Highlights Red Square Lenin's Mausoleum Museum of Contemporary History The Kremlin The Armoury Cosmonaut Museum Izmailovsky Market Day by Day Itinerary Day 1 Fly to Russia Arrive in Moscow where your local TCBC School Tours representative will meet you and accompany you by coach to your hotel for check-in and dinner. Moscow 5 days Day 2 Lenin, Red Square, Museum of Contemporary History This morning head to Red Square, which if correctly translated from old Russian should be referred to as "Beautiful Square". Soak up the atmosphere of Moscow's heat and soul, see the imposing Kremlin walls, resplendent St Basil's Cathedral and the upmarket department store GUM. Visit Lenin's Mausoleum whose body has been on display here since 1924. Continuing your tour, drive past the world famous Bolshoi Theatre, the sombre former KGB building and the spectacular Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. After lunch on the pedestrianised Old Arbat, visit the excellent extensive exhibitions in the Contemporary History Museum and reflect upon the most important political and cultural events affecting Russia over the past century. Day 3 Kremlin, Armoury, Metro, Novodevichy Start today with a guided tour of the awe-inspiring Kremlin which comes from the Russian word meaning "fortress". Walk past the mighty walls, the formidable towers and the sparkling golden domes of Moscow's historical and political centre, its heartbeat. See the famous Tsar's Bell and Tsar's Cannon and visit one of the wonderfully maintained cathedrals. Then tour the magnificent Armoury museum, displaying a staggering collection of artwork and royal regalia and wealth including immaculately preserved royal carriages, ceremonial weapons, tsar's thrones, crowns and coronation dress and Fabergé Eggs. After lunch, your guide will take you for a ride on Moscow's superb Metro, then continue your sightseeing tour with a close up view of Moscow University on Sparrow Hills from where you have a fabulous Our 5 day Moscow tour is the perfect introduction to this exciting, vibrant city. Each day your students will be surrounded by history and culture as you explore the very heart and soul of the capital of Russia on our guided tours. Standing in the heart of Moscow on Red Square and gazing around is one of those moments that will stay with you forever. This tour includes complete Russian visa processing service, expert local English speaking guide, 4 nights accommodation in twin rooms, airport transfers on arrival and departure, all transportation to scheduled activities, availability of coach for evening activities, all entrances as per itinerary and all meals except lunches. panorama of Moscow. Then make your way to Novodevichy (New Maiden's) Convent to admire the shining domes and stroll through the famous cemetery, the resting place of many notable Russian citizens. Day 4 Cosmonaut Museum, Izmailovsky Market This morning visit the Cosmonaut Museum located by the All-Russia Exhibition Centre at VDNKh. An extremely impressive and recently renovated museum, it documents the early days of space exploration until the present day, with interesting and detailed displays from the stuffed Belka and Strelka (the first dogs to return safely from space), to the iconic Yuri Gagarin, to a fun explanation as to how astronauts survive a journey into space. This is a very interactive experience for your students and will give them a very good understanding of the space race and why the Soviets valued it so highly. In the afternoon head to Izmailovsky souvenir market, located in the north-east of Moscow, a vast outdoor bazaar, jam-packed with quintessential Russian souvenirs - hats, military watches, lacquer boxes, wooden handicraft, chess sets, amber, matryoshka dolls and much more. This is a place where shopping dreams come true! Day 5 Return home Morning schedule depends on flight times. Then transfer to the airport for your return flight home. Kremlin skyline, view from the river

Highlights Peter & Paul Fortress Yusupov Palace Hermitage Catherine's Palace Siege of Leningrad Museum of Political Museum History Day by Day Itinerary Day 1 Fly to Russia Depart on your flight to Russia! Arrive in St Petersburg, the Venice of the North, where you will be met by your TCBC School Tours expert local guide, then transfer to your hotel by coach for check-in and dinner. Day 2 City Sightseeing, Peter & Paul Fortress Start today with a comprehensive guided sightseeing tour of this beautiful former capital city. Amongst many striking sights see the Church of the Spilt Blood, St Isaac's Cathedral, the Bronze Horseman, and the remarkable battleship Aurora. Cross the Neva River to tour historic Peter and Paul Fortress and see why Peter the Great selected this location as ideal for the foundation of St Petersburg in 1703. The Cathedral on the island, given away by its tall gleaming golden spire, was the burial place for Russian Emperors since Peter the Great. In 1998, the remains of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his family were finally buried here. Day 3 Hermitage, Yusupov Palace Today enjoy a guided tour of the State Hermitage Museum, one of the largest and finest art galleries in the world, with a collection of over 3 million exhibits.your guide will introduce you to the most important exhibits since you would need several years to see everything! After lunch on Nevsky Prospekt, visit the beautiful interiors of the Yusupov Palace. It belonged to the wealthy and respected Yusupov family and is now famed for being the scene of Rasputin's murder in December 1916. Day 4 Siege of Leningrad, Political History Museum This morning make your way to the English Embankment to visit Rumyantsev Mansion which houses one of the most impressive Siege of Leningrad exhibitions in St Petersburg displaying a large selection of photographs and documents. In the afternoon tour the Political History Museum, founded in 1919 and located in a historical part of the city centre in two mansions. One of the mansions used to belong to the Mariinsky theatre prima ballerina Matilda Kseshinskaya. In 1917 it housed St Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With the River Neva running through its heart, a delightful network of canals and bridges, palaces galore and Italian facades, the city has a very European feel to it. 5 days in St Petersburg is the perfect amount of time to visit the major attractions and for your students to get a real sense of the local culture and 300 year history. This tour includes complete Russian visa processing service, expert local English speaking guide, 4 nights accommodation in twin rooms, airport transfers on arrival and departure, all transportation to scheduled activities, availability of coach for evening activities, all entrances as per itinerary and all meals except lunches. the headquarters of the Bolshevik revolutionists and was very often visited by famous Bolsheviks like Lenin, Stalin, Zinovyev and Sverdlov. Current exhibitions and displays focus on the main political, economic and cultural changes of Russia in the 19th21st centuries and the turning points of Russian history. The Museum is dedicated to telling the stories of famous Russian politicians, reformers, revolutionaries, emperors and party leaders. Day 5 Pushkin, Catherine's Palace, Flight Home After check out, travel south to the small town of Tsarskoe Selo, formerly known as Pushkin after the famous poet who once studied here. Tour the magnificent Catherine Palace, see the splendid Amber Room and stroll through the beautiful gardens. Later on, following some lunch, transfer to the airport for your flight home. "We have travelled with TCBC on several occasions and once again, this trip entirely met our expectations. As ever, the service was friendly and efficient and the programme, which was excellently compiled, is very relevant to our curriculum. I am looking forward to repeating this trip with different groups in the years to come." JONATHAN SELBY, BEDALES SCHOOL St Petersburg 5 days Whitley Bay High School students, St Petersburg