Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki, with 3 nights in St. Petersburg, a visit to the Hermitage, the Kremlin and Red Square - all in 19 days.

Day 2 Copenhagen. (Wed.) Sightseeing in Scandinavia’s largest and liveliest metropolis. See the Church of Our Savior and the Stock Exchange on the way to Christiansborg Palace, where you visit the lavish ROYAL RECEPTION ROOMS. Shoot your pictures of Amalienborg Palace and of the wistful Little Mermaid watching the harbor. Afternoon free, and tonight experience TIVOLI GARDENS, the city’s colorful amusement park (mid-April through mid-Sept.). (FB)

Day 3 Copenhagen-Stockholm, Sweden. (Thu.) From Elsinore beneath Hamlet’s Kronborg Castle take a ferry to Helsingborg, and then motor through the Swedish Lake District. Pastoral scenes alternate with glimpses of major industrial towns such as Jönköping on Lake Vättern, the world capital of the safety match industry, and Norrköping, a Baltic sea port and important textile manufacturing center. Evening arrival in Stockholm. (FB)

Day 4 Stockholm. Night Ferry to Finland. (Fri.) The Swedish capital’s beauty is due to its unique setting on 14 islands between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic. Sightseeing features the Royal Palace, Riddarholm Church, and the festive blue and gold chambers in the CITY HALL, where the annual Nobel Prize banquet is held. Kungsgatan’s smart shops and the skyscrapers and futuristic condominiums on the lake shores form a striking contrast to the Old Town sights. Free time afterwards until, in the late afternoon, you board your overnight Baltic Sea cruise to Finland. (FB)

Day 5 Helsinki. (Sat.) After breakfast on board, a local guide explains the sights of Helsinki: City Hall and Parliament House, the Presidential Palace, the monumental railroad station, and the great LUTHERAN CATHEDRAL. Then leave downtown for an orientation tour to the Olympic Stadium and the Sibelius Monument. Also browse for Finnish souvenirs in the Helsinki local arts and crafts OPEN AIR MARKET. Afternoon free. (FB,D)

Day 6 Helsinki-St. Petersburg, Russia. (Sun.) East along the coastline to the timber port of Kotka and on to the Russian border. After completing frontier formalities, stop at the city of Vyborg for lunch. In the afternoon cross the Karelian Isthmus, the land bridge between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga, on the way to St. Petersburg. (FB,D)

Day 7 St. Petersburg. (Mon.) Few cities in the world match the grace of St. Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great. Construction began in 1703, and the city eventually spread over 100 islands linked by 700 bridges. It suffered severe damage during the revolution of 1917 and later during World War II, when a cruel 900-day siege claimed more than half a million victims. See today how the city has been restored to its former splendor. Drive along elegant Nevsky Prospect, then admire ST. ISAAC’S CATHEDRAL with its gilded dome and marble columns. Afternoon excursion to Pushkin, the home of Russia’s last czar, for a visit to the magnificent CATHERINE PALACE (if closed, visit PAVLOSK PALACE). (FB,L)

Day 8 St. Petersburg. (Tue.) Today a highlight visit to the Winter Palace complex. Formerly the residence of the czars, it is now home of the world-famous HERMITAGE MUSEUM. Among the exhibits are celebrated works by Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, and the major French impressionists. Afternoon at leisure; your tour director will suggest a suitable optional activity to enhance your stay in St. Petersburg. (FB)

Day 9 St. Petersburg-Novgorod. (Wed.) Today drive through timeless Russian landscapes to Novgorod which has preserved a large part of its medieval heritage. View the restored Kremlin and venerable churches dating as far back as the 11th century. (FB,L,D)

Day 10 Novgorod-Moscow. (Thu.) Through the Valdai Hills reach Tver on the banks of the Volga, regarded as the Mother River of Russia. Then via Klin, where Tchaikowsky drew inspirations for some of his most famous compositions, on to the sprawling capital of Russia. (FB,L,D)

Day 11 Moscow. (Fri.) RED SQUARE is the center of this 850-year-old city. At its core, the Lenin Mausoleum and St. Basil’s Cathedral. Inside the KREMLIN, a city-within-a-city, admire the medieval towers, cathedrals, and palaces. At the ARMORY MUSEUM see treasures such as Ivan the Terrible’s throne and the famous Fabergé Easter eggs. Other sights include the Bolshoi Theater, Novodevichy Convent, and Sparrow Hills, from where you enjoy a sweeping, panoramic view. Tonight attend an unforgettable theater performance or the famous Moscow Circus. (FB,D)

Day 12 At Leisure in Moscow. (Sat.) An entire day to explore this amazing city. Your tour director will assist you in making the most of your stay. (FB)

Day 13 Moscow-Smolensk. (Sun.) Leave Moscow and travel westward via Borodino, site of the cruel battle between Napoleon’s Grand Armée and the Russian Army in the winter of 1812. During your afternoon sightseeing in Smolensk see the impressive town walls, the 17th-century USPENSKY CATHEDRAL and the monument to General Kutuzov, the brilliant strategist who conquered Napoleon’s military genius. (FB,L,D)

Day 14 Smolensk-Minsk, Belarus. (Mon.) Drive through Katyn Forest and admire the immense White Russian plains on your way to the Belorussian capital. Enjoy lunch at your hotel before sightseeing of historic Minsk. (FB,L,D)

Day 15 Minsk-Warsaw, Poland. (Tue.) West through the fertile plains of Belarus to the Polish border. Lunch break in Brest, best known for an historic World War I treaty. Late afternoon arrival in Warsaw, Poland’s beautiful capital. (FB,L,D)

Day 16 Warsaw. (Wed.) Tour both banks of the Vistula River and hear about the often tragic history of this important gateway city between East and West. The medieval Stare Miasto (Old Quarter) with its market square and 14th-century CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN is a masterpiece of postwar reconstruction. Also view the Palace of Culture and Science, neoclassical Lazienki Palace, and the Marszalkowska residential development. In the HISTORICAL MUSEUM see a moving film showing the city before and after wartime destruction. Afternoon free to admire the treasures in the National Museum or browse through outdoor art exhibitions in the Old Quarter. How about tonight’s optional Polish dinner and polka party at a typical Warsaw restaurant? (BB)

Day 17 Warsaw-Berlin, Germany. (Thu.) Glimpses of rural life in the central plains of Poland on your way to the river port of Poznan this morning. Time for lunch and a short orientation drive, then on to Frankfurt-on-the-Oder and into Germany. Overnight in Berlin. (BB,D)

Day 18 Berlin. (Fri.) Sightseeing in the once-divided German capital features the elegant Ku-Damm with the bomb damaged tower of Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Reichstag, monumental Brandenburg Gate, Charlottenburg Palace, and the 210-foot-high Victory Column in vast Tiergarten Park. Drive along Unter den Linden Boulevard and past the German State Opera House. Then visit the PERGAMON MUSEUM, housing one of Europe’s most precious collections of art treasures. The afternoon is free, and an optional excursion to historic Potsdam is available. Tonight is your chance to sample Berlin’s fine restaurants and night life! (BB)

Day 19 (Sat.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)

*airfare not included 

COPENHAGEN Sightseeing with local guide, the Little Mermaid, visit the Royal Reception Rooms in Christiansborg Palace & Tivoli Gardens (mid Apr. to mid-Sept), ELSINORE Ferry crossing with view of Hamlet’s castle, STOCKHOLM Sightseeing with local guide, visit the City Hall, STOCKHOLM-HELSINKI Baltic Sea overnight crossing in first class two-berth cabins with private facilities, HELSINKI Sightseeing with local guide, visit the Lutheran Cathedral & Open Air Market, VYBORG Stop, ST. PETERSBURG Sightseeing with local guide, visit St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Catherine Palace (if closed:Pavlovsk Palace), & Hermitage Museum, NOVGOROD Orientation, TVER Lunch stop, MOSCOW Sightseeing with local guide, visit Red Square & the Armory Museum in the Kremlin; reserved seats at the Moscow Circus or theater, SMOLENSK Sightseeing with local guide & visit Uspensky Cathedral, MINSK Sightseeing with local guide, BREST Lunch stop, WARSAW Sightseeing with local guide, visit Cathedral of St. John & Historical Museum, POZNAN Stop, BERLIN Sightseeing with local guide, Brandenburg Gate & visit Pergamon Museum

SCENIC HIGHLIGHTS: Swedish Lake District, Karelian Isthmus, Valdai Hills, Katyn Forest, White Russian Plains

MEALS: 4 buffet breakfasts (BB); 14 full breakfasts (FB);
10 three-course dinners (D) including a welcome dinner;
6 lunches (L)

INSIDE VISITS as shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges where applicable

Quality Hotels

COPENHAGEN First Vesterbro (F), STOCKHOLM First Amaranten (F), HELSINKI Scandic Marski (F),
ST. PETERSBURG D’Angleterre (SF), NOVGOROD Beresta Palace (F), MOSCOW Radisson Slavjanskaya (SF), SMOLENSK Rossiya (F), MINSK Minsk (F), WARSAW Holiday Inn (SF), BERLIN Jolly Vivaldi (SF)

Note: All arrangements in Poland are under the management of the tourist organization Orbis. Slight changes to the day-by-day itinerary cannot be excluded. Accommodation in Eastern Europe may not always be of the standard you expect elsewhere.

Security cruise regulations require clients’ family and first name, D.O.B., gender, and nationality at time of booking.