Cultural quests

The first mention of Moscow appears in 1147. Moscow was Russia’s capital until 1703 when the capital was moved to St. Petersburg by Peter the Great. In 1918 Moscow became the capital again with Lenin. On this tour you will travel to both cities exploring the history and pageantry of the Russian people.

Upon arrival at the Moscow airport, relax in the VIP lounge while an agent helps you with the Customs and Passport Control formalities. A limousine will take you to a luxury hotel where a welcome dinner will await you at an award-winning restaurant.

On May 16, 1703, Peter the Great laid the first stone of the fortress he named St. Petersburg, in honor of St. Peter, guardian of the gates of Heaven. Across the river from the fortress Peter built a shipyard (the Admiralty). Peter then figured, why not build a city around his little fortress and shipyard, providing Russia with a trading port and a “window onto Europe”. This trip gives you a chance to explore Peter the Great’s extraordinary creation and trace its history through later generations of the Russian czars.

“Golden Ring” - these two words unite a group of ancient Russian towns to the northeast of Moscow. These ancient towns, which have had a long life full of fascinating turns, rises and falls, preserve the memory of the most significant events in Russian history. Today the towns are often called “museums under open sky” where unique monuments of Russian architecture of the 12th-17th centuries are collected, reminding us today about the dramatic events and fabulous people of the past.

Experience the longest and the most famous railway journey in the world. The Trans-Siberian Railway traverses the whole expanse of Russia from the Orient to Europe. Few other tours enable the passenger to relax so completely during their course, and to become lost in the rhythm of the journey as time zones and the urgency to arrive become meaningless. In his book, The Big Red Train Ride, author Eric Newby summed it up: ‘There is no railway journey of comparable length anywhere in the world . . . The Trans-Siberian is the big train ride. All the rest are peanuts.’

Learn the fascinating history of three former great empires while traveling on the famous

Trans-Siberian, and its extension, the Trans-Mongolian, Railway. Explore the pageantry of the heritage of Russian Emperors; the amazing success of the Great Warrior, Genghis Khan, whose empire was the largest in the planet’s recorded history; and the mysterious Chinese imperial dynasties who tried to close their land from the outer world by building the famous Great Wall. Observe the amazingly beautiful and pristine natural landscapes of Central Russia, Siberia, Mongolia and China along the way, and get off the train at unique destinations for extensive historical sightseeing.

Cruise through the Land of the Midnight Sun while you visit the cities of the Tsars. This cruise takes you from Moscow to St. Petersburg through the waterways of Russia. See all the sights without having to change hotels in every city. Along the way visit small towns with their own Kremlins and great islands with monasteries.