Dec 23 - Jan 4
Mineralnye Vody
3 star hotels/ Homestay
12 nights
12 breakfasts
12-14
SHORT ITINERARY :
DAY 01 : EMBARKING ON THE ELBRUS ODYSSEY
We will meet everyone at Mineralnye Vody airport before 13:00 or a day earlier. Together with the guides, we will do the briefings, give out all the public equipments (tents, gas, burners, ropes, etc.) and rental (crampons, harnesses, ice axes, etc.) equipment.
We will also buy all the necessary equipment, & then we will go to the Polyana Emmanuel and set up camp there. From here you can admire the snow-white peaks of the impregnable mountain. The first overnight stay in tents takes place here at an altitude of 2500 m
Hold on to your hats as we embark on our first acclimatization day! Lightly ascending Mount Cheget at 3000 meters, you'll witness the majesty of Elbrus on one side and the breathtaking Main Caucasus Range on the other. Poles in hand, we'll master walking techniques and acclimate to high-altitude conditions. An exhilarating day concludes with a well-deserved night at our mountain-side haven.
It’s the last point after which arctic ocean starts , so basically the end of main land as we know it. It takes about 8 hours to go and come back. Note that the weather in this region is too harsh and the possibility of this visit lies, entirely depends if there is highwind / Storm or not.
The day is extreamely Windy . Carry your best gears today
Witnessing Aurora is a matter of luck and timing . Hence we keep 1 more Buffer day to increase our possibility to see this.
Did you know ?
Aurora also Happens in other planets ?
It is possible to predict geomagnetic activity and aurora a day or so in advance by detecting solar Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) near the sun.
Aurora also has a sound ?
Note that northern lights depends on weather conditions and isnt guaranteed.
Well hello people, Let’s start St.Petersburg with a walk in the Christmas streets after a few hours of nap for those who are jet lagged. If you have read enough of my posts, you know how we give importance to simple things like going out for a night walk.
Post which we will also go out to see one of these bridge open up for incoming ships. It’s an event worthwhile watching . 1000s of locals come see this every night and clap when it’s all done. Its a 2 am thing, so if you cant stay up until then, you will miss it.
We will take a walking tour of the town by 11am-1pm. After lunch , let’s head to the world’s second largest museum : home to over 3 million art pieces, which means you will stay there for nearly six years if you spend 1 minute by each piece of artwork, not to mention that you’d cover the distance of about 24 km (15 mi) , walking from one exhibit to the other.
Moreover, there are 117 staircases in the Hermitage & more than 18,800 doors! .Yes, you will get lost, multiple times.
But you will know where to find me:).
Since it is a long day , we will relax sometime , watching a street performance as we wait for others to join us at the Palace square. Find the orange jacket folks. Today we will do a cookout session with others if you are game.
Here is a chance to look into the history of Submarines by getting into one. You will see Torpedos, Old communication instruments and even the living quarters of the Submarine staff.
Built at St. Petersburg's Baltic Factory and launched in 1954, the C-189 is a 613-class diesel-electric submarine that saw 35 years service in the Soviet fleet.
The Guide will be one of the people who actually worked in one of these submarines. (Click here to see)
After lunch, we will head to the Peterhof palace. Peterhof is a town within the Petrodvortsovy district in St. Petersburg, at the shore of the Gulf of Finland, located just 30 kilometers west of St. Petersburg. There’s a popular joke in St Petersburg about how locals wish the island on which the city stands on could drift toward Finland by sea. Or, as it has been told after the Crimea referendum, that St Petersburg should hold its own vote to join Finland once and for all.On the way back , we will also see the europe’s tallest building.
The Summer Palace was planned in 1710, at a vantage location on the bank of the Fontanka River, by Peter the Great, the first Russian Emperor, the Russian Tsar.
By evening we will head out to a nuclear bunker- 80 metre under earth. It is so well hidden that even when you are standing in front of it, you won’t realise the grand scale of it.
We will reach back to Red square at night for its a place to be as they lit up the whole area. (Click here to see).
The vibe of red square for New year night is so vibrant that you wouldn't want to go anywhere else. The fireworks are vibrant and you will see 1000s of joyful folks out here counting for the New year night.
After the countdown, we will head to a Techno club that was built in 1991. This night will remain one of the most memorable new year nights you will ever have.