Northern Capitals and Russia

On arrival at Berlin’s Tegel Airport, your transfer will leave for your hotel at 10:30 or 12:30. With the afternoon free, perhaps walk along the bustling Ku' Damm, shopping centre of West Berlin, which during 40 years of division, became the shop window of the West. At 18:00, join your Travel Director and travel companions at a local restaurant for your Welcome Dinner.(Dinner with Wine)

In the morning, sightseeing with a Local Expert takes you along the Unter den Linden past the Humboldt University and Opera House. Stop a while on Museum Island before passing Brandenberg Gate, a symbol of the reunification. See Norman Foster’s glass dome which crowns the Reichstag building before embarking on a journey through the Tiergarten. Spend the afternoon exploring at your leisure or relaxing at your hotel.(Breakfast)

Depart Berlin and continue through northern Germany to Rostock for the sea crossing to Denmark. A peaceful journey through Danish countryside brings you to the capital, Copenhagen. In the evening, delight in the enchanting atmosphere of the famous Tivoli Gardens.(Breakfast)

With a Local Expert, begin your sightseeing with a visit the Christiansborg Palace, seat of the Danish Government, to marvel at the opulent interior. Journey past Copenhagen Cathedral and the university to see Rosenborg Castle, the Renaissance Stock Exchange and Amalienborg Palace, home of the royal family. Visit the waterfront to admire Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid gazing across the harbour. The rest of the day is at leisure.(Breakfast)

Enjoy a view of Kronborg Castle, reputedly the Elsinore home of Hamlet, during the short ferry crossing to Sweden. Your journey then continues through fertile farmlands, dotted with neat farmhouses and barns. Travel along the shores of peaceful Lake Vättern to Stockholm, beautifully situated on an island studded bay.(Breakfast)

With a Local Expert, visit the imposing City Hall with its impressive Gyllene salen, the Golden Hall, covered with 18 million gilded mosaic tiles and the Blå hallen, the Blue Hall, is the venue for the Nobel Prize banquets. Cross the harbour to Gamla Stan, the medieval heart of the city to see the cathedral and the Royal Palace. In the afternoon, board your cruise ship for the overnight voyage to Finland. Enjoy dinner onboard and then take in the breathtakingly beautiful scenery from the comfort of your A-Class, sea-view cabin, while the northern sun hangs over the horizon, showing almost no sign of setting in mid-summer.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)

Disembark your Baltic cruise and explore Helsinki, the trendsetting city of top fashion and design, alongside a Local Expert. Wander through the aromatic stalls of a traditional food market and sample local produce like liquorice or smoked reindeer.(Breakfast)

From Helsinki, you will travel through rural lands and villages, following the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Tonight, dine in a local restaurant(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)

Join a Local Expert to see the Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood and the bustling main street of the city, Nevsky Prospect. Cruise by hydrofoil along the Baltic shore to Peter the Great's summer residence of Petrodvorets, which for over 200 years was used for official ceremonies, lavish feasts and formal receptions. Alight to explore the grand gardens and see cascading fountains.(Breakfast)

Visit the opulent Winter Palace with your Local Expert. This is the former home of the Tsars, but now houses the Hermitage Museum. Witness a treasure trove of magnificent works of art, ranging from Egyptian carvings to Impressionist masterpieces. Board your high-speed Sapsan train and relax in modern luxury and comfort as you swoop to Moscow in just a few hours.(Breakfast)

Join your Local Expert in Red Square, lined by Moscow’s landmark buildings, for an insightful tour. At one end rises the onion-shaped domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral while in front of the Kremlin stands Lenin’s Mausoleum. Enter the Kremlin to visit one of its cathedrals. Explore the Metro stations, rich in marble, mosaics, sculptures and chandeliers, often referred to as underground art museums. With the afternoon at your leisure, why not visit the Kremlin Museum to gaze at the treasury of the Tsars? In the evening, don't miss the chance to absorb the atmosphere and admire the magic of the Red Square and the Kremlin at night.(Breakfast)

Enjoy a relaxed start and a full day set aside to explore Moscow at your own pace. Perhaps visit the Borodino Panorama Exhibition or enjoy an Optional Experience in Zagorsk, the renowned centre of ancient Russian art and architecture?(Breakfast)

Depart Moscow and pass near Borodino as you follow the route taken by Napoleon’s retreating army in 1812. Stop in Yartsevo, Smolensk Oblast for an included lunch, then enter Belarus and continue to the capital, Minsk, rebuilt after the war in utmost Soviet style.(Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner with Wine)

Your Local Expert will take you along wide avenues, passing gargantuan concrete buildings, a legacy of Minsk’s Soviet past. Lenin still stands in front of the Government headquarters! See the obelisk in Victory Square honouring the heroes of World War II and the Church of St. Simon and Helena. Continue to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. In the evening, you can choose from a variety of hand-selected local restaurants on your Dine-Around Evening.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)

Sightseeing in the morning starts at the Baroque church of St. Peter and St. Paul. See the neoclassical cathedral before joining your Local Expert for a leisurely walk through the Old Town. See the Jesuit University and the Gates of Dawn. Visit the splendid Trakai Castle, built on a fortified island at the beginning of the 15th century and now faithfully restored in all its glory.(Breakfast)

Pass lakeside Augustow during a scenic journey through Masuria, a region blessed with a plethora of lakes and forests. Your destination will be the Polish capital, faithfully rebuilt after the devastation of World War II.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)

Join a Local Expert for an exploration of the city. Pass the tiered Palace of Culture and stroll through Łazienki Park to the Chopin Memorial. Take a moment to reflect at the Monument to Ghetto Heroes, before walking to the Market Square in the Old Town. In the evening, join your newfound friends and Travel Director for a Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant and enjoy a fine selection of local dishes and wine.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)

Your transfers will arrive at Warsaw airport at 07:30 and 10:00.(Breakfast)