The Experience

View priceless artifacts at the Kremlin; help re-create a traditional Russian wedding ceremony; meet Zoya Belyakov, an expert on Russia’s last ruling dynasty; and tour the Grand Palace at Peterhof. Day 1: ARRIVE IN MOSCOW, RUSSIA
Upon arrival in Moscow, you are met and transferred to your hotel. This evening, join your Tour Director for a welcome dinner.

Marriott Moscow Royal Aurora | Meals: D
Day 2: MOSCOW / The Stately Capital
Tour Moscow, starting at the Kremlin with the State Armory, home to a vast collection of priceless artifacts. View its impressive collection of carriages, royal gala clothes and fabulous Faberge eggs. Then, visit two Kremlin cathedrals: Assumption and Archangel. After lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy a talk by a Russian scholar and stroll Red Square to view Lenin’s Tomb and St. Basil’s cathedral. Later, ride the Moscow metro, renowned for the ornate splendor of its stations for an authentic Neighborhood Connection.

Marriott Moscow Royal Aurora | Meals: B L
Day 3: MOSCOW / Kolomenskoye Estate
Visit the picturesque Kolomenskoye Estate, former summer residence of tsars and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stroll to nearby Peter the Great’s cottage, and join in a re-creation of a Russian wedding ceremony. After lunch, view famous sites in Moscow, including New Maiden Cemetery, final resting place of Chekhov, Shostakovich, Khrushchev, Raisa Gorbachev and other noted figures.

Marriott Moscow Royal Aurora | Meals: B L
Day 4: ST. PETERSBURG / Venice of the North
Travel to St. Petersburg by high-speed train, Sapsan, enjoying lunch onboard. Upon arrival, you are transferred to your hotel, where you have dinner. Later, embark on a cruise of the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg to view the amazing exterior of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (also known as the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood), a fine example of late 19th-century Russian architecture.

Kempinski Hotel Moika 22 | Meals: B L D
Day 5: ST. PETERSBURG / A Dynasty’s Legacy
Learn the history of the Romanovs ,“ Russia’s last ruling dynasty, when you meet with Zoya Belyakova, an expert on the subject. Next, tour St. Petersburg, viewing Nevsky Prospect, Palace Square, the Winter Palace and Vasilevsky Island. Visit St. Isaac’s Cathedral to marvel at its gilded dome, and the sculptures and red granite columns that grace its facade. Then, view its interior, lavishly decorated with mosaics, icons and columns of malachite and lapis lazuli. Visit a local farmer’s market. After lunch at a local restaurant, tour the awe-inspiring Hermitage in the Winter Palace, home to three million pieces of artwork dating back to the Stone Age.

Kempinski Hotel Moika 22 | Meals: B L
Day 6: PETERHOF / Private Grand Palace Tour
Drive to Peterhof, summer estate of Peter the Great. Tour the Grand Palace, which is opened for you before official operating hours, so you avoid the crowds. Return to St. Petersburg via hydrofoil for lunch. Visit the fascinating Peter & Paul Fortress. Its cathedral is the burial place of many tsars and tsarinas, including Peter the Great.

Kempinski Hotel Moika 22 | Meals: B L
Day 7: PUSHKIN / Lunch, Russian Style
Travel to Tsarskoe Selo (the Tsar’s Village), also called Pushkin. View Catherine Palace, with its formal parks that stretch to Rastrelli’s Hermitage building, and the world-famous Amber Room, now restored to its original glory. Enjoy a traditional, hearty Russian lunch at Podvorie Dacha restaurant, before returning to St. Petersburg. Tonight join your Tour Director for a farewell dinner.

Kempinski Hotel Moika 22 | Meals: B L D
Day 8: DEPART ST. PETERSBURG
Aft er breakfast, transfer to the airport and depart.

Meals: B