DESCRIPTION:

Nobody loves New Year's Eve like the Russians do - it's the most festive holiday of the year. Remember the film version of Dr. Zhivago, with the snow blanketing the little town of Varykino and the sleighs with their fur-robed occupants? We can’t promise mountains of snow, but we can promise a full-bodied holiday season replete with lights, trees, and champagne toasts.

Visit beautiful St. Petersburg, a rich repository of extravagant palaces, brilliant museums and renowned theaters; Moscow, resplendent with its golden domes, new neon lights and venerable red brick Kremlin; and the snow-covered Golden Ring cities of Vladimir and Suzdal, first mentioned almost a thousand years ago.

Ring in the New Year in St. Petersburg, where the favorite holiday of the year features balls, soirées and vecherinkas (evening parties) of all sorts and plenty of festivity. Experience the cultural riches and festive brilliance of the two capitals of Russia, St. Petersburg and Moscow. Evening performances at some of Russia’s world-famous theaters are interspersed among visits to world-class museums, snow-dusted churches, imperial estates and more.

Then, to the Golden Ring, one of the oldest Russian routes. Here, from the 31st of December through the 10th of January, Russian Winter Festival events are held in Vladimir and Suzdal to celebrate the coming new year. Troika rides and other traditional folk customs are showcased during this extended holiday period. Enjoy taking a break from the hubbub of the cities and experience the countryside, soak in Russian architecture, old churches made of white stone, hear the bells ringing, see old fortifications, fortresses, beautiful monasteries, and learn more about history of Russia.

CONSIDER:

There will be an (optional) opportunity to attend the New Year’s Eve Czar’s Ball (tickets not included). Set in luxurious Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg, the sumptuous Czar’s Ball recreates the imperial soirees of the 19th century, when no expense was spared to dazzle and entertain. Crowded with fragrant hothouse flowers, the parquet floors gleaming in the candlelight, Catherine’s gilded Throne Room awakens with this magnificent New Year’s celebration as opera and ballet soloists entertain throughout. The celebratory feast is a splendid re-enactment of gatherings at the height of czarist opulence, replete with ice sculptures, fine French and Russian cuisine, champagne and caviar.

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS & ADD-ONS:

Please inquire.