This trip is an excellent introduction to Russia. It is fast paced but this ensures you are able... Christine Mcdougall, 2019 See more reviews
A very good trip to a fascinating country. Trip covers Moscow, novrogod, Pushkin and st... Christine Mcdougall, 2019 See more reviews
This trip packs a lot into a short period of time. Be prepared to walk a lot and see a lot of... Jane Howard, 2019 See more reviews
I loved the trip, just the right length for me, very busy with lots of walking but that was what... Andrea Minney, 2019 See more reviews
Thought it was a very enjoyable trip. So much to see and so much history. Russia isn't... sandeep sahi, 2019 See more reviews
What a great place to visit. Seeing the Kremlin and St Basil's cathedral in Red Square, and... Gillian Wright-Dixon, 2018 See more reviews
A great trip to give you a taster of what Russia is like. There is so much culture whether you... John Devall, 2018 See more reviews
The trip was nothing short of outstanding.........and believe me I can be a fussy traveller ! ... Keith Lally, 2018 See more reviews
Itinerary Include flights Expand all Day 1 Fly to Moscow; transfer to city centre. Arrive in the early evening and transfer to our centrally located hotel in Moscow. The journey takes approximately 1 hour from Domodedovo Airport, during peak season this can be longer due to heavy traffic. The closest subway station to our hotel is Arbatskaya on the blue line (the only station where all four lines meet).After dinner, we recommend an evening walk to Red SquareArbat House Hotel or similar Day 2 Morning orientation tour including Red Square and Lenin’s Tomb. Free afternoon to explore the Russian capital. This morning we enjoy a guided walk across Red Square, past Lenin’s Mausoleum visiting the infamous leader’s tomb. After we gain our bearings, there is free time to visit the magnificent St Basil’s Cathedral, which was built by Ivan the Terrible and remains one of the world’s most iconic landmarks. We then hop aboard the efficient Metro system, for a short tour of some of the most beautiful stations. Later there is time to see Moscow’s premier art collection at the Tretyakov Gallery, where the priceless Russian Icon collection is kept along with other highlights. Or you may choose to do some shopping at the souvenir market. Evening visits to the Bolshoy Theatre are very popular and are available to book online (subject to availability). The circus is also a popular choice - however, live animals are used in some acts so this may not be to everyone’s taste. Please note that Exodus are unable to pre-book these tickets as we are not official ticket agents and tickets can only be booked in advance. Arbat House Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Guided tour of the Kremlin grounds and Armoury Museum. Free afternoon for shopping or sightseeing. Overnight sleeper train to Novgorod. Today we head straight to the highlight for many who visit Moscow, the Kremlin - a city within a city. It is still the seat of much political power and contains many of Russia’s greatest treasures. We visit the magnificent cathedrals of St. Michael the Archangel, the Annunciation and the Assumption, as well as the Tsar Bell and the golden domes of Ivan the Great Bell Tower. Also included is a visit to the famous Armoury, a museum of opulent treasures including fabulous gold coaches and the famous Faberge eggs. There is some more free time in the afternoon before we meet at the hotel for the short transfer to the train station. There will be time to visit the shops to buy some snacks and drinks for the journey, before boarding our late night sleeper train to Novgorod.Sleeper train Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 Morning walking tour including visits to Novgorod Kremlin, St Sofia's Cathedral and Yaroslav's Court; optional afternoon to visit to the Museum of Wooden Architecture. No other Russian city can compete with Novgorod in the variety and age of its historical monuments. We spend a relaxing morning on a gentle walking tour through the riverside Kremlin dating back to the 10th century. We take in the sites of St Sofia’s Cathedral Yaroslav's Court and the Millennium Monument, created to celebrate 1000 years of Russia. The afternoon is free, a chance to experience a less visited city with a truly Russian feel. Most choose to head out into the countryside to enjoy the Yuriev Monastery and the Open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture, to learn more about rural life in Russia For many Novgorod is a real highlight and a welcome break from hectic Moscow before moving on to St Petersburg.Volkhov Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 Transfer to Pushkin; visit Catherine Palace including the Amber Room. Free afternoon. In the morning we transfer to the small town of Pushkin to see the incredible Catherine Palace and gardens. Every room in this huge palace is as opulent as the last, lined with gold and marble. The highlight, however, is The Amber Room, which was dismantled by the Nazis during the war and its content lost somewhere in East Prussia. It has recently been restored to its former glory and is a sight to behold. After the tour there is free time to enjoy the gardens, visit Peter & Paul Fortress, or return to the hotel for a traditional banya a traditional Russian sauna.Hotel Natalia or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Early departure to St Petersburg to explore the historic city centre; free afternoon. Evening visit to the Fabergé Museum. After a short transfer, by train, we arrive in one of the finest and most extravagant cities in Europe - St Petersburg. This is a relatively young city, which only celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2003. It was the vision of Peter the Great and was part of his desire to bring ‘old Russia' into the modern European age. Much of its design and work was contributed to by foreign designers and craftsmen - the result being some of the finest 18th and 19th-century buildings to be found in Europe, but with a distinct Russian influence. Our hotel is located just off Nevsky Prospekt, St Petersburg’s most famous street, full of fine mansions, cathedrals and shops, all with a story to tell. We enjoy an orientation tour before free time for an optional visit inside the Peter and Paul Fortress and the famous cathedral that contains the tombs of the Romanovs, St Isaac’s Cathedral or the Church of the Spilt Blood. We will meet again in the early evening, for a visit to the new Fabergé Museum housing 4,000 pieces of fine decorative art, the highlight of which is a group of nine imperial Easter eggs created by Fabergé for the last two Tsars.Asteria Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 Morning tour of the Hermitage. Free afternoon to see more of the sites of St Petersburg. Art lovers can choose to stay in the Hermitage. We make the most of our final full day in Russia, with a guided tour of the Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace. One of the largest and oldest museums in the world, it was founded in 1764. Here every room is a piece of art in its own right, you will marvel at the Pavilion Hall, Peacock Room, and Hanging Gardens and that’s before you’ve even seen any art! The afternoon is free. Why not take in the sights of the city by boat on a relaxing canal trip?Please note that this day may operate in reverse due to entrance slots at the Hermitage.Hotel Asteria or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 Fly to London. After breakfast, there is some free time before the group flight back to London. Meals included: Breakfast
Russia All nationalities require a visa for Russia. These requirements will vary depending on your nationality. For British nationals visa applications must now be made in person at a visa processing centre, located in London and Edinburgh. At the time of application, fingerprints will be taken. We will be providing a new type of service to assist with the application process; however we will no longer be able to submit the application on your behalf. It is your responsibility to arrange a visa prior to travel, but we will provide you with more information after booking to help and advice with this. The cost of the visa is currently GBP108.40. For more information please click here Please note: The visa application takes approximently 5 working days. You can arrange for your passport to be posted back to you or returned to the visa processing centre to collect it in person.
Russia There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Yellow Fever.
Hotel and Sleeper Train You will spend 6 nights in comfortable 3 star hotels and 1 night on a sleeper train. All accommodation is offered on a twin share basis. Our properties in all three cities are in a central location within walking distance of the main sights (no more than 20 minutes). Wi-Fi is available free of charge but may only be accessible in public areas and is often temperamental. Every hotel offers a buffet breakfast. The sleeper train is based on 2nd class, 4 berth cabins. Linen is provided. If you have trouble climbing into an upper bunk, please let Exodus know at the time. Single supplement from £180, excludes sleep train between Moscow and Novgorod.
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Reviewed June 2019 Christine Mcdougall Trip: Moscow to St Petersburg Amazing trip This trip is an excellent introduction to Russia. It is fast paced but this ensures you are able to see as much as possible. It was interesting to visit smaller towns of novgorod and Pushkin as well as Moscow and st. Petersburg. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The whole trip was interesting but highlights were the hermitage, the faberge museum and the Moscow metro. All surpassed expectations. What did you think of your group leader? Artem was very good at organising us and in taking us to good places to eat. Very friendly guide with excellent English ( all our local guides were very good and knowledgable about the places we were visiting). I was surprised we did not have a tipping kitty on this trip as it makes everything so much easier. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take comfortable shoes for walking and don’t pack too much. Is there anything else you would like to add? This is a very good first trip to Russia. Hotels and restaurants were better than expected. If you have time to add a few days do so. It is easy to get around st petersburg and hotel staff are very helpful. Unfortunately I couldn’t do this as there was so much more to see.
Reviewed June 2019 Christine Mcdougall Trip: Moscow to St Petersburg Fabulous tripa very A very good trip to a fascinating country. Trip covers Moscow, novrogod, Pushkin and st petersburg and is very busy. Great to see so many places in one trip. It was all fascinating What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? It was all fascinating but the Hermitage and faberge surpassed my expectations. Trip on Moscow metro also fascinating. What did you think of your group leader? Artem was very good. Trip was well organised and he selected a variety of good restaurants for us to try. The food was better than I expected. Very pleasant guide with excellent English. We didn’t have a kitty for tips (which I have had on past trips). I think this would have been a good ideal I really Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take comfortable shoes as lots of walking. You don’t need lots of clothes and avoid a heavy suitcase as you are on the move between towns. Is there anything else you would like to add? I really enjoyed this trip. I have wanted to visit Russia for a long time. It is a good introduction to the country. If you can add a few days in st petersburg do so. I couldn’t do this on my trip but several members of our group did. Most restaurants and hotel staff speak English and you can get around on your own
Reviewed June 2019 Jane Howard Trip: Moscow to St Petersburg 25/05/2019 This trip packs a lot into a short period of time. Be prepared to walk a lot and see a lot of art - all amazing. The overnight train trip is an experience, I didn't get a lot of sleep but I didn't expect to! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The faberge museum was fantastic, as was the Hermitage. What did you think of your group leader? Our guide, Artem, was knowledgeable and keen to ensure we had the best experience in Russia. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be warned that on some days the lunch stop is late - 2-2.30pm - so packing a few muslei bars to keep you going might be an idea. Travel light - with all the moving around lugging lots of luggage is hard work.
Reviewed May 2019 Andrea Minney Trip: Moscow to St Petersburg Two wonderful cities I loved the trip, just the right length for me, very busy with lots of walking but that was what I was expecting. Nice balance of free time and group excursions. Minimal additional payments required. Not too many early mornings. I was very impressed with the standard of accomodation. We ate as a group most nights and I enjoyed all of the restaurants selected, although we did not have to eat with the group I found it easier than researching my own places. The only part I would do without would be the overnight train, having done many overnight train journeys, I find they just make people tired, it is not an experience I ever enjoy. I would recommend staying longer in both cities before and after the tour, something I wasn't able to do, there is simply so much to see and do. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I loved St Basils Cathedral, well worth going inside. What did you think of your group leader? I liked Eugene, he was very organised and tried his best to keep our group together which was difficult at times. It was easy to say that you were going to do something alone rather than with the group and Eugene was helpful with suggestions of where to go. I liked this as we did not always want to go with the group. He was one of the best tour leaders I have had. He managed to get us around the majority of the sights despite the public holiday and road closures making it very difficult for him to arrange our schedule. The local guides were good but I found it very difficult to hear what they were saying as well as taking photos, it was impossible to do both, so I found I missed a lot of information. We used ear pieces in The Hermitage, which was much easier. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be prepared for a lot of walking, there is a lot to see in a short space of time and walking is the best way to see most of it. Avoid booking around the Russian public holiday on May 9th, there are many road closures around the centre of Moscow on three days for practicing military parades, then for the actual parade on May 9th. Red Square is also closed at these times, it means that some attractions are not accessible making planning of the tour very difficult. St Petersburg also has road closures over this holiday, meaning we took a different route into the city missing some key sights and activities had to be crammed into a shorter time period. I would have avoided these dates had I known.
Reviewed May 2019 sandeep sahi Trip: Moscow to St Petersburg Moscow to St Petersburg Thought it was a very enjoyable trip. So much to see and so much history. Russia isn't everybody's idea of a vacation, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought a week was just about the right time considering the distances covered. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I really enjoyed both Moscow for the Kremlin and Red Square are places I've wanted to visit from a young age and St Petersburg is a beautiful city - it's hard for me to decide between the two. If I had to decide, I did go the theatre in Moscow, which was fantastic. What did you think of your group leader? Eugene was a very good group leader. Conscientious and helpful at all time and engaging. Members of the group can wander off at times, so he had to be on his guard! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? This was mentioned in the trip notes that it would be advisable to spend extra time in St Petersburg - it's such a big city and so much to see.
Reviewed March 2019 Mike Grady Trip: Moscow to St Petersburg Cultural excellence Exciting tour of Moscow, Novgorod, Pushkin and St Petersburg. Great architecture, fascinating museums, splendid churches and friendly people. Weather was kind and walking in Moscow strenuous. Good hotels and restaurants. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Summer Palace at Novograd and the Hearmitwge and Russian Museum in St Petersburg not to mention trips to Bolshoi and mariinsty ballet in Moscow and St Petersburg. What did you think of your group leader? Very helpful and affable The pace of walking tour was demanding and more attention needs to be given to group cohesion and mixed abilities. Made great efforts to engage and with better and timely communication has potential be be a really good tour guide. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Check weather forecasts before trip and pack to cover as many scenarios as possible. Is there anything else you would like to add? Fantastic trip, learned a great deal about Russia and its history and culture.
Reviewed October 2018 Gillian Wright-Dixon Trip: Moscow to St Petersburg Great country What a great place to visit. Seeing the Kremlin and St Basil's cathedral in Red Square, and the architecture of St Petersburg. Two completely contrasting cities and all within 8 days. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The Kremlin was a huge part of the trip I wont forget, especially seeing Lenin's tomb. Also walking around St Petersburg and marveling at the buildings. What did you think of your group leader? Our group leader was a joy to oversee our tour. Julia was exceptional as a tour leader and met all of our needs. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take around 40,000 ruble (as of 2018 and if your not one to buy souvenirs). I took 56,000 and had 23,000 left over as I wasn't sure how much I would need. If you travel in early October the weather was very mild so you don't need many jumpers. Is there anything else you would like to add? Just what a great country to visit. Very interesting. If you get the chance, go snd visit the cold war bunker in Moscow.
Reviewed October 2018 John Devall Trip: Moscow to St Petersburg Great trip for culture lovers A great trip to give you a taster of what Russia is like. There is so much culture whether you like history or the arts. There is a lot of walking, more than you would expect from reading the trip notes, but it is all worth it as there is something new and interesting around every corner. Moscow was a revelation so clean and not quite the grey and forbidding city it is sometimes made out to be on the news. All the sights are worth seeing and to be honest there is even more that cannot be crammed into such a short trip. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Going to Red Square on the first evening. It took our breath away. It was beautiful and the cold clear night just gave it a sense of wonder. What did you think of your group leader? Eugene was great. Nothing was too much trouble. He was always on time and described the itinerary in detail so there were no surprises. His English was excellent. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take sturdy shoes there is a lot of walking. Ear plugs for the train. Is there anything else you would like to add? This is not the first time we have experienced an over night train journey and they are not as romantic as you may think. The train itself was noisy, not the people, and the movement can be disconcerting when you are on the top bunk. We have decided that this will be our last trip where we have to take an overnight train. We also think that St. Petersburg deserves another day. I know the trip notes advise that you can add extra days but one more day within the trip would be better served. Other than that this is great trip and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Reviewed September 2018 Ronnie Macdonald Trip: Moscow to St Petersburg Lots to see! A busy week with lots to see and photograph. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The Spasskaya Tower Military Festival. Spectacular. What did you think of your group leader? She was really excellent. Always looking out for sand anticipating any potential problems. Entertained us on the bus journey with Russian lessons and a Putkin fairy tail. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Watch out for pickpockets, particularly in St Petersburg. Only take out what you need. Is there anything else you would like to add? Main museums very busy with tourists. If this a concern go out of season.
Reviewed August 2018 Keith Lally Trip: Moscow to St Petersburg A wonderful Tour of Russia The trip was nothing short of outstanding.........and believe me I can be a fussy traveller ! WE started in Moscow and did a night time tour around Red Square which was amazing-spectacular scenery and then in the morning did the Kremlin. Russia is the complete opposite of what is presented in mainstream media-its a friendly, warm country and people very friendly. We then travelled to Novgrod and Pushkin smaller Russian Cities and again very interesting rounded off by the cultural capital of Russia-St Petersburgh. Memorable trips included-the Moscow Metro station tour and the Moscow Space Museum. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The boat tour through Moscow and also the night time walk through Red Square in Moscow. What did you think of your group leader? Artem was nothing short of outstanding. Artem went beyond the call of duty constantly looking out for everyone in the group and during downtime would give other recommendations/things to do. Artem was very patient and hard working and great sense of humour! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Dont read into the negative media and go for it visit Russia. The World Cup convinced me Russia was a more open and safe country to visit and from visiting Russia it is one of the safest countries I have ever visited. I guarantee you-Russia will be one of the best trips you have ever had-its the trip of a lifetime. Is there anything else you would like to add? Russia is very fairly priced and great value for money.
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