From Russia with Love

Arrival in Moscow

On arrival in Moscow you will be met by our friendly representative who will escort you by car or mini bus to your hotel. On the way to the hotel, you will have the opportunity to get your first glimpse of this truly unique and beautiful city. After settling in at the hotel, you can sit down to a short lunch (optional), to prepare you for the city tour.

After a short rest we will head for a panoramic City Tour. This tour is a great start to your trip and the best way to get acquainted with many of the city's major highlights. Our professional guide will escort you on a route that includes Vorobyevi Hills where you will get an incredible view of the city from an observation point, you will proceed to Moscow State University which is an example of architecture from the time of Stalin and one of Russia's leading schools of higher education, then on to Novodevichiy Convent, the Diplomatic Village, Victory Park, the Triumphal Arch, Kutuzovsky Prospect, the Arbat and much more.

In the evening you will have free time to stroll along the city streets and to dine at a restaurant of your choice. If you would like recommendations on good places to eat, just ask us.

Overnight at Moscow hotel

Breakfast at the hotel.

Excursion to the Moscow Kremlin and Kremlin Cathedrals. (please note that a visit to the Armory Chamber and the Diamond Fund is not included in the tour price. It can be added upon request for extra payment). The Kremlin is a fascinating structure, at the same time it is an ancient tower, the city´s former military fortification, a palace, an armory, the sovereign treasury and the workplace of the Russian President. The Kremlin is the center of Russia´s political life and State power and has been home to Tsars, General Secretaries of the Soviet Union and Russian Presidents. The Kremlin has always been the spiritual centre of Russia. You will see several ancient cathedrals on its territory the most famous of which are the Assumption Cathedral, the Archangel is Cathedral and the Annunciation Cathedral.

Red Square is just outside the Kremlin´s walls. While walking on Red Square you will admire the Mausoleum of Lenin, the clock on the Savior (Spasskaya) Tower - showing the most correct Moscow time, the History Museum, the beautiful Cathedral of the Intercession (the Church of St Basil the

Blessed), Kazansky Cathedral and many other outstanding pieces of Russian architecture.

In the evening, enjoy a ballet or opera performance at the Bolshoi Theater - one of the world´s greatest musical companies (optional).

Overnight at Moscow hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to Sergiev Posad. Considered by some to be the Russian Vatican, Sergiev Posad is the temporary residence of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. Our tour starts with the Trinity St. Sergius Monastery (Lavra), built in the first half of the 1340s by the son of Rostov Boyar, Sergius of Radonezh, who remains one the most venerated saints in Russia. The monastery includes more than fifty edifices constructed by Moscow, Pskov and Yaroslavl craftsmen. In 1993 it was entered into the UNESCO World Heritage list. The History and Art museum within the walls of the monastery contains a rich collection of old Russian paintings and various works of art dating from the 14th thru 17th centuries. The collection includes over 120,000 items: ancient icons, medieval manuscripts and old printed books, icon and ornamental embroideries, church utensils, articles of gold and silver, paintings, engravings, folk and contemporary art. Sergiev Posad is also famous for being home to the world's first matryoshka doll.

Overnight at Moscow hotel.

Transfer to St.Petersburg After settling in at the hotel, you can sit down to a short lunch (optional), to prepare you for the city tour.

We get down at major beautiful photo panoramic spots and also with visits inside the Cathedrals.

• The Spit of Vasilevsky (St. Basil’s) Island with stop at the river Neva panorama water front.
• Cabin Of Peter The Great.(First Residential Building in St. Petersburg).
• Peter and Paul Fortress.(First Official Building of St. Petersburg). Visit to the cathedral on the territory of the fortress is optional.
• University Embankment with photo stop to Antique Egyptian Sphinxes.
• Menshikov’s Palace.
• St. Isaac's Cathedral with St. Isaac's Square.
• Church on Spilled Blood.
• Kazan's Cathedral.

In the evening you will have free time to stroll along the city streets and to dine at a restaurant of your choice. If you would like recommendations on good places to eat, just ask us.

Overnight at the Saint-Petersburg hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast we will head to one of the greatest and largest art museums in the world - the Hermitage. The museum consists of five historical buildings including the Winter Palace - the residence of the Russian Tsars. The museum contains over 3 million pieces of art with dates ranging from high antiquity to the present day. Among the Hermitage´s treasures are artworks by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens as well as many others. We will spend 5 hours at the museum, however, to view the collection in its entirety would take almost 15 years, spending 8 hours a day in the museum and taking one minute to examine each exhibit.

In the evening, enjoy a ballet or opera performance at the Mariinsky Theater - one of the world´s greatest musical companies (optional). Another option would be to attend one of Russia´s premier folk shows, "Feel yourself Russian!" The show is performed by the best folk company in the city. During the intermission, delicious Russian appetizers will be served. (optional)

Overnight at Saint-Petersburg Hotel.

In the morning our driver will pick you up at your hotel in St. Petersburg and take you to Veliky Novgorod.

Lunch at the local restaurant.

After lunch, you will be taken on sightseeing tour. Your first impression of the city will be the Kremlin of Novgorod - the oldest in Russia. The structure dates back to 864. You will have the chance to walk along its ancient walls during your visit. The cathedral of St. Sophia dominates the structure of the Kremlin. Built between 1045 and 1050 under the patronage of Vladimir Yaroslavich, the son of Yaroslav the Wise. It is the best preserved of 11th century churches, probably the oldest structure still in use in Russia and the first one to represent original features of Russian architecture (austere stone walls, five helmet-like cupolas). It is adorned with beautiful frescoes from the 12th century and icons. The dome of the cathedral is made in the form of a huge helmet, to show the defendant power of the city. You will also see the Millennium of Russia Monument that displays Russia's history from Rurik to Nicholas I.

After the tour, you will have the chance to take a look at local handicrafts. In the evening, you will have free time to stroll along the city streets and to dine at a restaurant of your choice.

Overnight at the Veliky Novgorod hotel.

After breakfast you will head to the Yuriev Monastery, a medieval religious complex built in 1030 along the Volkov River. The Cathedral of St. George will impress you by its size and beauty, as it was initially intended to surpass even St. Sophia Cathedral in grandeur.

Open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture "Vitoslavlitsy". Located on the banks of Lake Myachino and the Volkhov River, at St. George Monastery there is an open-air museum of wooden architecture Vitoslavlitsy. This is one of the most picturesque places in the Novgorod region. Izbas (village houses), chapels and churches form streets like those in old Russian villages. Restorers managed to preserve the unique works of Novgorodian carpenters. The buildings on display are so magnificent that they need no introduction. To get to know how Russian people lived many years ago, one must visit any of the izbas.

Transfer back to St. Petersburg.

Overnight at the Saint-Petersburg hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast we will visit the Palace and Park of Tsarskoye Selo, a former country residence of the Russian emperors. It is a fascinating monument of the world´s architectural and gardening arts of the XVIII-XIX centuries. Its 3 parks occupy an area of 600 hectares on which are located over 100 architectural monuments: from magnificent palaces and grand monuments to intimate pavilions and park sculptures designed by masters of the Venetian school such as P. Baratta, A. Tarsia and D. Bonazza. The center of Tsarskoye Selo is Catherine Palace, containing exquisite decorative objects, furniture, Russian and Western-European paintings, unique collections of porcelain, amber, arms and decorative bronze sculptures. The Palace also contains the Amber Room - a truly unique work of craftsmanship – a room made entirely of amber. The room was looted by the Nazi’s during WWII but luckily most of its pieces were recovered. The room was fully rebuilt in 2003. Tsarskoye Selo was also the main residence of the last Tsar Nicolas II and his family.

Lunch at the Famous Russian Village Restaurant Podvorie.

En route visit the War Memorial (The monument to second world war/Heroic defenders to Siege of Leningrad).

At midnight you may take a boat ride.

River and Canal Cruise for 2 hours:

• Private boat (cruise) booked only for you. It’s not the common city boat, but a private charter personal boat. No outsiders would be present. (optional)
• Snacks and drinks on board can be arranged as per the guests wish. Dinner can be organized on the boat.
• Look at the beauty of St.Petersburg from a completely different perspective, you would not be able to believe that this was all built a couple of centuries ago. After this tour you will understand why the city is nicknamed as The Venice of the North.

Overnight at Saint-Petersburg Hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit to Peterhof. Peterhof (Petrodvorets) is a jewel of Russian art - a town of parks, palaces and fountains. In the past, it was used as an exquisite summer residence by the Russian Tsars. You will visit the Grand Palace - the largest and the most famous palace of the residence which was often used for gala receptions. After this you will proceed to the Lower Park (Nizhny Park) which is a genuine masterpiece of landscape design. The park is adorned with more than 150 fountains and 4 monumental cascades. There are several small palaces and pavilions on the park territory, such as the Monplaisir, Catherine´s Block, Marli, Hermitage, the Bath Block and many more.

Lunch at the local restaurant.

Optional visit to the Island Kronstadt- Famous for its beautiful drive on the dam built over Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea) Huge and eye-catching Naval Cathedral.(its highly recommended). This island was off limits to civilians right up to the break up of USSR as it was the main Baltic Fleet naval port.

En Route also you may also visit:

• The Imperial Lomonosov Porcelain Factory.(entry tickets not included).
• Strelna.

Overnight at Saint-Petersburg Hotel.