
Founder’s Five Favorites: Russia Collection Special Offer
I’ve been traveling to Russia for the last 30 years, and there’s simply no place that is as complex and rewarding. From the Russian Far East and Siberia to the West, Russia offers an amazingly diverse range of experiences, and the people are not just hospitable, they’re wonderfully deep and soulful. It’s the largest country on earth, and though I’ve crisscrossed its great landscapes more times than I can count, I never tire of returning to Russia.

Douglas Grimes and a new cosmonaut friend at Baikonur Cosmodrome
Photo credit: Christopher Prentiss Michel
Here are five of my favorite MIR Russia tours. Book your spot on one of these select departures of the Founder’s Five in 2016 by December 31, 2015 and save $300.
- Siberian Odyssey: Legends of Lake Baikal & Tuva
Offer valid on the July 31-August 12, 2016 departure
Tuva – it’s great that there’s still a place so off the beaten path, so unspoiled and free from crowds. Tuva is a crazy, quirky, and therefore perfect place to venture. You’ve got to hear Tuvan throat-singing for yourself – one person with one throat produces two sounds at the same time!
- Siberia & Mongolia: Sprits & Nomads
Offer valid on the June 14-29, 2016 departure
This one is about great Lake Baikal and the contrast with Mongolia – it’s nothing short of a fantastic blend of amazing landscapes and cultural curiosities. One of our longest-running programs, but we dress it up a bit differently nearly every year. Kamchatka: Reindeer Herders & the Ring of Fire
Offer valid on the August 19-27, 2016 departure
I first visited Kamchatka in August of 1991, just a few days following the coup that almost toppled Gorbachev – it was a wild time to visit the Wild East of Russia. Many years and countless trips to Russia later, it’s still a wild place, unlike anywhere else I’ve been. Kamchatka is still a real “outback” experience: reindeer breeders still living a semi-nomadic lifestyle and gorgeous volcano scenery at every turn. Kamchatka delivers for those who seek a wilder side of Russia.
- Mongolia to Moscow: A Trans-Siberian Railway Adventure
Valid on the September 4-19, 2016 departure
Riding the rails with the locals (in my book, the quintessential Russian experience) doesn’t get any better than when you do it in a context like this.
- Inside the Russia Space Program
Offer valid on the September 24-October 2, 2016 departure
I personally pioneered this tour years ago, and typically lead it myself. I could go on and on about it, as it is without a doubt the most original behind-the-scenes experience ever. But don’t just take my word for it – here’s what a fellow traveler had to say about our trip this past September:
“Most exciting experience I’ve ever been involved in. This was a terrific trip. We had access to so many great activities. Loved every minute.”
– D. Cohen, Topanga, CA

St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow’s Red Square
Photo credit: Jonathan Irish
(Top photo: Looking over Lake Baikal. Photo credit: Martin Klimenta)
PUBLISHED: October 20, 2015