Europe's highest peak · 5,642 m
Elbrus South — Small Group (max 6)
The comfortable South climb in groups of up to six: 1 instructor per 3 climbers, a hotel in the Elbrus area and a cook at the high-altitude hut.
- Duration
- 9 days
- Max altitude
- 5,642 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Group size
- Up to 6 people · 1 instructor per 3 climbers
- Region
- Elbrus
From€1,160/ person
Next date
8 May
- 4.9 traveller rating
- 95% summit success
- No payment to book
Overview
About this tour
This is the most popular way up Elbrus, run in small groups of up to six people. The South route gives the best chances of success, and the programme works for beginners and experienced climbers alike, whatever their fitness or age (barring medical contraindications). You never carry a full pack on the high-altitude stages, and accommodation and meals are comfortable.
What sets this version apart is the group size and the service: no more than six participants, one instructor per three climbers on the ascent, a hotel instead of a hostel in the Elbrus area, and a cook at the high-altitude hut. Gradual acclimatisation and a reserve day build in the best chance of a summit.
It is still not a stroll — 5,642 m, cold and an early summit push mean you need to prepare — but it is the most comfortable and personal way to do it in a group.
- Small groups of up to six, with 1 instructor per 3 climbers on the ascent
- Hotel in the Elbrus area, then the high-altitude "National Park" hut at 3,950 m with a cook
- Stepped acclimatisation: Cheget, the Observatory, then 4,900–5,000 m before the summit push
- No full-pack stages at altitude: luggage goes to the hut by snowcat or snowmobile
- Elbrus Expert medal, buff, long-sleeve T-shirt and certificate included
Day by day
Itinerary
Weather may change the order of days; your guide always has a reserve plan.
- Day1
Briefing in Pyatigorsk and transfer to the Elbrus region
2,144 mArrive in Pyatigorsk the day before (our office is open for gear checks from 08:00 to 18:00; the night there is not included) or by 10:00 on day 1. From 08:00 to 11:00 we do the final gear check and rental at the office (Lenin Square 13, Intourist hotel building), then your guide gives the briefing at 11:00. We load the van and drive 174 km to the Elbrus region (3–3.5 hours; passports may be checked on the way) with a lunch stop at a roadside café. Check in at the hotel in Terskol (2,144 m), stroll to the Narzan Glade and have dinner, then a short evening briefing with your guide.
- Day2
First acclimatisation: Mount Cheget
3,050 mYour first outing takes you up Mount Cheget (3,050 m, 4.3 km) for panoramas of the Baksan gorge, Donguz-Orun (4,454 m) and Nakra-Tau (4,277 m). Lunch with a view of Elbrus, then back down by cable car.
- Day3
Second acclimatisation: to the Observatory
3,200 mIn the morning we walk up to the Devichi Kosy waterfall and then higher to the Observatory (3,200 m, 12 km). Your instructor teaches breathing and movement technique for the mountains. You carry only a small daypack with a thermos, a snack and personal items. Back at the hotel by evening.
- Day4
Up to the hut on the slope of Elbrus
3,950 mWe take the cable car up to the high-altitude "National Park" hut on the Elbrus slope — only about 200 m on foot from the station; your luggage rides up on a snowcat or snowmobile. After settling in, a training walk up the snow slope and practice walking in crampons.
Comfort
Accommodation & meals
Hotel in the Elbrus area (Terskol, 2,144 m)
Three nights at the start of the programme in a comfortable hotel near the foot of Elbrus.
High-altitude "National Park" hut (3,950 m)
3–5 nights on the slope of Elbrus, 200 m from the cable-car station, with a high-altitude cook. Bring a sleeping bag (rentable).
Night before in Pyatigorsk (not included)
Hostels from ≈ €8, hotels in every price range and apartments are available near our office; we can help you find one.
Meals
Full board: three meals a day of fresh food from a varied menu, from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on the return day, with a cook at the high-altitude hut.
Price details
What's included
Included
- Consultations with our experts at every stage of preparation: programme, gear and clothing
- Professional mountaineering instructors, 1 per 3 participants on the climb
- All group transfers on the programme (individual transfers are not included)
- 3 nights in a hotel in the Elbrus area and 3–5 nights in the high-altitude "National Park" hut
- Full board from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on the return day, with a high-altitude cook
- Snowcat or snowmobile transport of all personal and shared luggage from the cable car to the hut, up and down
- Elbrus National Park entrance fee
- Safety equipment: satellite phone, radios, satellite navigator, first-aid kit, registration with the Emergency Ministry
- Mountaineering oxygen equipment for altitude sickness, and contact with the company doctor by satellite or mobile phone
- All shared equipment: ropes, ice screws and so on
- Elbrus Expert certificate of ascent, long-sleeve T-shirt, buff and medal
Not included
- Flights to Mineralnye Vody (MRV) and back
- Personal equipment and clothing (rental available at our office)
- Mountaineering insurance (compulsory)
- Snowcat ride on summit night (optional)
- Cable-car and chairlift tickets on Elbrus and Cheget (included in Premium)
- Individual airport pick-up and drop-off (included in Premium)
- The night in Pyatigorsk before the tour
- Elbrus summit permit, if one is reintroduced (none is required at present)
Dates & prices
Choose your date
Small international groups. Booking is free — we confirm details with you before any payment.
8 – 16 May 2027
9 days
Regular price€1,490Now€1,160per personGuidesAvailableBe the first15 – 23 Jun 2027
9 days
Regular price€1,490Now€1,160per personGuides3 seats leftBe the first17 – 25 Jul 2027
9 days
Regular price€1,490Now€1,160per personGuides3 seats leftBe the first24 Aug – 1 Sept 2027
9 days
Regular price€1,490Now€1,160per personGuidesAvailableBe the first
Need other dates or a private group? — we organise departures on request.
Packing list
Required equipment
What to bring for this programme. Most technical items can be rented from us — no need to fly with them.
Equipment
- Mountaineering cramponsRent
- Assault rucksack 35–40 L, at least 70 cm tallRent
- Expedition duffel 100–120 L or large rucksack 85–120 LRent
- Harness + 3 carabiners + safety lanyardsRent
- HeadlampRent
- Sleeping bag, comfort rating −5 to −10 °CRent
- Mountain glasses, protection category 3–4Rent
- Ski goggles, at least category 2Rent
- Insulated overbootsRent
- Thermos, 1–1.2 LRent
Clothing to rent
- Mountaineering boots (single, double or triple)Rent
- Warm hooded down or synthetic jacket that fits over a helmet, rated for winter and high-altitude conditions · For a down jacket: at least 250–300 g of quality down, ideally fill power 700+Rent
- Warm extreme mittensRent
- Warm climbing trousers (fleece-lined softshell)Rent
- Thin softshell trousersRent
Base layers (buy or bring)
- Trekking shoes (summer months)
- Fleece top, Polartec 200–300
- Liner hat that fits under a helmet
- Warm Polartec gloves
- Trekking socks, 2–3 pairs
- Thin socks, 2 pairs
- Buff (Elbrus Expert design, included in the tour)
- Cap
- Synthetic T-shirts, 2
- Rain cape
Personal items
- Sunscreen SPF 50
- Lip balm
- Compact towel
- Mug, spoon, bowl, knife
- Plastic water bottle
- Power bank, 20,000–30,000 mAh
- Compression bags, 1–2
First-aid kit
- Gauze bandage, roll plaster, antiseptics
- Antiallergic drugs, fever and cold remedies, stomach tablets
- Elastic bandage and haemostatic agents
- Your own medication for any chronic conditions
RentAll mandatory equipment and clothing can be rented at our Pyatigorsk office; base layers cannot be rented and are sold at the office or brought from home. Premium gives a 30% rental discount.
Your team
Guides on this tour
Certified mountain guides who speak English and lead this route every season.
Alexey IvanovMountaineering instructorCandidate Master of Sport, rescuer and mountaineering instructor.Profile 
Dmitry PodlesnyHigh-altitude guideMaster of Sport who climbed Cho Oyu (8,201 m) without oxygen; mountaineering instructor, category 2.Profile 
Ivan YarovoyMountaineering instructorCandidate Master of Sport in mountaineering and rock climbing, mountaineering instructor with the 'Mountain Rescue' badge.Profile 
Alexey SikilindaMountaineering instructor2010 Russian mountaineering champion (winter ascent of Ushba), Candidate Master of Sport in mountaineering and skyrunning.Profile
Reviews
What our travellers say
55 reviews on TripAdvisor
210 reviews on Google- Google
“Комфортный тур на западную вершину Эльбруса с юга с Сергеем Тарасовым. Это был не просто тур, а кинотур! Довольна всем! Организация на высшем уровне. Питание, трансфер, безопасность, аренда снаряжения - понравилось абсолютно всё! Спасибо огромное за эмоции и впечатления!”
ННаиля Филиппова September 2026 - Google
“Пользуюсь услугами компании не первый раз и планирую дальше с ними путешествовать: отличная компания, профессиональные гиды.”
AAleks September 2026 - TripAdvisor
Подъём на Эльбрус! Западная вершина.
“Поднялись с группой на западную вершину Эльбруса! У нас был опытный гид Алексей Сикилинда, который грамотно выждал погоду, и мы успешно взошли на вершину. Были ребята, которые говорили что им всё равно на погоду, ведь они идут с Ксенией Котляр, и пошли на день раньше. Но взойти на вершину у них не вышло, и они вернулись назад. А мы зашли) Спасибо опыту Алексея). Компания была максимально разношёрстная - плотник, доктор, менеджер и торговый представитель. Несмотря на это все нашли общий язык и поддерживали друг друга во время всего тура) Что конечно же положительно повлияло на успех восхождения. В целом о поездке впечатление отличное, всё было хорошо - трансфер, снаряжение, питание. Спасибо компании Эльбрус Эксперт за прекрасный тур!”
ССергей М September 2026
FAQ
Good to know
How is the small-group tour different from the standard South group?
Groups are capped at six people (the standard group starts from six), there is one instructor per three climbers instead of one per four, you stay in a hotel rather than a hostel in the Elbrus area, a cook works at the high-altitude hut, and your Elbrus Expert medal, buff and long-sleeve T-shirt are included. The route and acclimatisation programme are the same.
Do I need mountaineering experience?
No. The South programme (grade 1B) is built for first-time high-altitude travellers as well as experienced climbers, and you never carry a full pack at altitude. But Elbrus is not a stroll: summit day is 8–10 hours up and 3–4 hours down in cold and wind, so you need good fitness, discipline and proper preparation. Medical contraindications for heavy exertion at altitude rule you out.
How do I get there and where do I stay before the tour?
Fly into Mineralnye Vody (MRV), about 27 km (25 minutes) from our Pyatigorsk office; a taxi costs ≈ €8 one way. Premium includes an individual meeting at the airport and transfers to and from the office. You can arrive the day before: the office meets participants from 08:00 to 18:00 for the gear check, or on day 1 from 08:00 to 10:00. The night in Pyatigorsk is not included — there are hostels from ≈ €8, hotels in every price range and apartments near the office, and we can help you find one.
What does the Premium package add?
For about €330 more, Premium adds: a 30% discount on equipment and clothing rental, all cable-car and chairlift rides on Elbrus and Cheget, the official Russian Mountaineering Federation "For climbing Elbrus" badge and an entry in your climber's logbook (if you reach the summit), an individual meeting at Mineralnye Vody airport with a transfer to our office before the tour and back to the airport afterwards, and luggage storage during the tour. You can switch from Basic to Premium later; the Premium price is then calculated at that moment.
How does booking work?
You hold your place and fix the price with a booking deposit (≈ €200 for Basic, ≈ €300 for Premium). Small-group departures have a maximum of six seats, so places go quickly.
Can I rent the gear?
Yes. You can rent all mandatory equipment and clothing at our office in Pyatigorsk; we check everything with you on the day before or the morning of day 1. Base layers (fleece, hats, gloves, socks, T-shirts and so on) are not rentable — buy them from us or bring your own. Premium gives a 30% discount on rental.
The mountain is waiting
Ready for your summit?
From €1,160 per person. Pick a date now — we confirm everything personally, no payment at this step.