On arrival at Sheremetyevo A.S. Pushkin international airport in Moscow, you will be met by our local representative in Russia for a brief meet and greet. You will then be transferred to your hotel in Moscow city for Check-in.

Established in 1147 as a small town, today Moscow is the northernmost and coldest megacity in the world. Built on the banks of Moskva river in Western Russia, Moscow is the administrative and economic capital of Russia. Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the most popular religion practiced here with more than 600 churches dotting the city. One of the biggest financial centres in the world, it is home to the highest number of billionaires in Europe, and Europe’s tallest building is also located here. However, unlike other concrete jungles, Moscow is one of the greenest cities in the world with over 40% of Moscow covered by greenery.

The day is free to relax and roam around Moscow on your own. 

Overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast, we will proceed for a sightseeing tour of Moscow.

We shall begin the city tour with a visit to the famous Red Square. Located on the square is St Basil’s Cathedral. Built by Ivan the terrible, the first Tsar of Russia, it is a cultural symbol of the country. Famous for its colourful onion shaped domes, its design has likeness to no other building constructed in the world at the time. Also located nearby is Lenin’s mausoleum, where the preserved body of great Russian leader, Vladimir Ilych Lenin, has been placed in a wooden box for full public display. We will also take a tour of the Moscow Kremlin, an ancient fortress which serves as office for the Russian government.

The rest of the evening is free for you to enjoy Moscow on your own.

Overnight stay at hotel.

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – Circus has been an intricate part of Russian culture since the 18th century, when an English man named Charles Hughes who performed for the empress of Russia – Catherine the Great. Since then, it enjoys equal importance as other Russian performing arts such as ballet and opera. Enjoy the Great Moscow State Circus or New Bolshoi Circus at the Vernadsky Avenue.

After breakfast, we will proceed for a tour of Moscow’s metro.

The metro stations of Moscow are considered the most beautiful metro stations in the world. Designed to look like palaces, one of the chief architect of Soviet Metro declared “They used to have palaces for kings, we are going to build palaces for the people!” During the tour, we shall visit some of the most stunning metro stations and travel the Russian metro as used by the common Russian folk.

In the evening, we will proceed to Vladimir railway station to board train to St Petersburg.

Overnight stay on train.

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – Art lovers should definitely visit State Tretayakov Gallery. What started as a private collection by a textile merchant – Pavel Tretyakov, is today one of the largest collections of artwork in the world. The artworks reflect the history of the great USSR and its contribution to world culture. It presents a wonderful opportunity to admire contemporary art works by new artists along with legacy left by many generations of Russian maestros.

After reaching St Petersburg, we shall de-board the train and check in at the hotel.

Formerly called as Leningrad, St Petersburg is a Russian port city which was founded by Tsar Peter the great in 1703. It served as the imperial capital of Russia Tsardom and subsequent Russian empire from 1713 to 1918. The royal house of Romonov built many beautiful palaces and cathedrals in the city. It is located on the Neva river, and is interlaced by canals lined by beautiful mansions which give the city it’s iconic character. Today, while Moscow is the financial and administrative capital of Russia, St Petersburg is the cultural capital of the country and attracts artists from all over the world.

After freshening up at the hotel, we will proceed for a sightseeing tour of St Petersburg. 

We will start the tour with a visit to Peter and Paul fortress. Built to protect the city from an imminent Swedish attack, the fortress was one of the first structures to be built by Tsar Peter the great. Although the attack never came, the fortress housed the city’s garrison and also served as a prison for high ranking political prisoners.  Next, we shall visit Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. The church, decorated with ornate domes and beautiful mosaics, commemorates emperor Alexander II who was assassinated by political Nihilists. We will next visit St Isaac’s Cathedral which is the fourth largest cathedral in the world. Finally, we will visit Palace Square and marvel at the bronze horseman statue of Peter the great.

Overnight stay at hotel.

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – Similar to Venice and Amsterdam, St Petersburg is a criss-cross of canals, islands and bridges. Its 342 bridges are architectural marvels which offer a romantic sight to behold. Evening Boat tours running on the Neva river and its canals offer a mesmerising view of the city’s skyline. The monuments are illuminated by beautiful lights which makes the tour even more charming. You can opt for dinner cruise or a regular evening boat tour with champagne available on board. Those interested in watching the opening and closing of bridges, a unique and romantic experience, can opt for a midnight cruise.

After breakfast, we will head over to the Winter Palace on Palace Square for the tour of Hermitage Museum.

Winter palace is one of the most beautiful palaces in the world that was initially built as a humble aboard for the royal family but was subsequently demolished and rebuilt numerous times until it reached its current form. Today it houses the world’s second largest museum (shadowed only by the Louvre in Paris) – Hermitage museum. The three – storied palace cum museum is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture and boasts of more than 1000 lavishly decorated halls and rooms. The collection includes more than 2.7 million artefacts and art pieces from different parts of the world, from Ancient Egypt to early 20th century Europe. Works of the greatest artists in the world including Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh, Michelangelo and many more are displayed here. 

It is said, if you spend even one minute to look at each artefact, it will take you 11 years to see the whole of the Hermitage museum. Therefore we have kept the rest of the day free for you to spend the time at the museum as per your own preference.

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – Although Ballet was born in France and Italy, Russians adopted the dance form and took it to its lofty heights. The ballet performances in St. Petersburg are faithful to the classical traditions, focussing on perfect movements and super professionalism of actors. Those interested in watching a classical ballet performance by the best artists in the world should catch a production of the classical ballet at St Petersburg’s ballet theatres

After breakfast, we will proceed to Peterhof to explore the Peterhof Palace.

Inspired by the Versailles Palace, which mesmerised Tsar Peter the great on his visit to the French royal court, the Peterhof Palace is a set of beautiful palaces and landscaped gardens that today forms a UNESCO world heritage site. The only thing more magnificent than the grand palace are the surrounding gardens and golden fountains. The walls of the palace are adorned by paintings that reflect the rich history of the Russian empire. It was designed by the famous architect Domenico Trezzini who gave the palace its quintessential Petrine Baroque style.

Return to hotel for overnight stay.

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – “Feel Yourself Russian!” is a Russian folklore show performed at the Nikolaevsky Palace which features colourful performances by dance, choir and music groups. The two hour show gives you a sample of the entertainment enjoyed by the emperor court and gives you the feeling of a royal guest. Snacks and drinks are served during the intermission.

After breakfast, transfer to airport to board a flight to India. 

We check out from the hotel to leave for St Petersburg – Clearwater Airport International Airport.

Arrive home with pleasant memories of your Russia tour organised by State Express Global Voyages, which we are sure you will treasure for a lifetime.