Where to go for Christmas in Russia in 2019 alone or with family

The content of the article

• Ideas for winter travel in Russia
• New Year in St. Petersburg
• Golden Ring Journey
• Holidays in Karelia for Christmas
• Winter holidays in Kazan
• New Year holidays on the Kola Peninsula
• On a visit to Santa Claus in Veliky Ustyug
• Rest on Baikal
• New Year holidays in Moscow

A couple of months before the New Year holidays, many begin to plan how they will be spent. One of the coziest holidays of this period is Christmas. It is not necessary to constantly celebrate it at home with all loved ones. New Year’s cities of Russia offer many ways to have a good time both for single people and for couples or families with children.

Ideas for winter travel in Russia

Holidays for the New Year in Russia are possible in warm or cold regions. Families with children at Christmas often go to the homeland of Santa Claus. Lonely people are inclined to extreme winter sports, but they can also retire to a small cottage on the edge of the earth, flying to Sakhalin Island. Couples without children prefer romantic trips. They should go to Sochi to the Rosa Khutor mountain resort, located in Krasnaya Polyana..

New Year in St. Petersburg

The northern capital is literally transformed before the New Year holidays and Christmas. Although the temperature does not drop below minus 10 degrees, walks may not be very pleasant due to strong winds. Those who are not afraid of this weather can visit Peterhof, Pavlovsk, Tsarskoye Selo. Places to go:

• Pioneer fair, where to buy to buy souvenirs, sweets and toys.
• Palace Square, which pleases all visitors with a daily laser show and a 25-meter Christmas tree.
• The fabulously decorated Nevsky Prospect with incredible illumination: shining garlands, light rains and figures.

The cost of living is not the lowest: Crowne Plaza – from 5600 rubles. for 1 night, “St. Petersburg” – from 3000 rubles., “Moscow” – from 3500 rubles. There are more budget options: Azimut – from 2200 rubles., “Ligotel” – from 2000 rubles. Tickets for train seats from Moscow to St. Petersburg are cheap – from 700 rubles, for a bus – 900 rubles. With this in mind, only travel and accommodation for 3-4 days will cost 15,000 rubles.

Golden Ring Journey

Judging by the reviews, tourist tours in Russia are especially popular during Christmas, since all the cities of the Golden Ring are located near the capital. They are amazing and original, have many attractions. The composition of the Golden Ring includes:

• Vladimir
• Kostroma;
• Suzdal
• Ivanovo;
• Yaroslavl
• Pereslavl-Zalessky;
• Sergiev Posad.

Some may be excluded from the trip. Tour “Golden Ring of Russia for Christmas” for two costs 19,990 rubles. Cost includes:

• 2 meals a day;
• excursion program for each city;
• guide services;
• visiting museums, galleries;
• transport service.

Perhaps sharing one person or child in a double standard room. Cities of this tour and hotels where tourists have:

• Pereslavl (“Pereslavl”);
• Yaroslavl (“Jubilee”);
• Ivanovo (“Ascension”);
• Vladimir (The Golden Ring).

Holidays in Karelia for Christmas

The Republic of Karelia is located in the north-west of Russia. The landmark is its capital – the city of Petrozavodsk, located on the coast of Lake Onega. Karelia borders with Finland, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk and Leningrad regions.

The republic is distinguished by its cultural features. Signs are duplicated in two languages, in some places you can hear Karelian speech. Cities to go to:

• Lahdenpohja;
• Sortavala
• Petrozavodsk;
• Kondopoga;
• Olonets;
• Medvezhyegorsk;
• Kem.

Karelia is called the country of forests and lakes. There are beautiful meadows, granite rocks, clean air. What is worth visiting or seeing for a tourist:

• 300-year-old Church of the Transfiguration, Kizhi Island;
• Ruskeala mountain park with a flooded marble quarry;
• Solovetsky and Valaam monasteries;
• resort “Marcial waters”.

For lovers of outdoor activities developed tours on snowmobiles and dog teams. The cost of the Karelian Travels 2019 Christmas program from January 4 to 8 is 27,300 rubles. for two. These include:

• Three meals a day;
• hotel accommodation or overnight on field trips;
• sauna and bath for those who wish;
• hovercraft cruise on the lake;
• snowmobile management school;
• rest in the base;
• group transfer to the train.

Travel by train from Moscow to Petrozavodsk costs 3,000 p., By plane – 5,000-6,000 p. Tickets for two will have to spend from 12,000 to 24,000 p. The night of accommodation at the Fregat Hotel is 3000 rubles, the Piter Inn is 3500 rubles, the Karelia is 2800 rubles, that is, the amount for 3-4 days varies from 8400 to 14 000 rubles. The maximum budget for a trip without meals is 38 000 r.

Winter holidays in Kazan

This city of Russia is amazing in that it is an “alloy” of many cultures. On the territory of the Kremlin are the Kul-Sharif mosque and the Annunciation Cathedral. What other places to visit in Kazan:

• Museum of Soviet slot machines. Here you can try yourself when passing through the arcade “Turnip”, recklessly chopped into a “sniper” or score as many points as possible in pinball.
• Museum of a happy childhood. Here, everything that surrounded the Soviet child: toys, school desks, etc. The charge of nostalgia is provided to everyone.
• Embankment of the Kazanka River. It begins near the Kazan Kremlin and is an architectural dominant. It offers great views. Nearby is the Wedding Palace – one of the main attractions of the city.
• Waterpark Riviera”. It has everything: restaurants, an IMAX cinema, a fitness club, a hotel and much more. It is better to go right away for the whole day to have time to visit all the attractions. A ticket for an adult costs 1,400-1,600 rubles, for children 5-12 years old – 1,200-1,300 rubles, preferential – 1300-1400 rubles.
• Ski resort “Sviyazhsky hills” in the village Savino. The cost of a hotel with 2-person accommodation starts from 4000, at home for 6 guests – from 6000.

Here you will find a disco, fireworks, performances by local pop groups and round dances around the Christmas tree. Families with children should visit the Eriyat Puppet Theater. Next to it is a sparkling town of ice. You can rent a double room at different prices:

• Raymond – from 3290 p .;
• DoubleTree by Hilton – from 3800 r.;
• “Don Quixote” – from 1700 p.;
• “Riviera” – from 6000 r.

A flight from Moscow to Kazan costs about 3,000–4500 p., A journey by train – about 1,500 p. Given the prices, you can calculate an approximate budget for a trip for two:

• round-trip air tickets – 12 000 r .;
• hotel for 5 days – 15 000 r .;
• food for one day – 1000 r .;
• trip by bus, trolleybus, tram, metro – 50 r.

New Year holidays on the Kola Peninsula

The Murmansk region is located beyond the Arctic Circle, in the north of the European part of Russia. It became especially popular after the release of the film “Leviathan” in 2014, which was filmed on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. You can not choose for yourself another memorable event:

• a trip to the nursery for deer and husky;
• acquaintance with the shaman;
• trip to the heights of the Khibiny mountains;
• a trip to the Polar Baltic Botanical Garden;
• visit to the Snow Village.

By the New Year it becomes dark almost round the clock – the polar night begins, when you can observe the northern lights. Another feature of the holiday is the abundance of seafood: salmon, roach, pike, trout. Budget trip without food in Murmansk for 2 people:

• Travel by train – from 10,600 p., Flight – from 12,000 p. Round-trip costs will be from 20 000 to 24 000 r.
• Hotel accommodation: Azimut – 4500 p. per night, “Lights of Murmansk” – from 4100 p., “Meridian” – from 3680 p..

On a visit to Santa Claus in Veliky Ustyug

Fans of a fairy tale should go to Veliky Ustyug. This vacation is especially suitable for families with children. Veliky Ustyug still retained the color of the medieval Russian North. The cultural program here may include:

• Visiting merchant estates and churches of the 17-18 centuries. Among tourists, the Cathedral Court with its “pearl” – Assumption Cathedral is especially popular..
• Visit to the Museum of New Year’s and Christmas toys, which will especially appeal to children.
• A walk through New Year’s fairs, where local craftsmen sell their products and master classes in forging or baking bread.
• A visit to the estate of Santa Claus. This is the most popular New Year’s route. One residence is located in the city. Not far from it is Santa Claus Mail and the Wizard Fashion House, where children can make toys themselves.

Another residence of Santa Claus is located outside the city, 10 km from Veliky Ustyug. Here, children and adults expect a lot of interesting entertainments:

• Winter Garden;
• passage along the Tale Trail;
• glacier with figures made of ice;
• territory of artisans;
• contact zoo;
• meeting with Santa Claus himself.

On the estate there are 9 hotels: Guest House Kudykina Gora – 3500 r. per night, “Resident” – 1600 p., “Gleden” – from 2400 p. etc. The cost of tours is somewhat different. “Winter Express to Veliky Ustyug to Santa Claus” from January 5 to 7 costs 10,100 rubles. per person. The route begins in Moscow at the Yaroslavl station, passes through Kotlas and Veliky Ustyug. Cost includes:

• Three meals a day;
• acquaintance with the historical part of the city;
• visiting the Fashion House, Fatherland of Santa Claus;
• entertainment;
• presenting gifts and letters with fairy tale characters.

Rest on Baikal

Many people want to go here because of the opportunity to engage in extreme sports: ice diving, jeep riding, fishing, kiting. Tourists note that on New Year’s holidays the hotels have a very cozy atmosphere, and the food in cafes and restaurants is simple, inexpensive and tasty. Where to go for Christmas in Russia in 2019 on Baikal:

• Listvyanka. This is a village in the Irkutsk region, named for larch trees that grow in a nearby forest. Here you can ride in a harness with a husky, go fishing and try snowmobiles. During the holidays, you can see the mass walks of the village, residents often fireworks.
• The village of Bolshoy Goloustnoye. The main attraction here is St. Nicholas Church. You can see alpine meadows, rocks or springs. The famous ecological route has a length of 7 km. Worth a visit and the Hunting Cave with a depth of 77 m.
• Island Olkhon. There is a museum of local lore with unique collections of household items of the soldiers of Genghis Khan. There are many archaeological sites on the territory: burial grounds, ancient walls and fortifications.
• Severobaykalsk. Known for its thermal springs: Cape Kotelnikovsky, Khakusy, Gougekit, Dzelinda. Here tourists can fully relax and restore health.

It’s worth a trip to the city of Baikalsk, where the famous Sobolinaya Mountain ski resort with modern infrastructure and equipment is located. There are 8 tracks, special slopes for training, ski rental with storage room. Places should be booked in advance, approximately 2 months in advance. Approximate travel budget for two:

• Flight: from 18 000 p. for 1 person round-trip.
• Accommodation (1 night): hostel “On the Baikal Trails” – 1400 rubles, Zolotaya Rybka – 3240 rubles, “House at Baikal” – 2700 rubles, Dad’s House – 1500 rubles.

New Year holidays in Moscow

It’s not expensive to relax on New Year’s Eve by visiting the capital of Russia. Since December, almost every day there are all kinds of events for every age and budget. The capital pleases with the number of Christmas trees. By the new year 2019, they will be installed in every district of the city. The most festive tree will be located on Red Square. What else can you visit in Moscow for Christmas:

• Hermitage Garden, VDNH, Central Department Store, where New Year’s fairs are held.
• Oceanarium at VDNH, in Crocus City and a shopping center on Dmitrovka. The cost of an adult ticket is 1600 rubles, a child ticket is 900 rubles.
• Ice rinks in Gorky Park, on Red Square, near the GUM.
• Forest zone of Kuzmink where dog sledding.

Accommodation in the center will be more expensive: Intracontinental – from 9500 p., Hampton By Hilton – from 4200 p., Holiday Inn Express – from 4300 p. There are more budget options: Vnukovo Village Park & ​​Spa – from 2800 p., “Vals” – from 2600 p. The cost of a train ticket to Moscow depends on the region: from Nizhny Novgorod – from 1000 p., From Kazan – from 800 p., From Yekaterinburg – from 2600 p., From Novosibirsk – from 4500 p. The approximate budget of the trip for 2 is 40 000-50 000 r.