Russia - Three Capitals

Day 1 - Arrive Kiev. Transfer to hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 2 - Sightseeing tour of Kiev. Among our visits are: The Museum of the Great Patriotic War commemorates Russia’s history during WWII.  It is centered around the 62-meter tall Motherland statue, which has become one of the most well known landmarks in the city. The Kiev Fortress, a 19^th century fortification built by the Russian Army. Having lost their military importance, several buildings continued to be used as barracks, storage and incarceration facilities. One building which was a prison for the political inmates in the 1900s–1920s has been turned into a Soviet museum. A small fortress built in 1872 became a place of executions for convicted political inmates. It is now a landscape reserve. The Golden Gate is a historic gateway in the ancient city walls constructed in the mid-11^th century.  What makes it unique is that its architectural design is very much based on the internal decorations of ancient Ruthenian churches.

Day 3 - Visit to The Kiev Monastery of the Caves (Kiev Pechersk Lavra), famous for its numerous architectural monuments, ranging from belltowers to cathedrals to underground cave systems and to strong stone fortification walls. The main attractions of the Lavra include the Great Lavra Belltower, the notable feature of the Kiev skyline, and the Dormition Cathedral, destroyed in World War II, and fully reconstructed in recent years. After dinner, depart on overnight train to Moscow.

Day 4 - Morning arrival in Moscow. Your guide will transfer you to hotel. After breakfast, depart on a city sightseeing tour including the Tretyakov Art Gallery, with the largest collection of Russian fine art in the world, and a visit to the Moscow circus where performances are held daily.

Day 5 - Visit the Kremlin complex which includes four palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall. We will also visit the magnificent Kremlin Armory in charge of producing, purchasing and storing weapons, jewelry and various household articles of the tsars.  In the 1700s, the Armory was enriched with the treasures of the Golden and Silver chambers of the Russian tsars and later merged with the Fiscal Yard (the oldest depository of the royal treasures), Stables Treasury (in charge of storing harnesses and carriages) and the Master Chamber (in charge of sewing clothes and bedclothes for the tsars). Some of the highlights include the Imperial Crown of Russia, the ivory throne of Ivan the Terrible, the Orloff Diamond; the helmet of Yaroslav II; the sabres of Kuzma Minin and Dmitri Pozharski; the 12-century necklaces from Ryazan; golden and silver tableware; embroidery with gold and pearls; imperial carriages, weapons, armour, and 10 Fabergé eggs the second-most overall Fabergé eggs, owned by a single owner.

Day 6 - Day of shopping along Arbat - an approximately half-mile long pedestrian street in the historical center of Moscow.  In existence since the 15^th century, it is one of the oldest surviving streets of the capital. Originally the street formed part of an important trade route and was home to a large number of craftsmen. Because of the many historic buildings, and the numerous artists who have lived and worked in the street, the Arbat is also an important tourist attraction. After dinner, depart for St. Petersburg on overnight train.

Day 7 - Morning arrival in St. Petersburg (aka Petrograd, Leningrad and Piter). Your guide will transfer you to hotel. After breakfast, city sightseeing tour includes visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress. The fortress contains several notable buildings clustered around the Peter and Paul Cathedral (1712-1733), which is the burial place of all Russian tsars from Peter I to Alexander III.  Other structures inside the fortress include the still functioning mint building, the Trubetskoy and Alekseyevsky bastions with their grim prison cells, and the city museum.

Day 8 - Visit to the impressive Hermitage Complex, one of the largest and oldest museums of the world, founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great.  The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings of which four are partially open to the public: the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage and New Hermitage. Collections include Egyptian and Classical antiquities, prehistoric Russian artifacts, Italian and Spanish art and more.  Later we travel to Pushkin to see the Alexander Palace and the Catherine Palace. The Catherine Palace is surrounded by a French-style garden and an English landscape garden, with such 18th-century structures as Dutch Admiralty, Creaking Pagoda, Chesme Column, Rumyantsev Obelisk, and Marble Bridge. The landscape of Alexander Park has several Chinese-influenced structures, notably the Chinese Village.

Day 9 - After breakfast, departure to St. Petersburg airport for flight home.