Russia, the world’s largest nation, borders European and Asian countries as well as the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Its landscape ranges from tundra and forests to subtropical beaches. It’s famous for Moscow’s Bolshoi and St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky ballet companies. St. Petersburg, founded by Russian leader Peter the Great, has the baroque Winter Palace, now housing part of the State Hermitage Museum’s art collection.
| INCLUSION | EXCLUSION |
|
|
Welcome to Moscow ! After clearing Customs and Immigration make your way through the terminal. Your representative will greet you at the ‘meeting point’ at the exit and transfer you comfortably to your hotel check in and enjoy the stay.
After having breakfast at the hotel we proceed for the panoramic city tour. The tour starts in the heart of the city, at the Red Square. After observing St. Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin Mausoleum, the State Historical Museum and other sights of the area we move along the Moskva River embankment. On the way, we enjoy views of Kremlin, and continue to the Cathedral of the Christ the Savior, New Maidens Convent, Moscow State University. Visit to the Sparrow Hills observation spot opens outstanding view on Moscow. Then we travel to the Memorial Complex at Poklonnaya Hill and Victory Park, Triumphal Arch, Kutuzov Avenue, New Arbat, Boulevard ring, Pushkin square, Tverskaya Street and end the tour at Manezhnaya Square.
Visit of Kremlin grounds and 3 cathedrals: Moscow Kremlin is a unique architectural ensemble. It is famous for the ancient Sobornaya (Cathedrals’) Square and cathedrals: Cathedral of the Annunciation; Assumption Cathedral where Russian tsars and imperators were crowned; Cathedral of the Archangel was a burial place for Grand Princes; Church of the Deposition of the Robe; the Patriarch’s Chambers; Ivan the Great Bell Tower. The world-famous Tsar Canon and Tsar Bell became symbols of Moscow, and at the Senate Square, one can see buildings of former Senate and Arsenal (monument of architecture of Peter the Great time). The Great Kremlin Palace used to be a residence of Russian tsars and imperators; nowadays it is a residence of Russian President.
Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel, after we go for Metro tour and Arbat Street walking tour: The stations of Moscow’s subway system have often been called “the people’s palaces”, for their elegant designs and lavish and profuse use of marble, mosaics, sculptures and chandeliers. Built during Stalin’s rule, these metro stations were supposed to display the best of Soviet architecture and design and show how privileged the lifestyle of the Russian people was.Today the Metro system has grown into an enormous network of 11 lines and over 160 stations, with new stations opening every year. During the tour you visit such stations as Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Ploschad Revolutsii, Kropotkinskaya, Novokusnetskaya, Novoslobodskaya. It is also recommendable to visit Arbatskaya, Belorusskaya, Kievskaya and Park Kultury stations.
Later in the day we visit of Sergiev posad – holy town: Sergiev Posad town is located in 62 km from Moscow. This town is often called Russian Vatican. In XIV century, Saint Sergius Radonezhsky founded one of the biggest and most famous Russian Monasteries – the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius. In the central Trinity Cathedral, the founder is buried. The most famous Andrew Rublev’s icon – “The Trinity” was created especially for this cathedral. Enjoy your comfortable at the hotel.
Morning leisurely breakfast at the hotel, check out and transfer to the station to catch High Speed for to St Petersburg. Arrival to St Petersburg, orientation walks Check in at the hotel evening at leisure.
Breakfast at the hotel, proceed half day tour of the city: Take a drive along the “Great Perspective” world famous today as Nevsky Prospect lined with marble palaces of Russian royalty and aristocracy, with most fashionable boutiques and art salons arranged in old settings of the 18th century, trading rows and arcades, with impressive classical and Renaissance cathedrals. You have an excellent picture opportunity with a stunning panorama along the Neva’s embankments; by the city’s Rostral Columns you will have a view of the 5 buildings of the State Hermitage Museum, the Admiralty and St.Isaac’s Cathedral. You visit the most splendid architectural masterpieces of St. Petesburg : Fine Arts Square with the Russian Museum, the magnificent Church of Resurrection on Spilled Blood, Field of Mars, the Alexanderinsky Drama Theater, Smolny Cathedral, Senate & Synod classical buildings, the Bronze Horseman and much more. Enjoy the beauty of the third largest square in the world – the Palace Square with the Winter Palace and the Alexander Column.
Later in the day Tour to Peterhof ; Grand Palace and Park that carries the world’s largest system of fountains, which titled as the “Russian Versailles”. Enjoy sightseeing with the statues, pavilions and the fountains. The Palace at Peterhof sits amidst an enormous park, adorned with fountains, statues and pavilions. The upper Garden, located between the St. Petersburg highway and the Grand Palace, is a typical French-style formal garden with five fountains including one depicting Neptune, the God of the Sea. The estate’s Lower Park lies between the Garden Palace and the seashore and boasts the world’s largest system of fountains, earning it the title the “Russian Versailles”. There are three major cascades and over 120 fountains in the park. The most impressive is the Grand Cascade. Overnight stay at hotel.
Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel, visit of the Hermitage State museum: The premier city attraction is the Hermitage Museum. For many traveling to Russia it is the main destination and even the reason for the tour. As the director of the Hermitage once put it “I can not say that the Hermitage is a number one museum in the world but I know that it is certainly not number two.” And with over 3 million works of art exhibited in five connecting palaces the museum can’t fail to impress. If works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Rembrandt or Leonardo da Vinci don’t make you gasp then the interiors of the Winter Palace will.
The five buildings that make up the museum include the opulent winter palace, which was built by Peter the Great’s daughter (Elizabeth) and has undergone major renovations that have justifyit sparkling. Walk up an imposing baroque marble staircase and marvel at all the gold leaf, and check out the several heavily decorated rooms including a throne room. It can take a complete day to see the highlights, but investigating every corner in each of the five linked buildings could take years. Day at leisure shopping etc.
Enjoy the breakfast at the hotel, check out and transfer to the airport with the sweet memories and an experience which you can share with your family and friends and cherish all your life.
