SEMESTER SPECIAL NORTHERN LIGHTS TOUR WITH VISA INCLUDED Lapland – Murmansk – St. Petersburg – Moscow // All Panoramic City Tours Included !!!

We meet at Istanbul Airport International Departures terminal at 22:00 and depart for St. Petersburg with Turkish Airlines flight TK 405 at 01:30. After a comfortable flight, we proceed to our panoramic St. Petersburg tour, where we will begin exploring this unique city that enchants with its elegance, architecture, and history. Founded in 1703 by the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, St. Petersburg is a city that captivates its visitors at first sight with its magnificent structures, wide avenues, and impressive history. During our panoramic tour, we proceed along Nevsky Prospect, the city's most important boulevard, which, at 4.5 kilometers long, reflects the very soul of the city. Named after Alexander Nevsky, one of the most famous heroes of Russian history, this boulevard is the beating heart of St. Petersburg. The architectural masterpieces encountered along the boulevard reveal the city's historical richness. We first see the Admiralty Building, which draws attention with its golden dome, and then observe the elegant structure of the magnificent Kazan Cathedral, built as a small replica of the famous St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Throughout our tour, we have the opportunity to see the striking architecture of the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace, the elegance of the Stroganov Palace, and the impressive structure of Gostiny Dvor, one of the city's most important trading points with nearly 250 years of history, which has now been transformed into a modern shopping center.

The National Library of Russia, one of the most remarkable structures in St. Petersburg's art-filled atmosphere, the Singer House with its intriguing founding story, the Eliseyev Building dazzling with its immense stained glass and bronze details, and the Aurora Cinema, frequently mentioned in the memoirs of the author Nabokov, enhance the visual richness of our tour. In addition, the famous Anichkov Bridge, which has become an important part of Russian literature and bears the traces of the Siege of Leningrad, offers us glimpses from different periods of history throughout the tour. After this fast and impressive journey through time from St. Petersburg's past to the present, we transfer to our hotel and check into our rooms. At the end of the tour, guests who wish may participate in the extra Russian Night Tour (100 Euro) organized by our guide. You should not miss the opportunity to have dinner and watch magnificent dance shows at Troika Restaurant, one of the most beautiful restaurants in St. Petersburg. After the tour, transfer to our hotel and overnight stay at our hotel.

 

After breakfast, we transfer to the airport. Following baggage and check-in procedures, we depart for Murmansk, the world's largest Arctic city located beyond the Arctic Circle. After arriving in Murmansk around noon, we begin our Murmansk city tour. Within the scope of our tour, we see the imposing Alyosha Monument, which overlooks the city and is one of the symbols of Murmansk, the legendary Lenin Icebreaker, which went down in history as the world's first nuclear-powered icebreaker, the Murmansk Port, known as the gateway to the North, and the Lighthouse, which sheds light on the city's maritime history. In the evening, one of the most fascinating experiences of our Murmansk trip awaits us. We participate in our 4-hour Aurora Hunt (Northern Lights Tour) program to catch the colors dancing in the unique sky of the Arctic Circle. On the enchanting nights of the North, we set out for the Aurora Hunt to witness one of the most impressive natural phenomena in the sky. Moving away from the city lights, we head to the most suitable points to observe the Northern Lights accompanied by endless snow-covered landscapes. The light dance in shades of green, purple, and occasionally pink that suddenly appears in the darkness of the sky reveals this unique natural phenomenon called Aurora Borealis. The Northern Lights, formed as a result of the interaction of charged particles from the Sun with the Earth's atmosphere, offer a different view every time. After our tour, transfer to our hotel and overnight stay at our hotel.

After breakfast at our hotel, the day is free. Guests who wish can participate in the extra Saami Village Tour (115 Euro) to discover the unique culture and traditional life of the Saami, the ancient people of the North. On our tour, we are guests in the colorful world of the Saami; we spend pleasant time with cute Husky dogs and take plenty of photos, experience reindeer sledding in the snow-covered nature, and enjoy the fun Banana Ride activity. During our free time at the campsite, you can get interesting information from our guide about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of the Northern peoples. After taking beautiful photos with the reindeer, you can try on traditional clothes and taste traditional local soups in the warm atmosphere of the camp.

Guests who wish can participate in the Snowmobile Safari Tour (105 Euro), which will take place before or after our village visit. Guests participating in our tour can experience an adrenaline-filled adventure in the Northern geography. After our tour, guests who wish can participate in the Northern Lights Hunt Tour (55 Euro). Guests participating in our tour can find the opportunity to witness this unique natural phenomenon by chasing the Aurora to catch the colors dancing in the dark sky of the North. After our tour, transfer to our hotel and overnight stay at our hotel.

After breakfast at our hotel, the day is free. Guests who wish can participate in the extra Teriberka Village Tour (115 Euro). After our open buffet breakfast at the hotel, the day is free. Guests who wish can participate in the extra Teriberka Tour. Departing early in the morning, we set off towards the legendary Teriberka Village, one of the most remote and impressive points in the world, amidst the unique landscapes of snow-white tundras. In this unique region, known as the "End of the World," we meet the vast Arctic Ocean. Within the scope of our tour, we visit the nostalgic Ship Graveyard, which bears traces of the region's past, the massive Whale Skeleton, and the Dragon Eggs Beach, one of the extraordinary beauties of nature. At the famous King's Throne photo spot located on the shore of the Arctic Ocean, you can capture unforgettable frames accompanied by the unique landscapes of this fascinating geography.

After our free time and lunch break at the beach, guests who wish can participate in the extra Ice Floating (95 Euro) experience. After this exciting experience that will take place in the extraordinary nature of the North, we depart for our return to Murmansk. After our return to Murmansk, guests who wish can participate in the Northern Lights Hunt Tour (55 Euro). Guests participating in our tour can find the opportunity to witness this unique natural phenomenon by chasing the Aurora to catch the colors dancing in the dark sky of the North. After our tour, transfer to our hotel and overnight stay at our hotel.

After breakfast at our hotel, we check out and transfer to the airport to depart for Moscow, the capital of Russia. After arriving in Moscow, we transfer to our hotel. After resting a bit, guests who wish can participate in the extra Moscow Metro, Novodevichy Cemetery, and Arbat Street Tour (50 Euro). Recognized as the metro with the most aesthetic decoration in the world, the Moscow Metro fascinates visitors with its massive chandeliers, marble columns, mosaics, and stations that resemble art galleries. Then, we move on to Novodevichy Cemetery, where the grave of Nazim Hikmet is also located. Founded in 1524, this monastery is like an open-air museum housing the giant names of Russian cultural and political history such as Chekhov, Gogol, Mayakovsky, Bulgakov, Eisenstein, Khrushchev, Shostakovich, and Yeltsin. Novodevichy, which means "Young Maidens," accompanies the tragic stories of tsarina candidates with a poetic sadness. The last stop of our tour, Arbat Street, is Moscow's most popular art and culture center. Our walk among street painters, musicians, colorful shops, and buildings smelling of history creates a feeling of traveling through time. The famous building where Pushkin and his wife Goncharova lived will also welcome you here. After our tour, transfer to our hotel and overnight stay at our hotel.

 

After breakfast at our hotel, we begin our Moscow City Tour. The first stop of our tour, Red Square, is a fascinating meeting point located in the heart of Russian history. This square, which has been the scene of political and social developments throughout history, carries the traces of Russian identity in every corner. Saint Basil's Cathedral, built by Ivan the Terrible in the sixteenth century and with each dome symbolizing a Russian victory, invites our guests to a fairy-tale world with its eye-catching architecture. The Minin and Pozharsky statue in front of the cathedral is a symbol of the unity and courage of the Russian people. The GUM Shopping Center, which fascinates with its architecture and is located at the end of the square, the Kremlin Palace rising right next to it, Lenin's Mausoleum, known all over the world as the symbol of communist ideology, the Karl Marx statue, and the famous Bolshoi Theatre, which has been operating since the 18th century, are the important points of our trip. A little further on, the Duma Parliament Building, where Russia's first elected parliament began operating in 1906, and the historic Voskresensky Gate, which was bombed in 1931 to allow tanks to enter Red Square, are other valuable stops we will visit. After our tour, we transfer to our hotel and check into our rooms. Guests who wish can participate in the extra Kremlin Tour (50 Euro). The Kremlin is a magnificent structure accepted as the heart of not only Moscow but all of Russia with its architecture, splendor, and the critical role it has played throughout history. This unique structure, which has witnessed political intrigues, dynastic struggles, and cultural transformations, makes you feel the magic of the past at every step. The Kremlin gardens, the Grand Kremlin Palace Complex, the Concert Hall, and the surroundings of the Presidential Building house the most important building blocks of Russian history. The "Space Tree," planted after Yuri Gagarin's space journey and shimmering with the lights falling on the Moskva River, is one of the interesting details of our tour. The impressive story of the massive cannon and bell tower cast by Tsar Ivan turns into both informative and pleasant moments with our guide's narration. Guests who wish can find the opportunity to see Empress Catherine's magnificent crown decorated with 5000 diamonds up close. After our tour, transfer to our hotel and overnight stay at our hotel.

After breakfast at our hotel, free time until transfer to the airport. Guests who wish can participate in the extra Izmailovo Market, Matryoshka Painting Workshop, VDNKH Park, and Cosmonaut Museum Tour (100 EUR). Izmailovo is Moscow's largest souvenir, antique, and flea market. Having a fairy-tale appearance with its colorful wooden buildings, this market is famous for its matryoshkas, handmade artworks, and nostalgic Soviet-era objects. After the Matryoshka painting workshop we will have here, we visit VDNKH Park, which was opened as a fair center during the Soviet era. We will visit the Cosmonautics Memorial Museum located inside the park. Inside the museum, there are exhibitions and models related to space by the Soviets and Russians. These figures provide information about the history of flight, astronomy, space exploration, space technology, and even art in space. According to Russian statistics, there are approximately 85,000 different items in this museum, and most of them date back to the Soviet era. After our tour and free time, transfer to the airport. Departure for Istanbul at 20:15 with Turkish Airlines flight TK416 and arrival in Istanbul at 00:15 local time.
Welcome home!