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• THE GRAND TOUR OF RUSSIA

THE GRAND TOUR OF RUSSIA

Irkutsk - Lake Baikal - Yekaterinburg - Kazan – Moscow

12 Days / 11 Nights

DAY 1. IRKUTSK

Arrival in Irkutsk, meeting with local guide and transfer to hotel.

Accommodation and overnight.

DAY 2. IRKUTSK

During the tour of the city of Irkutsk, we will visit the Lower Embankment, the Spassky church and the Znamensky Cathedral, where the miraculous icon of the Mother of God "The Omen" and the relics of the first bishop of Irkutsk - Innocent Kulchytsky – are kept. Then we will take a walk along Karl Marx Street famous for the unique buildings of the early 19th-20th century. We will also see other curiosities such as Gagarin Boulevard, the monument to Alexander III, White House, etc. We will finish the tour with a visit to the historic neighbourhood Dictrict 130 - a vibrant place full of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, art galleries and architectural monuments.

Return to hotel. Afternoon free. Overnight.

DAY 3. IRKUTSK – LAKE BAIKAL - IRKUTSK

We will start the day with a visit to the Taltsy open-air ethnographic museum, where we will see old wooden houses, authentic yurts (nomad houses) of indigenous Buryat and Evenk people.

Then we will go up by cable car to the viewpoint of Mount Chersky to enjoy a great panoramic view of Lake Baikal. Next - walk along the shore of Lake Baikal and visit to the old wooden church of St. Nicholas. We will finish the tour with a visit to the local fish and craft market.

Transfer back to Irkutsk in the evening. Overnight.

DAY 4. IRKUTSK - YEKATERINBURG

Check-out. Transfer to the airport for a flight to Yekaterinburg.

Arrival to Yekaterinburg, meeting with local guide and transfer to hotel.

Accommodation.

DAY 5. YEKATERINBURG

During the panoramic visit of Yekaterinburg we will see the diverse architecture of the city, which has very modern buildings neighboring to the ones built in the XVIII y XIX centuries, and of course lots of examples of the Soviet era, especially the famous constructivism. Then we will visit Yeltsin Center, the interactive museum dedicated to the fall of the USSR and the transition to the new Russia, which offers a fascinating presentation of the post-Soviet era, a wide variety of historical objects of the time and installations that show the fundamental changes in the history of Russia of the XX century.

Accommodation.

DAY 6. YEKATERINBURG

We will start the day with a visit to the Church of All Saints (Church on Blood in Honor of All Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land), dedicated to the Romanovs - the family of the last Tsar and Russian Emperor Nikolas II. Then we will go to a historic memorial complex - Ganina Yama monastery, where the Romanovs family was assassinated. On the way we will make a stop to take photos on the official border between Europe and Asia, a special sign indicating the line between two continents, where you can move from Europe to Asia with a single step.

Accommodation.

DAY 7. YEKATERINBURG - KAZAN

Check-out. Transfer to the airport for a flight to Kazan.

Arrival to the airport of Kazan, meeting with local guide and transfer to hotel.

Accommodation.

DAY 8. KAZAN

The panoramic tour includes the most famous sights of Kazan: Kazan University, Kazan Millennium Park, Tatar village Tugan Avylym in the city center, Ekiyat Puppet Theatre, Liberty Square, Kazanka River embankment, offering unique views of the coast of the Kazan Riviera, Millennium Bridge, Kazan Arena Stadium etc.

During the visit to the Kazan Kremlin we will see the Spassky tower, leaning tower Syuyumbike, government buildings, visit the Kul-Sharif Mosque and the Cathedral of the Annunciation. You will be delighted with the beauty of the architecture and fascinated by the interesting stories told by a professional tour guide.

Accommodation.

DAY 9. KAZAN - MOSCOW

Raifsky Men’s Monastery is located 30 km away from Kazan on the shore of the beautiful lake. We will visit the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the Cathedral of God’s Mother of Georgia where you can see the main shrine of the Raifa Monastery — the miracle-working icon of the Mother of God of Georgia. That’s a really charming and remarkable place, a National Park, where you clearly feel the spirituality and mystery of Orthodox belief. On our way back to Kazan we will make a photo-stop at the colorful “Temple of All Religions” (outside).

Transfer to the train station for a night train to Moscow.

DAY 10. MOSCOW

Arrival in Moscow.

Today we will get acquainted with Moscow, the capital of Russia, during a panoramic sightseeing tour of the city we will drive along the main streets and squares, make photo stops at the most picturesque places of the city and see the Red Square, Bolshoi Theatre, St. Basil Cathedral, the building of Lubyanka, the former KGB headquarters and many others. We will admire the exterior of the beautiful Novodevichy Convent, visit the famous Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which has a tragic history of its own. 

Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.

DAY 11. MOSCOW

This morning we will visit the historical and political centre of Moscow – the Kremlin. During an unforgettable walk around the impressive territory of the Kremlin, the ancient citadel of Moscow, we will visit one of the Cathedrals, see the Palace of the President, the Tsar Bell and the Tsar Cannon.

DAY 12. MOSCOW

Your transfer to the airport is scheduled according to the departure of the plane.⁠