Discover Russia

Welcome to Russia. Arrival transfer from St Petersburg Pulkovo Airport to your hotel and check in. Later tonight you'll be treated to dinner with the rest of your group at the hotel, followed by an informative welcome meeting. Remainder of the evening at leisure - your tour guide can recommend some local bars for you to try out. (D)

St Petersburg is known as the 'City of Tsars' and today we head out of the city to explore one of the tsars' lavish palaces. We visit Peterhof Palace and its beautiful gardens on the Gulf of Finland in the summer (May to mid October) and in the winter we visit Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo (or Pavlosk Palace if Catherine Palace is closed). Often referred to as the 'Russian Versailles', Peterhof is famous for its beautiful gardens which are a wonderland of greenery and flowers, sweeping vistas and ornate architectural decorations, with spectacular gold fountains. At Catherine's Palace it's the exterior and lavishly decorated interior that is the highlight and the famous Amber room is simply spectacular, bedecked in gold and amber.

This evening you have the opportunity to join in on some optional excursions including a night at the ballet or a Cossack show. All optional excursions are subject to availability, and are booked and payable locally. (B)

St Petersburg – Moscow. Today we take in the highlights of the beautiful city of St Petersburg. Travelling by bus we make our way along the famed Nevsky Prospekt, past the museum and university districts and a few stops will be made along the way to see the magnificent St Isaac's Cathedral and The Bronze Horseman. We then visit the Peter and Paul Fortress and the ornate Peter and Paul Cathedral which houses the tombs of the Romanov monarchs. We also pay a visit to the spectacular Church on Spilled Blood. After a hearty lunch weenjoy a guided tour of the Hermitage Museum in the beautiful Winter Palace - which houses one of the biggest and best art collections on earth.

This evening we board our overnight sleeper train bound for Moscow. (B/L)

This morning we arrive into Russia's capital. Taking the metro, we will make our way to the legendary Red Square for the start of our walking tour. Here we will take in sights such as the epitome of Russian power – the Kremlin, Lenin's Mausoleum and the ritzy GUM department store. At the south end of the square, feast your eyes on the iconic St Basil's Cathedral. We also tour the mighty Kremlin, with a guided walk through the grounds to see numerous government buildings, gold-domed cathedrals and the Tsar Bell - which is the largest bell that never rang! If open, you can pay your respects to the grandfather of Communism at Lenin's mausoleum. Remainder of the day is at leisure.

During our stay in Moscow there will be the chance to join some of our optional evening excursions, such as a traditional Cossack Show or a Moscow by Night coach tour. Optional excursions are subject to availability and can be booked and paid for locally. (B/L)

Those who have booked our optional Inside a Soviet Bunker Tour Add-on will head 65 metres underground this morning and explore the fascinating Underground Cold War Museum - a Stalinist-era Soviet Bunker that up until recently was a top secret symbol of Soviet Power. The rest of the day is free to explore amazing galleries, museums, plenty of cafes, shops (including the GUM department store for high rollers) and bars all within walking distance. (B)

Moscow - Suzdal. This morning we travel by train from Moscow to Vladimir and then transfer to Suzdal, a picturesque Golden Ring town loaded to the hilt with ancient buildings, stunning medieval architecture and an astounding number of churches and monasteries. With pretty meadows and livestock grazing freely along country lanes, Suzdal has the relaxed feel of a small pastoral village.

We take a walking tour around the centre of Suzdal, where we'll see Suzdal Kremlin, Market square, Alexander monastery, Pokrovsky Monastery and Rizopolozhensky monastery. We'll also explore the remarkable Museum of Wooden Architecture which has a reconstruction of an ancient Russian village from Ivan The Terrible's time. This afternoon you can enjoy a traditional Russia banya (sauna) and if you get too hot you can always jump in the river to cool off! (B/D)

Suzdal - Kostroma - Yaroslavl. The next stop on our tour of the Golden Ring is the historic city of Kostroma which sits on the banks of the Volga River. We'll enjoy a bus tour of the city and visit the fairytale land of the Snow Maiden's museum. Here we'll explore the mansion, learn all about Russian fairy tales and visit the chilly ice-room where you can enjoy ice cocktails at the ice bar. From Kostroma we travel on to Yaroslavl for the night. (B/L)

Yaroslavl - Moscow. After breakfast today we get to test our artistic skills at a wood painting class in the grounds of one of city's oldest monasteries and you can take your artwork home as a souvenir! Then we explore Yaroslavl, a historic UNESCO-listed city which sits on the confluence of two rivers and has a skyline crowded with onion-shaped domes and imposing spires. Yaroslavl is the biggest and most modern Golden Ring town that we visit. On a bus tour of the city we'll see the Assumption cathedral, the remarkable 16th Century Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, Theatre square and more. We'll also visit The Residence of Her Majesty the Queen of Maslenitsa, which is an interactive museum with colourful wooden buildings. Maslenitsa (Butter Week) is a Russian folk festival where people eat traditional pancakes called blinis and you'll have the opportunity to sample a tasty blini at the museum.

This afternoon we travel by train back to Moscow, where we'll spend our final night in the Big Smoke. (B)

Our tour comes to an end after breakfast today. Hotel check out and make your own way to the airport. (B)