PEARLS OF RUSSIA: MOSCOW & ST. PETERSBURG

Russia's capital, Moscow, is an exciting and vibrant city rich in history, politics, religion and authority. St. Petersburg, on the other hand, is Russia's most romantic and culturally important city. Discover the fascinating Kremlin in Moscow and the splendor of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Experience Moscow's powerful present and encounter St. Petersburg's Imperial past. Each city has a long history of Jewish involvement at multiple levels. Our combined Moscow and St. Petersburg tour will leave you with unforgettable memories of Russia's most interesting and important cities.

Itinerary

Day 1, Monday Home - St. Petersburg

We’ll meet our guide in St. Petersburg. Upon arrival we'll take an introductory tour of this 300-year old city, formerly the capital of Tsarist Russia. We'll view the many city squares, the cathedrals and the palaces, and view the Neva River and the famous fortress.

Day 2, Tuesday St. Petersburg

We'll start the tour today on the central boulevard, Nevsky Prospekt, and the Kazan Cathedral. We'll visit the Winter Palace, located between the Neva River and the Palace Square. We'll see the statue of Peter the Great, the battleship Aurora, and the beautiful Church of the resurrection. We'll continue to the Peter and Paul Cathedral and the fortress where Peter the Great and many members of the Romanov dynasty are buried. The last Tsar buried there was Nicholas II and his family, after their remains were discovered in an unmarked mass grave. We'll visit the Jewish Center with its new synagogue and school established here by Chabad.

Day 3, Wednesday St. Petersburg

This morning we'll start the day at the world famous Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage houses a collection exceeding 3 million pieces of art, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, Van Gogh, French impressionists and many more. After the museum we'll sail down the Neva River and the canals, and soak up the views of St. Petersburg's magnificent architecture, as we pass beneath some of the 400 bridges that pass over the river and the canals. In the evening we recommend going to see one of the ballet performances for which St. Petersburg is renowned.

Day 4, Thursday St. Petersburg

This morning we'll start off with a visit to the Palace of Yekaterina in the suburb of Pushkin. The palace became famous thanks to the amber room that was recently restored. Here, Tsar Alexander founded the Lyceum - a school for children of the nobility, where the famous author Alexander Pushkin studied.

Day 5, Friday St. Petersburg

After breakfast we'll head out to the Peterhof, the Summer Palace of Peter the Great, designed much the same as the Palace of Versailles, and renowned for its gardens and many fountains, its lakes and its waterfalls. We'll then return to the city via the impressive monument to the heroes of the 900-day siege of the city during World War II. We'll travel to see the Cathedral of St. Isaac, one of the most opulent in all of Russia, as well as the Monument of Nicholas I which stands in the square opposite. We'll then return to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat, Shabbat services and dinner.

Day 6, Shabbat St. Petersburg

After Shabbat services in the magnificent Central Synagogue, restored and renovated by the philanthropist Edmond Safra, and after lunch, we'll walk over to the majestic palace of Felix Yosipov, the place where Gregory Rasputin was assassinated. The palace contains wax figures of those who planned and carried out the murder in December 1916. After the tour we'll return to the hotel for some rest and relaxation.

Day 7, Sunday St. Petersburg - Moscow

This morning we'll fly to Moscow. Upon arrival we'll depart for a panoramic tour of the city, which became capital of Russia in the 14th century. We'll drive along the banks of the Moscow River, pass the walls of the Kremlin, see Red Square and the Lenin Mausoleum, go by the Bolshoi Theater, the statue of Karl Marx and the KGB Center. We'll visit Moscow's famous underground stations that were designed by various Russian artists, as well as the renewed Church of the Savior. We'll visit the Choral Synagogue, made famous during the time of the "refuseniks" where Golda Meir visited when she was Israel's ambassador to the Soviet Union. In the evening we recommend seeing the International Folklore Show at the Cosmos Hotel.

Day 8, Monday Moscow

This morning we'll tour Victory Park and a site that integrates a church, synagogue and mosque. Afterwards we'll visit the Museum of the Battle of Borodino, the famous battle between the Russian Army and that of Napoleon in 1812. The museum is built as a large circle, upon the walls of which appears an impressive painting describing the battle. In the afternoon we'll stroll down the famous, bustling Arbat pedestrian mall where Pushkin and his friends lived. The mall is lined with coffee houses and restaurants. In the evening we recommend a night tour of the city, to see how beautifully and creatively its buildings are lit up.

Day 9, Tuesday Moscow

Today we'll visit the Kremlin. We'll tour the Cathedrals Square and the State Historical Museum that houses the treasures of the Tsars. We'll stop in at Moscow's Central Synagogue and then continue to the burial pantheon next to Novodevichy Convent where the important figures of Great Russia are buried, along with some notable Jewish artists and writers. In the evening we recommend going to see the Russian Circus Acrobatic Show - one of the best in the world!

Day 10, Wednesday Moscow - Home

We'll start the day with a visit to the Tretyakov Gallery, where the Icons of Russian art from the 12th to the 20th centuries are displayed. From the gallery we'll head for a cruise on the Moscow River from where we'll see the famous "White House." It was here that Boris Yeltsin, then mayor of Moscow, launched his failed coup attempt. We'll wind down our tour with a visit to "Beit Schwidler" - a Jewish education center. After dinner we'll make our way to the airport for our flight back to Tel Aviv. Arrival to Israel is on Day 11 in the early hours of the morning. Welcome home!

Price Includes

• Internal flights as per the tour plan
• First tourist class hotels or the best available locally
• Airport and security taxes
• Comfortable air-conditioned touring coach for travelling
• Breakfast and dinner daily and supplies for making sandwiches for lunch
• Professional experienced Israeli guide
• Local Guide as required
• Entrance to all sites mentioned in the tour plan

Price Excludes

• International Flights
• Travel and baggage Insurance
• Shows that are not included in the tour plan
• Personal expenses
• Tips for local service providers: $110
• Changes in air fares due to increases in fuel airport tax and security tax surcharges
• Tip for Israeli guide (Recommended: $3 per person per day)

Important To Know
There may be changes to the schedule and hotel reservations dependent upon international flights. We will make every effort to visit every place mentioned in the itinerary. Day of departure and arrival are included in the total days of the tour. Insurance is required for 11 days.

Insurance
We urge all passengers to purchase travel and cancellation insurance immediately upon registration for the tour. This ensures a refund of expenses in case of cancellation due to emergency, illness or bereavement. IMPORTANT The tour organizers have no control over services provided by the airline companies, such as catering, seating, change of flight times or delays. Responsibility for these services is that of the airline alone.

Date And Prices

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