Treasures of Two Capitals
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URL: http://www.travelallrussia.com/tours-to-moscow/reverse-russia-two%20capitals-tour172.html
Itinerary
| Day 1 | Arrival to St. Petersburg Welcome to St. Petersburg, Russia’s most beautiful city! St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia until the Revolution of 1917, but remains Russia's most dynamic and amazing city. With the canals of Venice, the palaces of Paris, and the churches of Rome, you will not be disappointed by its beauty and culture. You will have the best guides in St. Petersburg to make the most of your visit to one of the top ten travel destinations in the world. Your driver will be waiting for you at the airport arrival gate and will take you to the hotel. |
| Day 2 | St. Petersburg City Tour Welcome to St. Petersburg - Russia's most beautiful and most amazing city that has canals of Venice, palaces of Paris, Churches of Byzantium and Rome. You will have some of the best guides in St. Petersburg to make most of your visit to this one of the top 10 travel destinations on the planet. We have planned a panoramic tour of the city with stops at Peter and Paul Fortress, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood and St. Isaak's Cathedral. The tour will last four hours so the afternoon is yours to rest or to explore the city. Peter and Paul Fortress has served many roles except for the one that it was designed for - to defend the city from naval attacks. It was a political prison for the dissidents of the tsarist regime and during the soviet era it became a museum. When the soviets were gone the fortress became the tomb for the Russian imperial family. St Isaac's Cathedral is one of the most impressive cathedrals in Europe. Its gigantic golden cupolas, an excellent observation deck that overlooks the entire city, rich decorations and artifacts make the cathedral one of the most popular tourist sights in St Petersburg. The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was built to commemorate one of Russia's greatest emperors, Alexander II. Alexander II was assassinated in the middle of the street and it was decided to build a memorial on the very spot where the tragedy happened. Alexander II is most famous for liberating the Russian serfs (2 years before the abolition of slavery in the US, in fact). Optional evening program: St. Petersburg boasts some of the best theaters in the world. You can book your theatre tickets here. What to see in St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg City Guide |
| Day 3 | The Hermitage and the Winter Palace This day will be devoted to exploring the center of the city, the Palace Square, the Winter Palace and the world-famous Hermitage museum. The Hermitage is considered as one of the top museums in the world. It is located in the Winter Palace of the Russian tsars in the very heart of St. Petersburg. The Hermitage started as a private collection of Catherine the Great. After the Winter Palace had been taken by the Bolsheviks in 1917, they did not dare to destroy the art concentrated in it and transformed it into a museum. It would take about 3 years to see every artifact in the Hermitage and its every room and hall, but you will have an experienced guide who will show you the best of it in five hours. *Optional tour of the diamond room ($105 per person). (B) |
| Day 4 | Peterhof Peterhof is a royal residence on the outskirts of the city. It is most famous for its fountain park that rivals that of Versailles. Peterhof was the official summer residence of Russian tsars and is home to the Summer Palace. Stroll in the vast Lower Park with 176 glorious fountains of various forms and styles, numerous gilded statues of ancient gods and heroes, including the famous Samson Fountain. Visit magnificent, beige and white Grand Summer Palace, lavishly decorated with the two white pavilions with gilded cupolas. Duration of today's tour is 6 hours. *It takes about one hour to get to Peterhof by car. A boat ride is an alternative option that is available during summer (price $28 per traveler). (B) In the evening you will depart to Moscow. Your driver will wait you in the hotel lobby to take you to the train station. PLEASE NOTE: LATE CHECKOUT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF THE PACKAGE. YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO CHECK OUT IN THE MORNING. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LEAVE YOUR BAGS AT THE HOTEL, OR YOU CAN REQUEST A LATE CHECK OUT. TO ARRANGE LATE CHECK OUT IN ADVANCE, PLEASE ASK YOUR TOUR SPECIALIST. (B) |
| Day 5 | The Red Square and Kremlin Today, you will go on one of the most interesting tours in the world as we explore Moscow's most amazing sites. We will go insider of the beautiful St. Basil's Cathedral built by Ivan the Terrible to celebrate his victory over Kazan. We will take you on the Red Square, a thorough tour of Russian history. We will visit the World War II Memorial in the Vorobyevi Hills Park and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (the one that was destroyed by the communists and restored just few years ago). The tour will last about eight hours. The Kremlin of Moscow is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of Russia and one of the world's most interesting castles. This ancient citadel was constructed in 1147 to defend the city from the Mongols and the Lithuanians. Moscow grew far beyond the original walls since then, but the Kremlin has always remained a symbol of political power in Russia. St. Basil's Cathedral is one of the most famous works of architecture in Moscow and its silhouette is one of the most recognizable symbols of Moscow and Russia. St. Basil's is not a part of the Kremlin. (B) What to see in Moscow: Moscow City Guide |
| Day 6 | Moscow City Tour One of the most interesting sights of Moscow is located deep underneath the surface. Moscow Subway was built by the Soviets on the Stalin's order to display the advantages of the socialism. In the end of the day the Soviet Union is gone, but the beautiful gigantic underground city is still there to carry millions of passengers each day. We will even take a quick ride to give you a taste of living in Moscow and after that we will head to the best art gallery in the city called Tretyakov Picture Gallery. Moscow Subway was constructed by the Soviets not just to streamline the city's transportation, but also to celebrate the accomplishments of the Soviet system. The entire subway is a work of art - socialist realism for the most part. On top of immense cultural value, Moscow's subway is a super efficient transportation system that carries 3 million passengers daily (!) and spans the entire city in a star-like fashion. Interestingly, the Subway of Moscow was also designed to play the role of a nuclear shelter in case of a nuclear war. After the short Metro Tour you will have choice of visiting to the Tretyakov Picture Gallery or Novodevichiy Convent. Tretyakov Picture Gallery is Moscow's most famous collection of art and one of the world's top art galleries. The gallery started as a private collection of wealthy Moscow merchant, Tretyakov, who lived in the 19th century and donated his collection to the city. Novodevichiy Convent - its name, sometimes translated as the New Maidens' Monastery. Unlike other Moscow cloisters, it has remained virtually intact since the 17th century. (B) |
| Day 7 | Departure Today is the final day of your tour. Your driver will take you to the airport where you will leave with a lifetime of memories from Russia’s two amazing capitals. We hope you return to this enigmatic country soon! |