| Thanksgiving in Russia Day by Day Itinerary
November 22 New York’s JFK
Monday
Please check in at FINNAIR at New York’s JFK no later than 2:45 PM. Your journey starts today at 5:45 PM aboard FINNAIR AY006. Dinner and breakfast enroute.
November 23 Helsinki
Tuesday Moscow
Arrive in Helsinki at 8:50 AM this morning and connect with the short flight to Moscow AY153 departing at 9:25 AM and arriving at 12:05 PM. Welcome to Russia! The afternoon is free for rest. Join our guide Ludmila and the group that is returning from the extension to the Golden Ring. Dinner is included at the hotel. (D)
****Cosmos Hotel
November 24 Moscow
Wednesday
This is certainly a day to remember! Today we go inside the Kremlin. Its 64 acres enclose palaces, cathedrals and towers including the splendid Ivan the Great Tower and Belfry. Within the complex are the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Terem Palace, the Palace of Congress and historic Cathedral Square. Ringing the square are the historic Archangel, Annunciation and Assumption Cathedrals. We’ll go inside one of them. The Czar Bell and Czar Cannon make a good photo op. We’ll have a two hour guided tour of the Armory. There you’ll find the exquisite Fabergé Egg Collection and much more. Filled with exquisite icons and paintings, carriages and costumes, this is the most historic of the Kremlin’s monuments.
Then it’s time to relax over a special lunch at a downtown restaurant. This afternoon, we’ll be introduced to some of Moscow’s famed sites. Red Square, center of Moscow since its founding some 800 years ago, continues to be the historic heart of the city. You’ll find this cobblestone square tingling with life. Lining one side of the square are the unmistakable red walls of the Kremlin while St. Basil’s Cathedral, the most easily identifiable of Moscow’s landmarks, stands on the other side. GUM department store stands on the east side of this open plaza with the History Museum on the north. The Lenin Mausoleum is the focus of the square. (B-L)
****Cosmos Hotel
November 25 Moscow
Thursday HAPPY
THANKSGIVING!
Before we gather for Thanksgiving Dinner, we will be joining Ludmila for an excursion to Sergiev Posad, the medieval town that is the seat of Russian Orthodoxy. Enjoy a light lunch of borsch, pancakes and tea before returning to Moscow. In the afternoon we will have an excursion for a guided tour of the superb Tretyakov Gallery with its fine collection of Russian art. We are preparing a special dinner (Russian style) for our Thanksgiving celebration at the “Pechki-Lavochki” (stoves and benches) near Taganskaya Metro station. It has a Russian style wooden interior and Russian cuisine. (B-L-D)
****Cosmos Hotel
November 26 Moscow
Friday
After we check out of our hotel this morning, we have the opportunity to visit the headquarters of the Women’s Union of Russia. Then we are invited to a famous artist’s studio to enjoy a tea party. This will be your chance to see inside a Moscow home-studio and enjoy Russian hospitality. Later, board the Metro to see the magnificent underground Museums. We’ll end at Arbat Street, Moscow’s colorful pedestrian precinct lined with boutiques, art galleries, theaters and cafes. No trip to Moscow is complete without enjoying a performance of the Russian Circus, which we have included tonight. Later in the evening, settle into your comfortable sleeping compartment aboard the overnight train to St. Petersburg. Dream of troikas on the frozen Neva and lavish balls at the Winter Palace, as your train glides northwest. (B-D)
Overnight Train
November 27 St. Petersburg
Saturday
Welcome to St. Petersburg, the cultural capital of Eastern Europe. With its name changed back to St. Petersburg from Leningrad, this relatively young city was conceived and built by Peter the Great only 300 years ago. As we leave the train station, we’ll catch our first glimpse of this enchanting city. At every turn you’ll find the city’s grand neo-classical architecture mirrored in a network of canals and rivers. Travel along Nevsky Prospekt, the city’s most elegant boulevard lined with palaces, mansions, and churches, most of which are fine examples of Russian Classical and Baroque styles. The impressive Kazan Cathedral is here. The richly gilded St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and the famous “Bronze Horseman” statue of Peter the Great are located just off Nevsky Prospekt as are the well known Mariinsky Theater (Kirov) and Maly Theaters. We’ll make a visit inside the Peter and Paul Fortress that contains the Peter and Paul Cathedral where the Romanov czars lie buried. Other landmarks such as the Admiralty Building and the Smolny Convent will be pointed out to you. Check into our hotel and have lunch.
The rest of the afternoon is free for individual activities. Our rooms are available for check-in at 2:00 PM. You may explore St. Petersburg on you own. Perhaps you’d like to visit the Russian Museum. You might want to stroll along Nevsky Prospekt taking note of the graceful old facades, browsing in book shops, (the well known “Dom Knigi” book shop is here) and stores such as the famous “Bazaar”, stopping for coffee and perhaps revisiting some of this area’s famous sights such as the magnificent St. Isaac’s Cathedral. If you do, go up to the dome balcony - you’ll enjoy superb views of the city and its environs. As an option Ludmila can take us for a very special visit to the exquisite Usipov Palace with its beautiful recreated interiors. Once a residence of the wealthy and respected Usipov family, it saw one of Russian history’s moments of high drama - the murder of Grigory Rasputin. Enjoy an optional Russian folk dancing performance tonight. (B-L)
***Hotel Dostoyevsky
November 28 St. Petersburg
Sunday
After breakfast, we’ll visit the Hermitage Museum. Located in a splendid ensemble of buildings in the Palace Square, the buildings were at one time royal residences and offices of the State. The principal building, the Winter Palace, itself an outstanding example of Russian Baroque, is today part of the Hermitage Museum Complex. Boasting over two million art and history exhibits, all displayed in halls and galleries that are themselves masterpieces, this is most definitely one of the world’s finest museums. Join Ludmila for an “Afternoon in the Countryside” excursion to Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin) and visit the exquisite Catherine Palace. Set in 1,500 acres of beautifully landscaped parklands, the palace with its brilliant azure facade and gold moldings, is the main structure. We’ll see some of the best-known chambers in the restoration work still under way. Return to St. Petersburg. (B-L)
***Hotel Dostoyevsky
November 29 St. Petersburg
Monday New York, U.S.A.
We’ll bid a fond farewell to Russia as we transfer to the airport for our 12:35 PM flight. Arrive Helsinki at 12:30 PM and connect with FINNAIR flight AY005 departing at 2:10 PM to New York arriving at 3:55 PM. We are sure you will have many happy anecdotes to share with relatives and friends. (B)
Note: Flight schedules always subject to change.
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