Description A taste of Russia: Moscow and St Petersburg in two days!

What we will see DAY 1

Breakfast included on the train to Moscow
City tour on the way to the Kremlin
Guided visit of the Armory Chamber in Kremlin
Cathedral square (photo stop) and inside visit to one of the Cathedrals
Free time for lunch at Red Square
Dinner included on the train to St. Petersburg

DAY 2

Panoramic tour of St. Petersburg including Neva river, St. Isaac's Cathedral and Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood
Guided visit of Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral of the same name
Guided visit of Hermitage Museum
Lunch included
No shopping preview, more time for Museums

What we will do DAY 1

Enjoy a unique opportunity to explore the glamorous Capital of Russia in one day!
Constructed in the 12th century as an oak-wood fortress, Moscow later became the residence of the Russian Tsars and today it is the seat of the Russian president and a huge museum complex in the open air. Accompanied by a St. Petersburg guide, you will transfer to the railway station for a 4-hour ride aboard a comfortable high-speed train “Sapsan”. Along the way hot breakfast and picturesque views of the Russian countryside.
Your tour will begin exploring the very heart of Moscow – the world-famous Red Square. Stretched along the Kremlin Eastern wall, this place has been the arena of many important historical and political events in the life of the country: religious processions, public executions, glorious parades, fireworks on The Victory Day, concerts and festivals. The word 'red' refers neither to the color of the bricks nor to the country’s Communist past. In Russian the square is called Krasnaya. This word means both 'red' and 'beautiful,' and the latter was the original meaning.
Take some time on your own at GUM, the largest department store in the country with an exquisite interior, appealing blend of classical architecture and modern decoration.
Afterwards we will discover the Kremlin – the most important historical and political center of Russia. While in the Kremlin you will visit the Armory Chamber and view a collection of unique treasures of Russia – jewelry, court regalia, armor, coronation dresses, golden carriages, and some of the fabulous and priceless Easter Eggs by Karl Faberge. The tour of the Kremlin grounds continues to Cathedral square, absolutely striking in its beauty, flanked by three main cathedrals – the Assumption, the Annunciation and the Archangel Michael, all decorated with numerous golden domes. You will also see some curious monuments demonstrating Russian ambition to build the biggest things in the world – the 200-ton Czar Bell and the Czar Cannon, known as one of the biggest in the world.
Here we will catch the famous Moscow’s metro which will lead us straight to the railway station, where we will take a seat on the high speed train and enjoy dinner onboard before returning back to St Petersburg and to the ship.

DAY 2

A day dedicated to St. Petersburg's key sights, with a particular focus on the Peter and Paul Fortress and the delights of the most important museum in Russia.
Sightseeing tour including the Neva river, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood
Tour inside the Peter and Paul Fortress and the cathedral of the same name
Guided tour of the Hermitage Museum
Our excursion will begin with a sightseeing tour of the city, passing its famous streets and sights and admiring its well-known buildings from outside. Highlights include the Winter Palace, the Neva river , Saint Isaac's Cathedral and the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood. We will travel alongside the city's canals, flanked by lavish, sparkling buildings with gold spires, cathedrals with colourful bulbous domes, and beautiful gardens full of flowers.
We will stop in the heart of St. Petersburg for a tour inside the Peter and Paul Fortress and the cathedral of the same name, where political prisoners were kept before the October Revolution. We will find ourselves in the tallest building in the city which also holds the tombs of the Romanovs and beautiful 18th-century icons.
After a delicious lunch of typical Russian cuisine, we will move on to the Winter Palace on the banks of the Neva river, now part of the Hermitage Museum. There, we will discover part of this extremely famous museum where over three million works of art have been preserved including Egyptian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Chinese and Indian archaeological artifacts as well as priceless paintings of European artists and memorable pieces from the Russian imperial court.

What you need to know

Please reserve within the day of ship’s departure from Stockholm.
Space is limited, so please reserve early.
The high-speed train transfer to Moscow takes approximately 4 hours.
The guides will await Guests in Moscow. During the outward and return journey, a local escort will accompany the group.
It is not allowed to take pictures or use video cameras in the Armory Chamber and inside the Cathedrals of the Kremlin complex.
Headsets are included.
The tour involves a lot of walking. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. This tour is not recommended for Guests with mobility problems.
The order of the visits may be reversed.
Being the Red Square and the Kremlin the official seat of the President of the Russian Federation, they are subject to closures without prior notice.
The tour might be affected by traffic conditions.
There may be queues at the museum entrances and an itinerary on foot lasting approximately 2 hours. Due to its size, it is not possible to visit the entire museum; the museum's management team will decide which areas we will see.
The price of the excursion includes tickets to use cameras and/or video cameras inside the Hermitage.
Suitable clothing is recommended for entrance to places of worship. During religious celebrations the visit will be from outside only.
Russian visa is included.
This tour is not suitable for wheelchairs.
The infant price (children 0-2 years) of euros 200.00 will be charged automatically on your ship account.
Due to the security measures at the train station, kremlin and armory, guests with pacemakers are requested to carry with them the medical certificate, in order to avoid going through the metal detector.