MOSCOW, September 25. /TASS/. The new tourist route "Great Silk Road" will open in the North Caucasus on Sunday. Chinese and Russian tour operators will embark on the week-long tour of North Caucasian regions, the Russian Ministry of North Caucasus Affairs reported.

"The new tourist route ‘Great Silk Road’ starts in Dagestan. Thanks to it, tourists will learn about geographical, cultural and culinary diversity of the Russian Caucasus in just seven days. Five Chinese tour operators, representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Russia, of China’s Hainan Airlines, and journalists from Russia and China will go on this tour," the ministry said.

The agreement on creating a tourist route in the North Caucasus was signed at the "Intourmarket - 2016" exhibition in the spring. The draft project was presented by the North Caucasian Federal District and implemented with the support of the Russian Ministry of North Caucasus Affairs and Rosturizm tourism agency. The ministry said that after the tour, several agreements will be signed between the North Caucasian Federal District’s regions and Chinese tour operators.

Russian Deputy Minister of North Caucasus Affairs Andrey Reznikov said that "the trip will open another Caucasus to tourists - safe and hospitable." Among the most notable parts of the tour are the most ancient Russian city of Derbent with the citadel of Niran-Kala at the Caspian Sea, "Heart of Chechnya" mosque in Grozny, ancient monasteries in North Ossetia, as well as medieval tower cities in Ingushetia, ascending Elbrus by a cable car, mineral springs in the resort city of Kavminvody and Honey Waterfalls in Karachay-Cherkessia.

It was earlier reported that the "Tea Express" railway route through the six North Caucasian republics was launched last year. The railway route and bus tour represent a reverse trip in the Caucasian part of the Great Silk Road.