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The world’s largest country, Russia stretches from the borders of Europe to the shores of the Pacific. Western Russia is the cultural and political heart of the nation. Here picture-perfect villages, with their onion-domed churches and carefully tended crops stand in contrast to the mighty metropolis of capital Moscow and charming neo-classical St Petersburg. Both cities are home to a wealth of historic treasures. In Moscow visit atmospheric Red Square, enter the Kremin and see St Basil’s frescoes. In St Petersburg for art lovers the Hermitage Museum is a must, then travel outside of the city to the spectacular palaces at Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo. From here it is also possible to visit the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with Tallinn a simple train journey away from St Petersburg. We have over 30 years experience in planning tailor-made holidays and tours to Russia.
5 days from £1640 per person
View Itinerary8 days from £2390 per person
View Itinerary9 days from £3480 per person
View ItineraryWhether exploring the iconic cities of Moscow and St Petersburg or visiting the bucolic rural villages, medieval towns and ancient wooden churches of the Golden Ring, you will never be far from the country’s deep-rooted and fascinating history. In Moscow, visit the Kremlin for a snapshot into Russia’s stately past, the unmistakable Red Square and St Basil’s cathedral with its mesmerising multi-coloured domes. Attend a performance at the acclaimed Bolshoi Theatre, visit the excellent Tretyakov Gallery or travel outside of the capital to the charming Golden Ring towns of Sergiev Posad and Suzdal. There is also plenty to see and do in majestic St Petersburg including the exceptional collections of the Hermitage Museum, Yusupov Palace and Peter and Paul Fortress as well as the grand tsarist imperial estates and residences of Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof.
Russia’s immense size means that the country has a wide variety of climates and seasonal weather conditions. Russia also has vast regions of desert, mountain and tundra, forest, steppe and coast all of which influence the climate and when to travel. For European Russia, which includes Moscow and St Petersburg, it is generally considered that the period between April and October is the best time to visit. The weather should be mild and at the height of summer in Moscow the temperature peaks at a high of around 25°C with St Petersburg usually a few degrees cooler. Due to its northerly latitude, St Petersburg experiences the ‘White Nights’ from late May to early July when the sun does not dip below the horizon. Early November heralds the start of the long winter with Moscow, St Petersburg and other western Russian cities prone to receiving heavy snowfall.
Capital: Moscow
Main Language: Russian
Time Zone: GMT + 3
Currency: Ruble (RUB)
Moscow and St Petersburg are the location of some of Europe's finest hotels – many in beautiful historic buildings. These properties have well-appointed rooms and excellent facilities and amenities including spas and swimming pools. Since both Moscow and St Petersburg are major international cities, there is also a whole host of hotel options in a range of different styles and standards. In more rural areas, such as the Golden Ring, and in smaller provincial towns, the variety of accommodation is more limited and tends to be simpler in style.
3 June 2016
As the weeks creep by, our thoughts begin to turn to the warmer months and where the best places to go in summer are, where we can get value for money and where the weather will hopefully be kind to us! We’ve put together a quick rundown of...
Everything went splendidly many thanks. The three guides - Natalia, Natasha Petrovna and Amelia - and drivers - Mischa, Nikita and Dmitri - were beyond excellent and the local guides ditto. Both hotels were first class in their different ways and ideally located.
IC - Russia - September 2016
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