We have been kayaking the Lena and Sinaya rivers in Summer 2016 and visited the pillars on the banks of both rivers. It was an absolutely stunning experience.

The pillars are located some 200 kilometers south of the city of Yakutsk. To get to Yakutsk is actually not that difficult though it is definitely one of the most remote places on earth. There are several flights a day from Moscow. For instance, getting to Yakutsk from one of the larger European airports via Moscow costs about 800 euros for a round trip. The journey from Europe takes at least 12 hours, a two to three hours flight to Moscow, the transfer and then a almost seven hours flight from Moscow to Yakutsk. 

Once you have arrived in Yakutsk you will find out that the city actually offers a lot to see. The majority of the population belongs to a number of indigenous nations with most of them being Yakuts. Their culture and traditions are absolutely impressive. Also the city itself has a lot to offer like the world's only mammoth museum or a traditional Yakut village a little outside the city.

From Yakutsk there are different possibilities to get to the Lena pillars. You may book one of the ships cruising the Lena river or you make book a personal guide. I would highly recommend to book a personal guide. We decided to do a kayak tour for ten days. The starting point was somewhat close the source of the Sinaya river which is a tributary of the great Lena river. If you are visiting the Lena pillars you should definitely also try to get to the Sinaya river. For me the pillars there were even more impressive. Visiting the Yakutia is a true once in lifetime experience. I believe there are not many stunning destinations like Yakutia left which are that unknown to foreigners.