8 days and 7 nights from £1,235 pp
DEPARTS EVERY SATURDAY! This tour is guaranteed to depart with a minimum of 2 passengers.
The Classical Russia Tour features Moscow and St. Petersburg and gives you the opportunity to compare and contrast these two fascinating cities in a guided group tour with an English speaking guide. This tour is one of our most popular Russia holidays, as it features Russia's two most prominent cities.
Moscow is the thriving heart of business with fabulous architecture reflecting Stalin’s influences, alongside historical churches. It offers designer shops, leafy parks, great restaurants and a wealth of art and culture.
St Petersburg is a calm contrast. Peter The Great's ‘Window on the West’ displays classic Italian architecture and canals which are reminiscent of some of Europe’s finest cities.
- Moscow (3 nights)
- 1st class overnight train Moscow to St Petersburg (1 night)
- St Petersburg (3 nights)
Price is based on availability and two people sharing a double or twin room:
- Low Season £1,235 pp, single room supplement £170 (1 Oct. 2010 - 30 Apr. 2011 and 1 Oct. 2011 - 31 Dec. 2011)
- High Season £1,285 pp, single supplement £220 (1 Aug - 30 Sep 2010, 1 May 2011 - 30 Sep. 2011)
*Note: Single supplement ensures you have a single room for hotel accommodation and you share a first class compartment on the overnight train journey. You can upgrade to a first class two - berth compartment for single use for an additional £180.
Package price iincludes:
- Direct flights to Moscow and return from St. Petersburg on British Airways
- 3 nights accommodation in Moscow at the 3* Cosmos Hotel- renovated room
- Late check out at Cosmos Hotel on Day 4 at 21:30
- 3 nights accommodation in St. Petersburg at the 3* Hotel Moskva
- Breakfast and dinner daily
- Transfers on arrival in Moscow and departure in St.Petersburg
- Services of English speaking guides
- Entrance fees to Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow Circus, Kremlin with Armoury musuem, Hermitage Museum, Peter and Paul Fortress, Catherine’s Palace
- First class train Moscow-St.Petersburg (sharing 2 berth compartment)
- Services of an English-speaking guide
- Visa support letter for duration of tour
- 24-hour emergency contact
**Upgrade to 4* hotels from £350 pp.
CLASSICAL RUSSIA TOUR ITINERARY
DAY 1 On arrival in Moscow, you will be met by our English speaking guide and transferred to your hotel to check in for 3 nights. The 3 star Cosmos Hotel is located in north-east Moscow, about 15 minutes by underground to the city centre. Dinner at the Hotel. Evening at leisure.
DAY 2 After breakfast at the hotel, your English speaking tour guide will meet you at Reception at 10.00am for a full day panoramic orientation tour of the city, viewing the famous landmarks and places to which you may return at your leisure. The tour sights include Red Square, the Kremlin, Sparrow Hills, Bolshoi Theatre, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Victory Park, Novodevichy Convent, the White House, and the famous Moscow streets. Included in this tour is a visit to The Tretyakov Museum. Time for some lunch in the city. At 14:00 visit the Tretiakov Art Gallery. Early dinner in town and then visit the Moscow Circus in the evening and return to the hotel at 21:30.
DAY 3 After breakfast, you will continue to explore the sights of Moscow. You will explore the grounds of the magnificent Kremlin and visit one of the cathedrals. Within the Kremlin you will see the fascinating Armoury Museum, your guide will include a visit to this spectacular collection of costumes, silver and arms amongst a vast treasure trove of exhibits. Return to the hotel at 14:00 for an afternoon of free time. Dinner at the Hotel. Evening at leisure
DAY 4 After breakfast at the hotel, your guide will take you on a walking tour along the Arbat – where you will have the opportunity to soak up the Moscow culture and browse and shop at leisure. You will also be taken to visit some of the spectacular underground stations in Moscow. Return to the hotel at 14:00. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner at your hotel and time to relax, prior to your transfer to the Leningradsky Rail Station at 22:00 for your overnight train journey to St Petersburg travelling in first class 2 berth compartments.
Trains depart around 23.30 – 24.00 and arrive next day around 07.30 – 08.00.
DAY 5 You will arrive in Saint Petersburg around breakfast time, where you will be met by our representative and transferred to the Hotel Moskva for breakfast. Once revived, your panoramic orientation tour of the city will commence at 10am. You will visit all the major sights of this beautiful city. You will see the world-renowned Hermitage Museum, housed in the Winter Palace, Peter and Paul Fortress and pass along Nevskij Prospect. St Isaac's Cathedral is also on our route as well as the Church of the Spilled Blood. (Entrances prices are not included). Return to the hotel at 14:00 for an afternoon of free time. Dinner at the Hotel. Evening at leisure
DAY 6 After breakfast, your guide will take you to visit the Hermitage - the magnificent collection of art in the winter palace of Catherine the Great. This is one of the largest museums in the world. Founded in 1764, its collection includes over 2.7 million items, including masterpieces of Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Roden, Rembrandt, Rubens, French impressionists, - a feast indeed for art lovers.
You will also visit the Peter and Paul Fortress, which guards the city of St Petersburg and is located on the island facing the Hermitage and River Neva. It was built as a fortification during the Russian-Swedish war, but it was never used as a fortress and its bastions were turned into political prison cells. There, a son of Peter the Great, Prince Alexei, a famous pretender to the throne, Princess Tarakanova, the writer Radischev, Decembrists, narodniks and revolutionaries were held prisoners. The Peter and Paul Cathedral, designed by Tresini, contains the remains of Russian rulers since 1725. Return to the hotel at approximately 13:30. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner at the Hotel. Evening at leisure.
DAY 7 After breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken by your guide to visit one of St Petersburg’s most prized palaces. In the village of Pushkin (formally Tsarskoye Selo) 29km south of St. Petersburg, is Catherine’s Summer Palace. The construction of the palace for the Empress Catherine started in 1717. A park in the French style was laid out around it and, in the middle of 18th century, Tsarskoye Selo became the official royal residence. This palace is famous for the ‘Amber Room’, now completely restored to its former glory. Not far from Catherine's Palace there is the Lyceum where the great poet Alexander Pushkin studied. Return to the hotel at 15:00. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner at the hotel. Evening at leisure.
DAY 8 After breakfast at your hotel, check out by 11.00 am and your departure transfer will be provided to the airport.
Further services / programme extensions can be provided upon request.
For a similar tour that adds the historical city of Novgorod, we offer the Experience Russia tour.