Grand Russia

Welcome to Russia and let us start the Russian holidays from Moscow. Moscow is a fashionable cosmopolitan city with more than 12 million inhabitants of more than 100 different nationalities living and working together. We are glad you are here to explore multinational city combining a great variety of cultures and traditions forming a unique atmosphere of the former Soviet capital. You will meet your guide and be transferred to the hotel for checking in

This morning you will have a driving panoramic tour around the city centre. Varvarka street, Nikolskaya street and of course a visit to the Red Square where you will have enough time to explore the area with your guide: Alexander Garden, Kremlin Walls, Red Square, Mausoleum Building, GUM, Sparrow Hills and the Victory Park and many other sightseeings. After the lunch we will have a traditional tour to the Kremlin. The magnificent Moscow Kremlin is the sacred heart of the Russian Federation and the most ancient part of the city. It is the historic, social and political centre of Moscow. It is the starting point from where Moscow grew into a megalopolis, and it is where all Russian leaders have lived and worked. You will see the Tsar Bell, Tsar Cannon, visit the Assumption Cathedral, Archangel Michael's Cathedral and Annunciation Cathedral. Then, you might wish to visit Yeliseev Grocery Store at Tverskaya Street or Walk along beautiful Stolechnikov and Rozhdestvenka Lane by yourselves or travel back to the hotel accompanied by your guide using Moscow Underground.

After breakfast you will be met by your guide and taken to the tour around The Moscow Underground railroad network , commonly called the Moscow Metro, masterpiece of art and architecture. In this tour, we visit several train stations, which look like palaces, and boast of amazing statues, murals, mosaics, colorful marble, and ornate chandeliers. The tour will proceed to Christ the Saviour Cathedral, the central biggest Orthodox centre in Russia/Muslim Centre- Moscow Central Mosque. You will have a choice to stay in the city centre afterwards or to be accompanied to the hotel by your guide this afternoon.

After breakfast you will check out from the hotel, meet your guide and have a transfer to the train station. We are travelling to Saint Petersburg today. With a population of 6 million people, Saint Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia. It was founded in 1703 by the Tsar Peter the Great, the country’s greatest reformer who opened Russia to Europe. It was also the capital of the Russian Empire from 1712 till 1918. You can see and feel the heritage of Russia’s historical monarchy in its streets, parks, monuments, museums and citizens. Transfer to the train station. Sapsan fast speed train to Saint Petersburg (4,5 hours). Upon the Arrival to Saint Petersburg, you will be met by the guide and have a transfer to the hotel. Afterwards, you will be transferred to the hotel for checking in. The rest of the day is free. Tonight, you might plan to head out on the town or enjoy a soft drink in a bar or café or at our hotel. During the journey you can choose our optional tours like “Folklore Show at Nikolaevsky Palace” or a night at the Russian Ballet.

After the breakfast we take you to the Hermitage Museum in Winter Palace. It houses one of the biggest and best art collections on earth. Then, we will visit Peter & Paul Fortress and the Peter & Paul Cathedral, which houses the tombs of the Romanov monarchs. The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706 to 1740. In the early 1920s, it was still used as a prison and execution ground by the Soviet government. Afternoon is free for you to further explore. Most of the city sights are dotted along and just off the main street - Nevsky Prospekt. It’s an easy city to find your bearings and get around. St Petersburg has a spirited restaurants, bars and jazz clubs.

This day could be devoted to the best heritage from the Royal times- Peterhof Palace and the Gardens. Explore the opulent chambers and ornamented halls of Peterhof, declared the ‘Russian Versailles’, and delve into the rich history of the regal residence. Stroll amid the botanical grandeur of the garden, roaming past more than 100 fountains. The Grand Palace at Peterhof was designed to be the centerpiece of Peter the Great's "Russian Versaille". Around 1720, the Tsar gave up on attempts to establish his court at Strelna, mainly because the boggy ground proved entirely unsuitable for the canals and fountains that he envisioned. Moving his attentions further west to Peterhof, the Tsar began to draw up his own plans for the grounds and palace. Work had already begun on a modest palace, designed by Jean-Baptiste Le Blond, in 1714, and that building was completed in 1721.

After the breakfast, you check out from the hotel. The driver and the representative will meet you at the lobby to transfer you to the airport. You travel to Sochi today. Sochi is a Black Sea port city in Krasnodar Krai (Russia), located close to the Russian border with Georgia. The city covers a total area of approx 177 km2 (68 ml2) and has population around 350,000, ranking it Russia's biggest resort city. Upon the arrival, you will be met by the driver with the sign Visit Moscow Tours and taken to your hotel for a rest and lunch. This afternoon you have a guided tour to Stalin’s Dacha (summer residence of the former Soviet leader, the guide will open you the page of Stalin’s life, you will feel the soviet atmosphere of the time and even see the wax figure of Stalin, made on precise measurements). Excursion to Mount Akhun (highest Greater Sochi coastal point, famous as the best panoramic view of the city). Dinner in the hotel or local restaurant

Full-day trip to Krasnaya Polyana (small Russian Switzerland, Monastyr village, ride on the cable way to the pick of the mountains, Akhtsu Cave, Chvizhepse narzan spring, the village of Krasnaya Polyana, local apiary with taste etc). Lunch in a local restaurant (optional). Excursion to the trout farm (Trout fishery with guaranteed success!). After the tour you will be transferred back to the hotel and you might want to have a cosy family dinner on the seaside. The guide will recommend you the best restaurants in this wonderful city.

Free Day in Sochi

You will be picked up from hotel and transferred to airport to depart back home