On The Go Tours, an award-winning tour operator specialising in locally led group tours and tailor-made holidays to over 60 worldwide destinations, recently hosted a group of Australian travel agents in Russia on a specialised version of their Vodka Shot six-day tour.
Since Russia became the 10th most visited destination in the world in 2015, it has continued to grow as an ‘it’ destination for adventurous Australian travellers, and with often favourable currency exchange rates it gives travellers great bang for their buck.
The group, hosted by On The Go Tours BDM for Victoria and Tasmania, Lisa McCowan, included representatives from Infinity travel agents across Australia.
The six-day itinerary was led by On The Go Tours expert local guide Daria and took the group to experience Russia’s two most spectacular cities, St Petersburg and Moscow.
This cultural journey began in St Petersburg, home to the Hermitage, which houses ones of the biggest and best art collections in the world. St Petersburg is also home to some of Russia’s most impressive buildings such as St Isaac’s Cathedral, many of which line the city’s main thoroughfare and Nevsky Prospekt, which was planned by Peter the Great. Paying homage to Russia’s royal history, agents visited the Peter & Paul fortress and Cathedral which houses the tombs of the Romanov monarchs and the lavish Catherine Palace.
St Petersburg is also known for its vibrant arts and culture scene, which offered a truly immersive experience for agents who got the opportunity to enjoy a walking tour of St Petersburg hidden gems, indulge in local cuisine, and visit the Vodka museum to learn more about the history of Russia’s favourite drink.
After hopping on a sleeper train to Moscow, agents were treated to a walking tour of the legendary Red Square, the epitome of Russian power. Sites include the Kremlin, famed GUM department store and the iconic St Basil’s Cathedral. As well as taking a deep dive into the Kremlin, a complex of gold doomed cathedrals and government buildings, including the tsar bell – the largest bell that never rang, agents holed up in a former top secret soviet cold war bunker. Hidden beneath an ordinary two story building in Moscow, this bunker extends 18 floors below ground level and encompasses 6968 square metres.
The final night in Moscow included a night coach tour taking in city sights that are hard to reach during the daytime, with a knowledgeable local guide and plenty of vodka!