Teberdinsky nature reserve in Karachay-Cherkessia

General information about the Reserve

Teberdinsky Reserve - this is the main summer tourist attraction in Dombay, Arkhyz and Teberda. It occupies a huge territory of 850sq. km., and is located on the northern slopes of the Caucasus. Almost from all sides surrounds the resorts of Dombay, Arkhyz, Teberda. There are 74 species of animals in need of protection. There are 1207 species of vascular plants, 470 species of mosses, more than 300 species of lichens, more than 100 species of terrestrial algae, 500 species of fungi. 272 of them are endemic.

It is on the territory of the reserve that the most popular tourist walking and sightseeing routes to natural attractions and beauty in the vicinity of resorts pass. They are visited mainly in summer and autumn. Here are the most popular day routes and attractions that can be visited on foot, by car or with a guided tour:

• Tourist route "Alibek gorge" from Dombay. On the route visit Alibek waterfall, Turye Lake, Alibek glacier, Cemetery climbers. The route is covered on foot or mixed by Transport and the last part of the way on foot. Learn more about the Route "Alibek gorge" here.
• Tourist route "Amanauz Gorge" and waterfalls "Devil's mill" and "Sofrudzhinsky" from Dombay. This is the meekest of the Dombay route, but also the most difficult, since it is completely on foot. Learn more about the tourist route "Amanauz Gorge" here.
• Tourist route "Dombay-Ulgen Gorge" and Chukhchur waterfalls from Dombay. The easiest route, it is almost completely possible to overcome by car, including a personal car. Only the last few hundred meters of the way will have to go on foot, and up. Learn more about the tourist route "Dombay-Ulgen Gorge" here.
• Tourist route "Gonachkhir Gorge" and Lake Tumanly-Kel. This is a very simple all-car route. A good asphalt road leads to the lake. Learn more about the tourist route "Gonachkhir gorge" here.
• Shumka Waterfall. The tourist route to the waterfall with a length of only 500 M is the easiest of the pedestrian. It is located 17 kilometers from Dobmay near Teberda.
• Teberdinsky Reserve Zoo and Museum. This is an aviary complex where deer, hares, ducks, geese, Wild Boars, raccoons, goats, bison, Foxes, vultures, wolves, bears, jackals, tours, Lynx (very old), Caucasian tours, forest cat, raccoon dog are kept. Located in Teberda. Learn more about Teberdinsky zoo here.

In addition to those described above, there are more complex routes for multi-day hikes with overnight stays in tents. You can go through them yourself or with excursions, for this you only need to pay for the entrance to the reserve for several days at once, and you can go on the road. However, we do not recommend for the first time and without experience to go on such hikes yourself. It is better to start with at least one such trip with an excursion, or find experienced fellow travelers. In extreme cases, you can come and get acquainted first with one-day routes, and only then go on your own in a multi-day.

How to visit the Reserve and prices

Visiting the Reserve is paid, the entrance fee depends on the route. In 2020, there was another price increase, on some routes the price was raised twice at once. This is very sad, because absolutely no improvement work is being done, bridges for crossing rivers, signs, information boards are old or absent altogether. Because of this, some routes are only conditionally and not fully accessible. For example, for the entrance to the popular route to Alibek waterfall and Turi Lake, the fee is officially charged in full, but already on the route you will find out that Turi lake cannot be visited because of broken bridges that have not been restored for several years. At the same time, it should be said that there is no order at the entrance to individual routes: the fee is charged without issuing documents and recording tourists in the Journal, and the money, apparently, is put in the pocket of employees.

Payment is made at the checkpoint at the entrances to the routes, or you can make a contract for a visit to the administration of the Reserve at the address Teberda, lane. Baduksky, 1.

Entrance fee as of 2021

• Zoo Teberdinsky Reserve and Museum (aviaries) - 200 rubles/person.
• Shumka waterfall-100 rubles/person.
• Alibek gorge from Dombay – 200 rubles/person.
• Krugozor Semenov-Bashi from Dombay – 200 rubles/person.
• Dombay-Ulgen Gorge and Chukhchur waterfalls from Dombay – 200 rubles/person.
• Amanauz Gorge and waterfalls Devil's mill and Sofrudzhinsky from Dombay – 200 rubles/person.
• Baduk lakes-300 rubles/person.
• Gonachkhir Gorge and Lake Tumanly-Kel – 200 rubles/person, vehicles free of charge.
• Jamagat narzans – 200 rubles/person, 200 rubles Motor Transport, 300 rubles quad bike.
• Mukhinsky pass – 100 rubles/person, 300 rubles quad bike.
• Dead lake and Cossack waterfall from Arkhyz – 100 rubles/person.

There are no discounts for children and pensioners, children under 7 years old are free of charge.

The simplest one-day routes and attractions are easy to visit from resorts on their own on foot; independently on personal off-road transport; as part of excursions sold at resorts. You need to take water with you on the routes (not necessarily a lot, you can get it from mountain streams along the way), preferably trekking poles, good hiking shoes, sunglasses, hats, warm clothes, something to eat. For multi-day routes you need more serious training and experience, but that's another story.

Features of visiting the border zone

Alibek gorge, Amanauz Gorge and Dombay-Ulgen Gorge are in the border area with Abkhazia, and there is a special visiting regime. To enter them with you, you must have documents of the Russian Federation (originals of passports, birth certificates for children). When entering the route at the checkpoint, you will need to fill out the contract on a special number form, where the passport data of the entire group or individual tourist fit in, and put down the validity period of the contract (you can set it for the entire period of your vacation). Only with this Agreement and the original documents can you go on the route and pass the border guards checkpoint, which is located behind the Alibek Alpine camp, or present at the request of border guards patrols on the routes. Without a contract and documents, you will be considered a violator, for which an administrative penalty of 500 rubles and a fine for illegally visiting the Reserve are due. A contract drawn up at one checkpoint can later be used for passage to other routes, but you will have to pay for the entrance every time again.

Unfortunately, to visit the mentioned routes, foreign citizens will have to issue a pass not at the checkpoint, but in advance at the border guard in Cherkessk.

Opening hours of the Teberdinsky Reserve

The entrance to all routes is strictly regulated by time, during non-working hours the checkpoints are closed. This time is from 08:00 to 17:00 or 18:00 seven days a week. But you need to keep in mind that the entrance to some routes after lunch stops, because you simply can not return to the exit to close the checkpoint.