WARSAW, THE BALTICS & RUSSIA
Day 1 - (Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight. Day 2 - Arrival in Warsaw, Poland. (Sun.) Time to rest or to explore Poland's most dynamic cosmopolitan city before you meet your Tour Director and traveling companions at 6 p.m. for a welcome dinner. (D) Day 3 - Warsaw. (Mon.) Hear about the tormented, often tragic history of this important gateway between East and West. See the medieval STARE MIASTO (Old Quarter) with its market square and the 14th-century CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN, a masterpiece of postwar reconstruction. Sightseeing also features the "wedding cake" Palace of Culture and Science, neoclassical Lazienki Palace, and the remnants of the Jewish ghetto. In the HISTORICAL MUSEUM watch a moving film showing the city before and after wartime destruction. Afternoon at leisure. Why not join an optional Polish dinner and folklore show tonight" (BB) Day 4 - Warsaw - Vilnius, Lithuania. (Tue.) The next five days are dedicated to the three small Baltic Countries which quite recently regained their independence. Each has its own language and distinct culture. Today travel to Lithuania, the largest and southernmost of the three. Late afternoon arrival in the capital, Vilnius, once the splendid center of the mighty Grand Duchy of Lithuania. (BB,D) Day 5 - Vilnius. (Wed.) Vilnius" picturesque historic nucleus is clustered around the remains of a castle built by Prince Gediminas in 1323. Your Local Guide will accompany you on a walk from Kutuzov Square through narrow winding lanes to the OLD UNIVERSITY, founded by Jesuits in 1569. A special visit has been included to the KGB Museum. The rest of the day is at leisure; you may wish to join an exciting optional excursion. (FB) Day 6 - Vilnius - Riga, Latvia. (Thu.) Enjoy a scenic drive from the River Neris through a landscape alternating dark forests, swamps, fertile black earth fields, and lush pastures. Stop at the Hill of Crosses memorial site on your way to the Baltic port of Riga, the Latvian capital. (FB,D) Day 7 - Riga. (Fri.) All day in the Latvian capital. Sightseeing with a Local Guide features the historic center on the right bank of the Daugava River and a walking tour of the Old Town and the JUGENDSTIL QUARTER. Afternoon and evening at leisure with lots of things to do. Optional excursions are available. (FB) Day 8 - Riga - Tallinn, Estonia. (Sat.) Trace the coastline of the Gulf of Riga past the Estonian health resort of Pärnu, a site inhabited since the early Stone Age, on your way to Tallinn, capital of the smallest of the Baltic Countries. This afternoon, sightseeing with a Local Guide features the Hanseatic Old Town, with its 15th-century Lühike Jalg Gate, and visits to the TOWN HALL and the onion-domed ALEXANDER NEVSKY CATHEDRAL. (FB,D) Day 9 - Tallinn'St. Petersburg, Russia. (Sun.) Cross the river at the historic town of Narva and enter Russia. Then continue to St. Petersburg where you will stay for the next three nights. (FB,D) Day 10 - St. Petersburg. (Mon.) Few cities in the world match the grace of St. Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great. Construction began in 1703, and the city eventually spread over 100 islands linked by 700 bridges. It suffered severe damage during the revolution of 1917 and later during World War II. Your Local Guide will show you how the city has been restored to its former splendor. Drive along elegant Nevsky Prospect, then admire ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL with its gilded dome and marble columns. Highlight today is a visit to magnificent CATHERINE PALACE (if closed, visit PAVLOVSK PALACE instead). (FB) Day 11 - St. Petersburg. (Tue.) Today, visit the Winter Palace complex, now housing the world-famous HERMITAGE MUSEUM. Among the exhibits are celebrated works by Rembrandt, Da Vinci, and the major French impressionists. Afternoon and evening at leisure. Exciting optional excursions are available. (FB) Day 12 - St. Petersburg - Moscow. (Wed.) Transfer to the railway station and board the first-class EXPRESS TRAIN to Moscow. (FB,D) Day 13 - Moscow. (Thu.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes RED SQUARE, the center of this 850-year-old city. At its core is the Lenin Mausoleum and St. Basil's Cathedral. Inside the KREMLIN, a city-within-a-city, admire the medieval towers, cathedrals, and palaces. At the ARMORY MUSEUM see treasures such as Ivan the Terrible's throne. Of course you will also see the Bolshoi Theater. (FB) Day 14 - At Leisure in Moscow. (Fri.) Another day to further explore this fascinating city. This evening enjoy a farewell dinner with your traveling companions to celebrate the success of your vacation. (FB,D) Day 15 - (Sat.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (FB) |
