We offer you an interesting route from St. Petersburg to Moscow with a visit to one of the oldest cities in Russia – Veliky Novgorod and its suburbs!
After you discover why Saint-Petersburg is often called “Venice of the North” and you visit the highlights of the city like Peter and Paul Fortress, the Hermitage Museum and Tsarskoe selo (Pushkin), you will continue your tour to the city with a great history – Veliky Novgorod.
Veliky Novgorod is a medieval center of trade and crafts, the cradle of Russian democracy. The city has preserved a huge number of great monuments of architecture and monumental painting.
On the way to Sergiev Posad you will visit some atmospheric and old villages with their beautiful churches and cathedrals such as Vitoslavlitsi, Kresttsy village and Valday.
A visit to Sergiev Posad will be remembered by the extraordinary beauty of its shrine – the Trinity Sergius Lavra that entered the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1993 and is considered as one of the most beautiful monasteries on earth.
Arrival in Saint Petersburg. Transfer to the hotel and accommodation.
Breakfast. Panoramic city tour of the historical capital of the Russian Empire, during which you will admire its splendid views: the Arts Square, surrounded by 3 museums and 4 theatres; the Palace Square offering an impressive view upon the Baroque Winter Palace; the historical “Strelka” (Cape) of the Vasilyevsky Island; the famous Nevsky Prospect considered the “heart” of the city. You will be fascinated by the gorgeous wide Neva River and the canals system, by the beautiful bridges, by the majestic domes of Orthodox churches and cathedrals and many more. We will also visit the Peter and Paul Fortress. Peter the Great had the construction of his new capital started with this fortress on May 27th, 1703, and this day is actually considered the birth of Saint Petersburg.
Lunch. Free time.
Visit to the Hermitage Museum – the Russia’s best gallery of world art, one of the most prominent art museums in the world and definitely the most popular tourist attraction in Saint Petersburg. The main building of the Hermitage Museum is the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian Tzars, located on the bank of the Neva River. Dinner. Free evening.
Breakfast. Visit to Tsarskoye Selo (also known as Pushkin) – one of St. Petersburg’s numerous imperial estates. Located just 25 kilometers south of the city, the estate boasts a large landscape park and the magnificent blue, white and gold Catherine Palace. Named after its creator, Empress Catherine, the second wife of Peter the Great. The Palace also boasts a unique Amber Room – its priceless amber panels were stolen by Nazi troops during the Second World War, but have been painstakingly recreated by Russian craftsmen. Dinner. Free evening.
Breakfast. Transfer to Veliky Novgorod (or Novgorod the Great). Accommodation at the hotel. City tour and visit to the Kremlin. You will also see the former Archbishop’s Palace, the only example of Gothic architecture in Novgorod. Then you will proceed to the St. Sophia Cathedral, the first Russian cathedral built of stone. Lunch.
Excursion from Novgorod to “Vitoslavlitsi” – an open-air museum of wooden architecture, which preserves the atmosphere of a village of the 16th century, and to the St. George’s (Yuriev) Monastery and the St. George’s Cathedral of the 12th century, famous for its beautiful medieval frescoes.
Transfer to Valday with a stop in the Kresttsy village (80 km from Novgorod) with a population of only eight thousand inhabitants. The village is located halfway between the two Russian capitals – Moscow and St. Petersburg. On the way, you will see traditional wooden houses and village women selling homemade pies with meat, potatoes, berries and cheese.
Arrival in Valday. Visit to the Valday Iversky Monastery founded in 1653 by Patriarch Nikon located on the Selvitski Island, in Lake Valdai. Visit to the Bell Museum. Transfer to Tver. Check-in at the hotel. Dinner.
Breakfast. The day starts with a panoramic tour of Tver with a visit to the Trinity Church and the Catherine II Palace. Transfer to Sergiyev Posad.Lunch. Located 70 km north from Moscow, the historic ensemble of Sergiyev Posad is of great interest for tourists and pilgrims – thanks to its excellently preserved monuments of the Russian culture, dating back to the 15-17th centuries. The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, founded in 1337, is famous all over the world and often referred to as the “Russian Vatican”. Transfer to Moscow, accommodation at the hotel. Dinner.
*Please, take note that we reserve the right to change the order of visits.
Level 3 (moderate/active)
Regular Tour
Level 2 (moderate)
