Moscow & St. Petersburg

Day 1: UK/St. Petersburg
You will depart on your scheduled flight to St Petersburg today. On arrival you will transfer to your hotel for a four-night stay.

Day 2: St. Petersburg
St Petersburg, formerly Leningrad, was the capital of Russia until the October Revolution in 1917 and is an exciting mix of the historical and the modern. Today’s included city tour will introduce you to some of its spectacular buildings. You’ll view the Admiralty, St Isaac’s Cathedral and the world-renowned Hermitage. This vast museum holds more than 2.7 million pieces of art including works by Picasso, Rembrandt and Matisse.

This afternoon you may choose to join our optional excursion to the Peter and Paul Fortress, the historic core of St Petersburg. The cathedral is the resting place of all Russian Emperors and Empresses from Peter the Great to Nicholas II.

Day 3: St. Petersburg
After breakfast this morning you can enjoy an optional three-quarter-day excursion to Peterhof – the former Summer Palace of Peter the Great, the founder of the city. The palace is often referred to as the ‘Russian Versailles’ and indeed Peter took his inspiration for the estate after seeing the revered Versailles near Paris. Despite devastating destruction during the Second World War the palace was brought back to glory by a team of enthusiastic volunteers in the late 1940s. It is surrounded by impressive formal gardens which encompass a variety of styles from different periods. The ornate fountains here are a popular tourist attraction in their own right.

Alternatively, you may wish to explore St Petersburg at your own pace. Just walking around the city is an experience in itself. You can choose to stroll along the broad avenues, admire the baroque palaces and immense cathedrals, or simply relax in a canalside café and try some traditional blini pancakes.

Day 4: St Petersburg
You can spend today at leisure exploring more of this charming metropolis. St Petersburg is actually situated on several islands with the Neva River flowing between, thus offering a very unique city experience.

Alternatively, join this morning’s optional excursion to the Catherine Palace, which is located in Pushkin. Here you will get a glimpse of the Russian high life and an insight into the imperial history of this incredible region. This afternoon you can take the opportunity to explore more of the Hermitage Museum. Your Tour Manager will be on hand to help you to uncover some of its highlights.

Day 5: Moscow
After breakfast this morning you will have time at leisure before you transfer to Moskovsky Station to board the Sapsan train to Moscow early this afternoon. Your journey aboard the fast, modern train ‘Peregrine Falcon’ will take approximately four-and-a-half hours. On arrival at Leningradsky Station in Moscow, enjoy a short orientation drive to see some sights on the way to your hotel, where you will stay for the next three nights.

Days 6 – 7: Moscow
You have two full days at leisure in this remarkable city. Explore Moscow at your own pace, or experience more by joining the following optional excursions:

The Kremlin
The oldest part of the city which is surrounded by red-brick towers and colossal walls that were erected in the 15th century. You’ll see some of the magnificent cathedrals and palaces here and delve into the fascinating history of this remarkable fortress.

Kremlin Armoury tour (half day)
This museum is contained within the walls of the citadel and houses the nation’s collection of gold, silver, arms, imperial clothes, carriages and many other treasures. In the company of your Local Guide, you will learn some of the fascinating and diverse history of the country’s captivating past.

Moscow by night
As the light begins to fade and the street lights flicker into life, the city takes on a whole new identity. You will journey along the river, continuing to Tverskaya Avenue and on to lively Pushkinskaia Square. The city’s striking buildings and monuments look even more dramatic against the backdrop of the night sky. The evening tour will take you to the Kremlin, Red Square and the amazing St Basil’s Cathedral among many other impressive landmarks.

Day 8: Moscow/UK
You will transfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK.

Please note
This holiday includes walking in areas of rough ground, gradients and steps.

Accommodation throughout is in hotels of a local 4-star standard. Typical of the hotels you will stay in are:

4-star Holiday Inn Moskovskye Vorota in St Petersburg, located approximately 5 miles from the city centre
4-star Holiday Inn Suschevsky In Moscow, is a short drive from the city centre
Amenities include bar, restaurant and lift. Bedrooms feature TV, telephone and en suite facilities.

All hotels will be confirmed in your final documentation.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Included excursions and visits

St Petersburg sightseeing tour (half day)
Moscow sightseeing tour (half day)

Optional excursions

Peterhof (full day)
Peter & Paul Fortress (half day)
Catherine Palace (half day)
Hermitage (half day)
The Kremlin (half day)
Kremlin Armoury (half day)
Moscow by Night
Lenin’s Mausoleum

Your holiday includes

Scheduled flights
Overseas transfers & other transportation
Train journey between St Petersburg and Moscow
7 nights’ accommodation
Half-board basis
The services of a Travelsphere Tour Manager
All airport taxes and security charges
UK Airline Passenger Duty
All State and local taxes

With 50 years’ experience in arranging escorted tours to exciting destinations across the globe, Travelsphere have built an excellent reputation founded on quality and value.

By choosing a Travelsphere escorted holiday you can travel with confidence, knowing that every aspect of your holiday has been carefully planned and arranged from start to finish. Further to this they are ATOL bonded and members of ABTA.

Travelsphere’s thorough planning of travel arrangements, itineraries and accommodation combined with the unique insight of their knowledgeable Tour Managers and Local Guides will enable you to experience the culture, traditions and hidden away places less accessible to other travellers.

Our Opinion
“Travelsphere are one of the biggest names in the Escorted Tour market. Finely tuned over the last 50 years their tours have been tried, tested and refined by thousands of customers.”