Tunkinsky District: Discover Nature Trails and Culture

Tunkinsky National Park has ecological educational trails, water and horseback routes, and mineral springs. The national park encompasses the entire district. You can also learn about regional history and nomadic life here.

Nature trails with different focuses

The “Sayanay zurkhen” ecological educational trail is 4.6 km long, of which 2.5 km runs along a wooden boardwalk. Two observation points and an observation tower are used to watch wild animals in their natural habitat. The trail loops around the Burkhan Baabai sacred site (Mount Khair-Khan). Along it are twelve pavilions, each named after a year of the Eastern calendar. This way, the trail combines wildlife observation with cultural connections. The trail loops around the Burkhan Baabai sacred site (Mount Khair-Khan). Along it are twelve pavilions, each named after a year of the Eastern calendar. This way, the trail combines information about nature and the landscape with a cultural connection.

Another focus is the “Ozero Artemyeva” educational trail: It is 8 km long and starts on K. Gabanova Street in Arshan. Based on the stated distances, it is longer than “Sayanay zurkhen,” which is 4.6 km long. This makes it possible to distinguish the trails by length; the comparison says nothing about how long the walk takes.

The park has eight tourist routes and four ecological educational trails. The route types mentioned include driving, hiking, water and horseback routes. The “Shumakskiy Toom” horseback tour passes through Tunkinsky National Park and Oka District. The tour includes steep ascents and descents, technical obstacles such as scree fields and large boulders, and fords across a mountain river. Check the current availability of the routes and the operating conditions of the horseback tour before setting out.

Waterfalls, viewpoints and mineral springs

The first waterfall on the Kyngarga River, which the national park designates as a natural monument, is located on the “Tropa zdorovya” educational trail. The trail’s facilities include a wooden boardwalk, railings, safe metal stairs and a bridge over the Kyngarga. Viewpoints and rest areas complement the trail; there is also an information area with audio guides about the region’s history and protected animals, signposts and toilets.

There are also mineral springs in the national park. The “Kladovaya zdorovya” excursion includes visits to two thermal boreholes in the Vyshka area and an ecological educational trail in “Khongor-Uula,” an area known for its mineral springs. The route also includes eleven mineral water outlets and a suspension bridge over the Kharagun River. Within the park, then, you can experience a range of natural features, from waterfalls and river crossings to springs.

History and regional life

The A. Angarkhaev Historical and Local History Museum is located in Ulus Khoyto-Gol, Block 10, House 39 (yurt). Its collections include exhibits on everyday life and ethnography, paleontology, mineralogy, natural sciences, photographic documents and numismatics, as well as other topics related to the historical, natural and cultural heritage of the Tunkinskaya Valley. Arrange visits and guided tours in advance.

At the “Kheshegta” visitor center, the interactive exhibition “V gostyakh u kochevnika” presents the life of the nomads of the Tunkinskaya region. If you would like to visit the exhibition, check in advance what visiting options are currently available. This lets you combine nature experiences in the national park with a distinct cultural topic, without reducing both to the same kind of exploration.

Discover more destinations: Pribaikalsky District, Selenginsky District, Ordzhonikidzevsky District, Ivolginsky District, Kabansky District

Return to the main travel overview: Republic of Buryatia.