The boy and the dog in Yamal

Ethnographic photo expedition to Yamal

Start: March 29, 2024, Salekhard, Russia
End:
April 6, 2024, Salekhard, Russia

Group size: 4-6 people
Guide: Dmitry Arkhipov
Price: 2700€ (Deposit 1200€)

On this photography expedition, we'll attend the famous festival called Reindeer Herder's Day: we'll watch local residents compete in wrestling and reindeer sleigh races, take pictures of beautiful Nenets women in traditional costumes and carefree northern children in bright multi-colored fur coats.

We'll stay with several families, capturing the unfamiliarly tough life of the locals, and live the ordinary life of nomadic reindeer herders in chums, traditional tents. There are not many places on Earth where you can still observe primitive societies, who continue to live their independent tribal lives. This tour is a fantastic opportunity to observe the tribal culture from the inside and capture the beauty and spirit of indigenous people.

If we are lucky, we'll see the famous arctic lights, an astronomical phenomenon, over the endless tundra.
EXPEDITION ITINERARY
Days 1-2
Meeting in Salekhard. The Festival of reindeer herders.

Our journey will begin right on the Arctic Circle in the city of Salekhard on Yamal. We will arrive in the afternoon and stay in a cozy hotel in the city center, and in the evening we will go to dinner together at a national restaurant with authentic northern cuisine.

And the next day in the morning we will go to the village of Aksarka, 60 km from Salekhard, where the largest festival of reindeer herders in Yamal takes place (the drive about an hour). This amazing event takes place once a year on the Ob River, covered with thick ice. We will film competitions of local people in various sports, photograph the Nenets in their national costumes, and plunge into the atmosphere of the ancient holiday of the ancient northern people.

Days 3-6
Reindeer herders of Yamal

We'll travel to and spend time in two different reindeer herders' camps, where we'll stay for two days with each family. We'll stay in chums, capture images of the locals' simple life, and photograph herds of reindeer in the tundra. We'll dine together with our hosts and try local cuisine which mainly includes venison, fish, and taiga berries (however, there's a good chance you'll see more familiar food on a table).

We'll sleep in our sleeping bags in chums, which are warm and cozy enough thanks to wood-burning stoves. In the evenings, our hosts start the generator so there will be electricity for you to recharge the batteries.

We'll photograph local people practicing lasso, harness reindeer and driving sleigh. Every night, we'll observe the polar sky in the hope of catching the arctic lights.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included
Day 7
Way back

On this day, after the morning photo shooting we'll drive the Trekol through the tundra back to Salekhard. In the evening, we'll check into the hotel (double suite/twin bed included).

Breakfast included

Day 8
Flight home

In the morning after breakfast, we'll arrive at the airport and fly to Moscow, where you'll travel back home.
The nenets girl in the reindeer herders camp in Yamal, Siberia
The girl from the family of reindeer herders with the herd of reindeer
Aurora over Yamal, Siberia
Nothern lights over the camp of reindeer herders in the Polar Urals
6 wheel ATV Trekol
All Terrain Vehicle for driving in tundra
Participants of the Yamal Photo Expedition
The photographers from Singapore near the traditional nenets hut
Nenets reindeer herders at hte rest
Locals of Yamal on the rest in the tundra
Chum - traditional nenets hut
Chum in the camp of reindeer herders of Yamal
Nenets woman in Yamal
Yamal woman in the camp of nomads
The reindeer herder
Nenets reindeer herder with his reindeer
Reindeer sled
Reindeer riding in Yamal phototour
In the chum of reindeer herders of Yamal
The traditional house of the family of reindeer herders
The nothern princess
The girl from the family of reindeer herders of Yamal in national dress
The catching of reindeer
The reindeer herder catches the reindeer in the tundra of Yamal
The nenets family in Yamal
The famaly of nenets in their chum in the camp
The nenets boy dressed in the national costume
Rhe biy in the reindeer sguba, Yamal
Reindeer rider in the Tundra
the tundra of Yamal, reindeer herder drives the reindeer
INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

* Transport all along the route
* Meals as in program
* Accommodation and meals in the hut in the family of reindeer breeders
* Guide services and assistance in photography
NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

* Tickets to Salekhard and back
* Meals in Saleckhard
* Health insurance
* Alcoholic beverages


REGISTRATION FORM
To register for the tour please fill the form below. We will notify you about availability and payment options. If there are no available spots, your registration will be automatically placed to the waiting list.