russia all the way - 14 days

Tour Information
Starts: Moscow
Ends: Moscow
Local Payment: No
Prices and departures: Click here
Breakfast: 13, Lunch: 2, Dinner: 2
Hotel Rating: 3
Tour Leader: Yes (for groups 6 or more)

Day 1: Moscow Welcome to Russia and the start of your holiday! Meet and greet arrival transfer from airport to hotel and check-in. Tonight, our tip-filled Welcome Meeting takes place, afterward head to the bar with your tour leader and fellow passengers. Overnight - Moscow. Day 2: Red Square Moscow – breakfast. Today we journey to Red Square for a guided tour of the Kitay-Gorod and Lubyanka area. In Russian, the famous Red Square is called Krasnaya Ploschad. The word ‘red’ doesn’t refer to the colour of the bricks or Communism. The word ‘krasnaya’ simultaneously means ‘red’ and ‘beautiful’. In Red Square, feast your eyes on the wildly coloured, onion domed St Basil’s Cathedral - an enduring Russian symbol. Along one side of the square runs the elegant façade of the illustrious GUM department store - once the only choice for shopping in the Communist era. Also on Red Square is Lenin’s Mausoleum, where if open, we can pay our respects to the father of Communism. The remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight - Moscow.

Need more Russia     Join us on an adventure to the Star City Cosmonaut Training Centre. Every Russian cosmonaut since Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space was trained within these walls! For more information, please click here.

Day 3: The Mighty Kremlin
Moscow - breakfast. Journeying to Red Square via the underground Metro, we enjoy a guided tour of the mighty Kremlin. The fortified stronghold built in the 11th century, was home to the campaigns of Ivan the Terrible, Stalin, Lenin, Napoleon and more recently Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin. Inside the grounds we view the Russian Palaces of Congresses, Senate and Supreme Soviet buildings and make visits to the Assumption Cathedral, Ivan the Great Bell Tower, Tsar Bell and Armoury (optional). The remainder of the afternoon is free for you to explore or join us on a tour of the legendary KGB. It is possible to enter the clandestine world of this amazing organisation, exhibiting Cold War memorabilia and deadly weaponry. Check out our KGB bolt-on for further details. Overnight - Moscow

Day 4 - Explore Moscow
Moscow - Pskov - breakfast. Free day. Relax and chill out or perhaps visit one or two of the city’s plentiful museums. The Moscow Metro, a gift to the good Soviet people from Joseph Stalin, is a tourist attraction in itself. Many of the central stations are richly adorned with bronzes and chandeliers and clad with marble and mosaic! Bolt-on star city - Join us on an optional adventure to the Star City Cosmonaut Training Centre. The facility has trained every Russian cosmonaut since Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. Tonight, we travel by overnight sleeper train to Pskov.
Overnight - train.

Day 5: Pskov
Pskov region – breakfast. Arrival at Pskov. Just a stone’s throw from Estonia, historical Pskov has played host to a stream of Baltic invaders for 700 years. A tour of Pskov takes in the riverside fortified Kremlin and cathedral. A short drive brings us to the beautiful 14th century Pechory Monastery, where we explore the peaceful grounds and if permitted, we can go underground and view the burial caves of this fascinating and still-working cloister. Steaming up at a local Russian banya (sauna), we work up our appetites for a village lunch and a few vodkas.
Lunch, dinner and overnight - Pskov.

Day 6: St Petersburg
Pskov - St Petersburg – breakfast. This morning, we drive to St Petersburg, early afternoon arrival and remainder of the day at leisure. Stunningly grandiose St Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great in 1703, is built around a series of bridge-connected canals and rivers. With more than 90 museums, many of which are housed in imperial palaces, flamboyant galleries, churches, restaurants, cafes, bars and shops housed in some of the grandest architectural concoctions, the city is a feast for eyes and a real favourite of visitors. Overnight - St Petersburg.

Day 7: The Hermitage
St Petersburg – breakfast. This morning, a city tour takes us to the Church on Spilled Blood and Admiralty End. Later we visit the Hermitage, housing some 2.8 million pieces of art, with collections ranging from Egyptian mummies to Greek vases and a vast and dazzling array of Old Masters, we view the highlights of the collection. The rest of the day is free to do St Pete’s your way. Overnight – St Petersburg.

Day 8: Pukka Pass
St Petersburg - breakfast. Free day or Pukka Pass Bolt-on. Our Pukka Pass is inclusive of guiding, transport, entrance fees, lunch and visits to Peter and Paul Fortress on the Petrogradskaya Side, St Isaac’s Cathedral, the Summer Gardens at Peterhof summer. Peter and Paul Fortress was built in 1703, on the orders of Peter the Great, is considered to mark the founding of St Petersburg. It has a gruesome history. Hundreds of forced labourers died while building the fortress and its bastions were used to hold political prisoners. A magnificent cathedral here houses the remains of the Romanov dynasty. Peterhof on the Gulf of Finland is Russia’s ‘Versailles’ and popular in summer. The lavish gold fountains - the centre piece of which is the ‘Grand Cascade’ are amazing. Overnight – St Petersburg.

Days 9 & 10: Enjoy St Pete’s
St Petersburg - breakfast. Bidding goodbye to those on the 9 day ‘Russia Unplugged’ tour, we enjoy 2 free days at leisure. Be sure to spend some time shopping along Nevsky Prospekt, taking a bite at the Pushkin Inn, famous for its Stroganoff and enjoying an evening of ballet or theatre. St Pete’s has plenty to see and do, by day and by night. Overnight (2) - St Petersburg.

Day 11: Evolution revolution
St Petersburg - Vladimir - breakfast. Today, we take our revolution evolution! excursion. Later we meet up with our new tour leader and touring group before journeying south by overnight train to Vladimir. Overnight - sleeper train.

Day 12: Suzdal/Vladimir
Vladimir – breakfast. Comrades, welcome to Vladimir! Today, we’ll travel out to beautiful Suzdal - a little town packed with quaint buildings and churches. Exploring the town on foot we visit the 11th century Kremlin, some impressive cathedrals and a wood–carving museum. Returning to Vladimir, we’ll visit the most impressive cathedrals and the famous Golden Gates. Time to relax and have a few laughs in a steamy Russian banya (sauna), before tucking into some vodka and a Russian lunch. Later tonight, dinner at the hotel. Lunch, dinner and overnight – Vladimir.

Day 13: Bound for Moscow
Vladimir – Moscow – breakfast. This morning, we drive to Moscow, arriving early afternoon. A good opportunity to pick up those last minute souvenirs from the Izmailovsky market or Novy Arbat fleamarket. Overnight – Moscow.

Day 14: Moscow
Tour ends after breakfast and hotel check out at 12 noon.