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DISCOVER THE PEARLS OF RUSSIA: MOSCOW & ST. PETERSBURG
  Russia’s capital, Moscow, is an exciting and vibrant city rich in history, politics, religion and authority. St. Petersburg, on the other hand, is Russia‘s most romantic and culturally important city. Discover the fascinating Kremlin in Moscow and the splendor of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Experience Moscow’s powerful present and encounter St. Petersburg’s Imperial past. Each city has a long history of Jewish involvement at multiple levels. Our combined Moscow and St. Petersburg tour will leave you with unforgettable memories of Russia‘s most interesting and important cities.
SPRING TOUR: JUNE 16-25 2009 SUMMER TOUR: AUGUST 16-26 2009
Stay at First Class Hotels, Travel in comfortable Coach buses, Experienced guides, Enjoy delicious Glatt Kosher Meals.
Depatures from any destinations can be made to accomodate your location.
Travel Itinerary: Day 1, Monday Tel Aviv – St. Petersburg
Early this morning we’ll fly directly to St. Petersburg with El Al. Upon arrival we’ll take an introductory tour of this 300-year old city, formerly the capital of Tsarist Russia. We’ll view the many city squares, the cathedrals and the palaces, and view the Neva River and the famous fortress. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 2, Tuesday St. Petersburg
We’ll start the tour today on the central boulevard, Nevsky Prospekt, and the Kazan Cathedral. We’ll visit the Winter Palace, located between the Neva River and the Palace Square. We’ll see the statue of Peter the Great, the battleship Aurora, and the beautiful Church of the resurrection. We’ll continue to the Peter and Paul Cathedral and the fortress where Peter the Great and many members of the Romanov dynasty are buried. The last Tsar buried there was Nicholas II and his family, after their remains were discovered in an unmarked mass grave. We’ll visit the Jewish Center with its new synagogue and school established here by Chabad. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 3, Wednesday St. Petersburg
This morning we’ll start the day at the world famous Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage houses a collection exceeding 3 million pieces of art, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, Van Gogh, French impressionists and many more. After the museum we’ll sail down the Neva River and the canals, and soak up the views of St. Petersburg’s magnificent architecture, as we pass beneath some of the 400 bridges that pass over the river and the canals. In the evening we recommend going to see one of the ballet performances for which St. Petersburg is renowned. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 4, Thursday St. Petersburg
This morning we’ll start off with a visit to the Palace of Yekaterina in the suburb of Pushkin. The palace became famous thanks to the amber room that was recently restored. Here, Tsar Alexander founded the Lyceum – a school for children of the nobility, where the famous author Alexander Pushkin studied. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 5, Friday St. Petersburg
After breakfast we’ll head out to the Peterhof, the Summer Palace of Peter the Great, designed much the same as the Palace of Versailles, and renowned for its gardens and many fountains, its lakes and its waterfalls. We’ll then return to the city via the impressive monument to the heroes of the 900-day siege of the city during World War II. We’ll travel to see the Cathedral of St. Isaac, one of the most opulent in all of Russia, as well as the Monument of Nicholas I which stands in the square opposite. We’ll then return to the hotel to prepare for Shabbat, Shabbat services and dinner. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 6, Shabbat St. Petersburg
After Shabbat services in the magnificent Central Synagogue, restored and renovated by the philanthropist Edmond Safra, and after lunch, we’ll walk over to the majestic palace of Felix Yosipov, the place where Gregory Rasputin was assassinated. The palace contains wax figures of those who planned and carried out the murder in December 1916. After the tour we’ll return to the hotel for some rest and relaxation. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 7, Sunday St. Petersburg – Moscow
This morning we’ll fly to Moscow. Upon arrival we’ll depart for a panoramic tour of the city, which became capital of Russia in the 14th century. We’ll drive along the banks of the Moscow River, pass the walls of the Kremlin, see Red Square and the Lenin Mausoleum, go by the Bolshoi Theater, the statue of Karl Marx and the KGB Center. We’ll visit Moscow’s famous underground stations that were designed by various Russian artists, as well as the renewed Church of the Savior. We’ll visit the Choral Synagogue, made famous during the time of the “refuseniks” where Golda Meir visited when she was Israel’s ambassador to the Soviet Union. In the evening we recommend seeing the International Folklore Show at the Cosmos Hotel. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 8, Monday Moscow
This morning we’ll tour Victory Park and a site that integrates a church, synagogue and mosque. Afterwards we’ll visit the Museum of the Battle of Borodino, the famous battle between the Russian Army and that of Napoleon in 1812. The museum is built as a large circle, upon the walls of which appears an impressive painting describing the battle. In the afternoon we’ll stroll down the famous, bustling Arbat pedestrian mall where Pushkin and his friends lived. The mall is lined with coffee houses and restaurants. In the evening we recommend a night tour of the city, to see how beautifully and creatively its buildings are lit up. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 9, Tuesday Moscow
Today we’ll visit the Kremlin. We’ll tour the Cathedrals Square and the State Historical Museum that houses the treasures of the Tsars. We’ll stop in at Moscow’s Central Synagogue and then continue to the burial pantheon next to Novodevichy Convent where the important figures of Great Russia are buried, along with some notable Jewish artists and writers. In the evening we recommend going to see the Russian Circus Acrobatic Show – one of the best in the world! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 10, Wednesday Moscow – Tel Aviv
We’ll start the day with a visit to the Tretyakov Gallery, where the Icons of Russian art from the 12th to the 20th centuries are displayed. From the gallery we’ll head for a cruise on the Moscow River from where we’ll see the famous “White House.” It was here that Boris Yeltsin, then mayor of Moscow, launched his failed coup attempt. We’ll wind down our tour with a visit to “Beit Schwidler” – a Jewish education center. After dinner we’ll make our way to the airport for our flight back to Tel Aviv. Arrival to Israel is on Day 11 in the early hours of the morning. Welcome home!       FOR MORE INFORMATION, DON'T HESITATE TO CALL. Toll free (866) 338 - 8798 (718) 258 - 4865 or (718) 338 - 8798 |