Russia 101

Moscow-St. Petersburg

Day 1 JFK - Moscow
Your tour starts with a non-stop flight from JFK to Moscow.

Day 2 Moscow
Upon arrival you will be met by our representative at the airport and transfered to the hotel. Relax and get some rest after your international flights. Overnight in Moscow.

Day 3 Moscow
Morning city tour will take you to the most famous areas of Moscow within the boundaries of the Garden Ring and the Boulevard Ring. You will drive by Kremlin, Red Square and Kitay Gorod area, Tverskaya, Arbat and Zamoskvorechje areas. Sparrow Hills, topped by the Moscow University skyscraper, will offer the best panoramic views of the city.

In the afternoon visit historic Red Square, Kremlin and its Cathedrals. You will see the golden domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral, the State Historical Museum, elegant arcades of the GUM store and other landmarks around the Red Square. Inside Kremlin 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. Overnight in Moscow.

Day 4 Moscow
Free day to enjoy Moscow on your own or participate in our optional tour. In the evening - optional ballet, circus or folkshow performance.

Optional Tour (7H) – $140 per person.

Description: Moscow Metro is one of the most beautiful and efficient subway systems in the world carrying over 10 million passengers daily (more than the New York and London systems combined). It was designed by prominent Russian architects and artists whose goal was not to create just a transportation system but a showcase to glorify the socialism and its achievements. You will visit the most amazing stations decorated with granite, marble, bronze, statues and other pieces of art - making it look more like a museum than a subway.

Your next tour is to the Tretyakov Gallery located in one of the oldest parts of Moscow Zamoskvorechje, not far from the Red Square. The Tretyakov Gallery is a national treasury which houses the largest and most distinguished collection of Russian art in the world. The gallery was named after Russian entrepreneur Pavel Tretyakov, who donated his house, where the Gallery is still located, surrounding buildings and almost 2000 works of Russian art from his own private collection to the city of Moscow at the end of the 19th century. The collection grew overtime and now features over 100,000 Russian works from medieval icons, including the ones by famous Andrey Rublev, to early 20th century.

Continue to Armory famous for its stunning collection of treasures: 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, 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.

Day 5 St. Petersburg
After breakfast transfer to the airport for a 1-hour morning flight to St. Petersburg. Free afternoon in St. Petersburg. Optional folkshow or ballet in the evening.

Day 6 St. Petersburg
In the morning you will be taken on a sightseeing tour of St. Petersburg and see the elegant buildings on the Nevsky Prospect, Kazan Cathedral, Admiralty, Strelka, Rosstral Columns, Fontanka, Canal Griboyedova, the Palace Square, Winter Palace, Summer Gardens and other remarkable landmarks. Afternoon tour of the Hermitage Art Museum - one of the nation's main glories. The Hermitage occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the embankment of the River Neva. 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 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. You may choose to continue exploring the Hermitage on your own or take some time to shop, stroll in the city and enjoy the sights.

Day 7 St. Petersburg
Free day in St. Petersburg to explore on your own or take an optional tour to Pushkin.

Optional tour to Pushkin with Catherine Palace and Amber Room and Petergoff Palace and Park with Fountains (10H) - $270 per person

Description: After breakfast - half day tour to Pushkin 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 a famous Amber Room inside the Palace. 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.

Description: After lunch visit Peterhoff (formerly known as Petrodvorets), located on the southern shores of the Finnish Gulf 14 miles away from St. Petersburg. The Grand Palace with its lavish interiors, gilded decorations, mirrors and paintings dominates the estate. The Park outside the Grand Palace is a kingdom of 144 unique fountains, all operating without the use of pumps by a combination of naturally generated water pressure and magic. Walking in the parking you will be amazed by the splendid beauty created by a man. 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 refilled wine glasses, replaced dirty plates, and spat in the beef stroganoff. (B)

Day 8 St. Petersburg
Free day in St. Petersburg to explore on your own or take an optional tour.

Optional tour to Russian Museum and Yusupov Palace (5H) - $125 per person

Description: Begin your tour with at the Yusupov Palace located on a quiet stretch of the Moika River. This long yellow building once was a residence of the wealthy and respected Yusupov family and served as a stage for 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. The Palace is notable for its lavish interiors, the exotic Moorish Room, the elegant Rococo style Theater and Rasputin Cellars where “the holy man” Grigory Rasputin was murdered by Prince Felix Yusupov.

Continue 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.

Day 9 St. Petersburg
Morning transfer to the airport. After a short St. Petersburg - Moscow flight you will connect to an international non-stop flight from Moscow to JFK.