Pearls of the Baltic & Moscow 2010
11 days / 10 nights, Stockholm - Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Moscow | Our escorted Scandinavia and Russia tour features the colorful Scandinavian capitals of Stockholm and Helsinki, magnificent historic St. Petersburg and Moscow. Travel by private motor coach, cruise across the Baltic Sea.
Explore the highlights of Stockholm, the "Venice of the North". Visit the City Hall, home of the Nobel Prize banquet and take a stroll in the Old Town. Cruise on the luxurious Silja Line to Helsinki, the "Daughter of the Baltic". Enjoy your journey by rail from Helsinki, crossing over the Russian border to visit St. Petersburg, home of the Tsars. St. Petersburg is a city of canals and rivers, built on 101 islands, joined by 350 graceful bridges over the Neva River.
Visit the world-famous Hermitage Art Museum, Peter & Paul Fortress, St. Isaac's Cathedral; enjoy an evening of Russian Folklore. Flight to Moscow and explore Kremlin and Armoury Museum, Red Square and Saviour Cathedral.
| Departure | Guaranteed July 13th August 3rd |
| Price | $5,410 per person in double $6,873 single room |
| Included | 9 nights accommodation in first class hotels, all rooms with private facilities Scandinavian breakfast buffet daily 5 x lunches on days 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 Transportation by modern deluxe coach with reclining seats etc. 4-hour guided tour of Stockholm 3-hour guided tour of Helsinki Overnight cruise Silja Line, Stockholm -Helsinki, 2-berth Seaside cabins with shower/tlt. Dinner and buffet breakfast on board Daily dinners, 3-course or buffet dinner (except on second evening in Stockholm) Train Helsinki - St. Petersburg 1 x Lunch box on train on day 5 Complete program in St. Petersburg 3-hour city tour of St. Petersburg Visit to Peter & Paul Fortress, St. Isaac's Cathedral Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace State Rooms Excursion to Peterhof Hydrofoil Peterhof - St. Petersburg Coach transfers between restaurants and hotel Folklore show at Nikolaevsky Palace Snacks during intermission 1 x Dinner at Backstage Restaurant in St. Petersburg Flight St. Petersburg - Moscow, economy class Guided transfers 3-hour city tour of Moscow 3-hour visit to the Kremlin Armoury Museum Guided Metro Tour Visit to WW2 Memorial and Borodino Panorama All entrance fees as per itinerary English-speaking tour escort throughout Luggage handling at all hotels (1piece per person) Transfers airport/hotel first & last days. Transfers to/from a different airport than the one mentioned in the tour program may incur a supplement. |
| Not Included | International Airfare Airport taxes Russian Visa fee Gratuities Alcoholic beverages Personal insurance / personal items $25 Service fee |
| Please Note | Transfers to/from a different airport than the one mentioned in the tour program may incur a supplement. These tours are organized by our Associate Partners in Copenhagen. In order to offer a greater variety of tour options, the programs allow for participants to join or depart from the tour in various transit locations. We do hope that the possible change of group participants does not cause any inconvenience. |
Day 1 STOCKHOLM (D) Arrive Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Transfer to hotel in connection with your flight arrival. Your tour escort will meet you at 19.50 hrs in the hotel lobby. Dinner and accommodation at the Clarion Hotel Sign, a newly opened (February 2008) first class hotel in the city centre.
Clarion Hotel Sign
Day 2 STOCKHOLM (B) The day starts with a 4-hoursguided tour of the city. Famous sights include the Royal Palace, Parliament Buildings, Cathedral, Royal Theatre, etc. You will also visit the enchanting Old Town (Gamla Stan) with its narrow cobbled streets and numerous antique shops. Highlight of the tour is a visit to City Hall with its famous Blue and Golden Halls, where the Nobel Prize banquet is held each year. Afternoon free in Stockholm, with possibility to visit the famous Wasa Museum or take one of the popular canal tours. Accommodation at the Clarion Hotel Sign. Please note that dinner today is not included in the program, as our experience shows that whilst in Stockholm guests prefer to eat out at a restaurant of their own choice. Your tour escort will gladly advise and make table reservations for you.
Clarion Hotel Sign
Day 3 STOCKHOLM - HELSINKI (B, D) Morning free in Stockholm. Afternoon transfer from hotel to pier, for embarkation on a luxurious cruise ferry of the Silja Line. 17.00 hrs: Departure of cruise from Stockholm, sailing slowly down the picturesque Stockholm archipelago past numerous small islands. Dinner on board. Choice of entertainment, bars, shops and casino. Accommodation is in 2-berth outside cabins (seaside) with shower/WC. We recommend you to bring an overnight bag for this cruise, to avoid having to carry suitcases to and from your cabin.
onboard Silja Line / Seaside cabin
Day 4 HELSINKI (B, D) Enjoy your buffet breakfast as you sail into Helsinki. After disembarkation 3-hour guided tour of Helsinki. Famous sights include the Senate Square, Uspenski Cathedral, Parliament House, Finlandia Hall, Sibelius Park & Monument, Underground Temple, and much more. During the afternoon you can explore the busy market place or the many souvenir shops close to the harbour. Finnish crystal and leather goods are an excellent buy. Dinner and accommodation at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, another first class hotel centrally located.
Radisson SAS Royal Hotel
Day 5 HELSINKI - ST. PETERSBURG (B, D) Early breakfast followed by transfer by coach from hotel to railway station. 07.42 hrs: Departure from Helsinki on Finnish train 'Sibelius' for St. Petersburg. Lunch box on train. 14.26 hrs: Arrival in St. Petersburg. Coach transfer from railway station to hotel combined with visit to Peter & Paul Fortress, burial place of the Russian Tsars, and St. Isaac's Cathedral. Welcome dinner includes shot of vodka and one glass wine, and accommodation at Ambassador Hotel, a four star hotel located in the city centre, near the famous Mariinsky Theatre.
Ambassador Hotel
Day 6 ST. PETERSBURG (B, L, D) Buffet breakfast at hotel. 09.30 hrs: 3 hours panoramic tour of the city by coach with local English-speaking guide. St. Petersburg is a city of outstanding architectural beauty, famous for its magnificent palaces, cathedrals, fountains and bridges. 12.30 hrs: Lunch at the Hermitage Restaurant. 14.00: Tour of the world-famous Hermitage Art Museum and the State Rooms of the Winter Palace. Return to hotel. Dinner and accommodation at Ambassador Hotel.
Ambassador Hotel
Day 7 ST. PETERSBURG (B, L, D) Buffet breakfast at hotel. 09.00 hrs: Departure by hydrofoil for Peterhof, the magnificent summer residence of all the Russian Tsars. Tour of the Lower Park including Monplaisir, Bath House (inside visit), Grand Cascades etc. Return to the city by coach. 13.30 hrs: Lunch at the Restaurant Adamant. After lunch, 1 hour's guided cruise by boat along the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg. This evening you will be taken to see a colorful Russian folklore show at the Nikolaevsky Palace, with snacks during the intermission. Dinner at the Backstage Restaurant of the Mariinsky Theatre. Overnight at Ambassador Hotel.
Ambassador Hotel
Day 8 ST. PETERSBURG - PUSHKIN - MOSCOW (B, L, D) Buffet breakfast at hotel. 09.00 hrs: Excursion to town of Pushkin including tour of Catherine's Palace with its famous Amber Room. 12.00 hrs: Lunch at Admiralty Restaurant. After lunch coach transfer with guided assistance to St. Petersburg Airport, including luggage handling at airport. Economy class flight from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Arrival in Moscow followed by coach transfer with English-speaking guide to your hotel in the Russian capital. Moscow was founded in the 12th century, built as a wooden fortress on the banks of the Moscow River to keep out barbarian invaders from the east. Today it is a modern city with wide boulevards and green parks, yet proudly preserving its historic monuments and impressive buildings from previous eras. Dinner and accommodation at Hilton Leningradskaya Hotel.
Hilton Leningradskaya Hotel
Day 9 MOSCOW (B, L, D) Buffet breakfast at hotel. Morning tour of the Kremlin and Armoury Museum, with local English-speaking guide. This tour lasting approx. 3 hours has to be done on foot as no coaches are allowed inside the area. The Kremlin, which was the home, not only of the Tsars, but also of Lenin and Stalin, is surrounded by 7 meters thick walls and covers an area of 29 acres. You will pass by the Lenin Mausoleum and the grave of the unknown soldier, where brides still leave their wedding bouquets, to visit one of the impressive Russian Orthodox Cathedrals. This will be followed by a guided tour of the Armoury Museum, containing the largest collection in the world of crown jewels and coronation robes, including the wedding dress of Catherine the Great and the famous189 carat Olov diamond. You will also see the golden horse-drawn carriages of all the Tsars and many other treasures. 13.00 hrs: Lunch in Godunov Restaurant. After lunch walk through the Red Square to rejoin your coach for a panoramic city tour, including a visit to Saviour Cathedral. On this tour you will see the amazing golden, blue and green towers of the Orthodox churches, the Bolshoy Theatre, Gorkij Park (Moscow's largest entertainments park), the State University of Moscow, and numerous other famous sights. Return by coach to hotel. Dinner and overnight at Hilton Leningradskaya Hotel.
Hilton Leningradskaya Hotel
Day 10 MOSCOW (B, L, D) Buffet breakfast at hotel. Morning: Guided tour of the WW2 Memorial on Poklonnaya Hill, followed by a visit to Borodino Panorama – the largest panoramic painting of the Borodino Battle with Napoleon in 1812. Russian lunch at Sudar Restaurant. After lunch guided tour of the famous Moscow Metro, ending with a walk along the fascinating pedestrian street Arbat, known as the 'Montmartre of Moscow'. Rest of afternoon free for shopping in the GUM department store or exploring Moscow on your own. We can recommend a visit to the Pushkin Museum, famous for its collection of monuments from Ancient Egypt, or the popular Tretiakov Art Gallery. Dinner and overnight.
Hilton Leningradskaya Hotel
Day 11 MOSCOW DEPARTURE (B) Buffet breakfast at hotel followed by transfer with assistance to Moscow Airport for your flight home. (flight not included).