"To witness a total eclipse of the Sun is a privilege that comes to but few people. Once seen, however, it is a phenomenon never to be forgotten. The black body of the Moon standing out ... in sinister relief between Sun and Earth, the sudden outflashing glory and radiance of the pearly corona which can be seen at no other time, the scarlet prominences rising from the surface of the hidden Sun to heights of many thousand miles, the unaccustomed presence of the brighter stars and planets in the daytime, the darkness of twilight and the unusual chill in the air. There is something in it all that affects even the strongest nerves and it is almost with a sigh of relief that we hail the return of the friendly Sun."

Isabel M. Lewis, 1924
A Handbook of Solar Eclipses

Only a small minority of the Earth's inhabitants have been privileged to witness a total solar eclipse first-hand, since this awe-inspiring phenomenon will visit the same locality only once in centuries! The March 9, 1997 total solar eclipse offers "reasonable weather prospects," and "the possibility of seeing a naked eye comet (Comet Hale-Bopp) during totality ... Only two previous comets have been naked eye spectacles during total eclipses (1882 and 1948)" - Fred Espenak, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.

The USA firm "White Nights," in conjunction with "International Bed&Breakfast," offers a tour to witness this spectacular event. In addition to the eclipse itself, the tour contains the following attractions:

• First stop is the beautiful city of St. Petersburg -- a city that has to be ranked as a cultural attraction equal to that of Paris, London or Rome. Visit to Russia's most famous museum, the Hermitage, and site of the 1917 Revolution. See Catherine the Great's fabulous palace on the outskirts of the city. Catch a performance in one of the city's renown theaters.
• From St. Petersburg, a long flight to Irkutsk, over 2700 miles (4400 km) and five time zones away, considered as one of the most appealing cities in Siberia with its heritage of aristocratic exiles and Asiatic influences from nearby China and Mongolia.
• Not far from Irkutsk a day will be spent at Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake with the greatest volume of fresh water -- 20% of the Earth's fresh water is contained here, more than in the five Great Lakes of North America combined. The lake supports a unique ecosystem, and is considered to be most spectacularly beautiful in the winter. Visit to the Limnological Museum at the lake's shore, and then to the Solar Observatory where there will be a briefing on the eclipse.
• A day will be spent on the Trans-Siberian railroad, traversing Lake Baikal's southern edge. This is the most scenic portion of the whole Trans-Siberian, climbing up hills and then giving magnificent views of the lake, winding through a series of tunnels following the lake's mountainous shores.
• Arrival at the Siberian city of Chita, early morning March 9, 1997. At ten o'clock in the morning Chita enjoys 2 minutes 15 seconds of total solar eclipse. Chita, with a population of over 300,000, is the biggest city in the eclipse's path, renown for being populated in the 19th century with aristocratic exiles, the Decembrists, who plotted to overthrow the tsar.
• Domestic flights in Russia are not determined more than a month in advance, and dependent on schedules either a flight from Chita or Irkutsk to Moscow.
• Last destination of the tour: Moscow! Visit to the Kremlin and other sites.

PRICE OF TOUR: $2686 per person, double occupancy, from New York City via Finnair. $150 single supplement. Price of tour includes: round-trip air, New York- St. Petersburg, Moscow-New York, domestic air travel within Russia, accommodations, all meals (except where indicated in detailed itinerary), transfers, museum entry fees, train tickets, Russian visa support, Russian visa fee.

WE ARE FLEXIBLE! SEND E-MAIL FOR QUOTE IF AIR TRAVEL IS TO BE INDEPENDENTLY OBTAINED TO RUSSIA - PARTICIPANTS FROM COUNTRIES OTHER THAN THE USA ACCEPTED!

SEND E-MAIL FOR DETAILED ANSWERS TO ANY QUESTIONS:

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Detailed itinerary of tour
Tour safety/Travel tips
Weather conditions/clothing
Map of eclipse path through Mongolia/Siberia
Terms of tour
How to apply

Return to WhiteNights home page

Additional links:
Eclipse of 1997 March 9 (NASA)
Eclipses during 1997 (NASA)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Fred Espernak's eclipse bulletins, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 USA, from which material was used in this web page (see link above).