TOUR IH02:  St Petersburg – World of the Romanovs
(May 9 and October 3, 2011 )

Print

 

8 Days in St Petersburg, One Stop Tour! One hotel is your tour base for 7 nights

The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia for more than 300 years until 1917. The family left a remarkable legacy in the forms of architectural wonders and masterpieces of art and culture, the majority of which can be seen today in their former capital, St Petersburg. This holiday explores the Romanov's city and its surrounding palace-and-park treasures within a short distance from your one-stop, city-centre base. You will visit and experience at first hand the many sights associated with Nicholas & Alexandra (find out what really happened to Anastasia), Rasputin, Lenin and many of Russia’s greats of their turbulent History and The Arts. The city is built on more than 40 islands and is home to over 100 functioning museums and a rich supply of cathedrals, palaces, galleries, restaurants, markets, canals and an endless supply of entertainment

As this is a short holiday you may wish to extend your time in Europe by selecting one of our City Stopovers.


DAY 1: Early afternoon arrival at Pulkovo International Airport. Meet, greet just outside customs after you have collected your luggage. Transfer to central city accommodation. Rest of the afternoon is free. Evening: A special welcome dinner at a nearby Russian Restaurant. Meals: Dinner

DAY  2: A “get acquainted Tour” of the city to include views of Nevsky Prospekt, Decembrist Square, The Bronze Horseman, Winter Palace, Neva River, the city’s canals and mansions, Field of Mars, Summer Palace and Gardens  and the Engineers’ Castle with a few stops along the way. The City Tour will conclude with a visit to the Peter & Paul Fortress (the burial site of the Romanov Tsars, including the recent tombs of Nicholas & Alexandra and three of their children). After a light lunch you will visit Peter the Great’s Palace beneath The Hermitage and the Menshivkov Palace .
( Imperial Holidays Special)  Evening: Dinner and Folkloric performance within the Nikolaevsky Palace.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

DAY 3: Set out for a day in the Russian countryside, past the Pulkovo Hills to the village of Tsarskoe Selo (Tsar’s Village) now also known as Pushkin. You will first visit the Alexander Palace and the extensive grounds – this was the favourite home of Nicholas & Alexandra, but also their place of house arrest before they were transported to Siberia and their brutal deaths. You then walk a short distance to the amazing Catherine Palace with its famous Amber Room now completely restored. Lunch today is at the Podvorie Restaurant with its rustic architecture, Russian food and entertainment. Your third stop for today is at Pavlovsk. The palace here was almost totally destroyed in WWII and was completely restored under UNESCO’s funding and support. The art works and baroque style are extraordinary. Evening is free.  Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

DAY 4: This morning you will enjoy a half-day guided tour of The Winter Palace and The Hermitage Museum – surely the highlight of everyone’s visit to St Petersburg. There is a small café inside The Hermitage where you can purchase a light snack if you want to stay on in the museum for the afternoon. If you prefer not to do so, the afternoon is free. Evening: Performance – opera, ballet or symphony.  Meals: Breakfast

DAY 5: Today you will set out to visit the Cathedral on Spilled Blood. This was completed only in 1907 as a memorial to Tsar Alexander who was assassinated on this site in 1881. There are over 7,000 square metres of mosaics  in the design of this extraordinary building, now open to the public. Even more impressive will be our next visit to St Isaac’s Cathedral. Today’s special is a luncheon served on board our private cruise boat (provided we have a group of 10) as you explore the canals of this “Venice of the North”.

This afternoon there is a visit to the magnificent Yussupov Palace on the Moika Canal. Here in December 1916 occurred the gruesome murder of Rasputin. You will visit the rooms of the murder scene as well as explore the amazing art collection and private rooms of this sumptuous home of the Yusupov family. Evening is free.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch


DAY 6: Today you have another full day leisurely trip into the Russian countryside to visit Peterhof and the Palace of Fountains on the Gulf of Finland. This extraordinary complex covers 1,500 acres of parks, canals and gardens; one display alone is a sequence of 37 gilded bronze sculptures, 64 fountains and 142 water jets cascading from the terrace of the Palace to the sea. Lunch will be at The Orangerie in the Palace grounds. In the afternoon you have a brief visit to the nearby Cottage Museum, (rarely visited by other groups) an English style home of the Romanov family, where you will see the only statue of Tsarevich Alexei in Russia. Evening is free. Meals: Breakfast and Lunch


 

 

DAY 7: Today is free time for you to explore more of this Imperial city, or just rest and relax. The time is your own. Of course your tour guide will be happy to suggest some sights to visit and/or the best spots to shop. Evening: Farewell Dinner

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 8: After breakfast at the hotel, you commence your transfer to  Pulkovo Airport. On the way you have time to stop and visit Gatchina. In 1765 Catherine the Great presented this village to her lover Prince Grigory Orlov. Here the Prince built a Palace which became another Romanov home. The Palace complex is now being restored after World War II damage. A major feature is the secret underground passage to the lake.  Then, on to the airport and your onward flight to Helsinki or another destination.
Meals: Breakfast

 

 

 



Prices: from $6,229 per person, twin share: 5-star hotel

  Single: from $8,675

Features of this Holiday8 days and 7nights central city accommodation in
St Petersburg

Hassle-free; unpack only once.
Visiting St Petersburg, Tsarskoe Selo, Peterhof and Gatchina

Meals include special welcome and farewell dinners,
daily breakfast, 4 lunches in unique Russian settings
Meet, greet and transfers
Transport and local English-speaking guide daily
Evening entertainment includes ballet,
folkloric performances and dinners
Flexible itinerary with built in rest time
Small group limited to 12 travellers
Visits to The Hermitage, Catherine Palace and the famous
amber room, Pavlovsk and Yusupov Palaces
Imperial Holidays specials include lunches at Podvorie and
on board your river cruise boat; and the Palace beneath
The Hermitage