Regions

On this site you will find eleven standard tour routes in five different Arctic regions: Archangel Province (Arkhangelskaya Oblast), the Yamal Peninsula, the Taymyr Peninsula, Yakutia and Chukotka. These routes and regions have been carefully selected because we believe them to showcase the very best of what the Russian Arctic has to offer.

Archangel Province is the only place where one can experience the ancient culture of northern Russians (Pomors) and nomadic Nenets reindeer herders in one area. It is also the only place where one can enjoy three different types of sledding: dog sledding with Russians, horse sledding with Pomors and reindeer sledding with the Nenets.

The Yamal Peninsula has the best preserved indigenous Arctic culture of anywhere in the world. The nomadic Nenets reindeer herders dress in hand-sewn reindeer-fur clothes, live in reindeer-fur teepees and migrate thousands of kilometres every year on hand-carved, wooden reindeer sledges. Joining them on their epic migrations can be a life-changing experience for even the most experienced of travellers.

The Taymyr Peninsula is the northernmost part of the Eurasian landmass and a wildlife lover’s paradise. Guests are likely to see polar bears, reindeer, walrus, muskox and a cliff with over a million nesting birds. They will also likely meet indigenous Dolgan fishermen, hunters and mammoth tusk hunters.

Yakutia is the coldest inhabited part of the world. It is also home to mammoth tusk hunters, who our guests can join on their search, and nomadic Dolgan reindeer herders, who our guests can join on their migrations. At 800 – 1000 km north of the Arctic Circle, the Dolgans are the northernmost nomads in the world. This makes this area one of the best places in Russia for viewing the Northern Lights too.

Chukotka is the remotest part of Russia, nine time zones east of Moscow. It is thousands of kilometres from the nearest road or railway. It is truly the best place in Russia for wildlife viewing. Guests will see colonies of up to 35,000 walrus, polar bears that prey on them, hundreds of whales, a colony of over a million birds, brown bears and more. You can also stay with nomadic Chukchi reindeer herders or whale hunters, climb stunningly remote mountains and visit abandoned gulag camps.

Three regions of the Russian Arctic have not been included on this site for varying reasons:

The Kola Peninsula. This is the part of the Russian Arctic that borders Norway. It has a much higher level of tourist infrastructure than the other regions featured here. Trips here are very definitely tours, not adventures or expeditions. We felt that it is not adventurous enough as a destination to fit in with places like Chukotka and the Yamal Peninsula.

The Nenets Autonomous Region. The main points of interest here are the culture of the Nenets reindeer herders and the Nenets sacred sites on Vaygach Island. However, the way of life of the Nenets has been much better preserved on the Yamal Peninsula. There are also much bigger and better-preserved sacred sites on the Yamal Peninsula than on Vaygach Island. We decided it would therefore be pointless to offer tours to both the Yamal Peninsula and the Nenets Autonomous Region.

The Komi Republic. Again, the main area of interest in the Arctic part of the Komi Republic is the culture of the reindeer herders. However, this has again been much better preserved on the Yamal Peninsula.

Having said that, we have in the past organised trips to all three of these regions and are happy to do so by request. Please get in contact with us if you would like to find out more.

 

On this site you will find eleven standard tour routes in five different Arctic regions: Archangel Province (Arkhangelskaya Oblast), the Yamal Peninsula, the Taymyr Peninsula, Yakutia and Chukotka. These routes and regions have been carefully selected because we believe them to showcase the very best of what the Russian Arctic has to offer.

Archangel Province is the only place where one can experience the ancient culture of northern Russians (Pomors) and nomadic Nenets reindeer herders in one area. It is also the only place where one can enjoy three different types of sledding: dog sledding with Russians, horse sledding with Pomors and reindeer sledding with the Nenets.

The Yamal Peninsula has the best preserved indigenous Arctic culture of anywhere in the world. The nomadic Nenets reindeer herders dress in hand-sewn reindeer-fur clothes, live in reindeer-fur teepees and migrate thousands of kilometres every year on hand-carved, wooden reindeer sledges. Joining them on their epic migrations can be a life-changing experience for even the most experienced of travellers.

The Taymyr Peninsula is the northernmost part of the Eurasian landmass and a wildlife lover’s paradise. Guests are likely to see polar bears, reindeer, walrus, muskox and a cliff with over a million nesting birds. They will also likely meet indigenous Dolgan fishermen, hunters and mammoth tusk hunters.

Yakutia is the coldest inhabited part of the world. It is also home to mammoth tusk hunters, who our guests can join on their search, and nomadic Dolgan reindeer herders, who our guests can join on their migrations. At 800 – 1000 km north of the Arctic Circle, the Dolgans are the northernmost nomads in the world. This makes this area one of the best places in Russia for viewing the Northern Lights too.

Chukotka is the remotest part of Russia, nine time zones east of Moscow. It is thousands of kilometres from the nearest road or railway. It is truly the best place in Russia for wildlife viewing. Guests will see colonies of up to 35,000 walrus, polar bears that prey on them, hundreds of whales, a colony of over a million birds, brown bears and more. You can also stay with nomadic Chukchi reindeer herders or whale hunters, climb stunningly remote mountains and visit abandoned gulag camps.

Three regions of the Russian Arctic have not been included on this site for varying reasons:

  1. The Kola Peninsula. This is the part of the Russian Arctic that borders Norway. It has a much higher level of tourist infrastructure than the other regions featured here. Trips here are very definitely tours, not adventures or expeditions. We felt that it is not adventurous enough as a destination to fit in with places like Chukotka and the Yamal Peninsula.
  2. The Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The main points of interest here are the culture of the Nenets reindeer herders and the Nenets sacred sites on Vaygach Island. However, the way of life of the Nenets has been much better preserved on the Yamal Peninsula. There are also much bigger and better-preserved sacred sites on the Yamal Peninsula than on Vaygach Island. We decided it would therefore be pointless to offer tours to both the Yamal Peninsula and the Nenets Autonomous Region.
  3. The Komi Republic. Again, the main area of interest in the Arctic part of the Komi Republic is the culture of the reindeer herders. However, this has again been much better preserved on the Yamal Peninsula.

Having said that, we have in the past organised trips to all three of these regions and are happy to do so by request. Please get in contact with us if you would like to find out more.

Regions of the Russian Arctic