dive into history with our castle tour
This 30-day-no-visa trip will not only provide you with valuable knowledge of our great capital city Minsk, but you will also go deeper into the history and culture of Belarus. In the middle ages Belarusian lands was called the “land of castles” for a reason: there were more than a hundred of castles! In this tour you will be able to discover most interesting and majestic castles of Belarus listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and get to know their mysterious history.
travel program
Day 1. Arrival
Arrive at Minsk National Airport, meet your guide and transfer to your hotel.
From the moment you arrive in Minsk you will be immersed in Belarusian culture. Your guide will bring you to a traditional Soviet home kitchen where you will learn how to make the famous potato pancakes known as draniki. Here you can enjoy great conversations with your friends and locals.
In case of late arrival: You will enjoy a wonderful Belarusian dinner in a local restaurant.
Day 2. Local Tour
In the morning you will be given a private walking tour of the city based on the bestselling book Heta Belarus Dzietka! Together with your guide you will get a Minskers view of the city: you will see where we chill out, shop, and grab a coffee. Our guide will also provide you with loads of historical information to help give you a fuller picture of our city and how’s its become the exciting capital of today. Minsk is an unexpected but natural combination of Medieval, Soviet, and Modern architecture and today you will enjoy all of its idiosyncrasies.
The rest of the day is free. Why not pick up the new travel guide ‘Minsk. Belarus. Local Guide’ and go explore!
Day 3. Minsk
Today you will discover the two most popular Belarusian castles which just happen to be UNESCO World Heritage sites. First, you will visit Nesvizh Castle and its stunning grounds. The castle once belonged to the Radziwill family (a local aristocratic family that can trace their lineage back to the Princes of the Duchy of Lithuania). Originally built in the 16th century, the site has undergone a number of additions and renovations over the years. Today it’s a mixture of architectural styles (Renaissance, Classicism, Baroque, and Rococo, to name a few). There is a museum, a hotel, and also a restaurant. This castle is surrounded by mysteries, such as the legend of The Black Lady of Nesvizh (Barbara Radziwill), who it is thought was poisoned and now haunts the castle.
Your next stop is Mir Castle which was built in the early 16th century in the Gothic style but, later acquired by the Radziwill family who extended and refitted the castle in the Renaissance style. During the tour you will learn about the complex and sad history of this castle and after maybe you can try some delicious Belarusian drinks!
From Mir you will be brought back to Minsk where you can relax and maybe enjoy a dinner in one of the many fabulous restaurants Minsk has to offer.
As an alternative, you could spend the night at one of the Nesvizh castle hotels and enjoy living like a Belarusian aristocrat.
Day 4. Minsk
This day you can spend just enjoying the city or choose any additional options.
Day 5. Depart
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. We will bring you to the airport and say our goodbyes but hopefully we’ll see you again…maybe even on one of our other tour options!
Tour includes:
– Private transfers between the airport and accommodation
– 1 Belarusian dinner
– 1 walking tour
– Tour to 2 castles (transfer + interactive excursions)
– Full guide support
Tour does not include:
– International flights
– Accommodation
– Other meals and drinks
– Tips and gratuities
– Personal expenses
– Entrance fees unless otherwise stated
– Optional tours (see Additional options)
– Visa expenses
additional options
Soviet Minsk tour. Prepare yourself for travelling in time! Because during this tour you will go many years back and find yourself in the biggest country in the world – USSR! You will meet a local friend who will show you around, bring you to places with most beautiful Stalinist architecture and tell you about life of Soviet people. You will have lunch in a very Soviet style restaurant, do some shopping at the Soviet warehouse GUM and walk in a very calm and typical for that time district Asmolauka.
Price: € 55, -per person
Belarusian summer house. Visit a Belarusian ‘dacha’! It’s a summer house where you get a great chance to experience this unique and very Belarusian tradition. You will be able to properly clean yourself in this wooden sauna that we call ‘banya’, good food and drinks! On ‘dacha’ you will relax in a Belarusian ‘banya’, try delicious Belarusian cuisine, get yourself in shape while doing some sports (biking, hiking, frisbee etc) and enjoy beautiful nature! In the evening you will be returned to Minsk.
Price: from € 150, -per person
Stalin Line. Visit Stalin Line to get a truly amazing picture of how life was during the war. It’s an interactive experience where you can ride a military car, shoot guns, and have a ‘soldier’s’ meal in an atmospheric cafe. Also very often there are some interesting events dedicated to World War II. If you don’t speak Russian we would advise you to bring someone along who does to get the full experience. In the evening you will be returned to Minsk.
Price: € 25, -per person
Dudutki. Welcome to the museum complex of Dudutki dedicated to ancient folk crafts and technologies! You will have an exciting trip into the world of the age-old manners and occupations as well as the tasting of distinctive Belarusian dishes and drinks and horse-riding. You will appear in traditional Belarusian village and have an excursion with a guide and snacks.
Price: € 30, -per person
Silichi. Visit a Belarusian ski resort located 30 km away from Minsk. In the summer you can do kart racing, ride a quad bike, play paintball, tennis, volleyball and do other sport activities. And in the winter you can not only do skiing or snowboarding, but also do ice-skating, ride a snowmobile or even a special inner tube! Also, in any time of the year you can come there to make a barbecue and relax at the nature next to a beautiful lake.
Price: from € 20, -per person
Tour to the National Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre. Not only the building of the National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre is beautiful inside and out, but it’s also surrounded by a lovely park and large fountain. Take a tour there and get to know about the history of Belarusian opera and ballet and its building and get a chance to see how dancers rehearse their parts! In the evening you can also come back for an opera or ballet concert.
Price: € 12, -per person
