The capitals of the post-Soviet republics are ready to receive Russian tourists
In 2024, Russians had two options for mini-vacations in early May: the next four-day weekend awaits us from May 9 to 12. Most tickets and tourist packages have already been sold out, hotels are full, but even at the last moment you can manage to organize a vacation, including a vacation abroad. Tourism industry experts have calculated where you can go without spending more than 80 thousand rubles on a trip for two.
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The choice of direct flights from Moscow today is small, and flights with transfers are not suitable for short holidays, so trips to neighboring countries would be an ideal option. They can no longer be called economy class travel — especially since the alternatives have disappeared — but there is a demand for such voyages. One of the popular travel booking services has published its own rating of cities where you can go with a budget of up to 80,000 rubles for two.
Baku became the most popular city. Recently, the capital of Azerbaijan has been rapidly increasing its tourism potential — in this city, oriental flavor is intricately combined with modernity and progress, cosmopolitanism and a post-Soviet heritage that is pleasant to most of our compatriots. Four days in Baku is enough to stroll along the embankment along the Caspian Sea, taste pomegranate wine and lamb baked in saj, climb the Maiden Tower and find places in the old city that are familiar to everyone from the film “The Diamond Arm”. Tickets for the Moscow-Baku-Moscow flight (09.05 — 12.05) will cost from 32,500 rubles. Three nights in a double room at a local hotel will cost from 15,500 rubles.
In second place is Samarkand, which was once the most ancient city of the Russian Empire (in the modern Russian Federation this title belongs to Derbent). Tourists will find Registan Square, the ancient Shakhi-Zinda mausoleum complex, countless options for preparing pilaf and samsa, as well as the oriental tale of the Siab Bazaar, filled with dried fruits, halva and spices. A flight from Moscow to Samarkand and back (05/09 – 05/12) will cost from 31,200 rubles. Three nights in a three-star hotel will cost from 19,100 rubles for a double room.
A win-win option is Istanbul, the crossroads of the world where Europe and Asia meet: both literally, geographically, and in the mental sense. Tickets to Istanbul will be the most expensive, but this is more than compensated by the huge choice of leisure options — here you can study the Byzantine heritage, immerse yourself in the world of the Ottoman Empire, taste street food, indulge in shopping or simply watch seagulls and cats on the shores of the Bosphorus. Tickets from Moscow to Istanbul and back will cost from 52,500 rubles on a direct flight (05/09 — 05/12), and prices for three-star hotels start from 8,000 rubles.
The May holidays in Yerevan will be pleasant — the city is perfect for lovers of long walks. Many people like modern hipster Yerevan, but what is especially valuable is that from here you can easily reach the most important Armenian attractions — for example, the ancient Geghard monastery, the pagan temple of Garni or Etchmiadzin. An air ticket from Moscow to Yerevan and back will cost from 32,600 rubles, and staying in a three-star hotel for these dates will cost from 21,500 rubles.
Minsk closes the list — the capital of Belarus is traditionally liked by those who want to visit sort of abroad, but not quite. You can feel the European vibe in the Upper Town or Trinity Suburb, and remember the Soviet past in Chelyuskintsev Park. A flight from Moscow to Minsk and back (05/09 – 05/12) will cost from 17,400 rubles. Three nights in a three-star hotel will cost from 54,500 rubles for a double room.