Day 1: Arrival at ST. PETERSBURG
On arrival at the airport we shall be waiting to transfer you to the hotel. You can enjoy free time until your tour starts.
Day 2: ST. PETERSBURG - CATHERINE PALACE
With a local guide we begin the panoramic visit of this beautiful city crossed by the Neva River and built on 40 islands. The visit includes the Peter and Paul Fortress (entrance included), origin of the city. We take an excursion, with a guide and tickets, to the CATHERINE PALACE which is located 25km from St Petersburg. Note: Depending on availability, Peterhof Palace may be visited instead of Catherine Palace.
Day 3: ST. PETERSBURG - HERMITAGE MUSEUM
Today we have a visit to the Hermitage Museum, a fantastic art museum located in the building that was the Tsars’ Winter Palace (visit with guide and tickets). Enjoy a free afternoon at leisure.
Day 4: ST. PETERSBURG - NOVGOROD - VALDAY - TVER
We continue our journey to NOVGOROD. We will visit its Kremlin (guide and entrance included), the former market district, the court of Yaroslav. Lunch included. Followed by a relaxing lunch. Then to VALDAY, a picturesque little city by a lake. We will visit the ancient monastery on an island in the lake before going on to TVER. Dinner included.
Day 5: TVER - SERGEI POSAD - SUZDAL
We start the day with a stroll in TVER. 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, where we will 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. ALEXANDROV, with its Kremlin dedicated to Ivan the Terrible. 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, mills and the Church of the Transfiguration. Dinner included.
Day 6: SUZDAL - VLADIMIR - MOSCOW
In the morning we will see how the famous Matryoshka dolls are made and painted, and you will get an opportunity 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, flowers, domes on the horizon, which give the city a fairytale-like appearance. We visit the city with a local guide and enter the Kremlin and the cathedral (tickets included),. At the Monastery of St Eugen we will hear the bell concert. After this, we travel to VLADIMIR, lunch included. Then we continue to MOSCOW.
Day 7: MOSCOW - CITY TOUR
We will start our day with an exciting visit to Russia’s huge capital city. We will visit the immense avenues, elegant shopping areas, the Red Square where Lenin’s Mausoleum is, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. We will also enter the Kremlin with a visit to two of its main cathedrals. We will try (not guaranteed) to coincide with the ceremonial military parade in Sobornaya Square. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure.
Day 8: MOSCOW - GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR MUSEUM
We will learn more about the history of Russia and its capital. We will pass by the university viewpoint, with its fantastic view over the city where newly married couples leave flowers (we could go to the viewpoint after Saturday’s visit instead of Sunday) and we will get to know (including entry) the Great Patriotic War Museum (World War II) that also shows us many aspects of the Soviet period. Free afternoon.
Day 9: DEPARTURE
After breakfast, transfer to the airport and end of our services.
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