Moscow & St. Petersburg

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1 Moscow & St. Petersburg Departures & Prices Airport Departing Time Returning Time Cost Availability Heathrow 09 Sep 16 08:55 16 Sep 16 17: Sold out Heathrow 12 May 17 08:45 19 May 17 17: Good Availability Heathrow 14 Jul 17 08:45 21 Jul 17 17: Good Availability Heathrow 01 Sep 17 08:45 08 Sep 17 17: Good Availability What's Included Return scheduled flights Seven nights accommodation in your own room in four and five star hotels All evening meals and one lunch (some in local restaurants) Drink included with all evening meals Tea, coffee and water with all evening meals Porterage (hotels and railway stations) Personal audio guiding system Hosted welcome drinks reception in Moscow Farewell champagne dinner in St. Petersburg The Moscow State Circus Sapsan high speed train (Moscow St. Petersburg) Services of a local English-speaking guide in each city Executive coach on all trips Exclusive services of a One Traveller Tour Manager Excursions as follows: Excursions in St. Petersburg as follows: City tour Entrance to the Peter & Paul Fortress Guided tours of St. Isaacs Cathedral State Hermitage Art Museum Peter the Great s Summer Palace.

2 Excursions in Moscow as follows: City tour The Kremlin including the Armoury Moscow Metro tour River cruise on the Moskva river Not Included Holiday Insurance You need to arrange your own but we can help. For more information, please see our suggested insurance services. Visa You will need to complete the visa form we will send with your holiday confirmation; we will then issue you with an official visa form and letter of invitation that you will need to take to the Russian visa application centre either in London, Edinburgh, Manchester or Dublin and lodge your visa application in person where your fingerprints will be scanned. The Russians operate this system very efficiently and the process only takes a short amount of time. The locations are very central so easy to combine with a day out in the great UK or Scottish capitals. We will apply to the Russian authorities on your behalf in the following four easy steps: STEP ONE: complete the visa form which we will send you with your holiday confirmation and return it to us in the pre-paid envelope provided. STEP TWO: approximately six weeks before departure we will issue you with an official visa form and letter of invitation. STEP THREE: you will need to attend the Russian visa application centre either in London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Dublin for a fingerprint scan on a day convenient to you no later than 21 days prior to travelling. STEP FOUR: your passport will be returned by secure courier direct from the Russian visa application centre within 21 days. The cost for a Russian visa is approximately 99 (paid direct on the day of application). Should you wish to apply for your own visa, you will require certain documents that we have to obtain from overseas and an administration charge of 25 will apply. Itinerary Key: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Drink Afternoon Tea Longer walks and steps may be involved on this day

3 1 Travel from the UK to Moscow Meet your One Traveller representative and fellow travellers and board your flight to Moscow. On arrival transfer to your hotel for a three-night stay. Evening: welcome drinks reception followed by a three-course meal. 2 Moscow city tour and Moscow State Circus Morning: your local guide and coach will take you for a city tour. See Red Square, St Basil s Cathedral, the Kremlin, the Theatre Square, the former headquarters of the KGB, the White House (made famous by Yeltsin), Christ the Saviour Cathedral, Novodevichy Convent, and the Sparrow Hills. Afternoon: lunch is included today followed by free time for entry into St. Basil s Cathedral before returning to the hotel. Evening: after dinner visit the Moscow State Circus. 3 The Kremlin (including The Armoury) and the Moscow Metro Morning: the powerhouse of the country, the Kremlin is undoubtedly the main symbol of Moscow, you will be surprised at how big it is; within the walls is a unique museum complex with important churches and bell-towers. Not only will you enter the Cathedral of the Assumption (where the Romanov Kings and Queens were crowned), you will also have a guided tour of the world-famous Armoury Chamber where personal items belonging to the Tsars such as coronation robes and Fabergé Eggs can be viewed. Afternoon: free time will be given on Red Square and an opportunity to visit Lenin s Mausoleum (subject to opening). We guide you through the Moscow Metro and point out the most opulent stations which lie underground. Evening: dinner will be in the hotel and you can take a stroll to Red Square afterwards. 4 Moscow: River cruise and train travel to St. Petersburg

4 Morning: depart the hotel and head to the river to board your boat for a morning cruise on the Moskva River. You will cruise past the Kremlin walls and will see parts of the city from a different perspective. Afternoon: free time on Red Square for lunch prior to boarding the high speed Sapsan train from Moscow to St. Petersburg in the late afternoon. Evening: transfer to the Dostoevsky Hotel for check-in and evening meal in the hotel. 5 St. Petersburg: city tour, Fortress & Cathedral Morning: your city tour by coach will take in all the highlights of St Petersburg including the Peter & Paul Fortress, situated on its own island in the river Neva and housing the burial crypt of the Romanovs. Afternoon: entrance and guided tour of St. Isaac s Cathedral (the fourth largest cathedral in the world). Evening: dinner out in the city. 6 St. Petersburg: State Hermitage Museum Morning: guided tour of the State Hermitage Museum with its elaborate interiors and lavish art and architecture. Afternoon: free to enjoy the Hermitage further, or to relax. Evening: dinner in the hotel followed by the opportunity to attend a beautiful classical ballet performance. 7 St. Petersburg: Catherine the Great s Palace Free to enjoy the city at your own pace or to join our optional excursion. Morning: Catherine s Palace, including the breathtaking world-famous Amber room. Afternoon: after lunch return to St. Petersburg to relax or spend time in the city at leisure. Evening: farewell champagne dinner in a unique local restaurant.

5 8 Peter the Great s Summer Palace. Return to the UK Morning: we conclude our holiday with a trip to the Russian Versailles Peter the Great s Summer Palace (interiors and garden) before flying back to the UK. A fitting end to a wonderful stay in two magnificent cities. Afternoon: after lunch, return flight to London Heathrow. Included excursions Moscow city tour This city tour takes in all the main sights of Moscow and includes stops at Red Square, Theatre Square (with the famous Bolshoi Theatre), Lubyanka (the headquarters of the old KGB) and the White House (seat of the Russian Government made famous by Yeltzin s declaration of independence). From here to Christ the Saviour Cathedral (conceived as a memorial to the Russian victory over the Napoleonic armies), a visit to Novodevichy convent; founded in 1524 and the venue of many dramatic historic events. There is so much to see in this incredibly exciting city that there is not enough space here to list everything! The Moscow Kremlin A 'Kremlin' is a walled city and Russia has many of them. The Moscow Kremlin is undoubtedly the main symbol of Moscow, located in the very heart of the city. It is a unique museum complex with churches, bell-towers, famous sights such as the tsar-bell and the tsar-cannon and the armoury chamber. During this excursion you will be guided through the Kremlin territory, visit the cathedral of the assumption, dating back to the 15th century and the world-famous Armoury Chamber. Moscow Metro tour The public palaces that lurk underground in Moscow are amazing. One of the main instruments that the communists used to demonstrate their superiority over the capitalist system (bigger is definitely better). Each day eight million people stroll through them. They are adorned with mosaics, chandeliers, marble, gold and brass. You will be taken to the most beautiful examples by your Tour Manager and local guide. The Moscow Metro is a truly spectacular sight. River cruise in Moscow Cruise the Moskva River through central Moscow. You will cruise past the Kremlin Walls and have opportunities for photos of the Kremlin (and other parts of Moscow) that you are not able to on foot. St. Petersburg guided city tour

6 All the major sights are covered on this introductory guided tour of the city. St.Isaac square and Cathedral, The Iron Horseman (monument to Peter the Great), The Admiralty, The Winter Palace and the Stock Exchange on the Vasilievskii Island. Many of the things you will see today will be covered in more detail later in the holiday. Guided city tour, including the Peter & Paul Fortress and St Isaac s Cathedral interiors St. Petersburg, Petrograd, Leningrad and now, again, St. Petersburg, the city s succession of names mirrors Russia s turbulent history. A half day guided sightseeing coach tour with an official guide to see the best of this city. St Petersburg was planned to perfection by Peter the Great; it is full to the brim of Palaces and monuments and there are many colourful stories that your official guide will be able to tell you. Entrance into the burial crypt of the Romanov's is included as well as a guided tour of the 4th largest Cathedral in the World. The spectacular St. Isaacs Cathedral. St. Isaacs Cathedral guided tour St. Isaac's Cathedral was built to become the main church of St. Petersburg and the largest cathedral in Russia. It was built between 1818 and 1858, by the French-born architect Auguste Montferrand. The Golden Dome of the Cathedral is one of the key elements of the city panorama. The cathedral's facades are decorated with sculptures and massive granite columns (made of single pieces of red granite), inside the Cathedral there are incredibly detailed mosaic icons, paintings and stained glass paintings. Services are not normally held here and the Cathedral mainly serves as a museum. State Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum, one of the world biggest art and cultural museums, is housed in 5 buildings: the Winter Palace, Maly (Small) Hermitage, Bolshoi (Big) Hermitage, New Hermitage and the Hermitage Theatre. The Hermitage collection started in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great had purchased 255 paintings from Berlin. The museum was opened to the public at the end of the 19th century. Today, the Hermitage boasts over 2.7 million exhibits and displays a diverse range of art and artifacts from all over the world. The Hermitage collections, both enormous and diverse, contain unique works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt and Rubens, works by French Impressionists Renoir, Cezanne, Manet, Monet and Pissarro, numerous canvasses by Van Gogh, Matisse, Gaugin and several sculptures by Rodin. Experts say that if you were to see all the works on display at the Hermitage and spend no more than a minute looking at each exhibit, it will take you approximately 11 years. We suggest you let us show you the highlights! Peter the Great s Summer Palace One of St. Petersburg's most famous and popular attractions, the palace and park at Peterhof (also known as Petrodvorets) are often referred to as the Russian Versailles. Versailles was indeed an inspiring factor for Peter the Great when he decided to build this grandeur imperial palace next to the city. Peter the Great's Summer Palace is a truly magnificent place with terrific parks and gardens, fountains decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs, the Grand Palace, Monplaisir and Marly Palace. The historic atmosphere and the spirit of Imperial Russia come to life in Peterhof.

7 The Moscow State Circus The world s most famous circus is so ingrained in Russian culture that it would be a shame to miss this. An intimate circus venue in the heart of the city with an entertaining adrenaline rush that will leave you with amazing memories of this great city. The World famous Armoury Museum The Armoury is home to Moscow's oldest and most prestigious museum, which boasts a staggering collection of Tsarist artefacts, Russian and foreign jewellery and armour. Parts of the Armoury are dedicated to artefacts directly linked to Russia's rulers; for example Catherine the Great's glorious coronation dress, the Saccos (ceremonial robe) of Peter, Moscow's first Metropolitan, which dates back to 1322, and Peter the Great's high boots and cane. A sumptuous collection of jewellery, tableware, icons and decorative objects can also be seen. The large case of Faberge eggs, presents exchanged between the tsar and tsaritsa every Easter, is probably the highlight of the collection, including the famous Siberian Railway Egg. Optional excursions Catherine's Palace This is a full day trip involving guided tours of 2 of the most famous palaces in St. Petersburg. The Catherine Palace and Pavlovsk Palace were the Rococo summer residences of the Russian Tsars, located in the town of Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), 25 km south-east of St. Petersburg. The Catherine s Palace is the jewel of Russian baroque - We take you inside the Amber Room (which is considered to be one of the world's wonders), the Ball Room (where Elton John gave a piano concert recently), the Picture Gallery and the Crimson Room. A stroll in the grounds after makes for a great start to the day. After a break for lunch we will continue to Pavlovsk Palace designed by Scottish architect Charles Cameron. We will have a guided tour to see the interiors and time will be given for the exteriors as around the palace is a huge park with numerous temples, colonnades, bridges, and statues. Ballet performance (in St. Petersburg) There will be a fabulous opportunity to attend a ballet performance in one of St Petersburgs historic and ornate theatres. The exact theatre and performance will be announced four to six weeks prior to departure. This is a truly wonderful experience and can be added to your booking. Hotels Both hotels used on this holiday boast fabulous city centre locations which avoid unnecessary lengthy journeys by coach. In each hotel you will have a spacious room to yourself with en-suite facilities. St Petersburg: Hotel Dostoevsky The Hotel Dostoevsky is a four-star hotel located in the very heart of the city. Just five minutes stroll away is the Nevsky Prospekt (the main street) where you will find The Hermitage, Kazan Cathedral and the

8 Church on the Spilled Blood. The hotel s bar on the 7th floor offers a fabulous city panorama. The guest rooms are well-furnished, with, telephone, safe, television with satellite reception, WiFi, and refrigerator. Moscow: Golden Apple hotel The Golden Apple 5 star boutique hotel is located in the heart of the city and boasts an intimate feel with very friendly English speaking staff. All rooms are air conditioned and come equipped with a safe, bathrobe and slippers, satellite television and wifi access. The hotel has a small restaurant where a full buffet breakfast is served and where evening meals are taken. In addition the hotel has a private sauna, Jacuzzi and mini fitness centre.