Route of the Romanovs - 10 day tour

Tuesday. Welcome to Russia! You will be met upon arrival at St Petersburg Pulkovo Airport and transferred to your hotel for check-in. At 7pm this evening meet for dinner with the rest of your group at the hotel, followed by an informative welcome meeting.
Overnight: St Petersburg  |  Dinner

We explore the beautiful city of St Petersburg on a guided tour today. Travelling by bus we drive along the main thoroughfare Nevsky Prospekt, passing the museum and university districts and stopping for photos at magnificent St Isaac's Cathedral and The Bronze Horseman. Then we explore the Peter and Paul Fortress and the ornate Peter and Paul Cathedral which houses the tombs of the Romanov monarchs. After a tasty lunch of traditional Russian cuisine we take a guided tour of the incredible Hermitage Museum in the beautiful Winter Palace - which houses one of the biggest and best art collections on earth.

Spend the rest of the day at leisure and this evening consider an optional excursion to the ballet or perhaps a Cossack show. All optional excursions are subject to availability and minimum numbers - book and pay locally.
Overnight: St Petersburg  |  Breakfast, Lunch

St Petersburg – Moscow. Today we see how the Russian tsars lived, heading out of the city to explore one of their lavish palaces. We visit Peterhof Palace and its beautiful gardens on the Gulf of Finland in the summer (May to mid October) and in the winter we visit Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo (or Pavlosk Palace if Catherine Palace is closed). Often referred to as the 'Russian Versailles’, Peterhof is famous for its beautiful gardens which are a wonderland of greenery and flowers, sweeping vistas and ornate architectural decorations, with spectacular gold fountains. At Catherine's Palace it's the exterior and lavishly decorated interior that is the highlight and the famous Amber room is simply spectacular, bedecked in gold and amber.

Returning to the city centre we visit the beautiful Church On Spilled Blood and then there's free time to explore or shop for souvenirs before we board the 5pm high speed train to Moscow. Reaching the capital in just 4 hours, we transfer to our hotel for the night.
Overnight: Moscow  |  Breakfast

Taking the metro, we will make our way to the legendary Red Square for the start of our walking tour this morning. Here we will take in sights such as the epitome of Russian power – the Kremlin, Lenin’s Mausoleum and the ritzy GUM department store. At the south end of the square, feast your eyes on the iconic St Basil’s Cathedral. We also tour the mighty Kremlin, with a guided walk through the grounds to see numerous government buildings, gold-domed cathedrals and the Tsar Bell - which is the largest bell that never rang! If open, you can pay your respects to the grandfather of Communism at Lenin’s mausoleum. Remainder of the day is at leisure.

During our stay in Moscow there will be the chance to join some of our optional evening excursions, such as a traditional Cossack Show or a Moscow by Night coach tour and river cruise. Optional excursions are subject to availability and can be booked and paid for locally.
Overnight: Moscow  |  Breakfast, Lunch

Today is free to spend at leisure in Moscow. The wonderful Izmailovo Market is just a short stroll from our hotel. This sprawling market lies behind the walls of an ancient kremlin and sells everything from matryoshka dolls to fur hats. There are also plenty of great galleries, museums and shops all within walking distance in the city centre. Alternatively consider booking our optional Inside a Soviet Bunker Tour Add On and head 65 metres underground to explore the Underground Cold War Museum - a Stalinist-era Soviet Bunker that up until recently was a top secret symbol of Soviet Power.
Overnight: Moscow  |  Breakfast

Moscow – Yekaterinburg. Our last day in Moscow is free for you to independently explore or stock up on Soviet souvenirs. As this tour runs in conjunction with other tours, today you will also bid farewell to those ending their tour in Moscow, and to your tour leader who has escorted you thus far. This afternoon transfer to the train station for an overnight train journey, travelling east bound along the famous Trans-Siberian railway line to Yekaterinburg. Our premium train departs at approximately 4.30pm.
Overnight: Trans-Siberian sleeper train  |  Breakfast

Travelling on the Trans-Siberian continue the journey east bound across the beautiful Ural Mountains. Pulling into Yekaterinburg at approximately 8pm this evening, we meet our local guide and transfer to the hotel for dinner and relaxation.
Overnight: Yekaterinburg  |  Dinner

This morning we explore the historical centre of Yekaterinburg on a walking tour. The city was founded in 1723 to exploit the mineral riches of the surrounding Ural Mountains and Siberia but what really put Yekaterinburg on the map in the western world was the tragic event that occurred here in 1918. For it was in the cellar of a house, where the beautiful Church on the Blood now stands, that Tsar Nicholas Romanov II and his family were executed. Our walking tour takes us to this very church where you’ll see a sculpture dedicated to the Tsar and his family, the area of their execution and a modest exhibition on their lives.

Our walking tour also takes in 1905 Revolution Square, the beautiful views from the embankment side and the Hill of Ascension, and the sorrowful Afghanistan memorial at the Red Army Square. We can also see the gorgeous villas of the 19th century gold merchants, statues of the founders of the city and Communist leaders.

After lunch we drive out of town to visit the famous obelisk Europe/Asia border marker where you can stand with a foot in each continent! Crossing the border- line we get a certificate and a glass of sparkling wine. Then we head to the Ganina Yama Monastery which is dedicated to the Romanov family and built on the site of the former mine, where their corpses were unceremoniously dumped by the Bolsheviks in 1918. The Romanovs' remains were then moved a few kilometres to a secret grave which is now a memorial, this is our last stop of the day. When the secret grave was discovered in 1978 the Romanov remains were moved to their final resting place at the beautiful SS Peter and Paul Cathedral at Peter and Paul Fortress, which we visit in St Petersburg.
Overnight: Yekaterinburg  |  Breakfast, Lunch

Today is free for you to take advantage of all that Yekaterinburg has to offer as a wonderful outdoors destination. You will be able to choose from a range of exciting options that can be booked and paid for locally. In the summer you can try your hand at rafting, work up a sweat hiking or visit a Koptelova - a traditional Siberian village. While in the winter, you can take full advantage of the sub-zero temperatures with a thrilling dog-sledding ride or ice-fishing! Please contact us for further details.
Overnight: Yekaterinburg  |  Breakfast