Romantic Russia Journey

Upon your arrival at the airport of Moscow, you will find our guide waiting at the arrival lobby. After a warm greeting, you will be escorted to check in the hotel. Then the remaining day is at your own disposal.

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Series or similar (4 stars)

Today we will first show you around one of the most beautiful metro stations in the city called Mayakovskaya and appreciate its ceiling mosaics showing "24 Hours in the Land of the Soviets". Then go for a leisurely walk at the Red Square surrounded by monumental buildings like Kremlin, Lenin's Mausoleum, Saint Basil's Cathedral and the State Historical Museum etc. Then we will walk through the oldest public park in Moscow, the Alexander Garden stretching along the western wall of Kremlin. Next, we will go the visit one of the highlights in the itinerary – Kremlin. It is one of the most impressive fortified complex in the world, once the palace of tsars and the current residence of the president. Last but not the least, we will tour the St. Basil Cathedral which has long been the religious center since built in 16th century by Ivan the Terrible.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Series or similar (4 stars)

Today we are going to visit Lenin's Mausoleum and look up to the remains of the great Soviet leader. Then go to sightsee the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, totally 103 meters (338 feet) in height, the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the world which can hold ten thousands believers in one religious meeting. We will also go to visit the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, with a comprehensive collection of outstanding paintings, sculptures, decorative and applied art examples of European and ancient Egypt.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Series or similar (4 stars)

Today we will enjoy an art appreciation tour to explore the Tretyakov Gallery and Central Andrey Rublev Museum. The former is a prestigious depository of over 180,000 artworks of ancient icons, portraits, landscapes, historical and religious scenes by generations of Russia's most prominent artists ranging from the 11th century to the early 20th century; while the latter is known for holding precious centuries-old icons, manuscripts and early printed books, and works of ornamental art especially the fresco fragments, which all together offers an integrated picture of the art of Ancient Russia. After that, we will send you back to the hotel for a good rest.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Series or similar (4 stars)

Today we will drive to the town of Sergiev Posad, located 70 km (44 mi) northeast to Moscow. On the way our professional guide will share with you some of the interesting facts of the local architecture. After arrival, we will go directly to the famous Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius and its cathedrals founded in 1337. It is the world-renowned spiritual center of Russian Orthodox Church. Other attractions such as Dormition Cathedral, the Holy Gates and the Godunov Burial Vault can also be found there. If at appropriate time, you may also see the scene of believers waiting in line to kiss the coffin of Saint Sergius and receive the holy water.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Series or similar (4 stars)

Today the guide and the driver will send you to take a 4-hour modern Sapsan bullet train to St. Petersburg, reputed as "The Venice of the North" for its developed network of canals, baroque and neoclassical architecture as well as the high density of art museums. After arrival, the guide and the driver there will first transfer you to the hotel for check in and then accompany you on a walk along the historic Nevsky Prospect Street. You could encounter landmarks like Moscow Railway Station, Rastrelliesque Stroganov Palace, the massive neoclassical Kazan Cathedral, Eliseyev Emporium, the Art Nouveau Bookhouse, and plenty of 18th-century churches along the way.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky or similar (4 stars)

Today we will go to the ancient port city, Veliky Novgorod, a 2 hours' drive from St. Petersburg, with more than 1,000 years' history and regarded as a cradle of Russian statehood. When arrive, we will tour around the Novgorod Kremlin. It is one of the oldest fortification complex in Russia and has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. We will also pay a visit to Saint Nicholas Cathedral, built and consecrated in the 12th century to honor St. Nicholas the Wonderworker who was highly worshiped in Russia.

In the afternoon, we will go to visit the medieval Yuriev Monastery Complex built along the left bank of Volkhov River and explore Cathedral of St. George, the main church of the complex built in 1119 and highlighted by 4 blue domes on its cap. Then we will visit the nearby open-air Vitoslavisty Museum of marvelous folk wooden architecture and art. After that, we'll go back to St. Petersburg.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky or similar (4 stars)

At the beginning of the day, we will go to visit the St. Isaacs Cathedral, the largest church in Russia, with glistening gilded dome which could been seen from all over the city, also a museum of Russian church art. A 300-step climb to the colonnade will offer you a spectacular view of the city. Then we'll go to the Peterhof located among the forest of the city's suburb. It is a series of baroque gardens and palaces built in 1714 by Peter the Great, featuring a stunning array of decorative fountains inspired by the French Versailles. After that, we will take a boat ride back to downtown city.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky or similar (4 stars)

No visit to St. Petersburg is complete without going to the Hermitage Museum and Russian Museum. Today we'll spend the whole day exploring these two museums. The Hermitage Museum, containing the Winter Palace, is the world's second largest art museum just after the Louvre in Paris, housing over 3 million items of paintings, sculptures, jewelry… ranging from prehistoric art to 19-20th century art. Its collection of paintings are the largest in the world, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso etc. While Russian Museum is characterized by a super large collection of over 400,000 pieces of Russian fine art including paintings, prints, sculptures, folk crafts, photographs, all showing a vivid history of Russian art.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky or similar (4 stars)

Today we will send you to the airport after the hotel check out. Thanks for joining our 10 days Russia tour. Hope you've had a wonderful time during the holiday. Bon voyage!

Meals: Breakfast