Arrive in Moscow airport, welcome and assist by our local representative for your transfer to hotel.
Enjoy a morning sightseeing tour of Moscow, where you will be taken through the main streets and squares of the city, including Okhotny Ryad and Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka Square with KGB Building, Kremlin Embankment with Zaryadye Park and Kremlin, Prechistenskaya Embankment with the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Arbat Street and more. Enjoy photo stops at Sparrow Hills Observation Platform and St. Basil’s Cathedral. Following next, you will visit Moscow Kremlin, the iconic landmark in Russia, a beautiful fortress in the heart of Moscow. It serves as the official residence of the Russian Federation president. Discover the unique monuments of architecture and art of the 15th to 20th centuries, which consist of churches and chambers, majestic palaces and ceremonial administrative buildings. Walk along the Kremlin Squares and Streets, see the Tsar Bell and Tsar Cannon, as well as visit the Assumption Cathedral, the oldest church in Kremlin, built of white stone in 1475–1479 in the Italianate-Byzantine style. Moscow Kremlin has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1990. After lunch, take a walk down the Stary Arbat, one of the oldest surviving streets in Moscow, famous for its architectural masterpieces and souvenirs. Performances of talented street artists with clowns, singers and dancers give a special charm to this street. You will later go on a fascinating Moscow Metro Tour to explore the most beautiful metro stations in the world. Marvel at the exquisite interiors of these stations and be impressed by the underground palaces of Moscow. Free at own leisure for the evening.
Today, you will embark on a tour to Sergiev Posad, one of the oldest cities of Russia. It is home to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the most important Russian monastery and is a world famous spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church. The monastery was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993. The town also claims to be the birthplace of the Russian nesting doll or matryoshka. Check out the famous Museums before heading to the train station for your Night Sleeper Train to Novgorod the Great, also known as Veliky Novgorod, one of the oldest cities in Russia. Founded in the 9th century, its history is inextricably linked to all the key stages of the development of the Russian state. It is not only the birthplace of Russian democratic and republican traditions, but an important spiritual stronghold of orthodox Russia too.
Arrive in Veliky Novgorod in the morning, transfer to the hotel for registration and store your luggage at the baggage storage room. After breakfast, start off with a sightseeing tour of Veliky Novgorod. You will be taken through the city centre to see Yaroslavovo Dvorische, Volkhov River Embankment and the Ancient Churches of the city. Then, visit the Novgorod Kremlin, one of the most important attractions in Veliky Novgorod, a masterpiece of medieval architecture, traditionally known as the Detinets. It is home to the Chamber of the Facets, which dates back to 1433, as well as the oldest bell tower and clock tower in Russia. You will also visit the famous Cathedral of St. Sophia (the Wisdom of God), constructed between 1045 and 1050, the oldest church in Russia. The Russian National Relic, the 12th-century miraculous icon “The Mother of God of the Sign”, is kept here. In the evening, enjoy your free & easy time in Veliky Novgorod.
Bid farewell to Veliky Novgorod and make your way to St. Petersburg. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel for check-in. Later in the afternoon, enjoy a sightseeing tour of St. Petersburg, where you will be taken through the main streets and squares of the city – Nevsky Prospect, Palace Square, Vasilyevsky Island Spit, Mars Field, Fontanka River Embankment and more. Enjoy photo stops at St. Isaac's Cathedral, Peter and Paul Fortress.
Start your day with a tour to the Hermitage Museum to see the interiors of the Winter Palace (UNESCO) and arts collection in the main building. The museum is located in five main buildings on the Palace Embankment, interconnected and forming a single museum complex. One of the buildings of the Hermitage is the Winter Palace, which in the past was the main imperial palace, the current building of which was built in 1754-1762. The Hermitage is one of the largest art museums in the world. It began as a personal collection of Empress Catherine II and now the collection numbers over 3.5 million items. Among them are the masterpieces of Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, antique sculpture, Egyptian antiquities, a real mummy and much more. Following next, visit Peter and Paul Fortress, the oldest architectural monument of St. Petersburg. The date of the foundation stone of the fortress, May 16, 1703, is the date of the founding of St. Petersburg. The modern Peter and Paul Fortress houses numerous architectural monuments and museums. The fortress belongs to the historical part of St. Petersburg and together with the complex of monuments located here, they are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. The silhouette of the Peter and Paul Fortress has become a symbol of the city and occupies a key place in its panorama. Thereafter, enjoy a romantic Boat Cruise along Neva River and marvel at the panoramic view of St. Petersburg embankments and architecture.
This morning, get yourself ready to depart for Peterhof to explore the Grand Palace, Grand Fountain Cascade and Lower Park. Visit the Grand Palace and be amazed with its fascinating and elaborate interiors. This world-famous palace, fountain and park ensemble of Peterhof shines forth as a glittering landmark of Russia's aesthetic culture in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its wonderful parks, 176 fountains of various forms, majestic palaces, numerous gilded statues of ancient gods and heroes, paintings, works of art and culture, make Peterhof a veritable gem of art. It is often called the “Capital of Fountains”, which is unique in the world. The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Free at own leisure till departure transfer to St. Petersburg airport for homebound flight.
