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Russia

Moscow, Saint Petersburg and the ice of Baikal, in deep winter.

Length
14 days
Group
Up to 12 people
Price
from €3,400
@joao_aspinto

The trip

The Russia we are shown and the Russia you see on the ground are two different countries. We go and see the second one with our own eyes.

Fourteen days in deep winter. Moscow and its metro, a military day with a tank and an AK47, a flight in a training jet, bears, the night train to Saint Petersburg and, to finish, the clear ice of lake Baikal in Siberia.

João has been several times and knows the right people. We handle internal flights, the train and hotels, and help with the visa. You handle showing up fit and dressed warm.

What we will do

  • Lake Baikal

    Days 9, 10, 11 and 12

    The deepest lake in the world, frozen in February. We walk on clear ice, go into ice caves on Olkhon island and finish in a hole in the ice after the banya.

  • Moscow

    Days 1, 2 and 13

    Red Square, the Kremlin and the city at night, with people who live there.

  • Saint Petersburg

    Days 6 and 7

    The imperial capital with its frozen canals. We arrive on the night train and stay two days.

  • The metros

    Days 2 and 6

    Moscow metro stations look like palaces. We ride the route of the best ones and compare with Saint Petersburg's, one of the deepest in the world.

  • AK47

    Day 3

    A session at a shooting range outside Moscow, with instructors.

  • War tank

    Day 3

    Drive a tank on a military ground, with an instructor next to you.

  • Jet flight

    Day 4

    A flight in a military training jet with an instructor pilot. João hit 500 km/h.

  • Bear

    Day 5

    A visit to a bear sanctuary, with the keepers.

Day by day

14 days, from meeting up to heading home. The programme can shift with the weather and the group.

  1. Day 1Moscow

    Arrival

    We meet at the hotel in the late afternoon for the first group dinner.

    • Moscow
  2. Day 2Moscow

    Moscow on foot and by metro

    Red Square and the Kremlin in the morning. In the afternoon, the route of the most beautiful metro stations.

    • Moscow
    • The metros
  3. Day 3Outside Moscow

    Military day

    Driving a war tank and a shooting session with an AK47, at a military ground outside the city.

    • War tank
    • AK47
  4. Day 4Outside Moscow

    Jet flight

    Safety briefing and a flight in a military training jet. At night, Russian banya to recover.

    • Jet flight
  5. Day 5Moscow

    Bears and the night train

    A visit to a bear sanctuary. At night we take the sleeper train to Saint Petersburg.

    • Bear
  6. Day 6Saint Petersburg

    The imperial capital

    Arrival in the morning. Frozen canals, the Winter Palace and the Saint Petersburg metro.

    • Saint Petersburg
    • The metros
  7. Day 7Saint Petersburg

    Free day

    The Hermitage for those who want it, the streets for everyone else. Group dinner in the centre.

    • Saint Petersburg
  8. Day 8Irkutsk

    To Siberia

    Flight to Irkutsk. First night in Siberia.

  9. Day 9Listvyanka

    First ice

    Drive to the shore of Baikal and a first walk on the frozen lake.

    • Lake Baikal
  10. Day 10Olkhon

    The ice road

    Crossing to Olkhon island on a road opened over the ice.

    • Lake Baikal
  11. Day 11Olkhon

    Clear ice

    A full day on the lake: clear ice, ice caves and cape Khoboy.

    • Lake Baikal
  12. Day 12Olkhon

    Banya and the ice hole

    A free morning on the island. At the end of the day, banya and a plunge through a hole cut in the ice.

    • Lake Baikal
  13. Day 13Moscow

    Back to Moscow

    Back to Irkutsk and a flight to Moscow. Farewell dinner.

    • Moscow
  14. Day 14Moscow

    Home

    Flights home through the day.

How this departure works

Dates and amounts for the 13 to 26 Feb 2027 departure.

  1. 1Today

    Apply

    You answer five questions. You pay nothing.

  2. 2A few days

    Approval

    João reads the application and replies by email.

  3. 372 hours

    €1,700 deposit

    You pay within 72 hours of approval and the seat is yours.

  4. 4By 15 Dec 2026

    €1,700 balance

    Card, MB Way, Multibanco or bank transfer.

  5. 513 Feb 2027

    Departure

    Moscow, at the group hotel, in the late afternoon of day one.

Included

  • Accommodation in a shared room
  • Internal flights and the night train
  • Tank, AK47, jet flight and bear sanctuary
  • Transport for the whole trip
  • Breakfasts and group dinners
  • João for the whole trip

Not included

  • Flights to Moscow and back
  • Visa
  • Travel insurance covering adventure activities
  • Lunches and drinks

Practical details

Fitness level
Moderate. Little physical effort, a lot of cold. On Baikal it gets down to −25 °C.
Accommodation
Hotels in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, wooden houses on Olkhon island. Rooms shared by two.
Meeting point
Moscow, at the group hotel, in the late afternoon of day one.
Weather
Real winter. Moscow between −5 and −15 °C. On Baikal down to −25 °C, almost always sunny.
Documents
Portuguese citizens need a passport and an e-visa, applied for online. Brazilian citizens need no visa for short stays.

Departures for this trip

Half when you are approved, the rest 60 days before.

  1. RussiaRU-2027-02

    13 to 26 Feb 2027

    14 daysDates being finalised.

    €3,400

    €1,700 deposit

    12 seats left

    Apply

13 to 26 Feb 2027

€3,400, 12 seats left

Apply