Highlights of St.Petersburg & Moscow

Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights - Combination be-spoke tour

The highlights of Moscow & St.Petersburg tour is a wonderful way to see these most unique and contrasting Russian cities. The tour is hand crafted to offer a perfect blend of guided sightseeing and free time for your own personal explorations. This is a Russia holiday that will be treasured for a long time afterwards!

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Day 1:

Arrival to St.Petersburg – Flight options at end of itinerary! Transfer from airport by private chauffeur to private Hotel Ekaterina – description at end of itinerary Overnight in St.Petersburg

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Day 2:

Today you will be collected by your guide and driver and taken on a 3-4 hour city tour including Peter & Paul’s fortress. During the tour you will become acquainted with architecture, history and present day life of the former capital of Imperial Russia, the history of the Romanov dynasty. Among the rich parade of sights to be enjoyed will be Palace Square with the Winter Palace, the Square of Arts with the Russian Museum, the Smolny Convent, the famous Nevsky Avenue, the Summer Garden and the Field of Mars. You will enjoy the classical ensemble of Senate Square with its famous “Bronze Horseman”, the spit of Basil’s island, many other architectural monuments, bridges and embankments.

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Day 3:

Free day to explore the Hermitage and other famous museums yourselves. In the evening we will arrange tickets for a ballet at the Marinsky Theatre (subject to schedule)

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Day 4:

Private tour of Pushkin Palace. It is a fascinating monument of the world’s architectural and gardening arts. Peter the Great ordered to construct the small palace for his wife, future empress Catherine I. In the middle of the 18th century the palace was rebuilt and became the pearl of architecture of that period. The grandeur of the artistic decor of the facades, the moulded decorations, the gilding of architectural and sculptural details, all echoes the majesty and elegance of the interior decoration of the Catherine Palace. The Amber Room, which was presented to Peter I by the Prussian King in 1716, known as the Eight Wonder of the World, used to be in this Palace. The amber ornamentation of this room, missing since 1945, is now being reconstructed by Russian gem carvers. The park of Tsarskoye Selo was the favourite resting place of the Russian Tsars. The avenues lay out around Catherine’s Palace invite you for to walk and see the park pavilions, erected by famous architects and sculptors of Russia.

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Day 5:

Free day In the afternoon your driver will collect you and transfer you to the train station for the (St. Petersburg -Moscow): train #23, departure at 13.07, arrival at 20.55.

Arrival 20.55 – our driver will be waiting on the platform with a sign with your name and will transfer to your hotel. Check in Hotel Ukraina – double/twin superior room.

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Day 6:

Today your guide will meet you and take you on a city tour of Moscow including a visit to the world famous St.Basil’s Cathedral. The Red Square has always been the main square in Moscow. It was here that the town criers would run with the Tsar’s decrees, and tell of the Sovereign’s will to the crowds who gathered. On days of great church festivals there would be a religious procession from the Kremlin to red Square, and on such days the whole square would fill with people, and it would have the appearance of an open-air church. It was here that the magnificent cathedrals were built. One of them is the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of God at the Moat. The cathedral was built in the mid-16th century by decree of Ivan the Terrible in honor of one of the wars. The small church of Saint Basil, which was built later on the grave of a God’s fool much respected in Moscow, gave the whole cathedral its second, more widely known name of St. Basil’s cathedral. St. Basil’s cathedral is unique among Moscow’s churches. It is not simply a place where people came to pray, but it is also itself an icon in stone.

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Day 7:

Free day for personal explorations of the many museums and other points of interest.

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Day 8:

Transfer by private driver to airport for flight home.

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Hotel Ekaterina: 3 STAR

Welcome to the unique hotel Ekaterina, situated in the complex of Ekaterininsky palace and park ensemble in Pushkin! This is the ideal combination of the old traditions and modern comfort, the opportunity to plunge into the palace environment of the past centuries, to touch the history and to be far away from the city noise and vanity in the cozy atmosphere.

Hotel Ukraina: 4 STAR

Hotel Ukraina is a four star hotel in a magnificent building built by the order of Stalin and nick named as one of Stalins Birthday cakes. The rooms are old fashioned and out dated but comfortable. The restaurant for individual guests is nice and the food and service excellent. There is a metro about 7 minutes walk away.

Package Summary:

Return International Flights Airport transfers – both ways 4 nights accommodation Ekaterina Hotel – double/twin rooms BB Private city tour of St.Petersburg – including tour of Peter & Paul’s Fortress Private tour of Peterhof Palace 1st class train tickets Transfers to and from the train stations 3 nights accommodation Hotel Ukraina – Superior double/twin BB Private city tour of Moscow including St.Basil’s Cathedral 2 * Letters of Invitation Advice and recommendations from Vamos Travel

Optional extras:

Tickets to the Mariinsky Theatre for a ballet performance

This tour is subject to availability and is governed by Vamos Travel Terms & Conditions