Hi,I am belorussian native who married an american guy.I have to say that Belarus is an unusual choice for a vacation in Europe, although worth it in my opinion.I hope you have family or friends, otherwisw I strongly suggest using a tourist agency.Some I have heard of are : Alatantour.com,
Belarustourist.com.I can't recommend one, so you have to do research.Go to embassy of Belarus website to get more information and entry requirements.I also suggest flying to Warsaw, as it is a lot cheaper, and taking a train or bus to Grodno.Don't rent a car,and don't hire a driver.The traffic is a
mess, we made a mistake of doing that,
thought we were gonna die. To be honest, I would not make Belarus your sole destination .Combine it if possible with stay in Poland{ Krakow,
Zacopane} and go to see Grodno in Belarus.I grew up there and it is a lovely city.If you have to pick one town in Belarus , that would be it.I am
not sure if other cities would be worth it, but its up to you.Try to fly at the end of May , beginning of june.
Whatever you do , make sure you have a
host in Belarus to help you.I hope I did not discourage you from going, I am just trying to be objective.On the other hand, my husband, who is an american, loved our trip and city of Grodno.I think with reasonable preparation you will love it too.I am not sure if I helped you at all, if you have any other questions, feel free to post them .

I thought Minsk was a fine town when I travelled there a few years ago (the political situation notwithstanding). If you are looking for other destinations in the vicinity, consider exploring the Baltics. Vilnius in Lithuania is one possibility. It's only 3-4 hours by train from Minsk.