MIR's focus is on bringing people together to discover more about the world and, consequently, about themselves. To that end, we offer many options for how to travel with MIR.
Personalized Journeys
Travel when, where and how you want - that's what our Personalized Journeys are all about. Bring your family, your friends, your schoolmates; or bring no-one at all, and travel solo, just you and your destination. You choose your companions, pick the place and set the pace - we make all the arrangements. Other travel companies may not want to bother with the details of customized personal trips, but MIR has been handling the ins and outs and special requests of personalized travel in our destinations for nearly 25 years. We call it "Destination by Design."
An experienced MIR specialist will consult with you, then handcraft an itinerary that suits your travel goals, budget and style. Or, consider the classic itineraries featured in our series of Flexible Essential Private Trips - well-designed private tour itineraries already researched and ready to book on the dates you choose. Either way, you'll be met on arrival and seen off at the end of your trip; in-country transportation will be pre-arranged hassle-free; your lodging will be pre-booked; and while traveling, your own private, expert local guide will ensure that you and yours get the most out of your visit.
And if "you and yours" should happen to belong to an affinity group, a non-profit or an overland adventure group, we love the challenges inherent in creating a journey that matches your travel goals. For example, we have led several customized groups of adventurous travelers inside the Russian Space Program in Moscow and Kazakhstan - as close to the vastness of space as it's possible to get without actually leaving earth.
The itineraries are packed with the kind of insider access usually reserved for dignitaries and led by experts in the fields of aeronautics or astronomy. We've planned educational tours for Agricultural Leadership programs, introducing rural leaders to such diverse experiences as visiting a factory farm in China and meeting individual shepherds in Romania. MIR has helped the motorcyclists on the GlobeRiders' semi-annual World Tours roar across six countries on 55-day treks (let us know if you'd like to hear more about joining). And, with two new Range Rovers and the full support of MIR, the bold Cmolik family set out on 85 days of driving from Beijing to Central Europe. Your group can imagine its own itinerary and make it happen with the help of our experienced travel planners. We invite you to give us a call about making your group's travel dreams a reality.
MIR's Signature Small Group Tours
We humans are social creatures. We're especially social when we're enjoying a long-awaited break from the demands and details of our daily lives. Many of us enjoy the comfort and reassurance of traveling in a group - as long as it's not too large or too unwieldy.
Imagine joining a small yet diverse group of world travelers every morning for an expertly-guided exploration of a world-class site, knowing that your leader will be looking out for your comfort and safety. Your group is intimate and manageable; MIR's Signature Small Group Tours have a firm upper limit of 16 participants (Explorer Series trips are capped at 12).
Your personable and energetic tour manager takes you places you didn't even know you wanted to go - behind the cold steel door of a Moscow apartment into a warm and welcoming dinner party; over the threshold of a Mongolian nomad's ger, designed so that you have to bow your head in respect when you enter; into a classroom of Georgian children who greet you in their best English; up the steps of the Siberian log home belonging to an Orthodox Old Believer who calls her friends to come and sing the old songs for you.
Aside from their creative itineraries and ingenious extras, our scheduled small-group tours offer some of the best value on the market - innovative programs designed by experts, access to a knowledgeable and dedicated travel planner throughout the pre-trip process, personalized airfare services, excellent leaders, really small groups and all-inclusive land tour pricing. By "all-inclusive," we mean that we include well-located accommodations, the majority of your meals, access to spectacular sites, cultural performances and special visits, the services of an experienced tour manager, gratuities to local guides and drivers, arrival/departure transfers (whether we book your air or not) and all internal transportation - including flights (which many other companies often separate out and tack on as an extra cost).
While each of our trips offers great value, we have made it easier for you to select your ideal journey by sorting our small group tours into three separate categories - Premier, Cultural and Explorer.
MIR's Premier and Cultural Series programs feature some of our most distinctive tour concepts and include uncommon and educational experiences, including visits to small towns and villages
outside the major urban areas and capital cities. What differentiates them from each other is the level of accommodation: while all trips feature comfortable, well-located hotels, Premier Series trips take advantage of five star (or best in class) properties along the way, wherever possible.
For those seeking a more active adventure, MIR's Explorer Series trips may be the perfect match. These interactive cross-cultural journeys are more limited in size (maximum 12 travelers) and more spacious in depth and focus. We use a variety of accommodations ranging from small private hotels to bed-and-breakfasts to rustic lodges and homestays, and trips may feature hiking or kayaking opportunities.
What really sets us apart - and what our travelers comment on the most - are our hand-picked tour managers. MIR tour managers are a blend of personal guide, destination expert, magician and diplomat, and are among the best in the business. They are on the spot to provide personalized service and to ensure that you get the most out of your trip. They can smooth out the wrinkles of an excursion or shake things up with an unexpected opportunity to meet the local people. MIR tour managers are the crowning assets of our scheduled small group tours.
Rail Journeys by Private Train
Another exceptional way to travel is by private train. Our rail journeys by private train are in a class of their own, allowing travelers to experience remote destinations in style and comfort - particularly enjoyable on such lengthy and legendary routes as the Trans-Siberian and the Silk Route. Travelers can board a private train on its way south to the sunny Crimean Peninsula or north above the Arctic Circle. Read about these exclusive private trains, which combine the dream of old world rail travel with modern amenities.
