Christmas Tour:
Moscow & St. Petersburg

After breakfast get ready for a full day of excursion to the city center of Moscow. First, we are going to visit the Kremlin with its territory and Cathedrals. The Kremlin is one of the most famous Russian places of interest. It is one of the largest architectural ensembles in the world.

After the excursion, we will have time to walk around Red Square and the GUM department store. You can admire how beautiful Red Square is in winter! You can feel the New Year atmosphere there, walk around Christmas Market, buy souvenirs, and taste a Christmas drink. In GUM you can see many Christmas trees, each of them is decorated in its own way.
Next, we will visit Zaryadye park – Moscow’s new major landmark in 50 years, located just steps away from Red Square. Then you will have free time for lunch at one of the popular places for locals and foreigners – gastronomic center Zaryadye, where gourmet dishes are prepared according to reinterpreted recipes of Russian cuisine on eight stations.

The afternoon will be very active. We will visit the biggest skating rink in Europe at the VDNKh amusement park. You will see how beautiful the ice rink is in the evening because of the lighting there. More than 20 thousand square meters of iced joy will let you skate across Soviet-era pavilions, space artifacts, and amazing fountains.

In the evening, we prepare a new challenge for you – swimming in the first outdoor pool “Chaika” built in Moscow in 1954 to host the VI Worldwide Festival of Youth and Students. Located in the heart of the city, it is one of Moscow’s atmospheric swimming pools – you can see the city while you swim. In winter, the pool is surrounded by snow, and clouds of steam rise up, drifting across the Moskva River. It is famously the only place in the capital to go for an outdoor swim in the middle of a minus 20 C winter. It is optional but worth visiting!

After breakfast get ready for an interesting day. In the morning we are going to visit the Husky Park in Sokolniki. Children and animal lovers will enjoy this activity because they will meet one of the most graceful, loyal, and cutest dog breeds – the Siberian huskies! You can put these adorable hounds and take pictures with them. Also, you will definitely like a husky sleigh ride!

Another interesting place in Sokolniki is the museum-factory of Christmas tree decorations. First, you will see how professionals create Christmas tree decorations from the glass. Then you can do the same thing on your own. Also, you can find out how New Year is celebrated in different countries, make the most cherished wish on the Bridge of Wish Fulfillment, and see an exhibition of toys from the 20th century to the present day.

Today’s lunch will be in a local restaurant, where you will have a chance to taste traditional dishes of Russian cuisine, like pelmeni (Russian dumplings), Olivier salad, shchi (cabbage soup).
After lunch, we will go to the State Tretyakov Art Gallery. Pavel Tretyakov, the founder of this extensive museum complex, gathered a unique collection of Russian national art located in two buildings. Today it consists of more than 180 000 masterpieces from different authors and eras (from the 11th to early 20th century). We will visit the main building where you will discover ancient Russian icon paintings represented by Orthodox icons (11th-13thcenturies), Andrei Rublev’s Trinity (the 1420s), and much more.

In the evening, you have the opportunity to see one of our special New Year’s performances – the Ice Figure Skating Show, the Ice Show at the Circus, or the highly recommended famous Ballet “Nutcracker” at the Bolshoi Theatre. It’s quite expensive, but it’s worth it!

In the morning we will check out from the hotel and go to the Victory Park on the Poklonnaya Hill. We will be able to see more than 50 ice sculptures that are installed during the Ice Moscow festival. On the festival grounds, you can see ice copies of such architectural monuments as the Moscow Kremlin and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

After the excursion we will continue our Christmas tour: you will depart to Saint Petersburg by high-speed train, the journey takes 4 hours.

A local guide will meet you at the railway station and you will start your acquaintance with a city. You will visit the famous Christmas Fair in Manezhnaya square. You will have an opportunity to take photos near fairy houses with magic stalls, bright garlands, and winter attractions, to buy local souvenirs, and taste a traditional honey-based drink Sbiten. In the evening we are going to check-in at the hotel.

In the morning you will have a guided tour of one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world: the Hermitage. You will enjoy the works of such famous artists as Titian, Leonardo da Vinci, Velázquez, Van Gogh, Picasso, Malevich, Kandinsky, and many more.
Today’s lunch will be in a local restaurant, where you continue your acquaintance with Russian cuisine. After lunch, we will continue our city tour. You are going to visit the Square of Fine Arts, the St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Nevsky Prospect, the Kazan Cathedral and other must-see sights in the city center.

Also, we are going to visit the famous Peter and Paul fortress. The first St. Petersburg building was the Peter and Paul Fortress, erected during the Russian-Swedish war as a bastion of the country on the Baltic coast. Today the Peter and Paul Fortress is a symbol of St. Petersburg, its image has the highest degree of recognition among tourists all over the world.

In the evening we recommend you to visit a hockey match or even get a lesson from a professional hockey player. Ice hockey in Russia is more than just a winter sport. You can be a part of this interesting game and feel the atmosphere in the arena. Also, you can try curling – a funny and challenging game requiring physical and mental skills, suitable for all ages and levels of experience. A team of 8 people (or max 10) can enjoy the 2-hour game.

This day will be full of emotions! First, we are going to Pavlovsk. Pavlovsk is an outstanding palace and park ensemble of the late 18th – early 19th centuries, which was built as the summer residence of Emperor Paul I and his family. Since its inception, Pavlovsky Park has been famous as the best landscape park in the world.

One of the most spectacular things about Russian winter is Troika riding. The name Troika means “group of three”, so there are three horses harnessed abreast, typically pulling a sleigh. Being in the Tsar’s residence, you will enjoy the unforgettable ride today in the snow-covered park grounds. You will have 15-20 minutes to get the most exciting impressions and feel a little like a Russian!

After an independent lunch, we will experience one more winter activity – Ice sculptures making master class. It’s getting more and more popular in Russia. Have you ever thought that you could actually create artworks from ice? First, you will see how professionals carve ice sculptures (this stage will take about 30 minutes). Then you can do the same thing on your own. You can turn a huge block of ice into an ice castle, an ice animal, or something else – just let your imagination give you an idea. This master class will help you to develop creativity. The process is pretty difficult; however, it is a lot of fun, too.