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A blend of the charming old town of Tallinn, its wonderfully preserved history and the

grandeur of St Petersburg, the imperial city of the Tzars and Moscow, the capital of Russia.. Explore the history and culture of this region, the many palaces including Peterhof Palace and the State Hermitage. Helsinki, is also included in this historical tour, where you will experience the fascinating mixture of Swedish, Russian and International cultures!

The tour is bi-lingual

Itinerary

Arrival to Tallinn Airport, meet & greet by English-speaking representative, for Regular Arrival Transfer Service to the hotel for check-in . Please consult your welcome letter,which you will receive on check-in to your hotel, and kindly note where and when to meet your tour leader. Day is at leisure.

Breakfast at the hotel.Meet & greet by tour escort at the hotel lobby at11:00to receive information of the upcoming tour. Following this short meeting, we start a panoramic City sightseeing of this medieval capital. Starting at the Toompea Hill, we walk to its Castle, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Dome Church. We will make a stop at the Viewer Square (panorama platform), onwards along Lühike Street to the Lower Town. We will walk further through this historic part of Tallinn to the Old Town Hall Square, with views of the Old Town Hall, the Old Town Pharmacy house and the Church of the Holy Ghost. Rest of the day is at leisure

Breakfast buffet at the hotel. The morning is at leisure until our transfer from thehotel to the Tallinn Ferry terminal. Travel across the Baltic Sea from Tallinn to Helsinki. On arrival in Helsinki, meet & greet withyour local guide for a 3-hour city sightseeing of the capital of Finland, also known as “The Daughter of the Baltic Sea”.The tour includes the Senate Square, the University and Lutheran Cathedral–all displaying neo-classical architecture of the 1840’sthe colorful Market Square by the sea in the South Harbour, Kaivopuisto Park and diplomatic residences, the imposing statue of Marshall Mannerheim, theParliament Building, Finlandia Hall, the Orthodox Russian Church Uspenski and the Sibelius Monument.A visit is also made to Temppeliaukio Church –called the “Rock Church” as it is carved into solid rock (the church reserves the right not to allow the entry of visitors in case of ceremonies). The tour ends at the hotel for check-in

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning at leisure. After noon, transfer to Helsinki’s International Rail Station, where we will board the Allegro Train bound for St. Petersburg, a city founded in 1703 by Tzar Peter the Great and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Also known to the world as the "Northern Capital of Russia" and the "the Venice of the North", St. Petersburg was virtually unharmed by the 1930-50s Stalinist reconstruction, and its downtown dazzles the eye of the visitor with splendid palaces, stylish monuments, straight avenues, beautiful bridges and other attractions. St. Petersburg is filled with history and mystery. Arrival in St. Petersburg and transfer to the hotel for check-in.

Breakfast at the hotel.In the morning, we will be met by a local guide for a panoramic city sightseeing tour, which will cover some of the many highlights of the city. We will drive along the Nevsky Prospect -the heart of the city, and make picture stops at the Spit of Vasilievsky Island, the Senates Square, the Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Isaac'sCathedral, the Art's Square and the Russian Museum as well as at the two magnificent churches, the "Spilled Blood" and the Nikolsky Cathedral.The city tour ends at the hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure to further explore this magnificent city and its treasures. Your tour escort will provide you with suggestions for tours

Breakfast at the hotel. We meet our local guide for a full day excursion, which includes Peterhof, the palace of the Sea God. Here the fountains are not mere accessories: they are the essence of the place. They are the symbolic expression of the sea's dominion, the mist that rises from thewaves as they surge against its shores. The world-famous palace, fountain and park ensemble of Peterhof, is an outstanding landmark of Russian artistic culture from the 18th-19th Centuries. Founded in the very beginning of the eighteenth Century by Emperor Peter the Great, not far from his new northern capital St. Petersburg, Peterhof was intended to become the most splendid official royal summer residence. Credit for its creation should go to a great number of eminent architects, artists, and anonymous folk craftsmen. Its wonderful parks, 176 fountains of various forms and styles, and four cascades, majestic palaces, numerous gilded statues of ancient gods and heroes, remarkable collections of sculptures, paintings and works of the minor arts make Peterhof a veritable gem of art unique in the world and often called "Capital of Fountains. After 1917 the Peterhof ensemble was taken into state custody and turned into an architecture and art museum. Nowadays, due to the unforgettable beauty of its fountains, parks and palaces, Peterhof has become the most attractive suburban royal park and palace ensemble in the northern Russian capital, for numerous Russian and foreign visitors. At noon we will have lunch at a local restaurant after which we return to St. Petersburg by Hydrofoil before we visit The State Hermitage Museum, which occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the embankment of the River Neva, right in the heart of St. Petersburg. The leading role in this unique architectural ensemble is played by the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian Tsars, built to the design of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754-62. This ensemble, formed in the 18th and 19th Centuries, is extended by the eastern wing of the General Staff building, the Menshikov Palace and the recently constructed Repository. Put together throughout two centuries and a half, the Hermitage collection of works of art (over 3,000,000 items) presents the development of world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th Century. Today the Museum is creating a digital self-portrait to be displayed around the world. The tour ends at the hotel. The evening at leisure.

Transfer with local guide from your hotel to the Railway station, where we will board the Sapsan Train bound for Moscow. This train ride takes you through endless Russian landscapes and along the Volga River. Afternoon arrival in Moscow and transfer to Intercontinental Tverskaya Hotel, located on the main avenue of the city, Tverskaya. Evening at leisure

Breakfast at hotel. This morning starts with a full day privately guided panoramic sightseeing tour of Moscow. We will see many ancient churches and cathedrals, some of them dating as far back as the 15th century, many of them having been restored or even built again; beautiful theatres and palaces; modern business complexes and hotels; buildings of late Soviet architecture such as the Moscow State University and the Central Stadium in Luzhniki, which hosted the 1980 Olympic Games.Moscow, with its some 10 million inhabitants, is vast and at times chaotic. Wewill visit the historiccentre of the city, which includes the Red Square, Sofiiskaya Embankment, St Sophia Cathedral, and the panorama of the Kremlin walls. We will also see the modern part of the city,which includes the Vorobievy (Lenin Hills) –the highest place in Moscow, providing a beautiful view of the city and Poklonnaya Hill where there is a monument commemorating defenders of the city during World War Two.During this visit we will also experience a tour of one of Moscow’s beautiful Metro stations, a highlight in itself and a must do when visiting Moscow. After the Metro visit, we continue with a cruise on the Moscow River (including lunch on board) starting in the city Centre including panoramic views of Kremlin, Novodevichy convent, Sparrow Hills, Cathedral of the Saviour Christ,theWhite House of the Russian Federation and much more. Rest of the afternoon and evening is at leisure

Breakfast at hotel. We meet our local guide for a halfday excursion, which includes a privately guided tour of Kremlin Territory with Armoury Chamber. During thistour we will walk through the Kremlin grounds and visit the Armoury Chamber with its famous collection of Faberge eggs, jewels and royal thrones. The word Kremlin (Kreml) means a fortress or walled town; Moscow’s is the biggest and most famous. The earliest ramparts were of earth and wood, but successive rulers raised and strengthened the defences after every attack. The present brick walls date from the 1490s, though they have been frequently restored.We endthe tour at the hotel. Rest of the day isat leisure

Breakfast at the hotel. English-speaking representative will meet you for the Regular Transfer Service to Moscow Airport

Notes