Essential Golden Ring

Essential Golden Ring
MIR Corporation / November 19, 2018

Discover the abundant art, visionary architecture, and inspired culture of Russia’s historic Golden Ring, an elliptical string of medieval towns that once formed the political and economic core of the powerful Kievan Rus. From Moscow, the country’s political and business capital, circle a series of enchanting towns and villages in the countryside, each celebrated for their ancient kremlins, historic wooden churches, fascinating frescoes, and time-honored handicrafts. Read More

Essential Mongolia

Essential Mongolia
MIR Corporation / November 19, 2018

On this incredible week-long journey in Mongolia, get an instinctual feel for the nomadic life a world away from home. Explore the capital, Ulaanbaatar, witness the glow of the Flaming Cliffs at sundown, experience the living traditions of the Mongolian people on intimate visits to local ger camps, and open to the unfamiliar resonances of Mongolian throat-singing, created to combat the loneliness of the nomadic herder under the big sky. Read More

Essential Romania

Essential Romania
MIR Corporation / November 16, 2018

Romania is a country that has everything – fortified medieval towns, gorgeous mountain landscapes, castles complete with vampire legends, fascinating ethnographic museums, and hospitable people – and travelers are just beginning to discover it. From the vibrant capital, Bucharest, roam the green, forested hills and meadows of this little-known country, visiting folktale villages that seem to have stepped out of the Middle Ages, and walking in the footsteps of Bram Stoker’s legendary literary creation, Dracula. Read More

Essential Central Europe

Essential Central Europe
MIR Corporation / November 16, 2018

Hidden from view for much of the 20th century, the hip and historic countries of Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary boast gorgeous countryside, handsome churches and city centers, warm people, and some two dozen UNESCO World Heritage Sites. On this 8-day overland journey, relish in the medieval masterpieces, baroque architecture, sophisticated museums, and up-to-the-minute cultural life of three extraordinary European capitals — Prague, Bratislava, and Budapest. Read More

Essential Azerbaijan

Essential Azerbaijan
MIR Corporation / November 16, 2018

Azerbaijan, seated where the Caucasus Mountains meet the Caspian Sea, is a dramatic combination of the very old and the very new. Explore the booming capital, Baku, then take to the hills to visit villages lost in time, enclaves of the region’s original people, ancient archaeological sites, and a stained-glass-lit khan’s palace. Read More

Essential Albania, Macedonia & Kosovo

Essential Albania, Macedonia & Kosovo
MIR Corporation / November 16, 2018

Albania boasts miles of Adriatic and Ionian Sea coastline, as well as spectacular Roman ruins. Land-locked Kosovo has a reputation for fine skiing and mountaineering, sophisticated cafés and shops, and a forward-looking young population. And Macedonia is a compact jewel of a country, blue with lakes and green with forested mountains. Visit all three, from the mountains to the sea, on this 10-day jaunt across the little-traveled, yet fascinating lower Balkan Peninsula. Read More

North Pole: Top of the World

North Pole: Top of the World
MIR Corporation / September 12, 2018

Join MIR on a once-in-a-lifetime voyage to the very top of the earth, experiencing life at its most remote and mysterious at the North Pole. Retrace the path of early polar explorers as you cruise aboard the world’s largest icebreaker, keeping a lookout for the astonishing array of wildlife in the Arctic and enjoying fantastic views of an endless, frozen icescape. Read More

Silk Road Backroads & Byways

Silk Road Backroads & Byways
MIR Corporation / August 31, 2018

The fascinating countries of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan encompass some of the most spectacular and absorbing hidden corners of Central Asia. Dive deep into the distinct cultural identities and multi-layered history of these extraordinary lands, discovering ancient desert citadels, dramatic Silk Road fortresses, and surprising Soviet-era remnants, and connect with artists, experts, and tribal villagers who still cling to traditional ways of life. Read More

Essence of the Silk Road & Beyond by Private Train

Essence of the Silk Road & Beyond by Private Train
MIR Corporation / October 16, 2017

Traverse four of the five ‘Stans of Central Asia on this private rail journey along the Silk Road. Begin in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city. Continue into Kyrgyzstan to inspect the capital, Bishkek, and take a boat ride on the country’s most beautiful lake, Issyk-Kul. Dip into Khujand in Tajikistan to meet with a local family and hear about their daily lives. Stop in Tamerlane’s UNESCO-listed hometown, Shahrisabz, before visiting three famed Uzbek Silk Road oases – Samarkand, Khiva, and Bukhara – all of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Experience four UNESCO sites in 16 days, with seven hotel nights and eight nights onboard the comfortable Orient Silk Road Express private train. Read More

Remote Russia: Yakutia & Kamchatka

Remote Russia: Yakutia & Kamchatka
MIR Corporation / September 8, 2017

Explore the remote corners of Russia, including the wild Kamchatka Peninsula, uneasily perched on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and Yakutia, a challenging northern frontier known for mammoths and diamonds. Meet the indigenous peoples of these far-flung locales, and admire two natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites as you contrast the Kingdom of Permafrost in Yakutsk with the steaming Valley of the Geysers in Kamchatka. Read More