Two capitals (Tour to Moscow and St.Petersburg)

Day 1. Arrival
Arrival in Moscow and transfer to hotel and overnight.-/-/-

 

Day 2. New Maiden Convent - Sparrow Hills - Tretyakov Gallery
The next two days we will explore the Russian capital by metro instead of battling with the traffic on a bus tour. We will use the metro system to get around - an experience in itself. Today we will visit the New Maiden Convent (Новодевичий монастырь), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the best preserved and most peaceful of Moscow’s fortress cloisters. Beside the river and a popular small lake, it is guarded by tall brick walls similar to the Kremlin battlements. The central church is the Smolensk Cathedral, built in 1525 with a magnificent five-tiered iconostasis (1683–85) and richly decorated walls and frescoes. Sparrow hills (Воробьёвы го́ры) will be our next stop. They are situated on the right bank of the Moskva River and one of the highest points in Moscow. On top of the hill, 85m above the river, is the observation platform which gives a beautiful panoramic view of the city. After lunch our tour will continue to Old and New Tretyakov galleries, which holds the world’s largest collection of Russian art. The museum consists of more than 130,000 works of art covering the most ancient Russian art up to the avant-garde period. B/-/-

Day 3. Moscow Metro Tour - Red Square - Saint Basil'sCathedral - Kremlin
Our metro tour will start in the morning visiting some of the most iconic metro stations. They are cavernous underground halls, elaborately decorated with chandeliers. Then we continue with the famous Red Square, still paved in its original stones, where we can gaze in awe at the colourful onion-domes of Saint Basil's Cathedral. In the afternoon we visit the massive Moscow Kremlin - a city within a city. The triangular walls enclose an incredible complex of buildings, including three fine palaces,cathedrals, belfries and towers that represent Russia throughout its glorious past. Whilst here we visit the Armoury Museum, which contains a stunning collection of Imperial jewels and regalia. B/-/-

Day 4. Moscow - St. Petersburg
Today we take the Sapsan train to St. Petersburg. Named after a fast high-flying bird, a modern bullet Sapsan train is the fastest way to travel between Moscow and St. Petersburg. This high-speed Russian train is capable of reaching the speed of 250 kph (155 mph), connecting the city centers of the two Russian capitals in only 3.5 hours. Transfer from the train station to our hotel for overnight. B/-/-

Day 5. St. Petersburg
Built on the hundred islets that form the delta of the Neva River,St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) was founded by Peter the Great as his 'Window on the West'. Regarded as one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world, its picturesque canals and baroque and neoclassical architecture give the city a European feel. St. Petersburg has always been a city of ideas and ideals. Not only was it the home of great writers such as Pushkin and Dostoyevsky, but it was here that the Russian Revolution began, and where,arguably, the first shoots of democracy sprouted, 70 years later. The tour by private car today will take us to Saint Isaac's Cathedral, the Church of the Saviour of the Spilled Blood and Peter and Paul Fortress.B/-/-

Day 6. The Hermitage Museum - Peterhof
We spend the whole morning in the Hermitage museum, which is unquestionably one of the finest art galleries in the world. It contains the works of masters like Leonardo da Vinci, Titian,Raphael, Velázquez, Rubens and Rembrandt, as well as contemporary pieces by Matisse and Picasso. Collections are split between buildings, with much on display at the Winter Palace. The official residence of Russia's Tsars from the18th century until Nicolas II's forced abdication in 1917, this monumental building contains no less than 1,500 rooms. The Peterhof Palace (45 min drive from St,.Petersburg center), is a series of palaces and gardens, commissioned by Peter the Great as a direct response to the Palace of Versailles by Louis XIV of France. Originally intending it in 1709 for country habitation, Peter the Great sought to expand the property as a result of his visit to the French royal court in 1717, inspiring the nickname of "The Russian Versailles". The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. B/-/-

Day 7. Departure
Transfer to airport for departure. B/-/-