Greg Tepper's 8-day Moscow and St. Petersburg Itinerary
Greg Tepper is a member of Travel + Leisure’s A-List, a collection of the top travel advisors in the world, and can help plan your perfect getaway. Below is an example of the type of itineraries he creates. To work with Greg, you can contact him directly at [email protected].
Day 1: Arrive in Moscow
You will be transferred to the perfectly located hotel, just steps from Red Square and the Kremlin and across the street from the Bolshoi Theater. The rest of the day and evening is at leisure. Time permitting, walk over to brand new Zaryadye park for sweeping views of the Red Square and St. Basil Cathedral.
Stay
Ararat Park Hyatt
Day 2: Moscow
Take a private guided tour of the city. You will have an appointment to visit the famed Armory Museum, including its vast collection of Imperial Russian artwork. Included in your Kremlin visit today is entry into the Diamond Vaults. Admission to these extraordinaryrooms is by special appointment with the Kremlin, and your guide is not allowed to enter with you. Before leaving the Kremlin, take some time to explore its expansive grounds with your guide. We suggest you don’t miss the Assumption Cathedral, where all Russian tsars were crowned. After time to have lunch on your own, explore some of the surrounding neighborhood with your guide — including Red Square, the Imperial Gates, and St. Basil's Cathedral. Later, you may want to experience the fascinating interiors of the Moscow Metro stations, ornately decorated with beautiful paintings, carvings and chandeliers.
Stay
Ararat Park Hyatt
Day 3: Moscow
Tour the grand Christ the Holy Redeemer Cathedral, which towers over historic Moscow. Later, stroll with the guide across the bridge to the other side of the river, where you will walk through the Graveyard of Fallen Monuments — a collection of some of the sculptures removed from Moscow after the fall of the Soviet era. Afterward, your guide will take you to the New Tretyakov Gallery, an annex of the Tretyakov Gallery. This huge museum is dedicated to Russian art from the early 1900s to the present.
Stay
Ararat Park Hyatt
Day 4: Moscow and St. Petersburg
Enjoy the morning at leisure before boarding the luxury, high-speed Sapsan train from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Spend the evening at leisure upon arrival.
Stay
Hotel Astoria
Day 5: St. Petersburg
Meet your guide for a private walking tour to Palace Square. The focal point of this ensemble is the Winter Palace — an architectural masterpiece of the Russian Baroque and the royal residence of all the Russian Emperors (except Paul) until the 1917 Revolution. In the afternoon, your guide will take you into the stately St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the famous Yusupov Palace to learn the story of Rasputin.
Stay
Hotel Astoria
Day 6: St. Petersburg
Today you will visit Shuvalov Palace’s Faberge Museum. This is the most formidable collection in the world of works by this great Russian master craftsman, best known for his celebrated million-dollar Imperial Easter Eggs. You may wish to have lunch today in the village of Pushkin at one of the local restaurants. Later, while visiting Catherine's Palace, you will be invited into the Amber Room workshops where craftsmen rebuilt the famous amber panels lost in World War II.
Stay
Hotel Astoria
Day 7: St. Petersburg
Today visit Peter Paul Fortress: the birthplace of St. Petersburg. After walking through the many gates and across the bridges and moats, you can begin to feel the late 18th century era that required such fortification. Afterward, you will visit Peterhof Palace ("Russia's Versailles") to see first-hand the palace’s countless fountains and gardens.
Stay
Hotel Astoria
Day 8: Depart from St. Petersburg
You will be met in your hotel lobby for a transport to the airport to catch your flight home (or onward).