In Transit: International Flight

Afternoon: Group transfers from Domodedovo Airport (DME) to the hotel. Several participants holding air tickets from Road Scholar and arriving at Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) will be met by our representative in the SVO arrival hall. Independent travellers are welcome to join the group transfers if they are at DME at the transfer times. Meet the Group Leader at the program hotel.

Dinner: Dinner at hotel

Evening: Short orientation meeting after dinner

Lodging: Sheraton Palace hotel

Meals Included: Dinner

A talk on the Russian national character / Cultural traditions / Glinka Museum

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Start this morning with a group meeting and official introductions of the program participants. After that, participate in a discussion on "the Russian national character" led by a university professor, followed by a Q&A session. Following the discussion, begin your expert-led exploration of Moscow by driving to the city center.

Lunch: Lunch in a restaurant in the city .

Afternoon: In the afternoon have a visit to the Glinka Museum of Russian Musical Heritage. The museum curator introduces us to the rich cultural traditions of Russia and displays the museum's rare musical instruments. We end our day with a stop at Grand Theater Square, where the legendary Bolshoi Theater and several major drama and musical theaters are located. Hear a presentation on Russia's theatrical traditions, Moscow theaters, and the current theatre scene.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel or a city restaurant.

Lodging: Sheraton Palace hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: Be prepared for a full day in the city

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Continue your exploration of the city. Learn about Moscow's heroic past as reflected in the city's history and its architectural treasures. Hear about Napoleon's invasion of 1812. Stops are made at Moscow University, the New Maiden (Novodevichy) Convent where famous Russians are buried (view the exterior only), the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Russia's White House, drive by Gorky Park and many other sites. 12.00 noon: Attend a ballet performance of "Romeo and Juliet" at the historic Bolshoi Theater (music by S. Prokofiev). Dressy attire is recommended, and a jacket is required. NOTE: theater seats are assigned based on your enrollment date. .

Lunch: Lunch snack on your own at the theater during intermissions.

Afternoon: Continue city drive before dinner.

Dinner: Dinner at a city restaurant

Lodging: Sheraton Palace hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Moscow art treasures: Pushkin Fine Arts Museum / Arbat Street / Performance

Note: Extensive walking (up to 2 miles)

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: This morning participate in an expert-led field trip to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts to explore the museum's collection. Opened in 1912, the Pushkin Museum houses a collection of European art second in Russia only to St. Petersburg's Hermitage. Much of the strength of the collection is in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. A special attraction is the collection of Schliemann’s Gold (the gold of Troy), which is also exhibited here.

Lunch: Lunch on your own.

Afternoon: Take a ride (only if desired) on the Moscow metro system led by our representative to admire the magnificent underground stations decorated with colorful mosaics, beautiful crystal chandeliers and bronze statues. Return to hotel. Spend time in the Arbat pedestrian street famous for numerous arts and crafts shops and picture galleries. Explore Russian applied art, the art of lacquer boxes and other national crafts from all corners of the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural Russian state.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel or a city restaurant.

Evening: Evening performance: a choir concert (a capella) featuring classical and Orthodox church music (conducted by maestro M. Borodiansky). Dress code: informal.

Lodging: Sheraton Palace hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Talk on Medieval Russia / Kremlin compound and Armory Chamber / Free time

Note: Extensive walking (up to 2 miles)

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Today is dedicated to medieval Russian history. Enjoy a presentaton on medieval Russia during your visit to the legendary Kremlin compound, which for hundreds of years was the symbol of the powerful Russian state. It is a self-contained walled city (fortress), with an armory, cathedrals, and palace. You will see the exterior of the Kremlin palace, the legendary Tsar Bell and Tsar Cannon, the spectacular golden-domed Cathedral of the Annunciation and the majestic Cathedral of the Archangel, presenting a harmonious image of Italian Renaissance and traditional Russian architecture. A walk through the Kremlin grounds is led by a licensed expert.

Lunch: Time for lunch on your own

Afternoon: Visit the Armory Chamber in the Kremlin compound, housing a unique collection of Faberge eggs and Russia's royal jewels of all eras. Spend free time in UNESCO-listed Red Square, where all rulers of Russia left traces of their reign; see the ancient Kremlin wall, the striking Kremlin Clock Tower, the GUM building, and admire the exterior of St. Basil's Cathedral -- a multi-colored architectural wonder of the 16th century commemorating Russia's victory over the Tatars.

Dinner: Dinner at a hotel or city restaurant

Lodging: Sheraton Palace hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Russian painting: the Tretyakov Picture Gallery / train to St. Petersburg

Note: Extensive walking in the museum. Rest areas are available. Be prepared to carry your own luggage on/off the train.

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: A presentation on Russian painting during a field trip to the Tretyakov Picture Gallery, housing the world's finest and most extensive collection of Russian art. Learn about Russian spirituality and national values as represented in Russian paintings of all periods. Discover the art of Russian landscape painting by Isaac Levitan and other outstanding artists. Admire the ornate, Byzantine-influenced medieval icons and paintings by the famous Peredvizhniki, a group of artists of the 19th century, including Surikov, Kramskoi, Repin and others (a presentation on the museum collection is led by a licensed expert).

Lunch: Group lunch in town.

Afternoon: Board an afternoon high-speed train for St. Petersburg. Expected arrival time in St. Petersburg is 8:30 pm.

Dinner: Box dinner snack and water are provided for the train ride.

Evening: Evening arrival in St. Petersburg. Hotel check in.

Lodging: Park Inn Nevsky Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

History and architecture of St. Petersburg / Peter and Paul Cathedral / Evening performance

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: Theme of the day: “History and Architecture of St. Petersburg.” A city exploration by motorcoach, with stops at major architectural and historical landmarks. Have a stop to see (exterior only) the golden-domed St. Isaac’s Cathedral, pass by the Bronze Horseman, a tribute to Peter the Great, the founder of the city; then drive through fashionable Nevsky Prospekt, the main thoroughfare of the city, and see numerous palaces, gardens, canals and graceful bridges for which St Petersburg is named the ‘Venice of the North”. Continue with a field trip to the grounds of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Visit the cathedral -- the birthplace of the city and the burial place of the Romanov tsars.

Lunch: Time for lunch on your own.

Afternoon: Return to hotel.

Dinner: Early dinner

Evening: A musical evening: Russian National Dance and Music performance.

Lodging: Park Inn Nevsky Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

The Romanov Dynasty: Catherine's Palace in Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin) and the Peterhof park and fountains

Note: Extensive walking in the museum and parks (up to 2 miles). Rest areas are available.

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: A full day is dedicated to visits to the summer residences of the Russian tsars. En route to Tsarskoye Selo hear the story of the Romanov tsars and their ties to St. Petersburg. Take an inside visit to the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo -- an elaborate baroque residence built in 1752 by Tsarina Elizabeth to honor the memory of her mother Katarina. See the eighth wonder of the world -- the extraordinary Amber Room -- decorated with six tons of solid amber carved and framed in gold leaf. The original room was lost or stolen by the Nazis during WWII, never found, and finally, meticulously reconstructed in 2003. This visit is led by a licensed expert.

Lunch: Lunch in a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Continue on to Peterhof -- an area Peter I chose for his summer residence facing the Gulf of Finland. Explore this 'Russian Versailles' and participate in an expert-led walk in the park to admire the stunning golden fountains (over 140), the Grand Palace, Mon Plaisir palace - Peter's more humble villa - and the Grand Cascade of the fountains - the center piece of the architectural design of this spectacular Lower Park (inside visits to palaces and other museums on site are not part of the visit).

Dinner: Dinner at a hotel or restaurant in the city.

Lodging: Park Inn Nevsky Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: Today we learn about the treasures of Russian literature and ballet. Drive through the district of St Petersburg where Dostoyevsky lived and which he depicted in his novels, and explore the memorial museum dedicated to writers' life and literary works as presented by a museum researcher.

Lunch: Lunch in a city restaurant.

Afternoon: A presentation on the "World of Russian Ballet". Explore composer Rimsky-Korsakov's memorial apartment museum, presented by a museum curator.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel or a city restaurant

Lodging: Park Inn Nevsky Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: We recommend you to bring along walking shoes for the afternoon in the city.

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: Late morning transfer to the legendary Mariinsky Theater for a Gala Concert (including pieces from the theater's opera and ballet repertoire) at 12.00 noon. Dressy, but not formal attire, jacket is recommended, tie optional. Note: seats are assigned based on program enrollment date.

Lunch: Lunch snacks are available for purchase at theater cafes during intermissions.

Afternoon: Transfer to the city center by 3.30-4 pm. Free time. We suggest an independent visit to the 'House of Books', a magnificent Art Nouveau building, or the Yeliseyevsky deli store, also an elaborate Art Nouveau building.

Dinner: Dinner in a restaurant in the city. Transfer to hotel.

Lodging: Park Inn Nevsky Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Note: Extensive walking. Rest areas are available. Be prepared for a full day in the city.

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: This morning we drive for a visit to the Hermitage Museum, one of world's greatest art galleries. Enjoy the dazzling collection of Old Masters and French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, as well as numerous treasures of all eras from all over the world (spend 3 hours with a licensed expert).

Lunch: Time for lunch on your own (we suggest having tea at the House of Books Cafe, (just across from the Cathedral of our Lady of Kazan), from where there is a splendid view of Nevsky Prospekt.

Afternoon: During free time in Nevsky Prospekt we suggest a visit to a nearby museum of your choice, such as St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Cathedral of the Resurrection, the Yousopov Palace [where Rasputin was killed], the State Russian Museum, etc. Also, consider an independent visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan (a head cover for women is mandatory).

Dinner: Farewell Dinner

Lodging: Park Inn Nevsky Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

In Transit: Departure transfers for all participants holding airline tickets from Road Scholar. Independent travelers are welcome to join the group transfer bus to LED 2., or to arrange a taxi at the hotel. Group departure schedule will be announced by the Group Leader 24 hours in advance.

Meals Included: Breakfast