This intriguing bike tour in Russia leads from Moscow, the modern Russian capital, to the old one, St. Petersburg, through the most ancient capital, Novgorod the Great, all UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The contrasts among these three cities reflect the contrasts that are Russia in general.
You will be charmed by the spirit of times gone by in the age old towns of Torzhok, Ostashkov, and Staraya Russa, once powerful and prosperous cities and enjoy Russain Nature at Lake Seliger, across the forested hills of Valdai; where the mighty Volga River starts.
Other hightlights:
Staraya Russa, and the Fyodor Dostoyevsky museum I
Novgorod, among the oldest cities of Russia
Ancient Kremlin, the magnificent XI-century St. Sofia Cathedral, and wonderful Russian Millennium Memorial.
St. Petersburg and the he grand palaces and parks built for Russian Tsars
On the agenda are several visits to museums and exhibitions (some of them are little known). There is opportunity to mingle with friendly villagers and to experience authentic Russia and taste authentic Russian food that is unlike anything you’ve tasted before.
The tour finishes in St. Petersburg with the infamous White Nights Festival, an annual international arts festival during the season of the midnight sun, consisiting of a series of classical ballet, opera and music events.
June 15: £1134$1,944€1420NOK13608kr12562$1,633August 24:£1094$1,876€1370NOK13129kr12119$1,576Single supplement (can be avoided if willing to share): £160$274€200NOK1917kr1769$230
extra options
Electric bike: £200$342€250NOK2396kr2212$288Tandem: on requst Extra night in Moscow and St. Petersburg: on request
please note
Train from St. Petersburg back to Moscow is ~€80 (2nd class) and ~€100 (1st class).
Transfer from airport to first hotel. For departing, you can opt to fly out of St. Petersburg. You can also take a train back to Moscow. Moscow-St Petersburg and reverse is the most popular route in Russia. There are night trains with the most historic and best being the Krasnya Strela or Red Arrow. For day travel there is the Sapsan high-speed train with the journey time cut to as little as 3 hours 45 minutes.
Climate
Please check local conditions before you arrival. A good website to research regional weather including average high/low temperatures and average rainfall is weatherbase.com
Remarks
This tour requires a visa which begins with an invitation from our local operator as for a foreigner to receive a Russian visa, there must be a Russian sponsoring organization or individual. Usually the invitation is issued for up to 30 days because most folks want to stay longer. Tour is usually confirmed in January/February. Here is web site for information on obtaining Visa: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/russia.html. During the special tour date, you could check into a Fan ID: https://www.fan-id.ru/?locale=en
Tour Dates
2019
June 15, and August 24, 2019
If these tour dates do not work for you, and you would rather cycle during the golden autumn, then our "literary" bike tour in the Central regions of Russia , from September 7 to September 15, is the tour for you. This area was home to the great Russian writers Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace, Anna Karenina), Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons, Sportsman's Sketches), Anton Chekhov (Three Sisters,The Cherry Orchard, The Seagull), Nikolai Leskov (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, The Tale of Cross-eyed Lefty from Tula and the Steel Flea), and others. The country estates, where they lived and created their famous works are now museums, and are featured on this route. This year is Bicentenary of Ivan Turgenev (1818 - 1883), who spent his childhood on his mother's estate Spasskoe-Lutovinovo. This is a guided and supported tour that is unsurpassed. It begins and ends in Moscow so easy to arrrive to and depart from. Ask us for more information and join the experience.
Skill Level
This fully guided tour covers 220 miles (350 km) on the 9 day tour traversed at your own pace. Most roads are asphalt and lightly traveled. On the route you can cycle at your own pace. A support vehicle will await at appointed places along the route in the event you would like to quit riding. Experienced guides are available to assist.
Where You’ll Stay
Good quality 3 - 4 star hotels
What’s Included
Transfers airport-hotel in Moscow
All transfers along the route
Bike rental
English speaking cycling guide
Hotel accommodations for 8 or 7 nights depending on itinerary booked
All meals during your booked itinerary including buffet snacks during cycling days
Support van with luggage transfer
Guided excursions and museum fees as described in the program
Day 1: Arrival in Moscow Day 2: Bicycle tour of Moscow and bus to Volga, 18 mi. (30 km) Day 3: Volga - Torzhok, 47 mi. (75 km) Day 4: Bus transfer to Seliger Lake (140 km), cycling to Svetlitsa, 31 mi. (50 km) Day 5: Bus transfer to Novy Brod (150 km), cycling to Staraya Russa, 47 mi. (75 km) Day 6: Bus to transfer to Borki (75 km), cycling to Veliky Novgorod, 22 mi. (35 km) Day 7: Novgorod - Selitsche, 36 mi. (58 km), bus transfer to St. Petersburg (150 km) Day 8: St. Petersburg Day 9: Departure from St. Petersburg or extension of stay.
Day 1:Arrival in Moscow You will be met at the airport by a guide and taken to the hotel (no cyclind day). The hotel is located in the east part of Moscow next to one of Moscow's largest park and a 5 minute walk from underground station. It takes 15 minutes by metro to get to the Red Square. After short briefing and buffet dinner, enjoy an evening walk in the center of Moscow.
Day 2: Bicycle tour of Moscow and bus to Volga, 18 mi. (30 km) In the morning you start with a bicycle tour of Moscow along rivers from the hotel to the Victory Park. We will pass the Kremlin, the Gorky Park, Vorob’evy hills with a view point of Moscow. After a lunch we will take a bus to Volga (250 km) where we stay for a night in a charming resort hotel. A swimming pool and the beautiful Volga, the longest European river, are waiting for us in the evening.Then, on quiet roads you cycle to a charming resort hotel in Volga, one of the best in this area.
Day 3: Volga - Torzhok, 47 mi. (75 km) From Volga, you continue on your way to Torzhok, around 75 km. The quiet road has little traffic and winds through nice forest which makes today's ride scenic and relaxing. On our way we will stop near house-museum of famous Russian opera singer Sergey Lemeshev. Torzhok, an old Russian town, famous for its unique architecture and folk craft of gold work embroidery. Interestingly, chicken cutlets (called Pozharskie) were invented here. The great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin used to eat them here. Perhaps you can try this famous dish for dinner. The hotel has excellent spa facilities.
Day 4:Bus transfer to Seliger Lake (140 km), cycling to Svetlitsa, 31 mi. (50 km) You start the day with bus transfer to Seliger lake. Here you visit the Saint Nil monastery. Overnight this everning is in the hotel near lake Seliger. You may try a real Russian steam bath (banya).
Day 5: Bus transfer to Novy Brod (150 km) - cycling to Staraya Russa, 47 mi. (75 km) Early bus transfer to Novy Brod. From here you cycle to Staraya Russa, around 75 km. Staraya Russa is old provincial town famous for a balneological (spa) resort and Fedor Dostoevsky museum. (Fyodor Dostoevsky used to live in Staraya Russa from 1872 till his death in 1881. Here he wrote his novels The Brothers Karamazov and The Possessed.
Day 6: Bus to transfer to Borki (75 km). Cycling to Veliky Novgorod, 22 mi. (35 km) After visiting Dostoevsky museum there is short bus transfer to Borki where you cycle a scenic road along lake Ilmen to Veliky Novgorod (35 km). Veliky Novgorod is one of the oldest Russian cities supposed to be the most influential in that time which gives us grounds to call it the first capital of Russia. The center of the city including outstanding Kremlin is World Heritage Site. City-tour in Novgorod with local guides.
Day 7: Novgorod - Selitsche, 36 mi. (58 km). Transfer to St. Petersburg (150 km) You start in Novgorod and cycle to Spasskaya Polist around 60km along the Volkhov River on a quiet road, finishing near the ruins of Arakcheev barracks. Bus transfer to St. Petersburg.
Day 8:St Petersburg Day to explore St. Petersburg! City tour with a local guide in St. Petersburg including Metro, Nevsky prospect, and downtown. Farewell dinner.
Day 9:Departure from St. Petersburg or extension of stay. Departure or extend your stay with extra nights in St. Petersburg. Bus tour to Peterhof park is optional.
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This tour (Jun 16 2017) which included a bicycle festival in Uglich and the White Nights festival in St Petersburg was fabulous. The guides were wonderful, knowledgeable, and helpful. Accommodations were super. We toured many small museums along the route, had an excellent city tour of St Petersburg led by an incredible tour guide. Too many great things to list.
Customer Feedback
Elaine Sullivan 1 year ago
This tour (Jun 16 2017) which included a bicycle festival in Uglich and the White Nights festival in St Petersburg was fabulous. The guides were wonderful, knowledgeable, and helpful. Accommodations were super. We toured many small museums along the route, had an excellent city tour of St Petersburg led by an incredible tour guide. Too many great things to list.
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