Day 1: St. Petersburg
Upon arrival in St. Petersbug you will be met by your English-speaking guide and transfered by private car to your hotel.
Overnight at Pulkovskaya Hotel or similar.
Day 2: St. Petersburg
After breakfast, take a
3-hour guided tour of the city. Lunch at a local restaurant with an opportunity to
participate in a master class in cooking the Russian traditional soup “Borsch”. After lunch visit Peter & Paul’s Fortress and Cathedral.
The Peter and Paul Fortress (Petropavlovskaya Krepost) was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 to protect the city from the Swedish navy. It lost military significance before it was completed, so it was used as a prison for two centuries. There were plenty of famous prisoners like Alexei (son of Peter the Great) and Dostoevsky (author of "Crime and Punishment"). Nowadays the fortress cannon fires at noon, midnight and when a flood is coming. The fortress itself is interesting, housing Sts Peter and Paul Cathedrals (where Peter the Great and other Russian emperors are buried), Trubetskoy bastion( a former prison), and the Museum of Gas-Dynamic Laboratories(home to personal items of the cosmonauts and other space related items).
Overnight at Pulkovskaya Hotel or similar.
Day 3: St. Petersburg
After breakfast you will be takent to the famous Hermitage.
The State Hermitage occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the bank of the River Neva, right in the heart of St Petersburg. The leading role in this unique architectural ensemble is played by the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian tsars built to the design of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754-62. This ensemble is extended by the eastern wing of the General Staff building, the Menshikov Palace and the recently constructed Repository. Put together throughout two and a half centuries, the Hermitage collections of works of art (over 3,000,000 items) present the development of world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Lunch will be at a local restaurant in the center of the city. After lunch you will be taken back to the city for a walk along
Nevskij Prospect and shopping with an English-speaking guide’s assistance.
Overnight at Pulkovskaya Hotel or similar.
Day 4: St. Petersburg - Novgorod
After breakfast & checking-out of your hotel, you will be taken on a
Pushkin tour including a visit to
Catherine’s Palace with the Amber room and Park. The palace and park ensemble of Tsarskoe Selo- a former suburban residence of the Russian emperors – is a fascinating monument to the architecture and gardening arts of the 18th and 19th centuries. Lunch will be at the local restaurant “Russian House”. Depart by private car for Novgorod in the late afternoon (180 km from St. Petersburg, about 3 hours drive), with arrival in the early evening. Check-in to the “Volkhov” Hotel, located in the center of Novgorod, just opposite the Kremlevski Park. 10-minute walk to the railway station and 7-minute walk to Kremlin.
Day 5: Novgorod - Moscow
After breakfast you will be taken on a
Novgorod sightseeing tour including the
Kremlin, and the famous
St. Sophia Cathedral inside the Detinets - the main church of northern Russia. It is a symbol of the town and is one of the oldest stone buildings in Russia. Local architects built it in the 1050, and it is over 38 meters high. An iron dove sits on the cross of the cathedral. There is a myth that if the dove ever happens to fly away, it will mark the last day of Novgorod. St. Sofia used to be the place where the treasury of Novgorod was kept - there were special hiding places for gold on the second floor. Daily church services take part in St. Sofia at 7pm. Dress code for services includes long pants and long-sleeved shirts for men and head coverings for women. Lunch will be at “Detinetz” Restaurant inside Novgorod Kremlin wall. Located inside the Kremlin, in Pokrovskaya tower, this restaurant serves the very best Russian food. After lunch, take an excursion to
Yuriev Monastery including a visit to St.George Cathedral and the
Museum of Wooden Art. You can see here typical wooden buildings from the middle centuries. The churches, houses, and warehouses were brought here from all over the area of Novgorod and the new small town was set up. Enjoy a dinner at your hotel before checking-out and transfering to the railway station for your
overnight train (1st class) to Moscow.
Day 6: Moscow
Upon morning arrival in Moscow you will be met by your private guide and transferd by private car to your hotel for check-in. Breakfast will be available upon arrival to the hotel. There will be some time to relax before a
city sightseeing tour in the afternoon. Visitors to Moscow are often pleasantly surprised by the wealth and variety of architecture the city has to offer. Even though the
Kremlin is one of the most famous sights, there are also many smaller churches and chapels, imposing Neo-Classical mansions and some beautiful municipal buildings. A stark contrast to this older architecture is provided by early 20th-century Constructivist building and Communist landmarks such as Stalinist-Gothic skyscrapers. After lunch at a local restaurant enjoy
Arbat shopping with assistance from your local guide.
Overnight at Cosmos Club Hotel or similar.
Day 7: Moscow
After breakfast, see the
Citadel of the Tsars, headquarters of the Soviet Union and now the residence of the Russian president - for centuries the Kremlin has been a symbol of the power of the State. The design of the Cathedral of the Assumptions and the Faceted Palace is a fascinating fusion of Early Russian and imported Renaissance styles. The Kremlin did not escape the architectural vandalism of the 1930s, when it was closed and several of its churches and palaces were destroyed on Stalin’s orders. Only in 1955, two years after his death, was the Kremlin partially reopened to the public. The State Armory was designed by Konstantin Ton to compliment the Great Kremlin Palace. Constructed in 1844-51, this building is now a museum housing the stunning imperial collection of decorative and applied art and the priceless State Diamond Fund. Lunch will be enjoyed at a local restaurant. The afternoon is free to spend at your leisure.
Overnight at Cosmos Club Hotel or similar.
Day 8: Moscow
After breakfast & check-out you will be met by your private guide and transfered by private car to the airport for your return flight home.
