Seattle Ring Cycle :: Florida :: St Petersburg :: Berlin
Moscow :: Bratislava :: Barcelona :: Dresden

30 April, 5 days

Where is the Moscow of a hundred golden domes,
The dear beauty of my native land?

Discover the Moscow of the exiled Pushkin's lament. Vibrant and bustling, brash yet beautiful, Moscow is the true face of both Old and New Russia. Although poverty still exists, overall the city is booming through oil and gas wealth, which make it one of Europe's most fascinating, though also most expensive, cities to visit. Enjoy all facets of this great city and the five-star luxury of one of Moscow's finest and newest hotels, the Swissotel. We hope to see a combination of opera and ballet performances on Moscow's three stages: the Bolshoi, the Stanislavsky Musical Theatre and the Novaya Opera. The first two provide traditional productions of classic opera and ballet, whilst the Novaya sometimes takes a more modernistic approach. This is a perfect time for music lovers to visit Moscow. After years of renovation the 'Old' stage of the Bolshoi is finally reopening late 2008, though some productions will continue on the 'New' stage. The theatre is considered one of the most romantic places in Moscow with an electric atmosphere in the glittering six-tier auditorium.

Thursday - April 30
We depart from London on a direct British Midlands flight arriving late afternoon. Connections are available from Manchester and other airport connections may be possible. The wonderful features of the Swissotel provide welcome relaxation from the buzz of Moscow streets. Relax in the panoramic lounge, by the pool or in bathtub of your marble bathroom. This evening a welcome group dinner is included at the hotel in one of its two restaurants, either the Café Suisse or the Italian Concerto Restaurant.

Friday - May 1
Our panoramic city tour introduces us to Moscow's highlights. We see the panorama of the Kremlin from the Sophiiskaya Embankment, Lybyanka Square, Tverskaya Street, Christ The Saviour Cathedral and lively, popular Arbat Street. We stop to explore two stations of Moscow metro, probably Stalin's only successful architectural project, replete with marble, bas reliefs, stuccos, mosaics and chandeliers.

After lunch (included) we will walk across the sixty thousand square metres of cobbles that constitute Red Square. Originally a vast market square, it has always been the public space where the Kremlin's occupants have chosen to celebrate and castigate in the presence of the populace. There may be the opportunity to enter Lenin's mausoleum. We then visit the crazy confusion of shapes and colours that is St. Basil's Cathedral, the ultimate symbol of Russia, before proceeding to the Kremlin, a vast city within a city and the oldest inhabited area of Moscow. The tour will include the Armoury, a numbingly opulent collection of treasures gathered by the Czars and the Orthodox Church.

This evening included transfer to an opera/ballet performance.

Saturday - May 2
Our morning tour takes us to the spectacular Tretyakov Gallery displaying the world's finest collection of Russian icons and pre-Revolutionary Russian art. Within the gallery grounds is the splendid church of St Nicholas with 200 icons, and which continues to function as a church besides a museum.

At midday we enjoy a relaxing river cruise on the Moscow River followed by lunch (included).

In the afternoon we visit Novodevichy Convent with its sparkling domes behind turreted walls. The convent, translated as 'New Maidens', was founded in 1534, ironically on the site of a market where Tatars sold Russian girls to Muslim harems. At the heart of the convent Smolensk Cathedral displays walls covered with 16th century frescos, and a huge iconostasis donated by Sofia, the deposed half-sister of Peter the Great, whom he imprisoned here for life together with his first wife. The bell tower, dating from Sofia's time, is considered Moscow's most beautiful. Both women are buried in the church's south nave, whilst the Novodevichy Cemetery is the burial place of many political and artistic personalities, such as Prokofiev, Eisenstein and Kruschev.

This evening included transfer to an opera/ballet performance.

Sunday - May 4
A short journey brings us to the Kuskovo Estate, a Russian mini Versailles with elegant buildings scattered around formal gardens and an informal park. The wooden main mansion overlooks a lake. The expansive grounds contain an open-air theatre, grotto, Dutch house, Italian villa and a hermitage

The afternoon is at leisure. There is much to see: the great Western art collection at the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, the Pushkin State Museum and many beautiful churches and parks.

This evening included transfer to an opera/ballet performance.

Monday - May 5
Time at leisure until mid-afternoon airport transfer for our return flight to the United Kingdom.

Golden Ring extension: the Golden Ring is the name for a series of ancient towns, which preceded Moscow as the political and cultural heart of Russia and are famous for their unique architectural constructions. This 2 night extension possibility is based in Suzdal and includes also visits to Vladimir and Sergiev Posad. Full itinerary will be sent to all Friends booking for Moscow, but will only operate if there is sufficient interest.

Holiday price is £1090pp sharing a twin, including flights from London Heathrow, four nights BB in the Swissotel, transfers, guided excursions, meals (2 lunches and 1 dinner) and entrance fees as above and on-site services of a Grosvenor Travel representative throughout. Single supplement is £160. Manchester connecting flight £95pp. Deposit £190pp.

Opera/ballet tickets are not included in the above prices. Dependent on the theatre and performance good seats usually cost between about £35 and £95, with highest seat pricing for Bolshoi ballet performances. Schedule is only released between one and two months prior. When schedule of events is known we will contact you.

All British passport holders must obtain a visa for Russia. We intend to apply for a group visa in February, at which time we will need passports. Additional cost currently £75pp (prices subject to change). Individual visa applications can also be made if passports are needed at this time, but there will be a supplement.

Travel insurance (if required) is £18pp for clients aged up to 65 at time of booking, £36 aged 66 to 75, £45 aged 76 to 79, and £60 aged 80 to 86. Excess waiver £10 extra. Conditions do apply. Annual insurance is also available