8 DAYS HIGHLIGHTS OF RUSSIA

Arriving into Moscow, we drive 50km or 1h to city centre for a walking tour of Red Square, GUM department store and St Basil Cathedral (closed Tue and first Mon of each month), though with a sordid history that Ivan the Terrible ordered to blind the architects to prevent them from building more masterpieces. We will also pass the exterior of Lenin’s Mausoleum.

Start at the impressive Kremlin (closed Thu), the Russian president’s official residence, including the Armory Museum’s vast collection of Imperial Russia artwork and the greatest collection of Faberge Imperial Easter Eggs. In the afternoon, ride the underground metro to the opulent Mayakovskaya and Ploschad Revolyutsii to learn about Stalin’s vision for the Soviet Union.

OPTIONAL: An evening of opera or ballet at Bolshoi Theatre (closed Mon).

Discover Moscow’s heritage and top viewpoints from a sidecar. Drive past Peter the Great, White House, Sparrow Hills’ observation platform and Hill of Glory. Continue to the UNESCO-listed Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery with its cluster of sparkling dome and gorgeous turreted wall, likened as a miniature Kremlin. 

We then spend some time at Arbat Street packed with art, handmade crafts and antiques.

The morning is free at leisure. You can visit WW2 Bunker 42 (a formerly secret Taganskiy created out of a Cold War-era secret signalling centre) or Tretyakov Gallery (one of the world’s largest museum showcasing different schools of Russian paintings between 10th-20th century, from ancient icons to avant-garde).

Transfer to the railway station for your 4-hours first class train ride to St Petersburg. Upon arrival, a short transfer of about 15mins brings you to your accommodation in St Petersburg.

Start at Hermitage (closed Mon) with a special visit to the Diamond Room for the largest collection of the Russian Imperial family jewellery and art. The Winter Palace’s incredible collection by Leonardo Da Vinci, Matisse and Picasso rivals Louvre or British Museum. Continue to a Vodka Museum followed by a traditional Russian lunch and vodka tasting. On a guided St Petersburg city tour, stroll the main street, Nevsky Prospect, the grandiose St Isaacs Cathedral (closed Wed) and Church of the Saviour on Split Blood (closed Wed) to learn why it is also dubbed as the “potatoes church”.

Make an excursion to Peterhof (closed Mon), dubbed the “capital of fountains” or “Russian Versailles”. Visit its centrepiece, the Great Palace, stroll in the lovely gardens of Venus and Bacchus and enjoy lunch at the Summer Palace Restaurant before returning to the city. Visit Peter and Paul Fortress (closed Wed), the burial vault of Peter the Great and other Russian tsars where the history of the Romanov family and the city comes alive.

OPTIONAL: A world-renowned evening ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre.

We make an excursion to Pushkin’s Catherine Palace. Walk through the hall labyrinths with a special visit to the Amber Room, decorated in gold leaf and mirror, followed by a pleasant walk through the park. The rest of the day is free at leisure for shopping or visit the State Russian Museum.

Transfer 20km or drive 30mins to the airport for your flight.