How to get to Dombay from mineral waters. How to get to Dombay - all the ways. What is the best way to get to Dombay
A wonderful mild climate, mountain air clearer than crystal, snowy mountain peaks, at the foot of which there are pine forests with mineral springs - all this is Dombay. Many travelers and ski lovers return here more than once, while others only dream of visiting here. Getting to Dombay is not difficult, use any convenient transport: plane, bus, train, taxi, or by car.
To create the correct and convenient route to Dombay, be patient and accept the need for transfers. The fastest way to travel is by plane. A large airport is located in the city of Mineralnye Vody, closest to Dombay. There are more than a dozen flights from Moscow to Mineralnye Vody, operated by various airlines: Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, Transaero, UTair and others. There are flight schedules and promotions when purchasing tickets. Flight time – 2 hours, cost – from 2700 rubles. There are 200-230 km left to the ski resort (depending on the further route). To move, you can take a taxi, wait for a regular bus, or use the hotel’s transfer services. It is better to order a taxi in advance from home, for example on the KiwiTaxi website or on the TsarDorog portal. The distance to Dombay will take from 3.5 to 4.5 hours, so a taxi will cost at least 3,500 rubles. It is much cheaper to get together as a group and hire a minibus for 5-8 thousand rubles. (depending on the number of places). Be careful when accepting the services of private carriers, read reviews about them online."" download here.
For those who prefer to travel by train, there are several convenient, inexpensive flights to the Dombay Valley. The nearest large railway stations are in the cities: Mineralnye Vody, Nalchik, Cherkessk, Nevinnomyssk. Trains from Moscow depart from the following stations: Kazansky, Kursky, Paveletsky. Next, take a taxi or a regular bus with a transfer in Teberda. From Moscow to the Mineralnye Vody station the train takes 28-40 hours, the cost of a ticket (reserved seat) is from 2200 rubles. The cheapest form of transport is direct bus. Every week, high-comfort buses travel from Moscow to Dombay. The buses are well equipped: there is a dry toilet, a TV, a boiler, and an attendant. The method is not the fastest, but it gives you the opportunity to enjoy the picturesque surroundings along the way. Such transfer services will be provided to you by the companies “Anchor”, “Gulliver” and others. For telephone numbers and terms of delivery to Dombay, see the official websites of the companies.
Over the past decades, the village of Dombay in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic has become one of the most popular Russian villages with developed infrastructure. Snow-white mountain peaks, swift rivers with powerful waterfalls, beautiful alpine lakes, picturesque fir forests and alpine meadows, clean mountain air - this is all Dombay. How to get there from Moscow? This question is increasingly being asked by Internet users in search engines. Let's consider various options for getting to Dombay, so that when you go on a trip, you can choose the most comfortable option for yourself and minimize the loss of time.
Features of a trip to Dombay from Moscow
When going to Dombay, first of all, you should take into account that the resort has neither an airport nor a train station, so transfers are inevitable. The rest of the journey will have to be covered by bus or car. From the major cities of the North Caucasus region, where you will arrive by plane or train, you can get to Dombay in several ways.
Regular buses regularly run between and Karachay-Cherkessia. Most likely, you will have to make another transfer in Cherkessk or Teberd. You can avoid the disadvantages of traveling by public transport by taking a taxi, which can be ordered in advance using the capabilities of a special portal.
Many owners of private hotels in Dombay can arrange transfers from the airport or train station by agreement. Renting a car (or initially driving your own car) is the best option for those who plan to visit not only Dombay, but also visit other interesting places in the North Caucasus.
How to get to Dombay from Moscow by plane
An airplane is the fastest, but also the most expensive way to travel. You can fly from the capital to the closest one to Dombay at any time of the day from Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo with direct flights of various airlines. Approximately two hours after departure you will already arrive at the largest of the Caucasian airports. An alternative option is to fly from Moscow to Stavropol.
The further journey from the airport terminal to Dombay can be made by a tourist bus from the Gulliver company, which runs daily during the ski season from December to March. It is better to check the bus departure time in advance. At other times, you can take a minibus to the Minvod bus station and travel the rest of the way to the resort by regular bus with a transfer in Teberda. Connoisseurs of speed and comfort will prefer to continue the route from the airport by taxi, and in less than four hours they will arrive in Dombay - a ski resort!
How to get from Moscow by train
Going to Dombay by rail is a relatively inexpensive and quite acceptable option. Trains depart from Kursky, Paveletsky and Kazansky railway stations in the capital to Mineralnye Vody, Nevinnomyssk and Kislovodsk. You will have to spend 28-38 hours on the road.
Options for further travel depend on which train station you arrive at. From Mineralnye Vody station, the ways to get to Dombay are the same as from the airport.
You can always leave Kislovodsk by regular bus to Teberda, and then transfer to a minibus to the village. You can also take advantage of the opportunity to travel on excursion buses from Kislovodsk travel companies that organize one-day tours to Dombay.
Despite the fact that Nevinnomyssk is the closest to Dombay, it is impossible to get directly from it to the village. You will have to get by bus or train to Cherkessk, and then by minibus to the resort.
How to get from Moscow to Dombay by bus
There is another way to get to Dombay. How to get there from Moscow? There is another option - bus. A number of companies organize direct flights from Moscow to Dombay on comfortable and modern luxury buses, equipped with everything necessary for a pleasant trip. They are equipped with dry closets, televisions, audio-video systems, and boilers. This is the cheapest (and non-stop) option, perfect for those who are not in too much of a hurry.
True, such buses make daily or weekly trips only during the ski season, so those who want to relax in Dombay at other times of the year will have to look for other ways to travel.
Dombay: how to get there from Moscow by car
Traveling to Dombay with your own car is a budget option that many people like. This option attracts with its independence from transport schedules, the absence of transfers and the excellent opportunity to admire the amazing panoramic views of the Caucasus. You can stop wherever you want.
If you decide to travel from Moscow to Dombay by car, then you will have a long journey of about 1600 km. M4 Don passes through Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don. After Nevinnomyssk you will need to turn to Cherkessk, then drive through Karachaevsk and Teberda. The journey will take more than a day.
Choose the option that suits you personally and travel with pleasure. Come to Dombay! We tried to tell you how to get there from Moscow in as much detail as possible.
By personal car
If you have wondered how to get from Moscow to Dombay, then we will answer it for you. The first option is, naturally, by private car. The road there will be long, about a day, because the distance between the cities is 1600 km. You will drive along the M4 “Don” highway and you will pass through such cities as Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Cherkessk.
Buses and trains
Understanding the question of how to get from Moscow to Dombay, we can offer two more types of ground transport, such as buses and trains. The former will take longer than the option with a personal car. Buses from Moscow to your destination from travel agencies cost from 2,300 rubles, and the duration of the trip takes more than a day. This option is quite inconvenient, except for the beautiful views that accompany you along the entire path. As for the train, you can get from the northern capital to Nevinnomyssk on the branded Kavkaz train in just 21 hours. Other trains take from 25 to 38 hours, and the cheapest tickets cost from 2,500 rubles.
To Dombay by plane
To find out how to get from Moscow to Dombay by plane, you need to analyze all flights from the capital to the cities closest to Dombay. It’s worth stopping at Mineralnye Vody, since the distance from them to Dombay is the shortest and tickets cost from 3,000 rubles, and this is in both directions. And from the place of arrival to Dombay you can already get by regular bus, taxi or car.
Thus, this is how you can get from Moscow to Dombay to the ski resort. And to put it even simpler, you can immediately buy a ready-made tour package, which will allow you not to delve into the nuances of travel yourself, especially since the cost of tours from Moscow is extremely favorable.
When I went on a train through the North Caucasus, I assumed, of course, that I would get vivid impressions. But I had no idea how much this region would captivate me. How beautiful these mountains, passes, gorges will be...
And in this article I want to tell you what a ski resort is Dombay resort in summer.
What does an ordinary person know about Dombai? That it is somewhere in the Caucasus, that avid skiers strive to get there, that it is beautiful there. We went there with approximately the same knowledge. And this is what came out of it.
Dombay: why you should come here even if you are not a skier
Usually, when people say the words “unique nature” to me when describing a place, I begin to suspect that it is not so unique after all.
Well, think for yourself: would it occur to anyone to put emphasis on the unique nature in a guide to Austria? I doubt. For this is illogical, if only because in neighboring Germany and Switzerland it will be very similar. In general, all big mountains are somewhat similar. And the most interesting thing: having visited some big mountains, you fall in love with all the others. Did you notice?
How to get there
By plane You can fly to the airport in Kavminvody. From the Mineralnye Vody bus station you can take a bus to Teberdy , and from there by taxi or bus to Dombay.
But the most pleasant option is, of course, to travel around the Caucasus, as we do - in your own car. We drove from the direction of Kislovodsk and left the mountains on the highway just near Cherkessk.
By car from Cherkessk (the capital of Karachay-Cherkessia) you will reach Dombay along the A-155 highway in 2-2.5 hours. And believe me, this will be one of the most beautiful roads of your life!
While we were driving, I involuntarily had associations with the same Swiss landscapes:
“Alpine pastorals” would be the name of these paintings if the minaret towers and rickety fences were removed from them. And add the bell towers of Catholic churches, coupled with high-speed rail and a highway.
By the way, one of the peculiarities of this region is cars without license plates. This is how local horsemen ride. The traffic police officers obviously don’t touch them (hey, yes, they’re still their own!), but it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to come to an agreement with the camera that the feds installed and which records everyone by their license plate number.
Instead of cows with bells, lean stallions graze on the slopes along the road. In the Caucasus, it’s customary to be proud and admire horses! As in, Karachay-Cherkessia has its own source of pride.
The existence of two separate breeds, Kabardian and Karachay, was officially recognized in 1935 - although in the first volume of the state stud book all Caucasian breeds were united under the general term “mountain”. In 1943, after the repressions and deportation of the Karachais to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, all references to this people, including the name of the local horse breed, were erased. Of course, the Karachai horses themselves continued to exist, but they were recorded as Kabardian. It was possible to “rehabilitate” the breed as a separate breed only in the 1980s, but the controversy still does not subside.
And we are already approaching Teberda - once the largest anti-tuberculosis resort in the USSR.
Teberda: say yes to nature
The resort is located at an altitude of 1300−1400 meters above sea level, in the picturesque valley of the Teberda River.
This resort will become your transit point if you go to Dombay not by car, but fly by plane to the Caucasian Mineral Waters.
For a resident of large cities, Teberda will seem like a large village. But once upon a time it was with it that the tourist boom to these places began. Only then it wasn’t skiers or mountain trekking enthusiasts who were eager to come here on vacation. And people suffering from tuberculosis, which was called the “plague of the 19th century.”
Teberda's climate is characterized by low atmospheric pressure, low humidity and high air ionization (50 times higher than in cities and on the plain). Another point is the special wind regime. Both fresh air from the surrounding mountains and warm air from the Black Sea enter the valley. At the same time, thanks to the mountains, biologically active substances and phytoncides produced by plants - relict pines and meadow herbs - are retained in the valley. So this place is one big natural inhaler.
In 1870, in these places, the wife of Captain Kuzovlev, who was the right hand of the commander of this entire district, was successfully cured of consumption. To celebrate, the captain built a dacha in these places, where his wife lived happily for another 20 years.
Another lucky person who was helped by the local climate from tuberculosis was Islam Krymshamkhalov, a Karachay artist and public figure. Having settled in Teberda, Krymshamkhalov became one of the main developers of the resort. In 1910, a letter was written to the then governor of the Caucasus, Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov, and the following year the construction of state-owned dachas - prototypes of modern boarding houses - began in Teberda.
That same year, at the Pirogov Congress of Doctors in Moscow, Teberda was officially recognized mountain climatic resort . Thus, Teberda became an alternative not only to the Crimean one, where domestic asthmatics and tuberculosis patients were traditionally treated, but also to expensive resorts and. Here they are, the origins of import substitution, friends :-)
The first Soviet health resorts appeared here in 1923, and in the 1930s Teberda turned into a privileged resort; large ministries and departments built sanatoriums here.
Teberda has not lost either its status as a resort of federal significance or its main advantages. The nature here is still defiantly beautiful, as we have personally seen. And it is through Teberda, just like a hundred years ago, that the only road passes through - the former Military Sukhumi, now the federal highway A-155.
From here there are only 25 kilometers left to Dombay (20 minutes by car).
And the closer we get to it, the more it begins to seem to me that I am again traveling in the mountains of Switzerland...
Because that pyramidal peak over there reminds me very much of the Matterhorn.
And here I am Dombay village. It is located at 1600 m above sea level. This place is called Dombayskaya Polyana. Three gorges converge here. And accordingly, three rivers merge together - Alibek, Dombay-Ulgen and Amanauz.
The town itself is small. Just a couple of turns and we are already entering the parking lot at the lower cable car station.
Dombay in summer: what is worth coming for
Mount Dombay-Ulgen is the highest peak of the Western Caucasus (4046 m), which gives its name to the entire region. It is located east of the resort village of Dombay, on the border of Abkhazia and Karachay-Cherkessia.
Dombay has been known as a ski resort in our country since the late 1960s. Nowadays, in terms of infrastructure, the resort lags behind more modern competitors. But the prices here are more affordable, and the atmosphere is almost homely.
Before we had time to get out of the car, an uncle jumped up to us and, in his own way, offered us not to overpay for the ride on the new cable car, but to take a ride on the old one, which was 300 rubles cheaper.
We looked at her... Maybe it’s romantic, of course, but I don’t want to risk it. We go to the ticket office of the new cable car.
Prices for a new lift
One lift to 3 stages costs 1050 rubles. Winter ski passes (judging by the price list at the checkout) were as follows: for 1 day - 1600 rubles, 2 days - 2840, 3 - 3910 rubles. Very sincere, compared to Krasnopolyansk prices.
The rise begins at 1590, which is already quite a lot. The first stage of the cable car - up to 2277 meters - is a gondola, i.e. 8-seater closed cabins. And the view of the valley from them is like this:
At 2277 meters you can walk a little, take photos and gather your courage. If you are afraid of heights, there will be a chair lift next.
If you like hand-made souvenirs, then here you will also find great shopping:
And before boarding the chair, you should warm yourself up - the temperature at the top will be 10 degrees lower than in the valley. So take advantage of your last chance.
We go to the chair. Of course, there are no queues for boarding now.
We rise higher and higher. So the snow appeared on the highway. There are no snow cannons visible, which means it’s a natural product, as they say.
As I learned later, after returning from Dombay, an artificial snowmaking system had already been purchased and will appear on the ski slopes of the Dombay resort in December 2018, by the beginning of the new winter season.
In the meantime, let's admire the natural beauties. The landscapes are simply breathtaking! Is it possible to put this into words?
True, the sight of people riding in oncoming seats is a little alarming - they are wrapped in clothes, like the Germans near Moscow:
But after Elbrus, which greeted us with a snowstorm, we are no longer afraid of anything.
Why is it worth taking the cable car in summer?
Dombay Glade and the mountains surrounding it are legendary places. For climbers, Dombay is generally a cult place. It was with them, the climbers, that the development of the area began in the pre-war years. The skiers arrived later. But it is for their sake that money is now being invested in the region’s infrastructure.
Although it is the old recognizable species that remain the calling card of Dombay. Like, for example, that hotel in the shape of a “flying saucer”:
In this regard, local guides will definitely tell you the legend of how aliens once landed at this place, and they liked it so much that they changed their minds about flying away and parked their “ship” here forever... Well, looking at the panoramas of these mountains, you willingly believe it.
At the same time, I note to myself that trails in Dombay not difficult: quite wide and not too steep in slope.
We are approaching 3035 meters above sea level. It’s certainly cool here, and warm clothes come in handy. You can go another 200 m higher on a chairlift. But for now we decide to look around here.
First, we go to capture the excellent view of Mount Belalakaya:
If you, like us, have seen many mountain resorts during your tourist life, and your archive contains 100,500 photos with mountain views, then this inscription will remind you exactly where you enjoyed the panoramas of snow-capped peaks.
There are simple cafes here, where skiers apparently dine.
Tourists with pretensions will definitely not be enthusiastic about visiting such “authentic” establishments. I’m not even talking about the toilet, which hangs over the abyss (note that the cost of visiting is 30 rubles):
There are also about a dozen different souvenir stalls here - what if you urgently need that cute hat with ears to be completely happy?
But this is understandable, everything is as it should be. Where there are tourists, there are souvenirs.
But we still don’t understand what this guy was doing at the ski resort with two machine guns in his arms:
We let him go ahead and wait for the next chair. We decided not to climb another 200 meters: everything was drowned in a cloud, visibility was zero, and we were not in the mood for completely freezing on the chair.
On the way down, a piercing wind blows in your face. But we still manage to take a couple more beautiful shots:
At the bottom we are overtaken by a feeling of hunger, and in search of food we go to the other side of the river, across the bridge:
How much does it cost to eat in Dombay?
On the other side of the river we find tightly packed shopping arcades and a couple of cafes.
Prices for food in Dombay in summer and winter are almost the same and depend on the level of the establishment. The khychins we love cost from 100 rubles in a cafe, from 130-200 in a restaurant. The main fillings are meat, potatoes, cottage cheese or soft cheese with herbs. But you can’t guess with them: they can serve small ones, with the fillings the cat cried, or, on the contrary, they can bring such ones that you can fill up with this one snack.
The main dishes include: river and lake trout (from 250 rubles per serving, usually one large fish), mountain and Karachay meat cost the same. A kettle of mountain tea with honey or jam - from 150 rubles. Lagman and shurpa usually start from 150 rubles per serving. In general, you can eat in a cafe from 500 rubles for two.
What to see in the vicinity of Dombay
And we begin to desperately regret that we did not take a couple more days to visit Dombay...
Some attractions are accessible by our car - roads are built to them. However, the mountain roads cannot be traveled by bus, so there are no large groups of excursionists at these sites. To get to some of them, we were told, we would have to walk along picturesque mountain paths.
In general, summer holidays in Dombay can be very, very varied; there is no shortage of excursions and entertainment.
Prices for some activities: ATV rental - about 2000 rubles; horseback riding - from 1000 rubles per person; fishing - from 500 rubles
There is one caveat: many of the natural beauties are the Teberdinsky Biosphere Reserve, in addition, the border with Abkhazia passes nearby. Therefore, the scheme here is the same as in Krasnaya Polyana: if you go on these routes, you will have to apply for a pass to the border zone. Previously, it had to be done in advance (2-3 days in advance) in Cherkessk, but now you can get it directly from the forester on the route. But you need to have your passport with you and fill out a form. This is done for free.
But the trails in the reserve are paid. The cost of passage is 100-150 rubles. Agree, this is not much, if all these lakes and waterfalls are really as beautiful as in the photos in tourist brochures.
Where to stay in Dombay
There are quite a lot of guest houses and hotels in Dombay. All of them differ from each other in the level of accommodation and the quality of services provided. However, all Dombay hotels are famous for Caucasian hospitality and home comfort. Price levels in the summer and winter months are, of course, different.
In the off-season, a double standard can be found from 1,300 rubles; in winter, room rates in most hotels start from 2,000 rubles. Modest apartments cost from 2 thousand rubles, higher levels - from 4 thousand. As a rule, prices go up even more for the New Year.
We vacationed in Dombay in the off-season (May 2018) and, choosing options for ourselves, looked at the following hotels:
- Chateau Leopard
- Hotel National
- Crystal Hotel
- Meridian
- Andersen Hotel
- Hotel Gonachkhir
If you need something simpler, you can check out these options:
- Hotel Sokol
- Crown of Dombay
- Star
- Altair-Dombay
- Sky Hotel
- Hotel Stella
If you do not want to organize your holiday in Dombay yourself, then you can buy a ready-made tour.
All hands on deck!
In general, if you plan your vacation in Dombay outside the ski season (which lasts from December to April), get ready for dizzying mountain trails and incredible adventures. And take at least a week for your vacation!
Because now, having returned from this region, I have already made a whole list of why I want to return there. If you are also a supporter of active recreation, then these places will also captivate you...
I look forward to your comments and questions.
See you on the blog!
I am an ideal employee). I take vacations in winter because I love skiing. On one of my vacations I went for a ride and looked at the famous flying saucer). You could say my journey began from Mineralnye Vody, where I arrived by plane.
By car
The shortest and best route goes along the A157 and A155 roads. The route will not let you get bored; beautiful landscapes will accompany you throughout the trip. First you will pass through Essentuki, and later Karachaevsk.
Basically, the road is narrow and not without dangers; often it runs along a cliff. It is not recommended to drive along it at night, especially since in some areas there is no mobile connection. In winter, take chains, a shovel, a flashlight, a cable and other things necessary in case of force majeure. As our driver said, you shouldn’t calculate the travel time; in winter, anything can happen. A lot of snow can fall overnight and the journey will take 4 hours, although the distance is 200 km. 
The nature reserve begins in Teberda; tolls are often collected here, although hiking trails are considered paid in summer and autumn. The fare is taken not only from cars, but from all cars, it costs 100 rubles, ask for a receipt, they must provide it to you.
By taxi
More often I travel by public transport, but sometimes I allow myself a taxi; a trip with skis is exactly the case. Ordering a car from Mineralnye Vody to Dombay will cost 3,000 rubles, but remember that the luggage of four passengers will not fit into the trunk, and skis even more so. Therefore, I advise you to order a minivan; this pleasure will cost 5,000 rubles. The amount is not so scary if it is divided among several people, because the minivan can accommodate 6 passengers. For the same price, you can pick up a minibus for a large group, then the trip will be even cheaper. There are also prefabricated transfers for independent travelers who want to share a taxi company. Such services are provided by some companies that collect groups at the airport or train station.
By bus
If I decided to travel by bus, I would have to make 2 transfers. First, from the airport you need to get to the bus station, bus number 11 goes to it. Flights operate regularly, from 6:30 to 8 pm, every 15-25 minutes. There is a final stop near the airport, and the trip takes 10 minutes, making it convenient to travel with luggage. The bus station is located near the Ruslan market (Sovetskaya St., 97), visible from the road.
From here buses to Teberda leave daily at 14:45, the schedule can be found below. 
The route is not laid along the shortest road, so you arrive in Teberda after 6 hours and this is not the end of the trip! There are still 20 km left to Dombay. Here you can transfer to the Cherkessk-Dombay minibus, but the latter leaves from the final station at 15:20 and by the time the bus from Mineralnye Vody arrives it has already passed Teberda. The only ones left are the taxi drivers guarding this evening bus, there are enough of them here, but I would write down a couple of phone numbers just in case, because it’s late.
Buying tickets
Bus tickets are sold at the ticket office or on the carrier's website. You can pay for travel on public transport from the driver.
Price
- The airport-bus station bus costs 15 rubles.
- Bus Mineralnye Vody - Teberda - 460 rubles.
- Taxi 400 rubles.
Conclusion
There is no railway in Dombay, I didn’t even consider this option. To get by without a taxi, you can get from Mineralnye Vody to Cherkessk, and then transfer to a bus to.