«Winter Rainbow»
5 days/4 nights.
This programme includes 6 excursions: the Hermitage and the Russian State Museum, 3 cathedrals representing different epoques, Tsarskoe Selo and its legendary “amber room”. English-speaking guides for all the visits.
WINTER. The white snow makes the wonderful polychrome colours of the facades reappear. White, pink, green, yellow, blue – it’s in the winter that you can appreciate this feast of colours.
OUR ADVICE: from November to March take a very warm coat and several woolly sweaters that you can put on top of each other if the temperature drops. Also think of warm undergarments, comfortable shoes with corrugated soles and a skiing hat, woolly socks, scarves and mittens. An umbrella is useless in winter, since the wind is usually so strong that you don’t have chance to open one. You may be surprised, but the frost of -20° is bearable, and daily life goes as usual. All the museums, shops, restaurants, offices and transport are well heated.
The winter temperatures are sometimes similar to those of the north of Scotland, but don’t relax. Even if the forecast is “+2, rain”, don’t think that you should dress accordingly. The temperatures change unbelievably fast, from +2 in the morning to -15 in the afternoon.
Day 1: Arrive to Saint-Petersburg, transfer to a hotel.
Day 2: Tour of the City. “Colours of Saint-Petersburg”. Church of Saint Nicolas the Mariner, Kunstkamera, Winter Palace, Menshikov’s Palace – they look like stage decorations .
Visit the Fortress of Peter and Paul.
Afternoon: The Hermitage and its treasury.
Day 3:
Tour of Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin). Visit the famous imperial residence in the baroque palace that was designed by Rasstrelli in the 18th century and that contains the legendary “amber room”.
Visit the Palace of Pavlovsk, the residence of Paul the First, Catherine the Great’s son, built by the best classical architects of the 18th Century. Almost entirely destroyed during WWII, today it’s completely restored and makes a wonderful impression by its elegant and harmonious mood and collections of porcelain, tapestries and paintings.
Afternoon: Walk along Nevsky and visit the Cathedral of Kazan .
Day 4: Visit to the Russian State Museum which is located in the centre of the City in the lavish Mikhailovsky Palace, built by the architect Carlo Rossi for Prince Michael. Here you can find all the schools and styles of Russian art and an exceptional collection of icons.
Afternoon:
Church of the Saviour of the Spilt Blood. Here you can admire the richness of the neo-Russian style in the very heart of classical Saint-Petersburg. Resembling the Russian churches of the 16th Century from the outside, it is covered entirely in mosaics inside.
Day 5: optional (if the time permits) - Tour of Petrodvorets, “the Russian Versailles”, the tsars’ residence built at the beginning of the 18th Century - visit the magnificent palace built by the great Rastrelli.
Departure. Transfer to the airport.
We can offer you tickets for the regular flights to Saint-Petersburg with British Airways and Aeroflot.
If you want to find the cheapest tickets, you may want to try www.lastminute.com, www.ebookers.com or www.ba.com. You can also compare the flight prices at www.cheapflights.co.uk or www.travelsupermarket.com.
This programme is only an example. You can always compose your own. Just consult us and we’ll be happy to help.