Flavours & Sounds of Russia with Maggie Beer View Basket

Deluxe escorted Russia tour with a culinary twist

Departs St. Petersburg 18 October 2013

In 2011 Russian Travel Centre were thrilled to have Maggie Beer as their celebrity guest on their Flavours of Russia escorted tour. This was Maggie’s first trip to Russia and she was so enchanted by the destination that she is making a return visit in the 2013 Flavours and Sounds of Russia. The escort is Jayne Thomas the Managing Director of Russian Travel Centre.

Maggie Beer gives her reasons for again being the celebrity guest and best sums up what makes this such a special tour –

“My first trip to Russia was with Jayne Thomas on the Flavours of Russia tour in 2011. I was absolutely blown away. In every way Russia exceeded my expectations. The food was a journey in itself and the visits to fresh produce markets and of course the caviar tasting amazing; the history, the unbelievable architecture, and particularly the music were all so incredible, so the idea of a return visit coinciding with the ballet and opera seasons, to have a totally immersive food and music experience is high on my mind. The choice to travel with Jayne was easy; having lived in Russia for 9 years and with a total passion for the country, she is the ideal host. She chose such knowledgeable guides and knew exactly what was the best to see, when to see it and she made the whole experience out of the box.”

The tour group is limited to 22 guests so intending travellers should not delay in making their reservation.

HIGHLIGHTS

St Petersburg

• Master  class in classic Russian cuisine at Grand Hotel Europe
• Dinner at Russian Empire Restaurant in the Stroganov Palace
• Kouznechny Produce Market
• Mariinsky Theatre backstage visit
• Opera, ballet or concert performance
• Folk performance at Nikolaevsky Palace
• City tour, Peter and Paul Fortress, Hermitage Museum, Church on the Spilt Blood, St Isaac’s Cathedral, Yusupov Palace, Catherine’s Palace at Pushkin, Pavlovsk Palace

Moscow

• Hands-on cooking class at accredited cooking school
• Lunch at acclaimed Café Pushkin
• Wine tasting conducted by professional sommelier
• Caviar tasting
• Vodka tasting at iconic Kristall Vodka Factory
• Dorogomilovsky farmers’ market
• Eliseevsky food store
• Bolshoi Theatre backstage visit
• Opera, ballet or concert performance
• City tour, Metro, Kremlin, Armoury Museum, Tretyakov Gallery, Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery                                                                                                                                                                     

Suzdal

• City tours of Suzdal and Vladimir
• Visit to the 12th century Church of the Intercession
• Church choral performance

 INCLUSIONS

• 12 nights accommodation with breakfast in 5-star hotels in Moscow and St Petersburg
•  1 nights accommodation with breakfast in Pushkarskaya Sloboda cottages in Suzdal
• 13 dinners with wine included and 5 lunches
• Comprehensive sightseeing and entrances with expert English speaking local guides
• 3 opera, ballet or concert performances ( details available closer to departure date)
• Folklore performance in St Petersburg, choral recital in Suzdal
• Private arrival/departure transfers by car with guide
• Business class high speed Sapsan train St Petersburg- Moscow and Vladimir-Moscow
• Porterage and gratuities
• Fully escorted within Russia by Russian Travel Centre MD Jayne Thomas