GROUP 1

Friday 28^th July

• Arrive at your leisure and check into Kiev Central Station Hostel.
• For the early arrivers, we will arrange a trip to a shooting range where we are able to fire some high caliber Soviet-Era guns (extra charge).
• Walking tour of Kiev to get our bearings and see what the city has to offer.
• After everyone has arrived, we will go for dinner and welcome drinks at Ward No 6 (Palata No 6), one of our favourite places recently featured in the ’10 places to drink in before you die’ that includes a shot where you are required to wear a straight jacket and be set on fire!
• Overnight in Kiev.

Saturday 29^th July

• Up nice and early to get on our comfortable AC minibus and head out to the Chernobyl exclusion zone. On the way, we will stop for breakfast and watch a documentary on the disaster.
• On arrival, we go through entry procedure and processing of our permits.
• First stop: The village Zalissya, continuing on to the Main Square of the town of Chernobyl. We’ll also check out the “Fukushima” memorial, statue to Lenin, the only active church in the zone, and the abandoned Synagogue.
• Stop for lunch at the workers’ cafe (don’t worry – nothing is grown on site).
• After lunch, we’ll check out the dock, local shop, Monument to the Firefighters, Exposition of the remotely operated machines, hills of the buried village Kopachi, Rustic Kindergarten, panoramic angle of NPPA and existing sarcophagus, construction site of the new sarcophagus, Stone Road sign of Prypiat, Bridge of Death, Lenin Street, the Main Square of Prypiat, a supermarket, amusement park,  School #3 (with gas masks) and the swimming pool.
• After our day of exploring, we will transfer to Chernobyl Hotel for dinner, lots of vodka and overnight in the zone. Rooms are based on twin sharing.

Sunday 30^th July

• Up early with breakfast in the hotel before heading back into the zone.
• First stop of the day: visit Duga 3, nicknamed the “Russian Woodpecker,” a Soviet “over-the-horizon” radar at its base “Chernobyl 2.”
• Next we’ll check out Barrack Cooling towers on the side of the unfinished reactors 5 and 6.
• Moving on to: Fish farm “Red Forest,” panel buildings with Soviet emblems, Palace of Culture, and “Jupiter” factory.
• Next we will look at the ruins of the School #1, the hospital and morgue, Pripyat passenger boats at the River Port, the “Prometheus cinema,” Music School, and Athletic Stadium.
• Moving on to explore the Laboratory in the former kindergarten, Greenhouses, and Bus Station.
• #trip highlight# We will visit the self-settlers, with our Ukrainian guide happily translating any questions that we might have for them about life and their experiences here.
• We board our bus for the drive back to Kiev and head straight for the train station.
• Overnight train to Moscow.
• End of Group 1.

GROUP 2

Monday 31^st July

• We will arrive in Moscow and transfer to our very centrally located accommodation and meet up with our new group members.
• Classic YPT Moscow city tour including Red Square and of course a visit to Lenin as well as to the new Soviet statue graveyard.
• We will enjoy dinner at the Soviet nostalgia restaurant before heading out for a few summer night drinks in this vibrant capital city.
• Overnight in Moscow.

Tuesday 1^st August

• Free morning to shop and pick up some supplies for the mammoth train journey to Grozny.
• YPT do love an epic train journey, and it doesn’t get much better than this – 36 hours from Moscow to Grozny passing through pristine Russian countryside, as well as areas that were once a full-blown war zone.

Wednesday 2^nd August

• A full day on the train (with the odd stop along the way). We will eat in the very decent quality restaurant cart served by the standard-issue grumpy old Russian dude. Your YPT guide will be on hand to keep you entertained and answer any questions for you about the upcoming itinerary.

Thursday 3^rd August

• FLIGHT OPTION – Those who have chosen to fly from Moscow will board the morning flight from Moscow to Grozny (TBC).
• Morning arrival in Grozny where we will be picked up by our local guides and transferred to our plush accommodation for the trip.
• Tour around Grozny including the Heart of Chechnya mosque, Monument to Police Officers, Memorial to Victims of Deportation and the “Alley of Honour.”
• We’ll have a packed afternoon following lunch, taking in the Kadurov Museum, Square of Journalists, Monument to the Dead Journalists, Monument of Nations Friendship, Putin Avenue, Manor House, the National Library of Chechnya, the Theatre and Concert Hall of Chechnya, the Akhmat-arena Stadium and the Mother’s Heart Mosque.
• The capital city of Grozny was completely rebuilt following the war and now looks like a modern metropolis. We take a slow walking tour of the city to get a feel for modern Grozny.
• Dinner, drinks, and overnight in Grozny.

Friday 4^th August

• Breakfast and tour to Tsoi-Pede, one of the largest medieval cemeteries in the Caucasus, 111 km from Grozny.
• TRIP HIGHLIGHT – This “City of the Dead” is located on the Georgian border and is a medieval necropolis – and probably the most famous tourist attraction in Chechnya! The local legend has it that the necropolis was built in the Middle Ages, when an epidemic hit the area, for the local sick people to go to die. According to others, though, it was a resting place for medieval knights.
• Visit the stunning Michalowski waterfall and the suspended iron bridge (100m above canyon).
• Walk amongst the 42 crypts and the two pillar-shaped altars. Look around the Ostalowska twin towers, the Phakic medieval castle and the local history museum. Take in the stunning scenery and medieval architecture and the general mysteriousness of the City of the Dead!
• We take the scenic drive back to Grozny stopping on the way at various sites of beauty as well as a few rest stops.
• Dinner, drinks, and overnight in Grozny.

Saturday 5^th August

• Breakfast at the hotel before another full day of touring.
• We head first to the National Museum of Chechnya, the main museum in Chechnya. This museum houses fascinating artifacts from Chechen history and we will learn more about the historical struggles of the Chechen people.
• Drive to the town of Urus-Martan and visit the open air, ethnographic Dondi-yurt museum. This private museum includes traditional Chechen housing, rural towers, nomad tents, and all kinds of archaeological finds. If we’re lucky the museum’s curator, Adam, will be around to answer our questions!
• Head on to Starogladovskay and look around the Leo Tolstoy Literature and Ethnographic Museum.
• We take the scenic drive back to Grozny, stopping on the way at various sites of beauty for photographs as well as a few rest stops.
• We’ll head for dinner and drinks before sampling the Saturday night scene, Grozny style. Although Chechnya is a Muslim region and there isn’t really a drinking scene, there are cafes and the like and we will make the most of our Saturday night!
• Overnight in Grozny.

Sunday 6^th August

• Get up early for another day out to Kazenoy-Am. We stop off in the town of Kharachoy and pass through the scenic Andean ridge where we can see classic North-Eastern Caucasus mountain scenery.
• Next we visit the spectacular Kazenoy-Am Lake. This is the biggest lake in Chechnya and one of the most beautiful places in the region. We will take our lunch break here as well as offering lots of time for pictures and additional activities.
• Drive to Khoy, the Village of Guards, and wander around the medieval settlements in the village.
• We take the scenic drive back to Grozny stopping along the way at various sites of beauty and a few rest stops.
• Dinner, drinks, and overnight in Grozny.

Monday 7^th August

• Up early for the drive to Ingushetia, the second republic of the Chechen-Ingushetia Republic and the scene of some of the fiercest fighting during the war of independence. On our way, we will drive through the spectacular Dzhejrakhsk canyon for some breathtaking views.
• Visit the memorial complex of victims of repression in Ingushetia. This is an extremely interesting complex in true Soviet style. Head to the Magas Towers and drive through the Cey-Loamsk pass (2200m) to the observation platform, taking in more jaw-dropping scenery and medieval buildings scattered in these mountain lands.
• TRIP HIGHLIGHT – Look around the Thaba Nerdy Church – this church dates from the 8th-10th centuries and is one of the oldest Christian churches in Russia – before heading on to the castle complex of Vovnushki, one of the ‘Seven Wonders of Russia’. This castle defended the residents for centuries until Stalinist deportations emptied the local population.
• Scenic drive back to Grozny with rest stops along the way.
• Dinner, drinks, and overnight in Grozny.

Tuesday 8^th August

• Drive to the town of Gudermes. Visit the Eternal Flame lit for the Gudermnians who died in World War II.
• Visit the aqua park, Chechnya’s first water park complex, the geothermal water centre, and head out to the Dzhalkinsk grove and reservoir for one last chance for some north Caucasus fresh air!
• Final drive back to Grozny.
• For our last night in Grozny, we head to a restaurant serving traditional Chechen cuisine.
• Drinks and overnight in Grozny.
• End of Group 2

GROUP 3

Wednesday 9^th August

• We board our private bus to Vladikavkaz for the next part of our adventure!
• Arrive in Vladikavkaz and meet up with the new members of our group.
• Vladikavkaz is the capital of the Russian Republic of North Ossetia, as well as home to one of Russians biggest Army garrisons. In the evening we head out for dinner, drinks and a walking tour of the city.
• Dinner and overnight in Vladikavkaz.

Thursday 10^th August

• We take a driving tour around Vladikavkaz.
• Next, we will board our private bus to South Ossetia and the village of Cey for lunch and a look around. Before arriving we will need to go through South Ossetian customs and immigration, which is somewhat of an interesting experience itself.
• Walking tour of Cey for some photographs and a look around, before we transfer to Croz village.
• We check into our local homestay in this small Ossetian village complete with home cooked food and local wine and vodka – the perfect way to begin your Ossetian adventure.
• Overnight in a homestay.

Friday 11^th August

• Up early for a local breakfast in the village homestay.
• Drive to Dzheru-dzuar which offers breathtaking views of Georgia for a chance to explore and take some photos.
• Drive down to the villages of Dmenis and Goret on the border – this area saw the pick of the fighting during the 90s and again in 2008.
• After lunch, we tour around the village with a local war veteran who spent two years defending his village during a military siege in the 90s. With our local guides translating he will answer any questions you have about the South Ossetian wars of independence.
• Overnight and dinner in the veteran’s house in the nearby village of Chalisubany.

Saturday 12^th August

• Morning transfer to Leningor – this place was recaptured by the Ossetians following the war of 2008 and there are still many reminders of the recent war. This is a mixed community with there still being a majority of ethnic Georgians with the lery being accepted as legal tender.
• We tour around this unique ethnically mixed and extremely tense city.
• After lunch, we transfer to Ckhinval (Tskhinvali), the capital city of the partially recognized state of South Ossetia. Here will check out the Russian theatre, government buildings, Armenia church, Ossetian theatre, tank war monument and visit the local market where illegal Georgian produce is on sale.
• Dinner and drinks in the Vincenzo cafe. This is one of the focal points of the capital city and we will enjoy local food, drinks and music.
• Overnight in the aptly named League of Champions Hotel.

Sunday 13^th August

• Breakfast in Ckhinval (Tskhinvali).
• Tour to Tirsk Monastery where we enjoy a very scenic picnic lunch. Georgian wine is some of the most famous in the old Soviet Union, so we will try and get a sample whilst at the university.
• Drive back to Ckhinval in time to teach an English class at the local university. The local students are extremely friendly and open to talk about their country.
• We will take some free time to buy some souvenirs, with kitsch mementos including flags and postcards available.
• For our last dinner together, we will enjoy a traditional Ossetian Dinner (lots of meat and wine).
• We finish the evening with a small bar crawl and farewell drinks.
• Overnight at League of Champions Hotel.

Monday 14^th August

• Group transfer in the morning to Vladikavkaz.
• 14.00 flight to Moscow arriving at 16.25.
• End of Group 3.
• For those carrying on to Magadan, we hang out at the airport with a few well-deserved beers.

GROUP 4

• Group meet at 17.00 at Moscow Domededovo Airport before boarding the 18.30 flight to Magadan. The flight takes 8 hours and arrives at 9am the following day.

Tuesday 15^th August

• We are met at the airport by our local guides and driver for the 50km trip into Magadan, the trip should take about an hour and takes us through the ‘Road of Bones’ which was built by forced labour. We stop at various places on the way.
• On arrival, we check into the 3 star VM-Central Hotel, this is a masterpiece of a hotel and a must for Soviet watchers.
• Following lunch, we take a city tour of Magadan with the main site being the visit to the ‘Mask of Sorrow’ – a monument to the memory of victims of political repression.
• Overnight at VM-Central Hotel.

Wednesday 16^th August

• We start the day nice and early with a trip to the Regional History Museum and its 5 halls of the Gulag and Chief Directorate of Camps.
• Visit to the Geological Museum which documents the gold discovered in the region (a principal reason for the forced labour).
• Memorial museum of Vadim Kozin – In 1944, shortly before the birthday of Comrade Stalin the KGB chief Beria called him up and asked why his songs didn’t involve Stalin. Kozin famously replied that songs about Stalin were not suited for tenor voices. In late 1944, Kozin was sentenced to five years in jail as part of the repression campaign against prominent Soviet performers and was sent to the Magadan Gulag.
• It’s not a Soviet trip unless you see a big statue of Lenin, so we head for sunset selfies with the original Bolshevik.
• Dinner and drinks in Magadan.
• Overnight at VM-Central Hotel.

Thursday 17^th August

• TRIP HIGHLIGHT: The big reason for coming here! We get up early for the long drive to Dniprovsky Mine – the Soviet Prison camp operated between 1941 and 1954. Much of the infrastructure used when it was a gulag including the watchtowers, huts and barbed wire fences are still intact.
• We spend most of the day here exploring and learning.
• Depending on the situation we will visit a number of ghost villages either before, or after our trip to the mine.
• At night, we camp out in the countryside near the mine including a BBQ and obligatory vodka.

Friday 18^th August

• After putting our tents away, we head for another day of exploring this massive mine complex ably led by our expert local guides.
• Lunch in the countryside.
• We take the leisurely drive back to Magadan stopping on the way for various picture opportunities and rest stops.
• On arrival back in Magadan, we check back into VM-Central Hotel.
• Overnight in Magadan.

Saturday 19^th August

• We get up and nice and early for the drive to the sea of Okhotsk on the east coast of the Russian Federation. This is an extremely scenic drive with us taking the opportunities to stop for pictures where possible.
• Legal fishing here starts on June 20th, so we will take the opportunity for a day of sea fishing (trying to catch Salmon and Sockeye), should we fail to catch anything our local professionals will pick up the slack.
• BBQ lunch by the sea cooked on a bonfire.
• We take the slow drive back to Magadan.
• Overnight in VM-Central Hotel.

Sunday 20^th August

• Up early for a tour to the Ollu Village site.
• Tour Nyukli and surrounding area, which is one of the must-see places in Magadan with views of the bay, and the monument to the Cazegradsky-Biblin expedition.
• We return to Magadan for lunch.
• After lunch, we head to the Azman hills with rare natural phenomena. Until July there is still snow here.
• At night, we head out for our last group dinner (there may very likely be Borsch involved…).
• Although Magadan might not be renowned for its thriving nightlife, we still make the most of our last night by heading to the Okean Bar for a YPT style last night party (where vodka is most probably involved).
• Overnight in VM-Central Hotel.

Monday 21^st August

• Free morning for last minute shopping, walking or relaxation.
• We transfer to the airport for the 15.30 flight back to Moscow arriving back at 15.00 due to the time difference.
• End of Group 4

GROUP 5

• Group joining from Magadan take the 16:20 two hour and thirty-five minute flight to Khabarovsk, the capital of the region for the last section of our summer exploration of untouched Russia.

• We transfer to Khabarovsk town and check into our centrally located private apartment. Guests joining us in Khabarovsk will meet the group at the hotel.
• At night we make the most of the weather by heading out for street food and a few drinks in one of the many beer tents that pop up in summer.
• Overnight at our apartment.

Tuesday 22^nd August

• In the morning we are met by our local guide before heading into town to view the Far-Eastern museum. If Soviet medals and weapons are your thing, you will enjoy it here.
• We head to the Vyborg market which is where Chinese and Russian traders sell a wide array of goods in this bustling market.
• Lunch in the city before we take the short marshutka journey to Birobidzhan the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, a region that was created by Stalin in order to give the Jewish people of Russia their own homeland, or to get Jewish people as far away from the seat of power, depending on your take on things. There is a lot of online information about this extremely interesting area.
• We check into Hotel Vostok, a wonderful period hotel with a Soviet feel.
• We head into town for dinner and drinks, probably featuring borsch, shashlik, and a touch of vodka.
• Overnight at Hotel Vostok.

Wednesday 23^rd August

• We head out for a full tour of touring the city and its unique Jewish heritage.
• Our first stop is the railway station, which aside from being a masterpiece of Soviet architecture also features a number of statues as well as a market where we can grab breakfast.
• Visit the two historical synagogues, as well as a few of the traditional Orthodox Churches.
• We finish our city tour by checking out the Musical Jewish Theatre, Centre for People’s Leisure, as well as the statutory Lenin statue.
• Lunch in the city.
• Drive out to the village of Valdgeym, one of the main Jewish towns in the area, founded by Eastern European Jews in the 1920s.
• Visit the site of the first collective farm in the JAO – the Zayetu Illicha kolkhov – which is still the largest collective farm in Birobidzhan today.
• Stop by the local school where classes are held in Yiddish.
• Drive back to Birobidzhan.
• No trip to a small Russian town would be worth anything without purchasing the local moonshine, so we head looking for “Jewish Happiness” the locally produced vodka.
• Jewish dinner and drinks at the Café Simkha, on the aptly named Pioneerskaya Road.
• Overnight at Hotel Vostok.

Thursday 24^th August

• In the morning we have breakfast in the hotel before going to grab our minibus to our next town Obluchye. This town was founded in 1911 by railway workers and forms another part of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast.
• On arrival we check into our private apartment where we will have some time to relax before heading out for lunch.
• Lunch in the city.
• Very short walking tour of this village (we will be able to see the whole place). There is a lot of architecture here from the last 100 years including a lot from Soviet times (including the train station).
• At night we head to one of the many Soviet-style eateries that are put up in the summer, washed down with a few Russian beers, or vodkas.
• Overnight in our private apartment.

Friday 25^th August

• Obluchye is famous for being surrounded by untouched mountains, so we head out for a whole day of hiking around them.
• During the day we will be stopping at a number of places of natural beauty as well as enjoying a picnic lunch in the countryside.
• We take a slow ride back into town for a freshen up, before heading out for dinner and drinks on our last night here.
• Overnight in the apartment.

Saturday 26^th August

• Free morning before we jump on the 13:18 train to Vladivostok in second-class sleeper berths. The whole journey takes 17 hours, so we will ensure that we are stocked up on drinks and snacks for the journey.
• We spend the day enjoying the fabulous Siberian scenery passing along the Russian and Chinese border.
• Dinner, drinks, and overnight on the train.

Sunday 27^th August

• A sporting 6:30am arrival where we are greeted by the huge statue of Lenin overlooking the train station.
• Transfer to our last centrally located apartment for a freshen up.
• Vladivostok is a Soviet watchers paradise! So we head out for a full Soviet day tour of the city.
• Met in the morning by our local Russian guide Gavyn for a city tour of Vladivostok.
• We head to the central square to see the stunning Memorial to the Fighters for the Soviet Power in the Far East which is some fairly classic Soviet-style art
• Visit to the square of the sister cities.
• We head to visit Sportivnaya Harbour, a major Russian Harbour that offers some amazing views of the sea.
• C-56 Submarine base – while we cannot board the fleet, we can view a WW2 era sub as well as get some glimpses of the fleet.
• Lunch down by the harbour, with seafood being the theme of the day.
• Head to the Marine Cemetery to see the memorials and tombs of the Czechoslovak legion, British and Japanese soldiers, Russian explorer Vladimir Arsenyev and seafarer Fridolf Gek.
• We head back to the hotel for some rest before heading out for our last night in Vladivostok.
• Dinner and drinks at YPT favourite Cafe Presto.
• Overnight at apartment.

Monday 28^th August

• End of tour with YPT able to arrange onward transportation to China or the international airport.

Price Inclusive of:

• All transport to complete the itinerary
• Accommodation
• Entrance Fees (unless specified)
• Local guides

Price Exclusive of:

• Visas (YPT can provide a letter of invitation for Ukraine/Russia, get in touch for a quote)
• Food and drinks
• Tips for local guides and drivers

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