Tour Russia Ivan The Terrible

1 DAY: MOSCOW
Meeting at the airport.
Transfer to the hotel. Check in.
Optional: Dinner at the hotel.

2 DAY: MOSCOW
Breakfast at the hotel. Meeting with a guide in the hotel lobby.
Visit the main attraction of Moscow, the Moscow Kremlin. On the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin, you will visit the Assumption or Arkhangelsk or Annunciation Cathedrals.
There are dozens of Kremlin in Russia, but Moscow one has no equal. Because the Moscow Kremlin is not just a historical defensive structure. This is the heart of Russia. The main spiritual and political center of the country. Her pride and glory. The official residence of the President of the Russian Federation. Attraction № 1 in Moscow.
Lunch at the city restaurant.
City tour.
During a bus tour you will visit: Red Square, Cathedral of the Protection of the Holy Virgin on the Moat (Cathedral of the Protection of the Holy Virgin or St. Basil's Cathedral), erected in honor of the accession of the Kazan Khanate. You will also get acquainted with the Chambers of Averky, a house on the Embankment, associated with the name of Malyuta Skuratov, assistant Ivan the Terrible. Then you will see Vagankovsky Hill, during the time of Ivan the Terrible, a suburb of Moscow, where, according to historians, there were secret underground shelters. Now it is the most central part of Moscow.
Optional: Dinner at the hotel.
OPTIONAL
MOSCOW BY NIGHT + METRO
Moscow by night is another city. With all its illumination, parks and monuments, Moscow by night is a splendid view to see. Our excursion is a door to the world of mysteries and adventures. Explore the Red Square, the heart of Moscow, the lively Tverskaya Street with its numerous shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, Victory Park – a huge park-memorial to the Russian glorious victory in the war against the Nazi Germany, decorated with the endless chain of fountains, which are colored at night in bright red. Enjoy the picturesque view on the whole of the city lying below with its peacefully twinkling lights from an observation platform at Sparrow Hills. Besides you will peek into the Moscow underground life visiting the subway of the capital. The stations of Moscow’s subway system have often been called "the people’s palaces", for their elegant designs and lavish and profuse use of marble, mosaics, sculptures and chandeliers. Built during Stalin’s rule, these metro stations were supposed to display the best of Soviet architecture and design and show how privileged the lifestyle of the Russian people was.

3 DAY: SERGIEV POSAD
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meeting with a guide in the hotel lobby. Transfer to to Serguiev Possad (75 km).
Excursion to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.
Today you will visit two cities associated with the name of Ivan the Terrible, Serguiev Possad and Alexandrov. Serguiev Possad – the only city in the Moscow region included in the famous Golden Ring of Russia, is a pilgrimage center for all Orthodox. It is here that one of the main shrines of the Orthodox world is located – Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. It has important value not only for residents of Russia, but also for the whole world, as it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can appreciate the scale of the ancient architectural ensemble and understand why many Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is called one of the most beautiful monasteries in the world.
Transfer to Alexandrov (55 km).
Lunch at the city restaurant.
Alexandrov, during the time of Ivan the Terrible – the main political and cultural center of the Russian state, the center of the oprichnina. During your stay in Alexandrov you will visit the residence of Ivan the Terrible and the palace and temple complex of the Alexander Kremlin on the territory of the Alexander Sloboda, where you can examine the interior of the palace and go back to the time of the sovereign.
Return to Moscow (120 km).
Optional: Dinner at the hotel.

4 DAY: MOSCOW
Breakfast at the hotel. Check out.
Meeting with a guide in the lobby.
Excursion to park-reserve Kolomenskoye with visit to the Ascension Church.
Today you will visit the Kolomenskoye nature reserve park and its main attraction – the Church of the Ascension of the Lord, which in 1532 was laid by the father of Ivan the Terrible, Vasily III in honor of the birth of his son. Kolomenskoye used to be a village, the residence of Russian princes was located here, and today it is included in the city line of Moscow as one of the most favorite vacation spots of Muscovites.
Lunch at the city restaurant.
After lunch, transfer to the airport.
Domestic flight Moscow – Kazan (economy class, 1,5 hour).
Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, a major port, the historical capital of the Kazan Khanate, which was annexed by Ivan the Terrible to the territory of Russia in 1552.
Transfer to the hotel, check in.
Optional: Dinner at the hotel.

5 DAY: KAZAN
Breakfast at the hotel. Meeting with a guide in the lobby.
Sightseeing tour of Kazan with an external inspection of the monument to the fallen defenders of Kazan 1552, visit to Zilantov Assumption Monastery.
Sights of Kazan, which recently celebrated its millennium, combine the culture of the West and the traditions of the East. You will see a variety of minarets and domes, crescents and crosses, which confirms the tolerance of the two indigenous peoples. The monument to the fallen defenders of Kazan is a monument to the soldiers who fell during the capture of Kazan in 1552. There is a mass grave of those who conquered Kazan by order of Ivan the Terrible. Zilantov Assumption Monastery was founded by Tsar Ivan the Terrible on October 15, 1552 after the capture of the city; it was built on the spot where the tsar’s tent and camp church stood and where Russian soldiers who were killed under the walls of Kazan were buried.
Lunch in the city restaurant.
Visit to the Kazan Kremlin with the Annunciation Cathedral and Kul Sharif mosque.
The Kazan Kremlin is the main attraction of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the official residence of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan and the State Museum-Reserve, which is visited annually by thousands of tourists. The White Stone Kremlin is the heart of the ancient city, embodying the culture of West and East. Here the minarets of the main mosque of the city of Kul Sharif, a symbol of the fallen Kazan, soared up and sparkle with gold the domes of the oldest Orthodox Annunciation Cathedral, which was laid by Ivan the Terrible after the capture of the city.
Return to the hotel.
Optional: Dinner at the hotel.

6 DAY: CHEBOKSARY
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meeting with a guide in the lobby.
Transfer to Cheboksary (160 km).
Today you will get acquainted with the city of Cheboksary, a large port on the Volga River, the capital of the Chuvash Republic. According to the instructions of Ivan the Terrible, in the 15th century, a wooden log-fortress, called Cheboksary, was built on the banks of the Volga Bay. A tour of Cheboksary includes a tour of the old city. You will see the embankment - one of the most beautiful on the Volga, Cheboksary Bay – the pearl of the city, the monument of love – Taganait, the monument to Chapaev, the magnificent sculpture of the Mother Patroness.
Lunch at the city restaurant.
Visit to the Brewery Museum with participation in the program “Where Traditions Keep”.
In the 21st century, much has gone from everyday life, but traditions and those who keep them have remained. And one of these traditions is the ability to brew beer! You will be greeted with bread and salt, a welcome song and a full bucket of beer. They will show genuine utensils of the peasant house, the interiors of the brewery. You will become participants in a beautiful celebration – a wedding ceremony. And during lunch, treat yourself to a real local home-made beer – Ker Sari.
Return to Kazan (160 km).
Optional: Dinner at the hotel.

7 DAY: SVIYAZHSK
Breakfast at the hotel. Meeting with a guide in the lobby.
Transfer to the island-town Sviyazhsk (60 km).
Walking tour around the Museum of the history of the island Sviyazhsk.
Sviyazhsk was founded during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, as the base of Russian troops during the siege of Kazan in 1552. Over time, having lost the importance of a military fortress, Sviyazhsk became the spiritual center of the Middle Volga. The excursion to the museum-reserve of Sviyazhsk includes unique historical monuments: the Cathedral of All Who Sorrowful of Joy, one of the oldest wooden churches in Russia - the Holy Trinity Church, the current Assumption Monastery with an architectural ensemble of the 16-17th centuries, the Horse Courtyard and workshops.
Lunch in a local restaurant.
OPTIONAL
INTERACTIVE PROGRAM "AMUSEMENT OF STRELTSY” (minimum 10 persons)
Interactive program "Amusement of Streltsy” will introduce you to the military life of Russia in the late Middle Ages. You will have the opportunity to see the reconstruction of historical battles with the participation of armored soldiers, get acquainted with weapons of various times and regions, and also learn how to use small arms.
Return to the hotel (60 km).
Optional: Dinner at the hotel.

8 DAY: ASTRAKHAN
Breakfast at the hotel. Check out.
Transfer to the airport with guide.
Domestic flight Kazan – Moscow – Astrakhan (economy class, Kazan – Moscow 1,5 hour, interchange 2,5 hours, Moscow – Astrakhan 2,5 hours)
Arrival in Astrakhan – the city that became the goal of the conquest of Ivan the Terrible after the fall of the Kazan Khanate.
Meeting with the guide at the airport, transfer to the hotel, check in.
Optional: Dinner at the hotel.
Optional: Dinner with folklore in the city restaurant (instead of dinner at hotel).

9 DAY: ASTRAKHAN
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meeting with a guide in the lobby.
Visit to the Museum and cultural center house of merchant Tetyushinov.
Astrakhan is a multinational city. For centuries, Christian churches and Muslim mosques have been peacefully coexisting here. Almost the entire central part of the city has retained its buildings since the 19th century, which makes the tour of Astrakhan especially fascinating, similar to traveling by time machine.
A separate word of the tour is the merchant Astrakhan.
Magnificent in their architecture, the mansions of local merchants Shelekhov, Tavrizov, Gubin and many others give the city's appearance a special look and originality.
Today we will visit the museum and cultural center House of the Merchant Tetyushinov, "Astrakhan Terem", which is the best example of wooden architecture, where you can get acquainted with the life of the merchant estate of Astrakhan.
We will continue our acquaintance with Astrakhan during a sightseeing tour. We will see canals and bridges, the Volga embankment and Swan Lake, ancient parks and many other beautiful places and interesting sights.
Lunch in the city restaurant.
After lunch, we will visit the historical ensemble in the Kremlin.
In 1558, the first wooden fortress was laid on the site of the present Kremlin. The wooden fortress was rebuilt into a stone one during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and Boris Godunov. Currently, the Astrakhan Kremlin is a unique historical and architectural complex, which has been formed over four centuries and has 22 monument buildings – military, administrative and church buildings, including one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Russia.
Excursion to the Museum of Local Lore – one of the oldest provincial museums in Russia.
It began, like many others, with private collections of collectors of antiquities. Currently, the museum’s collection totals more than 300 thousand storage units presented in the expositions “Living Past of the Earth”, “Fishes of the Volga-Caspian Basin”, “Astrakhan Territory in the 19th-20th Centuries”, “History and Culture of the Peoples of the Astrakhan Territory”, " The nature of the Astrakhan region "and" Astrakhan region in antiquity. "
Optional: Dinner at the hotel.

10 DAY: SARAI-BATU
Breakfast at the hotel.
Meeting with a guide in the hotel lobby.
Transfer to Sarai-Batu (140 km).
Today we have to get acquainted with the ancient capital of the Golden Horde Sarai-Batu. The ancient city of Sarai Batu was founded by Batu Khan in 1250. Khan Batu was the grandson of Genghis Khan, in Russia he was called Batu. The name of the city of Sarai Batu, the capital of the Golden Horde, appeared on his behalf. During the tour you will see both the ancient excavations of the capital of the Golden Horde, and the modern reconstruction of the city, meticulously recreated using old technologies, with winding streets, the Khan's palace, yurts and many others.
Lunch at a local cafe.
Return to Astrakhan (140 km).
Optional: Dinner at the hotel.

11 DAY: ASTRAKHAN
Breakfast at the hotel, check out. Transfer to the airport.
End of the tour Optional: Domestic flight Astrakhan – Moscow.


The program is preliminary. The excursion blocks can be replaced with the similar ones, without changing main waypoints.
Groups of less than 5 pax we reserve the right to use public transportation on short distances. Groups of different languages can be combined in one bus with individual guides.

Our prices include:

• Double accommodation in Moscow in 4* hotel (Holiday Inn Tagansky / Novotel Moscow Center or similar)
• Double accommodation in Astrakhan 4* (Park Inn by Raidisson or similar)
• Double accommodation in Kazan 4* (Park Inn by Raidisson or similar)
• Domestic flight Moscow – Kazan (economy class)
• Domestic flight Kazan – Moscow – Astrakhan (economy class)
• Breakfast in hotels
• Luggage handling in hotels
• Catering per program
• All transfer and transport services per program
• Excursion program with entrance tickets
• Local English, French, German, Italian, Spanish speaking guides or assistant for translation from Russian per program
• Visa support letter

Supplementary:

• Domestic flight Astrakhan – Moscow on Day 11
• Pre/Post accommodation and excursion program in Moscow
• Dinner at the hotel in Moscow
• Dinner at the hotel in Kazan
• Dinner at the hotel in Astrakhan
• Single accommodation
• Supplements for business class for domestic fights
• Optional visits (can be prebooked only)
• Non obligatory insurance of medical, medical transport and other expenses

* If restrictions are imposed on the entrance to museums for a certain number of people, we can serve group requests with the division of groups into smaller ones, with the predominant use of the same transport (or with a different number and capacity of transport), but with a large number of guides.
** Some museums or excursions can be excluded from the program if circumstances beyond the control of the tour operator require it (time constraints due to covid-19 / bans on the operation of facilities). At the same time, as far as possible, we will offer an alternative replacement.