Vayudoot Holidays

Day
Day 00

TRAVEL FROM PUNE/MUMBAI

Depart from Pune/Mumbai to Delhi by flight to connect onward International flight from Delhi.

MOSCOW TRETYAKOV STATE GALLERY – EVENING RUSIAN FOLKLORE SHOW

Early morning depart from Delhi to Moscow. Arrive at Moscow. Directly proceed to visit Tretyakov State Gallery – One of the world’s Largest Museums, A treasure House of old Russian art from the 11th century till our days. The Gallery bears the name of its founder, Pavel Tretyakov - who presented his collection to the city of Moscow in 1892. Now the museum, holds more than 50,000 works of Painting, art & sculpture. Lunch – Check In Hotel. Time free at leisure. In the evening, witness a Russian Folklore Show. Russian folklore encompasses both folk song and dance, folk theater, mythology , traditions and in general the non-academic culture of Russia. It stems from Slavic folklore and the culture of the peoples who have been part of the country’s history: the Tartars, Varians, Baltics, etc. Overnight at Moscow. (Indian Lunch, Indian Dinner)

DAY 02 – MOSCOW KREMLIN TOUR – TRAVEL BY UNDERGROUND METRO TRAIN

Breakfast & proceed to visit Moscow Kremlin grounds Including Bell Tower, Tsar Bell and Tsar Canon, Cathedral Square having the Assumption Cathedral where Russian Grand Princes and Czars were crowned. Visit Kremlin Armory. Lunch. Then we take a tour of Moscow Metro Stations which have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO for their mosaic and marble architecture, also travel by Moscow Underground Metro. Then spend some time for leisure activities and shopping at Arbat Street, enjoy walk on a beautiful street along with souvenir shopping in more than hundreds of small shops. Overnight at Moscow. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Indian Dinner)

MOSCOW RED SQUARE – LOCAL SIGHTSEEING

Breakfast& proceed to visit Red Square - the heart of the city, Gum Dept. store, St. Basil Cathedral (outside), Lenin Mausoleum. Then proceed with City Tour of Moscow with Photo stops covering Bolshoy Theatre-Famous Palace of Congress & army chamber, KGB Building, Seven Sister building, Christ Cathedral, Victory Park, Moscow University, Sparrow Hill. Evening free at leisure. Overnight at Moscow. (Breakfast, Indian Lunch, Indian Dinner)

ST. PETERSBURG – BOAT RIDE IN RIVER NEVA – RUSSIAN BALLET SHOW

Breakfast. Transfer to Moscow station to board ultramodern Suspension Sapsan Train to St. Petersburg, second largest city in Russia. Transfer & Check in Hotel. Afternoon free at leisure. Evening enjoy a scenic boat ride on the canals of city and River Neva. Proceed to see Russian Ballet Show. Swan Lake is a classic russian ballet, composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky in 1875-1876. Swan Lake is a ballet that has become a symbol of Russian art itself. The performance’s original scenario was based on fairy tales about princess Odette, turned into a swan by evil curse and rescued by prince Siegfried’s love. Overnight at St. Petersburg. (Breakfast, Indian Lunch, Indian Dinner)

FULL DAY VISIT TO PUSHKIN AND PAVLOVSK PALACE

Breakfast. Proceed for full day visit to two of the most beautiful Russian Imperial estates--Pushkin and Pavlovsk Palace and beautiful gardens that surround them. Tsarskoye Selo (formerly known as Pushkin) is one of St. Petersburg's numerous Imperial estates. Located just 25 kilometers south of the city, the estate boasts a large landscape park, dotted with architectural follies, and centered on the magnificent blue, white and gold Catherine Palace that houses some beautiful Baroque interiors, including the luxurious Grand Hall, a long, gold, mirrored ballroom. We then visit another of St. Petersburg's historical Imperial estates: Pavlovsk, which was named after Paul I who received the park grounds as a gift from his mother Catherine the Great in 1777, is home to the Grand Palace and hundreds of acres of densely forested parkland. The Grand Palace was built by the Scottish architect Charles Cameron between 1782 and 1786 in the general style of an Italian villa. Much of Pavlovsk's charm is derived from its wonderful landscape park. Have Pack Lunch during break of sightseeing. Evening have some free time to Walk along Nevsky Prospekt for the main street in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia, planned by Peter the Great as the beginning of the road to Novgorod and Moscow. The Nevsky today functions as the main thoroughfare in Saint Petersburg. The majority of the city's shopping and nightlife, as well as the most expensive apartments, are located on or right off of the Nevsky Prospekt. Overnight at St. Petersburg. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Indian Dinner)

DAY 06 – ST. PETERSBURG CITY TOUR – PETERHOF PALACE & GARDENS

Breakfast& proceed for a City Tour of St. Petersburg---see the Winter Palace, Kazan Cathedral, the Admiralty, Palace Square, the Naval Museum, St. Petersburg University, the Menshikov Palace, the Fine Arts Academy, the Bronze Horseman, Alexandrinsky Theatre, the monument to Catherine the Great, the Church of Resurrection on Spilled Blood (from Inside) Visit famous Isaac Cathedral (from Inside). Lunch & proceed to visit world famous Peterhof Palace and Gardens. Overnight at St. Petersburg. (Breakfast, Indian Lunch, Indian Dinner)

STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM – ST. PETERSBURG – MOSCOW – PUNE/MUMBAI

Breakfast & Check Out hotel. Proceed to visit the State Hermitage Museum to see a collection of more than 3 million works of arts and artifacts from world culture and is one of the most impressive art collections in the world. The Hermitage was founded on the original 18th century collection of Empress Catherine the Great and is housed in the magnificent Baroque Winter Palace (the main residence of the Russian Tsars of the Romanov Dynasty) and three other majestic buildings along the Neva River embankment - Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage and New Hermitage. After lunch transfer to airport to board the flight to Delhi by Aeroflot flight. Arrival at Delhi. Connecting flight to Pune/Mumbai. (Breakfast, Indian Lunch)

Extension Tour to TRANS SIBERIA – MONGOLIA 14 Night & 15 Days

STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM – KAZAN

Breakfast & Check Out hotel. Proceed to visit the State Hermitage Museum to see a collection of more than 3 million works of arts and artifacts from world culture and is one of the most impressive art collections in the world. The Hermitage was founded on the original 18th century collection of Empress Catherine the Great and is housed in the magnificent Baroque Winter Palace (the main residence of the Russian Tsars of the Romanov Dynasty) and three other majestic buildings along the Neva River embankment - Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage and New Hermitage. After lunch transfer to airport to board the flight to Kazan. Arrive at Kazan. The old Tartar capital on the banks of the Volga. Transfer and Check In Hotel. Overnight stay at Kazan. (Breakfast, Indian Lunch, Local Dinner)

Pls Note -: Travelers doing only Trans Siberia-Mongolia Tour, for them flight from Delhi via Moscow/ St. Petersburg direct Arrival in Kazan on Day 07. .

KAZAN SIGHTSEEING

After breakfast, continue visit to Kazan Kremlin, Kul Sharif Mosque, Suyumbike Tower, the Annunciation Cathedral, Peter and Pavel Church and Anniversary Park. Afternoon free at leisure. Evening enjoy walk on Kremlyevskaya and Bauman streets. Overnight at Kazan. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Local Dinner)

DAY 09 – RALFA BOGORODITSKAYA MONASTERY – TRAIN TO YEKATERINBURG

Breakfast. Check Out Hotel & proceed to visit RaIfa Bogoroditskaya Monastery of the Mother of God, which is 25km from Kazan. The process of restoration started in 1991 and it is now a leading monastery of the Eastern Orthodox faith. On the way photo stop at Temple of All Religions – it consists of several types of religious architecture. Lunch & transfer to train station to board the Trans Siberian train to Yekaterinburg. Overnight in Train. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, NO DINNER)

ARRIVAL YEKATERINBURG – LOCAL SIGHTSEEING – EUROPE ASIA BORDER VISIT

Dinner – Back to Hotel. Overnight at Yekaterinburg. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Local Dinner)

Arrival at Yekaterinburg. Directly proceed for breakfast, then continue with guided tour of the historical centre, statues of Yekaterinburg founders and communist leaders, 1905 Revolution Square, Church of Spilled and the Chapel of St. Elizabeth, the Hill of Ascension and the Novo-Tikhvinsky convent Monastry & Souvenir Stone Market. Lunch – Check In Hotel. Relax.

Evening proceed to Guided tour to Romanov Monastery and Border Obelisk. "Border of Europe and Asia". A tour to the column established on a geographical joint of two parts of the world. Dinner – Back to Hotel. Overnight at Yekaterinburg. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Local Dinner)

YEKATERINBURG – TRAIN TO IRKUTSK

Breakfast, Check Out Hotel & transfer to train station to board the train to Irkutsk. Overnight in Train. (Breakfast, NO LUNCH, NO DINNER)

TRAIN JOURNEY TO IRKUTSK

On board the train, crossing Trans Siberia. Overnight in Train. (NO MEALS)

ARRIVAL IRKUTSK

Arrival at Irkutsk – Transfer – Check In Hotel. Overnight at Irkutsk. (NO MEALS)

IRKUTSK LOCAL SIGHTSEEING – TRAVEL TO LISTVYANKA

Breakfast, Check Out Hotel & proceed to Irkutsk City Tour : visit a beautiful town known as the "Paris of Siberia". During the tour, we will see the 18th century churches, brightly painted shutters and log houses decorated with wooden lacework, as well as examples of modern Russian architecture. There are about 700 monuments of history and culture in Irkutsk. The most interesting for the guests are the historical ensembles in its central part: Spasskaya Church, the Epiphany Cathedral, the Roman Catholic Church, Cathedral of Kazan, the monument of the Siberian explorers, the Drama Theatre and etc.

Lunch & transfer to Listvyanka by minibus (approx 70Kms), on the way we will stop at Open Air Wooden Architecture Museum in Taltsy, which is located in a picturesque forest on the bank of the river Angara. This museum is an open-air museum that has a large collection of original wooden houses equipped with old-style furniture and domestic utensils, and “wooden tents” belonging to the various ethnic groups which inhabited this region. They were brought from several local villages. The museum conveys the lifestyle of 16th – 19th century of Russia.

Arrive at Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal — The Gem of Siberia with beautiful and unforgettable surroundings. You will be astonished by the color metamorphoses of the lake's surface, the ever-changing play of water and sky, taiga and cliffs. Overnight at Listvyanka. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Local Dinner)

LISTVYANKA SIGHTSEEING

Breakfast. Visit Baikal Lake Museum where you will learn Siberian traditions, history, flora and fauna of the deepest freshwater lake in the world. Also take cable car up to the observation point, known as a Stone of Cherky from where you will see the breathtaking panorama of lake Baikal and Angara river mouth. Then on our way to the center of the village, visit local Fish Market. Smoked Omul - Baikal endemic testy fish - is highly recommended to try. Also see "Retro Park" - it is very positive and nice collection of metal sculptures and old Soviet cars. Overnight at Listvyanka. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Local Dinner)

DAY 16 – LISTVYANKA – HALF DAY BOAT RIDE – IRKUTSK

Breakfast. Check Out Hotel, proceed for half day boat trip in Lake Baikal. Enjoy scenic beauty of one of the best astonishing site in the world. Lunch on the boat. Transfer to Irkutsk, Dinner & Check In hotel. Overnight at Irkutsk. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Local Dinner)

DAY 17 – IRKUTSK TO ULAAN BATAAR (MONGOLIA) BY TRAIN

Breakfast. Check Out Hotel & transfer to the railway station. Board the train to Ulaan Bataar. Enjoy the scenery along the lake Baikal. Overnight in Train. (Breakfast, NO LUNCH, NO DINNER)

ARRIVAL ULAAN BATAAR – LOCAL SIGHTSEEING

Early morning arrive at Ulaan Bataar. This city is situated on the bank of the river Tour, surrounded by four mountains that local people believe to be sacred. Transfer – have breakfast in local restaurant. Continue with Ulaanbaatar City Tour : visit Gandan Hiid Monastery, the country’s largest remaining monastery, Sukhebaatar Square. Visit to the National History Museum. The National Museum of Mongolian History is one of the leading museums in Mongolia displaying Mongolian cultural heritage. You will learn about ancient states period (Hunnu, Turkish and Uighur), the Mongolian Empire of 13th-14th centuries, Mongolian traditional lifestyle, their clothing and jewellery, as well as current democratic reforms and modern state of affairs. Lunch – Check In Hotel. Relax. Evening enjoy Tumen Ekh ensemble, Mongolia’s premier traditional performance featuring folk and traditional music, song, throat singing, dance and contortion. Dinner – Back to Hotel. Overnight at Ulaanbaatar. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Local Dinner)

CHINGGIS KHAAN MONUMENT – TERELJ NATIONAL PARK – STAY IN MONGOLIAN GER (TENT)

Breakfast, Check Out Hotel & transfer to Terelj National Park by mini bus. Famous as the home of Genghis Khan, Mongolia is one of the most mystical destinations on earth. It was the homeland of the brilliant, tough, well-drilled horsemen who, for over 500 years from the 13th century, occupied lands and cities from the river Yellow to the Danube. The dramatic Mongolian landscapes are breathtaking.

On the way visit Chinggis Khaan Monument located at Conjinboldog area on the bank of the Tuul River, 33 miles east of Ulaan Bataar. It is a 40-metre tall statue of Genghis Khan on horseback, erected in 2008. The statue is symbolically pointed east towards his birthplace. There are 36 columns representing the 36 khans from Genghis to Ligdan Khan. Visitors can walk to the head of the horse where they can have a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. The monument complex also features a visitor centre and an archaeological museum. The Chinggis Khan Statue is currently the biggest equestrian statue in the world.

Terelj National Park Tour : Terelj National Park is famous for its unique granite rock formations, pristine alpine scenery and diverse flora and fauna. We will explore Turtle rock and enjoy hiking to Aryabal monastery. We will have an opportunity to visit a real Nomad family and see its traditional way of living exploring their lifestyle by learning how to milk the cows and preparing the dairy products. We stay for overnight in a traditional Mongolian Ger (means "home") - a sturdy wood and felt type tent. Overnight at Terelj in Mongolian Ger. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Local Dinner)

DAY 20 – BACK TO ULAAN BATAAR

Breakfast, morning time at leisure-relax. Check Out at 11:00Hrs & transfer to Ulaan Bataar. Lunch & Check In Hotel. Evening free relax ON OWN. Dinner. Overnight at Ulaan Bataar. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Indian Dinner)

ULAAN BATAAR – MUMBAI

Breakfast. Check Out Hotel & transfer to airport to board the flight to Mumbai. (Breakfast)

ARRIVAL IN MUMBAI

Extension Tour to GOBI DESERT 03 Night & 04 Days

FLIGHT TO GOBI DESERT – YOL VALLEY & KHONGOR SAND DUNES

Breakfast, Check Out Hotel & transfer to airport to board the flight to Dalanzadgad, the capital of Umnugobi aimag. The flight takes hour and a half and on your arrival at the airstrip in Dalanzadgad, the Discover Mongolia team will be waiting for you. Take a city tour of Dalandzadgad province, South Gobi and visit museum. Drive to Yol Am - a wonderfully picturesque place with ice even in summer, and surrounded by sheer rocky walls, forming incredible canyons. These areas are situated in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park that encompasses the "Three Beauties" peaks and the most easterly points of the Altai Mountains.

Lunch, continue with Khongor Sand Dunes. The sand dunes change color with each hour of the day, from yellow to silver to rose-colored at (dawn/ sundown). On the way see to Dungene valley - a wonderfully picturesque place and surrounded by sheer rocky walls, forming incredible canyons. You will be riding on camel to explore the Khongor sand dunes. The two-humped Bactrian camels are very comfortable to ride as they walk slowly and gently, and you will be well supported by the humps, sitting comfortably in between them. Our camel guide will lead you safely through the sand dunes. Plus, you will have an opportunity to visit a camel herdsman family to experience their lifestyle, culture and traditions. Overnight at Gobi Erdene Tourist Camp. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Local Dinner)

BAYANZAG (FLAMING CLIFFS)

Breakfast, explore dinosaur's land. Travel to Bayanzag, (known as a Flaming Cliffs where the first nest of dinosaur eggs found in 1922) a site famous for the remains of dinosaurs which lived here 60 million years ago. You can walk around where dinosaurs once roamed and see saksaul trees and other classic desert vegetation. Overnight at Gobi Erdene Tourist Camp. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Local Dinner)

RETURN TO DALANZADGAD CITY (130Kms – approx 04Hrs)

Breakfast, morning free at leisure. Afternoon Check Out from camp & proceed to Dalanzadgad City. Arrive – Dinner – Check In Hotel. Overnight at Dalanzadgad. (Breakfast, Local Lunch, Local Dinner)

FLY BACK TO ULAANBAATAR – FLIGHT TO MUMBAI

Breakfast – Check Out Hotel – Transfer to Dalanzadgad airport for return flight to Ulaanbaatar. On arrival – proceed to board the next flight back to Mumbai. (Breakfast)