Author: Irina
We continue the series of articles about our glorious city with the text about the best excursions in Kazan. How much do they cost, where to buy and in general - what to visit in Kazan with a guide?
Indeed, there are many excursions here, because Kazan is one of those cities in Russia where the flow of tourists does not stop even in winter.
Prices and description for the best excursions in Kazan
As a resident of Kazan, I can't help but know which excursions are popular with us. For convenience, I made a sign - let's call it trite "Excursions in Kazan" - which lists the best options, as well as prices and descriptions that are relevant in 2021.
* added some unusual city tours on my own behalf
| Name | Price | Description | Where is it more profitable? |
| Sightseeing tour of Kazan | 500-1500 rubles | The most classic of all excursions - to the main places of the city on foot or by bus. | Group reviews (when there are many people) are cheaper on Sputnik8. And individual (for your company / family) - on Tripster. |
| On a double decker bus | 900 rubles | There are also red foreign buses in Kazan! They take tourists to the main attractions. | You can order it yourself on the spot (at the clock on Bauman), you can not be fooled and take it online on Sputnik - the price is the same. |
| Night Kazan | 500-1500 rubles | The Kremlin and Kul Sharif are very beautifully illuminated in the evening, and the night panorama of Kazan is worth seeing. | On the Tripster |
| Walk in the Kazan Kremlin | 100-250 rubles | A rare tourist does not want to look into every corner and learn the history of every brick of the white-stone Kremlin. | He walks around the Kremlin well on his own, but if you need a tour with a guide, you can join the group right on the spot, at the gates of the Kremlin. |
| River excursions | 1000-2500 rubles | Rivers are always romantic, fortunately, not only the largest of them flows through Kazan, but also connects with the historical places of the region. | On Satellite |
| Island-city Sviyazhsk | 800-2000 rubles | An obligatory item on the cultural program along with the Kremlin. | On Sputnik, group excursions are more popular, and individual excursions are more interesting on Tripster (recruit a company of 4-5 people - and the author's route will cost as much as a group one!). |
| Raifa monastery | 1000 rubles | At the same time a natural and sacred place not far from Kazan. | If you are planning only Raifu, it is better to take a taxi and see the monastery and its surroundings on your own. |
| To Bolgar | 1500-2200 rubles | The Bulgarian historical and archaeological complex is marked by UNESCO, which means that you cannot do without an excursion here. | There is an excursion to Bolgar both on Sputnik and on Tripster (on the first there are more reviews, on the second - the group is a little cheaper). |
| To the Blue Lakes | 1000-2000 rubles | The lakes are blue, the nature is beautiful, there is something to admire, to go - not far. | Popular on the Tripster |
| Quests for children and adults | 800-1200 rubles | Children and adolescents may find classic excursions boring, and such quests (excursions in a game format) are a compromise for everyone! | On the Tripster |
Where is the best place to buy excursions around Kazan?
You may have noticed that in the table I show that it is more profitable to take excursions online - on two large Russian sites:
- Tripster
- Sputnik8
Perhaps you will wave your hand and think, well, what else, it is better to look for a guide on the spot! But I parry - services have two advantages:
1) reviews from those who bought these excursions - moreover, responses are already coming for the current month. Why take a "pig in a poke" on the street (especially since a Kazan cat will not approve of this)?
2) to choose from - both good old group walks, and individual (only for your company / family), many people may be relevant!
So, we analyze the best excursions in Kazan. I tried to make not just a description and prices, but also briefly summarized the reviews about each.
Sightseeing tour
Reviews are capacious, informative and colorful. A few hours with a guide to the main attractions, and as if the whole city was examined. Sounds like the perfect plan for a first day in an unfamiliar city!
Contrary to popular belief, sightseeing tours are not only for newly arrived tourists. Even from local residents, few people know Kazan like the back of their hand, and if they do, the assortment and "bias" of surveys are so diverse that they will interest anyone.
Here is a selection of the most popular and well-reviewed reviews in Kazan:
(click on the pictures to read more)
- Hit of the season - you can't say otherwise! - overview of Kazan on electric scooters... Scooters have taken over the city this summer, and so has this themed tour.
- Why you should love Kazan - a historian guide and only your company (forget about prefabricated groups, as in pioneer camps). The reviews for the excursion are nowhere higher, but it is snatched up immediately as free dates appear. If you decide and have time, consider yourself lucky.
- Classic sightseeing - a cheap bus excursion, usually they are called on the street. No "raisins" and author's approach, a group for 40 people, but the cost captivates.
On a double decker bus through the city
CitySightseeing double-decker sightseeing buses can be found in every major European city. But in Russia you can only ride in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan.
If you are not familiar with these red cars, I explain: a tour on a double-decker bus in Kazan implies a specific route, divided into 15 stops, and an audio guide (listen to stories with headphones, they are given out). Covers all the main attractions of the city. At each stop, you can get off and re-enter the next bus to continue along the route, as many times as you like - hence the overseas name for hop-on hop-off buses.
In Kazan, a ticket is valid from 9:00 to 20:00 - in other cities they are sold for 24 hours or for 2 days.
How much is? 900 rubles for an adult, 700 rubles for a child 7-13 years old, 200 rubles for a child under 6 years old - both online and on the spot.
Reviews. “We decided not to go out at the bus stops, but to arrange a full-fledged bus tour for ourselves. The whole journey took two hours, we went to the Riviera, to the Chalice, and to the Tatar national district, a great option for a lazy excursion! It was chilly outside, and they were given blankets to everyone, prudently. "
Night Kazan
Every time I go out for an evening walk, I understand that night Kazan is oh-oh-very beautiful! I especially like to look at the illuminated Kremlin and Kul Sharif, walk along Bauman Street (only carefully), walk to the embankment and meditate at the lights of skyscrapers on the other side of the Kazanka River. And listening to all these types of stories about Kazan is a favorite pastime of tourists (I say, because in the evenings at all significant points there are crowds of people taking pictures of everything around and at the same time listening attentively to the "leader").
How much is? The cost of excursions in Kazan varies, be it a group or individual:
- One evening in Kazan - group, from 500 rubles per person
- Evening Kazan yesterday and today or the Beauty of Kazan in the lights - individual excursions, from 3700 rubles for a company of 4-5 people
Reviews. Individual tours have better responses, and it is clear why: they take them by car, the guide's attention is distributed to four or five people: “The tour is not for historians, but excellent for ordinary tourists. We walked and drove by car, making stops wherever we wanted. ... told many interesting stories and recommended what else to do in Kazan. " Among the shortcomings of the group, they note the small amount of time devoted to the sights: “Everyone is in a hurry, there was only enough time for the photo. It’s probably cheaper to get there on your own, but if there’s nothing to do in the evening, it’s okay. ”
And you can ride on your own with carsharing from Yandex.Drive - it just works in Kazan.Download the app and enter the reftz5CP2 promo code - get a 50% discount on your first ride.
Around the Kazan Kremlin
You can study and evaluate for a long time what the capital of Tatarstan is architecturally and historically attractive, but the Kazan Kremlin is forever on the list of any tourist. Here I advise you to get acquainted with the internal structure on your own, and what specifically to pay attention to - you can read in our cool article about the sights of Kazan. The Kremlin is not to say that it is big, in an hour or two you can bypass it completely.
Advice. Near the main gates of the Kremlin, where the monument to Musa Jalil is, you can rent a horse-drawn carriage for 500 rubles and ride along Kremlevskaya Street.
How much is? Excursions in Kazan around the Kremlin are inexpensive - the price in 2021 starts from 100-110 rubles per person, if there is a group of 10 people. Sold at the main gate.
Reviews. “It's a little dry, a little overloaded with dates and complicated names, but we walk around the Kremlin, it can't be otherwise. The story is interesting. "
River excursions
Although Kazan stands on two rivers - Kazanka and Volga - river excursions are not impressive in variety. Online services offer literally one or two options for walking on the water, and the Kazan river port stubbornly opposes progress and sells tickets ONLY at the box office and for cash (and recently they even established a rule about selling tickets exclusively on the day of departure!).
What we have:
- River excursion to Sviyazhsk - judging by the reviews, it is an excellent educational and walking tour on a motor boat, especially popular with families with children.
- By boat / meteor to Sviyazhsk - the boat sails for 2 hours and costs 127 rubles per person; high-speed meteor - 40 minutes and 700 rubles. The ticket is purchased at the box office in the port.
- By meteor to Bolgar - travel time 2 hours, cost 368 rubles per person. Tickets are sold at the box office of the river port.
- Excursion along the Volga on a motor ship - with songs, dances and the opportunity to bring your own food and drinks. In general, such a "get-together" for ≈ 20 people for 2100 rubles. You can find offers in the Kazan port group on VKontakte.
- Or you can just ride a catamaran on Lake Kaban in the center of Kazan - why not water entertainment? :) The rental price for 1 hour is 500 rubles.
To Sviyazhsk
The most popular day trip from Kazan is an excursion to Sviyazhsk. I will not delve into the description of the island (and Sviyazhsk is an island), I would rather recommend our article, where the history of Sviyazhsk, and photographs, and what to see, and how to get, if you decide to go on your own.
Excursions to Sviyazhsk are conducted from Kazan and are of the following types:
- only Sviyazhsk - and these are, as a rule, individual tours costing from 5500 to 8000 rubles for a group of up to 5 people;
- Sviyazhsk, combined with 2-3 more places - most often it is Raifa and the Temple of All Religions. Group costs 1100-1200 rubles per person, and individual ones - 7000-8000 rubles for a group of 4-6 people.
Explore in more detail:
It is interesting that earlier there was also an excursion by plane (light-engine) over Sviyazhsk and the Mari forests on the Tripster, but so far it has been suspended.
Raifa monastery
The Raifsky Mother of God Monastery is a famous shrine in Tatarstan, where the Georgian icon of the Mother of God is kept. If the monastery is of no value to you, but someone from the company really wants to go, you can just walk in the forest, joke the monastery cats and admire the lake with water lilies - Raifa is located in a beautiful natural place.
How to get to the Raifa Monastery (about 25 km from Kazan)?
- All excursions to Raifa go in conjunction with Sviyazhsk and the Temple of All Religions - choose the one that suits you.
- On Yandex Taxi, the trip will cost 500 rubles per car one way.
To Bolgar
Bolgar is also included in interesting places where you can go from Kazan for a full day. Previously, the main city of the Volga Bulgaria (a state from the double centuries), and now it is a historical settlement with a whole set of antiquities from the 14th century and a bright accent in the form of the White Mosque, somewhat similar to the mosque in Abu Dhabi.
It's a shame to admit, but I myself have not yet reached Bolgar, I have to catch up!
- You can take a guided tour for 1600 rubles per person.
- You can do it yourself on a motor ship for 368 rubles per person, but the inconvenience is that tickets have to be bought on the day of departure at the ticket office of the river port.
Blue Lakes
Excursions to the Blue Lakes in Kazan have become popular not so long ago. No, everyone knows about the lakes themselves - for example, I was there even at the initiation into freshmen. But recently, the location has spread across Instagram as a place with a special energy, and now they teach yoga by the lake, organize gatherings of people who believe in the third phase of a calf in the position of Venus, and conduct excursions.
The place is picturesque, the sand is yellow, the water is blue-blue and is never covered with ice - the temperature in the lake is stable at 5 degrees. They dip here all year round, both for Epiphany and in the summer heat.
How much is? Excursion - 900-1000 rubles per person, if a company of four or more is recruited.
Reviews. “With such a great guide, the bad weather will not spoil the experience. We swam, drank tea with herbs. We didn’t regret taking the excursion ”.
What to see in Kazan with children?
If a trip to Kazan with children is a logical and natural thing, then a cultural vacation in Kazan is not at all easy. Will every child, or even a teenager, listen to the history of the chapel on Bauman Street and admire the architectural solutions of the Kul Sharif mosque?
Children need a special approach, and preferably a playful one. Thanks to those creative people who come up with excursion programs that captivate both big and small people!
The best excursions in Kazan - a selection for children and parents:
- Adventure in the Kazan Kremlin - 4800 rubles for a company of up to 6 people, or 800 rubles per person if there are more participants
- Eastern Casket - excursion to the ethnic region of Kazan - Old Tatar Sloboda; 4,800 rubles for a company of up to 6 people, or 800 rubles per person, if there are more participants
- Kazan cat's tale - across the Kremlin; 800 rubles per person
- Secrets of Bauman Street - 4800 rubles for a company of up to 6 people, or 800 rubles per person if there are more participants
Reviews. “The tasks and riddles seem simple, but in the end everyone liked it: we, adults, and our children of 7 and 13 years old. I was surprised by the treat at the end, thanks. "
