Exclusive tours of Yugra: how to reach hard-to-reach spots in the region and the Urals

Want to see something off-limits to the masses? Yugra offers a variety of routes: helicopter flights to unique natural sites, mountain hikes, visits to traditional camps, and closed industrial sites.

Tours for those seeking new horizons and ready for experiences "out of the ordinary":

Conquer the peaks of the Subpolar Urals
Spend a week on an expedition away from civilization
Travel from Yugra to the natural attractions of the Urals
Get a glimpse behind the scenes of industrial activity
Visit the Khanty and Mansi people

Conquer the peaks of the Subpolar Urals

The Subpolar Urals are a land of challenges and rewards. Here, trails wind through kurums, clouds swirl overhead, and in the evening, a steaming banya (sauna) welcomes the warmth back from the strong wind.

The following routes have been developed by the tour company "Ugra 360°," which specializes in custom excursions and unique itineraries.

The "Mountain Trails of the Sacred Urals" tour is a five-day journey for those who have already tried hiking and want to take it a step further. The program includes a radial hike to Shaitanka Waterfall with its 30-meter cascade, a walk through the abandoned geological settlement of Neroika, an ascent of the Salyner Ridge and a photo shoot on the plateau, a trek to Lake Zeika, an evening banya, and sport fishing for grayling. Overnight stays are arranged at a tourist base or in a tent camp, depending on the season.

A separate program includes a climb to Mount Neroika. Neroika (1,645 m) is a classic Subarctic peak. The hike begins early in the morning: first through forest, then open stony fields. The journey takes about ten hours from the base. At the summit, the wind reveals the horizon—ridges stretch out, patches of snowfields white even in summer. The return journey includes stops at streams, where you can fill your water bottles with ice-cold water. This route is for those who manage their energy well and enjoy a long hike without ropes or equipment.

For those who prefer water views and fewer elevation changes, the "Zeya Lakes" tour is perfect. You'll walk to the lake with a photo session on the coastal ridge, have lunch over a campfire, walk around the mirror-like surface reflecting the mountain slopes, and return to the base through fields of blueberries and bilberries. The area is stunningly beautiful.

Spend a week on an expedition without civilization

Not all trips in Yugra are about cozy hotels and comfortable living. There are routes where the phone is cut off, the electricity goes out, and all that's left is nature, the team, and your own strength. The tour operator "Wild North. Yugra" specializes in such expeditions.

The Narodnaya tour is a journey into the heart of the Subpolar Urals. The group reaches glacial lakes, where the water is clear to the bottom and the air smells of stone and moss. Then comes the day of the ascent: an early start, a "step-and-breathe" rhythm, the rivers and reindeer trails leave behind, and at the summit, a sharp wind and an endless horizon greet you. The day ends with trophy fishing and a dinner of Siberian delicacies cooked over a fire. This route is chosen by those who dream of a real summit, but also value well-thought-out logistics and comfortable support.

The "Tykotlova – a Nature Reserve River" expedition is a seven-day rafting expedition down the Tykotlova and Khulga rivers, with helicopter transfer. The group sets up camp on a pebble bank, checks the catamarans, and assigns kitchen duties, then heads out on the water. The route includes easy rapids, fishing in shallow reaches, and radial excursions to the tributaries of the Grube-yu, Khaimalyu, and Dzelyai. A special highlight of the program is a visit to the sacred lake of the northern peoples, a natural "temple" amidst the mountains. The experience is completely self-sufficient: overnight stays in tents, campfire cooking, discipline, and mutual support.

A more "mountain" scenario is the "7 Summits of the Subpolar Urals – 7 Days." Helicopter transfer allows the route to begin right at the foot of the mountains. Over the course of a week, the group will see and even climb some of Mount Narodnaya, Mount Manaraga, Karpinsky Peak, Mount Yanchenko, and other peaks, depending on the weather and the team's readiness. The program includes the Kar-Kar Pass, the Ruin Plateau, the Goluboe and Bublik mountain lakes, the Yugra Glacier, and the Khobeyu Valley, if the group is up for the additional challenge. During the day, there's the trail and ascent, followed by a campsite in the evening, a hot dinner, and recuperation. This route is chosen by those who share the mountaineering philosophy of "every day is a summit" and who want to see as much as possible in a short time.

Travel from Yugra to the natural attractions of the Urals

Yugra is a convenient jumping-off point for routes to the most inaccessible corners of the Urals. It offers the easiest access to unique places rarely seen with one's own eyes.

The Ural Pyramid in the Narodo-Itinsky Ridge is one of them. Scientists call this region "land free of man": unnamed peaks and passes still remain here, and the natural landscapes remain pristine. A helicopter tour lasts one day: takeoff, flight over the ridges, landing, sightseeing walk, and return. In a few hours, you'll see what would take weeks on foot.

Tourist groups also form from Yugra to Manpupuner and Dyatlov Pass. These sites are located outside the district, but logistics are convenient from here. The format is as follows: an introduction to Yugra, followed by a flight to stone idols up to 42 meters high and a pass debated by historians and tourists around the world. This is a rare opportunity to combine several iconic Ural sites in one trip.

Similar itineraries are currently available from several Russian tour operators. We won't list them here, but finding a suitable option online is quite easy.

Take a look behind the scenes of industry

Yugra is known as a land of rivers and taiga, but it's also where much of the country's energy production originates. To understand the region more deeply, it's worth seeing how its key industries operate. Industrial tours allow you to explore places not typically explored on tourist routes: factories, laboratories, and even a hidden part of the airport.

The "Ecological Heart of Yugra" tour takes you to the Nizhnevartovsk Gas Processing Plant. The program includes a visit to the central control center, a tour of the process route, and a discussion of how associated petroleum gas is converted into raw materials for everyday products—from cling film to automotive parts. Here you can see the scale of the process that usually remains hidden behind the scenes.

In Khanty-Mansiysk, you can take a unique tour of the core storage facility—a place where tens of thousands of core samples, recovered from depths of more than three kilometers, are stored. Each cylinder is a fragment of the Earth's "chronicle," used by geologists to decipher the structure of the subsurface and discover new deposits. The tour demonstrates the very logic of the search: how the samples are selected, cut, labeled, and studied.

Another program takes you behind the scenes at Khanty-Mansiysk Airport. Here, you'll not only follow the passenger journey from check-in to boarding and visit the business lounge, but also explore places off-limits to the average passenger: the cockpit and fire station—a living, breathing space where safety, speed, and logistics work seamlessly together. This tour is especially popular with families with teenagers and anyone interested in aviation.

Visit the Khanty and Mansi

Yugra's ethno tours aren't a "stylized" museum exhibit, but an encounter with living culture. There are no "scenes" for tourists: you experience real life, sample dishes prepared using family recipes, and listen to stories passed down by word of mouth.

"Buranovy Kray" (Buranovy Kray) from the Siberian Bear Tour is a rich day trip from Surgut. The journey begins in Russkinskaya: the Yadroshnikov Museum of Nature and Man provides context—clothing, utensils, crafts, and portraits. Guests then enjoy reindeer sleigh rides and snowmobile rides, followed by lunch in a chum (tent), prepared according to family recipes, filled with the aroma of smoke and taiga herbs.

"Campsite Level 1.0" is a program for groups of ten or more. The journey takes several hours, but it sets the right rhythm. Once there, you'll learn about the lives of indigenous peoples, learn about sleds, try traditional fishing with a muzzle, and dine on recipes passed down from generation to generation. This isn't a museum reenactment, but a visit to a real family where traditions are still honored.