Russia

Upon your arrival in Moscow, you will be welcomed by a Rahhalah representative, and you will be transferred to the hotel. Note: Only one group airport transfer is included in the price. Additional transports can be arranged at an extra cost. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure, relaxing or exploring the city at your own pace. Accommodation: Moscow Holiday Inn Suschevsky hotel (4*) or similar.

After breakfast, you will embark on an exploration of the Russian capital, passing by its most notable landmarks. You will start with a Panoramic Moscow city tour that will last about two hours before you reach the Kremlin, where you will visit both the grounds and the cathedrals. Panoramic Moscow city tour: Red square and GUM visit The Red Square has been for centuries and remains to this day the heart and soul of Russia. Few places in the world carry such historical weight and value. From the 16th-century St. Basil's Cathedral – one of the most renowned edifices in the world – to the constructivist pyramid of Lenin's Mausoleum, the Red Square is rich in symbols of Russia's turbulent and intriguing past. GUM (pronounced as “goom”) is the Glavnyi Universalnyi Magazin (i.e., the "main universal store") and represents the leading department store chain found in many cities of the former Soviet Union. Moscow GUM (known until the 1920s as The Upper Trading Rows) is the most famous of all. The building was erected between 1890 and 1893, its façade extending for 242 m along the eastern side of the Red Square. The trapezoidal edifice features an interesting combination of Russian medieval architecture and a steel framework with a glass roof: a style similar to the great 19th-century train stations of London. Moscow Kremlin (Grounds and Cathedrals) tour The Moscow Kremlin is regarded as a symbol of the Russian statehood, its hill becoming the central sightseeing spot for all visitors. After all, the architectural ensemble “The Moscow Kremlin and the Red Square” is included in the UNESCO List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The history of the museum itself is exciting, as it covers almost 300 years, including periods of prosperity and rapid development with museum and research activities, periods of heroic struggles to save this national treasure, and periods of stagnation, followed by revival. Moscow metro tour (coins PP) After a brief break for lunch, you will head to the Moscow Metro, which is generally acknowledged as the most beautiful public underground transport system in the world. It is a real subterranean city including palaces decorated with marble, bronze, granite and gilt, as well as modern stations (duration of the tour: 1 hour). Bunker 42 (65 m underground) «Bunker – 42» is an underground fortification facility, located downtown Moscow. Right after the invention of the nuclear bomb by the USA, the USSR government developed its own nuclear weapons, while building bunkers for protection in case of an attack. Bunker 42 was built at an accelerated pace by the best specialists of the “Metro stroy” company. The soil was excavated through four mines that had been used earlier for the construction of the Moscow subway stations. Critical operations, like the command center of the long-range air force, had to be transferred there so that they would remain safe in case of war. Today, the bunker has turned into a monument and museum, with thousands of people visiting it every day, to remember the stressful days of the Cold War and be grateful for the fact that a nuclear war was finally averted. Accommodation: Moscow Holiday Inn Suschevsky hotel (4*) or similar.

After an early breakfast at the hotel, you will head to the railway station where you will board on the Sapsan train to St Petersburg (business class; breakfast/lunch included; duration: 4 hours) Upon your arrival at St Petersburg, you will be welcomed by your new guide who will guide you to the hotel for a short relaxation. In the evening, you will go on a walking tour in the city center, getting acquainted with some of the most famous areas like Nevsky Prospekt (the city’s main avenue), Kazan cathedral, and Malaya Sadovaya street. Accommodation: St. Petersburg- Holiday Inn Moskovskie Vorota (4*) or similar.

You will begin the day with an exciting Segway tour around St Petersburg center (duration: 2 hours). You will explore the most famous sights of the city while using the best alternative mode of transport after bus or foot. A professional guide will help you on the way. You will start from the Konnogvardeysky boulevard, passing by The Senate and the Synod buildings, right to the famous statue of Peter I: «The Bronze Horseman». You will continue towards the Twelve Colleges building, across the Admiralteyskaya Embankment of River Neva, the University Embankment architectural complex, the Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange and the Rostral Columns. Further down, by the Hermitage building, you will pass by the famous Atlantes and the Palace Square, where you will see the Alexander Column, the General Staff Building and the Admiralty, reaching the Church on the Spilled Blood. In the end, you will pass by the Arts Square and the Russian Museum, heading to the Kazan Cathedral: the most fabulous cultic memorial building in Saint-Petersburg. Later you will head to Peterhoff by hydrofoil. It departs from the city center and travels along the Finnish Gulf (a 40-min ride) until it reaches the Park of Peterhoff, where you will spend the next couple of hours. Modern Petrodvorets, former Peterhoff, is sometimes compared to the Versailles, though it surpasses the French palace grounds in quantity of water, architectural variations and fountain engineering technologies. Besides its beauty, it also has a fascinating history. The first palace was established in 1714 by order of Peter the Great, who made the first drawings and designs. In 1723, the opening ceremony took place. The second phase of construction was carried out in the 1730s. During WWII, Peterhoff was occupied and badly damaged by the Nazis, however, with the help of thousands of volunteers, it was re-opened in June 1945. You will then return to St. Petersburg by hydrofoil to enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Accommodation: St. Petersburg- Holiday Inn Moskovskie Vorota (4*) or similar.

Your kayaking adventure will start very early in the morning, before breakfast. You will meet your guide at 5:30 am, and will head to the Griboedov canal for a magnificent exploration along the river and the canals, surrounded by the crisp morning air and the serenity of a city that is just awakening (duration of activity: 2 hours). The views will be gorgeous as the blades of the paddles dip smoothly into the water, the kayak bows cut through the calm surface, and the Golden Griffins and the pillars of the Kazan Cathedral slowly come into view. By 9 am, you will return to the hotel for breakfast and a day of relaxation until 6 pm when you will embark on a culinary tour. The tour will take you through the Eliseev's Historical market, with dinner at a local restaurant and a moonshine tasting or a culinary masterclass. Accommodation: St. Petersburg- Holiday Inn Moskovskie Vorota 4* (or similar)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight back home. Note: Only one group airport transfer is included in the price. Additional transports can be arranged at an extra cost.