St. Petersburg and Helsinki Twin City Break

Explore two fascinating cities in one visit

Prices from £1129 per person
Period: all year round

Experience the imperial beauty and treasures of Czars’ Russia and enjoy the trendy design of the Finnish capital in one unforgettable holiday packed with art and culture. Explore these two beautiful cities by the Baltic now connected with a super fast Allegro train that has cut the journey time by half.

Example itinerary

Thursday - Helsinki, the daughter of Baltic
Arrive at Helsinki-Vantaa airport and later on check in to your city centre hotel. Helsinki is easy to explore on foot as everything is within easy reach – it is a beautiful city on a human scale. The architecture ranges from graceful neo-classical to art nouveau and modernism.

There are dozens of museums and galleries ranging from the outdoor museum of old Finnish buildings to the cutting edge modern art. For keen shoppers, Helsinki offers an interesting choice of design boutiques and open-air markets. For the year 2012 Helsinki has been chosen as the Design Capital of the World. There are also excellent restaurants using Finnish ingredients like reindeer, game, fish and berries.

Friday - Welcome to the imperial St. Petersburg
Board the Allegro train at 10.00 in Helsinki. After arriving to St. Petersburg at 14.30 it is time for a transfer and a short city tour featuring the main highlights of the imperial city. Lunch will be at the hotel.

Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg in 1703 as his capital. The city is majestic with palaces, cathedrals, river embankments and canals, handsome parks and dozens of bridges. In the evening, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll along the bustling avenue of Nevsky Prospekt, the city’s most famous street.

Saturday - For art lovers
Have a good breakfast at the hotel, as you need energy for a comprehensive tour of St. Petersburg’s treasures.

The Peter and Paul Fortress is one of the great landmarks of St. Petersburg. It was founded in 1703 on a small island in the River Neva to protect the town against Swedes. The fortress housed a part of the city’s garrison, and later served as a notorious political prison. Over the years, the residents included Dostoyevsky, Gorgy and Trotsky.

Visitors can admire the gilded spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral that stands in the middle of the fortress. The cathedral is the highest building in the city, and on top of its spire stands a magnificent golden angel holding a cross. All Russian emperors and empresses from Peter the Great to Alexander III are buried in the cathedral. Other buildings in the fortress house the City History Museum and the Mint, one of the only two places in Russia where coins and medals are minted.

The Hermitage is one of the greatest museums in the world. The comprehensive tour includes Old Masters, State Rooms in the Winter Palace, and the Impressionists’ Exhibition. The Hermitage has works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Renoir, Degas and Matisse. The collection of Spanish art can only be compared to Prado Museum in Madrid, and the French collection is the largest outside France.

Lunch is at a local restaurant.

Sunday - Imperial Palaces and return to Helsinki
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning excursion to Pushkin, one of the former imperial summer residences, and a visit to the beautiful Catherine’s Palace.

The town of Pushkin was originally called Tsarskoye Selo (Czar’s Village). The Empress Elizabeth had the original palace, named Catherine’s Palace, expanded and renovated in 1752. The work continued during the reign of Catherine the Great. The palace is a combination of white and gold, and has a huge ballroom and ornately decorated drawing rooms. The most famous of these is the Amber room, which was raided by the German’s during the war, and restored after its return to Russia.

Traditional Russian lunch at a local restaurant, and then a transfer to the railway station for the Allegro train. You will arrive back to Helsinki at 18.00.

Monday - Goodbye, Helsinki

If you have not booked an early return flight you will have the opportunity to further explore the delights of Helsinki. There are fabulous design shops, excellent restaurants and various museums and galleries. You can also book additional nights in Helsinki.

Package prices

In Helsinki: Sokos Hotel Presidentti ***+ (or similar) (Eteläinen Rautatiekatu 4)
Sokos Hotel Presidentti is a traditional hotel situated right in the heart of Helsinki. The hotel facilities include a restaurant, a pub, three saunas and a swimming pool. Bedrooms all have private facilities, TV, radio, minibar, telephone, hair dryer and ironing board.

In St. Petersburg: Hotel Dostoevsky ***+ (Vladimirsky Prospect)
Located in short walking distance from the main street Nevsky Prospekt in the historical centre of St. Petersburg. 207 rooms with bath/shower, sat-TV, telephone. Restaurant, fitness centre, business centre.

or

In Helsinki: Sokos Hotel Vaakuna **** (or similar) (Asema-Aukio 2)
The beautiful Functionalist Sokos Hotel Vaakuna is located on the best spot in town, in the centre of everything, with all of central Helsinki within easy reach. The hotel comprises 270 rooms for non-smokers with sound-insulated windows and individual room cooling system. From the balconies of the rooms on floor 9, you see Helsinki in all its glory. The hotel also has 6 comfortable meeting rooms. The present ambience of the hotel, completed in 1952, is a splendid show of Finnish design traditions. The hotel is protected by the National Board of Antiquities.

In St. Petersburg: Hotel Ambassador **** (Rimsky-Korsakov Ave., 5-7)
Located in the city centre near Mariinsky Theatre. Hotel was opened in October 2005. 255 rooms with bath/shower, satellite TV, telephone, internet access, mini bar and safe. Restaurants, café and bar. Fitness centre, saunas, swimming pool.

Prices per person:

In Presidentti and Dostoevsky from £1129 in a twin room and £1344 in a single room.
In Vaakuna and Ambassador from £1154 in a twin room and £1449 in a single room.

Please ask for an offer from Manchester.

What is included in the price?

• Scheduled return flight from London Heathrow. Flights from other airports are available for additional charge
• Two nights in a city centre hotel in Helsinki including buffet breakfasts
• Two nights in a city centre hotel in St. Petersburg including buffet breakfasts
• Three lunches in St. Petersburg
• Transportation between Helsinki and St. Petersburg by Allegro train (2nd class)
• Transfers in St. Petersburg by van or bus
• Excursions as per programme
• Visa support letter
• Departure taxes and fees, service charges and taxes in included items

Please note that transfers in Helsinki and visas for Russia are not included in the price.

Optional extras

• Optional evening programme: ballet or opera (95-130 euros), folklore or circus (60 euros per ticket)
• Additional nights in Helsinki and/or St. Petersburg
• Helsinki Card

Visa for Russia

A visa is required for all passengers on the tours to Russia and each passenger must apply for the visa in his/her country of domicile. As the visa application must be accompanied with confirmation documents, they will be provided by our local agent. To obtain the necessary visa support letter, we require some personal information for each passenger (surname, first names, date of birth, gender, nationality and passport number).

Please visit the Russian Embassy page for further information on visa requirements www.rusemblon.org

Tailor-made trips to Russia

Please contact us if you require train tickets for Helsinki – St Petersburg or Moscow or accommodation only in Russia. We are also happy to create tailor-made holidays in Russia according to your wishes. We can combine Scandinavia, Baltic countries and Finland in your itinerary.