Classic Moscow and Saint-Petersburg

Duration	Destination	Departure
9 days and 8 nights	Russia (Moscow, Saint Petersburg)	Russia (Moscow)

Description

This grand tour of St. Petersburg and Moscow offers the most dazzling highlights of both largest cities of Russia. You'll start your journey from the largest metropolis in the country. In Moscow, deep antiquity and raging modernity are surprisingly combined. You will visit the Kremlin and the Armory, drive through the streets of the Russian capital and see an amazing collection of the best Russian paintings at the Tretyakov Gallery. Our next stop will be the old Imperial capital - Saint-Petersburg, that is still keeping the charm and luxury in its palaces and streets. Here, you will drive around the beautiful embankments and squares and visit the three excellent museums - Hermitage, Peterhof and Catherine's Palace.

Program

Day 1:

Our driver will meet you at the Moscow airport and take you to your Moscow hotel. The time after arrival at the hotel until the end of the day is at your disposal.

Day 2:

You will dedicate your first day in Moscow to the extensive exploration of the city. The panoramic tour starts this day and shows you the best tourist locations of Russian capital. An exotic mix of modern and ancient buildings in Moscow blows the mind and mesmerizes. We will set some time for a small lunch and continue our excursions. Next in line is a visit to the Moscow Kremlin. Behind the red brick walls, you’ll see the sacred cathedral square, remembering the feet and voice of all Russian tsars. It is a great place to make really memorable photos. After admiring the antique Russian architecture, you will visit the exhibition of the royal treasures of Russia – the Armory Chamber, filled with artifacts of gold and precious gems. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 3:

Today we will see another great collection. This time it is a collection of Russian paintings. The best paintings by world famous Russian artists are collected in the Tretyakov Gallery. The names of these painters are familiar to every connoisseur of culture. Here are collected paintings by Vasnetsov, Surikov, Repin, Shishkin Aivazovsky and many other talented authors. The rest of the time after the tour is at your complete disposal.

Day 4:

The place, that you will visit today was considered as one of the farest suburbs of Moscow. Nowadays, it is just a city-park, and, as Muscovites say – not so far from the city center. We will visit the old Kolomenskoe Estate. It is proven, that human settlements appeared here more than a thousand years ago. At some moment, the Russian tsars became the owners of this land, and because of them, you are now able to see some beautiful old architectural gems on the territory of this picturesque park. The Wooden Palace of Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov, located here, can tell you a lot about the life and habits of the tsars.

Day 5:

Now is the time to go to the second point of our journey. The high-speed train will take us from the modern capital of Russia to its previous capital - the brilliant St. Petersburg. Just 4 hours and you will find yourself in the center of the second largest city in Russia. For your convenience, transfers will be organized in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Day 6:

Today you will get to know the beautiful St. Petersburg. Its historic center received the status of a "World Cultural Heritage Site" from the UNESCO organization. You will drive along the granite embankments of the Neva and beautiful squares designed by the best architects of their time. During the sightseeing tour, you will also visit the Peter and Paul Fortress - the place where the city was founded in 1703. After a lunch break, we will continue our journey. Ahead of us is one of the most famous museums in the world - the State Hermitage. The former home of the Russian tsars contains more than three million works of art in its collection.

Day 7:

We will devote this day of our journey to a trip to one of the most beautiful suburban palaces of St. Petersburg - the Catherine’s Palace in the city of Pushkin. It is here, where the legendary Amber Room is located. The interiors of the palace reflect the wealth and love for luxury of their owners. The palace park is also very beautiful and filled with statues, gazebos and pavilions. After the tour, you will be transferred back to the city center or to your hotel.

Day 8:

On the final day of our tour, we have prepared for you a visit to the most luxurious suburban Royal palace of Saint-Petersburg - the Grand Palace of Peterhof. Here you will see the truly gorgeous interiors in the Baroque style and admire the amazing Peterhof Park, which houses more than 140 unique fountains.

Day 9:

Today it is time to say good bye to Russia and its beautiful capital cities. Our driver will transfer you to the airport after the check-out from the hotel. This was only a part of Russian historical and architectural wonders and you will definitely want to come back to see more!

Price includes

Accommodation at the hotels as per program
Breakfasts at all hotels, excluding day of arrival
Transfers as per program
Transportation at all excursion
Sevice of professiaonal guide at all excursions
Entrance fees to all excursions as per program

Price does not include

Any meals except hotel breakfasts
Any service, except mentioned in the program

Itinerary

Day	Overnight	Itinerary highlights
1	Izmailovo Delta Hotel 4* or similarMoscow	Moscow - Moscow Airport   Moscow - Izmailovo Delta Hotel 4*
2	Izmailovo Delta Hotel 4* or similarMoscow
3	Izmailovo Delta Hotel 4* or similarMoscow
4	Izmailovo Delta Hotel 4* or similarMoscow
5	Dostoevsky Hotel 4* or similarSaint Petersburg	Saint Petersburg - Dostoevsky Hotel 4*
6	Dostoevsky Hotel 4* or similarSaint Petersburg
7	Dostoevsky Hotel 4* or similarSaint Petersburg
8	Dostoevsky Hotel 4* or similarSaint Petersburg
9		Saint Petersburg - Saint-Petersburg Airport

Accommodations provided in each place

Place
Moscow	Izmailovo Delta Hotel 4* or similar
Saint Petersburg	Dostoevsky Hotel 4* or similar