ITINERARY
: IHC04: Imperial St Petersburg: WHITE NIGHTS
June 09 and June 23, 2011
7 days, 7 nights and a one-stop cultural experience - Classical Music Festival - Five Nightly Performances. Choose from the richness of Russia’s cultural tapestry, first-class opera, classical music and ballet performed in three outstanding venues.
It is mid summer and the imperial city is bathed in daylight for 24 hours every day. There is so much to see and experience in these long fascinating days of sunshine. For every night there is an extraordinary display of Russia’s best classical performances with the Kirov Opera at the centre of the festival. If you are a theatre fan then this Festival must be experienced at least once.
There will be a fabulous performance every night and this tour provides prime seating at a selection of up to five separate performances over Five Nights from Ballet, Opera and Symphony Performances of the White Nights Festival. And the bonus is that it is in the magical setting of this beautiful city.
Two Departure Dates from St Petersburg in 2008 – June 10 and June 24
PROGRAM
DAY 1: Early afternoon arrival at Pulkovo Airport. You will be met and transferred to your central city hotel with a guided commentary along the way. The afternoon is free for you to relax and unpack for your week long stay. On this tour you will unpack only once.
Evening: A special welcome dinner.
Meals: Dinner
DAY 2: Today we will visit The Hermitage and The Winter Palace for a half-day guided tour. Here you will marvel at the art treasures and experience another world – that of the Tsars of Russia. There is a very small café inside The Hermitage where you can purchase a snack. Then there is time for you to stay on at the museum or to enjoy a free afternoon and to explore the nearby sights such as St Isaac’s Cathedral. Evening: (optional) White Nights Festival Performance.
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3: This morning we will travel by hydrofoil to Peterhof 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 Palace terrace to the sea. Today’s lunch is an Imperial Holidays special – a Russian/Aussie barbecue on the banks of the Gulf of Finland with typical Russian food. In the afternoon if time permits we will call in to visit The Cottage Museum, an English style former home of the Tsars and rarely visited by other groups.
Evening: (optional) White Nights Festival Performance. Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 4: Today we have another visit to the Russian countryside, past the Pulkovo hills to the village of Tsarskoe Selo (Tsar’s Village), now also known as Pushkin. Firstly we will pay a visit to the recently restored Alexander Palace and grounds, the last home of Nicholas and Alexandra where they were held under house arrest before being taken to the Ural Mountains and their deaths. Then we will walk through the extensive grounds to explore the amazing Catherine Palace with its famous amber room now completely rebuilt.. Lunch today is at the Podvorie a wooden Russian structure with local foods and entertainment. There will be an early afternoon return to the city.
Evening: (optional) White Nights Festival Performance
Late evening: You may like to take advantage of the “white night” and stroll along the Neva River after the performance – perhaps even stay and watch the St Petersburg bridges being raised.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 5: Today we will explore a little more of the city with a brief tour giving us an overview before stopping at the Peter & Paul Fortress. This is a significant sight as it marks the spot where the city of St Petersburg was founded in 1703. But its cathedral is also the burial place for the Russian Tsars including the recent tombs of Nicholas & Alexandra and three of their children. No, Anastasia is not among those buried here. Next we will move on to explore the fabulous Yussupov Palace on the Moika Canal. The Yussupov family was extraordinarily wealthy and this palace was just one of their homes. But the Palace is best remembered for the gruesome murder of Rasputin which took place here in 1916. Yes, you will be invited in to view the “crime scene”. After the tour, there will be a special lunch in the palace’s Tea Pavillion, one of the city’s finest restaurants. The afternoon is free for you to stroll along the canals.
Evening: (optional) White Nights Festival Performance.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 6: This morning we will see the Russian Museum which houses a collection of exclusively Russian artists. It is in the centre of the city. There is also a collection ancient Russian icons. There is then an opportunity for us to visit the Cathedral on Spilled Blood and/or the necropolis for Russian artists at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery complex.
The afternoon is free.
Evening: (optional) White Nights Festival Performance.
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7: Today is a full day at leisure for you to rest, relax, stroll, pack, or visit those sights you would like to see before you leave. Evening: A farewell Dinner.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 8: After a leisurely breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.
End of Tour.
Prices: from $5,772 per person twin share
Single: from $6,532
Features of this Holiday
An experience specially designed for devotees
of Theatre and Culture.
7 days and
7 nights central city, 5-star accommodation in St Petersburg.
Experience
all the major Museums, Palaces and Cathedrals as a small group
(from 2 to 12 guests)
Your
choice of Five Ballet, Opera and Symphony Performances
with the Kirov Opera at the centre of the White Nights Festival.
Flexible itinerary with built in rest
time; several afternoons are free.
Meet, greet and transfers with private
transport, and English-speaking guide daily.
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