10 DAY Big Red to Red Star EHWBHM-6 This tour visits: Finland, Estonia, Russia Veer from the beaten track and let our friends in the north show you how winter is really done. Travelling by ferry, coach and train, take in the snow-capped scenery, tumultuous history and unique traditions of Finland, Estonia and Russia. Don t forget to pack your thermals! This is going to be one chilly escapade. The Bucket List More Inclusions Local city guide St Petersburg Entrance and guided tour to the Hermitage museum and Kremlin Walking tour of Tallinn Driving tour of Moscow Driving tour of St. Petersburg Entry to the Hermitage Museum Visit to Kadriorg Palace 9 breakfasts, 4 dinners 8 nights hotel accommodation + 1 night onboard overnight train Overnight train ticket Ferry ticket Modern air-conditioned coach with free Wi-Fi Awesome Trip Leader
Trip Itinerary Day 1 - Helsinki, Finland Your trip starts here. Make the most of your day by stalking the major sites and embracing Finnish tradition with a hearty salmon soup (lohikeitto) for lunch. Alternatively, try ice-skating or foodie-stall hopping at Old Market Square before meeting your soon-to-be-besties for a group dinner. Day 2 - Helsinki to Tallinn, Estonia We'll ferry it from Helsinki to the Silicon City on the Baltic Sea, where Skype was invented and kids start coding at six. Be enamoured by Tallinn's fairytale charm, check out the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe and chow down on an included dinner. Nom nom. -Ferry crossing from Finland to Estonia Day 3 - Tallinn Today we've lined up the goods. Go all knight in shining armour with a medieval tour of the city (horse not included) and feed your inner hippie with a flower power visit to Kadriorg Palace. Must do: Hunt down the spot where you can see all five of the town's church spires. -Medieval history tour of Tallinn -Visit to Kadriorg Palace Day 4 - Tallinn to St. Petersburg, Russia Russia is bigger than Pluto, so it's understandable today's drive will take a while. Remember: good things come to those who wait. Say Zdravstvujtye (zdrah-stvooy-tee = hello) as we arrive in St. Petersburg in time to scope out the Venice of the North on a guided tour. Love: the Church of the Spilt Blood in all its domed and glitter glory. -Driving tour of St. Petersburg with local guide
Day 5 - St. Petersburg With 3 million items in the archives, the Hermitage Museum is your morning (and more if you want) sorted. It has the largest collection of paintings in the world and guard cats that protect them from rodents. Afterwards: go for your life, it's your choice. -Entry to the Hermitage Museum -Visit St Isaac's Cathedral Day 6 - St. Petersburg to Moscow (overnight train) Dress in your finery (Russians do a good line in chic) and take in the city at your pace today. Why not dial-up your inner hipster with a visit to the city's street art museum. See: 'All I Know About Street Art' for instant cred. Then all aboard the night train for Moscow. Day 7 - Moscow Bounce (technically, roll) into Moscow this morning to mix it with the billionaires - the city is home to the largest number of high-rollers in the world. You've got the day to explore at your leisure before the whole crew are back together for dinner. -Moscow city tour Day 8 - Moscow We've got your history book beat today. Take a trip to Moscow State University - former holder of the title, 'biggest building outside of New York'. Check out the Red Square, then onto the Kremlin. Facty bit: The Kremlin was saved from WWII bombing by disguising it as a normal house. The evening's yours. -Kremlin visit -Armoury visit
Day 9 - Moscow St. Basil's Cathedral in winter blows all those Hans Christian Andersen fables out of the water. Ogle the onion domes and pop back in on Putin at the Kremlin before going underground for the world's cheapest (art) ticket at one of 196 insanely elaborate metro stations. -Visit to metro station art gallery Day 10 - Moscow Time to say 'poka' (bye) after breakfast but it's a good thing it also means 'so far' - Moscow might not be done with you yet! Accommodation We endeavour to select a combination of good quality hotels that reflect the character of the local area as well as being as centrally located as possible, all the while striving to keep the cost affordable. Your trip will stay in a range of European hotels of three and four-star quality. Please be aware that European hotel rooms, especially those in major urban centres or older cities, may be smaller than what you are used to in other parts of the world. Standards and ratings may also be different to your home country. Rooms are en-suite and either twin or triple-share, depending on what you have booked. If you are a solo traveller, you will always be sharing a room with someone of the same sex. If you are travelling as a couple and would prefer to have a double bed, please officially request a double room with your travel agent or Topdeck trip consultant. We never presume that two people travelling together are a couple, even if you share the same surname, unless informed otherwise. Optional Activities On all trips we have arranged extra activities that we think will enhance your travel experience, but you have a choice as to whether or not you will participate. These are not included in the cost of your trip. They are usually organised on a group participation basis and should be taken into consideration when budgeting your spending money. None of the Optional Activities on your trip are operated by Topdeck, nor do they form part of your contract with Topdeck for your trip. Topdeck arranges the activity as an agent of the local supplier. Should you participate in any Optional Activities your contract will be with the local supplier and their conditions will apply. Please note: while we make every effort to keep these prices as accurate and up-to-date as possible, they are subject to change and in rare circumstances the actual price may vary slightly to what is published here. Russia - St. Petersburg St Isaac's Cathedral Russia - Moscow
Armoury Kremlin Metro Tour Meals Breakfasts are included every day in the hotel (except on the first morning). They are usually continental breakfasts, which are common in most European countries. A typical breakfast may consist of cereals with milk or yoghurt, bread, croissants, cold meats, cheese and a range of spreads, with fruit juice, tea or coffee to drink. It is rare to get a hot breakfast in continental Europe, though on some occasions there may be some hot food available as well. Included evening meals are in local restaurants or accommodation places, and are either two or three courses. In most cases table water is provided with the meals, and if you wish to purchase additional drinks you can do so at your own expense. If you have any dietary requirements we will make every effort to cater to your specific needs as long as you advise your travel agent or Topdeck Trip Consultant when you book. Please be aware that although we will do everything in our power to arrange it, we cannot guarantee that every restaurant we use will be able to cater to all dietary needs, particularly in Eastern Europe. We also cannot cater for tastes or dislikes, as most of our included evening meals feature a set menu. Topdeck Travel App Our travel app has landed! It is available for all passengers on our trips in Europe (excluding festivals) and in North America. More destinations coming soon With a range of cool features including a Currency Converter, Budget Planner, Check-In tool and Social Timeline (so your next #TravelEnvy post is never too far away) you can plan your trip like a pro. Think of it like your very own Topdeck Trip Leader, always on call with the latest info, weather, maps and city guides to give you the trip of a lifetime, all in the palm of your hand. Get it for iphone Get it for Android