Magadan. Road of Bones in 15 days. Adventure ride for adventure riders

Route: where we will go

Khabarovsk – Blagoveshchensk – Never – Aldan – Yakutsk – Khandiga – Kubeme – Tomtor – Ust-Nera – Susuman – Ust-Omchug – Magadan

Day 1. Khabarovsk, arrival

Getting bikes, making final preparations, meeting with the team and welcome dinner.

Important: to prevent any timing issues, please, make sure your arrival time is before 3 p.m.

Day 2. Khabarovsk – Blagoveschensk, 730 km

First riding day to get used to the bike, adjust the levers, footsteps and other small things that make sense in long adventyre ride. Today its asphalted/paved road. Blagoveshchensk is located right on the Chinese border. China will be on the other side of the Amur river. We try Chinese food in the evening and go to sleep not too late. Real adventure starts in a few days. 

Day 3. Blagoveschensk – Never, 600 km 

Our last day on the Trans-Siberian highway. We will aproach the Skovorodino district and the neighborhood of Never and stay for a night in the hotel wich is located only 2 km. away from the intersection with the Lena highway that will lead us North to Yakutsk.

Day 4. Never – Aldan, 630 km

Finally we are making this right turn to the direction of Magadan. Lena highway will start right after it (from Trans-Siberian Route to Yakutsk it’s Lena highway approx. 1200 km. long; from Yakutsk to Magadan - Kolyma highway more than 2000 km. long). In 2006 road to Yakutsk was named by one of the world leading car magazines as the most dangerous road on the Earth, overcoming infamous “Death Road” in Bolivia and several other tough roads. But the good news is that during last years situation has changed and today the road is under construction, some segments are already paved, other are in process. So today situation is not so bad.

Day 5. Aldan – Yakutsk, 540 km

Yakutsk is the capital of Saha republic, it’s a city with a population of more than 300 000 people. After five riding days we have a rest day here.

Day 6. Yakutsk, rest day

In the first half of the day we have a city tour. There is a free time after that.  

Day 7. Yakutsk – Khandiga, 410 km

In 50 km from Yakutsk a paved road will be over and next 2000 km to Magadan will be a gravel road - legendary Kolyma highway. Khandiga, a place we stay for a night today, is one of the few "large" towns on our way to Magadan. 

Day 8. Khandiga – Kubeme, 350 km

This segment is probably the most beautiful in the whole entire trip. Gravel serpentines and passes surrounded by gorgeous Northern nature are there for us. As soon as we approach the Kubeme village with its famous petrol station covered with stickers from all over the world, we make a camping place at the bank of the same name river. Today we are staying in tents.

Day 9. Kubeme – Tomtor, 150 km

If there are no issues with the weather, we cover the segment of the original Road of Bones. Running along the swampy valleys it brings us to most coldest place on Earth - Tomtor. In winter temperature goes down to -50-70 degrees, and people do live here. This is the place where Old Summer Road starts from. 

Day 10. Tomtor, rest day

Rest day at the Pole of Cold. We visit local "Ice cave" museum, old Tomtor airport and recover after previous days.

Day 11. Tomtor – Ust-Nera, 400 km

Ust-Nera is one of the gold mining districts of this region. Most of the people who live here are shift workers, so talking to them is a nice opportunity to find out some interesting details about their hard labor.

Day 12. Ust-Nera – Susuman, 390 km

Today we visit ghost city Kadikchan. In previous times it was a small town with several factories/plants that gave job to local people. As the authorities closed all the factories, there was no more electricity and heating system so all the citizens quickly left the place. Today it’s one of the most famous ghost cities in Russia. 

Day 13. Susuman – Ust-Omchug, 320 km 

Another spectacular riding day along the mountain area of Magadan. We ride over mountain passes and stop at spectacular viewpoints. On the way we visit a former Gulag camp which later was turned into a prison. Now it is totally abandoned, so no issues for us to have a look at it.

Day 14. Ust-Omchug – Magadan, 310 km

Last riding day, 200 km of gravel and then we finally reach asphalt not far from Magadan. We take a so awaited photo at the border of the city with Magadan sign and eventually approach the hotel. Farewell dinner in the evening.  

Day 15. Magadan, departure

Our tour ends, it was great pleasure to ride together. If you have time we suggest to stay few more days in Magadan, to have some rest after long ride and take a city tour. Also you can travel to Kamchatka from Magadan, its one hours and 50 Euro air tickets, really good idea, think of it.