Private excursions to Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana

The Sochi Seaport is the city's central point, not geographically but conceptually. From here, you can embark on a boat trip with fishing, and it's also a great place for hiking in the shade of palm trees, cedars, and a cherry orchard.

The Marine Station building was constructed in 1955 and bears a resemblance to the Admiralty building located on the banks of the Neva River.
One scene from the popular Soviet film "The Diamond Arm" was filmed on the Marine Station pier. A sculpture of the Gorbunkov family is located near the port.

Not far from the port is the Sochi Lighthouse. Its light is visible at sea for 32 kilometers. The Sochi Lighthouse has been helping sailors stay on course for almost 125 years—since 1890!

The Olympic Park was built from scratch. Previously, it was swampland and the local residents' vegetable gardens, with a cemetery located nearby. The swamps were drained, the gardeners were compensated (quite a substantial amount), and the cemetery remained nearby.

During the Olympics, the park hosted figure skating, speed skating, hockey, short track, and curling competitions. The park also hosted the grand opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games, watched by the entire world. Today, it hosts such high-profile events as Formula 1, celebrity performances, football matches, and hockey tournaments.

But even those not particularly interested in sporting events and the Olympic past still have plenty to see in the Olympic Park—there's a spectacular light and music fountain show. The complex also boasts several museums, and you can drive a race car, play curling, go-karting, or ice skate.

From here, you can see the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains, the Black Sea, Abkhazia, and even the Turkish coast. The word "Akhun" means "elevation" or "hill" in Abkhaz. In 1936, Joseph Stalin climbed the mountain and marveled at its beauty. He then ordered the improvement of the site: the construction of a road to Akhun and an observation tower. The road to the Akhun tower was built by Gulag prisoners in 117 days.

The Ordzhonikidze Sanatorium, opened in 1937, was once one of the city's most grandiose sanatoriums. The feature film "Old Man Hottabych" was filmed here. In 2016, the sanatorium opened its doors to visitors for the last time, and then closed and fell into disrepair. The cost of reconstruction was estimated at approximately 22 billion rubles, so the complex is still undergoing restoration.

Duration: 4-6 hours
Difficulty level: easy, suitable for tourists of any age and any level of training.

You must have comfortable shoes and a hat.

Meals: A picnic on the seashore can be arranged for an additional fee.
Additional expenses: boat trip with fishing from 1000 rubles/person, entrance to the Sochi Arboretum – 250 rubles/person, entrance to the Akhun Observation Tower – 100 rubles/person.

According to legend, the gods punished the giant for giving fire to humans and chained him to a rock, leaving him to die. But the maiden Agura took pity on Prometheus and brought him water. The gods were angry with the maiden and turned her into a river. This is how the three Agura Falls were formed, which we will see on our way down the mountain.

Legend has it that the cave got its name from the huge number of bats that once lived there. Another theory is that eerie howls and moans once emanated from the depths of the cave. It's also believed that the cave contains passages to a larger cave system that remains unexplored.

Length of the walking route: 8 km

Duration: 5-7 hours

Difficulty level: moderate, suitable for hikers of all ages and skill levels; the route includes easy climbs.

Comfortable shoes, a hat, and swimming gear are required.
Meals: A picnic with a plunge pool at the foot of the waterfall can be arranged for an additional fee.

Additional expenses: entrance to the national park (approximately 130 rubles/person)

Route length: 12 km

Duration: 5-6 hours

Difficulty level: moderate, suitable for experienced adult hikers; the route includes some climbs.

Important to know: you must have comfortable shoes, a hat, and swimming accessories.

Meals: A picnic at the foot of the waterfall is available for an additional fee.
Additional costs: entrance to the national park (approximately 100 rubles per person).

During Soviet times, it was extremely popular among vacationers. Its distinctive architecture, picturesque surroundings, and varied menu attracted visitors. It hosted a landmark meeting between Nikita Khrushchev and Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito. The restaurant's tables were forever emptied after a horrific fire that killed several people. To this day, no one has attempted to restore the columned building. Some claim that the cracking sounds of the burning wooden floors and the groans of the people can still be heard.

There's another mystical story. Every local has heard, and some have even seen, the ghost of a deceased bride, who has haunted Mount Akhun for 20 years. Amateur videos and photos of the girl's translucent silhouette are circulating online. In the photos, she's often standing by the side of the road, at the fork in the road leading to the tower. It's said that drivers who stopped out of curiosity disappeared forever, along with their cars. Incidentally, the ghost of a bride appeared on Akhun after a real car accident in 2000 involving a wedding procession. The groom survived, but his young beloved died. Wedding escorts on Mount Akhun are still common. Psychics believe this place is a portal to the other world.

The mansion was built in 1906 thanks to Andrei Kvitko's Italian wife, Vera Martynova, who wanted to have a castle in Russia like the one in her homeland.

Kvitko loved this house very much. Famous figures regularly visited it, including Feodor Chaliapin, the singer Nadezhda Plevitskaya, and perhaps even Comrade Stalin himself.

But already in 1917, after the revolution, the owners were forced to abandon the house in a hurry. It is believed that Kvitko hid most of his valuables in the house, walled them up. Perhaps the treasures were hidden in the basement. However, no one has ever found the entrance to the basement!

Like all the other dachas in the area, Kvitko's house was nationalized. First, it housed a children's labor camp, then the "Red Storm" sanatorium (named in memory of the events of the Civil War, when four White Guard officers were executed here; they were buried on the spot and guard the building to this day). Later, the site became a favorite haunt of security officers. One day, a group of drunken men raped and murdered a girl, the daughter of one of the employees. The mother avenged her death, and then committed suicide herself. After this terrifying incident, vacationers began frequently encountering ghosts there: a man in uniform, a woman, and a thin girl dressed in white. (The funeral service for the innocent Varvara from "Red Storm" is confirmed by old church records.).

During the war, the building housed a military hospital, and was later converted into a children's sanatorium, but the Young Pioneers feared the place. As a result, Kvitko's dacha fell into disrepair and was looted.

They say that in the 90s, Alla Pugacheva became interested in the castle, but after walking around the house, she felt ill and refused to buy it.

Kvitko's dacha has been empty for almost 30 years... or is that really true?!
Currently, Kvitko's dacha is undergoing renovations and is closed to tourists! However, we offer a unique tour for our guests! If you're not afraid, you can visit the dacha at night. Then you're guaranteed to encounter mystical phenomena...

Mystics attribute cult sites to the forest park. For example, a huge tree – a symbol of fertility. Or a sacrificial stone – as old as the Egyptian pyramids. Two places are carved into the stone: thrones, apparently for priests, and a sacrificial bed above, with grooves for blood drainage. Unique plant species from around the world grow within the 20-hectare park. The park's core is Russia's only cork oak plantations. Wine and champagne corks were once grown here on an industrial scale. At the very beginning of the route is a lake where you can have a picnic and go fishing. Route length: 2 km.

The school for troubled teenagers opened in 1979 and consisted of two buildings: the first housed classes, while the second housed an assembly hall, cafeteria, and workshops. The grounds also housed dormitories, a gym, and playgrounds, which are still in operation today. On October 13, 2008, the boarding school closed its academic building. The children were transferred to other schools, and the teachers were fired. Since then, the school has been empty.

Before the Revolution, this was the dacha of Bakhrushin, a famous Moscow philanthropist. Later, like many other places in Sochi, it was converted into the "Red Shooter" sanatorium, and finally, the dacha became one of the buildings of the "Kavkaz" sanatorium. During the war, the building housed a hospital. Its fate after the collapse of the USSR was tragic: the building needed repairs and was abandoned, along with the adjacent park, a remnant of pre-revolutionary times. The building is currently on sale for 22 million rubles. The price is relatively low for this location. However, rumor has it that the ghosts that haunt the building are trying to prevent any attempts to purchase the sanatorium.

Duration: 5-6 hours

Difficulty level: easy, suitable for tourists of any age and any level of training.

You must have comfortable shoes and a hat.

Meals: For an additional fee, a picnic can be organized in Kudepstensky Forest Park.

Additional expenses: fishing