RussiaDiscovery
RussiaDiscovery is a Moscow-based private adventure and expedition tour operator, founded in 2005, selling high-ticket active and expedition trips across 30+ Russian regions and international destinations (via DiscoverySpecial) directly to affluent individual travelers, families, and corporate clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersMoscow, Russia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What RussiaDiscovery does
RussiaDiscovery (legal entity ООО «РД-Трэвел», RTO 021748) is a privately held Russian adventure and expedition tour operator founded in 2005 by Vadim Mamontov and headquartered in Moscow. The company organizes active, expedition, and cruise-style travel across more than 30 Russian regions — ranging from accessible weekend tours and family trips to extreme expeditions to the North Pole, Antarctica, the Kuril Islands, Chukotka, Putorana, and the Shantar Islands — and through its DiscoverySpecial sub-brand extends the same expedition format to international destinations including Galapagos, Mongolia, China, Papua New Guinea, and Morocco. Revenue is generated per booking through direct sales of pre-packaged and bespoke itineraries, with prices ranging from shorter active tours at ~245,000 rubles per person to premium expedition cruises at up to ~2,950,000 rubles per person for North Pole icebreaker departures; gift certificates and a recently introduced loyalty/cashback program supplement core tour revenue.
The business is not a technology company; its underlying 'platform' is a curated catalog of itineraries, an in-house team of manager-consultants who personally visit the destinations they sell, and operational partnerships with expedition vessel operators (notably Swan Hellenic) and the Russian Geographical Society. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer through the russiadiscovery.ru website, two phone lines, a Telegram bot (@RussiaDiscovery_bot), and the Moscow HQ — with no third-party resellers or OTA channels. The go-to-market is content-led and founder-led: Vadim Mamontov's personal Telegram channel (@mamonttrip) and the company's editorial journal drive top-of-funnel awareness, while a phone-based high-touch consultation model closes sales.
Customer segmentation is hybrid: primary segments are affluent individual travelers seeking once-in-a-lifetime expedition experiences and corporate/MICE clients using the dedicated corporate division for team-building and incentive trips; secondary segments include families and international travelers. The company holds a federal tour operator license from Rosturizm and is endorsed by the Russian Geographical Society on select expeditions, providing regulatory legitimacy in a market where outbound travel options for Russian clients have contracted since 2022.
RussiaDiscovery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RussiaDiscovery
- Legal name
- ООО «РД-Трэвел»
- Website
- https://russiadiscovery.ru
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- RussiaDiscovery is a Moscow-based private adventure and expedition tour operator, founded in 2005, selling high-ticket active and expedition trips across 30+ Russian regions and international destinations (via DiscoverySpecial) directly to affluent individual travelers, families, and corporate clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RussiaDiscovery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Adventure Tour Operator
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Travel Agencies (56151), Tour Operators (56152)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Polar & Remote-Destination Expedition Tour Operators (THAKADAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips) (THAJABAL), Luxury Expedition Cruise Specialists (Sales & Distribution) (THAEABAJ), Sports & Active Travel Agencies (e.g., ski, golf, dive) (THAKAFAJ)
Keywords
Where RussiaDiscovery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Moscow
- HQ country
- Russia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
RussiaDiscovery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Package Tour Sales: RussiaDiscovery generates revenue by selling pre-packaged and custom tours to travelers. Each tour has a set price per person (quoted in rubles, dollars, or euros depending on the itinerary). Tours include transport, accommodation, guiding, meals, and activities. The company also sells gift certificates (подарочные сертификаты) and recently launched a loyalty/cashback program (кешбэк). Revenue is transaction-based per booking.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Expedition tours (Arctic, Antarctic, Chukotka, North Pole) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Active adventure tours (trekking, jeep tours, helicopter tours) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Group and weekend tours |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
RussiaDiscovery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RussiaDiscovery is a Russian tour operator that sells organized adventure travel packages and expedition cruises to remote destinations across Russia and worldwide. The company offers pre-packaged and custom itineraries covering 30+ Russian regions (Kamchatka, Chukotka, Baikal, Arctic, Kuril Islands, Putorana Plateau, etc.) as well as international destinations through its DiscoverySpecial sub-brand, with end-to-end logistics including transport, accommodation, guiding, meals, and activities.
Product overview
RussiaDiscovery is a travel company that operates as a single unified service platform offering adventure tours and expeditions. The core product portfolio consists of domestic Russian tours (covering 30+ destinations across Russia's diverse regions), DiscoverySpecial international tours, expedition cruises, individual/custom tours, and corporate group travel. Additional services include VIP premium tours, gift certificates, and a loyalty/cashback program. The company positions itself as specializing in active adventure travel combining outdoor activities with comfortable service, offering experiences ranging from accessible weekend tours to extreme expeditions to remote destinations like the North Pole, Antarctica, and volcanic archipelagos.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DiscoverySpecial: Sub-brand offering tours worldwide outside Russia, including destinations such as Galapagos, Antarctica, China, Papua New Guinea, Morocco, and other international locations.
Products and services
- Domestic Adventure Tours (Russia) Pre-packaged active adventure tours across more than 30 Russian regions (Baikal, Karelia, Caucasus, Kamchatka, Arctic, Altai, Chukotka, Yakutia, Svalbard, etc.). Tours include transport, accommodation, guiding, meals, and activities such as trekking, climbing, jeep tours, rafting, helicopter excursions, and wildlife observation. Targeted at individual travelers seeking organized adventure experiences in Russia.
- DiscoverySpecial International Tours
Quantifiable outcome
- 20 years operating adventure tours across Russia
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use RussiaDiscovery
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
RussiaDiscovery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
RussiaDiscovery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Swan HelleniccoreSwan Hellenic is a premium expedition cruise company. RussiaDiscovery is identified as an authorized partner selling Swan Hellenic cruise itineraries in Russia. The partnership offers expedition cruises to destinations including Antarctica, the Arctic, Kuril Islands, and other remote regions on Swan Hellenic's premium vessels.
- Russian Geographical Society (РГО)coreRussiaDiscovery collaborates with the Russian Geographical Society (Русское географическое общество). Specific tours such as 'Архипелаг открытий' (Shantar Islands expedition) are marked as 'Рекомендовано РГО' (Recommended by RGO). The company also organizes trips to Земля Франца-Иосифа in partnership with RGO.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights6 records
RussiaDiscovery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bolshaya Strana: Russian tour operator specializing in active and adventure tours across Russia's regions. Directly comparable in terms of target customer (active Russian travelers), domestic catalog breadth, and curated small-group travel model.
- Pohod.info: Leading Russian online platform for hiking, trekking, and outdoor adventure travel. Comparable in the active Russian adventure travel market where both serve travelers seeking guided trips to remote and natural destinations.
- Poseidon Expeditions: Russian operator of polar expedition cruises including North Pole icebreaker voyages and Arctic/Antarctic itineraries. Directly comparable to RussiaDiscovery's expedition cruise offerings and competes for the same affluent Russian adventure traveler segment.
- Quark Expeditions: Specialized polar expedition cruise operator running Antarctic and Arctic voyages. Comparable product offering in expedition cruises; competes for the same premium adventure traveler across overlapping polar destinations.
Broad incumbents
- Hurtigruten: Norwegian expedition cruise line offering Arctic, Antarctic, and Norwegian coast voyages. Comparable in expedition cruise product category and premium positioning, though broader geographic footprint than RussiaDiscovery's polar focus.
- National Geographic Expeditions: Premium global adventure travel brand offering expeditions worldwide. Comparable in luxury adventure positioning and content-driven marketing, though serves a globally distributed customer base rather than a domestic niche.
- Lindblad Expeditions: US-based expedition cruise company partnering with National Geographic for premium adventure voyages. Comparable in expedition cruise product and premium positioning, with broader global destination portfolio.
- Abercrombie & Kent: Luxury travel company offering premium tailor-made tours and expeditions worldwide. Comparable in luxury adventure positioning and bespoke itinerary design, with a globally distributed premium customer base.
- Intrepid Travel: Global small-group adventure tour operator with tours across all continents. Comparable in active/adventure travel model and curated experience design, though serves a broader international traveler base at lower price points.
Others
- Swan Hellenic: Premium expedition cruise company for which RussiaDiscovery serves as an authorized sales partner in Russia. Operates the same Antarctic/Arctic/Kuril itineraries RussiaDiscovery resells, making it both a partner and an indirect competitor for end customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RussiaDiscovery social profiles
Digital presenceRussiaDiscovery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RussiaDiscovery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
RussiaDiscovery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RussiaDiscovery M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RussiaDiscovery
What does RussiaDiscovery do?
RussiaDiscovery is a Russian tour operator that sells organized adventure travel packages and expedition cruises to remote destinations across Russia and worldwide. The company offers pre-packaged and custom itineraries covering 30+ Russian regions (Kamchatka, Chukotka, Baikal, Arctic, Kuril Islands, Putorana Plateau, etc.) as well as international destinations through its DiscoverySpecial sub-brand, with end-to-end logistics including transport, accommodation, guiding, meals, and activities.
Is RussiaDiscovery a public or private company?
RussiaDiscovery is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was RussiaDiscovery founded?
RussiaDiscovery was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is RussiaDiscovery based?
RussiaDiscovery is headquartered in Moscow, Russia, in the Europe region.
How does RussiaDiscovery make money?
One revenue line is on record: package Tour Sales.
Who are RussiaDiscovery's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bolshaya Strana, Pohod.info, Poseidon Expeditions and Quark Expeditions. Broad incumbents are Hurtigruten, National Geographic Expeditions, Lindblad Expeditions, Abercrombie & Kent and Intrepid Travel. Swan Hellenic is listed as an others.
Does RussiaDiscovery have an API?
No public API is recorded for RussiaDiscovery.
What industry is RussiaDiscovery in?
RussiaDiscovery's product category is Adventure Tour Operator. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKADAM, Polar & Remote-Destination Expedition Tour Operators, with a secondary code of THAJABAL, Multi-Activity & Expedition Packages (Guided Adventure Trips). Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 7900.