Arrival in Moscow. First impressions of Red Square en route to hotel. Check into Hotel. After dinner a short evening walk.

After an early breakfeast we take the Metro (Moscow’s famous subway) to the Elokhovskaya Church to see and especially hear part of the liturgy in a Russian Orthodox cathedral. Travel by Metro to the famous artisans flea market before heading back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch we travel by bus to the Gnesenskaya Academy of Music for a meeting with young Russian musicians. Evening Concert performance at Gnesenskaya Acadamey. Return to the hotel for dinner after the concert.

Load buses early, then depart for a Kremlin tour. Lunch downtown followed by city sightseeing. Early evening private concert: “Introduction to the World of Russian Music.” Dinner at Patio Pizza after which we proceed to train station to catch the overnight train for Novgorod.

After an early arrival in Novgorod we proceed to the hotel for check-in and breakfast. We begin our exploration of this ancient city with an excursion to the stunning Novgorod Kremlin. After lunch transport instruments to the Novgorod Palace of Culture to make preparations for the early evening concert. Following the concert performance meet host families and then spend the rest of the eveing in their homes.

Start the day with a vistit to St. George’s Monastery and the Museum of the Wooden Village. Later in the afternoon we will Visit the Novgorod Lyceum School where students will have the oppertunity to look in on some classes and then afterwards go shopping with the students. Return to the hotel for dinner and then head back to the Lyceum School for special meetings including a jam session with the Novgorod City Brass Band.

After an early breakfeast we load buses and depart for St.Petersburg. We will stop along the way at Pavlovsk Palace for lunch followed by an excursion to Catherine Palace in Pushkin. Early evening arrival in St. Petersburg for check-in at Hotel Moscow. After dinner we will enjoy a performance by the Nevsky Folk Ensemble.

After breakfeast depart for the musical school to meet with students and prepare for evening concert. Lunch in the Literary Café 14.00 Depart for Yusupov Museum17.00 Return to hotel, 18.00 Depart for Lityeiny Palace19.30 Concert performance at Lityeiny Palce.After concert, dinner in hotel.

Load the buses after breakfeast and depart for the stunning Hermitage Museum. We will definitively take our time here and then have a late lunch followed by a city sightseeing tour. Dinner will be in the beautiful Nikolai Palace and it will be a memorable experience as you will feel transported back to the time of the czars. We will then either enjoy an evening at the ballet or theatre before heading to train station to catch our overnight train to Moscow

We will arrive quite early in Moscow and head straight to our restaurant for a hardy Russian breakfeast. Once awake and nourished we will head over to the famous GUM department store for some last minute souvenir shopping. We will have our last lunch together and then time for a few last impressions of Moscow on the bus ride to the airport for the flight home.

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