day 1

day distance: 40 km

Arrival in Minsk. You will be met by a driver and taken to your hotel in the city (40 minutes drive) where you are free. Already on the way from the airport to the city you will notice the good condition of the wide roads and the quiet traffic. Start of your trip enjoying several homestays in Belarus!

 

 

 

 

day 2

day distance: 60 km

A day in the capital Minsk. As an introduction, we offer you a city tour with English-language guidance. You can for example visit the impressive and new museum about the Second World War, or a new and modern (interactive) museum ‘Belarusmini’. Or to the open-air museum Dudutki that gives a picture of life in the 19th century. A visit to the Stalin Line is also possible, a defensive structure with trenches and real tanks & planes from WW2.

Transfer to your hotel and accommodation afterwards.

 

 

 

 

day 3

day distance: 100 km

Your rental car will be delivered to your hotel in Minsk and you will start your homestay journey. The first stage is not long and takes you to a village on the edge of the Nalibokski nature reserve – and literally on the edge! To get there, use of the navigation is essential!

The owners are happy to show you their collection of old farm equipment and the traditional Belarusian meals served are delicious. Today or tomorrow morning you can optionally request an excursion in the forests of the nature reserve. Note that little or no English is spoken here. If you do not speak Russian it means communication using hands and feet, and of course with modern gadgets and apps.

A cooking workshop is also optional with the manager of the homestay.

With financial help and expertise from the EU, mountain bike routes have been developed in the area. If you want to go mountain biking, let us know.

 

day 4

day distance: 100 km

We have reserved accommodation for you in Mir Castle (a special experience, if accommodation is available, there are not many rooms), located 100 km southwest of Minsk.

Today you can visit both Mir Castle and first of all the nearby Nesvizh Palace, two unmissable attractions. Accommodation in Mir Castle.

Enjoy the quiet life and traffic in the country along the way. With occasionally surprising works of art or war memorials that are worth stopping for a moment.

 

day 5

day distance: 200 km

 

After the castles of Mir and Nesvizh you continue the journey in south-western direction, almost to Brest. Your next accommodation is another homestay in a village. And one that is popular with guests because of the excellent meals. You can also request a cooking workshop here, please let us know. A folklore show can also be organized if you wish.

 

day 6

day distance: 40 km

Today you will not drive far to your next place to stay. That is namely the city of Brest, and you will stay in a cosy hotel in the city. Optional (but well worth it): an excursion with English-language guidance to the Fort of Brest, where soldiers of the Red Army held up for long and manfully against the advancing troops of Hitler in June-July 1941. A must-see attraction in this city.

In addition, Brest has a railway museum famous in Belarus – here at the intersection of Poland, Ukraine and Belarus – which is also included in today’s excursion program. After that you have leisure time.

Overnight in Brest.

 

day 7

day distance: 110-245 km

 

The final destination today is the beautiful city of Grodno, located more than 100 km north of the national park almost on the border with Poland. Along the way you can visit castles in the towns of Pruzhany and Ruzhany, which in both cases means a detour so that the day distance can be up to 245 km. Accommodation in a hotel in Grodno.

Grodno is a pleasant city for walking. Hilly, with many parks and cultural attractions. A wide river also runs through the city, the Neiman.

 

day 8

dagafstand: 300 km

 

In a northeasterly direction you continue today until you reach Lake Narach. You can choose to take the M2 motorway or smaller roads that run almost along the border with Lithuania. Along the way we came across a few large radar installations aimed at the NATO member Lithuania.

Before leaving it’s not a bad idea to take an English spoken excursion in historic Grodno, with many churches and a cathedral, an old and a new castle and more.

Arrival in a homestay near the Narach lake.

day 9

day distance: 160 km

 

We have selected another nice homestay for you. To get there you drive 165 km in northeastern direction towards the Braslav lakes.

Just like Lake Narach, this is a popular holiday spot in the summer for local and Russian tourists, providing excellent facilities for various forms of water sports.

Excursions in the nature reserve around the Braslav lakes are possible, ask us for information and bookings.

 

day 10

day distance: 250 km

 

Today you will drive to a beautiful city in northern Belarus, namely Vitebsk, located on the Dwyna river. Along the way it is advisable to visit the also historic city of Polotsk, 100 km before Vitebsk.

Vitebsk is known as the cultural capital of the country. That is not only because of the international song festival “Slavanski (Slavic) Bazaar”, which takes place every year in the city, but even more because of the rich artistic heritage.

Marc Chagall was born here and Vitebsk became his most important source of inspiration for life. World-famous artists such as Vasiliy Kandinskiy, Ilya Repin, Kasimir Malevich also once lived and created in Vitebsk.

Accommodation in an attractive small hotel in the center of the city.

 

 

day 11

day distance: 300 km

Before you start the trip to Minsk you can again consider taking a city tour with English speaking guidance. We gladly book you one.

Do you choose the highway along the border with Russia followed by the M1, or the provincial roads through the interior? Both are well-possible.

Accommodation in a hotel in the Minsk.

 

day 12

day distance: 35 km

You drive your car to Minsk airport and hand in the keys. We hope you have enjoyed the trip and the homestays in Belarus!

Prices are on request. Specify the desired level of accommodation (average or luxury), the type of car you wish to rent and the number of people and the optional excursions as indicated in the program. Then we can prepare you a quote, including several homestays in Belarus.

Indication for two to four people: from € 995-850 per person incl. all accommodations incl. breakfast (and incl. all meals in the four homestays), a simple rental car from day 3-12 for a total of 9 days, the transfer airport hotel and the excursion in Minsk.

Cost of an optional English-language excursion package in the cities of Brest, Grodno and Vitebsk: €250 in total regardless of the number of people. Other excursions are also possible as indicated in the program.

The single supplement is €120 when opting for three-star hotels.
The international flights, and a total contribution of €15 for the Dutch GGTO Guarantee Fund are not included.

We can offer you good flight options with airline company Belavia. An indication of the cost is €300 for a return ticket from any European city they cater to Minsk.