The Baltic & Russia’s Hidden Treasures

Evening departure for Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific and transfer for onward flight to Helsinki with Finnair.

Morning arrival and transfer to hotel.  Remainder of day at leisure.  A welcome drink this evening and dinner at your hotel. (D)

Morning city tour to the most interesting parts of Helsinki, such as Senate Square, Uspenski Cathedral, the Parliament Building and the Olympic Stadium. Stops are also made at the Sibelius Monument and, when possible, the Temppeliaukio Church (the church in the rock). Afternoon at leisure. A Welcome drink this evening and dinner at your hotel. (BD)

Morning one hour flight to Riga, Latvia’s capital, and an architectural enthusiast's dream with a third of the downtown buildings constructed in Jugendstil style. Afternoon at leisure to enjoy the many wonderfully restored buildings, now housing cosy restaurants, cafes, bars and souvenir shops. (B)

Morning coach and walking tour of this ancient Hanseatic city. Explore the largest city in the Baltics on foot through cobbled streets of the Old Town and its beautiful churches and merchant houses as well as the most significant sites of central Riga. Afternoon at leisure and finish your day with dinner in the evening at a local restaurant. (BD)

A comfortable bus journey of 310km today through pleasant countryside via the seaside town of Parnu dating from the 13th century. Afternoon arrival in Tallinn, Estonia’s beautiful capital with a friendly atmosphere, medieval charm and a rich historical heritage that never fails to enchant its visitors. We have the rest of today to explore its quaint narrow cobbled streets with an excellent variety of cafes, bars and restaurants. (B)

Morning walking tour of Tallinn and its old city centre, one of the best preserved medieval city centres in northern Europe lined with buildings dating from the 14th century. Dinner this evening at a restaurant in the old town. (BD)

Morning departure by bus to St Petersburg. Late afternoon arrival and transfer to hotel. St Petersburg was laid out by Peter the Great as ‘Russia’s Window to the West’ and embellished by later Czars as a grand imperial capital. (B)

This morning’s excursion will include Nevsky Prospekt lined with innumerable historic palaces, mansions and outside views of the churches; Palace Square and St Isaac’s Cathedral. It will take you to the very roots of St Petersburg where Peter the Great laid the foundation of the first fortress on an islet in 1703. This island – the Peter and Paul Fortress – has become chief monument to its founder’s reign. Afternoon at leisure. (B)

This morning’s excursion will include Nevsky Prospekt lined with innumerable historic palaces, mansions and outside views of the churches; Palace Square and St Isaac’s Cathedral. It will take you to the very roots of St Petersburg where Peter the Great laid the foundation of the first fortress on an islet in 1703. This island – the Peter and Paul Fortress – has become chief monument to its founder’s reign. Afternoon at leisure. (B)

This morning will be devoted to the magnificent Hermitage Museum – formerly the Winter Palace of the Czars. Here one not only marvels at the immense collection of European paintings from the Renaissance through to the Impressionists, but also observes antiquities, decorative and fine arts, as well as temporary exhibitions from the collection not on permanent display. Remainder of day at leisure. Dinner at hotel prior to transfer to the railway station for evening departure on overnight train. (BD)

Morning arrival and transfer to local restaurant for breakfast. We start a journey known as the ‘Golden Ring – Ancient Russia’ by firstly visiting one of Russia’s oldest cities, Vladimir, founded in 1108. We see the major sites including the pearl of Russian architecture – the Church of Assumption – admired by generations of visitors. Next visit Suzdal, a well-preserved wooden town dating from the 11th century. Our city tour will not include Suzdal’s 33 churches, 5 monasteries and 7 chapels! We will however explore the Kremlin, Spaso-Evfimievsky Monastery and the open-air museum of wooden architecture. (BD)

We visit the small picturesque town of Ples by the Volga River, and are invited into an ‘izba’ (wooden
house) for some traditional Russian hospitality. Lunch in Ples before continuing on to Kostroma, an important trade and handicraft centre of Old Russia, we see the Ipatievsky Monastery and Church of Resurrection-on-Debra before departing for Yaroslavl. (BLD)

In 1010 Prince Yaroslavl the Wise founded a fort on the banks of the Volga. This fort is now a beautiful town whose abundance of churches, frescoes and ceramic ornaments earned it the name ‘Florence of Russia’. After sightseeing we continue to Rostov-the-Great, founded in 862AD and frequently
referred to as a ‘symphony in stone’. In Zagorsk (Sergiev Posad) we visit an important religious
centre for Orthodox pilgrims and enjoy a late lunch in a local restaurant. On to Moscow where ETA is uncertain due to traffic conditions! (BL)

This morning’s city tour will introduce the capital of Russia; Red Square and the celebrated Cathedral of St. Basil; passing by the Bolshoi Theatre, KGB Building, the Russian 'white House' and Moscow University with a stop at Sparrow Hills for views of the city. (BD)

A walking tour this morning of the Kremlin, an architectural ensemble of unique beauty which took shape between the 15th and 20th centuries. We will see Cathedral Square – centre of the Kremlin with the Assumption Cathedral and Cathedral of Archangel – burial place of the Czars; famous Czar Cannon and the Czar Bell. Today’s sightseeing also includes the Armoury Museum with its famous collection of Faberge eggs, jewels and royal thrones. A farewell dinner this evening at your hotel. (BD)

Early afternoon flight to Helsinki where you connect with your Finnair flight to Hong Kong. (B)

Your connecting flight from Hong Kong gives us an early morning arrival at Sydney International Airport where we farewell our fellow passengers and tour concludes.