Day 1
Arrival in Moscow
On arrival in Moscow you will be met by our friendly representative
who will escort you by car or mini bus to your hotel. Your Russian
travel itinerary begins right away as on the way to the hotel, you
will have the opportunity to get your first glimpse of this truly
unique city.
Panoramic City Tour. This tour is a great start to your trip and the
best way to get acquainted with many of the city´s major highlights.
Our professional guide will escort you on a route that includes
Vorobyevi Hills where you will get an incredible view of the city from
an observation point, you will proceed to Moscow State University
which is an example of architecture from the time of Stalin and one
of Russia’s leading schools of higher education, then on to
Novodevichiy Convent, the Diplomatic Village, Victory Park, the
Triumphal Arch, Kutuzovsky Prospect, the Arbat and much more.
Moscow is the capital and the largest city in Russia as well as the
largest metropolitan area in Europe with a population well over 10
million. This amazing city has served as the capital of the Soviet
Union, the Russian Empire and the Grand Duchy of Moscow.
Moscow has had a tumultuous history dating back to medieval times
when it was founded by Prince Yuri Dolgoruki (Yuri of the Long
Arms, known for the length of his arms!) in the early 12th century.
It has seen numerous invasions and sieges from the Mongols to the
Poles and Lithuanians to the Crimean Tatars to Napoleon and finally
the Nazi’s but it has persevered and today is a thriving metropolis.
The city is filled with unique architecture from the Kremlin and Red
Square to giant Stalin skyscrapers to new office blocks built during
the economic boom of recent years and it contains a strikingly
beautiful metro system. The city is the center of political as well as
economic power in Russia and visitors can feel the energy in the
streets. There is always something going on in Moscow and there is
so much to see.
Day 2
Breakfast at the hotel
Excursion to the Moscow Kremlin and Kremlin Cathedrals. (please
note that a visit to the Armory Chamber and the Diamond Fund is
not included in the tour price. It can be added upon request for
extra payment). The Kremlin is a fascinating structure, at the same
time it is an ancient tower, the city´s former military fortification, a
palace, an armory, the sovereign treasury and the workplace of the
Russian President. The Kremlin is the center of Russia´s political life
and State power and has been home to Tsars, General Secretaries
of the Soviet Union and Russian Presidents. The Kremlin has always
been the spiritual centre of Russia. You will see several ancient
cathedrals on its territory the most famous of which are the
Assumption Cathedral, the Archangel’s Cathedral and the
Annunciation Cathedral.
Red Square is just outside the Kremlin´s walls. While walking on
Red Square you will admire the Mausoleum of Lenin, the clock on
the Savior (Spasskaya) Tower - showing the most correct Moscow
time, the History Museum, the beautiful Cathedral of the
Intercession (the Church of St Basil the Blessed), Kazansky
Cathedral and many other outstanding pieces of Russian
architecture.
Free time
In the evening, enjoy a ballet or opera performance at the Bolshoi
Theater - one of the world´s greatest musical companies (optional).
Day 3
Breakfast at the hotel
Tour of the Moscow Metro system and the Old Arbat street. The
Moscow Metro is one of the largest and most grandly built metro
systems in the world. It was meant to be a showcase of the Soviet
Union´s achievements both for the Russians themselves and visitors
from abroad. The stations are all uniquely designed with decorative
elements including mosaics, statues, marble floors, walls and
staircases to name a few. The tour will then proceed to Old Arbat
street, one of Moscow’s oldest streets. The street has gone from
being the headquarters of Ivan the Terrible’s secret police, the
Oprichina to the center of aristocratic life in Moscow in the 18th
century to finally being the center of the Russian intelligentsia and
bohemian life in the capital. You will be told of the street´s
interesting history and view the street´s artisan culture. You will
also have the opportunity to view and purchase souvenirs from the
street´s many craftsmen.
Lunch in a local restaurant (optional)
Tour of the Tretyakovsky State Gallery. The world famous gallery
contains works of Russian art from the 10th century up to the
present. You will view exquisite Russian icons and paintings from
the 18th and 19th century including works by Rublev, Kandinsky,
Karavak, Vishnyakov, Nikitin, Antropov, Levitsky, Kiprensky,
Tropinin, Fedotov, Repin and many others.
Free time
Transfer to the train station
Overnight train to St. Petersburg
Day 4
Arrival in St. Petersburg
On arrival in St. Petersburg you will be met by our friendly
representative who will escort you by car or mini bus to your hotel.
On the way to the hotel, you will have the opportunity to get your
first glimpse of this truly unique and beautiful city. After settling in
at the hotel, you can sit down to a short lunch (optional), to prepare
you for the city tour.
Panoramic City Tour. This tour is a great start to your trip and the
best way to get acquainted with all of the city´s major highlights.
Our professional guide will take you down Nevsky Prospect, St.
Petersburg´s most famous and vibrant thoroughfare. There you will
see some of the city´s most interesting architectural monuments
including the Kazan Cathedral and the Winter Palace. You will then
proceed to Vasilevsky Island - the area of the city that Peter the
Great originally planned to be the city center. This island juts out
into the Gulf of Finland - reminding you of St. Petersburg´s close
proximity to the sea and maritime history. The tour will include a
visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress - a symbol of St. Petersburg and
also the oldest building in the city. While there, you will visit Peter
and Paul Cathedral, the burial place of the Russian Tsars from Peter
the Great onward. You will then be taken back to your hotel to
relax.
In the evening you will have free time to stroll along the city streets
and to dine at a restaurant of your choice. If you would like
recommendations on good places to eat, just ask us.
St. Petersburg is the former capital of Imperial Russia, home of the
Tsars and one of the world’s most beautiful and romantic cities. St.
Petersburg was founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703 on the
banks of the Neva River and the Gulf of Finland. The city has seen
its share of historical events including the Decembrist revolt, the
palace coup and murder of Tsar Pavel, the intrigues of Catherine the
Great, the assassination Tsar Alexander II, the influence of Rasputin
on the Russian royal family, the Revolution of 1905 and the October
Revolution of 1917 which brought the communists to power. During
WWII, the city then known as Leningrad, went through a harrowing
two and a half year blockade and siege by the Nazi invaders
resulting in the deaths of over 1 million of its citizens. Today, St.
Petersburg is Russia’s second largest city with a population of over 5
million. It is also known as the center of Russian art, culture and
literature – former citizens included Pushkin and Dostoevsky just to
name a few. The entire city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
and is full of beautiful palaces and monuments including the Winter
Palace. The city is also known as the Venice of the North because of
its location on various islands in the Neva River and its many canals
and bridges. St. Petersburg is home to the world famous Hermitage
Museum which contains one of the world’s largest collections of art
including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt,
Matisse, Picasso as well as many other old masters and
impressionists. We are sure that you will find St. Petersburg one of
the most if not the most fascinating places you have ever visited.
Da y5
After a good breakfast at the hotel, you will be escorted to the town
of Pushkin (formerly Tsarskoye Selo). The Palace and Park of
Tsarskoye Selo is a former country residence of the Russian
emperors. It is a fascinating monument of the world´s architectural
and gardening arts of the XVIII-XIX centuries. Its 3 parks occupy an
area of 600 hectares on which are located over 100 architectural
monuments: from magnificent palaces and grand monuments to
intimate pavilions and park sculptures designed by masters of the
Venetian school such as P. Baratta, A. Tarsia and D. Bonazza. The
center of Tsarskoye Selo is Catherine´s Palace, containing exquisite
decorative objects, furniture, Russian and Western-European
paintings, unique collections of porcelain, amber, arms and
decorative bronze sculptures. The Palace also contains the Amber
Room - a truly unique work of craftsmanship – a room made
entirely of amber. The room was looted by the Nazi’s during WWII
but luckily most of its pieces were recovered. The room was fully
rebuilt in 2003. Tsarskoye Selo was also the main residence of the
last Tsar Nicolas II and his family.
Free time
In the evening, enjoy a ballet or opera performance at the Mariinsky
Theater - one of the world´s greatest musical companies (optional).
Another option would be to attend one of Russia´s premier folk
shows, "Feel yourself Russian!" The show is performed by the best
folk company in the city. During the intermission, delicious Russian
appetizers will be served. (optional)
Day 6
Breakfast at the hotel
After breakfast we will head to one of the greatest and largest art
museums in the world - the Hermitage. The museum consists of five
historical buildings including the Winter Palace - the residence of the
Russian Tsars. The museum contains over 3 million pieces of art
with dates ranging from high antiquity to the present day. Among
the Hermitage´s treasures are artworks by Leonardo da Vinci,
Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens and many others. We will
spend 3 hours at the museum, however, to view the collection in its
entirety would take almost 15 years, spending 8 hours a day in the
museum and taking one minute to examine each exhibit.
Free time
Day 7
Breakfast at the hotel
Visit to Peterhof. Peterhof ( Petrodvorets) is a jewel of Russian art a town of parks, palaces and fountains. In the past, it was used as
an exquisite summer residence by the Russian Tsars. You will visit
the Grand Palace - the largest and the most famous palace of the
residence which was often used for gala receptions. After this you
will proceed to the Lower Park (Nizhny Park) which is a genuine
masterpiece of landscape design. The park is adorned with more
than 150 fountains and 4 monumental cascades. There are several
small palaces and pavilions on the park territory, such as the
Monplaisir, Catherine´s Block, Marli, Hermitage, the Bath Block and
many more. If you are ready to walk a lot you will also enjoy a
magnificent view of the Gulf of Finland
Free Time or boat cruise along the Neva River or canals (optional)
Day 8
Breakfast at the hotel
Hotel check out
Transfer to airport
Say goodbye to Russia, we hope that you enjoyed your time with us
and we look forward to welcoming you back sometime in the future.
Do Svidaniya or until we meet again!