Tour of St. Petersburg and Novgorod
TOUR OF ST.PETERSBURG AND NOVGOROD THE GREAT gives you an insight into the history and present day life of Russia. You will see the highlights of St.Petersburg, including the Hermitage and the Winter Palace, Peter and Paul Fortress, Catherine Palace with the Amber Room, fountains of Peterhof and the oldest Russian city Novgorod the Great.
DAY 1- ST PETERSBURG
Upon arrival in St.Petersburg, you will be transferred to the hotel.
DAY 2- ST PETERSBURG
You will start this day with a guided sightseeing tour of St.Petersburg during which you will see Nevsky Prospect, the main street of the city, the Square of Fine Arts, St.Isaac’s Cathedral and go to Peter and Paul Fortress, the birthplace of the city, and visit St. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral, the burial place of all Russian Emperors from Peter the Great to Nicholas II. After an independent lunch in a local café you will have a guided tour of the Hermitage, one of the world’s largest art museums. During the tour you will see the lavishly-decorated reception quarters of the Winter Palace, the highlights of the Old Masters’ Collection (Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, Rembrandt) and Impressionists’ and Post-Impressionists’ collection.
DAY 3 – NOVGOROD THE GREAT
You will spend this day in Novgorod the Great, the oldest Russian city founded in the 9th century. En route you will see typical Russian villages and traditional north Russian landscapes. Upon arrival in Novgorod you will visit the Kremlin, a typical Russian medieval fortress, the Sofia Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in Russia, dating back to the 11th century, and the Museum of wooden architecture, which displays traditional rural homes in an open air setting.
DAY 4- ST PETERSBURG
After breakfast you will drive to Tsarskoe Selo where you will have a guided visit of Catherine’s Palace, famous for the splendor of its Baroque interiors and the unique Amber Room, the 8th wonder of the world. After an independent lunch in the area, you will have an excursion to Peterhof, the Russian Versailles, located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, where you will tour the Lower Park, the elaborate grounds featuring over 150 fountains, including the breathtaking Great Cascade.
As the fountains work May through September, in the period of October through April the afternoon tour will take you to the charming Paul’s Palace in the town of Pavlovsk, an elegant Neoclassical palace of the Russian Royal family. In the evening you will depart for Moscow by an overnight train.
DAY 5- ST PETERSBURG
This day you will say good-bye to St.Petersburg and will be transferred to the airport.
Optional evening ballet/opera performance or folk show is available upon request.
