Journey to Moscow 6 days / 5 nights

May – September 2024

Arrival in Moscow airport. Meeting with the guide. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation in hotel.

Optional: “Moscow by night”. Evening Bus Tour of illuminated streets of Moscow city center and skyscrapers of the Moscow International Business Center “Moscow City”.

Duration of the tour: 3 hours

Breakfast in the hotel Meeting with the guide

09:00 – 13:00 City tour of Moscow

You will drive along the famous embankments and streets of the historic city: Boulevard Ring and Garden Ring, Kutuzovsky Avenue; you will see the Bolshoi Theater, the Moscow Manege, Stalin's High- rise buildings, the Triumphal Arch, Sparrow Hills, the building of Moscow State University, the Luzhniki Olympic Stadium, the Novodevichy Convent, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, modern skyscrapers of Moscow City and many others.

13:00 – 14:00 Free Time for lunch

Optional:

Visit to VDNKh (All-Russian Exhibition Center) and the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics, a museum dedicated to space exploration. The museum contains a wide variety of Soviet and Russian space-related exhibits and models which explore the history of flight; astronomy; space exploration; space technology; and space in the arts. The museum's collection holds approximately 85,000 different items.

Duration of the tour including transfers: 3 hours OR

Visit to the Federation Tower, a complex of two skyscrapers built on the territory of the Moscow International Business Center in Moscow (Moscow City). The two skyscrapers are named Tower East and Tower West. The supertall skyscraper Tower East is currently the tallest building in Moscow, the second- tallest skyscraper in Europe and Russia, and the 55th-tallest building in the world. We can reach by an elevator the 89th floor of the Tower East with PANORAMA360 — the highest observation deck in Europe.

Duration of the tour including transfers: 3 hours

Transfer to the hotel Free time

Overnight stay at the hotel

Breakfast in the hotel Meeting with the guide

09:00 – 13:00 Visit to Red Square and Alexander Gardens. Red Square is one of the oldest and largest squares in Moscow. Owing to its historical significance and the adjacent historical buildings, it is regarded as one of the most notable and important squares in Europe and the world. In addition, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. It is located in Moscow's historic center, in the eastern walls of the Kremlin. You will see famous buildings such as Saint Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum and the GUM (State Department Store).

Alexander Gardens stretch along all the length of the western Kremlin wall for 865 metres between the building of the Moscow Manege and the Kremlin. The gardens were originally called the Kremlin Gardens, but after the coronation of Alexander II in 1856, the gardens were renamed the Alexander Gardens. Towards the main entrance to the park is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with an eternal flame. It contains the body of a soldier who fell during the Great Patriotic War at the nearest point the forces of Nazi Germany penetrated towards Moscow. Post Number One, where the honor sentinels stand on guard, used to be located in front of Lenin's Mausoleum, but was moved to the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in the 1990s.

13:00 – 14:00 Time for lunch

Optional:

Visit to the Moscow Kremlin: you will see the unique architectural ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin. Cathedral Square is the heart of the Kremlin. It is surrounded by six buildings, including three cathedrals (During your tour you will be able to visit two cathedrals: one with guided tour and another on your own). The Cathedral of the Dormition was the main church of Moscow, where all the Tsars were crowned. The gilded, nine-domed Cathedral of the Annunciation was originally the personal chapel for the tsars, and its abbot remained a personal confessor of the Russian royal family until the early 20th century. Between the Great Kremlin Palace (only outside view) and the Ivan the Great Bell Tower there is the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, where almost all the Muscovite monarchs from Ivan Kalita to Ivan V of Russia were buried. The other notable structure is the Ivan the Great Bell Tower (only outside view), which is said to mark the exact center of Moscow and resemble a burning candle. Completed in 1600, it is 81 meters high. The Tsar Cannon is a monument of Russian artillery casting art, cast in bronze in 1586 in Moscow. Mostly of symbolic impact, it was never used in a war. Between the Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the Kremlin Wall there is the Tsar Bell, the largest bell in the world, weighing 201,924 kg.

Duration of the tour including transfers: 4 hours OR

Visit to the Kremlin Armoury. Originated as a royal arsenal, the Armoury was in charge of producing, purchasing and storing weapons, jewelry and various household articles of the tsars. Now the museum holds the treasures of the Golden and Silver chambers of the Russian tsars. The Armoury keeps ancient state regalia, ceremonial royal clothes and coronation dress, liturgical garments of the hierarchs of the

Russian Orthodox Church, the largest collection of gold and silverware made by Russian craftsmen, Western European art silver, monuments of gunsmithing, a collection of carriages, items of ceremonial equestrian decoration.

Duration of the tour including transfers: 4 hours

Transfer to the hotel Free time

Overnight stay at the hotel

Breakfast in the hotel Meeting with the guide

09:00 – 13:00 Visit to Zaryadye Park, a landscape urban park located adjacent to Red Square. The area of the park's facilities is almost 78,000 square meters. The park is divided into four climatic zones: forest, steppe, tundra, and the floodplains. These zones are organized in terraces that descend from northeast to southwest, with each layering over the next to create a total of 14,000 square meters of enclosed, programmed spaces integrated into the landscape: nature and architecture act as one. A total of 760 trees and about 7 thousand shrubs have been planted there. The objects of the park are worth to see: a large amphitheater with a curved glass roof, a concert hall, a scientific and educational center, and many others. Another feature of the new park is a picturesque view of the Kremlin, which visitors can enjoy from the Soaring bridge over the Moskva River. The Soaring bridge is a thin airy V-shaped structure with a large outward extension above the water. The bridge protracts 70 meters without a single support.

The construction withstands a load of 240 tons corresponding to three to four thousand people. 13:00 – 14:00 Time for lunch

Optional:

Tour of architectural styles invented in Russia. In the 17th century, a unique architectural style - Moscow Patterning - was formed in Russia. It replaced the more strict and restrained Byzantine style and is sometimes compared to the Renaissance. This typical Russian style is characterized by bright colors, cheerfulness, intricate forms, abundance of decoration, complexity of composition and picturesque silhouette. During our tour we will see the Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos at Putinki, one of the most picturesque churches in Moscow. The snow-white church with its multiple tents and azure-and-gold domes resembles a daintily carved piece of ivory. The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Znameniye” ("The Sign") behind the Petrovsky Gate is an example of "flaming" temples of the XVII century with traditional five domes and carved platbands. The Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in Nikitniki is a benchmark of Moscow patterning of the middle of the XVII century, this building is a milestone in the history of Russian architecture, it served as a model for many Moscow temples of the second half of the XVII century. Another masterpiece of Moscow patterning is the Church of Saint Nicholas in Khamovniki.

At the end of the 17th century, a new style appeared in Russia - "Moscow Baroque". We will visit one of its brightest examples -the Novodevichy Monastery, probably the best-known cloister of Moscow. As an exceptionally well-preserved example of the Moscow Baroque, the monastery has been placed under UNESCO protection and declared a treasure of all mankind. Interestingly, during the first two centuries of its existence, the monastery served as a place of confinement for female royalty.

Then traditional Russian architectural styles were long forgotten and replaced by European classicism. It was only in the 19th century that Russian-style temples began to be built anew. We will finish our tour

with a visit to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior (visit without excursion), the principal church where the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church himself leads the festive services.

Duration of the tour including transfers: 4 hours OR

Visit to the first Russian lacquer miniature factory in the town of Fedoskino, about 20 km from Moscow. Fedoskino miniature painting was born at the end of the XVIII century. The most highly valued were chests and caskets, which were decorated with complex multifigure compositions - copies of paintings by Russian and Western European artists. Excursions to Fedoskino lacquer miniature factory will allow you to learn more about the history of this amazing craft.

Duration of the tour including transfers: 5 hours

Transfer to the hotel Free time

Overnight stay at the hotel

Breakfast in the hotel FREE DAY

OPTIONAL:

Visit to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, a lavra (an especially venerated monastery) and the most important Russian monastery, being the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church for many centuries. The monastery is situated in the town of Sergiyev Posad, about 70 kilometres from Moscow.

It’s the largest center of educational and publishing activities of the Russian Orthodox Church and the seat of the Moscow Theological Academy. According to the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, the archimandrite of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra is the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. In terms of importance, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra can be compared to the Vatican.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Sergiev Posad was called "the toy capital of Russia". There were more than 30 artels producing toys made of wood in the city. For an additional fee you can visit the Matryoshka doll workshop in Sergiev Posad, which continues and multiplies the traditions of the old masters.

Duration of the tour including Matryoshka doll workshop: 9 hours (Lunch is available for an additional surcharge).

OR

Another opportunity is to visit the Khot’kovo factory of carved artistic products - one of the oldest and leading Russian enterprises for the production of jewelry and artistic and decorative items made of mammoth tusk. The factory staff will be glad to tell you about the work of the factory, about its masters, about the peculiarities of making carved bone products. The excursion through the exhibition halls and production facilities of the factory covers the issues of material, mammoth fauna and its extraction, history of Khotkovo craft and technology of bone carving. If you wish, you can additionally order a master class on bone carving, which allows you to get an idea of some tools and carve a small souvenir by yourself.

Duration of the tour including transfers: 6 hours

OR

Visit to the Gzhel Porcelain Factory, a unique and world-renowned manufacturer of handmade porcelain products and "blue and white pottery": white pottery and porcelain decorated under the glaze with a blue pigment, generally cobalt oxide. Located in Gzhel, about 60 km from Moscow, the factory has been creating beautiful works of art for over two centuries. Today, the porcelain of the Gzhel Porcelain Factory is still produced using traditional methods with blue-and-white decors and shapes that made it famous throughout the world. Many production processes are carried out manually, which makes it possible to create intricate curves of each piece, as well as to elaborate decorative elements that vary from piece to piece and are always unique works of art.

You will get acquainted with the history of the craft, see how porcelain masterpieces are created by hand. You will be able to see how products are cast, how cobalt painting is born, how firing is carried out in huge kilns, and even learn the "secret of porcelain".

Duration of the tour including transfers: 6 hours

Transfer to the hotel Free time

Overnight stay at the hotel

Breakfast in the hotel

Check-out of the hotel. Transfer to airport

Program is subject to change due to organizational reasons without reducing the scope of services provided!

The starting times specified in the program are advisory and may change depending on the transport situation and the entrance time confirmed by the museum!

Some optional tours have to be booked long beforehand. Please check the deadlines with your tour provider!

Net Package Rate per Person in EUR