Duration: 7 days and 6 nights

Description: From a land of indescribable ancient wealth to great thinkers and hospitable people, Russia is everything that is representative of a mysterious past and varied landscape. From the icy tundras to sun-kissed beaches and renowned steppes, Russia’s countryside is much like its cultural diversity. A haven for history buffs, this is a country where luxurious palaces and heritage museums coexist with petite wooden villages lost in time with awe-inspiring big cities, complete with colossal buildings and a buzzing nightlife.

Day 1: Arrive at Moscow
Arrive at Moscow Domodedovo International Airport where you will be met by our representative and transferred your hotel.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Moscow: One of the world’s most expensive cities, Moscow is a bustling metropolis of creative energy and contemporary culture. Deserted warehouses are now huge art galleries and nightclubs and sushi bars seem to crop up at almost every corner of this city. The onion domes of the Cathedral of Annunciation and red brick towers of the Kremlin remain permanently etched in the memories of your mind in spite of its exclusive bars and dynamic nightclubs.

Day 2: Moscow
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast at your hotel, proceed for a guided tour of the city of Moscow with an English-speaking guide.
Visit the Red Square, Kremlin towers, St. Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin Mausoleum, Upper Trading Arcades (GUM), St. Sofia’s Embankment, the Moscow State University campus, a panorama platform on the Vorobiovy (Sparrow Hills), Theatre Square and the Metropol hotel.
Dinner at Aroma lndian restaurant. On the way back to the hotel – Moscow night life. Overnight stay at your Moscow hotel.
Red Square: The heart and soul of Russia, the Red Square is the center of historical and present day Russia. Once used for military parades, the Red Square is now increasingly used for rock concerts and festivals of circus art.
Kremlin Towers: Erected in the 14th century, these towering red brick walls form an irregular triangle with separate defensive towers of varying shapes and heights. Running along the top of the walls is a walkway connecting each tower so that you can complete a circuit of the citadel’s perimeter.
Cathedral of St. Basil: This famous cathedral, where Basil the Blessed was buried before the present building was erected, is now a museum where restoration work discovered a staircase that now takes visitors into the central church.
Lenin Mausoleum: As morbid as it seems, a visit to the Kremlin is somehow not complete without a glimpse of the corpse of the Father of the Revolution. Two underground floors add to a structure that houses Lenin’s mortal remains.
Upper Trading Arcades (GUM): One of the world’s greatest shops, with prices to match, the State Department Store (GUM) is Russia’s most famous shopping mall. A glorious building with relics of a bygone era, the Upper Trading Arcades are the address of choice for top western retailers.
St. Sofia’s Embankment: St. Sofia’s Embankment on the moskva offers fantastic photo opportunities with panoramic views of the Kremlin.
The Theatre Square: Teatralnaya Square, one of Moscow’s most glorious squares, derives its name from the theaters located on it including the world-renowned Bolshoi Theatre, Maly Theatre and the Russian Academic Youth Theatre (formerly Central Children’s Theatre).
Metropol Hotel: This historic hotel built in the late 18th century is located downtown from the Bolshoi Theater and features work by a collaboration of architects and artists.

Day 3: Moscow city tour
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast at your hotel, proceed for a full-day city tour with an English-speaking guide.
Start your day with an excursion to Tretyakov Gallery. Continue on through the Moscow boulevards, and visit Victory Park, the Historical Museum and Poklonnaya Gora. Take a trip on the Moscow Metro to different parts of city for some excellent photo opportunities and stop over at old Arbat for souvenirs. Enjoy a performance at the Big Russian circus later in the evening after which you travel through the wonderful sights of Moscow city at night on your way back to the hotel.
Tretyakov Gallery: Housing the largest collection of Russian fine art in the world, the Tretyakov Gallery was originally a collection of art by the Russian merchant Pavel Tretyakov in the 18th century.
Victory Park: The center of celebrations on May 9 every year (Victory Day), Victory Park is an elegant combination of picturesque fountains and five terraces for each year of the Patriotic Conflict (1941-1945).
Historical Museum: With a collection of over 22,000 exhibits, the Russian History Museum is nearly 3 km huge which would take over two weeks to cover.
Poklonnaya Gora: One of Moscow’s highest spots, the Poklonnaya Gora is filled with war memorials and red fountains that signify the blood that has been shed by Russian soldiers in the Second World War.
Old Arbat: Arbat Street is the historic center of Moscow where traders from the East would arrive to sell their wares. No longer a part of the trade route, this is now a pedestrian street with cafes, mime artists and souvenir shops with a decidedly bohemian atmosphere.

Day 4: Moscow city tour
Meals: Breakfast
After a buffet breakfast at your hotel, continue on your discovery of the city of Moscow with an English-speaking guide. Visit Tsaritsyno Park, Tsaritsyno Manor, Grand Palace, Big Bridge, Bread House, and Little Palace. Tsaritsyno Park is the architectural park ensemble of the Estate of Tsaritsyno is a beautiful museum and reserve that was established in 1984 that houses a palace constructed in 1775 at the behest of Catherine the Great. Stopover at the Opera House, Pavilion Milovidov Figured bridge, the church, Cavalry Corps 1, 2 & 3, Arbour Temple of Ceres and the Tower ruins. Proceed on to Museum-Reserve Kolomenskoe, Church of the Ascension, St. George’s Bell Tower, the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist in Dyakova, the whitewashed Church of Our Lady of Kazan, the palace (Front) doors, spassky (Rear) gates, “Little Hut, Large chalet”, Water Supplying Tower, “Fryazhsky” (warm), cellar, and the gardens Kolomna.
You may carry on to visit the Ascension Garden, Djakovo settlement, Polovtsian woman, Gravestones Monument, Polovtsians-Kum from the southern Russian Transfiguration, a memorable pillar of the Emperor Alexander Il, the palace hall, the remnants of continental glaciation, votes ravine estate undertaker, museum and ethnographic complex and Honey Kolomenskoye.
Later in the evening, proceed to the Moscow Leningrad Railway Station for your night train to St. Petersburg.

Day 5: St. Petersburg
Meals: Breakfast
A sumptuous breakfast later, depart for a tour of the city of St. Petersburg with an English-speaking tour assistant.
Visit the Nevsky prospect, Neva’s Embankment, Rostral Columns, State Hermitage Museum, Peter & Paul Fortress at the Peter & Paul Cathedral.
Break for lunch at an exquisite Russian city restaurant.
Continue your tour of St. Petersburg at the Senate Square, St. Isaac Cathedral, Statues of Nicholas and Peter “Bronze Horseman), Resurrection Cathedral of the Spilled Blood, Square of Arts and the Palace Square with the Alexander column.
Overnight stay at the hotel in St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg: Built on a swamp by Peter the Great, the less than inspiring St. Petersburg is now well on its way to becoming a modern urban icon in the face of 21st century Russia. St. Petersburg’s network of canals and neoclassical architecture tend to give it an old European charm that no doubt rises from the fact that it was built by Italian architects. A slightly more sophisticated version of Russian urbanism, Rastrelli’s architecture and Tchaikovsky’s operas enthrall visitors about as much as its beatnik bands, art galleries and underground clubs do.

Day 6: St. Petersburg
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, spend the rest of your day discovering more sights that are unique to St. Petersburg with an English-speaking tour assistant.
Begin with the gleaming spire of the Admiralty, Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Anichkov, Winter Palace, Kazan Cathedral, Cruiser Aurora, St. Michael’s Castle, the Russian Museum, Vasilievsky lsland, the sphinxes, Summer Garden and the Field of Mars.
Overnight stay at your hotel in St. Petersburg.

Day 7: Departure
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the airport in time for your flight back home.