Treasures of the Tsars - 8 days

FROM USD $2,499

Premium tour. Moscow and St Petersburg with ancient Novgorod in between, offering a relaxed pace, plenty of free time, entrance fees, coach tour of St Pete's, departure transfer and a finer style of accommodation.

Saturday. Welcome to Moscow and the start of your holiday! Arrival transfer from the airport and hotel check in. This evening our Welcome Meeting takes place. Remainder of the evening at leisure, maybe go for a drink in the bar or coffee in the lounge. Overnight - Moscow

Day 2: The Mighty Kremlin

This morning we visit legendary Red Square and enjoy a guided tour of the Moscow Kremlin. The fortified stronghold, built in the 11th century, was home to the campaigns of Ivan IV, Stalin, Lenin, Napoleon and more recently Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin. Inside the enclave we view the Russian Palaces of Congresses and tour Assumption Cathedral, Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the Tsar Bell.

The remainder of the afternoon is free. Visit St Basil’s Cathedral, the subject of countless postcards or spend some time inside the illustrious GUM department store - once the only choice for shopping in the Communist era. Alternatively, consider joining us, heading below ground on a tour of a Soviet Bunker. Overnight - Moscow (B)

Treasures of the Tsars - 8 days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!

Day 3: Red Square

Today, we can return to Red Square where, if open, we can pay our respects to Lenin’s Mausoleum or consider taking a journey on the Stalinist-era Metro, to view some of the gold gilded frescoes that adorn many of the circle line stations. Tonight, we travel by comfortable overnight sleeper train (4 berth fully enclosed cabins) to Novgorod. Overnight - Sleeper Train (B)

Day 4: Ancient Novgorod & a Russian Banya

Novgorod is one of Russia’s oldest cities, located within reach of the Volkhov River and Lake Ilmen. It was formed as a town in the middle of the 10th century. A tour of Novgorod takes in the riverside fortified kremlin, cathedral and other sights. The fortress was mentioned in chronicles as early as 1044, whilst today’s walls and towers, despite having been re-built in 15th century, are impressive all the same.

Steaming up at a local Russian banya we enjoy a sauna, lunch and a sip of vodka. Later, we travel to St Petersburg by coach arriving late evening. Overnight - St Petersburg (B, L)

Days 5 - 6: St Petersburg

St Petersburg. Today we embark on a coach tour of the city, driving along Nevsky Prospekt and Admiralty End, stopping at the Church on Spilled Blood and The Bronze Horseman. Day 6 offers a day of leisure or consider our Pukka Pass Bolt-on, visiting Peter and Paul Fortress, St Isaac’s Cathedral the Summer Gardens at Peterhof or Catherine or Pavlovsk Palace in winter. Overnight - St Petersburg (B:2)

A well wrapped on the go group posing for a photo

Day 7: The Hermitage

Today, we enjoy a guided tour of the Hermitage Collection at the Winter Palace, 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. Overnight - St Petersburg (B)

Day 8: St Petersburg

Saturday. Our tour concludes after breakfast and onward departure transfer to the airport. (B)

Inside a Soviet Bunker bolt on

Take a tour of a Soviet Bunker. Head 65 meters underground to explore a Stalinist-era bunker that up until recently was a top secret symbol of Soviet Power. Cleverly hidden beneath an ordinary apartment building, on a busy street in the heart of Moscow, 18 floors below ground level, this mighty 75,000-square-foot facility was constructed in secret in the 1950's, to protect the select few against a US nuclear attack.

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Prices & Departure Dates

Prices shown are per person travelling. 'Twin/Double' prices per person apply when there are 2 people travelling, sharing a room. The 'single supplement' applies for single travellers and needs to be added to the 'Twin/Double' price. Single travellers will also need to book a single room for any pre and/or post tour accommodation required.

All our scheduled tour departures are guaranteed subject to a minimum of 2 travellers. To date we have not cancelled a single tour!

Treasures of the Tsars - 8 days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!

Bolt-ons

Make the most of your time away! Listed below are the optional activities that are available on this trip. Please note that you will need to book these prior to travel as we cannot always guarantee availability of these activities once you are on holiday.

Tour Bolt-ons - Catherine Palace or Peterhof

USD $89

Take a step back in time - enjoy a guided tour of the stunning Royal Residences of the Russian Tsars, located in the outskirts of St Pete's and admire the beautiful Russian countryside on the way. Our Catherine Palace (winter) or Peterhof Gardens (summer) bolt on is available on all tours visiting St Petersburg.

Tour Bolt-ons - Inside a Soviet Bunker

USD $109

The inside of a Soviet Bunker which is now the Underground Cold War Museum in Moscow

Head 65 meters underground to the Underground Cold War Museum - a Stalinist-era Soviet Bunker that up until recently was a top secret symbol of Soviet Power. This mighty 75,000-square-foot facility was constructed covertly in the 1950s, to protect the select few against a US nuclear attack. Step back in time to the clandestine and tense era of the Cold War and enjoy an interactive tour of this bunker turned museum, followed by a tour of the most luxurious and extravagant of the Stalinist era metro stations with their marble columns and chandeliers all with an English speaking guide.

Experiences

If you are interesting in trips with similar experiences to this one, then check out some of the ones we've listed below.

Live It Local

The-Palace-Of-Catherine-The-Great-In-St-Petersburg

Palaces & Forts

Want to see how the other half live? Then take a look at our selection of tours that visit all the best palaces and forts around the world. Many of the wonderfully ornate edifices that we visit are now historical museums and sites of interest allowing you to have a good old look around. And when you've had your fill of sightseeing, it's time to live like a king and stay in one of the many hotels that have been converted from a palace or fort!

Soviet Style

On many of our group tours we provide the chance to get to experience certain aspects of Russian culture that visitors often miss – the Russian Banya (Sauna) and a once top secret underground bunker. In Pskov we take you to a Banya where you can get out of the cold and experience the healing properties for yourself, just watch out for the Bannik! In Moscow you can step back in time to the clandestine and tense era of the Cold War and enjoy an interactive tour of the secret bunker turned museum.

Wonders of the World

St Basil's Cathedral

One of Russia’s most iconic images is undoubtedly St Basil’s Cathedral, with its riotously colourful tent roofs and twisting onion shaped domes, each with their own distinctive pattern and colour scheme. Located on Red Square in Moscow, opposite the Kremlin, St Basil’s Cathedral was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1552 to mark the 1552 capture of Kazan from Mongol forces. It was designed by architect Postnik Yakovlev and completed in 1561. According to legend, Ivan was so ‘blown away’ at the beauty and intricacy of Postnik’s work; he had him blinded so that he would never be able to design anything as fantastical again!

Highlights & Inclusions

Below is a list of key highlights and what is included on this tour. Further, where appropriate, we have listed the items that are not included in the tour price.

Trip Highlights

Moscow - UNESCO-listed Red Square, Kremlin and Lenin’s Mausoleum, St Basil’s Cathedral
St Petersburg - UNESCO-listed city area including: Nevsky Prospekt, Museum and University districts, Church on Spilled Blood, The Bronze Horseman, Admiralty End, St Petersburg Hermitage at the Winter Palace

Novgorod - ancient city by the Volkhov River, Novgorod Kremlin, cathedral and other sights
Other sites of St Petersburg included on the optional pukka pass

What's Included

7 breakfasts and 1 lunch
1 overnight train Moscow - Novgorod (4 berth enclosed sleeper cabin) including bed linen
Guided sightseeing - Moscow city, Red Square and Kremlin, Novgorod Kremlin territory, St Petersburg city coach tour and Hermitage at Winter Palace
All relevant transfers and transportation in private air-conditioned touring vehicle
Escorted by an English speaking Russian tour leader for groups of 6 or more
Moscow Metro travel card - 6 journeys

6 nights 3 - 4 star hotels
Airport arrival and departure transfer on day 1 and day 8
Entrance fees to the Moscow Kremlin, Novgorod Kremlin territory and the Hermitage at the Winter Palace
Russian banya (sauna) experience
Specialist guides at local sights
NOTE: In Russia on the go use 3 star and 4 star accommodation as classified by the Russian Ministry of Tourism. However, please be aware that 3 star and 4 star standards throughout Russia vary greatly and cannot be compared to hotels of a similar standard in Western Europe or, and in particular, the United States.

What's Not Included

Tipping - an entirely personal gesture
Entrance Fees: $20-30 USD

International flights and visa

Postcards

Here's what some of our past travellers have written in to us and said about their experiences on this trip.

Treasures of the Tsars - 8 days

This was a fantastic holiday, I had a wonderful time and learnt a lot about this beautiful country. Well worth recommendation!

Hugh Benns, Jul 2010

Treasures of the Tsars - 8 days

I really enjoyed the tour! Loved Katya's stories - very interesting and funny. The pace of the tour was very good and enough time to explore the sites by ourselves.

Scott, Jun 2010

Treasures of the Tsars - 8 days

Very insightful and interesting. I could not compliment Katya, our guide enough - we felt very lucky to have such a passionate and knowledgeable guide. Thank you for everything.

Richard and Shirley Walker, Sep 2009

Treasures of the Tsars - 8 days

Just wanted to submit some feedback for our recent On The Go tour of Russia - the Treasures of the Tsars.

This was an excellent tour - really well paced with plenty of time to explore Moscow, Novgorod and St Petersburg. Included and optional excursions were excellent and I would highly recommend these (especially the bunker tour in Moscow and the Pukka pass in St Petersburg).

While we saw many great sites and had some amazing experiences the true highlight of our trip was our guide, Katya.

Katya's knowledge of Russia seemed endless and she shared with us information on history, politics, religion, important sites and people. She was also a great source of knowledge for the best places to shop, eat and even go to the toilet (very important when travelling).

We would highly recommend our tour (and On The Go) to people interested in visiting Russia as we found the experience to be excellent.

Gail Collins, Jul 2009