04/06/2018
THE BEST OF RUSSIA, BALTIC STATES & WARSAW TOUR
14-days from 9/1/18 to 9/15/18
Day 1: Arrive Moscow (D)
Arrival to Moscow via LOT airlines at 12:50pm on September 2, 2018, transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. Tonight, gather with your traveling companions for a Welcome Dinner. (D)
Hotel: Marriott Courtyard City Center or similar.
Day 2: Moscow, Saturday (B-D)
Moscow, one of the largest cities in the world, is the symbolic heart and soul of the country. Your sightseeing tour begins with a walk at the beautiful Red Square, go inside the colorful St. Basil's Cathedral and explore the most outstanding Moscow icons - the Kremlin. Then visit the Armory Museum, the famous GUM department store, see the spectacular Cathedral of Christ the Savior and enjoy one of the best city views at Sparrow Hills. Visit to the Secret Soviet Bunker-42, a formerly top-secret Cold War bunker was a secret symbol of Soviet Power. Hidden beneath an ordinary two-story apartment building in Moscow, located about 65 meters or 18 floors below ground level, was constructed covertly in the 1950s, to protect against the threat of a US nuclear attack. Continue with a visit to the world-famous treasure trove of the Russian fine art, the Tretyakov Gallery, where you spend several amazing hours viewing the gems of its collection, including the famous masterpieces of Ivan Aivazovsky, Mikhail Vrubel, and Viktor Vasnetsov. Enjoy an authentic dinner before going back to your hotel.
Hotel: Marriott Courtyard City Center or similar.
Day 3: Moscow (B-L)
Today we travel 75 km North of Moscow, to a small town of Sergiev Posad, former Zagorsk - founded in the 14th century and renowned as a center of ancient Russian art and architecture. For centuries it served as a place of pilgrimage and the religious capital of Russia. Within the old walled city admire the fairy-tale golden and blue domes of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, one of the most beautiful of all monasteries. After lunch, explore one of the most interesting sites in Moscow hidden deep beneath the surface - the Moscow Subway. You have a quick subway ride to taste local life and enjoy the splendid decorations of its stations, which Stalin called "Palaces for the People."
Hotel: Marriott Courtyard City Center or similar.
Day 4: Moscow to St. Petersburg (B-D)
Transfer to railway station for our four hours high-speed Sapsan train ride to St. Petersburg. Upon arrival at the St. Petersburg train station, transfer to your hotel. Dinner at hotel.
Hotel: Angleterre Hotel or similar.
Day 5: St. Petersburg City Tour & Boat Ride (B)
Today go on an amazing panoramic city tour around the most cherished gems of St. Petersburg, including Palace Square, with the Winter Palace, Senate Square with the monument to Russian Emperor Peter the Great, the founder of the city, St. Isaac's Square with St. Isaac's Cathedral, Smolny Cathedral, Cruiser Aurora, Field of Mars, and Nevsky Prospect. Afternoon, visit the Peter and Paul Fortress, a burial place of almost all the Russian emperors and empresses from Peter the Great to Nicholas II and his family. Visit to St. Petersburg won't be complete without a magnificent boat ride along the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg, to see the city from a completely new perspective.
Hotel: Angleterre Hotel or similar.
Day 6: St. Petersburg - Tour of the Hermitage Museum & Folk Show (B-D)
The highlight of today is a visit to the Hermitage Museum, that houses its unique collection of world art, including the masterpieces of Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, El Greco, Francisco Goya and Thomas Gainsborough in the halls of the Winter Palace. After the tour, you will have the rest of the afternoon free. In the evening, you enjoy a fascinating Folk Show "Fell Yourself Russians" at the Nikolaevsky Palace.
Hotel: Angleterre Hotel or similar.
Day 7: St. Petersburg to Tallinn (B-D)
Today journey will take us to Estonia, where your first stop is Narva, set just across the border with Russia. Continue to Tallinn, Estonia's capital, situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. Check into your hotel and the rest of the day will be free for you to do as you wish.
Hotel: Radisson Hotel Olumpia, Tallinn.
Day 8: Tallinn to Riga (B-D)
Start your day with a walking tour of Tallinn's Upper and Lower Old Town, visit the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Next, visit Toompea Castle and see the 14th-century Gothic Town Hall. After lunch, travel to Riga, the capital of Latvia.
Hotel: Radisson Blu Latvija or similar.
Day 9: Riga (B)
Morning, visit Riga Castle, the magnificent Dome Cathedral, St. Jacobs Cathedral, St. Peter's Church, the Parliament building, Liberty Monument, and the district of Art Nouveau houses. Afternoon and evening are free.
Hotel: Radisson Blu Latvija or similar.
Day 10: Riga to Vilnius (B-D)
Depart this morning for Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Along the way, stops along the way at the Rundale Palace, the Hill of Crosses and the city of Kaunas in Lithuania. After check-in your hotel, the rest of the day is at your leisure. Dinner at the hotel.
Hotel: Novotel Hotel or similar.
Day 11: Vilnius (B)
The city of Vilnius is located at the confluence of the Neris and Velnele Rivers. In Old Vilnius, visit St. Peter and St. Paul's Church and St. Anne's Church. View Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas' Tower in the Upper Town, and Vilnius Castle. After the tour, you return to your hotel and have the rest of the day at your leisure.
Hotel: Novotel Hotel or similar.
Day 12: Vilnius to Warsaw (B-L-D)
Drive through the landscapes of Lithuania on your way to cross the border into Poland. Then take in the Polish countryside, cities, and towns as you head to Warsaw, arriving at the day's end.
Hotel: Radisson Blu Sobieski Hotel or similar.
Day 13: Warsaw (B-D)
Warsaw City Tour, walking through the Market Square, explore the 13th-century Cloth Hall, Saint Mary's Basilica, Collegium Maius, Czartoryski Museum, and continue to Wawel Castle and Lazienki Park and Palace. Then walk down the river to see the Old Town, Old Market Square, and St. John's Cathedral. Late afternoon enjoys the Chopin concert and farewell dinner.
Hotel: Radisson Blu Sobieski Hotel or similar.
Day 14: Depart Warsaw (B)
After breakfast, transfer to WAW airport for your return flight.
