Russia Lapland Northern Lights Tour (Winter Break Departure)

We depart Istanbul at 08:35 on Turkish Airlines flight TK0413, landing in Moscow at 12:35 local time. After our airport transfer, the city tour begins with a panoramic view of Moscow from Sparrow Hills and a walk along the Moscow River. On Red Square we see St. Basil's Cathedral, the Spasskaya Tower, Lenin's Mausoleum, and the GUM department store, along with an outside view of the Kremlin. The tour continues with panoramic views of Lubyanka Square, the Bolshoi Theatre, Tverskaya Street, and Arbat Street, and ends with a visit to some of the Moscow Metro's most ornate stations. We stay overnight in Moscow.

After breakfast we take a roughly three-hour flight on a local carrier to Murmansk, a city beyond the Arctic Circle. There we visit the towering Alyosha Monument, built in memory of the Second World War, the Church of the Savior, and the Lighthouse Monument honoring sailors. We stay overnight in Murmansk.

During the day we visit the Husky and Reindeer Park and take an exciting dog-sled ride across the snow. In the evening, weather permitting, we head out of the city with a professional photographer to observe the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). Please note that sightings depend on natural conditions and cannot be guaranteed; the three-night stay in Murmansk is designed to improve the odds, and the observation tour's timing may shift a day earlier or later at the guide's discretion and can run late into the night. We stay overnight in Murmansk.

Today we have the chance to try ice-water swimming in special thermal suits. We then visit the Lenin, the world's first nuclear-powered icebreaker, touring the decks of this massive Soviet-era vessel. We stay overnight in Murmansk.

After breakfast we fly on a local carrier to St. Petersburg. The panoramic tour that follows our arrival takes in Nevsky Prospekt, the Stroganov Palace, Kazan Cathedral, the Smolny Convent, and the Anichkov Palace and Bridge. The tour concludes with a visit to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, popularly known as the Church of the Blood. We stay overnight in St. Petersburg.

After breakfast we visit the Hermitage Museum, one of the world's largest, to see its remarkable collections from the Tsarist era. We then tour Saint Isaac's Cathedral, a landmark of the city, followed by free time to shop for Russian handicrafts such as matryoshka dolls and amber jewelry. We stay overnight in St. Petersburg.

After some free time we transfer to the airport and depart for Istanbul just after midnight, at 00:40, on Turkish Airlines flight TK0400. We land in Istanbul at 04:45, bringing our Russia tour to a close.