Russia 14 Days: Moscow, St. Petersburg & Karelia, Wilderness, Waterways & Sacred North

The Kremlin, Red Square and the marble-and-mosaic Metro stations. In the evening, a private box at the Great Moscow Circus and a champagne cruise on a chartered yacht along the Moskva River.

A private excursion to the UNESCO-listed Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the heart of Russian Orthodoxy, then back to Moscow with the evening open.

A free day for independent exploring, shopping or a spa treatment.

Travel on the Sapsan high-speed train to St. Petersburg, check in, and take an evening boat ride along the city’s canals.

The Church on the Spilled Blood, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral and the Faberge Museum with the Imperial eggs, then dinner at a celebrated local restaurant.

A private pre-opening visit to the State Hermitage with a senior art historian, an open afternoon, and the midnight opening of the Neva bridges from a private classic car.

Peterhof’s cascading fountains and formal gardens, then Catherine’s Palace with the light-filled Amber Room.

Travel by private air charter or hydrofoil to Lake Onega and Kizhi Island, a UNESCO site with the 22-domed Church of the Transfiguration, built without a single nail. Settle into a lakeside hotel.

Drive into the forests of Karelia, stopping at Kortela Fort and the Valley of the Waterfalls, and arrive at Ruskeala Mountain Park with its turquoise marble canyons.

Private access to the canyon trails. Explore at your own pace or add ziplining, ATV biking, motorboating or paddle boarding on Lake Ladoga. Dinner of Karelian specialities.

Drive to Mandrogi, a village resort known for its traditional wooden architecture, for an unhurried afternoon with horse riding and artisan master classes.

A slow riverside morning, then a private transfer back to St. Petersburg for a last evening in the city.

A leisurely breakfast and a private transfer to the airport for your journey home.