The Russians always try to go abroad on their holidays. They go to Turkey, Greece, Egypt and Western Europe, as if it was nothing to see in Russia. Some foreigners suppose that there are some things to see and do do there and go to Russia. The variety of travelling possibilities is really wide, from sightseeing in Moscow to the flight on MIG-29 to the frontiers of atmosphere and space. The prices vary from 3, 5 thousands USD to positive infinity. According to the sources, the foreign tourists prefer Bailkal, Trans-Siberian Railway, Kamchatka and Kurily Islands, Cold Pole and such services like military tourism, exotic of Russian village, in complex with hunting and fishing, and everything tied with space flights.

1.Trans-Siberian Railroad an Baikal Lake
Trans-Siberian Railroad is the longest railroad in the world. Built during the Tsarist era of Russia, between 1891 and 1916, the railway connects Russia to the Far-East, and has become iconic as the ultimate train journey, with one of the best views in the world from your train window, the best views on the Baikal Lake as well. The trip Moscow – Vladivostok takes more than 7 days, and now the Trans-Siberian Railroad is more a tourist attraction, than a transportation fascility, maybe except the goods traffic. There are a few routes of Trans-Siberian Railroad: you can choose between two direct trains a week between Moscow & Beijing; trains 3 and 4 via Mongolia and trains 19 and 20 via Manchuria. By the way, Russia-IC provides booking tickets for all this routes.

The trip to the Baikal Lake includes the Trans-Siberian Railway as well, but you go to Irkutsk. The foreigners usually go by train, the Russians prefer air services to get to Irkutsk. Having reached this city, you get to the lake and spend there about three days sailing. The trip back is in most cases by plane.

The section of the Trans-Siberian Railway, going round the Baikal Lake is a tourist attraction as itself. It is called Circum Baikal Railroad. The landscape there was very complicated for constructing a railroad, so the result is a monument of engineering art, moreover, is looks very aestetical.

2.Kurily Islands and Kamchatka
Kurily Islands and Kamchatka draw the tourists' attention with their active volcanos, Valley of geysers and exotic nature, which can be dangerous sometimes. Very high prices for such services doesn't stop the fun seekers. These lands are difficult-to-get, so the transportation makes such trips expensive. For example, some places on Kamchatka Peninsula are accessible by helicopter only.

The second difficulty is that you need to get a special permit to visit these places, and considering the application takes time, especially when you are a foreigner.

3.Yakutia and The Cold Pole
Many know Yakutia (Republic Sakha) only as a spot on world maps and do not even guess that it’s the coldest inhabited place on earth, rich in diamonds and legends.

Today 99.8% of all Russian diamonds are extracted in Yakutia. There are many legends about diamonds` origins in these lands. One of the local legends says when the Creator of the universe flew across the world carrying a big bag of diamonds and appeared to fly over Yakutia, his hands got cold and he just dropped the bag on the earth’s surface A little more...

Anyway, Yakutia has many possibilities for tourism. The most popular service is of course, a trip to the Cold Pole, situated next to Oymakon town, which costs about 10, 000 rubles.

4.Military tourism
Russian history is rich in wars and military conflicts. Russian army is commercializing and modernizing, creating a space for such service, as military tourism. If you want to feel like you're in the army now, it is for you. If you want to see the Soviet military equipment, of the World War II or of the Cold War, more or less contemporary weapons, to visit KGB museum, it is also for you.

How do the tour operators, specializing in such services see the true army life and introduce it to the Russian clients and foreigners? Usually it looks like this. The tourists are so to say infiltrated to a wood camp in 20-km vicinity from Moscow or something like this. They are taucht to put up a tent, dig dug out, cook on fire etc at once. During the following few days the tourists comprehend how to navigate in the woods, how to get food, how to put signal fences around the camp and how to be a night guard. After a few fascinating days spent like this, follows the final accord, the military game with helicopter landing, running in the forest and attmpets to get the enemy's flag..

If you do not want to dislocate in the forest, you can enjoy services another kind, with observing different museums of military equipment, tanks and aircrafts specialized museums, submarine museum in a real submarine and such unordinary exhibitions like KGB Museum and Museum of Cold War.

Take into account, that this kind of tourism is tied with burocrate procedures, you should apply in advance for visits and excursions to such museums.

5.Space
The Soviet union, and consequently, Russia as well, was a pioneer in the Space and Russia still pays attention to the space programs. If you are interested in everythig tied with space flights, you are welcome. In Russia you can visit Mission Control Center, Cosmonaut Training Center and even the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is exploited by Russia, being on the territory of contemporary Kazakhstan. You can see, the launching spacecraft for a certain amount, depending on the type of a space ship. If it is a cargo spaceship, it would cost about 2, 5 thousand Euro, if it is launching humans into space, the prise increases to 3 thousands Euro.

Of course, there is a possibility to become a space tourist. If you are not ready for that, you can take a 9-days course preflight trainings and fly space flight simulator after that.

6.Russian village
True Russian village is a service which is popular among the foreigners only. The tour includes introduction, a rapid hop off tour around Moscow. After that the tourists are taken from Moscow and transported to a village next to Volga River, in 180 km from Moscow. The tourists have a look on the village and stable and other things like this. The following days the tourists learn to mow grass, chop firewood in the neighboring forest, start up fire in the Russian stove, milking the cows and tend the bees.

A special service offered to guests of the Russian village is driving tractor in the fields. Among the entertainments are Russian banya, fishing with cooking the fish.

7.Hunting and fishing

Hunting and fishing are traditional Russian leisure activities, but many foreign tourists find them exotic like a flight on the MIG-29. Such services also cost much. The tour costs from 3, 000 euro, without cost of the flight and accommodation in the hotel (it is comparable with looking at space launch). The tour operators provide different services, in order to the guests could feel themselves like the Russian counts and princes: they can try themselves in hawking (sport of kings), hunting with hounds of venery and the Russian wolfhounds. The hunting and fishing tours take place in different exotic regions. For example, fishing on the Baikal Lake or bear hunting on Kamchatka compose exotic tour to place and exotic activity. More about popular places for hunting and fishing...

If you want to visit exotic wild place not all the Russians even know, and to learn, how the Russian nobles hunted and shooted, it is for you.

All in all, it is up to you, which tour is the most exciting. These are the most popular ones, and it means that there are much more intereting destinations, maybe cheaper and more exotic. But they are not for everybody.

rbc.ru

Yulia Buzykina