ZOOM RUSSIA ITINERARY

MOSCOW · GOLDEN RING VILLAGE OF SERGIEV POSAD · ST PETERSBURG

In the Footsteps of Russian Tsars

September 3-12, 2022

ten DAYS From $8499

Day One -  Arrival / Moscow

Upon arrival at Moscow airport, you will be met by your Zoom Vacations representative before transferring you to your hotel in Moscow in a private luxury vehicle.

Welcome Dinner at one of the best restaurants in Moscow.  

Accommodations:  Park Hyatt Moscow, Park Deluxe Room
Meals Included:  Welcome Dinner

Day Two - Moscow
Breakfast is included at the hotel’s Park Restaurant, known for its impeccable service.

This morning, you will discover the most beautiful underground palaces on a private tour of the Moscow Metro, commonly known as the "subterranean palace". Visit stations richly decorated marble walls, high ceilings, grand chandeliers, sculptures, stained glass, and plenty of Soviet figures.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, we will explore historic Moscow, from the famous Red Square, skyscrapers of Stalin’s time, Sofiiskaya Embankment with a panoramic view of the Kremlin walls, and former KBG headquarters.

Accommodations:  Park Hyatt Moscow, Park Deluxe Room
Meals Included:  Breakfast and lunch

Day Three - Moscow 
Breakfast is included at the hotel’s Park Restaurant, known for its impeccable service. 

This morning, tour the Kremlin,  a must-see attraction in Russia, a beautiful fortress in the heart of the city full of history and legends. Formerly a residence of Russian Tsars and communist leaders, it is now houses the main offices of the President of Russia. Behind medieval walls, you will discover the oldest square in Moscow and amazing cathedrals where Russian rulers used to get married, crowned and buried. 

Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

This afternoon, tour The Armory Chamber, a treasure house, which is a part of the Grand Kremlin Palace's complex. The museum collections were based on the precious items that had been preserved for centuries in the tsars' treasury and the Patriarch’s vestry. The Armoury Chamber preserves ancient State regalia, ceremonial royal garment and coronation dresses, vestments of the Russian Orthodox Church Hierarchs, the largest collection of gold- and silverware made by Russian craftsmen, West European artistic silver, ceremonial arms and armor, carriages and horse ceremonial harness.

Accommodations:  Park Hyatt Moscow, Park Deluxe Room
Meals Included:  Breakfast and lunch

Day Four - Moscow-Sergiev Posad
Breakfast is included at the hotel’s Park Restaurant, known for its impeccable service. 

Morning/Afternoon: Moskva River tour and visit to the charming Golden Ring town of Sergiev Posad. A unique opportunity to see the kaleidoscopic images of a truly great city,  traveling down the Moskva river by yacht. 

Sergiev Posad is a picturesque town northeast of Moscow, part of the Golden Ring cluster of ancient towns. The town is famous for the 14th century Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius, one of the most important centers of the Orthodox religion and a major destination of pilgrims. Here you’ll find a magical place where you’ll feel transported back in time: monks roam the grounds, pilgrims come hundreds of miles to receive a blessing, and little shops operate outside of the monastery like they have since the medieval era.

Accommodations:  Park Hyatt Moscow, Park Deluxe Room
Meals Included:  Breakfast and Lunch

Day Five - St. Petersburg
Breakfast is included at the hotel’s Park Restaurant, known for its impeccable service. 

 After checking out of the hotel, we will take the high-speed Sapsan train to St. Petersburg. This comfortable four hour trip in Business or First Class (you decide) will give you the opportunity to see the Russian countryside. Upon arrival we will check into the Belmond Grand Hotel Europe. Truly an iconic hotel and renowned for its impressive façade and decorative interiors.

Accommodations:  Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, Deluxe Room
Meals Included:  Breakfast and Lunch

Day Six - St. Petersburg
Breakfast is included at the hotel.

This Morning we visit the fascinating Peter and Paul Fortress, which Peter the Great built in 1703 to provide protection from the Swedes. The Fortress Cathedral is the burial place of most of Russia's Tsars and Tsarinas from the 18th century onwards, including Peter the Great himself, the great architect of St Petersburg.   We will also visit the main sights in St. Petersburg: architectural monuments belonging to different epochs and styles, beautiful Neva embankment with its Egyptian sphinx, magnificent imperial palaces, cathedrals and unique bridges.      

After lunch, we drive through the former imperial historical center of St Petersburg, where you see the main city sights, such as the celebrated main boulevard of Nevsky Prospect, the Neo Classic Byzantine styled St Isaacs Cathedral, Palace Square, the Admiralty, the former Imperial Russian Navy’s headquarters and historic Vasilevsky Island.   

Accommodations:  Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, Deluxe Room
Meals Included:  Breakfast and Lunch

Day Seven - St. Petersburg
Breakfast is included at the hotel. 

Morning/Afternoon: Hermitage museum

The world's second largest museum after the French Louvre, a must-visit for all art enthusiasts from all over the world. The unique Hermitage collections are housed in 6 historic buildings nestled on the Palace Embankment. The main building and largest part of the museum is the Rococo-style Winter Palace, residence of the Tsars from 1762 to 1917. The museum was commissioned by Catherine the Great, and she and her successors built the Hermitage collection predominately from purchases from the private collections of the Western European aristocracy and monarchy. By the time Nicholas II ascended the throne in 1894, he was heir to the greatest collection of art in Europe.

Today, the Hermitage boasts over 3 million exhibits and displays a (from Ancient Egypt to the early 20th century Europe). The Hermitage’s collection is a diverse range of art and artifacts from all over the world and throughout history, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian, and a unique collection of Rembrandts and Rubens.

Tonight be treated to an elegant dinner accompanied with timeless classics from the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky, performed by the best local dancers and chamber orchestra at the Grand Hotel Europe.

Accommodations:  Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, Deluxe Room
Meals Included:  Breakfast and Dinner

Day Eight  - St. Petersburg
Breakfast is included at the hotel.

Morning/Afternoon: Catherine Palace and Park

Filled with 18th-century paintings and ornate rooms, this white and gold palace is surrounded by a 1400-acre park complete with fountains, bridges, the Agate Pavilion bathhouse and the Great Pond. The Palace also has a famous Amber Room, stolen by Nazi troops during WWII, but now recreated by Russian craftsmen.

Lunch at Podvorye Restaurant. After lunch, admire the stunning treasures at the Fabergé Museum with our expert guide. Founded by entrepreneur Viktor Vekselberg, the museum opened its doors in December 2013 to display a glittering collection of Faberge eggs and objets d'art created by Peter Carl Fabergé and his contemporaries. Vekselberg's collection of Faberge objects is rated as one of the world's most valuable and includes items he bought from the Forbes family for $100 million in 2004. Continue to the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (more familiarly known as the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood), a superb example of Russian architecture and decorative art from the end of the nineteenth century. The church was built on the spot where Alexander II was fatally wounded in 1881, hence the more commonly used name! Marvel at its stunning interior and exterior, both richly adorned with stunning mosaics, precious stones, enamel and colored tiles. 

Later, you are taken on a visit to the sumptuous Yusupov Palace, also known as Moika Palace. This long yellow building was once the residence of the wealthy and respected Yusupov family, and saw one of the most dramatic episodes in Russia's history - the murder of Grigory Rasputin the "mad monk", advisor to the last Romanov Tsar and Tsarina. Visit the basement room where Rasputin drank poisoned wine while Yusupov and his conspirators sat upstairs plotting his demise. His story is a gruesome yet fascinating one.

Accommodations:  Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, Deluxe Room
Meals Included:  Breakfast and Lunch at Podvorye Restaurant

Day Nine  - St. Petersburg
Breakfast is included at the hotel.

Morning/Afternoon: The Palaces and Gardens of Peterhof 

The Peterhof complex consists of a set of palaces and gardens. Filled with 18th-century paintings and ornate rooms, this white and gold palace is surrounded by a 1400-acre park complete with fountains, bridges, the Agate Pavilion bathhouse and the Great Pond. They are known as the “Russian Versailles” and are an UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Until Next Time Dinner “From Russia with Love” - Tonight we say farewell to lovely Russia with a special Caviar dinner served in the most timelessly sophisticated surroundings of which James Bond would approve.

Accommodations:  Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, Deluxe Room
Meals Included:  Breakfast and Dinner

Day Ten  - St. Petersburg and departure
Breakfast is included at the hotel.

 Airport Transfer for your flight home.

Gay Friendly, Luxury Accommodations

Belmond Grand Hotel Europe - St. Petersburg

A cultural and culinary landmark, this stately hotel dates back to the 19th century and has played a central role in the life of St Petersburg for over 140 years. Standing along Nevsky Prospect, it is centrally located facing the Church of the Split Blood, across from the Shostakovich Philharmonic, next to the Russian Museum and within walking distance of the famous Hermitage. With strong ties to the worlds of theatre, music and dance, a stay here will take you straight to the heart of Russia.   While our guests will enjoy the luxury of a newly renovated Deluxe Room at the Belmond Grand Hotel Europe, there is also the possibility of upgrading to one of the historic suites (which are shown in the photo gallery below).

Park Hyatt Ararat - Moscow

Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow is located in the very heart of the capital of Russia and is one of the best situated 5 star hotels in Moscow. Just a few minutes’ walk from the iconic landmarks such as the Kremlin, Red Square and Saint Basil’s Cathedral, the hotel is right next to the famous Bolshoi Theatre. Parliament House, the central business district and the luxury shopping malls TsUM and GUM are also nearby.

Air: International and domestic airfare not included.

Passports: Your valid passport should have at least two blank visa pages and should be valid for at least six months after your planned departure from the country you are visiting. 
Note: Passport pages titled "Endorsement Pages" are not visa pages.

Visas: To enter Russia for any purpose, a U.S. citizen must possess a valid U.S. passport and a bona fide visa issued by a Russian Embassy or Consulate.  It is impossible to obtain an entry visa upon arrival, so travelers must apply for their visas well in advance. If you are not a US citizen, please contact your nearest Russian Consulate to determine your visa requirements.

While Zoom Vacations will assist when possible, please note that passport, visa, and vaccination requirements vary from country to country and are the sole responsibility of the traveler. If you are a US resident, you may click here for more information on passport, visa, and vaccination requirements for various countries.

*Land only Introductory rate, based on double occupancy. Prices are subject to change. Need a roommate? Zoom Vacations® is happy to match you with someone, at no additional charge. Or, you may pay a single supplement and go as a single.

Please read Terms and Conditions prior to booking.