SOCHI

Each of us takes a rest differently. Someone lazily sunbathes under the hot rays of the southern sun, and someone briskly walks along the forest paths. For one, the vacation is lost if you cannot tickle your nerves by jumping off a cliff or walking over a small suspension bridge over an abyss. And the other dreams to sit with a glass of wine on the terrace, enjoying the mountain landscape. And, of course, there are those for whom vacation is inconceivable without excursions and acquaintance with the culture and traditions of new countries. If there is a place in Russia where everyone can find something to do, then this is Sochi! So we invite you to set off there with us!

DAY 1. SOCHI

• Arrival in Sochi
• Meeting with a guide
• Transfer to the hotel
• Check-in, hotel****
• Dinner at the hotel (extra charge)

DAY 2. SOCHI

• Breakfast at the hotel
• City tour:
  – Promenade along the embankment
  – Visit to the Marine Station and the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael
  – Acquaintance with the historical centers of Sochi
• Excursion to the Arboretum park with Villa Nadezhda visit
• Time for lunch
• Visiting the mineral springs of the legendary resort "Matsesta"
• Tour of Stalin's Dacha
• Return to the hotel
• Dinner at the hotel (extra charge)

DAY 3. SOCHI: UCH-DERE

• Breakfast at the hotel
• First half of the day: free time at leisure
• Excursion "Tea House" in Uch-Dere:
  – Acquaintance with the history of tea in Sochi, the technique of collecting and processing tea leaves
  – Walk through the tea plantations
  – Visit to the Tea House in the village of Uch-dere
• Tea drinking accompanied by a performance of the Russian folk song ensemble
• Return to the hotel
• Dinner at the hotel (extra charge)

DAY 4. SOCHI

• Breakfast at the hotel
• First half of the day: free time at leisure
• Excursion "Relic yew and boxwood grove – a journey into the depths of the ages"
• Return to the hotel
• Dinner at the hotel (extra charge)

DAY 5. SOCHI – RESORT "KRASNAYA POLYANA"

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Check-out, departure from the hotel
• "Olympic Sochi" tour
• Visit to Autodrom and Motorsport Museum
• Time for lunch
• "AJ Hackett Skypark Sochi": a walk along the suspension bridge over the Sochi National Park
• Arrival to Krasnaya Polyana (Rosa Khutor)
• Check-in, accommodation in a 4* hotel
• Dinner at the hotel (extra charge)

DAY 6. RESORT "KRASNAYA POLYANA"

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Walking tour "Krasnaya Polyana – a unique mountain resort":
  – Ride on the cable car "Rosa Khutor"
  – Visit to the Mountain Olympic Village
• Time for lunch
• Tasting of local alcoholic beverages (wine, liqueurs, balsams)
• Visit to the ethnographic complex "My Russia"
• Return to hotel
• Dinner at the hotel (extra charge)

DAY 7. RESORT "KRASNAYA POLYANA"

• Free day
• Farewell dinner at the famous restaurant “Che? Kharcho!"
• Transfer to the hotel

DAY 8. RESORT "KRASNAYA POLYANA"

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Check-out from the hotel
• Transfer to the airport

DURING THE TOUR YOU WILL SEE:

• Sochi is the resort capital of Russia, which combines luxurious beaches and medicinal waters with one of the best ski resorts in the world. Sochi was founded in 1838 as the fort of Alexandria. The saint patron of the city, which arose during the Caucasian War, is the Archangel Michael - the head of the Heavenly Host. At the beginning of the 20th century, Sochi changed its specialization and began its transformation into a major tourist center.
  You will begin your acquaintance with the city with a sightseeing tour, where you will learn about the history of the resort, walk along the picturesque embankment and discover the historical center so beloved by tourists, where the main attractions of Sochi are located: the circus, the Summer Theater, the Park of Culture and Leisure, the Seaport, Primorsky a park with an observation deck, a cascade of fountains and the Stele of the Archangel Michael. Particular attention is drawn to the Marine Station – the most recognizable place in the city: stucco molding, mosaics, mirrors - every detail is beautiful here. It is as if you are in a museum, and not in an operating seaport. And, of course, you will visit the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael - the main Orthodox church in Sochi.
  After the sightseeing tour, you will go to the “green heart of the city” – the Sochi arboretum. Here, on an area of ​​46 hectares, trees and shrubs have been collected from all over the world. Now in the park's living collection there are more than 1800 species and forms of plants, and every day one of them necessarily blooms, so the park looks like a real fairy tale all year round. In the center of the park there is a beautiful building with graceful columns and delicate balconies - this is the house built by the founder of the Arboretum and named after his wife - "Villa Nadezhda ". During a tour of the villa, you will get acquainted with an exposition dedicated to the life and work of the creator of the park, a famous publisher and art critic, Sergei Khudekov.
  Acquaintance with another landmark of the city, the largest balneological resort in Russia Matsesta, awaits you in the afternoon. There are unique springs of medicinal hydrogen sulfide water here. You can see a bowl filled with "fiery water" symbolizing Matsesta on the coat of arms of Sochi. During the excursion, you will learn about the healing properties of Matsesta water and the history of the resort's formation, visit the places where the greatest personalities of our era took baths, including Stalin. It is no coincidence that his dacha, which is the next destination of your trip, was located just 300 meters from the balneological institution. The appearance of Stalin's Dacha has come down to us unchanged. Here you will see the preserved interiors and pieces of furniture, learn the details that reveal the character and lifestyle of the leader: from favorite songs and cigarette brands to preferences in literature and cinema.
  The next day, you will head to one of the most northerly tea plantations in the world. You will not only learn the history of growing tea in Sochi, the technique of collecting and processing tea leaves, but also get acquainted with the traditions of Russian tea drinking. In a real carved wooden tower, accompanied by the sounds of balalaika and gusli, you will taste local tea with pies, mountain honey and jam from subtropical fruits. You will also get acquainted with Russian folk crafts: you will see dishes decorated with Khokhloma and Palekh painting, Bogorodsk and Dymkovo toys, the famous Gzhel porcelain and, of course, old samovars.
  On the fourth day of the tour you will go to the depths of the centuries to meet with the ancient history of our planet: on the territory of the Yew-boxwood grove, which is under the protection of UNESCO, there are relict forests that have been preserved almost unchanged since the pre-glacial era. In total, over 400 plant species grow in this part of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve. Giant yew trees, evergreen boxwood, tropical flower mushrooms, rocks and canyons, turquoise blue waters of a mountain river and the ruins of an ancient fortress - all this awaits you on a walking tour of the grove.


• Sochi is not only tropical forests, medicinal waters and luxurious beaches. In 2014, it became the capital of the Winter Olympics. Therefore, you will devote the fifth excursion day to the sports history of the city. The day begins with a ride in comfortable golf carts in the Olympic Park. You will get acquainted with sports arenas and stadiums, learn unknown facts about the Olympic Games, visit the Medal Plaza and take a photo at the largest Olympic torch in the history of the Games. A walk through the Olympic Park will be incomplete without a visit to Sochi Autodrom and the Auto Sport Museum. The Sochi Autodrom is the only racing track in Russia that operates all year round. This is a unique complex where the Formula 1 race track is located, and the Russian Grand Prix stage is held annually. The collection of the Auto Sport Museum includes more than 40 racing and sports cars, a collection of caps, helmets, car models, suits of racers and mechanics of different racing teams.
  This eventful day will end with a walk over the Sochi National Park on the longest suspension pedestrian bridge in the world. From the bridge you will see picturesque views of the Akhshtyr gorge, mountains, sea, magical Colchis forest and the thin bed of the Mzymta river.


• Village Krasnaya Polyana is located 60 kilometers from the center of Sochi, at an altitude of about 600 meters above sea level. This mountain resort attracts tourists throughout the year, as the activities offered here are not limited to skiing and snowboarding. You can go for a walk along eco-trails, swing on a high-altitude swing above the clouds, feed deer, ride a dog sled, tickle your nerves by crossing a wooden bridge over an abyss. And many other options to choose what to do on your last free day.
  And the first day in Krasnaya Polyana you will devote to acquaintance with this amazing place. Rosa Khutor is one of the highest points of Krasnaya Polyana, where you can enjoy a stunning variety of vegetation and mountain views. Hotels, restaurants and sports grounds, built for the 2014 Olympics, gently blend into the mountain landscape. You will take a ride on the Rosa Khutor cable car, which will take you above the clouds to enjoy the magnificent panorama of the Caucasus Mountains. You will also visit the Mountain Olympic Village, located on a plateau at an altitude of 1170 meters above sea level. The village, created for the participants of the 2014 Winter Olympics, has become a favorite destination for fans of outdoor activities and alpine skiing. Here you can dine at one of the many cafés that offer inspiring views of the Aibga and Psekhako Mountains through their panoramic windows. After lunch, a tasting awaits you: you will get acquainted with local wines and liqueurs, try balms with mountain herbs, fruits and honey. And then you will head to the ethnographic complex "My Russia" to plan your next trip as the complex has 11 thematic buildings that illustrate the history, life and entertainment of different peoples of the Russian Federation. You will see "Siberia" with wooden log huts, bright "Buryatia" with a Buddhist temple, elegant architecture of St. Petersburg, the Moscow Kremlin, Kazan, the towers of the Caucasus, Krasnodar courtyards and Demidov factories of the Urals.

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