Day 1 Moscow

Transfer to the hotel

Day 2 Moscow

4H Moscow 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 and the White House. The tour will take you 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. The tour includes a visit to the Novodevichiy Convent founded in 1524 and proclaimed UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004. The convent has sheltered many famous Russian ladies such as Irina Godunova (the sister of Boris Godunov), Sophia Alekseyevna (sister of Peter the Great), Eudoxia Lopukhina (first wife of Peter the Great) and others. Afternoon visit to 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 collection consists entirely of Russian art and artists who have made contribution to the history of Russian art heritage. The collection contains over 130 000 works of painting, sculpture and graphics, created throughout the centuries by successive generations of Russian artists.

Day 3 Moscow

In the morning visit the Red Square, Kremlin with its cathedrals and 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. The collection is famous for its 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. In the afternoon Moscow Metro tour, followed by the visit to Arbat pedestrian shopping area. Transfer to the railroad station. Overnight train to St. Petersburg .

Day 4 St. Petersburg

Transfer to the hotel. 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 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.

Day 5 St. Petersburg

In the morning - a private tour of the Hermitage Art Museum - one of the nation's major collections. The Art Collection begun by Catherine the Great and is one of the richest in the world. Afternoon at leisure. Optional performance in the evening.

Day 6 St. Petersburg

In the morning - all day tour of 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), renamed in 1937 after Russia 's famous poet who studied here. Pavlovsk 's parks, lakes and rivers, valleys and avenues, classical statues and temples are the most exquisite. The Great Palace is the centerpiece of Pavlovsk, designed by Charles Cameron between 1781 and 1786 on Catherine the Great's orders for her son Pavel, the future Paul I.

Day 7 St. Petersburg

In the morning � tour to the Petrodvorets (also known as Peterhoff), located on the southern shore of the Finnish Gulf 14 miles (29 km) away from St.Petersburg. Petrodvorets' 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.

Day 8 St. Petersburg

Transfer to the airport.

Includes:

• 2 nights in Moscow
• 4 nights in St. Petersburg
• Overnight train Moscow � St. Petersburg
• Daily Breakfast
• Private Sightseeing Tours with an English speaking guide
• Transportation by private car
• All entrance and admission fees
• Airport / Train station / Hotel transfers by private car
• Tax and Service Charges

Highlights:

• Moscow City Tour
• Novodevichy Convent
• Red Square, Kremlin and Armory Tour
• Metro Tour
• Tretyakov Gallery
• Arbat shopping
• City Tour of St. Petersburg (including St. Isaac Cathedral and Peter and Paul Fortress)
• Private Hermitage Tour
• Tour to Pushkin and Pavlovsk (including St. Catherine Palace and Amber Room)
• Tour to Petrodvorets

Rates:

Per person based on double occupancy from:

• $1699 - $2299 *** [Tourist Category]
• $2199 - $2799 **** [Deluxe Category]
• $2599 - $3099 ***** [Superior Deluxe Category]

Dates:

• Daily all-year-round