Day 1

Arrival in Minsk and transfer to your hotel. The city is situated a 40 minutes drive from the airport. Check-in at hotel. Start of your trip and travelling in Belarus!

Minsk, the capital of the Republic of Belarus, is its political and cultural centre. It was first mentioned in the chronicles of the XIth century. Today, it is a dynamic city with expansive boulevards, modern and historical buildings, endless parks and well-developed infrastructure. The city is an impressive example of the Soviet planning on a grand scale. However, Minsk also has a number of outstanding historical sights, proving the city’s rich history.
Overnight in Minsk.

Day 2

Sightseeing tour of Minsk includes the main attractions of the city. These include main avenues and architectural monuments of the XVIIth – XXth centuries. Like the Upper Town with the City Hall, the St. Spirit Cathedral, ancient churches and monasteries, and the small streets of the Trinity Suburb.

Onwards to “The Isle of Tears”, the Victory Monument and the National Library of Belarus (included into the list of the most outstanding buildings of the world).

Transfer to hotel and check-in.

Day 3

Transfer to Khatyn – a deeply-affecting memorial that commemorates all innocent victims of the Great Patriotic War. The village of Khatyn was burned down and the entire population was massacred by the Nazis in 1943. Today it is a symbol of the tragedy of the Belarusian nation.

Then you move to Vitebsk, which is situated to the north of Minsk and is known today as the cultural capital of the country. It is not only because of the international song festival “Slavanski (Slavic) Bazzar”, taking place in Vitebsk annually, but rather of the city’s rich artistic heritage. Marc Chagall, an outstanding artist of the XXth century, was born here – moreover, Vitebsk became his main source of inspiration for the entire life, the town’s views could be recognizable on lots of Chagall’s paintings. Such world-famous artists as Vasiliy Kandinskiy, Ilya Repin, Kasimir Malevich also once lived and created in Vitebsk.

During Vitebsk city tour you will visit Marc Chagall Home-Museum and Marc Chagall Art-Centre, as well other sights, which give Vitebsk an elegant sense of past: the City Hall, Annunciation Church, Holy Resurrection Church, the Governor’s Palace, the famous Kirov Bridge across the Western Dvina River.
Overnight in Vitebsk.

Day 4

Transfer to Polotsk, which is one of the most ancient cities of the Eastern Slavs and many Belarusians consider it as the spiritual cradle of the country. First mentioned in the Primary Chronicle of AD862 and tightly connected with the Vikings’ influence within the region, it later became the capital of the Polotsk Principality and one of the most powerful centers of Kievan Rus.

After a guided excursion you will move on to a traditional Belarusian farmstead. Here you will be meeting local people, exploring surroundings, tasting Belarusian national cuisine. Folklore show with traditional music and dances.
Overnight at the farmstead.

Day 5

All day long at the farmstead. A unique opportunity to experience the country while travelling in Belarus!
Walking around.
Fishing (optional)
Overnight at the farmstead.

Day 6

Return to Minsk. On the way you will visit Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Lifestyle
This open-air Museum of Folk Architecture and Life shows the authentic character of the typical Belarusain village of the XIXth century. Farmsteads, wooden churches, schools, public barns, mills, smithies, stables – all elements have been brought here from different ethnic regions all over Belarus and were carefully restored.

Visitors will also enjoy a wide collection of various household, trade and handicraft items which are all exhibited at the museum.
Overnight in Minsk.

Day 7

Transfer to Nesvizh – a delightful historic town, one of the oldest in the country. You will visit the magnificent Nesvizh Palace – former residence of the aristocratic Radzivili family, which also includes beautiful park and Farny Roman-Catholic Church of the XVIth century.

The complex once numbered around 170 rooms, with a series of underground passages connecting it to the town’s monasteries. Today the exposition of the Palace includes more than 30 exhibition halls, including Prince’s apartments, Golden and Star halls, Hunter’s hall and others.

Transfer to Brest and accommodation.

Day 8

Starting with a Brest city tour. Brest is a traditional “western gate” of the country. It is a calm and relaxed city, with the famous Sovetskaya Street and alike boulevards, which are perfect for promenading. But the main attraction of the city is the Brest fortress, which is of course included into the city tour. The fortress made a prolonged defense against the Nazis in 1941 and was ruined in the result of severe battles. Only a handful of men had survived but citizens all over the USSR had been inspired by the heroism of the Brest fortress defenders. Today it is a giant deeply-affecting memorial.

After this excursion you will drive to the national park Belovezhskaya Pushcha. This world-famous park, which is included into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, has recently celebrated its 600th anniversary! It is one of the last and largest remaining parts of the immense primeval forest which once spread across the European Plain. And not to be missed while travelling in Belarus. Some oaks here are really believed to be over 600 years old! The park once used to be a home and playground of Polish princes and Russian tsars, who spent there much time resting and hunting.

Pushcha’s present animal and bird world is very rich and diverse. The reserve is home to around 200 species of bird, including corncrake, eagle owl, white stork, along with 60 species of mammal, including wild boar, wild horses, roaming elk, deer and perhaps most famously, bison, which is supposed to be one of the symbols of the country.

Excursion includes the tour around Pushcha and visit to the Museum of Nature.
Free time for enjoying the beauty of nature. Overnight at Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

Day 9

Today you will move on to Grodno.
On the way you will have a stop at Ruzhany (tightly connected with the history of Sapiega aristocratic family).

Arrival in Grodno. The name of the city is tightly connected with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The famous Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytaut was the prince of Grodno from 1376 to 1392, and he stayed there during his preparations for the Battle of Grunwald (1410). In 1793 the last Sejm in the history of the Commonwealth occurred in Grodno. It was in the New Castle of Grodno that in 1795 the last Polish king and Lithuanian Grand Duke Stanislaw August Poniatowski abdicated.

The Grodno City Tour includes visits to the Roman-Catholic Farny St. Francis Ksavery Church, the Old and New Castles, Castle street, Kolozhskaya (XII cent) church and other sites.
Overnight in Grodno.

Day 10

This morning you will see the Old castle and the New Castle, and visit the historical and archaeological museum.
It is also possible to visit the Grodno State Museum of Religion History.

Transfer to Korobchitsy. (8 km).
Excursion to the agriturismo complex «Korobchitsy», built in the form of the Belarusian-Polish gentry manor of the XIX century. The complex has its own equestrian club “Amadeus” and provides riding on horseback and in the stagecoach andin the carriage. There are also a hunting lodge and a fisherman’s house, a museum of wood carving, blacksmith shop, a nature museum.
Overnight in Grodno.

Day 11

Transfer to Mir, which is a small town 90 km to the south-west from Minsk. It is most famous for the fairy-tale Mir Castle, still known today as the “medieval flower”. The Castle is an impressive architectural monument, included into the list of World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. It was erected at the end of the XVth century. Today it is a combination of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture that makes Mir Castle so unique. This red brick castle is also a historical monument, which used to belong to several aristocratic families. All of whom have left their mark in the history of the town and of the country in general.

Overnight in the Mir Castle!

Day 12

Transfer to Minsk and excursion at World War II museum. It was the first museum in the world to reveal the story of this disastrous war, as it was opened already in 1944, during the Nazi occupation! Among the museum’s first exhibits were the partisan movement chronicles, handwritten and printed books, handmade weapons.

Today the museum, which occupies an area of 3,000 sq.m., houses more then 8 000 exhibits, including combat reports, diaries, drawings, flags of military units, military uniforms, military weapons, vehicles and other items.

Transfer to Stalin Line – an open-air museum of military fortifications, including the defensive line with trenches, anti-tank obstacles and ditches, anti-personnel obstacles and machine-gun pillboxes. Visitors can walk around a pillbox and sit in a gun emplacement, stroll along the trench system and clamber over a tank. The guides are dressed in uniforms of the day. To feel the atmosphere of that by-passed war you should also try the sample rations eaten by soldiers of the time.

Transfer to Minsk. Overnight in Minsk.

Day 13

Free day in Minsk
Overnight in Minsk.

Day 14

Transfer to the airport and departure. Ending your travelling in Belarus!

At two people the price of this program for travelling in Belarus is €2.995 per person, at four people it is €2.095 per person. For other group sizes please send us a mail for an offer.

Included in the offer are:
– Letter of Invitation (LOI) for the visa
– a total of 13 nights of accommodations in 3* hotels in Minsk (5x), Brest, Grodno (2x), Puscha, plus in Mir Castle and in a farmstead (2x). Breakfast included, stay in TWIN rooms
– transfers during days 1-12 and 14 in a car with driver & guide-interpreter (resp. a minivan when 3-6 people)
– services of an English speaking guide during days 1-12
– entry tickets for all museums and sites as mentioned in the program
– two lunches and two dinners

Not included in the offer are the international flight tickets, the visa, remaining lunches & dinners and services not mentioned. Finally we charge €15 per booking as a contribution to the GGTO Guarantee Fund.

Self-drive option

We can offer you this program also on the basis of accommodations & self-drive, including a rental car. An indication of the cost of this budget-tour is €995 per person at two persons. Included are 13 nights of accommodation including breakfast, your invitation letter and the rent of a car for 14 days. The exact cost will depend on the exact period for renting the car, and the type of car.
Excursions are not included in this offer but can be booked with us. Please write to us of an offer.

Finally we can offer this program with the option of travelling by public transport in Belarus. In this case however you would require somewhat more time for this program. The cost will be comparable with the self-ride option.