Highlights
- Admire one of the world's finest art collections in the Hermitage
- Check out the grand Stalinist architecture in Moscow
- Take an unforgettable tour of the Moscow Kremlin, a seat of power and grandeur
- Enjoy a combination of guided tours and free time in both cities
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in St. Petersburg | St. Petersburg |
| Day 2 | St. Petersburg Grand Tour | St. Petersburg |
| Day 3 | Free Time in St. Petersburg - Train to Moscow | Moscow |
| Day 4 | Moscow City Tour | Moscow |
| Day 5 | Moscow Sightseeing and Departure |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in St. Petersburg
Welcome to St. Petersburg! After arriving at the airport and checking into your hotel, you'll have the rest of the day at leisure. Depending on your time of arrival, you may have time to do some preliminary exploring before your tour starts in earnest tomorrow.
Day 2: St. Petersburg Grand Tour
St. Petersburg is Russia’s magnificent, history-haunted, legendary, and stunningly beautiful northern capital. You’ll find the mood here much different from Moscow. St. Petersburg represents Russia’s European side, with art and architecture inspired by classical motifs far more than traditional Russian ones. Yet, St. Petersburg is also a very Russian city. Home of the Tsars, cradle of the 1917 Revolution, the city of the Siege, and the hometown of Putin, St. Petersburg has so many rich stories to tell.
Your tour of St. Petersburg includes the highlights of Senate Square, St. Isaac's Square, Palace Square, Nevski Prospekt, and the Smolny Institute. Further explore the Peter and Paul Fortress, an early 18th-century fort and where the city was founded. It's where many Tsars are buried, and the location of the prison where many of the Tsars' enemies languished.
After lunch, visit the Hermitage, one of the world’s greatest art museums. It's housed partly in the old Winter Palace, the St. Petersburg home of the Tsars. The building is as much of an attraction as the art on display.
Day 3: Free Time in St. Petersburg - Train to Moscow
Today you'll have some free time to explore St. Petersburg, perhaps returning to places that intrigued you yesterday, or visiting other places that spark your interest.
In the evening, take a Sapsan express train to Moscow. Upon arrival, check in to your hotel.
Day 4: Moscow City Tour
Start with a general tour of Moscow, taking in some of its best-known streets and sites along the way. You’ll have a chance to see the so-called Stalin Sisters, built to compete with New York’s skyscrapers. See the Triumphal Arch and the Church of Christ the Savior, before heading to New Maidens Convent, Sparrow Hills, and Moscow State University. You’ll have time to explore some of these sites, as well as to take pictures.
Moscow is an enormous city and on this tour you'll just scratch the surface. After lunch, spend more time touring on your own, digging deeper into the places and attractions that interest you most. Prepare to be surprised and beguiled by Moscow.
Day 5: Red Square, St Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin and departure from Moscow
Saving the best for last, today it's time to tour the blockbuster sites of Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and the Kremlin. A highlight will be the afternoon tour of the Kremlin, Moscow's icon of power, beauty, and majesty. It’s one of the world’s very few medieval fortresses still functioning in its original intended purpose as a center of government, a seat of religious authority, a military base, and an expression of raw power.
After lunch, transfer to the airport to catch a flight home.
Map
