YPT Tours to Kaliningrad

YPT are your experts for Kaliningrad tours – and all things Soviet! The former German city known back then as Konigsberg is famous for its Prussian and Germanic architecture and natural wonders such as the Curonian Spit National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its unique sand dunes and lush forests.

The region saw fierce battles during WWII and you can learn about this part of its history by visiting remnants of German fortifications. Once annexed by the Soviet Union, Kaliningrad became a popular destination for holiday makers.  

Known as the “most militarized zone in Europe” and home to the Russian Baltic Sea Fleet, the exclave of Kaliningrad is still shrouded in secrecy. Being a closed Soviet military region for decades and still laced with nuclear missiles, warships and tanks tends to have that effect.

Group tours to Kaliningrad

Currently, YPT offers two yearly group tour to Kaliningrad, which can be combined with trips to Belarus and to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The 5-day itinerary starts in Gdansk (Poland) or Vilnius (Lithuania) depending on the time of the year, and all tours conclude in Vilnius.

During our Kaliningrad tours, we explore the Russian exclave extensively, discover its famous historical architecture, try the local cuisine, and interact with the local Russians who are surrounded by neighbours with conflicting ideological views.  

Kaliningrad Post Soviet Exclave Tour – August 10th – 14th 2024 – €595

Kaliningrad Post Soviet Exclave Spring Tour – April 21st – 25th 2025 – €695

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

Kaliningrad Post Soviet Exclave Tour – August 9th – 13th 2025 – €695

Independent tours to Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad has always been one of our most popular Soviet Europe tours. The Russian exclave is very different from the mainland Russia, as its average citizen had more exposure to its European neighbours. Independent tours can be combined with Poland, Belarus and the Baltic States. Prices depend on the number of people and what level of accommodation you desire, but YPT can arrange everything you need for perfect independent Kaliningrad tours.

Below is an example Kaliningrad tour for a post-WWII and post-Soviet city experience. There are options to extend your bespoke tour to the Russian mainland. 

Example of a Kaliningrad Itinerary (5 days)

Day 1 – Gdańsk, Poland

• Arrive at your own leisure into Gdańsk. The main Polish port city is well connected with many European countries. 
• Meet your local guide and driver and transfer to the hotel.
• Head out for dinner to a traditional restaurant, which serves delicious local cuisine. We recommend trying pierogi, a stuffed dumpling filled with meat or vegetables, or Kotlet Schabowy similar to the Vienna schnitzel.
• Check out the beautiful Old Town, the oldest part of the city, and grab a few locally brewed beers and vodka.
• Overnight stay in Gdańsk.

Day 2 – Gdańsk – Kaliningrad, Russia

• Early morning start with breakfast at our hotel before we meet our local guides and depart to the Russian exclave by private transportation. The scenic journey takes around 2 hours. Once we reach the border your guides will assist with the immigration process.
• On arrival to Kaliningrad, we’ll check into our hotel before we head out to discover the exclave. Kaliningrad derives from the original Germans city name of Königsberg – you’ll notice the rich German architectural heritage here.
• Your first stop will be the Nazi command bunker museum, technically called the Blindage Museum. It tells the harrowing history of the last days of the Second World War. These are the last days of Königsberg and inside you can see how the city fell to Soviet Forces on the rampage of vengeance towards Berlin. Built by slave labour, the bunker’s gate is made of thick steel wire and is covered in runic symbols supposedly meant to give supernatural defence to the German forces inside it.
• We will then visit fort 11, part of a series of Prussian forts that were a significant part of the unrelenting battle between the Soviets and the Nazis. Those forts are now museums and still littered with war damage, artillery pieces and Soviet monuments dedicated to WW2.
• You’ll then have the rare chance to roam around significant piece of Cold War history: an excellently maintained Foxtrot-class Soviet nuclear submarine.
• See an original Nazi Kreigsmarine ship. Vityaz is a research vessel that was built in 1939 and served with the Kriegsmarine during World War II until she was seized by the British in 1945.
• The House of Soviets nearby is worth a look. You’ll see why the locals often refer to it as the “buried robot”.
• See Victory Square with its hulking Soviet monument and The Brandenburg Gate which is one of seven surviving city gates from the former German city of Königsberg.
• After a busy day, we’ll head out for dinner at a local restaurant which serves Zeppelins – giant balls of mashed potato stuffed with various fillings and drenched in cheese sauce.
• Overnight stay in Kaliningrad

Day 3 – Baltiysk – Baltics Split – Kaliningrad

• Breakfast at our hotel before we explore Mother Russia’s westernmost edge!
• We’ll take the ferry to get to the mysterious wild Baltic Spit where your guide will tell you stories about Great Patriotic War.
• On the way, we’ll explore some destroyed and abandoned German era buildings and a typical soviet town called Svetliy.
• You’ll be visiting the Heart of the Baltic fleet in the city Baltiysk. It is a huge Russian navy base located on the Baltic Sea and has only been opened to foreigners since 1995 – this is dependent on the security situation.
• Lunch at a local café. There are very few tourists visiting this region so it’s a perfect opportunity to interact with the friendly locals.
• Back to the city, we’ll be taking in sights such as the pentagonal Pillau Citadel, founded by the Swedes in 1626, completed by the Prussians in 1670, renovated in 1870 and currently holding an impressive naval museum.
• We’ll visit the ruins of the 13th-century Lochstadt Castle; a maze of 19th-century naval fortifications; the Naval Cathedral of St. George the 32-metre Expressionist observation tower the Gothic Revival building of the Baltic Fleet Museum, and an elegant Lighthouse, dating from 1813. A stone cross, erected in 1830 to commemorate the supposed spot of St. Adalbert of Prague’s martyrdom, was destroyed by the Soviets and restored a millennium after the event, in 1997.
• Return back to Kaliningrad for dinner followed by drinks at a local bar.
• Overnight stay in Kaliningrad

Day 4 – Curonian spit – Kaliningrad

• Breakfast at the hotel before we travel to the Curonian spit.
• It took several thousand years for the spit to shape out from the sands blown by the wind and dragged by the sea waves and to finally form a narrow sandy neck of land that separates the Curonian Gulf from the Baltic Sea and connects the Kaliningrad region with Lithuania. Its widest part is 3.8 km and the narrowest point is 400 meters.
• For lunch, we’ll head to a local restaurant overlooking the Spit. We recommend trying Königsberger meatballs alongside potatoes. There are also plenty of vegetarian options to choose from.
• Your next stop will be Raul’s battery route, a fortification built on the Curonian Spit on the eve of the Second World War.
• This place has no rivals in the world. Try to cross the spit from gulf to sea and you will notice how the landscape changes from a bare desert to a pine forest. The size of the Curonian spit is astonishing, it has no analogies in the world; its majestic scenery and the lavishness of the flora and fauna is simply amazing, varying from the taiga-like plants, mountain pines, and alder-trees to the tumbleweeds rolling in the deserts of the sand dunes rising to 70 meters high.
• Return to Kaliningrad city for our last dinner in the enclave and celebrate our time here with a few drinks.
• Overnight stay in Kaliningrad.

Day 5 – Kaliningrad – Vilnius, Lithuania

• Last breakfast at our hotel before we depart Kaliningrad and head towards Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania.
• Including the border crossing, we’ll arrive in the early afternoon at the earliest.
• Tour concludes with private transportation to Vilnius.
• Continue your Soviet adventure to Belarus, the Baltics and Russia. 

Bespoke Kaliningrad tours

As part of our travel packages within Eastern Europe, we can offer bespoke and independent Kaliningrad tours. The geography of the country allows you to combine your Kaliningrad tours with trips to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. You can even continue onwards to Belarus and Russia, for in depth Soviet tours.

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.

Nature-focused Kaliningrad tours

Kaliningrad is a hidden gem in the Baltic region, with amazing nature. We can create a bespoke tour for outdoor activities, including camping, hiking and water sports. You can relax on sandy beaches, take a boat tour to spot marine life, or visit the Curonian Spit National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Soviet Kaliningrad tours

The German defeat in WWII saw the Soviets annex Konigsberg, changing the name to Kaliningrad. The region saw a rapid change where some historical Germanic monuments and buildings were destroyed and replaced with Soviet era one. Kaliningrad has many Soviet relics for you to explore and discover on a bespoke tour such as the imposing House of Soviets, a colossal unfinished building. 

Gastronomy tours in Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad has a history of German cuisine, but the influence of neighbouring Poland and the influx of Russian citizen after WWII saw many favourite Eastern European dishes arriving in Kaliningrad. We can create bespoke tours sampling traditional meals of the region, including its domestically made vodka and beer. 

Architecture tours 

Kaliningrad has many historical buildings from the Prussian, German and Soviet architecture. Our bespoke tours can cater for your need, visiting various sites along your independent tour including the Königsberg Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece, or the Brandenburg Gate.

Historic Kaliningrad tour

Various empires had power over the region, including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the German Empire and the Soviet Union to name a few. Our bespoke tours can focus on the historical aspects of Kaliningrad including WWII history tours.

Filming in Kaliningrad

Through our media arm Pioneer Media, we can make arrangements for productions, journalists, or others to film within Kaliningrad from big-budget to guerrilla productions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TRAVEL TO KALININGRAD

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