Day 1 ISTANBUL – ST PETERSBURG
We meet three hours before departure at the international departures terminal of Sabiha Gökçen Airport. After baggage, ticket, and boarding procedures, our flight to St Petersburg begins with Pegasus Airlines scheduled service. Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, regarded as the Venice of the North and the Imperial Capital of Russia, we carry out our city tour. We will see Nevsky Prospect, St. Petersburg’s Champs Elysees; Palace Square, where the Winter Palace is located and where the first Russian revolution began in 1905; the Hermitage Museum, which houses the world’s largest art collection; the Aurora Cruiser, symbol of the revolution; the Old Port lighthouses; Peter and Paul Fortress Cathedral; Kazan and St. Isaac cathedrals; Arts Square; and the Bronze Horseman monument of Peter the Great, all panoramically. After the tour, transfer to our hotel in St. Petersburg and free time to rest. Accommodation at our hotel.
Day 2 ST PETERSBURG
After breakfast at the hotel, free time. For those who wish, departure for our extra tour of Pushkin Town & Petergoff Palace Park & Ekaterina Palace (155 Euro). Located on the Gulf of Finland, this magnificent complex was built to Peter’s own plans and commissioned to the Italian architect Rastrelli, a summer palace rivaling Versailles in Paris, with gardens adorned by 150 monumental fountains and 4 waterfalls. Although badly damaged during World War II, it has been restored in full splendor, faithfully preserving its original architecture. After our Petergof tour, free time for lunch and then we depart for the Pushkin Town & Ekaterina Palace tour. This park, palace, and building complex was commissioned by Catherine the Great in the 18th century and is known as the Tsar town. Covering an area of 600 hectares, the main building of the town is Catherine Palace. Although the Amber Room here is extremely interesting, it cannot be visited by many tourists, especially due to the crowds in the summer months. In this famous town where Tsar-era aristocracy met the Tsar family, the school where the famous poet Pushkin studied is also located. After the tour, transfer to our hotel. Accommodation at our hotel.
Day 3 ST PETERSBURG
After breakfast at the hotel, free time. For those who wish, departure for our extra Hermitage Museum & Cathedrals Tour (110 Euro). First, we go to the Hermitage Museum, one of St. Petersburg’s most magnificent museums. While exploring this magnificent palace complex in the heart of the city, we have the opportunity to closely see both the splendor of the Tsarist era and the world’s most valuable works of art. Housing approximately 4 million works from the Tsarist era and located next to the Neva River, the Hermitage Museum, one of the largest museums in the world and in Russia, entered the Guinness Book of Records because it is the museum with the largest collection of paintings. As we wander among the works of many great masters from Leonardo da Vinci to Rembrandt, we embark on an enjoyable journey into the depths of history. After our museum visit, we proceed with a short walk to St. Isaac’s Cathedral. From this structure, which fascinates us with its massive columns and golden dome, we watch the panoramic view of the city. Then we head to Kazan Cathedral; this impressive structure on Nevsky Boulevard captivates us with both its architecture and spiritual atmosphere. We take a short break in the peaceful environment inside the cathedral and respectfully observe the worship of the local people. As the final stop of the day, we visit St. Savior on Spilled Blood Cathedral, which has become a symbol of St. Petersburg with its colorful domes. We feel a fascinating atmosphere in its mosaic-decorated interior. Here we have the chance to take plenty of photos. After the tour, transfer to our hotel in St. Petersburg and free time to rest. For those who wish, departure for our extra Dinner and Russian Night (130 Euro). After dinner at Troyka, one of Russia’s most famous restaurants in “Cabaret” style, accompanied by the enchanting dance performances of a Russian dance group, transfer to our hotel. Accommodation at our hotel.
Day 4 ST PETERSBURG – MOSCOW
After breakfast at the hotel, check out of the rooms and transfer to the train station for our train journey to Moscow. Upon arrival in Moscow, departure for our Moscow city tour with our private bus waiting for us. Red Square, the historic center that has witnessed political and social turmoil; St. Basil’s Cathedral with its interesting multicolored onion-shaped dome; the Kremlin Palace; the Bolshoi Theatre; Tverskaya Street;
Gorky Park, Novodevichy Monastery, Swan Lake, Luzhniki Stadium, Sparrow Hills, and finally Moscow University are among the places to be seen panoramically. After the tour, transfer to the hotel to settle in. For those who wish, departure for the extra Moscow River Tour by Radisson Cruise (95 Euro). In our tour, which starts close to the evening, we will enjoy seeing Moscow’s magnificent historical buildings from a different perspective under the lights. After the tour, transfer to our hotel in Moscow and free time to rest. Accommodation at our hotel.
Day 5 MOSCOW
After breakfast at the hotel, free time. For those who wish, departure for our extra Moscow Metro & Arbat Street & Nazim Hikmet Cemetery & Kremlin (120 Euro) tour. On our metro tour, you can visit stations adorned with paintings, motifs, and mosaics that rival art galleries, and enjoy the finest examples of Russian and world cuisines in stylish cafes that would not be out of place in Paris, while watching the local people who have surrendered themselves to the flow of life. Started by Stalin in 1931, the Moscow Metro is today generally acknowledged as the most beautiful metro in the world in terms of interior design and decoration, even if it is compared in size with the New York, Paris, or London metros. Arbat Street, running through the middle of Moscow, is a traffic-free road that everyone who comes to this city visits at least once and enjoys walking from one end to the other. Here you can browse the colorful shop windows and taste the finest examples of Russian and world cuisines. Then we will visit the grave of the great poet Nazım Hikmet. Free time for lunch and then we begin our Kremlin tour. In our Kremlin visit, which was built in the 12th century and has become a symbol of both Moscow and Russia, you will see the 9 churches in the palace garden, the Bell Tower with its 156 bells, the Tsar Bell weighing 201,924 kg made using 2 tons of silver and 25 kg of gold, the cannon made in 1586 that was never used and weighs 15 tons, and the cannonballs weighing 1 ton. After the tour, transfer to our hotel in Moscow and free time to rest.
Day 6 MOSCOW – ISTANBUL
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport at the time specified by our guide. Flight to Istanbul with Pegasus Airlines scheduled service. With our arrival at Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the end of our tour and services.
ACCOMMODATION AND FLIGHT NOTES
Hotel check-in times are between 15:00 – 17:00 / check-out times are between 10:00 – 12:00.
Departure and arrival times are local times.
Flights marked with an * arrive at the destination on the next calendar day after the departure date.
Prices are not valid for groups; please ask for our special prices.
Russian Consulates accept Russia visa procedures by appointment system. Visa procedures can be completed through Russian Consulates. In addition, tourist visa applications for Russian burgundy passports can also be made electronically at https://electronic-visa.kdmid.ru/index_en.html. The documents required for applications consist of passport scan, biometric photo scan, and Russia information form.
27 October
PC396 SAW-LED 10:45 – 14:30
PC389 VKO-SAW 17:25 – 21:40