DAY 01 MOSCOW ARRIVAL
Arrival transfer from airport to hotel with meet and greet.
DAY 02 FULL DAY GUIDED TOUR OF MOSCOW
3-hour Kremlin tour including the Armory, Diamond Fund Exhibition and Assumption Cathedral. Learn about the Kremlin’s history and hear tales of the Russian tsars from a knowledgeable local guide. Gaze in awe at the opulence of the Armory with its collection of impressive Imperial weapons.
Visit the Diamond Fund Exhibition to see the Crown of the Russian Empire alongside other dazzling jewels.
Walk around the colorful Assumption Cathedral and hear of the countless coronations that once took place inside.
In the afternoon visit Moscow Metro tour.
Learn about Stalin’s reign and how his visions were reflected in the architecture he commissioned.
DAY 03 FULL DAY GUIDED TOUR OF MOSCOW
Starting in Red Square, in the heart of the city, look up at the striped onion domes of St Basil’s Cathedral as you learn about the Russian Orthodox Church.
From here, see the huge GUM shopping mall and hear about its fascinating history as a former department store.
Your guide will point out Lenin’s Mausoleum, which contains the mummified remains of the Russian political ruler, and show you the modern Moscow Hotel, recently built where the Hotel Moskva long stood.
Witness the Changing of the Guards in Alexander Garden and learn how to properly throw coins into the Ruins Grotto for good luck.
Next, catch sight of more famous landmarks, including the Kremlin and the nearby Christ the Savior Cathedral, the country’s main cathedral and the world’s tallest Orthodox church.
See the exterior of the walled Novodevichy Convent, built in the Moscow Baroque style, and learn why it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
At Victory Park, your guide will tell you about the Great Patriotic War Museum.
Then, head down Boulevard Ring, a beautiful chain of ten avenues in the city center.
You’ll have plenty of opportunities to get out for a short stroll and take pictures along the way, including on Arbat Street, a promenade known for its matryoshka dolls and souvenirs.
After you glimpse Moscow State University, the Bolshoi Theater, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the controversial Monument to Peter the Great, take in magnificent views of the city from Sparrow Hills.
Afternoon tour continues.
Experience the vibrant architecture of Moscow during a 2-hour tour of the Izmailovo Flea Market and the Izmailovo Kremlin.
Brimming with museums, galleries, and regal palaces, the area is a colorful cultural hub that provides ample photo opportunities.
Browse stalls selling Russian crafts, culinary specialties, and antiques, and admire the architecture of the Izmailovo Kremlin and the Tsar’s Palaces.
On arrival, you’ll launch straight into the stall of the Izmailovo Flea Market, home to a vibrant confection of stalls selling Russian dolls, local culinary delicacies, and antiques.
Inside the fairytale-style Izmailovo Kremlin, six museums — including the Museum of Vodka and the Museum of Bread — pay testament to Moscow’s cultural heritage.
DAY 04 MOSCOW – ST. PETERSBURG by TRAIN
Departure transfer from Moscow hotel to train station with assistance. Arrival transfer with assistance from St. Petersburg train station to hotel.
DAY 05 FULL DAY GUIDED TOUR OF ST. PETERSBURG
You will take a complete tour of Saint-Petersburg most famous sites beginning with the neo-classical splendor of St Isaac’s Cathedral, geometry of the Palace Square, visiting the oldest construction of Saint-Petersburg- Peter & Paul’s Fortress and the Cathedral- the burial vault of Romanovs’ family.
Thereafter a visit to the Savior-on-Blood Church.
The tour includes an elegant lunch in the restaurant serving traditional Russian cuisine.
In the afternoon a 2-hour guided excursion in the largest museum of Russia and one of the richest museums of the world -The State Museum of the Hermitage- to finalize your excellent introduction to St Petersburg.
DAY 06 FULL DAY TOUR OF PUSHKIN & CATHERINE PALACE
Leave your St Petersburg hotel and travel by air-conditioned vehicle to the town of Pushkin.
Formerly known as Tsarskoe Selo, Pushkin is home to one Russia’s grandest royal estates — the Catherine Palace, built in the 1700s as a residence for Catherine I and once called the Palace of Tsarskoe Selo. Originally modest, the palace was remodeled by Catherine’s daughter, Empress Elizabeth, in the mid-1700s, who turned it into the extravagant baroque residence of today.
On arrival, absorb the blue-and-white façade and take a guided tour inside.
Marvel at the rococo staterooms and halls embellished with stucco, frescoes, and marble, and visit the showpiece —the extraordinary Amber Room.
Covered in amber panels that replicate the originals looted by the Nazis in World War II and subsequently lost, this spectacular room is a vision of shimmering amber work, gold leaf, and mirrors.
The original room was dubbed the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, and today’s replica was made using 13,000 pounds (6,000 kilograms) of amber.
After your tour, stroll around Catherine Park, the gardens that surround the residence.
Walk along the tree-lined avenues and admire the picturesque buildings that speckle the lawns.
Continue to the Pavlovsk Palace, the elegant residence of Tsar Paul I, the son of Catherine the Great, on the fringes of St Petersburg.
Note the restrained design of the neo-classical building compared to the Catherine Palace, and explore the ornate, themed interiors with your guide.
Walk through the ornate Egyptian Vestibule, the elaborate Grecian Hall, and Italian Hall, and see the Hall of War, decorated with military models.
Then, visit the beautiful gardens, whose lawns are sprinkled with copses, streams, and follies, including pavilions and colonnades. Your tour then finishes with a drop-off back at your hotel.
DAY 07 DEPARTURE
Departure transfer from hotel to airport.