Day 1 - 24th or 27th dec: St Petersburg
Welcome to Russia and the start of your festive holiday! Airport arrival transfer from St Petersburg Pulkovo Airport to your hotel and check in. Tonight, our Welcome Meeting takes place with an opportunity to meet your tour leader and fellow passengers. The remainder of the evening is free, maybe head to the bar for a few drinks or the hotel coffee lounge.
Day 2 - The Hermitage
After breakfast we tour Peter’s city. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, grandiose St Petersburg is designed around an intrinsic network of canals and rivers. Today we take a city tour driving through the museum and university district and along Nevsky Prospekt, stopping to see the facade of the Church on Spilled Blood and the Bronze Horseman. Our city tour also includes a visit to Peter and Paul Fortress, which was built in 1703 and housed many famous political prisoners. The magnificent cathedral within the fortress houses the remains of the Romanov Dynasty. This afternoon we enjoy a guided tour of the Hermitage - which houses one of the biggest and best art and antiquity collections on earth, the bulk of which was amassed by Catherine the Great.
Day 3 - Free time to explore
St Petersburg - Moscow. Today there is time for you to independently explore the city or take in a little more culture and history with our optional Pukka Pass bolt-on. Our Pukka Pass includes guided sightseeing, transportation, entrance fees and lunch, with a tour of Pavlovsk Palace or Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo and the Church on Spilled Blood. We’ll also tuck into a hearty meal overlooking Griboyedov Canal! The lavish imperial palace at Tsarskoe Selo was designed for Tsarina Elizabeth, who named it Catherine Palace in honour of her mum, Catherine I. The Amber Room is a stunning drawcard. This evening we board the overnight sleeper train to Moscow.
Please Note: For tours departing on 24 December 2012 the Pukka Pass will include touring of Catherine Palace and Pavlosk Palace, instead of the Church on Spilled Blood, which will be closed.
Day 4 - Red Square
Arrival into Moscow and hotel check in. This afternoon we ride the capital’s efficient Metro to Red Square, for a walking tour. The Moscow Metro, a gift to the Soviet people from Joseph Stalin. Many of the central stations are richly adorned with bronzes and chandeliers and clad with marble and mosaic!
Day 5 - The Kremlin
This morning we return to Red Square for a guided tour of the mighty Kremlin and Armoury. If Lenin’s mausoleum is open we can also pay our respects to the grandfather of Soviet Communism. The remainder of the day is free for you to relax or perhaps visit one or two of the city’s plentiful museums.
Day 6 - Moscow
Our Snowball tour ends after breakfast and hotel check out at 12 noon.