World of DMC`s - Escape Travel LTD. (Russia DMC)

1. Land of Tsars
Moscow-St. Petersburg, 9 days / 8 nights
Day By Day Program
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Day One, Friday
Your plane lands in Moscow. Fill in the immigration card
(usually given on board the plane) and keep it in your
passport. Be prepared for some waiting until you get to the
passport control booth and then proceed to the luggage belt
area. Collect luggage and use a green channel of the
customs if you have nothing to declare. Nowadays there is
no need to declare cash or audio-video equipment. Your
driver or guide (if you travel with a group) will be meeting
you in the arrival hall with a sign bearing your name.
Transfer to the Marriott
Tverskaya Hotel, a cozy
art-deco 4-star deluxe
hotel offering all usual comforts of Marriott hotels. The hotel,
refurbished in 2011, is located on the main thoroughfare of Moscow
– Tverskaya-Yamskaya Street, in 10 min drive to the Kremlin. The
hotel has a bar, transportation desk and small gym.
20:00 Dinner at Gratzi restaurant of the hotel.
Meet your tour guide and your fellow travelers at dinner.
21:00 Moscow By Night City Tour.
When the evening rush hour is
over it is time to start your first
exploration of Moscow with
coach and guide. Moscow, the
capital of Russia, which history
dates back to the 12th
century,
is one of the largest cities in
Europe, a home for 10 million people. Moscow managed to preserve
great number of historical monuments as well as its old urban
structure. Russians say that the history of Moscow is the history of
the whole Russian country. In the night the city is especially
beautiful, enjoy breath-taking panoramas of Kremlin and Red
Square. Passing the University, continue to the Sparrow Hills, the highest place in Moscow. Enjoy the
beautiful view of the city. Return to hotel around midnight.
Day Two, Saturday
10:00-11:00 Tour of Moscow Metro
Today we do not have transportation and explore Moscow highlights
on foot. The nearest metro station is just a few steps away. Start a
brief tour of the famous Moscow underground. The Moscow metro is
not the oldest one in the world. However, the architectural style and
fascinating marble decor of many stations deserved the name of the
"Underground Palace". The first line built in the 30-ies abounds with
naïve revolutionary symbols and sculptures. The decoration of after-
war lines built in the 50-ies is much more exuberant because it had
to demonstrate the advantages of a new socialist society.

2. 11:00-12:00 Tour of Moscow Kremlin
After the metro tour is over your guide will take you inside the
Kremlin, the historical nucleus of the city, the former residence of
the Czars, now the seat of the Russian President. We begin the day
with a complete walking tour of the Kremlin and its grounds. The
Moscow Kremlin is an outstanding monument of Russian history,
enclosing an area of 70 acres next to Red Square. The walls are
about half a mile long and up to 62 feet high and 21 feet thick, with
20 towers and gates.
12:00-13:30 Tour of Armory
Inside the Kremlin we’ll tour the
grounds, visit one of the cathedrals and the Armory Museum – the
Treasury of the Czars. The Armory’s huge collection consists of many
precious gifts once presented to Russian Czars by foreign monarchs and
ambassadors as well as their thrones, clothes, crowns and armor. You
will also see the huge Belfry of Ivan the Terrible, Big Kremlin Palace,
Faceted chamber, the Czar Bell and Czar Cannon.
13:30-14:00 Walk through the Alexander Garden
Have a short walk through the historical Alexander Garden, passing
by the tomb of the Unknown Soldier with eternal flame – an
important monument for all Russians who lost 20 million lives during
the World War II.
14:00-15:00 Lunch at the popular “Godunov” restaurant
serving Russian cuisine of the 18th
century. Start your acquaintance
with Russian cuisine - try traditional borsch and taste vodka.
Do not be surprised to see many tourists, it is a bustling place.
15:00-16:30 Tour of the Red Square
After lunch we start exploring the Red Square. We enter the square
through the Iverskaya Gate near the small church of our Lady of
Kazan, both ruined shortly after the Revolution and reconstructed in
2000. You can also see the beautiful red-brick building of the History Museum, oldest department store
GUM with a very long faç ade, the place of execution, ending with the famous St. Basil’s cathedral,
perhaps the most eye-catching structure in Moscow.
After the tour is over you may return to the hotel by metro (2 stops) or by foot along the main avenue
of the capital - Tverskaya Street. It is full of fancy hotels, designer shops and boutiques, restaurants
and cafes. A good point is to explore smaller streets to the right of the Tverskaya street – Kuznetsky
Most, Kamergesky or Stoleshnikov passage. Here you will find even more restaurants and bars.
Dinner is on your own.

3. Day Three, Sunday
09:30-10:30 Visit to the Christ the Savior Cathedral
Depart hotel to visit the Cathedral of Christ the Savior which
has the most dramatic history reflecting the history of the
whole country. Built in the course of 40 years and completed
in 1883 the Cathedral commemorated the victory over
Napoleon in 1812. Closed in 1917 after the Revolution it was
blown up by the order of Stalin in 1931. A giant open-air
swimming pool was built on its place in the 60-ies. A decision
to rebuild the cathedral was taken in 1990. Restored to its full
splendor in 2000, the Christ Cathedral has again become a
dominating landmark of the Russian capital.
10:30-12:30 Visit to Novodevichy Convent & Cemetery
The Novodevichy Convent built in the 16th and 17th centuries
in the so-called Moscow Baroque style, was part of a chain of
monastic ensembles that were integrated into the defense
system of the city. The convent was directly associated with the
political, cultural and religious history of Russia, and closely
linked to the Moscow Kremlin. It was used by women of the
Tsar’s family and the aristocracy. Members of the Tsar’s family
and entourage were also buried in its cemetery. Many
prominent Russian scientists, composers and politicians of
modern time were buried here.
12:30-13:30 Visit to Poklonnaya Hill.
Historically, the hill had great strategic importance, as
it commanded the best view of the Russian capital. Its
name is derived from the Russian for "to bow down",
as everyone approaching the capital from the west was
expected to do homage here. In 1812, it was the spot
where Napoleon in vain expected the keys to the
Kremlin to be brought to him by Russians. Since the
1980s the hill also includes the monumental museum
to the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War. The
main building of the museum was constructed between
1983 and 1995. 'Hall of glory' holds reliefs of the 12 soviet Hero Cities. The Victory Park and the Square
of Victors are important parts of the outdoor museum. In the 1990s an obelisk was added with a statue
of Nike and a monument of St George slaying the dragon.
13:30-14:30 Lunch at restaurant “Sudar”
Resembling a mansion of a nobleman, the restaurant specializes on
gourmet Russian cuisine of the XIX century. Enjoy traditional Russian
specialties, warm Russian hospitality and, of course, vodka!

4. 15:00-16:00 Tour of Borodino Panorama
After lunch visit another unique place – the world’s largest
panorama of the Borodino Battle, the largest battle during
the Patriotic War of 1812 against Napoleon.
It was created at the request of Russian Tsar by French
artists F. Roubaud in 1912 at 100-anniversary of the
victory over Napoleon. Enjoy the largest painting of the
world.
16:30-18:30 Walking tour of the Old Arbat area.
After the tour the bus will stop in the beginning of the Old Arbat
street. Free time to enjoy the famous Old Arbat pedestrian area
full of restaurants and cafes, souvenir shops and street artists.
Dinner is on your own.
Day Four, Monday
Free morning in Moscow for independent exploration. Check-out.
13:30 Lunch at Gratzi restaurant of the hotel.
15:00 Transfer to railway station
16:30-20:25 Fast train to St. Petersburg “Sapsan”
Depart for Moscow by “SAPSAN”
fast train, the newest addition to
Russian trains produced by
Siemens within multi-million
contract. The cars have open
seating, the distance to Moscow
is 700 km, and the travel time is
3 hrs 55 min.
Enjoy views of Russian
countryside.
ST. PETERSBURG
Arrive to St. Petersburg which was the capital of Russian Empire for
almost 200 years. Few cities can offer so many stunning attractions
and intriguing moods as St. Petersburg – City of the Tsars.
Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, St. Petersburg combines its
fascinating Russian heritage with a distinctly European outlook.
Considered the cultural heart of modern day Russia, St. Petersburg
is rapidly regaining its reputation as one of the Great Cities of
Europe.

5. 20:30-21:00 Transfer to the hotel Sokos Vasilievsky
The hotel, opened in November 2008, is a brand-new four-star hotel
of the biggest Finnish hotel chain. It is located on the 8th
Line of
Vasilievsky Island, the largest island of the city. It occupies recently
refurbished historical XIX- century buildings.
The hotel has 255 rooms.
All rooms are equipped with
shower and almost all with
bath. All rooms have Wi-Fi
internet access and latest
technical outfit. Music pub “8th line” with large TV plasmas is
always full during soccer matches.
Thanks to comfortable location the hotel can become a starting
point for walking trips in St. Petersburg. A nice pedestrian area
connects the hotel with metro station, the central station
Nevsky Prospect is the next stop. Now St. Petersburg metro
has all signs in English and navigation is easy.
21:00 Welcome dinner is served at stylish brasserie Repin.
The hotel also has a cozy lobby bar, music pub and French wine tasting room.
Day Five, Tuesday
10:00-13:30 Panoramic city tour
After breakfast start a panoramic city tour. There is one
museum in the city that is never closed – the city itself.
Discover St. Petersburg – a city of infinite charm with its
majestic palaces, churches and cathedrals, river embankments,
beautiful parks and innumerous bridges – a city of imperial
proportions and romantic vistas which has been a source of
inspiration for the generations of artists.
11:00 Tour of Peter and Paul Fortress. It is the historical nucleus of
the city as well as one of the most interesting and beautiful architectural
landmarks. St. Peter & Paul Cathedral with its long gilded spire is the
burial place of all Russian emperors from Peter the Great to the last of
the Romanovs – Nicholas II. Designed to protect newly acquired lands in
the mouth of the Neva River, the fortress lost its military significance
before it was completed. It was turned into the most dismal political
prison of Russia for almost 200 years.
13:00 Tour of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Fourth highest cupola cathedral
in the world St. Isaac’s has a breathtaking interior design. The cathedral
can accommodate 13000 worshippers in a time. The monolithic columns
of the portico cut from red granite are seventeen meters high and weigh
114 tons each. The mosaic inside has twelve thousand shades and
colors, the walls are five meters thick and the main cupola is coated
with one hundred kilos of gold.
13:30-14:30 Lunch is served in the local restaurant

6. 15:00-18:00 Tour of Hermitage Museum
Comprehensive guided visit to the famous Hermitage. The
world-known Hermitage museum was the residence of the
Russian Emperors in the past, nowadays it comprises 5
palaces and is one of the largest museums in the world.
Admire the State Rooms of the Winter Palace. Continue to the
Small Hermitage, then proceed to the priceless masterpieces
exhibited in other Hermitage buildings.
There are literally a billion things to see in the Hermitage. The
overwhelming richness of the museum is all the more
enhanced by the incredible splendor of the buildings, inside
and out: ornate and regal facades, huge frescoed halls;
marble, wood and mosaic floors; and statuettes, figurines,
and antique furniture all on such a grand scale that it fascinates the mind. The tour ends at the hotel.
Dinner is on your own.
Day Six, Wednesday
09:00-12:30 Tour of Pushkin: Catherine’s palace &
Amber Room
Drive to the town of Pushkin to see the Catherine’s Palace and
park – once the official summer residence of Russian Czars.
We enter the beautiful Catherine’s park and visit Catherine’s
Palace, considered to be a real pearl of Russian baroque
architecture of the 18th
century. It was built for Russian
Empress Catherine in 1752. The palace, a combination of
white, blue and gold, looks magnificent; a huge ballroom
called the Grand Hall, ornately decorated drawing rooms,
studies and dining
rooms.
The most famous room here is the Amber Room, which was
looted by the Nazis during World War II. The restoration of the
Amber Room was completed in 2003. Surrounding the palaces is
a park covering more than 570 hectares with bridges, terraces,
fountains and small galleries.
12:30-14:00 Lunch at Podvorie restaurant
Lunch is served in the genuine Russian restaurant Podvorie.
Enjoy delicious Russian appetizers and famous “borsch” (beet-
root soup) accompanied by Cossack’s folklore singing and, of
course, free flowing Russian vodka!
The restaurant is a typical Russian huge wooden log-house
reminding of a fortress.
You will be offered to try playing on some traditional musical
instruments…

7. 14:30-17:00 Tour of Pavlovsk: Paul’s Palace & Park
Named after Paul I, Pavlovsk was founded in 1777 when a
small ducal palace was built. A large horseshoe-shaped
Paul’s Palace was completed in 1786 and renovated again in
1803 during the reign of Paul’s son - Alexander I.
This palace is often called a pearl of
the classical style as many famous
architects of the time took part in
designing its beautiful interiors
which are synthesis of architecture,
decorative painting and sculpture.
A beautiful landscape park, the largest in Europe, surrounds the palace.
17:00 Return to hotel. Dinner on own.
Day Seven, Thursday
10:00-12:00 Tour of Russian Museum.
The museum is located in the former Mikhailovsky Palace.
Built for Paul’s youngest son by Carlo Rossi who devoted his
life and work to St. Petersburg, the palace was turned into a
museum in 1898 by Nicholas II. The palace has preserved an
impressive suite of beautifully decorated gala rooms on the
main floor. The largest rooms hold some of the collection's
most famous works: Ivan
Aivazovsky's huge
seascapes The Ninth Wave
and The Wave, and Karl
Bryullov's acclaimed The
Last Days of Pompei. The
collection of Russian and Soviet art spans medieval icons to grandiose
socialist realism and avante guard paintings and encompasses more
than 370,000 items dating from 11th century to the present.
12:15-13:00 Tour of the Church on the Spilt Blood , one
of St. Petersburg highest buildings. It was built on the spot
where Alexander II was fatally wounded by a terrorist, a
member of People's Will revolutionary group in 1881. The
construction of the memorial church began in 1883 and
lasted 24 years. The enormous amount of more than 1½
million of silver rubles was allocated for the construction.
Beautiful onion-shaped domes of the cathedral are covered
with precious enamel. The facades of the church are adorned
with more than 400 square meters of mosaic. The church
has a breath-taking interior design with great variety of
semi-precious stones, gold and mosaics covering the area of
almost 7,000 square meters. Return to hotel for rest.
13:00-14:00 Lunch is served in the local restaurant

8. 14:30-16:00 Tour of the Yusupov Palace
Depart for private visit of the Yusupov Palace. The richest of non-
imperial palaces of St. Petersburg, this palace was the home of
the noble and powerful Yusupov family, relatives to the Russian
Tsars. The Yusupovs were great collectors of art, and their
collection was known well beyond Russia. After the revolution
most of the collection was moved to the Hermitage, though
traces of the incredible wealth that once kept this palace
pulsating with life still remain: the various sitting rooms, the
intricate chandeliers and candelabras that adorn every room and
corridor. The beautiful home theater of the palace looks like a cozy
version of the famous Mariinsky theatre.
It was in this palace where the assassination of Rasputin, one of
the most scandalous figures in Russian history, took place. One can
feel the drama of the moment seeing wax figures of the
conspirators waiting in a small room on the ground floor. In the
cellar where it happened there are two more wax figures: Rasputin
and young Felix Yusupov talking over the set table minutes before
the assassination.
16:00-17:00 Private boat trip
There is no better way to feel the essence of the city - often
called Venice of the North - than to take a boat trip along the
small rivers and canals ending up with powerful Neva River.
The period from the end of May to mid-July is a truly magical
time to visit St. Petersburg as the city is embraced by White
Nights, when the sun disappears below the horizon for only a
moment and the skies never darken.
Optional Ballet at Mariinsky or Mikhailovsky Theatre:
This evening you will be offered an option to see the ballet or
opera performance at the famous Mariinsky Theatre.
Dinner is on your own.
Overnight.

9. Day Eight, Friday
10:00-13:00 Tour of Peterhof
Depart for the tour of Peterhof (also called Petrodvorets). It is
the most famous summer residence of Russian Emperors,
located 25 km west on the Gulf of Finland. It history begins in
1704 when Peter I built a wooden house on the Gulf. In 1723
the enlarged palace became official summer residence, later it
was expanded by Empress Elizabeth and called Grand Summer
Palace. We do not go inside the palace but focus on the main
attraction of the place - the Lower Park with Grand Cascade
decorated with more than 150 fountains built in 1722 to rival
gardens of Versailles. All fountains of the Grand Cascade are
solemnly launched every day sharp at 11Am.
The intricate system of pipes stretches for nearly 22 km. The water flows downhill by force of gravity
while the fountains operate according to the principle of communicating vessels. In both artistry and
engineering the fountains of Peterhof are truly unique. In the end of the pleasant stroll in the park visit
one of the smaller palaces of Peterhof – the Monplaisir, the favorite palace of Peter the Great or the
Tsar’s Bath House where you will learn more about everyday life of Russian Tsars.
13:00-13:30 Return to the city by hydrofoil
After a pleasant stroll through beautiful park we return to the city by
hydrofoil.
14:00 Return to hotel. Lunch on own. Free time
20:00 Farewell dinner at Russian Kitch restaurant
This unique restaurant has an interesting combination of Kitch and
theme décor of the early 90-ies – the gangster’s époque of the new
Russian society. Everything here is too much overdone according to
the gangster’s taste…
One can find portraits of Leonid Brezhnev
kissing Russian pop-diva or embracing Fidel
Castro on the ceiling and much more.
The cuisine is Russian and international.
There are 5 different halls with different and
sometimes provoking decoration. On Fridays
there is a special show and disco is playing
until early hours in the morning.
Day Nine, Saturday
Depart for the airport in time for your flight home.
Good-bye and see you again...