Tour «To See Russia in the Urals»

Tour programme:

Day 1, Friday (Ekaterinburg)

Arrival at the hotel «Park Inn by Radisson, Ekaterinburg» 4* (98, Mamina-Sibiryaka Str.). From the airport you can book a taxi +7(343)310 10 10 (economy), 272 72 72 (comfort). Luggage can be left for free in the hotel Luggage room until the time of check-in.

• 09.00  meeting with the guide at the lobby of the hotel  at the reception Desk. City tour of Ekaterinburg: Main Square, Church on  the Blood, St. Alexander Nevsky Novo-Tikhvin women’s monastery, City Dam and Pond, President Centre, Opera Theatre.
• Visit of the International Center of Arts «Main Avenue»: Stone Museum, Сollection of stone-cutting masterpieces of Alexey Antonov’s workshop, Art gallery.
• Time to purchase souvenirs from Ural stones in the shops of the museum.
• Lunch at a restaurant in the historical center of the city.
• Excursion to the Homeland of Russian gold — the town of Berezovsky (12 km from Ekaterinburg) with a visit to the training mine and the Museum of Russian gold.
• 17.00  arrival at the hotel.

Travel tips:

• We recommend to book an additional night before the tour to get some sleep before the start of the tour programme.
• You can visit the observation deck on the 52th floor of the skyscraper «Vysotsky»(Malysheva street, 51 — near the hotel) with a great view of Ekaterinburg and Ural mountains (in sunny days). Cost: 400 RUB/ adult, children and senior citizens with a 20% discount. Operates on weekdays from 13.00 to 22.00, on holidays from 10.00 to 22.00. the last lift at 21.30.
• The hotel itself has a restaurant where you can order a dinner. Near the hotel (5-10 minutes walk) are a few cafes where you can eat: dining room «Fork and spoon» (Lenin’s Avenue, 48, and Karl Liebknecht, 13), Ural signature restaurant «the Factory-kitchen» (Lenin Ave., 69/1, specials Ural dumplings), «Tralee Wali» (Lenin’s Avenue, 50), «Pizza Mia» (Karl Liebknecht, 16), the restaurant «Dumplings-club» (Lenin Ave., 46, entrance from the street Krasnoarmeyskaya).
• Large food store is right next to the skyscraper «Vysotsky»in the shopping center «Antey» on the first floor (Malysheva str., 53).
• Souvenirs from a stone: shop «Amethyst» Malysheva str., 43; store «Passage» Weiner str., 9, 1 floor of the store is «the Magic stone».

Museums:

• Ekaterinburg History Museum: K. Libknehta str., 26. Open until 20.00, ticket office to 19.00.
• Art Museum of Ernst Neizvestny: Dobrolyubova str., 15. Open until 19.00, admission until 18.30.
• The President Center: Boris Yeltsin str., 3A. Open until 21.00, admission until 20.00.
• Stone-Cutting and Jewerly Art Museum:  Lenin Avenue, 37. Open until 18.00, admission until 17.00.
• Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts: Vojvodina str., 5. Open until 19.00, admission until 18.30.

Day 2, Saturday (Geology)

• 08.00 Breakfast (buffet)
• 09.30 Departure to the emerald mines.
• Quarry for the extraction of asbestos (length 11 km, the depth of 350 meters).
• Mining Place of the First Russian emeralds, visit the observation deck of the acting career of the Mariinsky emerald Deposit; tour of the village of miners — Malysheva.
• Search of semi-precious stones on the piles of the Mariinsky Deposit: chrysoberyl, quartz, and others.
• Lunch.
• A visit to the stone cutting factory, monitoring the process of treatment of stones.
• Master class on working with stone. You will be able to make a small stone souvenir.
• 20.00  return to the hotel.

Day 3, Sunday (Nature Park)

• 07.00  Breakfast (buffet)
• 09.00  chek-out of the hotel, transfer to the natural Park «Deer Streams». Beautiful pictures of the Park «Deer streams».
• Visit the Border between Europe and Asia/
• Lunch.
• Tour through the Natural Park «Deer streams» along the Hiking route. Natural Park «Deer streams» — one of the most beautiful places of the Urals, where you can admire the pristine nature. During a walk along the ecological path you will be able to touch the centuries-old pine trees, which can embrace only 3 people. Also during the tour you will see caves, walk along the picturesque banks of the river Serga with high rocky shores. The ecological path equipped with benches, on the slopes there are steps and railings. So even the most unprepared tourist will be able to overcome the route.
• Transfer to the town of Kungur.
• Accommodation at the hotel.
• Dinner.

Attention! Instead of walking in the Park You can choose a guided tour with rafting on catamarans on the river Serga (in good weather). The fee for alloy — 1500 RUB/ person (depending on route). The catamarans will be fully prepared, life jackets will be given for free. Minimum group of 5 people. The river Serga is a calm river with no rapids on the route of alloy, with a quiet current and wonderful views of rocky shores (up to 30 — 40 metres). Possible short stop for swimming — depending on the weather.

Day 4, Monday (Ice Cave)

• 07.30 – 09.00 Breakfast at the hotel.
• Sightseeing tour of Kungur: Gostiny Dvor, the Tikhvin Church, the monument to Nikita-flyers, souvenir shop.
• Lunch.
• Tour of Kungur Ice Cave — one of the largest karst caves in European part of Russia, the world’s seventh largest gypsum cave in length. The length of the cave is about 5700m, of which 1.5 km are equipped for visits by tourists.
• The road to the Belogorsky Saint Mykola monastery – Athos of the Urals. Beautiful photos of the monastery. Monastery on the White mountain is one of the main Orthodox sites of the Urals. The mountain offers one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the Urals. In good weather, the visibility up to 50 km from the monastery. 
• Transfer to the city of Perm.
• 18.00 accommodation in the hotel.