Russia: Moscow & St. Petersburg 10D/9N

| Russia | St Petersburg | Moscow |
Enquire Now

Summary

Travel with your private party on this luxury tailor-made journey, departing when you choose and with expert local guides leading the way; you can even customize the itinerary to your interests.

See domed St. Basil's Cathedral in fabled Red Square. Visit the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg; witness Pushkin's Catherine and Pavlovsk Palaces; and explore the opulent summer palace of Peter the Great in Petrodvorets.


TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:

- Explore the Kremlin, including the State Armory and the Diamond Fund, which houses the 190-carat Orlov diamond

- Avoid long lines with early entry at the Hermitage Museum and discover its incomparable jewelry and artifacts

- Tour the Fabergé Museum in St. Petersburg, housing the world's largest collection of works by Peter Carl Fabergé

- Board the high-speed Sapsan train from Moscow to St. Petersburg, travelling in comfort and luxury

Itinerary

Day 1

Upon arrival in Moscow, you are met and privately transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the balance of your day at leisure.

ACCOMMODATION: Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow

Day 2

Enjoy a full day’s sightseeing tour of Moscow. Walk through fabled Red Square to St. Basil’s Cathedral, a colourful, multi-domed complex. Continue to the Novodevichy Convent and Memorial Cemetery, where Chekhov, Khrushchev, Yeltsin and Rostropovich are buried. After lunch, visit the Observation Platform on Sparrow Hills, before the opulent, art-adorned Moscow subway, with its chandeliers, statues, and intricate marble and mosaic details.

ACCOMMODATION:
Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow
MEALS: Breakfast

Day 3

This morning, visit the Tretyakov Gallery, which contains the best collection of Russian art in the world. This afternoon, you may either visit the well-preserved wooden home of author Leo Tolstoy, where he wrote The Power of Darkness, Resurrection and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, or explore the interactive Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, said to be the largest Jewish museum in the world. Return to your hotel, where you are free to spend the evening as you choose.

ACCOMMODATION: Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow
MEALS: Breakfast

Day 4

Visit two of the Kremlin’s cathedrals as well as the State Armory, home to a collection of priceless artifacts dating back to the 14th century. It also houses the Diamond Fund, a separate collection of Russia’s most valuable gems, including the diamond-encrusted coronation crown of Catherine the Great and the 190-carat Orlov Diamond. Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.

ACCOMMODATION: Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow
MEALS: Breakfast

Day 5

Visit the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, which commemorates Russia’s participation in World War II, utilizing hundreds of exhibits and breathtaking dioramas, and then walk through Victory Park, a memorial filled with monuments to the fallen.

Next, transfer to the rail station to board a high-speed train to St. Petersburg. Upon arrival, check in to your hotel, and then relax or explore downtown St. Petersburg independently.

ACCOMMODATION: Lotte Hotel St Petersburg
MEALS: Breakfast

Day 6

Embark on a full day of sightseeing, visiting Peter and Paul Fortress; gold-domed St. Isaac’s Cathedral; and Yusupov Palace, where assassins poisoned and shot the priest and counselor to the Romanov family, Grigory Rasputin, in 1916. The original construction was built by French architect Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe in the 1770s and it was once the primary residence of the House of Yusupov, a wealthy family of Russian nobles known for their philanthropy and art collections.

ACCOMMODATION: Lotte Hotel St Petersburg
MEALS: Breakfast

Day 7

This morning, visit the Hermitage Museum, designed in the mid-18th century by Bartolomeo Rastrelli as the Winter Palace of Catherine the Great. Formerly the home of the tsars, its five buildings house one of the finest art collections in the world. Continue to the private Fabergé Museum to see its glittering collection of ornate Fabergé eggs and objets d’art.

ACCOMMODATION: Lotte Hotel St Petersburg
MEALS: Breakfast

Day 8

Drive to the countryside village of Pushkin to discover sparkling Catherine Palace, built in the mid-18th century for Tsarina Elizabeth, who named the palace in honor of her mother. The building, originally a modest construction, was reconstructed by four different architects; then, Bartolomeo Rastrelli — chief architect of the Imperial Court — was instructed to redesign the structure on a scale to rival Versailles. After lunch at leisure, explore the Impressionist Collection housed in the General Staff Building of the world-renowned Hermitage Museum.

ACCOMMODATION:
Lotte Hotel St Petersburg
MEALS: Breakfast

Day 9

Travel to Petrodvorets, the opulent, sprawling summer palace of Peter the Great, taking note of its picturesque sculptures and fountains. Return to St. Petersburg by hydrofoil (weather permitting).

ACCOMMODATION: Lotte Hotel St Petersburg
MEALS: Breakfast

Day 10

Transfer by private vehicle to the airport and board your homebound flight.

End of the trip!

MEALS: Breakfast

- This is a guide itinerary and can be modified to suit. It is subject to availability and price at the time of booking. Other conditions may apply -

The air holiday packages shown are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is T7077. We are a member of the Travel Trust Association U1373. Please see our booking conditions for more information. Hurlingham Travel® Hurlingham Travel Services® are registered trade marks of Hurlingham Travel Services Limited.

Website designed & powered by Hurlingham Travel