RUSSIA FOR ME

Day 4  Moscow

Moscow City Centre Walking Tour

A guided walking tour around Moscow’s major cultural and historical points. You will see one of the famous “Seven Sisters” skyscrapers built during Stalin's last years and initially thought of as elite housing. We will visit Lubyanka Square – the world-famous KGB centre from the Soviet epoch, and Teatralnaya Square next to the Bolshoi Theatre. Then we continue our walk through the small central streets and lanes where every building has its own unique and interesting story to tell. Most of them currently house Russian theatres, hotels, museums or state institutions. We also visit Tverskaya Street – the main street in Moscow, and the busiest – with lots of shops, restaurants and a unique combination of old, Stalinist and modern architecture. We finish our tour on the pedestrian Old Arbat Street, famous for its souvenirs and street dancers and artists. After our guided tour, you will have some free time to browse among the shops selling merchandise and enjoy the various Arbat cafes and restaurants.

Moscow Underground Guided Tour

Guided tour of the Moscow Underground – explore one of the masterpieces of the Soviet era, created in the Socialist Realism style. The Moscow Metro, with its stations decorated with marble, mosaics, stained-glass panels and bronze sculptures, looks more like a vast art museum. It was one of the proudest achievements of the Soviet era, and it still beats many other European underground systems with its ultra-reliable service.

Day 5  Moscow

Red Square Guided Tour

We will visit Red Square, arguably one of the most famous squares in the world. It got its name from the Russian word for "red", which many centuries ago meant "beautiful". Each building here is a legend: you will see the brightly-domed St Basil's cathedral, the world-renowned Lenin Mausoleum, the expansive facade of the GUM department store, Kazan Cathedral and the Kremlin towers. During the Soviet period, Red Square used to be associated with images of stoney-faced Communist Party leaders standing in the cold atop Lenin's Mausoleum, watching military parades. Today, Red Square is a popular tourist attraction that’s often used for rock and pop concerts, hosting such high-profile names as Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd and others.

Kremlin Grounds and Cathedrals Guided Tour

Next, you will discover the interior of the Kremlin - the former residence of the Tsars and now the residence of the Russian President. Cathedral Square still retains the aura of early Tsarist Russia, where the spirits of Ivan the Terrible, Boris Godunov and the early Romanovs loom large.

The Armoury Museum and Tsar Treasures

The first mention of the Armoury was recorded in 1508, when it started to function as the storehouse for the Kremlin’s weaponry. However, within a few decades, the structure had gained the added function of a workshop and a repository for all sorts of treasures of the Imperial Court. In 1813, the Armoury building became an exhibition hall and museum. The Armoury’s collection is overwhelming. It contains such exhibits as the chalice of Yuri Dolgorukiy, the helm and armour of Boris Godunov, a collection of over fifty Faberge eggs, golden and silver works of applied art by Russian, European and Oriental masters, priceless weapons and other works made of precious metals and stones.

Train departure transfer from the hotel

Transfer to the railway station. Our driver will meet you with a ‘Go Russia’ sign board in the lobby of the hotel.

overnight train

Overnight train to Novgorod the Great. Clean linen, including sheets, towels, blankets and pillows, are provided for each berth. The compartments also have personal reading lights, a big window and a small table. There is ample storage space for luggage within the compartment. Two bathrooms in every carriage contain a sink with running hot/cold water and a toilet. Cabins can be locked from the inside, and attendants keep a very close eye on what is happening in their carriage. As a result, trains are one of the safest means of travel within Russia.

Arrival in Novgorod early in the morning. The journey time is approximately eight-and-a-half hours.

Day 6  Novgorod the Great

Train arrival and transfer to your hotel

Arrival in Novgorod the Great. Our driver will meet you  on the platform. Transfer to your hotel.

Novgorod Kremlin Guided Tour

Novgorod the Great (Velikiy Novgorod in Russian) is one of the oldest towns in Russia, founded in the 9th century. It is situated at the source of the River Volkhov and Lake Ilmen, not far from St Petersburg. Its history is inextricably linked to all the key stages of the development of the Russian state. Twice, in the middle of the 9th century and the end of the 15th century, the town stood at the cradle of Russian statehood. Novgorod the Great is the birthplace of Russian democratic and republican traditions, and an important spiritual stronghold of orthodox Russia.

We will visit the Novgorod Kremlin (traditionally known as the Detinets) - a masterpiece of medieval architecture which also contains the oldest palace in Russia, dating back to 1433 – the Chamber of the Facets, which served as the main meeting hall of the Russian archbishops. It contains the oldest Russian bell tower, dating from mid-15th century, and the oldest Russian clock tower. The Kremlin also features a royal palace and a bronze monument to the Russian Millennium, representing the most important figures from the country's history.

Yaroslav's Courtyard in Great Novgorod

Guided tour around Yaroslav's Courtyard, named after the Grand Prince of Novgorod and Kiev, Yaroslav the Wise, who managed to unite the two principalities for some time under his rule in the 11th century. Yaroslav ordered that his palace be built on the right bank of the Volkhov River, opposite the Kremlin. Shortly after the construction of the palace had finished, a vast shopping and trading area - the Trade Mart - was developed nearby. Hence the name of this part of the town, 'Trading Side', the busiest place in Novgorod for centuries. Yaroslav’s Courtyard included Gothic and German Courts where rich merchants from across Russia and the cities of the Hanseatic League lived while staying in Novgorod. In the Middle Ages, Novgorod was a major trading partner of the Hansa. Nowadays, the term 'Yaroslav’s Courtyard' is used to refer to the area around the Trade Mart, the Church of St Nicholas, the Church of St Procopius, and the Church of the Myrrh-bearing Women.

Yuriev Monastery

The Yuriev (St George's) Monastery is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site named Historic Monuments of Novgorod the Great and its Surroundings. It is one of Russia's oldest monasteries, founded in 1030 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise, whose Christian name was George. The monastery stands on the left bank of the Volkhov River near where it flows out of Lake Ilmen, only three miles from Novgorod.

Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture Guided Tour

We will visit Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture, situated along the Volkhov river and Myachino Lake, close to the Yuriev Monastery where you will find over 20 wooden buildings dating back from the XIV – XIX centuries which were brought here from various parts of the Novgorod region, among them wooden churches, dwelling houses and mills.

Day 8  St Petersburg

Hermitage Museum (Winter Palace) Guided Tour

A guided tour of the Hermitage, former residence of the Russian Tzars (the famous Winter Palace) and one of the best museums in the world. This stunning palace, an architectural masterpiece in its own right, contains a collection of over 3,000,000 works of art representing the development of world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century. The collection includes works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Titian, Raphael, French impressionists, sculptures and treasured icons, coins and Tsars’ jewellery. The Hermitage is an unforgettable place to visit.