East west tours - travel to Russia, Ukraine, Baltic & other CIS countries

12 days / 11 nights : Moscow, Rostov Veliky, Sergiev Posad, Suzdal, Vladimir, St. Petersburg

Day 1 Moscow (May 23, June 15, July 15, August 15, September 15)

Transfer to hotel "Borodino".

Day 2 Moscow

Morning city tour will take you to the most famous historical and architectural landmarks: Red Square,St. Basil's Cathedral, the Place of Skulls, the elegant arcades of the GUM department store and the National Historical Museum. You will see the Church of the Trinity in Nikitinki, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Novodevichiy Convent, Luzhniki,the White House and other famous sights. You will drive to the Sparrow Hills, 6 km south-west of the Kremlin, topped by the Moscow University skyscraper, for the best panoramic view of the city.
In the afternoon ? tour of the Red Square, Kremlin and the Armory. The main landmarks are three Cathedrals of the Assumption, Annunciation and Archangel, dated back to the 15-16th centuries. Other landmarks are Ivan the Great Bell Tower, Tsar Bell, Tsar Cannon, Hall of Facets and Terem Place. Armory is famous for its stunning collection of treasures accumulated over the centuries by the Russian State and Church: royal regalia, Faberge Easter eggs of precious metals and jewels, the 800-diamond throne of Tsar Alexey, the jewel-studded and sable-trimmed gold Cap of Monomakh worn for coronations for two centuries, the coronation dresses of the 18th century empresses, the sleigh in which Elizabeth rode from St. Petersburg to Moscow for her coronation pulled by 23 horses at a time. Between the Armory and the Annunciation Cathedral is the Great Kremlin Palace ? the official residence of Russian president. (B)

Day 3 Moscow

Moscow Metro tour, followed by the visit to the Tretyakov Gallery, one of the most celebrated and extensive collections of Russian art and artifacts in the world. The State Tretyakov Gallery is the national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the greatest museums in the world. It is located in one of the oldest districts of Moscow ? Zamoskvorechye, not far from the Kremlin. The Gallery?s collection consists entirely of Russian art and artists who have made а contribution to the history of Russian art heritage.The collection contains more than 130 000 works of painting, sculpture and graphics, created throughout the centuries by successive generations of Russian artists. Russian art works, ranging in date from the 11th to the early 20th century, are on the show in Gallery?s historic building on Lavrushinskiy Pereulok. New building of the Tretyakov Gallery at Krymskiy Val houses a unique museum exhibition of national 20th century art (optional). Shopping at Arbat or Izmailovo with a tour guide in the afternoon. (B)

Day 4 Vladimir - Suzdal

After breakfast transfer to Vladimir located on the river Klyazma, 200 km (124 miles) to the east of Moscow. One of the medieval capitals of Russia, today modern Vladimir is part of the Golden Ring of the ancient Russian cities and a famous tourist center. Its three main monuments are on the UNESCO?s World Heritage List: the magnificient five-domed Assumption Cathedral, Cathedral of St. Demetrius and the Golden Gate. You will visit all three of them. You will also visit the Museum of Crystal and Lacquered Miniature and Bogolyubovo (Pokrov-on-Nerli Church) ? an urban settlement located 10 km outside Vladimir. Bogolyubovo was built between 1158 and 1165 by the order of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky at the mouth of the Nerl River where it flows into the Klyazma River).The Russian clergy believed that Bogolyubovo had been founded on the spot where Andrei Bogolyubsky saw the ghost of Virgin Mary. After his death in 1177, Bogolyubovo was ravaged and ransacked by Prince Gleb of Ryazan. In 1230s, the Mongols destroyed its fortifications. Lunch enroute and transfer to Suzdal.
In the late afternoon enjoy city Tour of Suzdal- a prominent tourist center with numerous monasteries and a remarkable ratio of churches to citizens: at one point, forty churches for four hundred families, walking through the town one might get the feeling that every third building is a church, many of them are fine examples of Old Russian architecture. Although having over ten thousand residents, Suzdal still retains the look and feel of a small village with streams and meadows everywhere nearby and chicken and livestock a common site on the city streets, some of which are unpaved. This juxtaposition of stunning medieval architecture with its pastoral setting lends Suzdal a picturesque charm, and in the summer, artists and easels are a common sight. You will visit the Kremlin with Krestovaya Chamber and the Wooden Architecture Museum. Dinner at the hotel in Suzdal (B, L, D) Hotel "Sokol" or "Rizalit".

Day 5 Rostov Velikiy - Pereslavl Zalessky - Sergiev Posad

Today we continue our journey to Rostov Veliky located on the shores of Lake Nero-one of the oldest towns in Russia. The central square of Rostov is the site of the enormous Assumption Cathedral dated back to the 16th century. Lower parts of the cathedral are dated back to the 12th century. Its bells are among the largest and most famous in Russia, each bell has its own name. The largest bell was cast in 1688, weighs some 32,000 kg. Among other landmarks are the ornate Savior Church, the somber Church of St. Gregory and the Church of our Lady Smolensk - all dating back to the 17th century. Lunch at a local restaurant.
Continue to Sergiev Posad (with a photo stop in Pereslavl Zalessky located about 70 km from the capital. The town was built around the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius, and is one of Russia's most important reglious and historic landmarks, a place of pilgrimage of the Russian Orthodox Church and one of the most interesting museums, where one may find the icons of Andrei Rublev and other famous masters of the 15th-18th centuries. The architectural ensemble of the monastery is a unique combination of different architectural styles forming the most impressive and harmonious composition. Transfer to Moscow. Dinner at a local restaurant. Transfer to the train station. Overnight train to St. Petersburg. (B,L,D)

Day 6 St. Petersburg

Transfer to hotel "Arbat Nord" and check-in. In the morning you will be taken on a private sightseeing tour of St. Petersburg . You will see the elegant buildings on the Nevsky Prospect along the Neva River, charming canals and narrow streets will remind you of the best European traditions. The tour will take you to Nevsky Prospect, Kazan Cathedral, Admiralty, Fontanka, Canal Griboyedova, the Palace Square , Winter Palace , Summer Gardens and other remarkable buildings. The tour includes St. Isaac?s Cathedral and Peter and Paul Fortress (B)

Day 7 St. Petersburg

In the morning - private tour of the Hermitage Art Museum - one of the nation's main glories.The State Hermitage occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the embankment 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 that was built according to the design of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754-62. This ensemble, formed in the 18th and 19th centuries, 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 the world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Free afternoon (B)

Day 8 St. Petersburg

After breakfast ? tour to the Peterhoff (formerly known as Petrodvorets), located on the southern shores of the Finnish Gulf 14 miles (29 kilometers) away from St.Petersburg. Peterhoff's history began in 1704 when Peter I built a wooden house on the Gulf while overseeing the construction of the nearby Kronstadt Fortress. In 1713 he began transforming the area into an imperial residence. The palace was inaugurated in 1723 and later expanded by Empress Elizabeth . The Grand Palace with its lavish interiors, gilded decorations, mirrors and paintings dominates the estate. The estate includes several other mini-museums of interest. The outwardly-modest Monplaisir Palace , which Peter I preferred to the Grand Palace , has a nice sea view and several interesting rooms, such as the State Hall where Peter would force his guests to drink huge quantities of wine until they passed out. The nearby Hermitage Pavilion, which also has nice views and artwork, is a two-storey dining room where guests sitting on the upper floor ate and drank in peace, occasionally lowering the table to the ground floor where servants did their thing (refilled wine glasses, replaced dirty plates, and spat in the beef stroganoff). Peterhof is the kingdom of fountains. There are 144 fountains, all operating without the use of pumps by a combination of naturally generated water pressure and magic. Each fountain is unique and once you step in the area of the kingdom of fountains you will be surprised by this splendid beauty created by a man. (B)

Day 9 St. Petersburg

After breakfast - all day tour to Pushkin and Pavlovsk. Both towns are located 25-30 km from St. Petersburg . Pushkin's palaces and parks were created under Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great between 1744 and 1796. The main landmark is the Catherine Palace designed by Rastrelli and named after Elizabeth 's mother, Peter the Great's second wife. Pushkin's original name is Tsarskoye Selo (Tsar's Village). It was renamed in 1937 after Russia 's famous poet who used to study here. Pavlovsk 's park of woods, lakes and rivers, valleys and avenues, classical statues and temples is one of the most exquisite. The Great Palace is the centerpiece of Pavlovsk. It was designed by Charles Cameron between 1781 and 1786 on Catherine the Great's orders for her son Pavel, the future Paul I. (B)

Day 10 St. Petersburg

Morning tour of the Yusupov Palace. The Yusupov Palace is located on a quiet stretch of the Moika River. This long yellow building, once was a residence of the wealthy and respected Yusupov family, saw one of Russian history's moments of high drama - the murder of Grigory Rasputin, a peasant who had gained control over the tsar's family through his alleged supernatural powers. Optional performance in the evening. (B)

Day 11 St. Petersburg

Morning visit to the State Russian Museum - the world's largest collection of Russian art. The museum is housed in the former Mikhailovsky Palace designed by famous Carlo Rossi. The Palace was built for Grand Duke Mikhail, brother of Tsars Alexander I and Nicholas I as a compensation for not being able to have his time on the throne. The collection numbers some 400,000 works and covers the entire history of Russian fine art from the tenth century to the present day. It reflects virtually every form and genre of art in Russia, including a unique collection of Old Russian icons, works of painting, graphic art and sculpture, decorative and applied art, folk art and numismatics, as well as the world's finest collection of Russian avant-garde. Free afternoon. (B)

Day 12 St. Petersburg

Transfer to the airport. (B)

Includes:

Deluxe and Superior Tourist class hotels:
- 3 nights in Moscow (Holiday Inn Sokolniki or Borodino)
- 1 night in Suzdal (Rizalit or Sokol)
- 6 nights in St. Petersburg (Arbat Nord)

Overnight train: Moscow to St. Petersburg 1st class private 2 passenger cabins.
Meals: daily breakfast, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
All tours below with admission fees are included
3H City Tour of Moscow
4H Tour of the Red Square, Kremlin and Armory
2H Moscow Metro Tour
3H Tretyakov Gallery
2H Arbat walking/shopping with guide
4H City tour of Vladimir and Bogolyubovo
2H City Tour of Suzdal
5H City Tour of St.Petersburg with St. Isaac Cathedral and Peter-&-Paul Fortress
4H Hermitage Tour
5H Peterhoff Tour
7H Pushkin and Pavlovsk Tour
3H Russian Museum
4H Yusupov Palace
Airport/train station/hotel transfers
Small group : up to 20 people
We reserve the right to change hotels within the same category and the order of the tours due to reasonable unforseen circumstances.

Rates: (rates are land only and include all taxes and service fees)

$2599.00 per person
$ 899.00 single supplement (hotel room only)
$ 200.00 train single supplement

Please call us to check our speacial "tour rates" are available on all major airlines

Departure from the US Dates:

May 22-June 3

June 14-26

July 14-26

Aug 14-26

Sep 14-26

Payment Policy:

Deposit in amount of $500.00 due at the time of booking

Balance amount is due 60 days prior to departure

Cancellation Policy:

$500 - Non-refundable deposit at any time after payment

50% pentalty between 60-30 calender days

75% pentalty between 29-15 calender days

100% penalty between 14-0 calender days