Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival to Moscow
Welcome to Moscow - the historic capital of Russia and the largest city in entire Europe. Your driver will meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel. There is no program planned for this evening, but your hotel is located in the heart of the city, right by the Kremlin, so you can check out local restaurants or take a walk and enjoy fresh summer breeze of Moscow evenings.
Day 2: The Red Square and Kremlin
Today, we will head to the heart of Moscow - the Red Square. We will spend some time here at this most famous square, upon which holds St. Basil's Cathedral and the majestic Kremlin.
St. Basil's Cathedral is one of the most famous works of architecture in Moscow. This colorful cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Basil the Blessed, was built between 1555 and 1561.
The Kremlin of Moscow is one of the most recognizable symbols of Russia and, as you will experience yourself, is marvelous inside. Half of its territory is reserved for the government and the other half is open to the public. You will explore the Kremlin with one of the best guides in Moscow, who will tell you many interesting stories that have taken place within the walls of the Kremlin since it was built in 1147!
Day 3: Moscow city tour
The Red Square and the Kremlin are the most interesting sights in Moscow, of course, but there are other interesting things to see too. Two other must-see places in Moscow are the subway and Tretyakov Picture Gallery. We will start the tour of both places right after breakfast.
Moscow Subway. Located deep underground, it is both a nuclear shelter and a museum of Soviet socialist art, which was created to celebrate the unity of Soviet republics. The unity is now gone, but the most amazing subway system in the world remains. Moscow Subway carries 3 million passengers daily. We will take you for a short ride in order to get a taste of what its like to live in Moscow.
Tretyakov Picture Gallery is Moscow's best collection of art and one of the best collections of Russian paintings in the world. The gallery started as a private collection of a wealthy 19th century merchant named Ivan Tretyakov, who then donated his collection to the city.
Your train will depart at 17:00 or 19:00 - you will arrive to St. Petersburg at night and will be transferred to your hotel in St. Petersburg.
Notes: Hotel check out at noon. You should either check out before going on the day's tour and leave your bags in the special storage room of the hotel, or you can request your travel specialist to arrange late checkout.
Day 4: St. Petersburg City Tour
St. Petersburg welcomes you. This city is the crown jewel of Russian cities and one of the world's most amazing travel destinations. Today, you will explore Peter and Paul's Fortress, the Church of Savior on Spilled Blood and St. Isaac's Cathedral. This afternoon, you will have some free time to explore the city on your own.
Peter and Paul Fortress was built by Peter the Great to defend the city from invasion from the sea. Later, the czars converted it into a prison for political dissidents. The Bolsheviks turned the fortress into a museum of czarist oppressions. After the collapse of Soviet power, the Fortress was turned into the tomb of the Russian imperial family.
The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the most distinct churches in Russia. It is built on the very spot where one of Russia’s greatest emperors, Alexander II, was murdered. Alexander II is most famous for liberating Russian serfs, just two years before the abolition of slavery in the US. The church is rather aesthetic inside, so we will not go on a tour of it, but you can always do it on your own since it is just few blocks away from your hotel.
St Isaac's Cathedral is an important symbol of the city. It is the fourth largest cathedral in the world with gigantic golden cupola and an excellent observation deck that overlooks the entire city.
During this city tour you will also see visit St. Isaac's Square and observe these from outside: the Mariinsky Theater, the Hermitage, the Winter palace, the Palace Square, the Spit of Vasilievskiy Island, the Bronze Horseman Statue, Peter's Log Cabin, Cruiser Aurora, Smolny Palace, the Nevsky Prospect, the Square of Arts and more.
Optional evening program: St. Petersburg boasts some of the best theaters in the world. Ask your tour specialist to arrange the tickets for you. You can learn more about the venues from our Guide to St. Petersburg Theaters.
Day 5: The Hermitage and the Winter Palace
This day is reserved for the Hermitage Museum, which is to St. Petersburg what the Kremlin is to Moscow. St Petersburg has dozens of beautiful palaces, but the Winter Palace stands above them all, partly because it holds the Hermitage Museum -- which has one of the biggest collections of art and history in the world.
Secondly, this collection is located in the very building where Russian emperors lived. It is here that they rose to power and its from these walls that they ruled a fifth of the world's territories. It was also here that the Bolsheviks overthrew their reign. The Bolsheviks were tempted to destroy the palace, because it was a symbol of the czars, but its artistic value was so immense that they transformed it into the museum.
You will have an experienced guide to show you the best rooms and halls of the gigantic Hermitage in just 4 hours. And when the guided tour ends, you can continue exploring this enormous palace/museum on your own.
Optional tour of the Diamond Room is available for $85 per person. The diamond room is the jewelry collection of the Russian emperors.
Recommended activity for the afternoon/early evening: take a boat ride over St. Petersburg canals many, many canals, and see the city along the river. Boats stop at most central bridges.
Optional tour of Catherine's Palace is also available for this day. Please ask your tour manager for details.
Day 6: Peterhof
This day is reserved for a trip on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. You’ll be visiting Peterhof, the summer residence of the Czars.
Peterhof is the royal residence located on the banks of the Gulf of Finland. This summer home is famous for its parks and fountains, which mimic those of the palace of Versailles. Peter the Great spent most of his time here because of its close location to the wharfs where Peter was constructing his Russian navy. He built hundreds of fountains to entertain his noble guests -- which now include you.
Lunch in Peterhof's cafe is included in the program.
Optional: Replace the car ride to Peterhof with a boat for additional cost of $35 per person.
Day 7: Departure from Russia
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This is the last day of your amazing tour to Russia. Your driver will take you to the airport. You will be leaving Russia fascinated with your experience -- with her past and her present, with her two beautiful capitals of Moscow and St. Petersburg and her ancient connection to the city of Kiev.
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