Scott Dunn: ANYTHING ELSE IS JUST A HOLIDAY

Description

This week-long itinerary will introduce you to the highlights of Russia's new and old capital cities: you will experience the glory of the Czars in the Moscow's Kremlin museums and the summer palaces of St.Petersburg, as well as getting a taste for modern, dynamic, post communist Russia.

The itinerary described here gives a guideline, as our consultants will tailor make the ideal Russian itinerary to suit your needs, interests and budget.

On arrival in Moscow you will be transferred to the city centre in style, before checking into your hotel and enjoying your first taste of Russian hospitality. All the hotels we work with are very centrally located, so you can spend the first evening of your trip getting your bearings around Red Square.

We can arrange a private guide and driver for the duration of your stay, and on the first day in Moscow we would recommend driving up to Sparrow Hill, to enjoy the panoramic view of the whole city from one of Stalin's famous 'Seven Sister' tower blocks, before heading into the city to visit Red Square, the famous arcaded GUM department store, and Lenin's mausoleum.

You could spend your second day in Moscow shopping on Arbat Street, visiting the Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery, or admiring the city's finest collection of painting as the Tretyakov Gallery.

Other opportunities not to miss are the spectacular communist era metro stations, decorated with bronze statues and elaborate chandeliers. If you would prefer to do something more esoteric, we can arrange a visit to a government cold war command bunker or to a cosmonaut training centre!

Thanks to the new high speed 'Sapsan' rail link, you can reach St.Petersburg in great comfort in three hours and 45 minutes. The station is in the city centre, so soon after we pick you up you will be on Nevsky Prospect, the city's most famous boulevard, on your way to a luxurious five star hotel.

The Northern Capital of Russia is home to some of the country's best palaces, monuments, and theatres. Over the centuries the Czars developed the city into a breathtaking architectural ensemble: we will find you a fantastic and luxurious base to explore everything this exciting and vibrant city has to offer.

After your first evening in St.Petersburg, perhaps sampling the caviar at the hotel's famous vodka bar, you will be collected the following day for some sightseeing in the city.

One of our team of local experts can escort you on a guided tour of the Peter and Paul fortress in the morning, before showing you the best of the city's 18th century palaces and elegant canals.

In the afternoon spend as much time as you like enjoying the masterpieces of the Hermitage museum, housed in the city's most impressive building, the Winter Palace on the immense Palace Square.

During the rest of your stay we can include tours outside the city to Pushkin, where you can visit the magnificent palaces and gardens built by the Czars in the 18th and 19th centuries. The highlight for many is the chance to see the Catherine Palace, famous for its lavish decoration, culminating in the 'Amber Room'.

The next day travel to the Baltic Sea to see the fountains of the 'Great Cascade', the world's largest fully functioning 18th century fountain complex, at the 'Peterhof', Peter the Great's summer residence. Or, if you would rather stay in the city, you could visit the Yusupov Palace, and see where the owner tried, and eventually succeeded in murdering the monk Rasputin.

We can also arrange visits and activities that are a little more off the beaten track - why not ask us about a visit to a vodka museum or an afternoon painting your own Matryoshka dolls or learning to prepare a stroganoff with a real Russian housewife!

For aficionados of ballet and classical music, no visit to St.Petersburg would be complete without a visit to the world famous Mariinski theatre: Scott Dunn can not only book the best seats but we can even arrange a memorable backstage tour.

Guide price £2,650 per person

£2,650 per person based on two sharing in top five star hotels in Moscow and St.Petersburg, including flights and transfers, on a bed and breakfast basis. Private guide and driver also included each day.

Itinerary

When to travel

Location and directions

Russia

How to get there

British Airways operates regular flights from London Heathrow to Domodedovo.