7 Days The Glories of the Hermitage Vacation Package
Duration: 7 Days / 6 Nights
Priced From: Call Travelwizard
Over the span of 250 years, the collection of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, has grown to over three million items, ranging from the Stone Age to the 20th century. These treasures are housed within six magnificent buildings situated along the embankment of the Neva River, in the heart of Petersburg. The highlight in this architectural ensemble is the Winter Palace, former residence of the Russian Czars. This exclusive program features the Hermitage, the world’s largest museum, as a destination in itself. During a total of five mornings and two afternoons, you will be guided by exhibit specialists to explore the collections’ highlights, affording you the opportunity to experience a side of the Hermitage not usually open to the public. Your afternoon explorations away from the Hermitage provide a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in the glories of Petersburg, touring famous sights of the city and its surrounding countryside as well as an afternoon visit to a communal apartment.
Itinerary
Day 1: Depart the U.S.
Depart the United States on your overnight flight to St. Petersburg.
DAY 2: St. Petersburg
Welcome to St. Petersburg. Upon your arrival you will be brought to your deluxe Hotel Kempinski. Enjoy dinner at the hotel’s Bellevue Restaurant and a lecture on the history of the Museum led by a Hermitage historian.
DAY 3: Hermitage
Since the Hermitage is closed to the public today, you can truly maximize your exclusive full-day visit by exploring the most popular galleries when they are free from other visitors. We begin the day by exploring the many rooms of the Museum’s Winter Palace including the Peter the Great Memorial Throne Room, Armorial Hall, Main Room and the Military Gallery of 1812. You will also see a magnificent collection of works by the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. After a private lunch in the Hermitage Staff Canteen, tour the Italian Galleries and see various pieces by Leonardo and Titian as well as the famous collection of 25 works by Rembrandt. Tonight, enjoy St. Petersburg by night as we bring you to dinner at a local restaurant.
DAY 4: Hermitage and Communal Apartment Visit
Your morning is highlighted by the remarkable archaeology collection including sensational artifacts and the world’s oldest carpet, dating back to the 5th century B.C. You then visit the Treasury II, featuring Peter the Great’s collection of Siberian gold, followed by ascending the famous Ambassadors’ Staircase, also known as the Jordan Staircase. You will see state portraits of former Czars as well as the spectacular Malachite created by Nicholas I for his wife. This afternoon’s experience juxtaposes the glories of the Hermitage with a visit to a communal apartment where you will meet ordinary Russians and have tea accompanied by typical Russian pirogi. Continue to the Peter and Paul Fortress, birthplace of the city, and Stone Island, where Russian nobility had their dachas (summer homes) and where the new Russian elite live today.
DAY 5: Hermitage and St. Petersburg
Your day will be highlighted with a tour of Treasury I (sometimes referred to as the Diamond Rooms) exhibiting rare works of jewelry produced by Eeuropean craftsmen in the 16th and 17th centuries as well as diplomatic gifts received by the Czars’ courts over the years. Passing through The Raphael Loggias, which Catherine the Great had copied from the Vatican, you then examine works by many of the world’s greatest artists. Featured works include Michelangelo’s Crouching Boy and works by Flemish Masters Rubens, Van Dyck and Snyders. After lunch at a popular local restaurant, your afternoon tour consists of St. Petersburg’s many great sights including the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, as well as Nicholas, Smolny and Isaac’s Cathedrals.
DAY 6: Lomonosov Porcelain Factory and Hermitage's Storage Facility
Today’s tour takes you to the successor to the Imperial Porcelain Factory, founded by Nnicholas in 1830. Here you will see a vast collection of Russian imperial porcelain and a selection of pieces from other European favorites, get a first-hand view of artists at work, and spend some time in the factory shop. Continue your tour at the Hermitage’s state-of-the-art storage facility, opened in 2003. Your behind-the-scenes visit allows you to see how the collections are stored when not on display. Tonight’s Farewell Dinner is at the Old Customs House, widely regarded as one of St. Petersburg’s best restaurants.
DAY 7: Catherine's Palace and Departure
This morning’s excursion takes you to spectacular Catherine’s Palace, summer residence of many Czars, located in the village of Tsarskoe Tselo/Pushkin. Or you may choose to remain in St. Petersburg for independent exploration. In the afternoon, we will bring you to the airport for your return flight home.
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Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252
12/08
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