|
ITINERARY
Tour Pace
This extensive tour which visits eight countries moves at a lively pace and has two night stays in the five major cities of Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Vilnius and Warsaw. Seasoned travellers will know that border crossing formalities can extend the length of some driving days.
DAY 1 – SUN – BERLIN AT LEISURE
Complimentary transfers depart from Berlin's Tegel Airport to your hotel. Later, why not walk along the bustling 'Ku-damm', the shopping centre of West Berlin which during 40 years of division, became the show window of the West and the envy of the East. Tonight, meet your Tour Director for a Welcome Drink. Hotel: Marriott. (Three or four course table d'hote or buffet style dinner)
DAY 2 – MON – BERLIN – COPENHAGEN
On this morning's sightseeing tour we see the Reichstag building, Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall and follow the Unter den Linden to the Alexanderplatz. Leaving Berlin, we drive to Rostock and set sail for Denmark. A peaceful drive brings us to Copenhagen. This evening we visit the famous Tivoli Gardens. Hotel: Phoenix. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 3 – TUE – COPENHAGEN SIGHTSEEING
We see the Little Mermaid and visit Christiansborg, (the Parliament Building.) We also see the Rosenborg Palace, Stock Exchange and Amalienborg Palace. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 4 – WED – COPENHAGEN – STOCKHOLM
This morning on our ferry to Sweden we see Hamlet's Kronborg castle at Elsinore. Our journey then takes us through fertile farmlands and along the shores of Lake Vattern to Stockholm. Hotel: Scandic Alvik. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 5 – THU – STOCKHOLM – O'NIGHT CRUISE
With our guide, we visit the Gold Room in City Hall, then cross into the medieval heart of the city to see the Cathedral and the Royal Palace. There is the option of visiting the Wasa Ship, before boarding our luxury cruise ship for the overnight voyage to Finland. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 6 – FRI – HELSINKI SIGHTSEEING
We disembark in Helsinki and visit the 'Church in the Rock', Sibelius Monument and see Finlandia Hall in the new quarter. Hotel: Radisson SAS Plaza. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 7 – SAT – HELSINKI – ST PETERSBURG
We follow the coast and cross into Russia at Vyborg for lunch. Then we drive through beautiful forests on the way to St Petersburg. Hotel: Pribaltiskaya. (Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Three or four course table d’hote or buffet style dinner)
DAY 8 – SUN – ST PETERSBURG SIGHTSEEING
In St Petersburg we see the 'Church of Spilled Blood', Nevsky Prospect and the cruiser 'Aurora'. Then today's highlight – a visit to the Winter Palace, former home of the Czars, but now housing the spectacular Hermitage Museum, one of the world's greatest art collections. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 9 – MON – ST PETERSBURG – NOVGOROD
After breakfast we travel to the nearby village of Petrodvorets, to see the beautiful gardens of Peter the Great's Summer Palace with their magnificent fountains. Later we drive to Novgorod where we stay overnight. Here we see the 11th century St Sophia's Cathedral. Hotel: Beresta Palace. (Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Three or four course table d’hote or buffet style dinner)
DAY 10 – TUE – NOVGOROD – MOSCOW
We cross the mighty Volga River at Tver before arriving in Moscow. Hotel: Ukrainia/Sovietsky. (Buffet breakfast, Lunch)
DAY 11 – WED – MOSCOW SIGHTSEEING
On today's sightseeing tour we see St Basil's Cathedral and Lenin's Tomb in Red Square and walk inside the Kremlin walls to visit one of the cathedrals. Finally we explore the Metro Stations which Stalin called 'palaces for the people', still leaving time to shop. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 12 – THU – MOSCOW – VITEBSK
We head west to Smolensk today before entering Belarus. A scenic road now brings us to Vitebsk, a fascinating city with cobbled streets. Vitebsk is also known to the world as the birthplace of Marc Chagall. Tonight, we enjoy a highlight dinner of traditional cuisine. Hotel: Luchesa. (Buffet breakfast, Lunch, Speciality Highlight Dinner)
DAY 13 – FRI – VITEBSK – VILNIUS
This morning we enjoy tea from a samovar as we see Marc Chagall's childhood home and visit the Museum housing over 150 of his original works. Now we continue to Vilnius, the Baltic capital of Lithuania. En route, we stop in the ancient Slavic capital of Polotsk. Hotel: Artis. (Buffet breakfast, Three or four course table d'hote or buffet style dinner)
DAY 14 – SAT – VILNIUS SIGHTSEEING
Our sightseeing starts in the baroque church of St Peter and St Paul; then we see the neo-classical cathedral before joining our guide on a leisurely walking tour of the Old Town. We see the Jesuit University and the Gates of Dawn. The former Soviet KGB headquarters are a reminder of more recent and grim events. Finally, we have a highlight visit to Trakai Castle. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 15 – SUN – VILNIUS – WARSAW
We pass Suwalki and lakeside Augustow as we begin a scenic drive through Mazuria, a region of lakes and vast forests. Later, we arrive in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Hotel: Sheraton Hotel & Towers. (Buffet breakfast, Three or four course table d'hote or buffet style dinner)
DAY 16 – MON – WARSAW SIGHTSEEING
Warsaw was faithfully rebuilt after the devastation of World War II. Today, a fascinating film, 'The Destruction of Warsaw' commemorates these events. We see the Chopin Memorial, St John's Cathedral and the memorial to the Warsaw uprising. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 17 – TUE – WARSAW – BERLIN
Across the Polish plains, pausing in the town of Poznan, with its medieval square. We cross the German border at the River Oder and return to Berlin. Hotel: Marriott. (Buffet breakfast, Three or four course table d'hote or buffet style dinner)
DAY 18 – WED – BERLIN
Our tour ends today with a transfer to Berlin's Tegel Airport. (Buffet breakfast)
|
|
