| | Be our guest (Moscow and Saint-Petersburg) Tour Overview
Trip Details
Length of Trip: 9 Days/8 nights
Dates: May 7-15, August 6-14, 2011
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What myths do you know about Russia? Is it the native land of vodka, bears or the KGB? The reality is, it's a heady mix of people, traditions and history.
We invite you to experience the insider's view of the real Russia.
- Experience the unforgettable warmth of Russian home
- Go 22 floors underground to the top secret military facility of the USSR
- Have a chance to cruise along canals and rivers of St Petersburg
- Feel the midst of a fairy tale in the hospitable Russian Village of Shuvalovka
- Enjoy the Russian cuisine by visiting the best cities' restaurants
- Lift your spirits by visiting Russian Banya (traditional Russian bathhouse)!
Day 1 / Saturday / Moscow
Upon arrival at the Moscow airport guests will be met by the guide at the airport and transfered to the hotel located in the center of Moscow.
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After a long journey the guests will be greeted with a Welcome cocktail in the best Russian tradition.
We invite you to a Welcome Dinner where you will receive further information on the tour.
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Optional
Get a first glance with a sightseeing coach tour around the most beautiful places of Moscow. See the main streets, squares and places of interest: Tverskaya Street - the most animated and saucy; the Bolshoi Theatre, The Russian White House, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, and other major city sights.
Day 2 / Sunday / Moscow
Breakfast at the hotel
After breakfast you will be escorted on an in-depth tour to Moscow Kremlin, Kremlin Cathedrals and Armory Chamber. This tour takes you to the heart of the city - the Kremlin. This former Moscow citadel - "Kremlin" means "fortress" - houses exquisite palaces, presidential buildings, lovely churches, including Russia's main cathedral, the Assumption Cathedral. Your tour of the Kremlin will also include a visit to the fascinating State Armory, the oldest museum in Russia, which contains breathtaking crown jewels, gold-encrusted icons, bejeweled royal scepters and exquisitely carved Czar Thrones.
Enjoy your lunch in one of the best Moscow restaurants.
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In the afternoon visit the Secured Underground Command Post "Tagansky". After a ride on a rapid elevator 65 meters under the ground you shall see one of the most secret military facilities of the USSR - a Secured Command Post "Tagansky".
After an exciting day your transfer will take you to the hotel.
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Day 3 / Monday / Moscow
Breakfast at the hotel
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Experience the famous Moscow subway by taking a Metro-tour. The Moscow metro is considered the most beautiful underground railway system in the world. The stations, built in the Stalin era, are remarkable for their bold ornamentation and unique architecture and were created to look like temples and palaces.
This afternoon you will have a unique opportunity to see a household of a local family by visiting a Moscovite's apartment. Enjoy an authentic Russian home-cooked meal.
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Optional
Take a tour to Novodevichy Convent. With architecture dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, this complex was originally built as a fortified monastery surrounded by brick walls and 21 towers and completed in 1524 during the reign of Vasily III.
Optional
Evening performance at Bolshoi Theatre. This is the most famous theatre in Moscow. It is reputed to be the second largest performance hall in Europe, after the famous La Scala Theatre of Milan. The Bolshoi Theatre is well-known for its excellent acoustics and rich interior decorations. The most renowned masterpieces in the world, as well as Russian classic opera and ballet, have been performed on its stage.
Day 4 / Tuesday / Moscow
Breakfast at the hotel
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Today enjoy an excursion to the Tretyakov State Gallery- one of the world's largest museums, a treasure house displaying old Russian art from the 11th century onward through today. The museum holds more than 50,000 works of painting, art and sculpture. Wander through Tretyakov Park, dotted by bridges running across the Moskva River and a world famous sculpture created by Shemyakin.
The remainder of the day will be at your leisure.
Later in the evening you will be transferred to the train station for your overnight trip to Saint Petersburg.
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Day 5 / Wednesday / Saint Petersburg
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Morning arrival in St. Petersburg. Transfer to the hotel located in the center of Saint Petersburg.
After breakfast at the hotel you will enjoy the sights of this remarkable city with a Panoramic city tour by boat . A cruise by boat along rivers and canals is one of the unique ways to discover St.Petersburg, called "Venice of the North". You'll pass magnificent architectural ensembles, such as looming silhouettes of the hunch bridges, lace - like banisters, beautiful palaces facing the granite embankments, churches and cathedrals visible from a long way off.
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Optional
Take a tour to Yusupov Palace, the site where the legendary Rasputin was murdered. Built in the 1760s, the colonnaded building was acquired in 1830 by the aristocratic Yusupov family to house their magnificent collection of paintings. The inner rooms are remarkable for their rich decor. The exotic Moresque Drawing-room is a veritable highlight of the palace.
Enjoy the rest of the evening wondering around the historical center of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Day 6 / Thursday / Saint Petersburg
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Today after breakfast at the hotel tour to Peter the Great's favorite residence, Peterhof - a vast complex of palaces and parkland. Tracts of landscaped gardens are interspersed with statues, water features, pavilions and sumptuous mansions. A fabulous Great Cascade flows from the palace towards the sea, along the Samson canal. 173 fountains line the canal and ornament the woods.
Rest after another fascination day and enjoy your lunch at the Peterhof's restaurant. Later in the afternoon you will be taken back to the hotel.
Spend the rest of your day relaxing at your own pace.
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Day 7 / Friday / Saint Petersburg
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This morning after breakfast at the hotel your transfer will take you to the Emperor's Porcelain Factory. The Russian Lomonosov Porcelain Manufactory was founded by Empress Elizabeth, Peter the Great's daughter, in 1744. Here the gifted Russian scientist Dmitry Vinogradov independently discovered the secret of making porcelain and developed the technology for its manufacture and the later creation of Lomonosov Russia.
You will be able to join a master class in the ancient art of porcelain painting on an exclusive. Lead by a master artist, you'll decorate your own piece, which will be glazed and fired for you to take home as a priceless keepsake of your visit.
Lunch at the city restaurant
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After lunch immerse yourself in many wonders of the elegant Winter Palace - the official residence of the Russian Tsars, which now houses the Hermitage Museum, one of the largest art and cultural museums in the world. This vast collection (about 65,000 works) includes some of history's most important art.
Later in the afternoon you will be taken back to the hotel.
Day 8 / Saturday / Saint Petersburg
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Breakfast at the hotel
After a thirty minute drive from St. Petersburg, you will find yourself in the midst of a fairy tale, the Russian Village of Shuvalovka. You will visit the traditional Peasant Hut, learn traditional Russian crafts. Try different sorts of "ratafia" - a spicy vodka drawn on various berries and herbs by Old Russian recipes, accompanied with folklore performance and traditional toasts proposing.
At lunch enjoy traditional Russian cuisine.
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And if you'd like to feel like a real Russian - relax in Banya (traditional Russian bathhouse) with steam, high heat, cold, and an invigorating beating with birch leaves and branches. Highly recommended!
Return to the hotel and join your group for a Farewell Dinner.
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Day 9 / Sunday / Saint Petersburg
Breakfast at the hotel
Say goodbye to this elegant, exciting city, as we transfer you to the airport after your fascinating journey.
Length of Trip: 9 Days/8 nights
Dates: July 10-18, August 07-15, 2010
Inclusions
- Accommodations in Moscow. 4star Aerostar Hotel, based on double/twin occupancy
- Accommodations in St Petersburg. 4star Ambassador Hotel, based on double/twin occupancy
- Meals as described in the itinerary
- Transportations as indicated in the itinerary
- Entrance/conservation fees/permits to museums and national parks
- Special events and excursions as described in your itinerary
- Group arrival/departure transfers for travelers arriving on the start/end tour dates in the start/end cities (whether we make your airfare arrangements or not)
- Russian visa support
Airfare
We will gladly assist you in the coordination of your international airfare; however, these costs are not included in the land tour prices listed.
Price
Land Price: £1490
Single Supplement £507
For changes and cancellation policy please contact us.
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