Day 1
Depart from your gateway city on a scheduled flight from the United States to St. Petersburg. Enjoy dinner and breakfast while en-route.
 
Day 2
Arrive in St. Petersburg from the U.S. You will be picked-up at the airport and have a private transfer to the hotel. Check in and enjoy the reminder of the day at leisure, relaxing and recovering from the trip. Dinner is planned this evening at the hotel or at a local restaurant.
 
Day 3
After breakfast meet your knowledgeable, English-speaking guide in the lobby of the hotel and start exploring this breathtaking city by chauffeur driven limousine with a visit to the Hermitage Art Museum. See the Golden Store, a collection of treasures from the Eastern World. Lunch is followed by an interior visit of St. Isaac's Cathedral before the guide will take you back to the hotel. At 6:00 PM transfer to the Nikolaevsky Palace for a Folklore performance with refreshments during the intermissions. After the show transfer to the "Count Suvorov" restaurant for dinner. Transfer back to the hotel.
 
Day 4
After breakfast meet again with your guide/driver for an excursion to the town of Peterhof (Petrodvorets). A 10-minute drive from the city and you will reach the Palace, located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. Peterhof's connection to the sea is seen by the magnificent fountains symbolizing the power of the sea. (Please note that the fountains will be shut down during the winter months.) Visit the Grand Palace and enjoy lunch at the restaurant "Gallery" within the imperial complex. After lunch, the driver/guide will take you back to the hotel and you have time in the afternoon for your own activities.
 
Day 5
Morning sightseeing of Yusopov Palace and Rasputin Basement. Lunch at the restaurant "Adamant". Return to the hotel. Prepare for the special evening event at Catherine Palace in Pushkin for the Tsar's Ball. The Tsar's Ball has a long tradition, but this year's artists and performances, gala dinner menu and highlights are unique. Plan for a 7:30 PM pick-up at the reception area of your hotel and transfer to Catherine Palace. Guests' will approach to the illuminated Palace walking through the park on a red carpet with lit candles on both sides of the carpet especially laid out for the occasion. The procession follows through the suite of beautiful baroque rooms and reaches the Grand Staircase where a cocktail is served. During dinner the guests will be serenaded by the Chamber Orchestra while enjoying the world famous Russian Ballet. Opera sequences performed by the soloists from Mariinsky Theater and a Russian Cossack show are further icings of this evening. Midnight is celebrated with a bell concert and fireworks in the park. Guests will feel the true romance and splendor of the Tsar's imperial traditions while they are brought back to the times of a bygone era. Included with the multiple courses of the Gala Dinner are unlimited French Champagne, French wines, and Russian vodka. Return transfer to the hotel.
 
Day 6
Have a leisurely morning after the big evening Relive all the excitement of last night's festival, while enjoying a horse-drawn sleigh ride along the Gulf of Finland. Take the opportunity of tasting Russian cuisine one last time for a farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant. Transfer back to the hotel.
 
Day 7
Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the United States.
 
Should you wish to extend your vacation to other destinations such as Moscow or Scandinavia, we would be happy to assist you with a customized itinerary.