7 days group with city break : Moscow and St Petersburg - 7 Days

On arrival at Moscow International Airport our driver will take you to your hotel: once arrived you will have time to settle in and explore the surroundings of the hotel. Coming out today as the political and preeminent economic centre of Russia, the city of Moscow was founded in 1147 by the prince Yuri Dolgurukiy. Visitors from all over the world travel to Moscow and take the chance to admire its astounding mix of architectural shapes and styles. Enjoy the atmosphere of the biggest metropolis in Europe and visit its main attraction: walk along the Old Arbat and take a break in the majestic Red Square to admire the breathtaking colours of the cupules of St Basil’s Cathedral and the imposing view of the Kremlin’s red walls and one-of-a-kind towers! In addition to the included tours, we offer various optional visits such as the excursion to the Trinty Lavra of San Sergius and the Old Arbat and Moscow Metro walking tour.

Breakfast at the hotel. City sightseeing tour with stops in Moscow’s top locations: the Red Square, the central square of Moscow and all Russia; the Bolshoy Theatre, one of the most celebrated and famous temples of classical ballet; Tverskaya Street and Moscow’s financial district, the buzzing heart of the city life; the Boulevard Ring; the panoramic point on the Sparrow Hills, next to the famous Moscow State University (Lomonosov University); the Novodeviciy Convent, Moscow’s best known cloister dating back to the sixteenth century. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon, visit to the Kremlin (grounds and main cathedral). The Moscow Kremlin is a fortress located in the historic center of the city, on Borovickiy Hill. It is the oldest part of the city and one of the most important artistic and historical complexes in the country. Today the Kremlin is the seat of Russia’s national governmental institutions.

Breakfast at the hotel. On your third day in Moscow you will have the chance to either participate in various optional guided tours or to take on Russia’s big capital by yourself, enjoying a full free day in the city. Recommended optional guided tours: Excursion to Serghiev Posad (Trinty Lavra of San Sergius, monastery grounds and cathedrals), Old Arbat and Moscow Metro walking tour. The Trinty Lavra of San Sergius is the most important Russian monastery and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiyev Posad, about 70 km to the north-east from Moscow by the road leading to Yaroslavl, and currently is home to over 300 monks. The complex is been listed as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO since 1993. The Arbat is one of the oldest street surviving in the contemporary Moscow, dating back to 15th century. In 17th and 18th century the street became the core of Moscow’s most prestigious living area, the Arbat District: in the following century the Old Arbat would become the residence of choice of the muscovite nobility and his entourage, including some of the city’s most famous artists and academics.

Free time in the morning. Our guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and escort you to the train station. High-speed train to St Petersburg (Sapsan, 2nd class). Upon arrival, our driver will take you to the hotel. St Petersburg, once the opulent capital of the Tsarist Empire conceived and created by the Emperor Peter I the Great, is today regarded as Russia’s foremost cultural and artistic centre and is renowned for its architecture, his charming canals and monumental landmarks: Nevsky Prospekt, the Ostrovskij Square and the statue of Catherine II, the Church of the Saviour on Blood and the Kanzan and St Isaac Cathedrals, the Alexandrinsky Theatre, the Square of the Arts, the Admiralty, The Senate Square and the “Bronze Horseman”, the Field of Mars and the Summer Gardens.

Breakfast at the hotel. City tour of St Petersburg with stops at Saint Isaac’s square, the Church of the Savior on Blood, which was erected on the place where the Tsar Alexander II of Russia had been killed, Art Square, which owes its name to the numerous museums and theaters in the vicinity, the cruiser Aurora, which is now a floating museum, Nevsky Prospekt, the Smolny Cathedral, built and designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, and finally, the Field of Mars. Visit of the State Hermitage, one of the most important art collections in the world; the building was originally a part of the imperial palace, the residence of the Romanov dynasty for 2 centuries until 1917, the year of the beginning of the October Revolution. Return to the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Free day. Recommended optional excursions to the summer residences of the Tsars: Pushkin (Catherine’s Palace and the Amber room), Peterhof (with its beautiful park and fountains), Pavlovsk (palace and park of Paul I). The modern town of Pushkin, named after the most famous and recognized poet of Russian literature’s Golden Age, who here received his education and wrote his firsts verses, encompasses the grounds of the marvelous summer estate of Catherine I: visit the Baroque Palace and his awe-inspiring interiors, including the world famous Amber Room, and walk along the beautiful alleys of the Gardens à la française. The first Russian Emperor Peter I the Great decided to build on the shores of the Gulf of Finland a suburban residence of such majesty and opulence that could match the fabulous architectural achievements of the western monarchies. The palace complex of Peterhof, often regarded to as the “Russian Versailles”, is the result of such ambition: you will have the chance to admire the Great Palace (Exteriors), visit the gardens laid out with more than 150 monumental fountains and visit the interiors of the favorite, intimate corner of Peter I, the Monplaisir Palace.

Breakfast at the hotel. After the check-out our driver will meet you in the lobby and take you to the airport. Departure from St Petersburg. End of our services. Comes to and end a fantastic journey through Russia’s most iconic locations: the imposing proportions of the Kremlin and the Hermitage, the unforgettable shapes and colours of St Basil Cathedral and the Church of the Saviour on Blood, the majestic sights on the Red Square and the Nevsky Prospekt.