01. DAY ISTANBUL AIRPORT – MOSCOW
Meeting with our valued guests at 05:35 at the international departures terminal of Istanbul New Airport, and after baggage and check-in procedures, departure to Moscow at 08:25 with THY flight TK 413. Arrival in Moscow at 12:25, and after being welcomed at the airport, we will set off by private vehicle for the “Moscow Panoramic City Tour.” During the panoramic Moscow city tour, the places to be seen include the historic center, the Red Square, which has witnessed political and social turmoil; the colorful onion-shaped domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral located here; the Kremlin Palace; the Bolshoi Theatre; Tverskaya Street; Gorky Park; Novodevichy Monastery; Swan Lake; Luzhniki Stadium; Lenin Hill; and finally Moscow University, all to be seen panoramically. At the end of our tour, transfer to our hotel and free time.
02. DAY MOSCOW
After breakfast at our hotel, free time. Guests who wish may join the extra tour of Kremlin Palace, Moscow Metro, Arbat & Nazım Hikmet’s Cemetery. The Kremlin, where Russian President Vladimir Putin also has his office, contains the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which has been considered Moscow’s most important church since the 14th century, as well as the world’s largest bell. We will continue our tour with the Moscow Metro. Started by Stalin in 1931, the Moscow Metro is compared today with the New York, Paris, or London metros in terms of size, yet it is widely accepted as the most beautiful metro in the world in terms of interior architecture and decoration. Arbat Street, which runs through the center of Moscow, is a traffic-free road that everyone who visits this city at least once walks from one end to the other with great pleasure. Here you can stroll through the colorful shop windows, taste the finest examples of Russian and world cuisine, sit in stylish cafés that would not put Paris to shame, and most pleasantly, sit on a bench and watch the Russians who are carried away by the flow of life. If you want to get a Moscow souvenir, this street is the right place. Afterwards, we will continue our tour with Nazım Hikmet’s grave. We will leave our hotel for a visit to Novodevichy Monastery (where Nazım Hikmet’s grave is also located). Novodevichy, one of Russia’s most important monasteries, was founded in 1524 and over time became the place where the star of many potential tsarinas was extinguished. Although Napoleon ordered its destruction in 1812, the nuns managed to prevent this decision. During the visit, we will see Nazım Hikmet’s grave inside the monastery. After the tour, transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.
03. DAY MOSCOW – ST. PETERSBURG (TRAIN JOURNEY)
After breakfast at our hotel, we check out of the rooms and transfer to the train station. Following our train journey between Moscow and St. Petersburg, upon arrival we will be welcomed and then set off by private vehicle for the “St. Petersburg Panoramic City Tour.” During the panoramic city tour, we will have the opportunity to see the city’s historic and tourist sites, as well as streets where the finest examples by some of the world’s most famous architects and artists are displayed. Among the places to be seen are the famous Nevsky Prospect featured in the books of renowned writers, the Old Harbor Lighthouses, the Mint, the Clock Tower, the Statue of Peter the Great, the Winter Palace, Palace Square, the Admiralty Building, and the Aurora Cruiser. After our city tour, transfer to our hotel. Free time and accommodation at our hotel in St. Petersburg. At the end of the tour, guests who wish may join the optional “Russian Night Tour” organized by our guide. Do not miss the opportunity to have dinner at Troika Restaurant, one of St. Petersburg’s finest restaurants, and watch magnificent dance shows. After the tour, transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.
04. DAY ST. PETERSBURG
After breakfast, free time. Guests who wish may join the optional “Hermitage, Peter and Paul, and Canal Tours.” The Hermitage Museum, located by the Neva River, contains approximately 4 million works from the Tsarist era and is one of the largest museums in the world, in both the world and Russia. Because it has the largest collection of paintings, it has also been listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Afterwards, with a guide, we will begin our canal tour, seeing St. Petersburg from the canals and extending to the Neva River. After the tour, we will continue with Peter and Paul Fortress. Built in the 1700s by Peter the Great, this fortress was the first structure erected in St. Petersburg and is located on the Neva River. The cathedral inside the fortress contains the tombs of the Romanov Dynasty. At the end of the tour, transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.
05. DAY ST. PETERSBURG
After breakfast, free time. Guests who wish may join the optional “Peterhof and Pushkin Tsar Town Tours.” On this tour, we will have the opportunity to see the summer palace located in the Gulf of Finland, whose plans Peter drew himself and which he had built by Italian architect Rastrelli. Its building, a rival to Versailles in Paris, is a magnificent palace complex adorned with 150 monumental fountains and 4 waterfalls. Although it suffered great damage during World War II, it was restored faithfully to its original architecture, preserving all its splendor. Afterwards, the park, palace, and building complex known as Tsar Town, built by Catherine in the 18th century, covers an area of 600 hectares, and the main building of this town is Catherine Palace. Although the Amber Room here is extremely interesting, due to heavy crowds especially in the summer months, many tourists may not be able to visit it. In this famous town where the aristocracy of the Tsarist period met the tsar family, there is also the school where the famous poet Pushkin studied. At the end of our tour, transfer to our hotel.
06. DAY ST. PETERSBURG – ISTANBUL AIRPORT
After breakfast, free time. At the time determined by our guide, transfer to the airport. Upon arrival, after passport control and check-in procedures, departure to Istanbul at 13:55 with Turkish Airlines scheduled flight TK 402. Arrival in Istanbul at 18:00 local time. We hope to meet you again on our next tour.