Arrival to St.Petersburg

Transfer hotel, check-in 

Welcome to St.Petersburg, the Venice of the North. Founded in 1703 by the Russian Tsar Peter the Great as a copy of the most fascinating European cities it became Russia’s capital for a bit more than 200 years. It is the second largest city of Russia and one of the world’s major cities. St. Petersburg is a mecca of cultural, historical, and architectural landmarks. No tour to St.Petersburg would be complete without visits to its major sights like Peter and Paul Fortress, from where city’s construction began, St.Isaac’s Cathedral, colorful Church of Spilled Blood, unbelievable Hermitage museum. And for even more unforgettable experience make sure you have time to visit former country residences of the Russian tsars, first of all stunning Peterhof and glorious Catherine palace at Tsarskoye Selo. 

Overnight St.Petersburg

Morning – city tour of St.Petersburg with the visits into Peter and Paul Fortress and Spilled 

                    Blood Cathedral OR St.Isaac’s Cathedral

After lunch Hermitage museum visit (main museum complex)

Overnight St.Petersburg

Morning – Visit to Tsarskoye Selo – Catherine palace and park

After lunch – Tours in Peterhof: walk in the Lower park and visit to the Royal Bath House

Overnight St.Petersburg

Morning – Visit into Yusupov palace (Gala interiors and cellar, where Rasputin was murdered)

After lunch – Sapsan fast train departure for Moscow 

Eve. Arrival to Moscow, transfer hotel, Check in

Welcome to Moscow , the largest city in Russia and the center of its political and economic life. If St.Petersburg is Russia’s “window on Europe,” Moscow is Russia’s heart. It is an upbeat, vibrant, and sometimes wearisome city. Much of Moscow was reconstructed after it was occupied by the French under Napoleon I in 1812 and almost entirely destroyed by fire. Russia’s Soviet past collides with its capitalist present everywhere in the country, but nowhere is this contrast more visible than in Moscow. Lenin’s Mausoleum remains intact in the center of the Red square and it fits organically into the square’s ensemble with Kremlin walls on the background, as do many ancient orthodox churches that stand  among Soviet sky-scrapers and glittery new business centers.

Overnight Moscow

Morning – Grand city tour of Moscow including the visit into the New Maiden Nunnery or 

                   St.Basil’s Cathedral on the Red sq.

After lunch –  Kremlin visit: Territory, Cathedrals and Armory 

Overnight  Moscow

Free time till transfer to the railway station

19:00     Transfer to the railway station to board an overnight train to Kazan 

Overnight  Train

08:00    Arrival to Kazan, meeting guide on platform 

Kazan welcomes you. It is the largest city and capital of Tatarstan, Russia. It lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka rivers, it covers the area of 425 sq.km. with the population of nearly 1,5 mln. residents. Ancient Kazan was founded in the late 13th century by the Mongols (Tatars) of the Golden Horde. After the disintegration of the Golden Horde in the 15th century, Kazan became the capital of an independent khanate. In the middle of 16th century it was conquered by the Russian Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. Old Tatar fortress was turned into a Russian Kremlin, most of which survived till nowadays and it is now the UNESCO World-Heritage sight. Now Kazan is a major cultural and educational center. Being one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, Kazan, surprisingly, appears to be a very modern and developed cultural center of Russia. 

City tour of Kazan including the visit into Kazan Kremlin, Kul Sheriff mosque, 

             Annunciation Cathedral, Sujumbike tower

After lunch  Visit to the Old Tatar Settlement museum

16:00     Check in hotel

Overnight Kazan

Morning    Visit to Sviyazhsk

After lunch Transfer to the railway station to board the train to Perm

Overnight  Train 

8:30           Arrival to Perm

Welcome to Perm. It is the most Eastern city of Europe, situated near the Ural mountains. Having a population of 1mln.people is one of the largest cities of Russia and the 2nd largest in the Urals. It stretches for 65 km along the impressive Kama river – Europe’s 4th longest river. The history of Perm goes back to 1723, when Yegoshikha metal smelting workshops were open on the territory where Perm stands now. In 1780 the settlement was turned into the town of Perm. Despite Perm is relatively young city it has played an important role in Russian history. It was here, when a Russian called Yermak, gathered an army by order of the Stroganoff family to conquer Siberia for Russia. Afterwards, when a road was needed to connect Siberia with the west of Russia the construction of Great Siberian Road began here. Modern Perm, which extends for approximately 30 miles (50 km) along the high riverbanks, is still a major railway hub and one of the chief industrial centers of the Urals region. It is also a remarkable cultural center. There are several theatres, a notable art gallery and a ballet school. 

City tour of Perm including the visit into Perm Art gallery

After lunch visit to ethnographic village Khokhlovka 

                      Check-in hotel in Perm

Overnight  Perm

Early morning transfer to the railway station

06:30        Fast train to Yekaterinburg 

11:40        Arrival to Yekaterinburg

Welcome to Yekaterinburg. It is the 4th largest city in Russia, the largest city in the Ulrals and one of the Russia’s main cultural and industrial centers. The city lies along the Iset river and on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains, slightly east of the border between Europe and Asia. In early 18th century an ironworks was established here together with the fortress by members of the Russian sect of Old Believers. In 1723 the new settlement was called Yekaterinburg in honour of Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great. The town grew as the administrative center for all the ironworks of the Urals region, and its importance increased after 1783, when the Great Siberian Highway was built through it. But for most now Yekaterinburg is famous as the scene of the execution of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family in July 1918. Boris Yeltsin, the first democratically elected president of Russia, was educated and spent much of his political career in this city

City tour of Yekaterinburg including Europe-Asia monument, Complex “Ganina Yana”,  Church on Blood etc.

After lunch visit to Boris Yeltsin Center

Eve Board train to Novosibirsk

Overnight  train

Late eve arrival to Novosibirsk, transfer hotel

Check in hotel in Novosibirsk

Welcome to Novosibirsk. It is situated in the south part of West Siberia, on the banks of Ob River and it is the 3rd largest city of Russia by population, the most rapidly growing million-plus city in the world. It is inhabited by representatives of over 20 nationalities. So here Russian Orthodox churches neighbor mosques, a Catholic cathedral, a synagogue, a Buddhist temple as well as other religious establishments. Novosibirsk is the youngest one among the largest Siberian cities. It is a little more than 100 years old. It is a center of Russian science. The Academic town of Novosibirsk is famous all over the world as one of the biggest Russian science centers. 14 most prestige universities of the country are located here. Although the city is rather young, there are 145 monuments of architecture, history and archeology, which are under the state protection.

Overnight  Novosibirsk

Morning  City tour of Novosibirsk including river cruise along Ob river

Eve    Board the train to Irkutsk

Overnight  Train 

Overnight  Train

08:30   Arrival to Irkutsk

Welcome to Irkutsk. It lies along the Angara river at its confluence with the Irkut river that gave name to the city. It was founded as a wintering camp in 1652, during the first Russian colonization of the area; a fort was built in 1661, and Irkutsk rapidly became the main center of the Russian trade route to China and Mongolia. From the beginning of the 19th century, Siberia in general and Irkutsk in particular became the place where a lot of Russian officers and nobles were exiled for taking part in Decembrist uprising. At the end of the 19th century, about 30% of Irkutsk population consisted of exiles. Irkutsk is one of the few cities in Siberia, which managed to preserve its historic character and original layout. Its historic center was formed on the site of a wooden fortress, the remains of which were dismantled in 1790. Today, Irkutsk has about 700 monuments of wooden architecture. This part of the city where these wooden building are situated is the most charming.

City tour of Irkutsk

After lunch transfer to Listvyanka, check -in hotel

Welcome to Listvyanka. It is a town with less than 2,000 inhabitants near Irkutsk (65 km northwest). It is a gateway to Baikal lake and surrounding region with many natural activities. Listvyanka was mentioned for the first time in 1726 as a village on lake Baikal where the Angara river begins, at that time it was just a small settlement. But in the late 19th century a port and a ship yard were built here and the village was turned into a town.

Overnight Listvyanka

Breakfast at the hotel

10:00     Meet your guide and driver and depart for ½ day tour of Listvianka

               Visit Limnological museum and Aquarium   

Overnight  Listvyanka

Breakfast at the hotel and check out

Early morning Transfer to Irkutsk with luggage on board

Morning      Boarding the train leaving for Ulan-Ude 

Late afternoon  Arrival at Ulan Ude, transfer to  hotel, check in

Welcome to Ulan Ude. It is a capital of the Republic of Buryatia and the center of Buddhism in Russia. Ulan Ude translates from Buryat language as Red Uda after the river on which it stands. The Ulan (Red) was added to city’s original name in Soviet times. The first settlement appeared here in the 17th century, but the city’s development was greatly stimulated later, when the Trans-Siberian Railroad reached it in 1900 and even more later, when the construction of a branch line to Ulaanbaatar was completed. Although located in Russia, Ulan-Ude feels more like an Asian city but at the same time leaves no doubt about its Russian heritage.

Overnight  Ulan Ude

Breakfast at the hotel and check out

09:00       Drive to Ivolginsky dastan, a Buddhist temple, a popular pilgrimage place for the 

                Buddhists from of over the world       

Then        Visit to a Buryatian ethnical village to see the way of life of Buryatian nomads,  

                 visit a yurt, try national costumes on and taste national dishes

Eve           Leave Ulan-Ude by train for Khabarovsk

Overnight  train

It is a long way to get from Ulan Ude to Khabarovsk. The distance between two cities is over 2000 km. and these 2000 km are completely covered with taiga, Russian boreal forests. It is the largest forested region on Earth (approximately 12 million sq.km). 

Take a break from sightseeing and spend these 2 days on board of the train watching the endless taiga from your train window. 

03:00        Arrival at the train station of Khabarovsk, transfer hotel 

Welcome to Khabarovsk that is 6100 km away from Moscow. It is one of the most significant and beautiful cities of Russia’s Far East. It stands on the right bank of the Amur River along the scenic Trans-Siberian railway right next to the Russian-Chinese border. The city fascinates visitors with its unusual heritage and fabulous untouched nature. Tourists are drawn to the native culture, eclectic architecture and mesmerizing waters in this off-the-beaten-track destination, which promises a unique and memorable vacation. Khabarovsk is the champion of sunny days per year in Russia, sun shines here for 300 days a year. The Khabarovsk Bridge and the Amur Cliff with the statue to Count Muraviev-Amurskiy are depicted on the 5000-rouble bill, which is the largest denomination in Russia so far.

Midday  Meet your guide and driver, depart for the city tour of Khabarovsk including 

                major city sights 

Eve          Transfer to the railway station to board an overnight train to Vladivostok 

Overnight  Train 

Breakfast on the train

07:15         Arrival to Vladivostok, meet your guide and driver on platform

                   Transfer to the hotel, check in, rest

Welcome to Vladivostok! Today, Vladivostok remains the largest Russian port on the Pacific Ocean, and the chief cultural, economic, scientific, and touristic hub of the Russian Far East. It is the eastern end of Trans-Siberian railway. Vladivostok was ceded to Russia in the 1858 Treaty of Aigun and already in 1860 a naval base was founded here. Surrounded by Amursky Gulf from the west, Ussuriysky Gulf from the east, and Golden Horn Bay along the south, Vladivostok is the home of the Russian Pacific Fleet. With 600000 inhabitants it is the 2nd largest city in the Russian Far Est, after Khabarovsk. 

14:00       Departure for the city tour of Vladivostok including the major sights of the city and 

                a visit into the Submarine S-56

18:00       End of the tour

Overnight Vladivostok

Breakfast at the hotel

Transfer to the airport