Russian Ravishing

Arrive at Moscow's international airport. Transfer to the hotel and check-in. The remainder of the day is yours to explore at your leisure. Overnight in a Moscow hotel.

Proceed on a city tour of Moscow, stopping at the city's most iconic landmarks, including Poklonnaya Hill, the New Maiden Convent, and the Vorobievy Hills. Drive by Tverskaya Street, Manezhnaya Square, Ohotny Riad, the Bolshoy Theatre, Lubianka Square, the Savior Cathedral, and the Kremlin and Kropotkinskaya embankments (no entrances). Visit Moscow's most renowned pedestrian strip, Old Arbat, with its stunning architecture, souvenir shops, and quaint shops selling local wares. Bunker 42 is a once-secret military structure and bunker located in Moscow, Russia, near the Taganskaya subterranean metro station. It covers an area of 7,000 square metres (75,000 square feet) and is located 65 metres (213 feet) underground Subway tour, since the Moscow metro is regarded as a museum. Overnight in a Moscow hotel. (B)

This morning, go to Red Square and a tour of the Kremlin. Visit the UNESCO-listed Kremlin, which is home to the Assumption Cathedral and the Annunciation Cathedral. The Cathedral of Kazan, the Cathedral of St. Basil (Pokrovsky Sabor), Lenin's Mausoleum, and the GUM on Red Square are all worth seeing. Overnight in a Moscow hotel. (B)

Check out and arrange for a transfer to the railway station, where you will board the "Sapsan" train to St. Petersburg (2nd class). Arrive in St. Petersburg and meet your guide for the hotel transfer. Make your way to the hotel. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore the city alone. Overnight in a St. Petersburg hotel. (B)

Today Proceed on a city tour of St. Petersburg, making stops at the city's most famous attractions, including the spit of the Basil Island, St. Isaac's Cathedral, and Palace Square, as well as the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood and the Aurora. Drive by Nevsky Prospect, the embankments of the Neva, Isaac's Square, and the Arts Square (no entrances). Visit Isaac's Cathedral with its columns to capture an incredible perspective. Visit the historic Peter & Paul's Fortress, which houses the tombs of Tsars and the Russian Royal Family. Overnight in a St. Petersburg hotel. (B)

Depart for a tour of Pushkin's Catherine Palace Catherine Palace is located in Pushkin-Tsarskoye Selo, approximately 25 kilometres from St Petersburg. Tsarskoye Selo, or Tsar's village, was the Imperial family's house from the time of Peter the Great until the reign of Tsar Nicolas II. It is an enthralling tribute to the world's architectural and gardening talents from the 18th through the 19th centuries. In a restaurant, lunch After lunch, take a tour of Peterhof Palace. Peterhof is a collection of palaces and gardens in Petergof, which were set out under Peter the Great's instructions. These palaces and gardens have been dubbed the "Russian Versailles" at times. The palace complex, together with the city centre, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shopping time Dinner at home Proceed on a tour of the world-famous Hermitage museum, which is housed in the magnificent Winter Palace: the second largest art museum in the world, it was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of paintings, sculptures, and artwork and began the grand collection. Today, it has treasures from all over the world, ranging from Egyptian antiquities to the Renaissance, ancient Greece to the Dutch Golden Age, and many more. Overnight in a St. Petersburg hotel. (B)

This morning, check out of the hotel and make your way to the airport in time for your return trip home. (B)