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Home , Diamond Fund, Kolomenskoye, Moscow, Peter the Great, Red Square, Winter Palace

The Best of and St. Petersburg

11 DAYS/10 NIGHTS — GROUP TRAVEL SUGGESTED ITINERARY — CAN BE CUSTOMIZED

Moscow and St. Petersburg are ’s two largest . At different points in time, they INCLUSIONS both have served as Russia’s capital. They both contain fascinating historical attractions,  5 nights in each Moscow theatres and some of ’s best art museums. That being said, Moscow and St. and St. Petersburg Petersburg couldn’t be more different, and by spending time in both of these wonderful  Breakfast daily cities, it will give you a terrific understand of Russia, the world’s largest country.  Lunch and dinner per itinerary The first half of your trip to Russia will be spent in Moscow, today’s cosmopolitan,  Ground transport via energetic capital . While here you will begin to learn about Russia’s intriguing history air conditioned private coach with a visit to the Kremlin and the . You will also visit medieval Russian  Admission tickets and Orthodox monasteries, see where some of Russia’s best writers once called home, and sightseeing as outlined attend a performance of . The second half of your trip will be spent in St. in itinerary Petersburg. Creating this “Venice of the North” was the dream of the Great, and HIGHLIGHTS even today the city retains an air of its aristocratic, imperial past. This is the intellectual  Guided visits of four and cultural capital of Russia, and while here you will explore its picturesque canals, UNESCO World historic and tour its world-famous art galleries. Heritage Sites: the Estate, DAY 1 ~ ARRIVAL IN the airport to the city center the Kremlin, the Monastery of St. MOSCOW recommend that your group stop and tour Sergius, and the Arrive in Moscow, Russia’s the Kolomenskoye Estate, an official historical center of St. UNESCO World Heritage Site; this splendid Petersburg political capital and largest  Tour the Tolstoy House former royal park estate is a treasure-trove city. After exiting customs, meet your Museum professional tour escort in the terminal’s of historic buildings (including the  Attend an opera, ballet th arrivals hall. He or she will accompany your magnificent 16 century Church of the or classical music Ascension) constructed in Moscow’s concert in Moscow group throughout its Russian adventure.  Take a traditional Travel by private coach to the . beautiful countryside. Russian tea  Canal dinner cruise in (Should your group arrive before the Tonight join your fellow group members for St. Petersburg hotel’s official check-in time, it is welcome a welcome dinner of local Muscovite  Guided visits to three of to store luggage with the hotel’s reception specialties in the hotel’s restaurant. Russia’s best art staff). There will be free time until this museums: the DAY 2 ~ HISTORIC , The evening to begin exploring Moscow on your AND POLITICAL Russian Museum and own. Over the next few days you and your State Hermitage MOSCOW, THE fellow group members will discover that Museum KREMLIN  Visit to Peter the Moscow is home to many fantastic sights Great’s Imperial After breakfast in the hotel, your group will well worth visiting. Summer enjoy a full-day guided tour (combination Note: If you and your fellow group private coach & walking) of Moscow’s members arrive to one of Moscow’s extremely-historic and fascinating fortified airports in the morning and decide to go citadel complex, best known as the ahead and immediately begin sightseeing Kremlin. This UNESCO World Heritage Site before heading to the hotel, en-route from has been inhabited for over 2000 years and its architecture is nothing short of Served from the old-fashioned Russian magnificent. Some of Russia’s most samovar, tea (along with ) is a staple interesting moments in history took place beverage in Russia and is usually served on these grounds, and even today Russia’s with meat or fruit-filled pies and pancakes. president has his offices inside the Kremlin. To round off your artistic tour of Moscow, this evening your group will attend a Your guided tour will take you past the classical music concert, opera or ballet complex’s historic walls, towers and performance in one of Moscow’s famed . Then depending on the date of theatres. your visit and availability, your group will also go inside either the fantastic Armory DAY 4 ~ MOSCOW Museum or the . After a After breakfast in the hotel, break for lunch on your own, your you have a full day at leisure sightseeing tour will continue with a visit to catch up on all the inside Moscow’s iconic Saint Basil's sightseeing you haven’t made it to thus far. , which was commissioned by Your tour escort will be on hand in the in the , set in breakfast room to make suggestions. Moscow’s famed Red Square (which is also Depending on your interests, we’ll leave the site of Lenin’s ). several suggestions for you to consider: Your group’s tour will finish back at the 1. Check out Moscow’s famed hotel in the late afternoon, and the evening stations; you won’t see any quite this is free for you to continue exploring beautiful anywhere else in the world. The Moscow on your own. Circle Line is a good place to start, but if DAY 3 ~ ARTISTIC you only make it to one, make it the AND LITERARY Mayakovskaya stop. MOSCOW 2. Shop in Moscow’s Izmailovsky Market. After breakfast in the hotel, 3. Go for a stroll in Moscow’s lovely your group will continue its sightseeing in Patriarch's Ponds neighborhood Moscow with a look at its cultural, artistic (Patriarshiye Prudy). and literary attractions. A local guide will first take your group (by private coach) to 4. Continue your Russian literary pursuits visit one of ’s great art museums: with visits to the Chekhov House Museum the Tretyakov Gallery; its impressive or the Pushkin Apartment Museum. collection contains Russian works that span 5. Are you interested in learning about the a millennium. Afterwards your tour will former Union’s competitive space continue with a visit to the Tolstoy House program? If so, check out the Museum of Museum. , the author of War Cosmonautics. and Peace, , and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, is widely considered to be 6. Enjoy a relaxing spa day at the one of the greatest novelists of the 19th Sandunovsky Baths. century; now you will tour the house where DAY 5 ~ SERGIEV he lived with his family, which has largely POSAD ON “THE been kept in its original state. GOLDEN RING” This afternoon, before returning to the After breakfast in the hotel, hotel, your group will also enjoy a meet your local guide for a full-day traditional tea in a local hotel or restaurant. excursion by private coach to the historic city of Sergiev Posad, which is known for important including the grand housing the Trinity Monastery of St. as well as St. Petersburg’s Sergius, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. impressive Russian Orthodox churches like This monastery is the most the Church of the Savior on the Spilled important site in the Russian Orthodox Blood, Cathedral and St. Isaac’s Church. You will tour this impressive, Cathedral. As part of the tour, your group spiritual, and historical site (including its will go inside the State , Museum of History and Art) before located inside the grandiose, returning to Moscow in the afternoon. .

The remainder of your afternoon is free in This was the residence of Russia’s Moscow, and tonight you and your fellow and empresses from the imperial travelers will dine together in the hotel’s from 1732 until 1881. restaurant. Conceived by , it was constructed into the lavishly-grand style DAY 6 ~ ST. that we see today by his daughter, the PETERSBURG Empress Elizabeth. Ultimately though, it After breakfast in the hotel, was ’s extensive art your group will travel by patronage that grew into today’s private coach to rail station and board a impressive Hermitage Museum, one train to the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, Europe’s finest art museums. During your the completed vision of Peter the Great guided tour, you will see that the palace and cultural capital of Russia. The train and the artwork are both treasures in their journey will take approximately four hours. own right. Magnificent, ornate and Upon arrival to St. Petersburg, your group enormous, the Winter Palace serves as a will travel to the hotel to check-in. symbol of St. Petersburg’s imperial past. (Depending on your hotel’s location, appropriate logistical arrangements for After a busy day of sightseeing, this evening your group will be suggested). your group can relax with an evening dinner cruise through the city’s picturesque Upon arrival to the hotel, enjoy some free canals. (May through October only) time to get your bearings and begin exploring this fantastic city. Your tour DAY 8 ~ ST. escort can make suggestions but for a start, PETERSBURG consider taking a stroll down elegant After breakfast in the hotel, Nevsky Prospekt, St. Petersburg’s main your group will travel over avenue. Tonight you and your traveling to Hare's , located just across the companions will dine together in the Winter Palace, for a morning tour of Peter hotel’s restaurant. & Paul Fortress. After traveling extensively through Western Europe, this is where DAY 7 ~ ST. Peter the Great originally intended to build PETERSBURG his new northern capital. Inside the After breakfast in the hotel, fortress your group will hear the daily your group will enjoy a full- cannon blast at midday, walk along the day guided tour of St. Petersburg, whose fortress’ walls and go inside the Peter and entire historical center is an official Paul Cathedral. Inside the Cathedral are UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site. The the remains of Russia’s , , tour will show you the city’s most emperors and empresses from the times of Peter the Great until the last Romanov as well as have time to explore the park’s ruler, Czar II, (along with his spectacular grounds, which are filled with family) were killed by the in beautiful and gardens. If your 1918. group is traveling in the warmer summer months, the best way to reach Peterhof is After your visit to the fortress, there will be by taking a short hydrofoil along the shores free time for lunch followed by a guided of the ; otherwise, it is possible to tour of the Museum of the arrive by bus or train. Leningrad Siege (1941-1944), which remembers the victims of the Nazi siege Upon arriving back to the hotel, enjoy some that lasted almost 900 days and killed over free time to relax and freshen up before one million civilians in St. Petersburg due to tonight’s farewell dinner in a local starvation and freezing temperatures. restaurant.

The tour will finish back at the hotel by mid DAY 11 ~ ST. Why Should You -afternoon. This evening your group could PETERSBURG Encourage Your consider attending the ballet or opera After breakfast and check- Travel Agent to inside St. Petersburg’s famed Mariinsky out, your group will board Theater. Book Your Group its private coach and drive a short distance Through Us? DAY 9 ~ ST. to St. Petersburg’s Airport for its return PETERSBURG flight to the USA or Canada.

After breakfast in the hotel, Ease of Use this morning your group will have a guided tour of the Russian Museum. Housing an incredible collection of Russian Experience masterpieces from the 12th century to the For information and reservations, please 20th century, this is one of the most see your professional travel agent important art museums in the world. After Flexibility your guided tour has finished, you and your fellow group members are free to enjoy the rest of the day on you own. Literary fans Peace of Mind can consider paying a visit to the Dostoyevsky House Museum, and those wanting to do a bit of shopping might want to check out knock-off Fabergé eggs or Lomonosov .

DAY 10 ~ PETERHOF After breakfast in the hotel, on your last full day in Russia, you and your fellow group members will travel to Peterhof, Peter the Great’s grandiose imperial summer palace. It is said that he was inspired by France’s Versailles Palace when he commissioned Peterhof. While here you will tour the Great Palace and Marly Palace