Bzerpinsky Cornice permit 2026:the complete guide to obtaining tickets and prices
Permits for the Bzerpinsky Cornice online in 5 minutes. Reserve permit ₽500, national-park ticket ₽300. Step-by-step guide, prices and rules.
Before you go
Types of permits
Single-day permit and ticket
Single-day permits are for short out-and-back trips without an overnight stay. This format suits fit hikers able to cover 10–20 km in daylight. A single-day reserve permit costs ₽500 and a national-park ticket ₽300.
Plan your time carefully: the climb from the cable car takes 4–6 hours, you spend 1–2 hours at the cornice, and the descent takes 2–3 hours. Factor this in when planning.
Multi-day permits for overnight hikes
Multi-day permits are needed for hikes with an overnight stay in tents or huts. Most people choose this option to fully enjoy the mountain lakes and meet the sunrise at 2,000 m.
Cost of multi-day permits:
- First day: ₽500 (reserve) + ₽300 (national park)
- Each following day: ₽300 (reserve) + ₽300 national-park ticket on the day of return
Totals per person - 1 day: ₽800; 2 days / 1 night: ₽1,400; 3 days / 2 nights: ₽1,700.
Discounts and concessions
For foreign visitors: Discounts (free entry for children, 50% for pensioners, etc.) apply to Russian citizens with supporting documents. Foreign visitors pay the full price: ₽300 national park and ₽500 reserve per person.
Discounts on permits and tickets are available for:
- Children under 7 - free (with a birth certificate)
- Children 7–14 - 50% off
- Pensioners - 50% off (with ID)
- People with disability groups I–II - free; a companion gets 50% off
- Combat veterans - 50% off
- Large families - 50% off for children
Note: discounts available when buying permits online are applied automatically once you enter your age during checkout. Enter your age and check whether the price changes. Other concessions may require an in-person visit. Reserve information line: +7 988 150-01-02.
Cost of a National Park ticket
- Single-day - ₽300
- Multi-day - ₽300 per day (e.g. 3 days: ₽300 × 3 = ₽900)
- Concession - discounts available with supporting documents at the gate
You need a ticket for the day you go up and the day you come back down. For days spent at camp, only the reserve permit is required. There is mobile coverage on the cornice - you can buy the return ticket on the way up.
How to get them
Get the reserve permit
To get a Bzerpinsky Cornice permit online:
- Go to the official Caucasian Reserve site, kavkazzapoved.ru
- Open “Tourism and recreation” in the main menu
- Find route No. 8a: “Medvezh’i Vorota - Bzerpinsky Cornice - Kholodny Camp”
- At the bottom of the page choose “Visit request”
- Enter the start and end dates of your hike (the same date for a single day)
- Fill in the details of each participant: full name, date of birth, email, phone
- Choose a payment method and pay online
- You will receive the permits by email within 15 minutes
- Save your bank payment-confirmation screen - you may need it if the permit does not arrive in time
Buy the national-park ticket
National-park tickets are simpler to arrange:
- Open npsochi.ru
- At the top of the page choose “Buy ticket / permit”
- At the bottom - “Get a permit to the territory”
- On the next page, tick the box confirming you have read the information materials about visiting the Sochi National Park - the payment button then appears
- Pay by bank card
- Save the e-tickets on your phone
Reserve permit prices
- Single-day - ₽500 for the first day in the reserve
- Multi-day - ₽300 for each following day (e.g. 3 days: 500 + 300 + 300 = ₽1,100)
- Concession - discounts for various categories; arranged in person with documents
Prices are for guidance only and are not a public offer. Check current prices on the reserve’s official site when booking.
National-park ticket prices
- Single-day - ₽300
- Multi-day - ₽300 for each additional day of stay (e.g. 3 days: 300 × 3 = ₽900)
- Concession - discounts for various categories; arranged in person with documents
Important: you need national-park tickets for both the day you go up and the day you come down. There is mobile coverage at the cornice, so you can buy the return ticket along the way.
- 7+ days before the hike - 100% refund
- 3–6 days before - 50% refund
- Less than 3 days before - no refund
- Dates can be changed once without penalty
The essentials
Can I get a permit on the day of the hike?
Yes, if there are still free places in the reserve quota. Once the quota is exceeded you can still arrange tickets, but it takes much more effort. It is best to arrange permits and tickets in advance, especially in summer - on the day itself you risk losing time trying to reach staff and sort out payment by phone rather than online.
Do children need a permit?
Yes - permits and tickets are required for all visitors regardless of age. For children under 7 they are issued free of charge (including online), but they are still mandatory.
Can I give my permit to someone else?
No. Permits for the Bzerpinsky Cornice are personal and non-transferable - this is for safety on the route. During a check, an inspector may compare the permit details with your passport.
Before you set off
Test yourself
What do you know about the permit and the rules?
Permit and ticket for the Bzerpinsky Cornice - the documents you must have
Visiting the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve is a rare chance to touch the untouched nature of the Caucasus. A permit for the Bzerpinsky Cornice and a national-park ticket are mandatory for this popular mountain route at 2,063 m. Without valid permits you cannot legally enter the area, and breaking this rule carries serious fines. The process can look confusing - that is exactly why we put together this detailed guide, so you can get every document quickly and make your way to the top comfortably and safely.
Why permits and tickets are required
Legal basis and reserve rules
The Bzerpinsky Cornice sits where two specially protected natural areas meet, so a hike needs two documents: a permit to the Caucasian State Biosphere Reserve and a ticket to the Sochi National Park. This is not red tape - it protects a unique ecosystem. Permits cap visitor numbers and ease the pressure on the fragile alpine environment, and the fees fund trail upkeep, signage and protection of the area.
What happens without documents
Visiting the cornice without a permit is an administrative offence under Russian law. Reserve inspectors check documents regularly along the route, and a violation can mean a fine - so it is always cheaper and easier to arrange everything in advance.
Where to buy the permit and ticket offline
Visitor centres and offices
If you prefer to arrange documents in person, you can buy permits and tickets here:
Caucasian Biosphere Reserve:
- Adler: ul. Karla Marksa 8, office 2 - tel. +7 (988) 150-01-02
- Laura cordon: Esto-Sadok village, 2 km along the road toward the “Laura” ecological centre (past Gazprom Galaktika and the lifts)
Sochi National Park:
- Office: Sochi, Kurortny prospekt 74 - tel. +7 862 265-89-09. Mon–Thu 8:00–17:00, Fri 8:00–16:00, Sat–Sun closed.
Documents for in-person processing
For in-person processing you will need:
- Passport, or a birth certificate for children
- Documents confirming any eligibility for a discount
- A list of all group members with passport details
- A contact phone number for the group leader
Document checks on the route
Inspectors check permits and tickets at several points:
- At the foot of the climb from the cable car - National Park
- On the Bzerpinsky Cornice - Reserve
- At Kholodny Camp - Reserve
A photo of your confirmation on your phone is usually enough. Keep paper documents somewhere easy to reach and protected from moisture.
- A Caucasian Reserve permit
- A Sochi National Park ticket
- Passport (or the ID the permit is issued to)
- Proof of eligibility if you claimed a discount
An inspector at the cordon may check your documents - keep them handy.
Don’t want to deal with it?
Go with a guide.
A guide handles the permits and organises the whole hike for you. The sochiguides.ru team knows the cornice in every season.
