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Tour Summary:

Discover Moscow’s famous landmarks on this tour that shapes as the perfect introduction to all that Moscow has to offer.

Your English-speaking guide will take you on a journey of Moscow’s history and development from provincial stopover, to USSR headquarters, and most recently to Russia’s political and financial capital.

The tour culminates with a picnic lunch in the famous Gorky Park- Moscow’s central park of culture and leisure.

Tour Summary:

This tour is a must-do for those with a keen interest in Russian arts & culture. Travelling by Moscow Metro – universally known as the most beautiful underground metro transit system – your English-speaking guide will take you to some of Moscow’s most spectacular stations, which will remind you of the halls of Palaces, with beautiful sculptures, chandeliers, and  glamorous communist-era décor and propaganda.

We will then visit the Bolshoi Theatre for an exclusive ‘back stage’ tour. The Bolshoi (meaning ‘grand’) is one of the most important musical theatres in the world. The theatre was inaugurated on 18 January 1825. The Bolshoi has been associated from its beginnings with ballet, and is home to the Bolshoi Ballet troupe. Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake premiered here in 1877.

Our back stage tour includes the History of Bolshoi Theatre, Imperial foyer, Choral Room, Royal Seats, Pit, Lower Beethoven Concert Hall, Upper Rehearsal Stage and a chance to see ongoing rehearsal (subject to scheduling and approval).

Following lunch we will visit The State Tretyakov Gallery – the national treasure of Russian fine art and one of the greatest museums in the world –  for a guided tour of the museum’s masterpieces. The Museum boasts an enormous collection of Russian artists’ paintings, sculptures, drawings etc. dating from the XII-XX centuries. The collection contains more than 130,000 exhibits.

Tour Summary

Discover Russia’s former and present military might during this unique tour, which sees us visit a former-active wartime bunker and Russia’s Central Museum of Armed Forces, which houses the largest collection of USSR and Russian Military techniques and equipment.

Our day commences with a guided tour of Bunker Taganski, a super-secret bunker which served as the command post and main artery for communication for the Soviet Union in the event of a nuclear war.  It was built to withstand direct hits and ensure normal telecommunications in the worst-case scenario. The bunker housed 2500 workers who would work in seven day shifts below ground. The bunker supplied everything they needed, including sleeping quarters, a canteen and bathing facilities.  There was also a stockpile of food in the event of a nuclear strike.

We will descend 22 floors to reach the bunker, for an absolute must-do tour- we will be below ground for around 1-1.5 hours.

After lunch we travel to the Central Museum of Armed Forces– one of the world’s greatest places to see military history. The collection includes over 800,000 military and historical objects. Among the Museum’s rarities are: the Victory Banner raised over the Reichstag building in Berlin in May 1945 as a symbol of victory over the Nazis; personal belongings and decorations of famous government and military leaders as J.Stalin; trophies of World War II – even items which belonged to A.Hitler; and the wreckage of the American U2 spy plane piloted by F.G.Powers and shot down by Soviet Anti-Aircraft Defense Troops in May 1960.

Tour Summary

We travel by metro to Kurskaya Metro Station and take a trip through Moscow’s bohemian district, filled with modern art and hipster culture. This tour will take you straight to the heart of the city’s edgy and authentic arts scene. The tour starts in the Design Centre ArtPlay inspired by London galleries that occupy former industrial spaces.

ArtPlay is home to Moscow trendiest cafes, fashionable galleries, studios, clubs, book stores and even universities. Moscow’s chief architect Sergey Kuznetsov has transformed ArtPlay into a hipster Narnia with miles of bicycle lanes, parking for electric cars and pedestrianised embankments.

We’ll visit several galleries situated within the property, they regularly change exhibits and always surprise guests with something original.

We then travel Arbatskaya Station and walk down the cobblestone Arbat Street, which retains elements of its once elegant past. This 19th century posh neighbourhood is re-awakening from its 20th century neglect- attracting Muscovites for a stroll, like Barcelona’s Las Ramblas.

Have lunch at the Soviet style Varenichnaya №1 Restaurant on Arbat St 29. Enjoy borsch, pelmeni, varenik dumpling stuffed with potatoes or cabbage chicken soup) in this very atmospheric space.

After lunch our guide will take us on a journey through the Moscow Metro – universally known as the most beautiful underground metro transit system – visit some of Moscow’s most spectacular stations, which will remind you of the halls of Palaces, with beautiful sculptures and chandeliers, and glamorous communist-era décor and propaganda.

Tour Summary

Discover the amazing history of Kazan, old mansions, trading houses, industrial and cultural buildings of the 19th and early 20th centuries form the historic city centre. We will stroll along the pedestrian Bauman street, Old-Tatar settlement, Marjani Mosque, Kaban Lake, Tatar Drama Theatre, Millennium park, Bulak Canal, Bauman St.

The Kazan Kremlin is the unique Complex of Archeological, Historical and Architectural Monuments arisen and functioning from the basis of a city up to now.

In 2000 the Kazan Kremlin was included into the List of the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

The Kul-Sharif Mosque is the Greatest Mosque within the territory of Russia, and was constructed in 2005 to celebrate the Kazan Millennium. Parallel to the mosque is the  Annunciation Cathedral- demonstrating the harmony of religions in Kazan. Also within the Kremlin walls is the Soyembike Tower, one of a few “leaning” towers of the world.

Tour Summary

A thousand years ago on a tall shore high above the Volga, 180 kilometres away from Kazan, there sat the buzzing capital of the thriving and formidable Volga Bolgar Civilization. Here the ancestors of Tatars adopted Islam in 922, and in the 13th century Bolgar became the capital of the Golden Horde. A UNESCO World Heritage site, Bolgar remains a sacred pilgrimage place.

Admire the Cathedral Mosque, with its Big Minaret, North and East Mausoleums, Khan’s Tomb, built in the 13-14th centuries. So important is Bolgar for modern Tatarstan that it continues to be developed, keeping it alive and present in the Tatarstan culture. In recent years an elegant White Mosque was added and a Commemoration Monument to celebrate the adoption of Islam. It hosts the world’s largest Quran with pages 2-metres tall and a solid malachite cover weighing 800 kilograms.

Tour Summary

You will visit the historical center and the main streets of Simbirsk-Ulyanovsk. You will be surprised by the huge number of preserved historical buildings and a significant list of historical figures who contributed to the development of science and art, as well as “turned” the course of the history of Russia- the most important being Vladimir Lenin.

Lenin, the father of the Russian revolution, was actually born Vladimir Ulyanov (which is where Ulyanovsk gets its name), but was known by his alias ‘Lenin’.

We will visit the “the House where V. I. LAN (Lenin) was born”. Only at the end of the 20th century did the government manage to locate a document which proved that the house where Lenin was born, survived. In October 1984 the second floor of the house was opened as a household exposition, and in 1988 the document exposition on the first floor was opened to the public.

Much of the course of 20^th century history can, in a way, be traced back to this house!

We then visit the Museum of Civil Aviation History, which comprises over 9,000 exhibits and documents the formation and development of Russia’s national civil aviation fleet. Get up close to classic Russian aircraft, including Tupolev and Antonov aircraft.

Tour Summary

The Volga River – the longest river in Europe – flows through central Russia and into the Caspian Sea. It is regarded as the national river of Russia, and for four leisurely hours you will cruise the mammoth river as our guide takes you through Samara’s past and present ways of life: you will appreciate how the Volga is central to the Samara story.

During the cruise you will learn why Samara was the ideal place to brew beer – which is why one of Russia’s most popular brews ‘Zhiguli’ originates from the city. During the cruise you will sample a degustation of Zhiguli beer, making the leisurely cruise that much more enjoyable.

Tour Summary

You will start your tour by visiting the Greater Akhun Mountain, Sochi’s highest mountain. The mountain can be seen from every part of Sochi- its height is 633m (2175ft) above the sea level. On top of the mountain, you will see a 30-metre Watch Tower built in 1935. You can climb to the top of the Tower to enjoy an excellent panoramic view of the Greater Caucasian Mountain Range, the city of Sochi, its glittering coastline and the Black Sea.

We stop for lunch at Restaurant Kavkazsky Aul, which serves amazing local and Georgian cuisine.

You will then visit Stalin’s Dacha. The Dacha (summer residence) is a 3-storey mansion, built in 1937 as a secret place of rest for Joseph Stalin and painted green for camouflage. Located near his native Georgia, this dacha was Stalin’s favorite. After his death, the residence was used by other Soviet leaders. The dacha retains the interior and the atmosphere of Stalin’s époque, you can also see his personal belongings. You will see Stalin’s wax statue seated at a desk with a smoking pipe in hand. The locals even say that Stalin’s ghost haunts the dacha, but you will have to come and see for yourself.

Your guide will explain Sochi’s history and development as a modern resort city throughout the tour.

The tour commences with a visit to the Olympic Park- an opportunity to learn interesting facts about Sochi and the Winter Olympic Games of 2014, and to be photographed against the background of the Olympic torch and sports stadiums.

The Olympic Park is built on the Black Sea coast in the Imereti lowland (Adler district of Sochi). We travel by golf-cart to the central square “Medal Plaza”, where all the Olympic stadiums are within walking distance.

We then stop for lunch at Restaurant La Luna- one of the most famous restaurants in the Adler district of Sochi.

After lunch we head to Sochi’s ‘mountain cluster’, where the mountain sports of the Winter Olympics took place: Welcome to ‘Little Switzerland’ – Krasnaya Polyana (Red Meadow).

In the beginning of the 20^th century, the small village of Krasnaya Polyana became the Imperial hunting grounds. A hunting lodge was built here for Nicholas II in 1901, and was soon followed by numerous chalets of Russia’s nobility.

During Soviet times, this unique resort gradually dwindled into obscurity, and was revived only in the last quarter of the 20th  century. Today Krasnaya Polyana is a popular skiing and hiking area.

At the Krasnaya Polyana ski-resort, you will have chance to take a ride on the ski lift to the top of the mountain for a breathtaking view of the West Caucasus mountain range.

At the end of the day, you will visit a unique adventure park and will have a skywalk along the World’s longest suspension bridge.

Tour Summary

An introduction tour of the city and the main attractions,  we will get acquainted with the rather small and concentrated city center, around the Nevsky Prospect, Neva River, and Peter & Paul Fortress with its many canals and bridges. We will see and visit landmarks such as St. Isaacs Cathedral, The Church on Spilled Blood, the Kazan Cathedral, the Neva River, and The Hermitage.

The tour is the perfect way to get acquainted with St Petersburg and its history before delving deeper into particular aspects during the tours offered on 28 June.

The Discover St Petersburg tour includes guided entrances to:

• Peter & Paul Fortress, considered to be the birthplace of St Petersburg, and the burial place of the Tsars beginning with Peter the Great;
• The Church on Spilled Blood- the quintessential image of St Petersburg; and
• St Isaac’s Cathedral – an impressive church with much iconology

Tour Summary

We travel to Pushkin (Czars Village), 28 km away from St. Petersburg and where the Catherine the Great Summer Palace is located. The palace-and-park ensemble (a former country residence of Russian emperors) is a fascinating monument of the world’s architectural and gardening arts of the XVIII-XIX centuries.

Bolshoi Catherine Palace is a remarkable example of Russian baroque architecture. The existing palace was built between 1744 and 1756. You will simply be amazed by the grandeur and opulence of the massive Palace: the highlights being the Golden Ballroom and the Amber Room. The Palace and its gardens are breathtaking- and your experience will be enriched by our guide’s explanations and knowledge.

We then travel to Podvorie Restaurant for a three-course lunch and shot of vodka (if you’re game!). The restaurant was made famous through Vladimir Putin hosting his birthday at the establishment a few years back. The ‘folksy’ restaurant serves amazing traditional cuisine: just like Putin, you won’t be disappointed!

After lunch, we visit Pavlovsk Palace, which Catherine the Great built for her son, Pavlovsk. The Greek & Italian Halls are breathtaking, and while not quite as grand as the Summer Palace, you will gain an appreciation for the opulent lifestyle of the tsarists (even those down the line of the throne!).

Tour Summary

The State Hermitage occupies 6 magnificent buildings situated along the embankment of the River Neva, right in the heart of St Petersburg. The Winter Palace was the residence of the Russian Czars, and was built in 1762 for Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great.  Many of the palace’s impressive interiors have been remodeled after 1837, when a huge fire destroyed most of the building.

The Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia and is among the largest and most respected art museums in the world. The basic display areas of the Hermitage occupy 365 rooms in the Main Museum Complex. The Winter Palace, the Small Hermitage, the Old Hermitage and the New Hermitage display the collections of monuments of culture and art of the ancient world, Western Europe, Russia and the countries of the Orient, as well as archaeological and numismatic collections.

Your tour includes entrance to the Staff Building which houses the works of world-famous Impressionists (Renoir, Cezanne, Monet and others, plus numerous canvasses by Van Gogh, Matisse, Gauguin).

Your tour will be enriched through the explanations and knowledge of your guide. If you’re a lover of art, this tour is for you.