What are people saying about our tours? Let’s let these folks, and their testimonials, speak for themselves.
Abbott Sergei ROCOR Australia
It has been hard finding an Orthodox tour agency that you feel has integrity and a proper sense of the holy places. Having worked with Orthodox Tours, I can recommend them as one of the most authentic and efficient agencies in my travel experience. I take pilgrim groups from around the world regularly and working more recently with Fr Ilya Gotlinsky from Orthodox Tours has made the logistical requirements so much easier for us. And their generosity and Christian spirit of making sure that every step of your journey is one of comfort and constantly addressing any personal needs has brought so much gratitude and thanks that its impossible but to stick to this good formula and wish Orthodox Tours the very best to keep doing their great work and efforts.
Brian Bubbers, Melbourne, Australia
Been home just about 6 weeks and we are still digesting what we saw and learnt in “Balkan” as Ivan was in the habit of calling the area. The trip was memorable for a whole variety of reasons. The content which you selected and the wonderful God given images we saw; the hospitality especially at the monasteries; a very nice group of people on the bus who seemed to get on very well together; the daily rhythm of prayer on the bus and at meals; the particularly moving short liturgy to mark the death of Ivan’s 91 year old grandmother; the wonderful scenery and the archaeological sites; the excellent contribution by Ivan; a particularly jovial and erudite group of priests for whom it was never a problem to answer questions from heretic western Christians! Thank you for your vision and hard work at Orthodox Tours, it is greatly appreciated, as also is the forbearance of your wife and family at your absences.
Kai and Teresia Lerche, BC, Canada
Thanks for your guidance and patience on the trip. It was a great experience and you have won us over into the Russophile camp (although, I always had a week spot for Russia and its history, I never thought I would actually one day see the land and its people). We had a great time and will visit Russia again.
Carmela Biggs, Florida, USA
Thank you, Father! Greece trip was the trip of a life time. As I look at the pictures, I wish I were standing in those holy sites once again. We covered thousands of years of history and thousands of miles … Please let me know about future trips.
Joanne Clay, Oregon, USA
Fr. Ilya has an inspirational and dynamic presentation as a tour leader. I am grateful to have visited Russia in his group. It was educational and enriching for my life as a student and lover of the icon.”
Herman and Maria, California, USA:
Dear Fr. Ilya,
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making possible this trip to Holy Russia; it was the answer to our prayers and dreams come through. After walking in such a Holy places our lives will never be the same. Thank you again for being such a good and loving shepherd.
Irene White, Connecticut, USA
You did an excellent job with this trip of Greece and I appreciate all the hard work that you did to organize it. Let me know what’s next and hopefully we can join you again in the future.
Charlene Hanks, Florida, USA
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the trip! It was (is) my lifetime adventure, so far. I miss all the “cats,” you and our Russian friends.
Mark Frappier, California, USA
Dear Ilya, I wanted to thank you for all your passion, patience, hard work and attention to detail. To be a shepherd of cats is indeed a specialized field. What an amazing journey with you having so many keys to so many doors. A very special thank you for all your hours of translation….I don’t know how you did it?
Mark Frappier, California, USA
Dear Ilya, I wanted to thank you for all your passion, patience, hard work and attention to detail. To be a shepherd of cats is indeed a specialized field. What an amazing journey with you having so many keys to so many doors. A very special thank you for all your hours of translation….I don’t know how you did it?
Shelby Giokas
I would 1000% recommend a tour with Father Ilya!
Maria Rhodes-Labrecque, California, USA
For all my buddies at Saint Nicholas and other parishes! Please consider going on this amazing and wonderful trip! You won’t regret it! Father Ilya Gotlinsky is an amazing and wonderful, knowledgeable tour guide! You will go places that will blow your mind! Spectacular, awesome and Grace-filled! Please go !
Fr. Dn. John Hedrick
Axios! What a pilgrimage we experienced to Jordan and Israel with Orthodox Tours in October/November of 2022! My wife, son and I and 3 others from our parish in Virginia journeyed back in time with Fr. Ilya and his Jordanian guide, George and his Israeli guide, Dennis.
This was not simply a tour – it was an unfolding of the history, culture and happenings in the many places we visited – brought alive around us with the informative narratives of Fr. Ilya and the other men, with the reading of Holy Scripture pertinent to the site visited, with the relating of historical commentary of early century pilgrims and historians and the fact of the Byzantine, Crusader era or other later constructed buildings or ruins in which we were standing. In the end it was a tapestry that was created – events from the history of the Holy Land woven and interconnected – with a deep understanding and, thankfully, with an engaging sense of humor. The whole experience was captivating, to say the least!
It is a bit difficult to convey in just a few words the level of excellence of this Holy Land Pilgrimage. Fr. Ilya looks at his role as missionary work – to bring the most sincere, informed, authentic experience of these Holy and architectural Sites to each of the participants. On our trip, he was 100% successful! Thanks, Fr. Ilya and the team!
John de Bruin
Dear Father Ilya, First of all, Alec, Nadia and I want to thank you for the extraordinary pilgrimage we experienced with you to the Holy Land. You were knowledgeable, inspiring, and we could not have asked for more. The people you brought in were just amazing from Svetlana and Kyril to Michael. We are truly grateful for your creation of this trip. Thanks so much.
Marek Czarnecki, Meriden CT
These are not typical vacation tours- they are for people serious about knowing a place or subject in depth. I went on the three-week tour of Russian Icons. It would have been impossible to visit these monuments of Orthodox iconography on my own. Our tour guide at the Tretyakov Gallery was one of the best known iconologists in Russia, and we visited the studios of some of the best iconographers working today. There are always unexpected extras, the places only an insider could know about: a trip to a village church with the largest icon of Our Lord in Russia, or to the restoration studio of a friend who has spent 20 years rebuilding a shattered 12th century chapel. He has a sociable personality that makes friends and opens doors all over the world. I would go anywhere in the world with Father Ilya.
Marianna Case-Colyer, Wales, UK
Dear Fr Ilya THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU – it was a fantastic trip. I keep wanting to pinch myself and wake up from a kind of wonderful Aurora-like dreaminess: “did I really visit all those amazing places and drink in all the beauty, sacredness, Russian atmosphere in general?!” The trip was all and more than I had expected. It was also so good to finally meet you. You are in my prayers.
Rev. Michael and Jane Tan Creti, Nebraska, USA
We sincerely thank you and have been enriched with out visit to Russia, I feel I have a better understanding of Orthodoxy through it history and iconography. We will hold on to this experience and try to pass it on to others.
Michael and Alan Bennett, Indiana, USA
Dear Fr. Ilya, We thank you for all the Akathist and for a great chance to participate to the Holy Liturgy at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew.
Michele Cale, Oregon, USA
Greetings fellow travelers: I went on the first Russian Icon Tour that Father Ilya hosted. By day three I remember saying that if I went home then, I would have had my moneys worth. Every day just kept getting better and better. It was as close to heaven on earth as I could get. I was worried that a Russian Orthodox priest might be a bit stuffy (sorry, Father) but what a surprise to find a warm, funny man whose knowledge base was incredibly expansive. I find myself still savoring the trip and I am still chuckling at his quick wit. I will travel again with Father Ilya. Wonderful.
Randa Aoun, California, USA
Dear Fr. Ilya, I’d like to thank you for the wonderful trip you arranged for us. I enjoyed it very much and pray that one day I’ll be able to go again. …We all still in wonder how in short time we were able to see that many places. Thanks be to God and to you for making it possible.
Susan, Dunbury, Connecticut
Dear Fr. Ilya, Glory to Jesus Christ! I know you are not looking for praise regarding the trip but we did want to give you some feedback that will perhaps be helpful in planning future trips. First, we must say that we were thoroughly pleased with the arrangements you made for the trip. As we journeyed from place to place we realized that we would never have seen as much as we did and have had as enjoyable, low-stress time without all of your careful planning. It was also an excellent value for the cost. Our entire group was very impressed with your skill and I believe everyone on the trip would highly recommend you.
Nina Vasiliev
We went to Russia with this group. It was the most inspiring, enjoyable, informative tour imaginable. I recommend Orthodox tours 100%.
Vlad Morosan
And we just returned from an excellent Orthodox Tour to Montenegro and Serbia (including Kosovo and Metohija). 14 monasteries and another dozen or so other churches in 12 days. Very intense but extraordinarily beautiful and spiritual. While this particular tour wasn’t led by Fr Ilya Gotlinsky personally, our guide Ivan, from Serbia, was a rich and inexhaustible fountain of knowledge, information, and inspiration! Highly recommended!
Wayne House
The trip was wonderful. We really had a great trip. Super experience. We also loved the landscape. We did not realize that it would be so green and mountainous. Very beautiful. We both loved it.
Ivan, Larisa and Katherine Semyanko
Dear Father Ilya,
We want to thank you for the wonderful pilgrimage to Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo this past fall (Sept 23 – Oct 5). We really liked our guide, Ivan, who provided such a wealth of information on the history of Serbia, its Church and its saints. The itinerary was excellent – we did not imagine that we would visit so many religious sites and holy relics in such a short time. The selection of hotels and restaurants was also excellent. Everything was top notch.
We ask for your pastoral blessing and prayers.
Janet Harrer, California, USA
Dear Fr. Ilya, I really enjoyed the trip and am just now starting to digest all we saw and did. I am ever amazed at the opportunity you gave us to visit places and see things that a regular tourist would never have been able to. I am in awe of the doors opened to us!
Beverly Layton
Hello Fr. Ilya, I just wanted to say thank you, I know you put in a lot of effort to arrange everything as well as you did. I don’t think it could have been any better. … I really had no Idea about the history of Russia and of the church in Russia, I learned a great deal. The Icons were truly awesome and the frescos as well. I will never forget this trip. You did a wonderful job of putting it all together. I am very appreciative. Thank you so much.
Maria Belford, New Hampshire, USA
Hi Father Ilya, Just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know I arrived home safely and all is well. I do miss being in Russia quite a bit though. I’m so glad to have gotten this incredible experience, and as I mentioned before, it wouldn’t have happened in such a wonderful way if it weren’t for you. I initially thought that perhaps going to Russia would just be a one time experience – I’d see it, be content with that, and maybe never return. But after being there, I know I have to return one day. I loved it. I’m almost considering re-taking a Russian culture and history class that I took a few semesters ago.
Mary Maas, Florida, USA
Hello Fr. Ilya, I’m still talking and dreaming of our trip to Greece….we did see everything ….it was a trip of a life time…many of my Greek friends want to go.
Anni Shaw, England, UK
Dear Fr. Ilya, I want to say thank you for such a wonderful journey through Russia – through its country, its history and more importantly its soul and spirituality, it was more than I had ever expected. Thank you for getting us into all those special chapels, churches, restorations and studios, which I know on our own we would never have seen, they were real gems, along with such eminent people that we had to guide and talk to us. It was also wonderful to see all those icons close too that one has only ever seen in books before. The colours radiated and their beauty shone. My many many thanks for all your hard work in organising such a memorable trip.
John and Evridiki Anderson, Essex, England
We had been wanting to visit holy sites in Russia for some time when our son discovered Father Ilya’s planned pilgrimage. We “signed up” , with some little apprehension as it seemed we were only non-USA members so we had to do everything by email; however Father Ilya made this a relatively painless process. We flew out from UK Monday 30th May, meeting rest of group and Father in Moscow “Golden Ring”hotel that evening. Starting next morning, we had a fantastic time; we covered so much each day, whilst tiring it was very fulfilling. “Group dynamics” good, others very tolerant of a Brit and a Greek. I can’t imagine it possible to cover more in 11 days:Moscow, Kremlin, train to Nizhniy Novgorod, coach to Diveevo, train to St Petersburg, boat to Valaam, then finishing in St Petersburg and surrounds, eg Kronstadt, Hermitage museums etc. I guess our favorite part was boat to Valaam, beautiful serene place, lovely weather helped. Local guide, Kiril, added to visit Father Ilya was great leader, had time for everyone, good humoured throughout.
Nada Gerig
Dear Fr Ilya, Thank you so much for the wonderful pilgrimage, we thoroughly enjoyed it! I’m sure we will embark on another journey with you down the road sometime.
MaryAnn and John Smith
Dear Father Ilya, John and I are still basking in the afterglow of our trip to Egypt. We have so many wonderful memories and beautiful photos, and we’ve been telling all our family and friends what an incredible tour it was. Many thanks to you – and to Migo – for your careful planning, organization, and leadership.
William Salazar
Dear Father Ilya, Back home with wonderful memories of a great trip in Egypt. I want to thank you for all your caring and loving behavior. Your knowledge about the Egyptian history is amazing and your link between history and religion was spectacular. I appreciate all your hard work to make this trip a reality for me. Thanks again for making this trip to Egypt so memorable. With respect and appreciation William.
Ellyn Serra
I knew tour would be fine. Ivan has been wonderful and this trip has far exceeded my expectations!
Francesco and Vicki Guzman
Both trips were extraordinary, and we learned so much (Egypt and Turkey). At the time I felt like drinking water from a fire hydrant. The people you brought in were so knowledgeable and helpful in providing so much information. The tours don’t end with the final day because we continue revisiting and processing the information that we got after visiting so many magnificent places. It was a blessing to be part of your tours because they took us to places where regular tourists are not able to go. We are planning to do a few more tours Lord willing and we cannot see going with any other agency but yours. Thank you for your hard work in getting us in very special places and having such a great experience and memories.
