Moscow, St. Petersburg & Golden Ring Tour Package: 10 Days

Moscow, St. Petersburg & Golden Ring Tour Package: 10 Days

Day 1: Arrival in Moscow

You'll be met as you arrive at Moscow airport before being taken to the hotel where you'll spend your first night - welcome to Russia!

Day 2: Vladimir - Suzdal

We'll wake up bright and early and set off for the station to take the high-speed train to Vladimir through the charming Russian countryside. In Vladimir, we'll stop for breakfast and drive to Suzdal, the most beautiful city in the Russian Golden Ring. We'll explore the Kremlin, its many churches and the Museum of Wooden Architecture. You'll also have some time to shop for souvenirs in its quaint shops.

At lunchtime, we'll be welcomed by a local family and have the opportunity to have lunch with them and try some traditional products, such as medovukha or honey beer. We'll spend our second night in a hotel in Suzdal.

Day 3: Bogolyubovo - Vladimir

After breakfast, we'll hit the open road and head to Bogolyubovo, a picturesque village situated at the confluence of the Nerl and Klyazma rivers. Here, we'll admire its monumental complex, which houses a monastery, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin and the Palace of Prince Andrei Bogolyubov. Then, we'll go to the Church of the Intercession, which has remained almost completely intact since its construction in the 12th century. When the river rises, it creates a remarkable visual effect that makes the church seem to float in the air.

The second part of the day will be spent visiting Vladimir, another one of the beautiful cities in the Golden Ring. Here, we'll see the cathedrals of St. Demetrius and the Assumption, and the famous Golden Gates, the ancient entrance to the city which has been declared a World Heritage Site. After this tour, we'll take the high-speed train to Moscow and head to the hotel for the night.

Day 4: Moscow

Ready to explore Russia's capital? We'll start by visiting its main attractions: the Red Square, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and the Novodevichi or the New Maidens' Monastery. Later on, we'll stop in front of St. Basil's Cathedral, an iconic symbol of the city. We'll end the panoramic tour with a beautiful view of Moscow from the observation deck of Moscow State University. From this unique viewpoint, you'll be able to see the Victory Park, the Luzhniki Stadium and the Kremlin's golden domes.

We'll then stroll around the exterior of the GUM department store's shops, the Kazan Cathedral and the Kremlin. Finally, we'll visit Lenin's mausoleum, where we'll learn about the fascinating history behind the founder of the Soviet Union. 

Day 5: Moscow

The second day in Moscow will be spent visiting one of its most representative places: the Kremlin. This is where the Tsars used to live and is now the residence of the current president of Russia. We'll learn all about the history of ancient Russia, Ivan the Terrible and the Romanovs. We'll also visit the Armoury Museum, where we'll see ancient weapons and goldsmith's items as valuable as the famous Fabergé eggs, of which there are more than 50!

Our next stop will be the Moscow Metro, an incredible underground museum where you'll see the mosaics, stained glass, marble and sculptures that decorate its ancient stations. We'll then return to the hotel to collect our luggage and head to the station for the night train to Novgorod the Great, which will take 8 hours 30 minutes.

Day 6: Novgorod the Great

Rise and shine! We'll pull into Novgorod the Great's train station in the morning and then get taken to our hotel. Novgorod is one of the oldest cities in Russia, having been founded in the 9th century. This spectacular place is also known as the Hidden Jewel. The city has its own Kremlin, which houses the oldest palace in the country, built in 1433. We'll take a fantastic guided tour of the Yaroslav Court, where we'll see Gothic and German palaces, and the Yuriev Monastery, which is a World Heritage Site.

To round off our sixth day, we'll visit the Vitoslavlitsy Museum. This museum is dedicated to wooden architecture, and boasts all kinds of wooden structures, from churches to windmills. We'll then spend the night in a hotel in Novgorod.

Day 7: St. Petersburg

After breakfast, we'll go to Novgorod station and hop on a train to St. Petersburg. Once we've arrived, we'll start a tour of Russia's most aristocratic city with a visit to its most iconic monuments: the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Cathedral of St. Isaac and the beautiful Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood. Then, we'll go to the cruiser Aurora, the legendary ship that marked the beginning of the Russian revolution. After seeing the Aurora, we'll go to the hotel where we'll spend the night.

Day 8: St. Petersburg

The second day in St. Petersburg will be spent visiting the Hermitage Museum. This spectacular place houses an important collection of over 3 million works of art, for which we'll need the whole morning to do it justice. The museum is situated inside the Winter Palace, the former official residence of the Russian Tsars until it was attacked by the Bolsheviks after Bloody Sunday and converted into the seat of the Provisional Government.

In this historic building, you'll see landmark works of art by master painters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Titian and Raphael, as well as Impressionist paintings, sculptures and imperial jewels. Once the guided tour is over, you can stay in the museum to explore its rooms at your own pace, the rest of the day will be yours to spend as you choose.

Day 9: St. Petersburg

After a hearty breakfast, we'll leave the city and head for Peterhof, a palace in the outskirts of St. Petersburg used as an imperial summer residence.

We'll stroll through its beautiful 18th century parks and fountains as we marvel at the history of this amazing place. After this visit, we'll return to St. Petersburg where you'll be able to spend the rest of the final day at your leisure. 

Day 10: St. Petersburg

After breakfast, we'll drive you to St. Petersburg airport in time for your return flight. 

Accommodation

The tour includes 8 nights' bed and breakfast in 3 or 4 star hotels and 1 second class night train ticket between Moscow and Veliky Novgorod. Train compartments are shared, up to a maximum of 4 people. The planned hotels are as follows:

• Moscow: Ibis Centro Bakhrushina 3*, Marriot Courtyard 4*.
• Suzdal: Suzdal Inn 3*, Pushkarskaya Sloboda 4*.
• Novgorod: Intourist Novgorod. Standard room (3*) or deluxe room (4*).
• St. Petersburg: Nevsky Grand 3* or M Hotel 3*, Petro Palace 4*.

If you don't want to share a train compartment with other people, you can pay an extra fee. Please let us know the comments when making your booking and we'll send you a request to pay this extra cost.