Why Travel with MIR?
| “We don't know where to start - a perfect itinerary which satisfied all our needs, excellent accommodations superbly located, flawless execution of all aspects including visas, vouchers, theatre tickets, etc., and last but certainly not least, truly outstanding and professional guides and drivers. We only wish that MIR provided tours everywhere, in which case we'd never use another tour company again." |
Stanley and Marie Repko
Princeton, NJ
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Knowledge
Regional knowledge is crucial to the success of any trip to our corner of the world. Today more information is available than ever before, but information is not the same thing as knowledge. MIR doesn’t confuse the two. We combine specialized information about geography and infrastructure, history and art, language and culture, with the expertise and depth of knowledge that come only from years of experience putting them all together.
Destination Specialization
MIR focuses exclusively on the exceptional region at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. When we began in 1986, our destinations were known collectively as the Eastern Bloc. Locked behind the Iron Curtain, these countries were virtually inaccessible. Today our expertise can take you from end to end of the largest country in the world — Russia — and to all of the 14 other independent countries of the former Soviet Union (Uzbekistan, Armenia, Ukraine, etc.). Additionally, we cross the East/West frontier to explore China, Mongolia, Iran and Central/East Europe.
Over 20 Years of First-Hand Experience
2008 marks our 22nd year of operations concentrated exclusively in this region of the world. We are the chosen tour operator for educational, non-profit and special interest organizations across the country and have an extensive list of satisfied travelers.
Unrivaled Company-Wide Expertise
Every member of our Seattle-based travel planning
staff has lived, worked or traveled widely in our destinations. Our
tour managers are professional, personable, multi-lingual and have tremendous field experience in our destinations.
Many of our tour managers are native to the lands in which they guide and have university degrees in art history, architecture, geology or ethnography. This first-hand knowledge of the destinations sets us apart from other tour operators. This first-hand knowledge of the destinations sets us apart from the rest.
Commitment to Cultural Connections
MIR, meaning “peace” and “world” in Russian, is passionately dedicated to the region and its peoples. Founded during the period of glasnost (openness), MIR’s initial focus was to unite American special interest groups with their counterparts in the Soviet Union. Today we maintain this commitment to cultural connections with these spirited independent nations. MIR’s extensive network “on the ground” allows us to craft extremely personalized itineraries for individuals, families and groups of all sizes.
Legendary Destinations at
the Crossroads of Europe & Asia
We’re convinced that this corner of the globe – at the crossroads of Europe and Asia – is one of the last great adventure travel frontiers, and possesses some of the world’s most impressive cultural and natural treasures.
Of special note are Siberia’s Lake Baikal, the earth’s deepest freshwater lake; the Mongolian steppe still inhabited by nomadic peoples; one of the world’s preeminent art collections, housed in St. Petersburg’s Hermitage; and the architectural wonders of Moscow’s St. Basil’s Cathedral, Samarkand’s Registan, Prague’s Old Town and the Great Wall of China. Of equal regard are the folkloric villages of Romania, the vibrant bazaars of Uzbekistan, the pristine Kamchatka peninsula, Georgia’s culinary traditions and Armenia’s remote monasteries.
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