Golden Ring of Russia

If you have booked this trip or are curious about all of the details, you can download this trip's information as a PDF.

Please ensure that you print a final copy of your Trip Details to review a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans.

Places To See, Events, Pre-departure Information, Health Issues, Weather Information, History and Culture

Visas are the responsibility of the individual traveller. The visa requirements for your trip vary depending on where you are from and where you are going. We keep the following information up to date as much as possible, but rules do change. It is important that you check for yourself with the embassy. Your travel agent can assist.

Russia: All nationalities require a visa to visit Russia.

You will need a visa support letter to enable you to obtain your Russian visa.
You can obtain this letter through our visa support agent in Russia by completing our on line visa application. The visa support link will be sent to you or your travel agent, by email, at the time you confirm your booking. You must read the instructions carefully and fill out all the details. Name on the application should be the same as in your passport - if an application is missing second name, or spelling is different from passport, - embassy has a right to deny you visa.

We recommend to put arrival date a day or two before your actual arrival date to Russia, and the same for departure date - a day or two after your actual departure date from the country.

Your visa support letter will be emailed to you or your travel agent directly within 10 working days upon submission of your online application. Please, note - if you submitted online application more than 60 days prior to the trip departure, Support Letter will be sent to you about later than in 10 days (in general, about 60 days prior to the trip departure).

Once you have received your visa support letter you can apply for your Visa by going to your closest Russian embassy or by using a visa service recommended by your travel agent. Do not obtain your visa until 6 weeks prior to your trip departing in the unlikely event that your departure is cancelled. Take this letter to the embassy along with your passport, three passport photos, the completed visa application form (please see below for helpful hints to completing your application), a copy of your trip voucher and proof of onward travel from Russia and they will issue the visa. It can take up to 15 working days for the embassy to issue your visa.

Company, that provides us Letters of Invitation is based in Russia. If you haven't gotten LOI within 10 days after submitting application, please, check your SPAM folder - emails from addresses with .ru server address are often redirected to SPAM.

Helpful Hints for completing your application.
*Please wait until you receive your visa support letter before completing your application as information must match in order for you to receive your visa from the embassy.
* The visa support letter states hotels that may not be the exact hotels that you will be staying at during your trip. It is critical however, that when you complete your Russian visa application that you copy the hotels that are on your visa support letter rather than those that are on your G Adventures voucher or dossier.

*Answers to questions on Visa Application:
1. The type/purpose of visa: Tourism
2. Company or organisation in Russia to be visited: Palladium
3. Name of Russian Travel Agency: Palladium
4. Reference number of Russian tour agency: 0155 (This is in the top right hand corner of your visa support letter)
5. Route of Journey: Copy the dates and cities that appear below your name on the left hand side of your visa support letter