Classic Russia tour

Day 1 : Moscow

Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Moscow. Arriving into Moscow you're met at the airport by your private driver and guide, and driven to your hotel. Most flights arrive in the evening, so spend your first few hours in Russia simply relaxing in your hotel.

Day 2 : Moscow

This morning your private guide meets you at your hotel and takes you on the city's metro to Red Square and the Kremlin. You'll also visit the Armoury, containing a number of Fabergé Eggs as well as jewels, weapons and clothing of the Tsars, and St Basil's Cathedral. The afternoon is at leisure for you to explore by yourself. We recommend visiting the Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum.

Day 3 : Moscow

Today continue exploring Moscow under your own steam. We suggest making use of the city's elegant metro system to get around. Almost like an underground art museum full of marble monuments, the metro system's a sight in itself. You could visit the Novodevichy Convent and Heroes' Cemetery, which has excellent views over the city. In the afternoon, we recommend taking a river cruise on the Moskva, ending with a cocktail in the Radisson, which is located in one of Moscow's seven skyscrapers, nicknamed the Seven Sisters.

Day 4 : St Petersburg

Use your final morning at leisure in Moscow to wander by the river through Gorky Park, or perhaps visit the Museum of Russian Contemporary History. Later you'll be collected from your hotel by your private guide and driver, and taken to the train station to catch the day train to St Petersburg. The journey lasts around four and a half hours. On arriving in St Petersburg, you're met by your private guide and transferred to your hotel by private transfer.

Day 5 : St Petersburg

This morning, explore St Petersburg under your own steam. We suggest visiting St Isaac's Cathedral with its vast granite columns and colonnade that offers views over the city. Alternatively, explore the lavish, eccentric décor of the Yusupov Palace and learn more about its dark history as the place where the tsar's advisor Grigory Rasputin was murdered.In the afternoon, we can arrange a private guided tour of the Hermitage to see the highlights of its art collections. The guided tour itself takes three or four hours, but we recommend staying on afterwards and exploring some of the collections in greater depth.

Day 6 : St Petersburg

Today is at leisure to continue exploring the city. We suggest following our tried-and-tested walking route past St Petersburg's main attractions. We'd recommend ending your walk at St Isaac's Cathedral which affords panoramic views of the city.

Day 7 : St Petersburg

Today you have a further day to wander around the city at leisure. We suggest visiting Kazan Cathedral on Nevsly Prospekt for its interesting icon. En route, you could take in the exquisitely detailed creations of the Fabergé Museum.

Day 8 : International return flight

Your journey ends on a high note. A drive out from the city takes you to the staggeringly opulent Tsars' Village, where you visit the Summer Palace of Catherine the Great with your private guide. From here you'll take a private transfer to the airport for your return flight. Your return flight will arrive the same day.