Price starting from $4621 AUD Read more...
Journey beginning at St Petersburg, Russia and ending at Moscow, Russia
Available: 2019-05-01 to 2019-10-15 starting from $4621 AUD
Taste the mystery, beauty and intrigue of Russia, the land that lay hidden behind the Iron Curtain for decades. This tour explores the grandeur of Moscow and the grace of St Petersburg. Four star hotels and plenty of inclusions set this tour apart from the rest. Discover the great cities of Russia and enjoy special touches such as visiting attractions before the crowds, private transfers and boat trips.
New to discover: the vast new General Staff Building with some of the best 19th & 20th century European art on the planet.
Read more about our St. Petersburg section of this tour here.
Arrive to St. Petersburg – you will be picked up at the airport by private transfer to the hotel. Check in and relax.
St. Petersburg was the capital of Russian Empire for almost 200 years. Few cities can offer so many stunning attractions and intriguing moods as St. Petersburg. After breakfast start a city tour and visit Peter and Paul Fortress. It is the historical nucleus of the city as well as one of the most interesting and beautiful architectural landmarks. St. Peter & Paul Cathedral with its long gilded spire is the burial place of all Russian emperors from Peter the Great to the last of the Romanovs – Nicholas II. Designed to protect newly acquired lands in the mouth of the Neva River, the fortress lost its military significance before it was completed. It was turned into the most dismal political prison of Russia for almost 200 years.
Next is a visit to St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Fourth highest cupola cathedral in the world St. Isaac’s has a breathtaking interior design. The cathedral can accommodate 13000 worshippers in a time. The monolithic columns of the portico cut from red granite are seventeen meters high and weigh 114 tons each. The mosaic inside has twelve thousand shades and colors, the walls are five meters thick and the main cupola is coated with one hundred kilos of gold.
Along the way, your guide will assist with lunch and snack stops when needed.
Next is a visit to the world re-knowned Hermitage museum. This was the residence of the Russian Emperors in the past, nowadays it comprises 5 palaces and is one of the largest museums in the world.
Depart for the tour of Peterhof (also called Petrodvorets). We arrive earlier than official opening hour to enter the Grand Summer Palace in private. It is the most famous summer residence of Russian Emperors, located 25 km west on the Gulf of Finland. We return to the city by hydrofoil for a free evening to wander along the main street Nevsky Prospect.
Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
After breakfast you join a walking tour of Holy Saviour on the Spilt Blood. One of St. Petersburg highest buildings, it was built on the spot where Alexander II was fatally wounded by a terrorist, a member of People’s Will revolutionary group in 1881.
Lunch at Demidov restaurant.
In the evening enjoy a boat trip along the waterways of St Petersburg, enjoy cozy canals spanned by ornate bridges and the powerful Neva river with its majestic embankments and numerous palaces facing the river.
After a leisurely morning, we depart for the railway station to board the Highspeed German built Sapsan train to Moscow. The distance is 700 km and the journey takes just over 4 hours. On arrival in Moscow transfer to hotel for check in. Dinner is on your own.
Your handpicked boutique hotel is located, just a few minutes away from the Kremlin and conveniently close to a central restaurant street.
In the morning your guide will meet you at the hotel for a city tour including Red Square, GUM and St. Basil Cathedral.
After lunch we visit the State Tretyakov Gallery – the national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the greatest museums in the world. The Gallery’s collection consists entirely of Russian art and artists who have made a contribution to the history of Russian art. The collection contains more than 130 000 works of painting, sculpture and graphics, created throughout the centuries by successive generations of Russian artists.
After breakfast your guide will take you inside the Kremlin, the historical nucleus of the city, the former residence of the Czars, now the seat of the Russian President. We begin the day with a complete walking tour of the Kremlin and its grounds. The Moscow Kremlin is an outstanding monument of Russian history, enclosing an area of 70 acres next to Red Square. The walls are about half a mile long and up to 62 feet high and 21 feet thick, with 20 towers and gates.
Inside the Kremlin we’ll tour the grounds, visit one of the cathedrals and the Armory Museum – the Treasury of the Czars. The Armory’s huge collection consists of many precious gifts once presented to Russian Czars by foreign monarchs and ambassadors as well as their thrones, clothes, crowns and armor. You will also see the huge Belfry of Ivan the Terrible, Big Kremlin Palace, Faceted chamber, the Czar Bell and Czar Cannon.
Have a short walk through the historical Alexander’s Garden, passing by the tomb of the Unknown Soldier with eternal flame – an important monument for all Russians who lost 20 million lives during the World War II. The tour this morning is for 5 hours.
Enjoy lunch at Grand Cafe "Dr. Zhivago". After lunch you have the afternoon to explore the Red Square. Dinner is on your own.
Enjoy a private transfer to the airport or train station.
To find out more or to book this incredible tour, contact Globetrotter Lifestyle today!
