The Tsar Route Finland and Russia Escorted Vacation

Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Tonight, enjoy a welcome drink and meeting with your tour director at the hotel.

Helsinki is truly located at the crossroads of Western and Eastern culture and this is reflected everywhere in the green and lively Finnish capital. Your sightseeing tour takes you around the harbors and the Senate Square with the Lutheran Cathedral, up central Mannerheim Street and by the Parliament Building, the Finlandia Hall, and the Sibelius Monument and for a visit of the famous Church-in-the-Rock. In the afternoon, you may join an optional excursion to the Suomenlinna Fortress, a cultural treasure which construction was started in the 18 century as a sea fortress. Located on an island, fortress is a unique attraction for visitors. (B)

Today, you will continue eastbound to Saint Petersburg. Shortly after crossing the border into Russia you will arrive in Vyborg for a short sightseeing tour and a photo-stop at Vyborg Castle. You will arrive in Saint Petersburg in late afternoon. (B)

Saint Petersburg is an amazing city. Its imperial palaces and museums enjoy worldwide fame, while the Neva River and the many canals have deservedly given the city the title “The Venice of the North”. During this morning’s sightseeing tour you will get acquainted with all the splendors of the city: the Peter-Paul Fortress, the Winter Palace, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Church of the Bleeding Savior, the Nevsky Convent and much more. This afternoon is reserved for an optional excursion to Tsarskoye Selo with the impressive Catherine’s Palace and the Amber Room, which vanished during World War II and was restored for Saint Petersburg’s tri-centennial celebrations. In the evening, enjoy an optional visit to the Nikolaevsky Palace with an exciting Russian folklore show and Russian "champagne” and snacks. (B)

Today is a free day. In the morning, consider joining an optional excursion to Peterhof, an uncontested masterpiece of the time of Peter the Great, with the impressive Grand Palace, the Grand Cascade and Water Avenue and its wonderful parks. In the afternoon, we suggest you join an optional tour to the world-famous Hermitage Art Museum. In the evening, enjoy an optional Russian dinner. (B)

The early morning is reserved for an optional Saint Petersburg channel cruise. Around noon, you will be transferred to the railway station for your 4-hour ride on the high speed Sapsan train to Moscow. The train ride takes you through endless Russian landscapes along the River Volga. Arrive in Moscow in the late afternoon. (B)

Moscow, The Mother of Russia, is a genuine Russian city with the Kremlin and its onion domed cathedrals. The dramatic changes over the last decade have made the city into one of the most dynamic metropolis in the world. Your morning sightseeing tour includes all the highlights of the vast city: the Red Square with the St. Basil's Cathedral, the Theatre Square with the Bolshoi Theatre, Sparrow Hills with Moscow University, and the Kremlin grounds and one of the cathedrals. In the afternoon, consider joining an optional tour of the Moscow Metro including the historical stations on the Ring Line and a guided stroll along the famous pedestrian Arbat Street. The evening offers an optional Moscow by night tour including an unforgettable river cruise on the White Flotilla. (B)

Today is a free day. You may join an optional full-day excursion to the quaint town of Sergiev Posad, where you will visit the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the most important Russian monastery and the spiritual heart of the Russian Orthodox Church. The entire Lavra has been beautifully restored for the 700-year celebrations of the birth of St. Sergius of Radonezh. (B)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Moscow airport for your return flight home. (B)