Moscow to St Petersburg winter holiday
| country: | Russia |
| departures: | 2010: 30 Jan, 20 Feb, 3 Apr, 23 Oct, 6 Nov, 18 Dec, 25 Dec 2011: 29 Jan, 19 Feb, 12 Mar |
| price: | From £1195 - £1285 (8 days) including flights from the UK. Price includes breakfast, 6 nights accommodation, and one night on the sleeper train. From £915 - £985 excluding flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This week long cultural tour gives the more hardy traveller the chance to see Russia as few non-residents ever see it. The sight of the golden domes of a Russian Kremlin gleaming in bright sunshine is an unforgettable sight at any time of year. But with your breath visible in the chill winter air and the Kremlin guards resplendant in their fur hats and great coats you will truly be transported back to the days of Le Carré and Deighton. Both Moscow and St Petersburg have a huge amount to offer and so on this twin-centre tour we have allowed three full days in each city, including all the major sights but also leaving free time for personal exploration according to your own interests. As we visit the many famous sights of these two great cities that have played such profound parts in world history, we hope to gain a deep insight into Russia’s Slavic soul.
Highlights include:
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/ Moscow. |
| Day 2: | Guided tour of Moscow environs; visit Red Square |
| Day 3: | Visit the Kremlin |
| Day 4: | Free day in Moscow; optional Sergiev Posad tour; overnight sleeper train to St Petersburg |
| Day 5: | In St Petersburg; city tour |
| Day 6: | In St Petersburg; Winter Palace and Hermitage |
| Day 7: | In St Petersburg; visit Catherine the Great’s Palace at Pushkin |
| Day 8: | Tour ends St Petersburg |
award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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This tour is operated through a small Moscow-based agency who genuinely embrace the concept of small group responsible travel and with whom we have enjoyed a close relationship for many years. Together we have fostered a training initiative for all our Russian tour leaders which includes a strong focus on educating them in responsible tourism practices. They really enjoy seeking out opportunities to show and involve you in everyday Russian life from riding the metro in Moscow to joining the Babushka’s in the hunt for a bargain in the local markets!
As well as including the must-see sites, our itinerary is specifically designed to promote as much contact with the local people as possible; in both Moscow and St Petersburg much of our travel is by metro and we also take an overnight sleeper train between these 2 cities. These encounters provide both sides with the opportunity for genuine cultural insight. We also choose to eat out in independently run restaurants wherever possible to sample different specialities, thus helping to support a variety of locally run small businesses. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide, which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Foundation India and Send a Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies, which promote best practice in responsible tourism such as the Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. We offset the emissions of all our customer and staff flights through Climate Care. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |