Russian pearls

Product Description

ITINERARY

DAY 01 MOSCOW

Arrival at Moscow International Airport, assistance transfer to the hotel. In Moscow, the remains of communist Russia are still felt like a cold and soft caress at every step through the city, intoxicating visitors with the magic of places such as the mythical Red Square, the imposing Kremlin or the beautiful Cathedral of San Basil. Accommodation.

DAY 02 MOSCOW

Breakfast. Panoramic tour of the city of Moscow (you do not enter any monument). During the three-hour panoramic tour you will be able to enjoy the famous avenues of Moscow, with its most emblematic monuments and delight in the majesty of the Russian capital. Stops will be made for photos in emblematic places: Red Square, Temple of Christ the Savior and Mirador de los Gorriones. Food in the city. We will continue with a visit to the Moscow metro and we will take a walk through the Arbat pedestrian street, one of the oldest streets in Moscow. This street is the most emblematic pedestrian area of ​​the historic center of the Russian capital with its many cafes, restaurants, museums, theaters and shops. Visit the Kremlin and two Cathedrals. Situated on the left bank of the Moskova River, the Kremlin from the very beginning was a fortress that defended Muscovites against numerous raids. The Grand Kremlin Palace and the Palace of Congresses is where the sessions of the Russian Congress of Deputies are currently held. We will be able to see the famous Tsarina Bell, made more than 150 years ago and exposed on a stone pedestal at the foot of the Tower of Ivan the Terrible. The Tsar Cannon is one of the oldest and largest weapons in the world. Back to the hotel. That night you can attend a Russian doll (matrioshka) painting workshop at the hotel. The workshop will last an hour, an hour and a half, and will be conducted by Russian specialists. At the end of the workshop, each traveler will be able to keep the matrioshka painted by themselves as a souvenir. Accommodation.

DAY 03 MOSCOW

Breakfast. Visit to Sergiev Posad (master class on Russian doll painting “Matryoshka”). Sergiev Posad is a small town located about 60 kilometers north of Moscow. There you visit the Trinity and St. Sergius Monastery: an architectural complex of the XV-XIX century, which represents all stages of Russian architecture and is an important spiritual center of the Orthodox religion, summer residence of the Russian Patriarch and a Monastery open to worship where more than 300 monks live. Food in the city. Visit to the Exhibition Theme Park in Moscow (VDNJ). This Exhibition Center was a source of pride and a symbol of union for the Soviet people and today it is still of great importance for Russia. In the 1950s it was rebuilt and expanded to accommodate temporary exhibitions, scientific conferences and of course the famous Museum of the Cosmos and the Space Pavilion, with prototypes of the Sputnik satellites, the Soyuz and Vostok rockets, reconstructions of the North American Apollo and an airplane Tupolev 154. Free time in the park. Return to the hotel and accommodation.

DAY 04 MOSCOW

Breakfast. You will have free time in the morning for optional visits, lunch at the city restaurant. Transfer to catch the fast train to St. Petersburg, arrival and transfer to the hotel and accommodation.

DAY 05 SAINT PETERSBURG

Breakfast. Panoramic tour of Saint Petersburg with a tour of the historic center of the city that extends over some forty islands created by the Neva River. St. Petersburg is often called “The Venice of the North”, “Window to Europe”, “and Diamond of the Russian Crown”. Designed and built by leading architects from around the world, the city attracts millions of tourists for the splendor of its majestic palaces. Most of the sights are concentrated in the central part of the city. During the excursion you will see the famous Saint Isaac’s Cathedral and the Kazan Virgin, Nevsky Prospect, Palace Square and the Winter Palace, the Admiralty and the Peter and Paul Fortress, which is visited. Lunch in a restaurant in the city. Visit of Saint Nicholas of the Sailors, one of the few churches that were not closed during the Soviet era and where sailors who died in service are honored. Back to the hotel. Accommodation.

DAY 06 SAINT PETERSBURG

Breakfast. Visit of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan and the Cathedral of Saint Isaac. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan is one of the masterpieces of classical Russian architecture of the 19th century and a shining example of the synthesis of the arts practiced by the best sculptors and artists of Russia. It was built on the site of an old stone church to house the ancient icon of Our Lady of Kazan, to which it owes its name. Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Saint Petersburg and the fourth largest in the world. 43 types of minerals were used in its decoration and nearly 100 kilos of gold were needed to gild its 21.8 m diameter dome. Since 1931 the Cathedral is a museum. You can climb up to the drum in the dome and see splendid views of St. Petersburg. Lunch in a restaurant in the city. Excursion to the Hermitage museum. The Hermitage Museum is one of the oldest and largest in the world. It is located in 5 historical buildings, including the Winter Palace that was the residence of the Russian tsars. The buildings that house the museum are architectural masterpieces as such and thrill visitors. The history of the Hermitage collection began in the time of Catherine II and to date it has more than 3 million samples in its collections representing very different eras, from prehistoric times to the present day. The collection is so large that it barely fits in the 400 rooms of the Museum. Back to the hotel. Accommodation.

DAY 07 SAINT PETERSBURG

Breakfast. Visit to the gardens of Petergof (without entrance to the palace). Petergof is the “Russian Versailles”, an impressive complex especially if you visit it in summer, due to the majesty of its parks, palaces and its famous fountains. Petergof was the most luxurious and beloved palace of the members of the Russian royal family. Its history begins in the year 1704 when Pedro I built a wooden house to watch over the work that was carried out in the Kronshtadt Fortress. Later, in 1713, he decided to build a palace there. Its extraordinary gardens have nothing to envy to those of Versailles. Lunch in the Shuvalovka village, where a Russian gastronomy workshop will be held with the participation of travelers. This will consist of a brief presentation by a Russian chef and the subsequent preparation, with his help, of pelmeni, the typical ravioli of Russian cuisine. Free afternoon. Accommodation.

DAY 08 SAINT PETERSBURG

Breakfast. At the indicated time, transfer to the airport by our correspondent at the destination to take the departure flight. End of our services.