Moscow & St Petersburg

From London Heathrow, board your direct flight to Russia's capital city of Moscow, checking into your hotel on arrival. Here you'll be welcomed in traditional style, being presented with bread, associated with hospitality, and salt, representative of a long friendship.

On Day 2 you embark on a sightseeing tour, travelling by coach around some of Moscow's most impressive landmarks. Sparrow Hills, situated on the bank of the Moskva River from which the city takes its name, offers a magnificent panoramic view of Moscow. Here, you will also find the Temple of the Holy Trinity, a white-washed Russian Orthodox temple topped by aquamarine domes. The impressive Moscow State University is another sight you visit today, boasting beautiful collections of diverse architectural styles and enchanting botanical gardens. You also visit Red Square. This city square is surrounded by many of the most iconic sights of the city, including the multi-coloured domes of Saint Basil's Cathedral. Also on the square is Lenin's Mausoleum, where it is possible to view the body of the former communist leader.

Next, you visit the vast Kremlin building, a walled city surrounded by 18th-century towers and the seat of Russian government. This afternoon, and evening, you are free to continue exploring Moscow at your own pace.

• Day 1 - Dinner
• Day 2 - Breakfast

Today, experience one of the most visually pleasing Metro systems in the world, a true highlight of the city. Moscow's amazing underground stations date back to the 1930s, and many are sumptuously decorated with marble, bronze, chandeliers, and stained glass.

Featuring art and sculptures that span from Soviet philosophy to the Modernist avant-garde movement, these magnificent termini are a delight to behold and explore. Afterwards, make a visit to lively Arbat Street, a pedestrianised shopping thoroughfare that claims to be one of Russia's oldest streets.

• Breakfast

This morning, transfer to the station to board your train to the 'City of the Tsars', St Petersburg. This impressive and elegant city is a former Imperial capital, once home to the royals of Russia. Enjoy lunch on board (payable locally) before your arrival in St Petersburg, then transfer to your hotel, the Park Inn Nevsky.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Begin exploring St Petersburg today with a tour of 2 of its most enticing attractions, Peterhof Palace the Hermitage. Enjoy early entrance to Peterhof Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site constructed by Peter the Great. The palace is renowned for its beautiful grounds, which are filled with spectacular fountains and waterways. The numerous glittering palaces display some of the finest and most lavish artworks and ornaments that the world has to offer, and you have ample time to explore.

After some free time for lunch, continue to the Hermitage, founded by Catherine the Great in 1764 and set in the Royal Winter Palace. This mesmerising museum is one of the most famous in the world, offering a collection of over 3 million artefacts from numerous countries and eras.

Of course, the setting of these artefacts are equally as enthralling, with gilded marble columns, patterned mosaic floors, and huge crystal chandeliers providing an exquisite backdrop for the collection. While here, be sure to look out for the clock stopped by Tsar Nicholas the moment the palace was stormed in 1917.

• Breakfast

Today is free for you to explore. Perhaps take a boat trip through the city's numerous canals. Due to its location on a former swamp, St Petersburg boasts a myriad of pretty waterways, the perfect way to get around.

Another option is to visit the Peter and Paul Fortress. Occupying a commanding position on an island in the Neva River, this mighty structure was the city's first stone building. It was originally designed as a defensive fort - a throwback to when the city was used to reduce the threat of an attack from nearby Sweden - but it has also been used as a prison, holding activists such as Dostoevsky and Gorky.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Transfer to the airport for your flight back to London Heathrow, via Helsinki. On arrival, your holiday concludes.

• Breakfast