Where will you be celebrating on New Year's Eve? Ring in the New Year in Moscow's Red Square, journey through Russia's heartland for some alpine fun and a steamy banya in Pskov before heading north to beautiful St Petersburg.
Day 1: 29 Dec:
Welcome to your New Year's holiday in Pukka Russia! Wanting more time in Moscow? This is the trip! Arrival
transfer from the airport to hotel and check in. This
evening our Welcome Meeting takes place. Remainder of
the evening at leisure, maybe go for a drink in the bar or a
coffee in the lounge. Overnight - Moscow
Day 2: 30 Dec: Walking Tour & Ice Skating
Walking tour of Kitay-Gorod and
Lubyanka area where visits can be made to St Basil’s
Cathedral, the impressive GUM department store or Lenin’s
Mausoleum. Later in the day, we can take a journey on the
Stalinist-era Metro, to view some of the gold gilded frescoes
that adorn many of the stations or go ice skating with your
tour leader in Gorky Park. Overnight - Moscow (B)
New Years Red Square - 9 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: 31 Dec: New Years Eve & Kremlin Tour
Today, we enjoy a guided tour of
Red Square and the mighty 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. The remainder of
the afternoon is free. There’s loads of eateries and bars in
the immediate area - a good choice for your own private
Moscow New Year’s celebration! Overnight - Moscow (B)
Day 4: 01 Jan: New Year's Day Explore Moscow
Moscow - Pskov. Free day to relax and do as you please. Later this evening, we travel by comfortable overnight sleeper train to Pskov.
Overnight - Sleeper Train (B)
Day 5: 02 Jan: Pskov & a Steamy Banya
Good morning, Pskov! Today we enjoy
a day of alpine fun - ice-skating on the frozen lake or crosscountry
skiing. *There are no mountains in the region, so
a special type of ski is used for cross-country skiing. If the
weather is inclement, we may need to alter our itinerary.
Early this afternoon we steam up at a local Russian banya
(sauna) and also indulge in a home cooked lunch with a
vodka or two. Back at our hotel tonight we relax and tuck
into dinner. Overnight - Pskov and Pechory (B, L, D)
Day 6: 03 Jan: Pechory
Today, a tour of Pskov takes in the riverside kremlin, cathedral and other sights. A short drive brings us to the beautiful 14th century Pechory Monastery, where we explore the grounds and if monastic law permits, an exploration of the burial caves of this still-working cloister. Evening coach to St Petersburg. Overnight - St Petersburg (B, L)
Day 7: 04 Jan: The Hermitage
Today a city tour of the sights, including Peter and Paul Fortress, followed by a guided visit at the Hermitage - which houses one of the biggest and best art and antiquity collections on earth, the bulk of which was amassed by Catherine the Great. Remains of day at leisure. Overnight - St Petersburg (B)
Day 8: 05 Jan: Free Time to Explore
Free day. If you purchase the pukka pass, today will include guided sightseeing transportation, lunch and entrance fees. Highlights will include Peter and Paul Fortress, Pavlovsk Palace or Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo. Overnight - St Petersburg (B)
Day 9: 06 Jan: Last day in St Petes
Our tour ends after breakfast and hotel check out at 12 noon. (B)
See more of St Petes!
Go the max and purchase our St Petes Pukka Pass. You’ll get a full day of sightseeing in St. Petersburg including all transportation, guiding, entrance fees and lunch. A visit to either the gardens of Peter the Great’s Peterhof, which overlook the Gulf of Finland (summer) or a visit to Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo (or Pavlosk Palace on winter tours if Catherine Palace is closed). Then stop for lunch overlooking the Griboyedov Canal before continuing on to view the inside of The Church on Spilled Blood.
FROM USD $1,639
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 who require their own room and needs to be added to the 'Twin/Double' price.
If you are happy to be paired up with another single traveller of the same sex on your tour, this can be arranged, thus avoiding the single person supplement. All our group tours are guaranteed to depart subject to a minimum of 2 travellers.
New Years Red Square - 9 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.
Start the day with a visit to either the gardens of palatial Peterhof, overlooking the Gulf of Finland in the summer OR Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo in the winter (Pavlosk Palace is viewed if Catherine Palace is closed). We stop for lunch at the popular restaurant, where we enjoy a hearty meal, before exploring inside the beautiful Church on Spilled Blood.
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.
Escape the bustling city of St Petersburg with an overnight stay in a country house in ancient Novgorod. Your visit begins with a tour of the historic Kremlin (Fortress) grounds and the open air museum of Russian wooden architecture. You’ve free time to admire Novgorod - listed by UNESCO as one of the top 100 cities of the world. Why not soak up the views from a leisurely walk along the Volkhov river, visit one of the great medieval abbeys, or wander round the quaint shops and bars.
Experiences
If you are interesting in trips with similar experiences to this one, then check out some of the ones we've listed below.
Enjoy a little skiing action on our Trans-Siberian adventure or winter Russia tours, where you can cross country ski in rural Pskov, beside the mighty Lake Baikal in Siberia or up in Russia's wild Ural Mountains.
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.
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 and Gorky Sculpture Park
Pechory - ancient monastery
St Petersburg Hermitage at the Winter Palace
Pskov - ancient town near Estonian border
St Petersburg - UNESCO-listed city area including: Nevsky Prospekt, Museum and University districts, Church on Spilled Blood, The Bronze Horseman, Peter and Paul Fortress and Admiralty End
Other sites of St Petersburg included on the optional pukka pass
What's Included
8 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 1 dinner
1 overnight train Moscow - Pskov (open sleeper cabin) including bed linen
Guided sightseeing - Moscow city, Red Square and Kremlin, Pskov, Pechory monastery, St Petersburg city tour,Peter and Paul Fortress and Hermitage at Winter Palace
Winter pursuits - ice skating, cross-country skiing in Pskov
Escorted by an English speaking Russian tour leader
All relevant transfers and transportation on tour
7 nights 3 star hotels
Airport arrival transfer on day 1
Russian banya (sauna) experience
Moscow Metro travel card - 6 journeys
Specialist Russian 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
International flights and visa
Entrance Fees: $50-60 USD
Tipping - an entirely personal gesture
Postcards
Here's what some of our past travellers have written in to us and said about their experiences on this trip.
New Years Red Square - 9 days
Both tour guides were excellent. Very knowledgeable, kind & friendly. Great trip - very good impressions of Russia.
Jodie Lieffring ,
New Years Red Square - 9 days
I just want to say that Katya was an excellent guide. Her knowledge and passion for Russia is undeniable. She made my Russian experience more memorable than I could have ever imagined!
Carrie Maracle ,
New Years Red Square - 9 days
Tatiana and Katya have been incredible. They made us feel so welcome, looked after us and are very knowledgeable about the history of Russia. I loved it!
Adele Thain ,
New Years Red Square - 9 days
Katya is an excellent guide. Well organized, friendly, warm & knowledgeable.
Red Square at New Years was very well managed. Wonderful job!
I also enjoyed the train journey with very friendly Russians :)
Peter Dickson,
New Years Red Square - 9 days
Our guide, Katya, was very kind, easy going, her english was fantastic! She went out of her way to make the trip as comfortable and stress free as possible. The tour was ran smoothly and itinerary was great - especially Banya!!!
Thank you
Lauren P,
New Years Red Square - 9 days
Most important part of a tour is the guide. Katya was excellent and went above and beyond throughout the tour. Her knowledge of Russian history was really impressive as well as her command of English language. She is the best tour leader I've ever had (and I have been on quite a few tours now!)
I really enjoyed the tour and had a great New Year's Eve!
Cheers
Kate Ford,
New Years Red Square - 9 days
our tour guide was excellent, so confident and full of information, well organised and fun. It was great not to have to stress about organisation, knowing it was all under control!
Joanne Plumtree,
New Years Red Square - 9 days
I was surprised by the comfort level of the hotels we stayed at. They were super clean and really comfortable. Excellent food as well, and a great party on New Years in Red Square!! Those Russians know how to have a good time .. I thought it was great we got to mix with them all!