Oymyakon Winter Tour
5 days/ 4 nights
Experience the temperature from -35C to -60C

Day 1, Driving from Yakutsk to Khandyga

After having your breakfast at the hotel (hotel tin Yakutsk not included: please contact us for options) in Yakutsk, your exciting journey begins! We will be departing from the hotel/s at 09:00 am, and the whole road trip for today will be a 10h / 432 km drive from Yakutsk to Khandyga. First, we are going to cross the Lena River on the ice road, which may be your once in a lifetime experience! There will be time for you to take group photos before we continue our journey. The next stop will be the opposite back of the Lena River, which overlooks the river landscape with Yakutsk in background. You will see a lot of traditional Sakha villages and will have time to take some unforgettable pictures. Next, back to the car, our next stop will be the bank of the Aldan River before moving on to cross the River. Lunch and dinner are going to be at road cafes en route (payabale locally), and you will stay overnight in the private apartment-based hotel in Khandyga.

Meals not included, payable locally

Day 2, Driving Khandyga to Oymyakon

Today, we are going to drive from Khandyga to Oymyakon, stopping-over in Kyubyume. Today’s journey will be starting at 08:00am. We are going to have our first stop for breakfast and photo shoots, before approaching Verkhoyansk Mountains in Teply Klyuch town. Then we will be stopping at the memorial for the victims of the Gulag system, followed by stops at Zheltyj and  Chernyj Prizhim (which literally means the Yellow and Black Narrow Pass with the highest bridge on the ridge). Next, we are going to Kyubyume Fuel Station where you can have your lunch at the ‘Cuba’ road café. After that, we are going to head over to Tomtor village for a re-fuel at a gas station, and we will be arriving in Oymyakon late at night. You will be staying at a local’s house/flat tonight, a great opportunity to fully experience the local customs. Late dinner is included.

Breakfast and lunch payable locally. Dinner included.

Day 3, Day in Oymyakon

Today you will spend the whole day in the coldest inhabited place on Earth, Oymyakon! You will have your breakfast at your host’s and have the rare opportunity to do some experiments with the cold air in their backyard! You will have the chance to visit the ‘The Pole of Cold’ stella and meet Chyskhaan who is the keeper of the Cold; you will receive the Pole of Cold Certificate from his hands. Being in the world’s coldest inhabited place, you can walk around the village and truly experience the ‘Siberian winter’. Furthermore, you could do ice fishing on the Indigirka River. You will be shown the traditional net fishing method. You can also try to catch a fish with a rod yourself. After a long and fascinating day, you are going to have a Sakha Culture Evening in the House of Archy, which will make your visit to Oymyakon much more ‘authentic’.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner - included. Accommodation at family’s in Oymyakon in a regular village-type wooden house (twin-triple rooms, shared kitchen, indoor sink, outdoor toilet and no shower: no indoor plumbing in winter due to the cold weather).

Day 4, Driving Oymyakon to Khandyga with the stop in Tomtor

Today we will drive approximately 514 km from Oymyakon to Khandyga, with the stop in Tomtor; we can admire the landscape we missed on DAY 2 when we drove in darkness. We will start our journey as soon as you have had your breakfast at your host’s in Oymyakon. On our way to Tomtor, we will stop by to visit Yakutian horse breeding farm where you will see the original Siberian breed horses (small, steady, and accustomed to live outdoor in the extremely cold conditions). Once we arrived in Tomtor, we will get to the Ice Tunnel which was formerly a food storage. We are going to go inside to the ice tunnel where the whole tunnel is covered in ice apart from the floor. It has got giant ice crystals on walls and the ceiling. If we’re lucky, we visit Even reindeer herders’ winter camp. For reindeer sleigh rides and some traditional snacks.

Back to the car, we will be heading back to Khandyga, and we will arrive late at night. Accommodation will be provided by the private hotel in Khandyga.

Breakfast included. Two stops at roadside cafes - payable locally.

Day 5, Driving back to Yakutsk

This is driving day. We leave the hotel in Khandyga at 08:00 am. Do stops at roadside cafes in the villages of Uolba and Churapcha/Tyungyulyu (meals not included). We might have time to visit story & Architecture Outdoor Museum in the village of Cherkekh (entry tickets are not included). We arrive back to Yakutsk by the evening

Breakfast, lunch and dinner - payable locally.