Kanas: Trekking the Wild Altai Landscapes (Level 2.5/5)

Arrive in Altay and transfer privately to the hotel. After check-in, visit Altay Museum to see archaeological finds and displays on the region's nomadic cultures, providing useful context for the borderland landscapes and communities ahead.

A detailed route and equipment briefing follows later in the day, covering luggage transfers, trail conditions, walking distances, mountain weather, and the personal gear needed for the multi-day trek. The first evening remains unhurried before the long drive toward Baihaba.

Leave Altay after breakfast and travel through Habahe County, completing the confirmed border-permit formalities before continuing toward Baihaba. The day's drive covers roughly 250 kilometres and takes about eight hours with the permit stop and scenic breaks.

Across the Altay Mountains, broad grasslands, forests, and the Haba River reveal the frontier with Kazakhstan. In autumn, Kazakh herders move livestock from high summer pasture toward sheltered winter grazing grounds, adding a living cultural layer to the landscape.

Change to the scenic-area shuttle at Tieleketi and carry the overnight luggage into Baihaba Village. After check-in, walk to the village viewpoint for the late-afternoon panorama of wooden homes, golden meadows, grazing herds, and distant snow-covered peaks.

Begin early in Baihaba after the large luggage has been transferred separately. Carry only a daypack and climb east through forest and meadow, crossing a low mountain pass at approximately 1,874 metres before pausing for a packed lunch among five-needle pines.

The path skirts a small marsh and continues toward Kala Kait Mountain, with the Guanyu Terrace appearing above the forest. A longer, gentler stretch then descends to Kanas New Village, where the day's trek concludes.

The route covers approximately 18–20 kilometres and normally requires six to eight hours on foot. Carry sufficient drinking water and keep a steady pace through the opening climb and final descent.

Begin at Shenxian Bay, where cool morning air often settles as mist above the water and forest. Continue along the Three-Bay boardwalk through Moon Bay and Wolong Bay, following the curves of the Kanas River between birch woodland and mountain slopes.

After the boardwalk, return by scenic shuttle and continue to the Kanas Lake pier. Spend the afternoon walking the lakeside paths and learning how glacial water, minerals, light, and seasonal vegetation create the lake's changing colours.

Return to Kanas Village in the late afternoon. This day is intentionally gentler than the surrounding trekking stages while still following one clear sequence of river, forest, and lake scenery.

Take the shuttle to Kanas New Village and enter the forest trail toward the Shouting Spring, a small source held sacred in local Tuvan tradition. Continue through taiga woodland of birch, larch, spruce, and fir before emerging into meadow opposite Moon Bay.

The trail follows the Kanas River toward the Double Bridges and then climbs by boardwalk to Wolong Bay. Watch for birds and small forest wildlife while following the quieter forest sections carefully along the marked route.

After approximately 12–14 kilometres of walking, meet the vehicle for the transfer to Jiadengyu. The day's programme concludes with check-in and time to rest before the longer trail toward Hemu.

Start from Jiadengyu and follow the trail through the Altai valleys toward the Kanas River. Three gradual uphill sections break up a route otherwise formed by rolling horse paths, with birch, aspen, larch, spruce, and fir creating a varied forest corridor.

Pause for a picnic beside the great bend of the Kanas River, then continue through mountain meadow and over the second rise. A final level section reaches Bieke Ranch and the Halfway Inn after approximately 14–17 kilometres of trekking.

Spend the night in simple wooden cabins at the herders' guesthouse. Main luggage continues directly to Hemu, so keep essential toiletries, warm layers, and personal items in the daypack for this remote overnight stop.

Continue upstream beside the Hemu River, climbing a gentle slope from Bieke Ranch toward open Kazakh pasture. The trail then settles into a long, level section beneath the surrounding ridges before reaching the Xiaomeili Peak viewpoint.

From the viewpoint, Hemu Village appears in the valley below, though the final approach still requires about ninety minutes of walking. Descend into the village and check in after a trekking distance of approximately 14 kilometres.

Later, walk beside the Hemu River and through the birch forest, then climb to Hadeng Platform for sunset over the wooden village. A celebratory dinner marks the completion of the main trekking section.

Leave Hemu after breakfast and descend along the Ahe Scenic Highway, a 209-kilometre border road through the Altai Mountains. The route crosses deserts, gorges, forests, wetlands, grasslands, stone formations, and a mountain pass at roughly 2,600 metres.

Stop at selected viewpoints for short walks and photographs while the landscape shifts from high glacial valleys toward the plains around Altay. Carry a packed lunch, drinking water, and snacks because services are limited along the road.

Arrive back in Altay in the late afternoon or evening and check in at the hotel. The final driving day provides a broad visual summary of the environments crossed during the trek.

After breakfast, check out from the Altay hotel and prepare for the onward journey. The final morning contains no scheduled sightseeing, allowing the route to conclude calmly after the long return drive on the Ahe Scenic Highway the previous day.

Continue by private transfer to Altay Airport or the railway station. The nine-day trek concludes at the departure terminal after linking Baihaba, Kanas, Jiadengyu, Bieke Ranch, Hemu, and Altay on foot and by road.