Day 1 St. Petersburg
Arrive in St. Petersburg, Russia
Airport pick-up, transfer and check-in at your down-town hotel
Day 2 St. Petersburg
Morning:
Tour of St. Peter and St. Paul Fortress and Cathedral – the birthplace of St. Petersburg. The Fortress occupies the entire island, and was meant to secure the capital of Russia from the Swedes. We shall also visit the St. Peter & St. Paul Cathedral where the Russian Tsars starting from Peter the Great were buried. The slim, sharp spire of the Cathedral became the leitmotif of St. Petersburg.
Afternoon:
City tour of St. Petersburg shall introduce us to the former administrative center of Imperial Russia. St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) has an unsurpassed blend of Russian and Western European Architecture. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703 as “Sankt Peterburg”, a forward military base exposed to Swedish attacks, the town became the capital of Russia as early as 1712. For over 200 years St. Petersburg was the epicenter of Russia’s politics. The imposing architecture reflects the city’s importance – the fabulous sweep of the golden colored General Staff Headquarters, the sea-green Winter Palace, the Senate Square where stands one of the best known symbols of the city – the Bronze Horseman, and much more…
There shall be plenty of stops during the tour to videotape and photograph the splendid and colorful Imperial historic center.
Evening:
Picturesque ride in the rives and canals of
St. Petersburg – our group will take one of the most spectacular trips in St. Petersburg and go by the city’s numerous rivers and canals. St. Petersburg is often referred to as ‘the Venice of the North’ for its over 90 waterways, 42 islands, and 300 bridges. This trip shall go past the most beautiful 19th century granite embankments, under uniquely ornamented bridges.
Day 3 St. Petersburg
Morning:
Private visit to the Vaganova Ballet Academy, Tour of the Museum. The Vaganova Ballet Academy of St. Petersburg, situated in a beautiful 19th century building with a majestic facade, is home of Mariinsky (Kirov) Theater. The famous School that graduated a galaxy of world-renowned dancers – Pavlova, Nijinsky, Balanchine, Nureyev, Baryshnikov, it still is probably the finest ballet school in the world, and offers superb classical training. Students of the Academy (ages 10-17) participate in the most famous ballets of Mariinsky (Kirov) Theater – “Nutcracker”, “Cinderella”, “Sleeping Beauty” side by side with prima-ballerinas, and after graduation join world’s best ballet companies.
Evening:
Theatre performance: ballet, symphony or opera.
Day 4 St. Petersburg
Morning:
Tour of the State Hermitage Museum will go through the State rooms of the Winter Palace, the former residence of Russian Tsars, and the Picture Galleries of the Imperial Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage was initially set up as a private picture gallery for Catherine the Great in the 18th century when the establishment of a royal picture gallery was seen as an affair of national importance in Western European countries. Such collection was needed to enhance the prestige of the Russian court and, after the acquisition of the first Dutch and Flemish canvases, both individual painting and whole private collections were bought. Today the Hermitage accommodates over 2,700,000 artifacts. Majority of the picture collection is Western European, and most important names in European Art History are represented. Madonnas by Raphael and Leonardo, Judith by Giorgione, Rembrandt’s Saskia as Flora, to name only a few of the more famous ones, as well as numerous Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. These treasures are set in magnificent surroundings – jasper, agate, marble and malachite adornments to the building provide a fabulous backdrop.
Evening:
Theatre performance: ballet, symphony or opera.
Day 5 St. Petersburg
Morning:
Tour of the State Russian Museum. The handsome building of the State Russian Museum dominates the Square of Arts. Built for Prince Michael in the early 19th century the palace was converted by Nicholas the II of Russia into the “Russian Museum of Alexander the III” in memory of his father; the later Emperor had taken a great interest in Russian Art, and the new museum which opened it`s doors in 1898 was intended to be the national collection of such work. The museum was expanded after 1917 through confiscation of rich private collections. The 300,000 artifacts of the Russian Museum provide a comprehensive view of Russian Art from Kievan times; they also give interesting insights into the Russian past.
Evening:
Gala dinner at a down-town restaurant.
Day 6 St. Petersburg
Morning:
Tour of the Prince Yusupov Palace – built in 1760’s to the plans of Vallen de la Mothe, the building is famous both as the most ostentatious aristocratic residence of St. Petersburg, and as the place where in December of 1916 Rasputin was murdered by Prince Felix Yusupov. The majestic interiors of the palace are perfect settings for the artifacts exhibited. You will be impressed by the display of the room with expressive wax figures showing the reproduced scene of Rasputin’s murder.
Evening:
Theatre performance: ballet, symphony or opera.
Day 7 St. Petersburg
Morning:
Tour to Pushkin – Catherine’s Palace. We will drive to the city of Pushkin, originally known as Tsarskoye Selo or the Royal Village, famous for it`s beautiful palaces and parks. Our tour will go inside the world-famous baroque style Catherine’s Palace, designed by architects Rastrelli and Cameron. This Palace is also the site of Russia’s greatest post-WWII restoration projects. The interiors of the Palace are truly breathtaking – from the majestic grandeur of the Great Hall to the sumptuous Chinese Blue Drawing Room. Also very impressive are the works of art that adorn living quarters of the Palace.
Evening:
Theatre performance: ballet, opera or symphony.
Day 8 St. Petersburg
Morning:
Departure from St. Petersburg (transfer to the airport).
Inclusions –
- City Tour as per the itinerary
- Peter and Paul Fortress tour
- Excursion to the Imperial suburb of Pushkin and the Catherine Palace
- Visit to the Imperial suburb of Pavlosk
- Visit to the Hermitage
- Hotel accommodation 3 nights in 4 star hotel
- Complementary break fast
- Visa support
- Welcome drink
- English speaking guide
- All tour by Bus / Car
