Located in the North Caucasus Mountains, Dagestan is in the southernmost part of Russia. With 400 km of coastline along the Caspian Sea and more than 1800 lakes and streams, this destination offers you the opportunity for an idyllic vacation. It is still largely tribal because of the difficulty of travelling in the mountains. It is a land of legends and the Silk Road of the past.

Attractions

Travelling along this route through the fertile plains along the Caspian Sea offers you numerous tourist sites to visit. See the natural profile of Pushkin in the side of a mountain and visit the ruins of former vineyards, telling the tales of the former wealth of the region. You can take a tour of several working vineyards and see the vast underground storage facilities.

Since the main religion is Muslim, there are many mosques that you can visit. You will find the people very friendly to westerners and willing to strike up a conversation about possible business connections.

Travel to Dagestan

To travel to Dagestan, you have to fly into St. Petersburg, Russia. From there you can take a bus or rent a car to drive to Dagestan. Once in the country, you will find it relatively easy to get around the flat areas, but travel in the mountains is treacherous.

Food and Drinks

Wheat, oats, rye and millet is the mainstay of the diet in Dagestan, making bread the focus of every meal. Breakfast usually consists of black tea, cold meat and cheese. Meat kebabs and a form of ravioli are popular foods at lunchtime as well as hot soups and black bread.

Vodka is always available and a drink is usually followed by marinaded fish or cucumber. Tea is also one of the favorite drinks in this country.

Language

Since Dagestan is so ethnically diverse, there are many languages spoken here. Russian is the official language and not very many people speak English.

Safety

Because of the volatile situation in this country, travellers are warned against visiting here. If you do decide to visit, you must remain vigilant at all times. Terror attacks from neighboring Chechnya are quite common.

Visas

All travellers to Dagestan must have a valid passport and a return ticket or one to another destination outside the country.

Shopping

Shopping at the markets in the small towns and villages is a delightful experience. You are expected to bargain over the price and you can come away with many exciting purchases.