The best of Russian Capitals tour / 10D

10 Days 9 Nights Classic tour Cultural All year

► Tours  ► St Petersburg and Moscow tours ► The best of Russian Capitals tour

  

  On this private tour, we have selected for you the best sights in the most popular tourist destinations in Russia: Moscow and St Petersburg. In Moscow, you will see the most iconic places in the Russian capital: Red Square, St Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin, Sparrow Hills and Victory Park, as well as some of the most beautiful stations of the Moscow Metro. You will visit the main collection of Russian art in the country: the Tretyakov Gallery, and enjoy great views of the city from a cruise along the River Moscow. In addition to all this, you will also go to the VDNKh exhibition park, which will give you a taste of the Soviet Union with its many Soviet-era pavilions and spectacular monuments.

  You will get to St Petersburg via a high-speed train. In the Northern Capital, as St Petersburg is often called, you will visit the main sights in the city and two of the grandest imperial residences located just outside the city.  You will, of course, visit the famous Winter Palace where the tsars once resided and which now holds the State Hermitage Museum, and also see where most of the tsars were buried in the cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress. You will have a boat cruise around the city known as the Venice of the North due to its many canals and bridges and guided tours of two of the city’s cathedrals: the Saviour Cathedral on the Spilled Blood, which is wonderfully decorated with mosaics, and St Isaac’s Cathedral, one of the largest cathedrals in the world.

 From St Petersburg, you will have two trips. One to Pushkin (formerly Tsarkoe Selo) to visit the Catherine Palace and its famous Amber Rooms and the other to Peterhof to walk among the gardens of the estate, famous for its many fountains in various forms.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS TOUR

  You’ll see all the main sights of Moscow and St Petersburg in one trip. We included guided tours in the most iconic places of the cities such as the Moscow Kremlin, the State Hermitage Museum, and the Peterhof and Catherine Palaces (including the famous Amber Room). You’ll get a sense of imperial, Soviet and modern Russia.


1 DAY | ARRIVAL IN MOSCOW

  Arrival in Moscow. Transfer to the hotel.

 Night in Moscow.


2 DAY | TOUR OF MOSCOW

Krutitskoe podvorie

 

  Breakfast in the hotel.

  City tour of Moscow by a car - during this tour you will see the Russian capital’s main sights, including:

 Guided tour of the Tretyakov Gallery – on this tour you will visit the world-famous gallery that holds many priceless works of art by famous Russian artists. In addition, the gallery also has a collection of ancient and revered icons.

 Boat trip along the River Moskva - the river after which Moscow is named. The route takes you through central Moscow and allows you to see Red Square, Sparrow Hills and Christ the Saviour Cathedral from a different angle.

 Duration: 7-8 hours |  Transportation: by car and by foot

 Night in Moscow.


3 DAY | RED SQUARE AND MOSCOW KREMLIN

Moscow Kremlin

  Breakfast in the hotel.

 Walking tour around Moscow’s historical centre - the highlights of the tour are:

  • Aleksandrovsky Gardens – city gardens located next to the kremlin which have several interesting statues.
  • Red Square – Russia’s most famous and most beautiful square where you will find St Basil’s Cathedral.
  • GUM - the Russian equivalent of Paris’s Galeries Lafayette or London’s Harrods with a Soviet atmosphere and an interesting history.
  • Lenin’s Mausoleum – the resting place of the founder of USSR.
  • Bolshoi Theatre – one of the most famous theatres in the world.
  • Zaryadye Park - from here you can enjoy stunning views of the Kremlin from an artificial hill while also walking through a birch forest, swamp and tundra.
  • Christ the Saviour Cathedral – the main cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church.
  • Lubyanka Building – once the headquarters of the KGB, now home to the FSB.

  ​Guided tour of the Moscow Kremlin – the biggest fortress in Russia and Moscow’s main tourist sight. Today it also serves as the official residence of the Russian president. Located inside are the Tsar Bell and Tsar Cannon and several cathedrals and churches which act as the resting place for 47 pre-Peter the Great Russian rulers (including Ivan the Terrible and Dmitry Donskoy).

  Guided tour of St Basil Cathedral (1561) - one of the most recognisable symbols of Russia and one of the most famous churches in the world. In its history, the 16th-century cathedral has survived attempts by both Napoleon and Stalin to destroy it. Inside it consists of several small chapels connected by narrow stairwells.

 Duration: 7-8h |  Transportation: walking tour

 Night in Moscow.


4 DAY | SOVIET HERITAGE

vdnkh

  DAY 3 | ART AND ARCHITECTURE

 Breakfast in the hotel.
 
Excursions around sights in the capital which will give you an insight into the Soviet era. 

 Guided tour of VDNKh - the main exhibition centre of the Soviet Union. The complex has many pavilions resembling palaces, which once held exhibitions on republics of the Soviet Union or on various spheres of industry. Today it is a real-time capsule of the USSR.

 Guided tour of the Cosmonautics Museum - the main space museum in Moscow which exhibits samples of rocket and space equipment, personal belongings of cosmonauts and engineers, archival documents and Belka and Strelka, the first space dogs to return from space alive who have since been embalmed and put on display.

Guided tour of the Moscow metro - the most beautiful metro system in the world. You will see the best examples of the Soviet-era metro system and learn about its secrets.

 Duration: 6-7h |  Transportation: by metro

 Night in Moscow.


5 DAY | TRAIN TO ST PETERSBURG

Sapsan high-speed train

 Breakfast in the hotel. Free morning in Moscow.

 Afternoon transfer to the railway station.

High-Speed train to St Petersburg, which takes about four hours.

Upon arrival in St Petersburg - transfer to your hotel.

 Night in St Petersburg.


6 DAY | TOUR OF ST PETERSBURG

SPB troitsky bridge

 

 Breakfast in the hotel.

 City tour of St Petersburg - a private tour in a private car. During the city tour you will visit:
  • Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral – the oldest part of St Petersburg. The fortress’s cathedral is now a shrine holding the tombs of almost all emperors and empresses of Russia.
  • Nevsky Prospekt – St Petersburg’s main thoroughfare.
  • Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral – Russia’s equivalent of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, complete with a large colonnade.
  • The Field of Mars – a memorial established after the Russian Revolution.
  • Saviour on the Spilled Blood Cathedral (exterior) – a beautiful cathedral somewhat reminiscent of Moscow’s St Basil’s Cathedral, built on the site of the assassination of Emperor Alexander II.
  • St Michael’s Castle (exterior) – a residence built for Emperor Paul, where he was subsequently assassinated.
  • Anichkov Bridge – one of St Petersburg’s most beautiful bridges decorated with four statues of youths taming wild horses.
  • Bronze Horseman – an equestrian statue of Peter the Great which has become a symbol of the city.
  • St Isaac’s Cathedral – the largest cathedral in St Petersburg, the current version dates from 1818 and features a huge dome.

  Guided tour of the State Hermitage (Winter Palace) – a private tour around the world-famous art gallery which is located in the Winter Palace, the former residence of the Russian imperial family. Although the gallery houses an outstanding collection of European Art, often the interiors of the palace itself attract the most attention. Your guide will show you the highlights which may otherwise be missed if you are looking around the massive complex yourself.

 Duration: 8h |  Transportation: By private car and by metro

 Night in St Petersburg


7 DAY | TOUR OF THE CATHERINE PALACE

Catherine palace

 Breakfast in the hotel.

 Guided tour of the Catherine Palace – one of the architectural masterpieces of the style known as Russian baroque which was popular in the mid-18th century. It is one of the most stunning imperial palaces located outside St Petersburg (over 100kg of gold were used to decorate it). It is widely known for its Amber Room which is decorated entirely with amber, although the current version is a replica, since the original was lost in the Second World War.

 Duration: 5-6h |  Transportation: By private car  or by  boat

 Night in St Petersburg.


8 DAY | TOUR OF PETERHOF 

Peterhof

 Breakfast in the hotel.
 
 Day tour to Peterhof - the most visited imperial residence outside of St Petersburg is the Peterhof Estate which is often called the Russian Versailles. Peter the Great decided to decorate his new residence on the Gulf of Finland with many fountains ranging in size from the massive cascade outside the Grand Palace to small fountains in the form of trees to trick unsuspecting guest.
 Duration: 6-7h |  Transportation: By private car
 
 The fountains at Peterhof are on between May and October. From October to May, if you prefer, this trip can be replaced with an excursion to the Menshikov and Yusupov palaces in St Petersburg. 

 Night in St Petersburg. 


9 DAY | ST PETERSBURG'S CATHEDRALS

Isaaks Cathedral

 Breakfast in the hotel.

 Guided tour of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood Cathedral - the collection of mosaics of this cathedral is one of the largest in Europe. The mosaics cover the whole interior of the cathedral, and the production of these masterpieces delayed the completion of the cathedral by ten years! Famous Russian masters - Vasnetsov, Nesterov, Belyaev, Kharlamov, Zhuravlev, Ryabushkin - took part in the work. Even the iconostasis features mosaics.

 Guided tour of St Isaac's Cathedral - this is the largest cathedral in St Petersburg and one of the largest domed buildings in the world. Its construction was the most expensive in the world at the time, making use of 43 types of precious stone and minerals. It is 101.5m tall and can hold 12,000 people. However, its architect only calculated it could hold 7,000 people talking into consideration the large dresses of ladies at the time. During the war, the Nazis used this prominent building as an orienteer on bombing raids over Leningrad. From the top of the cathedral you can enjoy stunning views of the city.

 Boat trip along the Neva - St Petersburg is often called the Venice of the North due to its many canals and bridges. This means that one of the best ways to see the city is from a boat to get a whole different view of the historic centre.

 Duration: 6-7h |  Transportation: walking tour and by boat

 Night in St Petersburg.


10 DAY | DEPARTURE 

Pulkovo departure

 

 Breakfast in the hotel.

 Transfer from the hotel to the airport.

If you are departing Russia from Moscow we can organise for you train tickets from St Petersburg to Moscow and a transfer to the Moscow airport.

  DAY 10 | DEPARTURE ST

  • The tour is available the whole year round starting on any day, but please take into account that the museum’s working hours and days-off vary so we reserve the right to change the itinerary while trying to save the excursion programme.
  • Optional excursions should be booked before the start of the tour to schedule the itinerary.
  • Transportation in Moscow, where travel by metro is designated, can be changed to a car upon request, but please note that the transport situation in Moscow is not very good, so you could get stuck in a traffic jam.
  • Tickets to museums cannot be sold without an excursion with a guide.
  • During state holidays and celebrations, Red Square may be closed (either partially blocked off or completely closed).
  • The price of the tour may be increased during the period of the White Nights (11JUN-10JUL) and when the International Economic Forum (end of May or beggining of June) is being held in St Petersburg. Please check the price when booking.
  • All excursions/guided tours included in the itinerary are private which means private guides and private transport along the programme - unless otherwise stated.
  • Best time to travel on this route: from the end of April to mid-October and from December to mid-March.

• CANCELLATION POLICY 

DATE OF CANCELLATION

CANCELLATION CHARGES

FROM 60 TO 45 DAYS BEFORE THE DEPARTURE 10%
FROM 44 TO 15 DAYS BEFORE THE DEPARTURE 30%
FROM 14 TO 7 DAYS BEFORE THE DEPARTURE 50%
LESS THAN 7 DAYS BEFORE THE DEPARTURE 100%


Date of the tour

Language

Number of travellers

Adults:
Children (6-16):

Accommodation:

Cost of the tour in
Included
  • Private transport service according to the programme
  • Private guide service according to the programme
  • Second class tickets for the Premium train from Moscow to St Petersburg
  • Entrance tickets to museums.
  • Accommodation in a hotel of a category of your choice, central location, standard DBL rooms with breakfast.
  • Russian local sim card with unlimited data
  • 24h emergency support during the tour
  • Visa support documents
Not included
  • Plane tickets to/from Russia
  • Tips for a guide or driver
  • Meals (except breakfast)
  • Evening performances such as the ballet at the Bolshoi.
Name
Email
Country of residence
Phone (optional)
Additional
information
X
Your request has been received and we'll be contacting you shortly!