12D11N Stockholm to Moscow

<p><strong>TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:</strong> Arrival. Transfer to the hotel.</p><p><strong>Welcome to Europe!!!</strong> Upon arriving at the airport we will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. You can enjoy free time until your tour starts. Please, check the informative posters placed at the hotel reception area which have all the information about your upcoming services such as meeting place, time and the guide’s name.</p>

<p><strong>TODAY´S HIGHLIGHTS:</strong> Stockholm sightseeing. </p><p>Today we make a <strong>panoramic tour</strong> of this very beautiful capital city built on 13 islands joined together. We will see the Gamla Stand or the “City between the Bridges”, the old quarter of the city, full of life where there are many monumental buildings such as the Nobel Museum, alongside the main square of Stortorget, which pays tribute to the winners of the Nobel Prizes, the Cathedral and the Royal Palace. Whenever possible, we will enjoy a pretty view from the Fjällgatan viewpoint. Then leisure time. We recommend visiting the museums and parks. Optionally, we suggest a visit to the City Hall and to the Vasa museum-ship.</p>

<p><strong>TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:</strong> Ferry to Finland. </p><p>Enjoy a free day of leisure in Stockholm. In the evening we will board a modern ferry traveling overnight to Finland, where accommodation will be in double cabins with private bathrooms.</p>

<p><strong>TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:</strong> Forests, lakes, pleasant landscapes. </p><p>As we arrive to <strong>Finland</strong>, we recommend that you go to the ship’s deck for sunrise, enjoy mesmerizing landscapes from the sea as we sail along Aland Islands, hundreds of islands covered by forests. We disembark the ferry and have time to walk around <strong>TURKU</strong>, a city with a very strong Swedish influence. We continue our journey to the neighbouring city of <strong>NAANTALI</strong>, a very picturesque town with wooden houses next to the sea. We travel on until we arrive in <strong>HELSINKI</strong>,reaching at lunchtime. In the afternoon enjoy leisure time, you will be able to explore the city, with its old market, buildings with Russian influence and churches.</p>

<p><strong>TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:</strong> Stage by the sea with beautiful landscapes on the way out of Helsinki. </p><p>We enjoy a <strong>boat trip to Suomenlinna Islands</strong>, a group of islands where we can witness a great fortress that used to protect the sea entry to the city, it has been declared World Heritage. Take time to walk around, it is possible to cross the islands through small pedestrian bridges. Later we will board a ferry to <strong>Estonia</strong>. The ferry trip will be around 2 hours 30 minutes. During the departure from Helsinki you have great views of the surrounding islands. On to <strong>TALLINN</strong>!</p>

<p><strong>TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:</strong> city tour of Tallinn. </p><p>Tallinn, the capital of Estonia is a wonderful city with a well-conserved medieval centre. We will enjoy a <strong>comprehensive tour</strong> of the city, its walls, churches, squares, and its medieval streets filled with tourist attractions. An afternoon at leisure.</p>

<p><strong>TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:</strong> From Estonia to Russia. </p><p>Today we leave Estonia and travel to <strong>Russia. We stop in <strong>NARVA</strong> with time to see the impressive fortress by the river, on the border between the two countries. Border procedures (which can sometimes take time), then we will take our <strong>included lunch</strong> once in Russia. We make our way to <strong>ST PETERSBURG</strong> , arriving and going to the hotel.</p>

<p><strong>TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:</strong> Panoramic visit of St. Petersburg including Peter and Paul Fortress. Excursion to Peterhof Palace. </p><p>With a local guide we begin the panoramic visit of this beautiful city crossed by the Neva River and built on 40 islands. St Petersburg is the second most important city in Russia and capital of the Russian Empire. This imperial city reveals the history of the Russian tsars through its museums, palaces, and architectural wealth. The visit includes the <strong>Peter and Paul Fortress (entrance included)</strong>, origin of the city. The city is surrounded by numerous palaces. We take an excursion, with a <strong>guide and tickets</strong>, to the <strong>PETERHOF PALACE</strong>. This UNESCO heritage of mankind known as the "Russian Versailles" with magnificent fountains and gardens was one of the residences of the Tzars.</p>

<p><strong>TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:</strong> Hermitage Museum. High speed train to Moscow.</p><p>Today we have included the visit to the <strong>Hermitage Museum</strong>, with a guide, a fantastic art museum located in the building that was the Tsars’ Winter Palace. In the afternoon we take the “Sapsan”, the modern <strong>high- speed train</strong>, and in four hours we cover the nearly 800 km separating the two cities, arriving in <strong>MOSCOW</strong> and transferring to our hotel.</p>

<p><strong>TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT:</strong> City tour of Moscow with entrances to Kremlin and its main cathedrals. </p><p>We will start our day with an exciting <strong>visit to Russia’s huge capital city</strong>. This city unites past, present and future in a very unique way. We will visit the immense avenues, elegant shopping areas, the Red Square where Lenin’s Mausoleum is, <strong>Saint Basil’s Cathedral</strong>, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. We will also enter the <strong>Kremlin</strong> with a visit to <strong>two of its main cathedrals</strong>. We will try (not guaranteed) to coincide with the ceremonial military parade in Sobornaya Square. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure.</p>

<p><strong>TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT:</strong> Viewpoint over Moscow. Great Patriotic War Museum. </p><p>We will learn more about the history of Russia and its capital. We will pass by the <strong>university viewpoint</strong>, with its fantastic view over the city where newly married couples leave flowers (we could go to the viewpoint after Saturday’s visit instead of Sunday) and we will get to know <strong>(including entry) the Great Patriotic War Museum (World War II)</strong> that also shows us many aspects of the Soviet period. Free afternoon.</p>

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and end of our services.