CLASSICAL RUSSIA TOUR

Reception. Transfer to hotel and free time. You will receive information about the start of the circuit during the afternoon, or you can check the informative panels in the hotel reception area.

With a local guide we begin the panoramic visit of this beautiful city crossed by the Neva River and built on 40 islands. Saint Petersburg is the second most important city of Russia and capital of the Russian Empire between the s. XVIII and XIX. This imperial city reveals the history of the Russian tsars through its museums, palaces, and architectural wealth. The visit includes the Peter and Paul Fortress, origin of the city (entrance included). After the visit, afternoon free.

IMPORTANT NOTE: From June 14 to July 15 the Soccer World Cup is celebrated. During this period, accommodation in St. Petersburg could be offeredin hotels located in nearby cities, adapting the program to carry out all the planned visits

The city with that was the capital of the Russia of the Tsars is surrounded by numerous palaces. Today we include the excursion (tour with guide and tickets) to the PETERHOF PALACE which is known as the Russian Versailles and is around 30 km from St Petersburg. This complex of Baroque palaces, which was the residence of the Tsars, with magnificent fountains and enormous gardens has been declared UNESCO Heritage of Mankind. We return to St Petersburg to visit the Hermitage Museum, a fantastic art museum located in the building that was the Tsars’ Winter Palace (visit with guide and tickets)

We travel to NOVGOROD, an exciting city that was one of Russia’s most important political and cultural centres. We will visit (with guide and tickets included) its Kremlin, the former market district, the court of Yaroslav. Lunch included. We go on our way to VALDAY, a picturesque little city by a lake. We will visit an ancient monastery on the island in the lake before going on to TVER. Dinner included.

A stroll in TVER, a city on the banks of the Volga River that was the centre of a small State that was Moscow’s main rival. After this, we will see some of the cities of the GOLDEN RING. A brief stop in KLIN where we find the house of the brilliant composer Tchaikovsky. Then we carry on to SERGIEV POSAD, we see the Monastery of the Trinity, considered Russia’s most important spiritual centre. Lunch included. In the  afternoon, we travel along small roads that pass through historical cities of the Golden Ring: ALEKSHANDROV (with its Kremlin dedicated to Ivan the Terrible) and YURYEV POLSKIY, a small provincial city with its historical Kremlin. Our route continues to SUZDAL, where we will visit the wooden Architecture Museum, which illustrates the former peasant life with houses built of trunks, their mills and the Church of the Transfiguration. Dinner included, during which a folkloric group will accompany us with the sound of balalaikas (not included if there are fewer than 15 participants in the group).

In the morning we will see how the famous Matriuska dolls are made and painted, and we will encourage you to learn how to paint them. Then we visit SUZDAL, which for many is the most beautiful of the cities of the Golden Ring with its canals, its flowers, the domes on the horizon, which give the city a fairytale-like appearance. We visit the city with a local guide and tickets included: the Kremlin, the cathedral. At the Monastery of St Eugen we will hear the bell concert. Lunch included. After this, we travel to VLADIMIR, where we visit the majestic Cathedral of the
Assumption. Then we go on to MOSCOW, where we arrive at the end of the afternoon.

We will start our trip with an exciting visit to Russia’s huge capital city. This city unites past, present and future in a very unique way. We will go along their immense avenues, their elegant shopping areas, the Red Square where Lenin’s Mausoleum is, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. We include a ticket to the Kremlim with a visit to two of its main cathedrals. We will try (not guaranteed) to coincide with the ceremonial military parade in Sobornaya Square. Free
afternoon.

NB: The World Cup will be held from 14 June to 15 July. At this time, accommodation in Moscow may be in hotels located in nearby cities and the programme may be adapted to cover all the visits planned.

In order to admire Russia’s soul, we include a morning tour of Kolomenskoye, a estate that formerly belonged to the tsars. We will attend a traditional Russian wedding ceremony there. On our way there, we will stop at Moscow university’s lookout which has a fantastic vista of the city, a place where newlyweds leave flowers (the lookout may also be visited during Saturday’s visit). Free afternoon.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and end of our services.