REALM OF THE CZARS : HELSINKI - MOSCOW  2008

10 days / 9 nights, Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Moscow

Departures: June 07, 28 /  July 19 /  Aug 09, 30  /  Sep 07, 20 

New for 2008, this Deluxe 10-day Russia tour, Realm of the Czars: Helsinki to Moscow, explores the heart and soul of Russia from the time of the all-powerful czars to the present day. After exploring delightful Helsinki, “White City of the North”, travel to St. Petersburg for a 4-night stay in the glorious city built by Peter the Great. You’ll be inspired by the living legacy of art, architecture and tradition as you visit the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Peter and Paul Cathedral, resting place of all the czars since Peter himself. Gaze around you in wonder during a special guided tour of The State Hermitage Museum, including the Second Chamber of the Gold Room. Experience the splendor with which Peter surrounded himself during warm weather at his Summer Palace and the Summer Garden. A highlight of our Russia tour in St. Petersburg is an evening at the famed Russian ballet. Russian history comes alive during a lecture by a former Kremlin “insider” in Moscow. Although it’s been closed to the public for decades, we will take you into Josef Stalin’s secret bunker, from which he orchestrated Russia’s military moves during World War II. Find yourself on the world stage of Red Square, where so much history unfolded, and go behind the walls of the Kremlin to discover what amazing treasures lie behind them. You’ll gain two different perspectives of Russia’s artistic side when you tour the Moscow Metro and the State Tretyakov Gallery, the National Museum of Russian Fine Art.
 

Day 1 HELSINKI (D)
Your Russia tour to the Realm of the Czars begins at 6:00 PM at the Hotel Kämp. A transfer from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport to the Hotel Kämp in Helsinki’s wonderful pedestrian district is included. Meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at our welcome cocktail reception and dinner this evening.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Kämp, Helsinki, Finland

Day 2 HELSINKI HIGHLIGHTS (B)
Finland’s celebrated “White City of the North” awaits your exploration today. View the neoclassical splendor of the 19th-century, Russian-built Senate Square and magnificent Helsinki Cathedral with its landmark green-roofed cupolas, and observe the bustle of daily life in the Market Square. Carved into solid rock, the Temppeliaukio Church is one of the city’s absolutely-must-see places; during your visit, steal a minute to just sit down and let its most unique atmosphere inspire you. The rest of the day is yours to discover more of Helsinki’s many delights.
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Hotel Kämp, Helsinki, Finland
 

Day 3 TO ST. PETERSBURG BY RAIL (B, L, D)
Board a train bound for splendid St. Petersburg this morning and take in the scenery along the way. Your hotel for the next four nights of your Russia tour is a luxurious Art Nouveau treasure dating from the early 1900s that is wonderfully located overlooking the Neva River on St. Isaac’s Square in the vibrant heart of the city of the czars.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Astoria, St. Petersburg, Russia

Day 4 ST. PETERSBURG (B, D)
It isn’t hard to imagine that you’re in the midst of a fairytale this morning as you view the architectural treasures that sprang from the imagination and determination of Czar Peter the Great to build an entire city that would outshine Versailles. All around you, you’ll see ornate palaces, inspiring churches and grand state buildings. While in Russia tour the impressive Peter and Paul Fortress, originally built to defend the city and later a high-security prison whose reluctant “guests” have included such famous names in Russian history as Trotsky and Dostoyevsky. In the midst of the fortress stands the magnificent Peter and Paul Cathedral, the first church in the city to be built of stone. Atop its soaring spire is one of the most prominent symbols of St. Petersburg, a golden angel holding a cross. Closely linked to the city’s history and the Romanov dynasty, Peter and Paul Cathedral is the final resting place of all of Russia’s czars from Peter the Great himself. The remainder of the day is free for you to discover more of St. Petersburg as you please.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Astoria, St. Petersburg, Russia

Day 5 A GREAT PALACE & BALLET (B, L)
If you were an all-powerful czar who found summer in the city tedious, what would you do? Peter the Great built himself a grand Summer Palace on the Gulf of Finland and surrounded it with the elaborate Summer Garden. During your visit, the many gilded touches reminiscent of France’s Palace of Versailles won’t escape your notice as you tour the palace. The beautiful Summer Garden, with its elaborate fountains, statuary and paths to wander along must have been a delightful retreat on a hot summer day. Obviously, being the czar had its advantages. After a refreshing hydrofoil voyage back to the city, tonight you’ll attend a ballet performance. Long synonymous with Russia and St. Petersburg, the ballet is a treasured part of Russian artistic history, tradition and culture.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Astoria, St. Petersburg, Russia
 

Day 6 ST. PETERSBURG - HERMITAGE (B)

Justly renowned around the world, The State Hermitage Museum is a highlight of any Russia tour. The tour operator has has arranged a special early-morning visit that avoids the crush of the crowds who appear later in the day. While once only Russian royalty could enjoy such treasures, during today’s guided tour you’ll see the multitude of priceless art, jewels and artifacts from the Stone Age to the 20th century housed in this remarkable museum as you walk through its splendid halls. You’ll marvel at the amazing golden objects from antiquity that you’ll view in the Second Chamber of the Gold Room.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Astoria, St. Petersburg, Russia

Day 7 FLIGHT TO MOSCOW  (B, L, D)
Catch a flight from St. Petersburg to Moscow, the must-visit city on every Russia tour. By special arrangement, Tauck takes you underground on an exclusive visit to Josef Stalin’s secret World-War-II bunker, which has been closed to the public for decades. Connected to the Kremlin by a ten-mile-long tunnel, it was here that Stalin devised and orchestrated Russia’s war strategies. You’ll feel history all around you as you visit the central command room, view his personal effects still in his office and have lunch. You’ll love your home for the next three nights, the Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow, just across the Moskva River from Red Square and the Kremlin. There couldn’t been a better location from which to absorb the essence of ever-intriguing Moscow.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation:Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow, Moscow, Russia

Day 8 INSIDER TOUR OF KREMLIN (B)

No in-depth Russia tour would be complete without gaining some special insights into Russia’s often-turbulent history. You’ll attend a talk by former Kremlin “insider” who will share such insights with you. Then, it’s off to the iconic Red Square, the must-see symbol of Russia and Moscow where the world has watched so much history unfold. Go behind the massive walls of the Kremlin, the medieval fortress long the seat of Russian power and a self-contained city of palaces, churches and armories that grew increasingly elaborate under the influence of Ivan the Great. Visit the Armory, once a storehouse for weapons and now a museum showcasing the amazing treasures amassed by the Imperial court in centuries past. As you stand in magnificent Cathedral Square admiring the façade of 1470s Cathedral of the Assumption built by Ivan the Great and the other majestic cathedrals bordering the square, you’ll hear the whispers of old Czarist Russia around you if you just ignore the statue of Lenin on the eastern edge.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow, Russia

Day 9 RUSSIAN ART TREASURES (B, D)

If you’re wondering why anyone would want to visit the Moscow Metro subway system, you’ll find out today as you view the perfect marriage of form and function… architecture and design that awaits you below ground. The stations of this highly efficient mass transportation system are adorned with sculptures, mosaics, chandeliers and beautiful examples of socialist realist art. Then, for a complete change of pace, tour the State Tretyakov Gallery, a marvelous museum and the national treasury of Russian fine art, showcasing more than 130,000 works by generations of Russian artists. Your encounters with the arts today will be treasured memories of Russia’s artistic soul when you return home. As your Russia tour comes to an end, please join us for a farewell dinner tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow, Russia

Day 10 MOSCOW DEPARTURE (B)
Your Russia tour ends in Moscow. An included transfer will take you from the Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow to either Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo Airport for your flight home. Please allow a minimum of 2 ½ hours for airport check-in formalities. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey.
Meals: Breakfast

 

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 Departure Dates 2008

 Guaranteed departures

 June 07, 28

 Jul 19

 Aug 09, 30 

 Sep 07, 20 

 Prices in US Dollar