history of petroglyphs origin, legends, connected with them, and about scientific and mythical theories of their emergence.

15:00-16:00 Return to the nomad camp. National Nanaian games: (“chapkan” — collective game with a forked branch and a grass ball (throw-catch), “tamyan” — triple jumps, archery, jumping over the sledge, tugging stick.

17:00 Leaving Sikachi-Alyan village for Khabarovsk. On the way back tourists will visit “Volkonski” open small-arms system and learn how to shoot with air rifles.

19:00 Dinner in “Green plazza” restaurant (Korean cuisine). Hotel check-in (at option).

Day 3: COUNTRY HOUSE /AGRICULTURAL FARM, MATRYOSHKA, PRODUCTION

Breakfast in the hotel.

Summer option (May 01 - October 30) visit to the country house (dacha)

07:45 Transfer to the railway station. Trip on the suburban train from Khabarovsk to Priamurskaya station (23 kilometers, 25 minutes on the way). Tourists will be provided with a unique opportunity to travel along the part of the famous Trans-Siberian Railway, the longest railway in the world with the length of 9298.2 kilometers.

10:00-12:00 Visit to the DACHA (Russian county cottage), getting acquainted with the Russian way of farm management, guided tour to the land plot, observing buildings and domestic animals (chickens, gooses, rabbits), studying varieties of vegetables, fruits, fruit and berry plants growing in dacha. Helping farmers to take care of plants (watering, weeding, tying), collecting vegetables, fruits, berries.

12:00-13:00 Collective lunch cooking: salad of fresh vegetables (from May to June vegetables are collected in greenhouses): cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet pepper, greenery; boiling potatoes, making drinks of fresh berries, grilling meat.

13:00-14:00 Lunch: the Russian home cuisine, cooked by guests.

The Russian traditional tea ceremony: drinking tea with samovar, pancakes, patty-cakes, jam and honey.

Winter variant (November 01 - April 30) visit to the agricultural farm

09:00 Leaving hotel to visit the agricultural farm in Topolevo village in the suburbs of Khabarovsk. 30-40 minutes on the way.

10:00-12:00 Guided tour to the family type agricultural farm. There are two types of farms: agricultural (growing vegetables) farm or cattle (breeding domestic animals: cows, chickens, ducks, rabbits) farm.  Getting acquainted with peculiarities of the farm management in our region, getting to know the variates of vegetables grown, species of local animals, outlet markets, etc. 

12:00-13:00 Collective lunch cooking: salad of fresh vegetables grown in greenhouses: cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet pepper, greenery; boiling potatoes, making drinks of fresh berries, grilling meat.

13:00-14:00 Lunch: the Russian home cuisine, cooked by guests.

The Russian traditional tea ceremony: drinking tea with samovar, pancakes, patty-cakes, jam and honey.

15:00 Travelling on bus to Khabarovsk. Visit to the souvenir shop “Secrets of Craft”. Workshop: painting of the Russian wooden matryoshka.

17:00 Guided tour to one of the food industry enterprises (chosen by tourists), tasting of production (Baltika Brewery, “Khabarovskaya” Confectionery Factory, “3 Wishes” Ice-cream Plant, infant dairy nutrition plant.

19:00 Dinner in “Iron Kabis” restaurant — Ossetian cuisine, famous for its pies (the restaurant is situated near the railway station). During the dinner tourists will be treated with several kinds of Ossetian pies.

2018 Departure from Khabarovsk to Komsomolsk-On-Amur by train. Night on the railroad.

Day 4: KOMSOMOLSK-ON-AMUR, VERHNAYA EKON village.

6:30. Arrival in Komsomolsk-On-Amur by train No.667. Traditional Russian welcoming ceremony “Bread and Salt”. Transfer to “Siun” cafe for breakfst.

7:00 Breakfast in “Siun” cafe.

08:30-09:30 Excursion to the exhibition hall (museum) of “Suhoy” Komsomolsk-On-Amur Aircraft Production Association airline manufacturer named after Yu.A. Gagarin. “Suhoy” (one of the major Russian airplane manufacture enterprises).

10:00-11:30 General sightseeing tour in Komsomolsk-On-Amur: central promenade (Monument to Pioneer Builders, Eternal Flame Memorial Complex, Amur Bridge, etc.) major streets (Mira Prospect, Monument to Komsomol members of thirties, “Mirror of Shadows” Young Spectators' Theater, Amur Hotel, Children Library named after M. Gorky, continuation of Mira Prospect, Lenina Prospect and Pioneer Builders Prospect — the broadest street of the city.

12:30-13:30 Guided tour to “Verhnyaya Ekon” Nanaian village (24 kilometers from Komsomolsk-On-Amur, crossing of the Amur River via bridge) where local people carefully preserve their ethnic traditions. Tourists will learn additional information about Nanaian culture: ethnographic museum demonstrates a rich collection of sevens - sculptural embodiments of spirits, shaman vestments, which are vey old, tambourines, handcraft metal pendants, collection of national wedding dresses and other festival dress.

13:30-14:00 “Nanaian fairy tales” – a show prepared by the children folklore troop (national dances, songs, games).

14:00-15:00 Nanaian-style lunch: potatoe tala, fish soup, potato mash, chicken fried steak, Nanaian flat cakes, Nanaian national drink made of 10 taiga herbs, sweet “salima” dessert.

15:00-16:00 Birchbark weaving workshop. During the workshop, the craftsman sings Nanaian songs which help guests make creative souvenirs that will preserve the kind spirit of Nanaian craftsman.

16:00-16:30 Stroll along the Amur riverbank to the Shamanka mountain, a mountain with a beautiful legend which says that the cliff on this shore originally was a great local shaman woman who turned into stone because of magic.

16:30-18:00 Visit to the art workshop. Excursion and discussion with skilled artists. Possibility to purchase original paintings.

Russian hostess wearing the national costume will treat guests with the Samovar tea, dry ring biscuits, pancakes, pies, honey and jam. Feast is accompanied with Russian folk songs, melodies, recitatives and music performed on the folk instruments - wooden spoons, tap instruments. 

18:00 Dinner in “Drova” stake house (stake-menu, fresh salads)

20:00 Transfer to the railway station

21:00 Leaving Komsomolsk-On-Amur for Khabarovsk by “Yunost” train No.667. Night on the railroad.

Day 4:  Fishing, excursion at the choice, closing dinner and folk activities

08:00-09:00 Breakfast in the hotel. Leaving the hotel for the Amur riverbank (“Zaton” district).

Summer variant (April 25 - October 30) fishing on the Amur River branches

10:00-12:00 Preparation for fishing on the Amur River branches on the “Bilivar” yacht. Briefing. Rite of initiation to “Amur Riverers”, sailing off the “Fort-Artua” yacht-club. Fishing on the Amur River branches (at the choice and depending on weather conditions): Osinovaya River, Tunguska, Novokamenka, Talga. Taking green stops for fishing on branches with the use of spinning and little fishing nets.

Learning how to guide the “river-sea” class yacht on the way back to club:  steering control of the yacht on the river, turning and maneuvering, using gadgets, orientating with the map, unmooring, mooring, tramp mounting, anchoring the yacht near the bank, emergency boats pumping and launching, lowering and rising the anchor, fastening sailor’s knots.

Winter variant (December 1 - March 30) subglacial fishing

10:00-12:00 Rite of initiation to “Amur Riverers”

Departing from “Fort-Artua” yacht-club on ice (on foot) accompanied by the guide.

Choosing the right place to fish, learning how to drill ice-holes and mastering subglacial fishing.

13:00 Lunch in “Fort Artua” restaurant (the Far East fish plate menu: “Amurski” salad made of tomatoes and Siberian salmon, carp fish soup, sharaban, baked vegetables, cranberry drink). After lunch, congratulations with successful passing of “Amur Riverer” (in summer) or “Amur Fisherman” (in winter) course, receiving honorable diploma and gifts.

16:00-18:00 Excursion AT THE CHOICE (depending on tourists’ hobbies and interests):

- visit to the Russian family, tea party, learning how to cook Rusian dishes;

- visit to the pottery workshop, workshop dedicated to making pottery souvenirs with symbols of Khabarovsk.

- attendance of the concert in the Concert hall of Philarmonia or “Triada” pantomime theatre (according to the itinerary);

- driving a 4-wheeler in the taiga off-road;

- guided tour to the forest museum and along the ecologic path of Bolshehehtsirsky reservation;

- visit to the Russian wooden sauna, bathing with birch broom massage and drinking herbal tea.

19:00 Closing dinner in “Cowboy” restaurant (stake menu). Additionally, we offer guided tours to stables which includes the lecture on horse breeds and their characteristics, techniques of riding with a practical class.

21:00 Departure from Khabarovsk.

Cost includes: hotel accommodation (double room), dining on a full board basis, guide accompaniment (guide-interpreter for foreigners), transport expenses, excursions and all entrance tickets.

Tour types

Ecological tours Ethnographic tours

Contact information

680000, Khabarovsk, Turgeneva Street, 78, 8 (4212) 318-829, 318-830 yakovenko@dalgeo.com, www.dalgeo.com