MOSCOW & ST PETERSBURG EXCURSIONS
Your short-cut to the inside story
Moscow and St Petersburg are classic European cities on everyone’s want to see list and they’re really accessible places these days. However, there are still activities where the language barrier can lock you out an excursion not only helps you get the most out of them, but ensures you actually find the place, and get there on a day it’s open too! When the information is even finding your way can be a problem (so we’ll usually arrange to meet you at a nearby metro station or rendezvous point).
Also many activities (marked *) are only possible if pre-organised and don’t accept casual visitors.
• Excursions do not include transportation except where specifically indicated.
• Your own English language local city expert accompanies you on all the excursions.
and activities (including those where the venue/organisation also provides their
own compulsory guide).
All excursions are bookable only in conjunction with a Trans-Siberian railway or Moscow/St Petersburg city break
MOSCOW
Vodka Museum
It is quite symbolic that the museum is now situated in Moscow, which is the historical centre this famous drink originates from, 15th century being the starting point of its history. The museum appeared within the precincts of the Kremlin in Izmailovo, which is a unique historical and architectural complex, for tourists and locals.
1 person price $129 • 2 people or more $82pp
Duration 3 hrs. Includes travelling time. No transportation costs included.
Basic Russian
Kak dela? Pick up some handy conversational Russian for your trip in an intensive lesson over a cup of Russky chai. From please and thank you to asking the way (and understanding the answer..) one lesson might not make you a bol’tushka (chatterbox) but you’ll be well on the way to becoming kilovaya chuvikha (cool chick!).
1 person price $213 • 2 people or more $109pp
Duration of the lesson 3hrs.
Includes snacks but no transportation.
Visit Stalin’s Secret Bunker
A unique chance to visit Stalin’s Secret Bunker, built in 1942 in the heat of WW2, from where he directed the Soviet war effort and intended to run Russia in the event of nuclear war in the 1950's. Private admission only, please book early. Can only be offered for 2 or more visitors. Please note that this is not open to the general public and their pricing reflects the exclusive nature of this offering.
• Excursion: 2.5 hours which includes travelling time on public transport of 30 mins each direction.
$295 for one person. 2 people or more $199pp
The Kremlin & Treasury Of The Tsars
Not the nuclear bunker some visitors expect, but the medieval walled citadel of ancient Moscow! Built to withstand attack by Mongolian hordes, its massive bastions enclose former palaces and cathedrals from which Russia was ruled in the Middle Ages. Only visiting Heads of State are usually allowed to visit the Facetted Palace, but you'll see the cathedrals in which the Tsars were crowned, married, and buried, and the Palace of the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church. The trip highlight is the Treasury of the Tsars - royal regalia, crowns, orbs, sceptres, the royal carriages, and priceless gifts from other monarchs - now displayed in the former Armoury Chambers. [The Kremlin remains the centre of the Russian State today - some buildings remain closed to the public for this reason. The Kremlin is closed to all visitors on Thursdays, Public Holidays, and during State Visits by Heads of State.
1 person price $189 • 2 people or more $132pp
Duration 4hrs. Includes travelling time. No transportation costs included.
Novodeivichy Convent
The "New Maiden" Convent is a formidable structure - not dissimilar in style to the Kremlin, and dating from a similar period - that has played a frequent role in Russia's turbulent history. Tsar Peter the Great, for example, banished his ex-wife here as a nun, after discovering she was plotting his murder - your guide will tell you how he increased her torment in a barbaric way. In later centuries disgraced nobility - such as those accused of the 1825 "Decembrists Plot" - were buried here, including many of the most celebrated officers of the Napoleonic Campaign of 1812. (The adjacent cemetery is not included in the excursion).
1 person price $132 • 2 people or more $74pp Duration 3hrs. Includes travelling time. No transportation costs included.
ST PETERSBURG
Siege of Leningrad Museum
For 900 days in WW2 the city of Leningrad (present day St. Petersburg) was cut off from the rest of Russia by German tank divisions and the artillery battalions. Conditions in the besieged city were appalling – hundreds of thousands died from famine and contagion. This tiny museum is located in the gatehouse of the War Cemetery where the civilian dead from the siege were buried. Although it may be grim, its “essential” to understand the splendour of the modern city.
1 person price $123 • 2 or more people $74pp
Duration 3hrs. Includes travelling time. No transportation costs included.
Tea in a Russian Home
Russians are at their happiest when sitting and drinking tea, eating cake and having a natter. There’s even a verb in Russian, chaigonyat, to describe drinking a lot of tea like this! Enter the private world of Russian home home life for a short while.
1 person price $115 • 2 or more people $74pp
Duration 3hrs. Includes travelling time. No transportation costs included.
Museum Of The Political Police
Russia’s secrect police are legendry, but they weren’t merely a soviet-era invention... they date back to the oprichniks (the deadly secrect agents ofthe Russian Tsars from the C17th onwards) and beyond. Even famous Russian authors like Dostoyevsky (who wrote “Crime and Punishment” here in St Petersburg) fell foul of the terrifying “midnight doorknock”. This museum offers an unglossed history.
1 person price $115 • 2 people or more $74pp
Duration 3hrs. Includes travelling time. No transportation costs included.
Yusupov Palace & Rasputin Chambers
The Yusupov family were the wealthiest family in Russia-wealthier even than the Tsars themselves, and their influence ran everywhere. So when young Felix Yusupov and his university friends decided Rasputin’s influence had become too great, they decided to “deal with him” privately, by inviting him to a poisoned supper at their magnificent palace...
1 person price $125. 2 people or more $74pp
Duration 2.5hrs. Includes travelling time. No transportation costs included.
Russian Cookery Lesson with a family
Learn how to cook traditional Russian dishes under the watchful eye of a master of the genre! You’ll have to eat the results of your efforts later, so make sure you pay attention! All the ingredients, tuition and a shot of something to wash it down with are included.
1 person price $156 • 2 people or more $89
Duration of the lesson 3 hours. No transportation costs are included.
