Reader trip to St Petersburg
with Virginia Rounding 17th-22nd April 2020
Peter the Great was determined to show the world that Russia was not a backward nation rooted in tradition, but one that was looking towards the West. If you have never been, the timing is perfect. Not only has the city lost most of the traces of its former war-torn and then grey life as Leningrad, but we are going during the Orthodox Easter.
We will be staying at the 4-star Angleterre (www.angleterrehotel.com), a Rocco Forte hotel, overlooking St Isaac’s Cathedral. Dinner will be at the hotel or at local restaurants, which are within walking distance.
Virginia Rounding is a biographer of Catherine the Great, and Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra. We also have a very experienced local guide.
DAY 1 – Arrival
Depart London Heathrow 09.20 with BA; arrive St Petersburg 14.35. Transfer to the centre of the city, where we stay for the duration of the holiday.
DAY 2 – Introductory panoramic tour of the city
We will see the Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral; the simple log cabin where Peter the Great lived; the Menshikov Palace; and Peter’s fabulous Kunstkamera. We conclude our day by witnessing the magnificent Orthodox Easter midnight liturgy at the Kazan Cathedral.
DAY 3 – The Hermitage
Here we find Old Masters, Impressionists, ceramics, porcelain and also work by the court jeweller, Fabergé. After lunch in the museum, we explore the new building.
DAY 4 – Pavlovsk and the Catherine Palace
Today we visit two sumptuous palaces built for members of the imperial family. Lunch is at a traditional Cossack restaurant.
DAY 5 – Mikhailovsky Palace
We visit the wonderful collection of art and icons in the Russian Museum housed in the Mikhailovsky Palace. Our day will also include visits to the Church on Spilled Blood and a visit to the Fabergé Museum in the Shuvalov Palace.
DAY 6 – The Yusupov Palace and heading home
This morning we will visit the site of Rasputin’s assassination. After an early lunch, we will catch the 15.35 BA flight, which lands at London Heathrow at 17.10.
PRICE: from £2,789 per person, single supplement £378, including flights, accommodation, all transport, breakfast, lunches and dinners with wine, all entrance fees and the tour representative. To book: call Patrick on 020 7593 2284 or email patrick.millar@kirkerholidays.com