YPT Tours to Belarus

Little tourism existed in Belarus during the Soviet era, even less so now – making our Belarus tours extra special!

Byelorussia, which translates to “White Russia”, has historically been linked to its larger neighbour. History has seen the region occupied and controlled by various empires which resulted in a proud, beautiful, and rich Slavic culture. Isolated from Europe, Belarus still maintains its Soviet heritage and remembers its sacrifice during the Great Patriotic War, which attracts curious YPT customers. 

But it’s not all that our Belarus tours offer. The country boasts a rich heritage, evident in its magnificent castles and fortresses, the grand architecture of Minsk or the cobbled streets of Grodno. Beyond the cities, Belarus also offers breathtaking natural scenery, such as the Bialowieza Forest, a UNESCO biosphere, and the vast Braslav Lakes National Park, a haven for water.

Group Tours to Belarus

Currently, YPT offers one group tour to Belarus which can be combined with Kaliningrad and our Baltics tour to Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. Our 7-day Belarus tour is packed full of adventures, including a visit to the Stalin Line, a day-trip to the Belorussian Exclusion Zone, and some time in Minsk, a truly underrated capital. We offer bespoke tours throughout the year. 

Baltics, Kaliningrad & Belarus Combo – April 18th – May 1st, 2025 – 3095€

Belarus Spring Tour – April 25th – May 1st 2025 – 1695€

Belarus: Back in the USSR Tour – August 13th-19th, 2025 – 1695€

Independent Tours to Belarus 

YPT has always been at the forefront of opening up obscure destinations and, with years of experience, we have successfully been running bespoke tours to Belarus. As such we can arrange independent and bespoke travel packages, no matter what you’re looking for. Prices depend on the number of people and what level of accommodation you desire, but YPT can arrange everything you need for perfect independent Belarus tours.

The unique position of Belarus, right at the centre of Europe, allows you to combine it with tours to the Baltics, Poland, and Russia. 

Example of a Belarus Itinerary (6 days)

Day 1

• Arrive at your convenience in Minsk. We can also arrange transportation by land from Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania which is well connected from many European countries
• Depending on our time of arrival, we’ll go and explore Minsk which is dominated by beautiful Soviet architecture. This is also a good time to take care of currency exchange and the purchase a SIM card.

• Dinner at one of YPT’s favourite restaurants serving traditional Belarussian cuisine alongside some local beer.
• Overnight stay in Minsk

Day 2 – Minsk

• Breakfast at our Soviet Hotel.
• You’ll meet our local guide and set about exploring Minsk and learning about its historical and cultural influences the capital has to offer. To make the most of your time here, you’ll explore the capital city by foot and car.
• First, you’ll head to the workshop of Ozgur. One of the most esteemed sculptors of the USSR, his workshop is full to the brim of monuments to Lenin, Soviet War heroes, and statues of other important communist figures from Kim II Sung to Fidel Castro.
• You’ll see the house of the Soviets, the still-functioning KGB building, Lee Harvey Oswald’s apartment, the island of tears dedicated to the Soviet-Afghan war, and much more.

Afternoon

• Lunch at a local restaurant, we recommend trying schavel borscht, an essential dish amongst Belarusians.
• Then you’ll have the chance to go to what is arguably one of the best WW2 museums on earth: the museum of the Great Patriotic War, which details the horrific advancement of the Third Reich and its devastating impact of the on Belarusians – 1 in 4 of the population was killed.
• Your tour continues, exploring the city, looking for Soviet architecture, brutalist buildings and monuments.
• The group will grab dinner at Tovarisch, which translate to “comrade” which is a nostalgic restaurant designed to glorify the days of the Soviet Union. It is very much a place for nostalgic locals and not tourists. The waiters dress as Young Pioneers and the food is very good! For those inclined, we’ll head out to YPT favourite bars.
• Overnight stay in Minsk.

Day 3 – Minsk – Brest

• Early morning start with breakfast at our hotel before we check out and explore Brest – one the oldest cities in Belarus.
• You’ll get to experience the Belarusian train system as we catch the afternoon train to Brest which will take us right next to the Polish border. The scenic journey takes around 3 hours, it’s also a great way to interact with friendly locals; in recent times very few foreigners visit Belarus.

Afternoon

• On arrival, we’ll grab lunch at a local restaurant, we recommend trying machanka consisting of pork sausages, beer, onion and sour cream served alongside with crepes.
• We’ll go to and explore Brest, which will include the legendary Brest Fortress, locally known as the Hero Fortress. A 19th Century Russian Fortress, this spectacular example of Soviet architecture is now a war memorial commemorating the first battles of WWII featuring two of the most amazing Soviet era monuments.
• The complex features an array of tanks and WW2 museums inside which you’ll have time to explore and learn about how the heroic Soviet soldiers led by Pyotr Gavrilov fought the Third Reich to the very end according to Soviet propaganda. The fort was also visited by Hitler and Mussolini during their visit to the Eastern front.
• You’ll have the option to meet our friend who supplies local film directors with uniforms and weapons of the Second World War. He will provide you with the uniform of a Red Army General and be able to take some fairly epic photos in the surrounding area.
• A quick stop at the open-air train museum to see some enormous Soviet trains, the collection includes Steam engines, Snowplough SDPM and Retro passenger cabs.
• The day will continue with a walk through downtown Brest taking in the Millennium monument and the unique feel of this quaint, very European old town. Among others, you’ll see a monument to Lenin outside of the local functioning KGB headquarters.
• Check into our nearby hotel on arrival and head out for dinner and a few drinks. If you’re a vodka connoisseur, you may want to taste the locally infamous horseradish variant.
• Overnight stay in Brest

Day 4 – Brest – Stalin Line – Minsk

• Breakfast at our hotel before we check out of our hotel.
• Train back to Minsk, which will again take about three hours. This is another good opportunity to interact with locals and enjoy the views of the Belarusian countryside.

Afternoon

• For lunch, we recommend trying vereshchaka, roasted juicy meat, and home-cooked sausages alongside potatoes. There are also vegetarian options available.
• A genuine tour highlight, you’ll get to experience ‘Soviet Disneyland’ known as the Stalin Line. A series of Soviet Bunkers from WW2 and a mass of Cold War-era weaponry.
• After exploring the bunker complexes you’ll be able to ride a Soviet tank around a mock battlefield. There are options for an additional fee to fire various Soviet guns including machine guns, and drive a tank!
• After a busy, you’ll head back to Minsk, check in to our hotel before heading out for dinner.
• Overnight stay in Minsk

Day 5 – Minsk – Belarus Exclusion Zone – Minsk

Morning

• Early morning start with our drive to the Belarus Exclusion Zone, which will take around 4 hours. We have a packed breakfast for the journey and will make rest stops along the way.
• After arriving in Gomel, we will transfer to the Belorussian Exclusion Zone and after clearing the checkpoints with our permits we will enter the Polesie State Radioecological Reserve. There, you will see the scientist’s research centre and learn about the real consequences of the nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. You will be amazed by nature diversity caused by the absence of human intervention and will be able to examine the radiation background with an accompanying expert guide.
• The main objective of our trip is to get acquainted with the activities of the Polesie State Radioecological Reserve, to learn about radiation contamination issues with the scientific staff of the reserve, as well as to monitor the flora and fauna of the territories where human activity was almost completely terminated.
• You will be surprised how quickly nature has recovered after over 35 years of human absence, the reserve’s territory was inhabited by the Przhevalsky horse, and the number of bison here is one of the highest in Belarus. Thanks to the ban on hunting in the exclusion zone, the number of wolves and other wild animals has also recovered.
• We’ll have a picnic lunch, where we can enjoy in a dedicated area.

Afternoon

• Our route is built due to the lowest dosimeter indicators, which makes our stay at the territory of the reserve safe. You will visit the villages inhabited by those brave enough to return to the Exclusion Zone and live full time, the Pripyat River, whose shores are still littered with abandoned boats, Soviet relics, eerie abandoned cemeteries and Soviet industrial buildings.
• You’ll visit former Soviet political propaganda centres full of Soviet relics and posters visit many of the 96 abandoned Belorussian villages in the zone. Before the disaster, over 22,000 people lived throughout these settlements.
• We’ll have the chance to climb a Soviet watchtower and get a bird’s eye view of the exclusion zone. On a clear day from here you can see Pripyat and the new dome over Reactor 4 inside the territory of Ukraine.
• After exploring the zone and clearing radiation control, we’ll transfer back to Minsk.
• Dinner along the journey back to Minsk.
• Overnight stay in Minsk.

Day 6 – Minsk 

• Leisurely morning start with breakfast at our Soviet hotel before we depart Belarus 

Bespoke tours to Belarus

We can offer bespoke and independent tours throughout Belarus. The landlocked country allows you to combine the tour with The Baltics, Kaliningrad, Poland and/or Russia.

For more information on the following programs, or if what you are looking for not be on this list, simply get in touch and we’ll arrange it.

WWII tours In Belarus

Belarus suffered greatly during Nazi occupation and was the country where some of the fiercest battles took place. Belarus has taken pride and maintained memorial and sites, making our WWII tours comprehensive and informative. We’ll see the poignant Victory Square and the Eternal Flame in Minsk, visit the Belarusian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War History, explore the Brest Fortress, the first place attacked by Nazi Germany, and pay our respects at the haunting Khatyn Memorial Complex, dedicated to the hundreds of villages destroyed by the Nazis along with their inhabitants. 

Eco-Travel in Belarus

The green rural landscape of Belarus makes a perfect eco-tour. For those wishing to hike and camp we can arrange this to your specifications. This can include the Bialowieza Forest, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, in search of the majestic wisent and other native animals. We can also organize hikes through the Braslav Lakes National Park, which offers opportunities for trekking, cycling, and kayaking in breathtaking scenery. 

Belarus by Train – Minsk and Moscow by Train

YPT can arrange train journey throughout Belarus to the Russian capital, Moscow. Visiting Brest and Vitebsk by rail truly open ups Belarus. Railway journeys to Moscow are an experience by themselves. Get in touch and we can take care of your bespoke itinerary. 

Soviet heritage tours in Belarus

Many former Soviet republics have removed signs of their Soviet past, often seen as an occupation. Many of these relics were destroyed or sold to private collectors. Not in Belarus. The country kept untouched and impressive war memorials, statues, and mosaics. YPT is able to produce tailored tours highlighting these impressive relics. 

Victory Day tour in Belarus

YPT can arrange bespoke tours for the Victory Day tour in Belarus, which includes military parades and more. It is one of the largest celebrations in Belarus, and we can ensure you will enjoy it.  

Belarus Exclusion Zone tours

Known as the Polesie State Radioecological Reserve, the region remains untouched by the 1986 Chornobyl disaster. We can arrange bespoke tours to the exclusion zone, where time has stood still. You’ll enter the scientist’s research centre and learn about the real consequences of the nuclear disaster at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. You will be amazed by the nature diversity caused by the absence of human intervention and will be able to examine the radiation background with an accompanying expert guide.

Stalin Line tour in Belarus

Often referred to as the ‘Soviet Disneyland’ the massive fortification hosts war re-enactments to display military hardware. While most of our Belarus tours stop there, we can also arrange a bespoke tour which includes driving tanks and firing weapons.  

Filming in Belarus

Through our media arm Pioneer Media, we can make arrangements for productions, journalists, or others to film within Belarus from big-budget to guerrilla productions. We can also arrange meetings in the country, as well as correct visas for journalists wishing to do projects within Belarus.

Frequently asked Questions about travel to Belarus

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