White Nights - the travel specialists for budget travel to the countries of the ex-USSR

Siberia, Mongolia, the Golden Ring of Russia - not to mention St Petersburg and Moscow - once these were expensive places to visit, sometimes off-limits to foreigners, requiring the services of the Soviet travel bureau Intourist. Now's the time to explore these exotic destinations while they still are not teeming with hordes of tourists. Live with Russian families, stay in an isolated village, ride the legendary Trans-Siberian rail, or participate in a Russian language and cultural immersion program - these and other possibilities are in store for those willing to do something out of the ordinary, to gain a first-hand understanding of the "Soviet" culture so riddled with misconceptions.

Check below for details on travel offerings (prices may vary depending on country of booking and current exchange rates). We offer visa support for Russia, Mongolia.

• About White Nights and travel to the ex-Soviet Union: Customs, what to bring, what to know.

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• Bed & Breakfast/Reasonably-priced Hotels: St. Petersburg/Moscow from $23/night.
• Trans-Siberian rail tickets.Travel from Moscow to Beijing, from $311. Moscow to Vladivostok, from $373.
• Russian-language immersion program, St. Petersburg. $1175 for 4 weeks.
• Archaeological Expeditions to Siberia. Spend either a few days or a few weeks working/relaxing in an archaeological expedition to unearth artifacts from the Scythian civilization. Be one of the first Westerners to see the "Scythian Stonehedge." A detour from the Trans-Siberian rail to Abakan. $40/day.
• Village life: Live a few days in a quaint Russian village surrounded by forest, isolated from civilization. $30/day.
• Kayaking expeditions: north of St. Petersburg. Explore the fjordes and islands of Lake Ladoga. $40/day complete (From June-September)
• Guided excursions in St Petersburg: Contact White Nights' St Petersburg office upon your arrival in Russia (phone (812) 527-7164). $50 3-hour city tour by car in St Petersburg.

For inquiries, contact the Russian office on the following prompt: wnights@russia.spb.su

Contact agents below for firm bookings after first contacting Russian office by e-mail (unless require information in native language, such as Dutch or Japanese); Russian office can answer inquiries in English, German, and Russian):

White Nights Home Office:
5th Sovetskaya st. 6,
St. Petersburg, Russia 193130
Phone (812) 115-6433
Fax (812) 273-9948
Fax 2 (812) 268-2515

Copyright © Arden Simoni, 2001. All rights reserved.