It’s days to the kickoff of the most anticipated football sporting tournament in the world, the FIFA 2018 World Cup, held in Russia from June 14th – July 15th.
The Nigeria Super Eagles qualified and, as a member of Group D, will be playing Croatia, Argentina and Iceland.
Fans are so excited that the three million pre-ordered Jersey Kit from Nike, sold out in 30 minutes worldwide on the day of its release. The Naija spirit is so high right now, and this is the best time to add visiting Russia to your bucket list as an adventurous traveller.
Visa-free
The world cup is such a great opportunity to tour Russia because entry into the country is VISA-FREE throughout the entire tournament.This visa-free entry into Russia begins 10 days before the first match and 10 days after the last match; provided you get your Fan ID and a tourist passport.
You can apply for a Fan ID online after you have purchased your match tickets here. Note that the match tickets are sold either per match or for multiple matches.
A feel of russia
Nigeria’s matches will happen at Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad on June 16th, Volgograd Arena, Volgograd on June 22nd, Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg on June 26th. This means you get to visit three major cities in Russia during your brief stay. This certainly qualifies as a sports tour. Before or after each match, plan for a city tour of each location and have a feel of Russia. If you are not using a tour agency for this trip, there are hotels around the stadium venues with fares from ₦3,000 per night (hostel accommodation) to ₦16,000 per night (for a budget-friendly hotel).
There are many ways to go about a city tour in Russia. Tour packages come in Half-Day Tours, Full-Day tours, Hop-on Hop-off bus tours, City tours, Cultural tours, Historical and Heritage tours, Multi-Days tours and Private tours. Tour-per-city prices range from roughly ₦7,000 – ₦123,000; choose whichever suits your budget. The weather is warm in Russia this period, ranging from 19 degrees to 30 degrees.
You could take a round train trip, a cruise, a tour bus or a hot-air balloon ride to get a view of the cities. For short distances, use a bus and for long intra-city or inter-city distances, use trains. The fan ID also comes with extra perks like free transport services, including inter-city trains and public transport in the host cities, when it is presented along with a 2018 FIFA World Cup match ticket. Click here for more details concerning getting free tickets for additional train rides.
But if you don’t want the hassle of using your Fan ID for free rides, you can pay for either bus or train tickets online using Paypal or our Nigeria bank cards. Click here to buy transportation tickets.
must-see attractions
Kaliningrad
Russia’s capital offers nice attractions like Kaliningrad Regional Amber Museum or Museum of the World Ocean, Kaliningrad Regional Drama theatre, Youth Recreational Parks, Königsberg Cathedral and Castle, Immanuel Kant statue in front of the Immanuel Kant University of Russia, etc. Add a bit of food tourism into this tour by eating Königsberger Klopse.
Volgograd
This former World War II battleground, now offers you great attractions such as The Motherland Calls statue on the hilltop of the Mamayev Kurgan memorial complex. Enjoy the city’s Tramline ride (aka Metro tram) for a city tour. Other attractions include the Panorama Museum, the Volga-Don Shipping Canal, Area Tribulation, the Volvograd Planetarium, Pavlov’s House, Avenue of Lombardy poplars, Steny Ruiny, Muzey-Zapovednik “Staraya Sarepta”, etc.
Saint Petersburg
This popular tourist destination is mind-blowing. Take a walk down Nevsky Prospekt street, visit the Winter Palace and Palace Square, the Church of the Savior on Blood, Hermitage Museum, the Peterhof Palace, Mariinsky theatre, Summer Garden, Amber Room, Kronstadt Naval Cathedral etc. This regal looking imperial city is the last city where Nigeria’s Super Eagles will play their last Group D match. It is the perfect town for such a precipice match.
No matter how brief your stay is in Russia might be, use the free travel/transportation within the host cities this season wisely and have an amazing sports tourism experience.
