Suggested itinerary “Saint Petersburg – Moscow – Golden Ring”, St Petersburg - Peterhof - Moscow - Vladimir - Kostroma - Yaroslavl - Moscow,
10 days/9 nights,
2, 4, 6, 8 pax,
from € 1083.- pp

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Itineray in brief


Day 1 (St Petersburg). Arrival St Petersburg/details TBA
•AM: Private car transfer with guide to the hotel
• O/N: in St Petersburg

Day 2 (St Petersburg). Full day sightseeing/Private car and ES guide
• AM/PM: Hermitage. Winter Palace – early opening City tour incl. Peter and Paul Fortress, St Isaac Cathedral
• O/N: in St Petersburg


Day 3 (St Petersburg). Half day sightseeing/Private car and ES guide
• AM: Peterhof. Grand Palace and Parks
• PM: At leisure
• O/N: in St Petersburg

Day 4 Transfer to the railway station
• 13.00 (time TBA): High Speed Sapsan train to Moscow – economy class seats
• 17.00: Arrive to Moscow. Private car transfer with guide to the hotel
• O/N: in in Moscow

Day 5 (Moscow). Full day sightseeing/Private car and ES guide
• AM/PM: Square, GUM, St Basil Cathedral (outside) Sparrow Hills View, New Maiden Convent (outside) Tretyakov Gallery
• O/N: in in Moscow

Day 6 (Moscow). Half day sightseeing/Private car and ES guide
• AM: Kremlin tour. Territory and Cathedrals. Armoury Chamber (availability TBC 2 weeks in advance)
• O/N: in in Moscow

Day 7 (Vladimir, Suzdal). Drive to Vladimir
• AM : Vladimir tour with visits to Assumption Cathedral and Golden Gates
Drive to Suzdal
• Lunch: local restaurant
• PM: Suzdal Tour with visits to Kremlin, Wooden Architecture Museum. Monastery of the Saviour and St. Euthimius
• O/N: in Suzdal

Day 8 (Kostroma, Yaroslavl). Drive to Kostroma
• AM : Kostroma tour incl. Shopping arcade, Epiphany and Ipathy Monasteries, Trinity Cathedral, Susanin Square
• Lunch local restaurant
• PM: Drive to Yaroslavl
• O/N: in Yaroslavl

Day 9 (Yaroslavl, Moscow).
• AM : Yaroslavl tour incl. Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour. Elijah the Prophet church
Transfer to Moscow

Day 10 (Moscow). Departure transfer to the airport

END OF SERVICES

TOUR TOTAL PRICE/EUR/PER PERSON in DBL room

The price is subject to change in case of currency exchange rate fluctuations by more than 10%
The offer is subject to availability and advance reservation.

SOKOS VASILIEVSKY HOTEL 4* (St Petersburg)/PARK INN SADU 4* Hotel (Moscow)
Pax/PeriodLow season
01.04.2021-18.04.2021
18.10.2021-31.03.2022
Shoulder season
19.04.2021-10.05.2021
01.08.2021-17.10.2021
High season
11.05.2021-31.07.2021
BLACK OUT DATES
Legal Forum 18.05.2021-22.05.2021
SPIEF dates to be advised
BRICS Summit dates to be advised
11.06.2021-12.06.2021
15.06.2021-16.06.2021
20.06.2021-21.06-2021
01.07.2021-02.07.2021
2 pax2298 EUR2385 EUR2438 EUR
4 pax1531 EUR1618 EUR1671 EUR
6 pax1243 EUR1330 EUR1383 EUR
8 pax1083 EUR1170 EUR1223 EUR
Single suppl.229312368


MOIKA KEMPINSKI HOTEL 5* (St Petersburg)/SAVOY HOTEL 5* (Moscow)
Pax/PeriodLow season
01.04.2021-10.05.2021
01.10.2021-31.03.2022
Special offer is actual (stay for 3 nights and pay only for 2)
(except 29.12.2021-02.01.2022)
Shoulder season
01.08.2021-30.09.2021
High season
11.05.2020-31.07.2020
BLACK-OUT DATES
Legal Forum 18.05.2021-22.05.2021
SPIEF dates to be advised BRICS Summit dates to be advised
2 pax2732 EUR2821 EUR2917 EUR
4 pax1965 EUR2054 EUR2149 EUR
6 pax1677 EUR1766 EUR1862 EUR
8 pax1517 EUR1606 EUR1702 EUR
Single suppl.548636672


The price includes:
  • 4 night’s accommodation in Moscow, B/B
  • 3 nights’ accommodation in St Petersburg, B/B
  • 1 night’s accommodation in Suzdal, B/B
  • 1 night’s accommodation in Vladimir, B/B
  • Private car/minivan and private English speaking guide on transfers and as per itinerary
  • Entrance fees as per program
  • Guide and driver’s expenses on Golden Ring (accommodation and meals)
  • 2 lunches
  • Visa support letter
  • Sapsan economy class PRICE TBC 90 DAYS PRIOR THE TRIP DATE
The price doesn’t include:
  • Meals except specified
  • Early check-in/ Late check-out
  • Porterage at the airports and railway stations
  • Tips
  • Bottled water


Detailed itinerary

DAY 1 - SAINT PETERSBURG
Welcome to Russia!
Upon arrival to Saint Petersburg International Airport Pulkovo you will be met by guide transferred on private car to the hotel.

DAY 2 - SAINT PETERSBURG
Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, Saint Petersburg remains one of the most romantic cities in Russia. Among the many poetical names applied to St. Petersburg the most common are “Northern Venice” and “Northern Palmyra”. The fascinating palaces and cathedrals, beautiful bridges over Venice-like canals, spacious squares and wide streets decorated with edifices of flourished baroque and impressive classical styles, monumental sculpture and lacy iron grilles and, of course, the special spirituality of this city infects everyone who visits it. In 1991 the city was placed on the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage. With numerous palaces and the world famous Hermitage on the banks of the Neva river, the city is Russia’s most popular destination, drawing visitors from all over the world throughout the year.

Start your sightseeing day with visiting Hermitage.
You will have a unique opportunity to get inside before the doors are open for other visitors.
Admire the wonderful collection of the world’s biggest museum – Hermitage. Today, the museum has over 2 million exhibits within its four buildings and attracts around 3 million visitors a year. The exhibitions are diverse with works by Da Vinchy, Raphael, Rembrandt, an impressive collection of impressionists and largest collection of Titians in existence.
The main building of the Hermitage Museum ideally located on the bank of the river Neva is the Winter Palace built in 1754 – 1762, which was once the main residence of the Russian Tsars. The Hermitage is one of the most prominent art museums in the world, Russia's best gallery and one of the main tourist attractions of St. Petersburg. The museum was founded in 1764 when Catherine the Great purchased a collection of 255 paintings from Berlin. All the exhibits of the Hermitage exposed in 350 halls are originals and their number goes up to 2 million 800 thousand items. The collection is constantly filled up by new exhibits.

Peter and Paul’s Fortress
Standing on a small island at the centre of the Neva delta, the fortress was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great and is the oldest building in St Petersburg. Up to 1917, the fortress was mainly used for holding political prisoners, such as Dostoyevsky, Lenin’s brother Alexander and Peter the Great’s own son Alexei. At the heart of the fortress is the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul, with its landmark gold spire, where all of Russia’s pre-Revolutionary leaders were buried, apart from Peter, Ivan IV and Nicholas II.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral is the main church of the city. Commissioned in 1818 by Alexander I, this imperial cathedral with its opulent interior and huge gold dome by its height occupies the 4th place in the world among domed cathedrals. The massive granite columns had to be transported from Finland on purpose built ships and rail and the dome is covered in nearly 100kg of gold; inside, there are 10 malachite columns and a beautiful iconostasis. For visitors with energy to spare, it is possible to climb the several hundred steps of the spiral staircase to the colonnade for a fabulous view of the city

Hermitage
Grilled fence
Monument to Peter the Great ("Bronze Horseman")
Rostral columns
Summer garden
View from boat
Upper Gardens, The Neptune Fountain. Peterhoff
The Orangery Fountain "Triton" in the Orangery Garden. Peterhoff
The Great Cascade. Peterhoff
The Great Cascade. Peterhoff
The Lion Cascade. Peterhoff
Catherine Park, Gates. Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo)

DAY 3 - PETERHOF
Arrive in the morning to the sumptuous Peterhof, or “Peter’s Court”, dates back to 1715 and is a former summer residence of the Russian Tsars. Most famous for its stunning golden fountains, the palace grounds house several buildings and parks – the Grand Palace (“the Russian Versailles”, now a vast museum of lavish rooms and galleries), Monplaisir (Peter’s outwardly more humble villa), the Grand Cascade (the centerpiece of the palace grounds with over 140 fountains), the Lower Park (parkland along the Gulf with more fountains and pavilions), Marly Palace and Alexandria Park. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the population of St Petersburg was invited to dine here at a great summer fete held every year.

DAY 4 - SAINT PETERSBURG-MOSCOW
This morning/afternoon you will have a private transfer to the railway station for journey to Moscow onboard high speed train “Sapsan”. The way time is 4 hours.

Upon arrival to Moscow our guide will meet you on the platform and you will be then transferred on private car to the hotel.

DAY 5 - MOSCOW
In the Morning begin the tour with the heart of the city – Red Square. Originally a commercial centre, Red Square has been at the very centre of Russian history since the 15th century, from Ivan the Terrible’s confession of his misdeeds to the people in 1550, to great demonstrations, executions and the great parades of the Soviet Union’s military might. Ironically, “krasny” originally meant beautiful; it came to mean “red” only in the last century! From the time of Ivan the Great the square was used as a huge gathering place for public events, markets, fairs and festivals. The magnificent square encompasses an area of over 70,000 square metres and is bounded by the Kremlin walls, St. Basil’s cathedral, and the Historical museum and GUM department store, the shopping arcade that was completed in 1893. At the southern end of Red Square is the almost fairy-tale like building of St Basil’s cathedral, commissioned in 1552 by Ivan the Terrible to celebrate his conquering of Kazan; legend has it that the architect was later blinded so that he could never repeat such a building that is so traditionally Russian. It is built of brick and comprises many colourful asymmetrical helmet and onion domes situated over nine chapels; the interior is full of 16th and 17th century icons, frescoes and ceiling paintings of subtle blues and pinks.

Continue to enjoy the first sights of Moscow during the city tour, passing the main streets and boulevards of the ancient city that is 855 years old. Go to the best viewpoint on Sparrow hills, from which you could easily see most of the city. Pass the refined New Maiden Convent (outside). This is one of the most beautiful of the city collection of buildings, located to the south-west of the city centre, with 16 gilded domes, founded in 1524. Many noble women, including Peter the Great’s first wife and his sister took vows and spent the rest of their lives here and are buried here.

Bolshoy theater
Moscow metro
Pushkin museum of Fine Arts
Bolshoy theater
Moscow кremlin
New Maiden Convent
Cathedral of Christ the Savior
Moscow кremlin
St.Bazil’s cathedral
Russian handicraft centre – Izmaylovo
Palace of the Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich, XVII century
Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye
Moscow City
Moscow tower building
Moscow International Performing Arts CenterTretyakov gallery
Sparrow Hill
All-Russian Exhibition Center (VDNKH)

In the afternoon visit the famous Tretyakov gallery.
It is a unique museum where one can have a perfect chance to get acquainted with the best samples of the Russian art. The gallery was founded by Moscow Merchant Pavel Tretyakov, who began collecting the finest works of Russian artists in 1856.
In August, 1892 Tretyakov presented the collection and the Gallery to the city of Moscow. The Tretyakov gallery reopened in 1995 after a nine-year renovation. In The gallery you will see the world’s best collection of Russian icons, as well as a fantastic collection of other pre- Revolutionary Russian art.

DAY 6 - MOSCOW
Begin the tour with heart of the city and of the whole Russia – Kremlin
You might be surprised how many ancient and magnificent structures one can see within its walls: 15th century cathedrals (the coronation, wedding and bury place of Russian rulers), bell-tower, Patriach’s Palace, Grand Kremlin Palace and of course the richest museum – Armoury Chamber.
The Armoury Chamber has a fantastic collection of insignia of Imperial power, precious clothes, ceremonial harness and unique collection of imperial carriages. The 17th century throne of Alexey Romanov covered with a mosaic of turquoises and 900 diamonds, a phenomenon of Metropolitan Platon decorated with 150,000 pearls (it took the embroiderer 2 years to work on the pattern!), the famous Faberge eggs – one help admiring the priceless and luxurious items. Visit the 15th century cathedrals with fantastic interiors afterwards.

DAY 7 - VLADIMIR, SUZDAL
Early in the morning we will start our short journey to see the part of famous Golden Ring of Russia.
Amid plains, lakes and marshes of vast country are scattered these old Russian towns. Known collectively as the Golden Ring of Russia, they actually form a circle which extends from Moscow towards the north-east. Each of these towns played an important part in the history of the Russian State, both in its early period, when the Russian lands and principalities were being united under the sway of Moscow, and later, when the independence of the country was at stake. While the architectural monuments of these towns are the stone chronicles of the country's history, it is also an area which has preserved many old artistic traditions particularly the painting of the beautiful lacquer boxes for which Russia is so famous. Life here is completely different from the big cities.

Our first stop is Vladimir
The history of this town goes back over one thousand years. It was founded in the 990’s on the banks of the river Klyazma by Prince Vladimir. The rise of Vladimir began under Andrey Bogolubsky, the son of Yuri Dolgoruki who founded Moscow.
Unique memorials of XII still remain in the town — Cathedrals of Assumption and St. Demrtrius Cathedral. Assumption Cathedral has preserved world famous frescoes of Andrei Rublev. You’ll see the famous Golden Gates (1158-1164) located close to the town centre and visit one of the museums on your choice: “The old Vladimir” museum or Museum of rock crystal.
The Golden Gate, originally a tower over the city's main gate, was built in 1158–1164. The gate acquired its present form after having been reconstructed in the late 18th century, to prevent the dilapidated structure from tumbling down.

Lunch in local restaurant

Continue to Suzdal
Fabulously ancient and wonderfully adorned, Suzdal occupies a special place among the other Russian towns. The entire town is a museum which has hardly changed for the past two and a half centuries. Over one hundred monuments, dating from different periods of the past millennium are concentrated here.
You will visit the Kremlin, the ancient trading rows and Krestovaya Palata, visit the unique museum of wooden architecture, see lots of big and small churches and listen to the bells' concert in Spaso-Efimievsky monastery.
The Suzdal Kremlin is the oldest part of the Russian city of Suzdal dating from the 10th century. Like other Russian Kremlins, it was originally a fortress or citadel and was the religious and administrative center of the city. It is most notably the site of the Cathedral of the Nativity.
Together with several structures in the neighboring city of Vladimir, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

We will also visit the Open-Air museum of Wooden architecture
The Saviour Monastery of St. Euthymius was founded in the 14th century, and grew in importance in the 16th and 17th centuries after donations by Vasili III, Ivan V and the Pozharsky family, a noble dynasty of the region. Among the buildings erected during this period were the Assumption Church, the bell tower, the surrounding walls and towers, and the seven-domed Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour. The cathedral was built in the style of the Grand Duchy of Vladimir-Suzdal. Its interior contains restored frescoes by the school of Gury Nikitin of Kostroma, dating from 1689. The tomb of Dmitry Pozharsky lies by the cathedral wall.

DAY 8 - KOSTROMA
Today we will continue getting acquainted with Golden Ring towns and visit Kostroma.
The city was first recorded in the chronicles for the year 1213, but historians believe it could have been founded by Yuriy Dolgorukiy more than half a century earlier. Like other towns of the Eastern Rus, Kostroma was sacked by the Mongols in 1238. It then constituted a small principality, under leadership of Prince Vasily the Drunkard, a younger brother of the famous Alexander Nevsky. Upon inheriting the grand ducal title in 1271, Vasily didn't leave the town for Vladimir, and his descendants ruled Kostroma for another half a century, until the town was bought by Ivan I of Moscow.

Built in 1559-1565, the five-domed Epiphany Cathedral was the first stone edifice in the city; its medieval frescoes perished during a fire several years ago. The Ipatyevsky monastery survives mostly intact, with its 16th-century walls, towers, belfry, and the 17th-century cathedral.

After lunch in local restaurant we will proceed to Yaroslavl and check in to the hotel

DAY 9 - YAROSLAVL
Yaroslavl is the oldest of all the currently existing towns on the Volga. Yaroslavl was founded by a prince of Kievan Rus Yaroslav the Wise and during the period of his ruling the Principality of Rostov (988—1010) when he stepped ashore for the first time near the area now known as 'Strelka', a favourite contemporary park. On this spot which was well protected from attack by the high, steep banks of the Volga, Kotorosl and Medveditsa Rivers, Yaroslav and his men began to set about building the first Yaroslavl Kremlin. The first recorded event of Yaroslavl occurred as a result of famine, it was recorded as the Rostov Uprising of 1071.
The name of the city is traditionally linked to that of its founder: Yaroslav.

To the east of the boulevard, within the borders of the former defensive earthworks, the architecturally- rich 'nucleus' of the old city is to be found; an area criss-crossed by many narrow, small streets, in the middle of which one of Yaroslavl's most well-recognized architectural monuments is to be found. This is the Church of Elijah the Prophet which, in the same way as the Epiphany Church, is a very prominent example of the way in which the city developed in the 17th century.

The most well-known building in the city is the 'Spaso-Preobrazhensky' ('Transfiguration of the Savior') Cathedral of the Spassky (St Savior) Monastery. This monastery was originally founded in the 12th century and thus it, and its cathedral, is the oldest buildings in the city. The Transfiguration Cathedral itself, built in 1516, is the oldest detached building standing in the city. Typical for a Russian monastery of the Middle Ages, the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery in Yaroslavl was not built to be no more than a place of worship, but also to be a citadel and Kremlin in case, in times of war, there was a need for such a facility. This is still visible today as the monastery is surrounded by a thick 16th century, white- painted wall, complete with watchtowers and embattlements.

This afternoon yo will have a drive back to Moscow.

DAY 10 - MOSCOW
Today you will be transferred to the Moscow International Airport for your flight return flight.