MOSCOW & ST PETERSBURG

Day 1 Fly to Moscow

The history, culture and religious architecture to be found in Russia’s capital are overwhelmingly spectacular, from the first. Arriving in Moscow, your hotel here will help you settle straight in. The Savoy Hotel is situated in the very heart of historic Moscow, within close walking distance of the Bolshoi, the Kremlin and Red Square. It makes an excellent, characterful base from which to explore the Russian capital.

Overnight: Savoy Hotel

Day 2 Moscow

Dive into the city’s history this morning, walking through the storied Red Square, visiting Lenin’s mausoleum, and admiring the 10 colourful onion domes of St. Basil’s cathedral – a landmark like no other. Work up an appetite shopping at the sprawling GUM department store, and after lunch appreciate the finest Russian artistry at the Tretyakov State Gallery. A short metro ride will take you through many architecturally impressive stations on the way to the wonderful Novodevichy Convent: a striking and remarkably well preserved 16th and 17th-century Baroque complex, once inhabited by female Romanov regents and partially still in use by nuns. Later, back in the city, perhaps enjoy an evening of ballet or opera at the Bolshoi Theatre.

Overnight: Savoy Hotel

Day 3 Moscow to St. Petersburg

Finish your time in Moscow at the Kremlin, discovering the treasures of the tsars and Orthodox patriarchy in the Armoury Chamber, and exploring its three breathtakingly golden cathedrals – the Assumption, Archangel and Annunciation – each integral to the state traditions of the imperial family. Taking the fast Sapsan train northwards, this afternoon you will reach St. Petersburg in three and a half hours, checking in at the Hotel Angleterre on the central St. Isaac’s Square. The Angleterre Hotel is right opposite St Isaac’s Cathedral, in the very heart of St Petersburg, just a short potter from the Hermitage Museum and St Petersburg’s main boulevard Nevsky Prospekt.

Overnight: Angleterre Hotel

Day 4 St Petersburg

Founded by Catherine the Great in the 18th century, the Hermitage Museum is a temple of artistic achievement from ancient treasures to the modern era. Highlights include Renaissance masterpieces such as Titian’s Penitent Magdalene and Caravaggio’s The Lute Player, and later works such as Rembrandt’s Danaë and The Dance by Matisse. You will also have special access to the museum’s Gold Room, which houses the extraordinary Russian imperial family jewellery collection: centuries of ceremonial gifts, adornments, huge stones and even glittering horse attire (a saddle cloth given to Nicolas I by the Ottoman sultan Makhmud sparkles with more than 16,000 diamonds). After lunch, explore the Impressionists wing, and move on to the imposing St. Isaac’s cathedral, built in 1858 and transformed into an awe-inspiring museum during Soviet rule. Contrast its exterior with the ornate and colourful Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, built as a memorial over the spot where the liberal tsar Alexander II was fatally wounded in 1881. Later, relax on a private cruise of St. Petersburg’s many canals.

Overnight: Angleterre Hotel

Day 5 Pushkin and Fabergé

Head just outside the city to the town of Pushkin, home to one of the Romanovs’ favourite residential palace complexes, Tsarskoye Selo: aristocratic beyond measure, and the site of countless imperial intrigues. Explore the Baroque Catherine Palace (where its stunning Amber Room – all gold leaf and mirrors – has been sensationally reconstructed), and enjoy a traditional Russian lunch at Podvorie Restaurant.  Later, visit the Fabergé Museum, the world’s most impressive homage to the masterful court jeweller renowned for the intricate eggs he created each year as presents from tsar Nicholas II to his beloved wife, Alix. Its collection includes 10 remarkable originals – including a tree that opens to reveal a singing bird – alongside figurines, jewellery, icons and commemorative keepsakes. In the evening, perhaps continue your cultural pursuits with world-class ballet or opera at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Overnight: Angleterre Hotel

Day 6 Leave St Petersburg

Indulge in some gentle shopping at leisure along Nevsky Prospekt – the artery that runs through St. Petersburg, dotted with monuments – before a private transfer for your flight home.