Guided Tours of Historic St. Petersburg, Novgorod, and Moscow

Much like Paris's Eiffel Tower and San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, the multi-domed Saint Basil’s Cathedral has become the symbol of Moscow. Yet many don’t know that the rainbow-hued church, built in 1560 on orders from Ivan the Terrible, was almost destroyed in the 20th century. Joseph Stalin planned to tear it down to make room for massive parades on the Red Square. But architect Pyotr Baranovsky refused to prepare the building for demolition, sparing the historic landmark and earning himself five years in jail. Today, Saint Basil’s is not only a museum, but a testament to Russia’s long—and at times tumultuous—history.

You’ll get a chance to visit Saint Basil’s Cathedral on this nine-day, eight-night trip, which includes stops at Russia’s two most populous cities, Saint Petersburg and Moscow, as well as a historic medieval village. View the full itinerary here.

Days 1–3:

After an overnight international flight to Moscow, you’ll catch a quick flight to Saint Petersburg, where you’ll be transferred to the hotel. The guided tour kicks off on the third day with a jaunt down the city’s main thoroughfare, Nevsky Prospekt. Morning stops include the flamboyant Church on Spilled Blood—built on the assassination site of Tsar Alexander II—as well as the Bronze Horseman statue of Peter the Great. The excursion culminates with a visit to the State Hermitage Museum, which began in 1764 as Catherine the Great’s personal art collection and now hosts more than three million works of art and artifacts.

Days 4–5:

The next two days are left free for personal sightseeing. You can purchase an optional pukka pass to tour Peter the Great’s palace, or pick up trinkets at the canal-side markets. On the fifth evening, the group boards a train to one of Russia’s oldest cities, Novgorod, which was founded by Vikings in the 10th century. Upon arrival, you’ll enjoy a relaxing session in a traditional Russian banya, or sauna.

Day 6:

Today’s itinerary includes a tour of Novgorod, a village listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its many historic landmarks. You’ll visit the town’s heavily fortified kremlin, or fortress, as well as its ancient cathedral. That evening, the journey continues on an overnight sleeper train to Moscow.

Days 7–8:

A guided tour of Moscow will acquaint you with the capital city. The eighth day is left free for personal exploration. Visit the Red Square to see the iconic Saint Basil’s Cathedral, which legends say Ivan the Terrible found so beautiful he had the eyes poked out of the architects who built it so they’d never make anything to rival the church.

Day 9–10:

On the ninth day you’ll visit Lenin’s mausoleum, where the Communist leader was buried in 1924. From there, the tour goes inside the Kremlin for a look at the grounds, government buildings, and gold-domed cathedrals.

In the afternoon, there is an optional guided tour of a 75,000-square-foot Cold War bunker. After breakfast the following morning, you’ll hop on a flight from Moscow back to JFK.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.