Russia: The Heart and Soul of Russia, St. Petersburg, Moscow and the Golden Ring

Below is a sample Russia itinerary. Call us to start planning your amazing journey with one of our travel specialists today.

Russia, long seen as a mysterious, formidable power, has a history as rich and turbulent as the country is expansive. It’s a land of contradictions – a land of frigid Gulags and premier ballets, of dramatic poverty and pristine, pastoral landscapes. Our visit begins in St. Petersburg; the city built by Peter the Great as a tribute to his military successes and transformed by Catherine the Great into a manifestation of the Enlightenment movement in Western Europe. Discover the city’s charming canals awash in soft light and its resplendent history via stops at some of the world’s most magnificent museums. Visit the Golden Ring, a series of prosperous medieval villages and monasteries that remain from the height of the Kievan Rus Empire as many as a thousand years ago, paying special attention to the area’s perfectly-preserved religious capital, Suzdal. Finally, head to Moscow, where Russia’s history is made. Here, we seek to understand the context of contemporary geopolitical events by exploring the various eras of Russia’s history – absorb the weight of the country’s Soviet past at the Gulag museum, stand in the city’s center of power in Red Square, and observe the ways that life in Russia has changed since the fall of the USSR at sites like Gorky Park and Moscow’s brand new Tolerance Center. Return home from Moscow.

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart US.
Day 2: St. Petersburg. Belmond Grand Hotel Europe.
Day 3: St. Petersburg.
Day 4: St. Petersburg.
Day 5: St. Petersburg.
Day 6: Kostroma. Old Street Hotel.
Day 7: Suzdal. Art Hotel Nikolaevskiy Posad.
Day 8: Suzdal.
Day 9: Moscow. Intercontinental Moscow Tverskaya.
Day 10: Moscow.
Day 11: Moscow.
Day 12: Moscow.
Day 13: Return from Moscow.