- On your way Meet at the airport for the international flight to Moscow, Russia
Cradles of Revolution – Russia & France
Revolutions and their legacies shape the world we live in today. On tour of Russia and France, students will uncover the victories, defeats and struggles for power that Russian and French societies fought for as they explore cities and visit the landmarks that were once at the centre of these life-changing revolutions.
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https://worldstrides.com.au/itineraries/cradles-revolution-russia-france
Cradles of Revolution – Russia & France
Revolutions and their legacies shape the world we live in today. On tour of Russia and France, students will uncover the victories, defeats and struggles for power that Russian and French societies fought for as they explore cities and visit the landmarks that were once at the centre of these life-changing revolutions.
Request Info Request Quote13 Days
Destinations
MoscowSt PetersburgParisVersailles
Your Adventure
- Welcome to Moscow Upon your arrival, meet your tour escort and transfer to your accommodation. The late afternoon is free for teacher-supervised sightseeing and activities before dinner
- Explore Enjoy a guided city tour of Moscow’s highlights including Red Square, St Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin, and Lenin’s Mausoleum
- Central Museum of the Revolution This morning visit the Central Museum of the Revolution, the best 20th century history museum in Moscow. See the actual stones thrown at policeman by workers during the 1905 Revolution, as well as other interesting exhibits including a mock-up of a typical Soviet flat of the 1970s
- Novodevichy Monastery In the afternoon, visit Novodevichy Monastery, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Moscow. The adjoining cemetery is one of the most fascinating spots in Moscow and the final resting place of famous pre & post revolutionary Russians including Anton Chekhov, Stanislavsky, Shostakovich, Mayakovsky, and Nikita Khrushchev
- On the move In the evening take the overnight train to St Petersburg
- Guided tour Embark on a guided tour of the city that starts with a visit to Finlyansky (Finland) Station, famously known for the arrival of Vladimir Lenin to start the October Revolution (also known as the Bolshevik Revolution). The event is commemorated by the Soviet statue of Lenin dominating the square in front of the station
- Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery Visit the memorial cemetery dedicated mostly to the victims of the Siege of Leningrad which lasted from September 1941 to January 1944
- Peter and Paul Fortress The tour continues with a visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress located on the site of the city’s first settlement. The fortress comprises a complex of buildings that includes the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Beginning with Peter the Great, himself, the cathedral is the final resting place for royal Russians thereafter, including the family of Tsar Nicholas II, killed in 1917 during the Russian Revolution
- Guided tour Visit the Hermitage Museum located in the former royal Winter Palace. Enjoy a guided tour of the museum, which is one of the largest and oldest museums in the world. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display, comprise over three million items, including the largest collection of paintings in the world
- Guided tour A full day sightseeing tour today includes Yusupov Palace, the basement of which was scene of Grigori Rasputin’s murder in 1916. Also included is a visit to the State Museum of Russian Political History which contains documents pertaining to the fall of Communism as well as to the Revolution
- Kronstadt Later, visit Kronstadt, St Petersburg’s main seaport located on an island in the Gulf of Finland, and the setting for the Kronstadt Rebellion against the Bolsheviks in March 1921
- Evening Activities Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant and includes a Russian folklore show at Nikolayevsky Palace
- Farewell Say “dasvidaniya” as you transfer to the airport for the flight to Paris
- Welcome to Paris Upon your arrival in Paris, enjoy a 3-hour panoramic tour en route of the city's iconic sights and attractions
- City views This morning visit the Eiffel Tower with your teacher, to view the city from the Tower’s 3rd level
- Walking tour Embark on a half-day walking tour of the city’s main Revolutionary sites. From the Palais Royal walk through the courtyard of the Louvre Museum and the Tuilleries Gardens, before taking a detour to Rue St Honore and the residences of Robespierre and Abbe Sieyes. Continue to Place de la Concorde, just one of the locations of Madame Guillotine, and up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, iconically located on the most famous roundabout in the world. The museum here includes exhibits pertaining to the Arc’s construction, as well as Napoleon’s Grand Armees and WW1
- Seine Cruise This evening enjoy cruise on the Seine River to view the sights of Paris from a different perspective
- Musee Carnavalet Continue your discovery of Paris’ Revolutionary sights today with a visit to Musee Carnavalet, a museum dedicated to the history of the city. Amongst its vast collection, the museum has an impressive section dedicated to the French Revolution
- La Conciergerie Afterwards, visit La Conciergerie, a former royal palace and prison, and the place from where hundreds of prisoners (including King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie-Antoinette) were taken to be executed by guillotine
- Versailles Board the RER train to Versailles for a guided visit of both the chateau and its gardens, with the Chateau being one of the most beautiful examples of French 18th century architecture. Continue with a visit to the Royal Tennis Court where, on June 20th in 1789, 576 disgruntled members of the Third Estate self-proclaimed themselves to be the National Assembly, and swore not to disband before a French Constitution has been established. This was despite a constitution being prohibited by King, and such open defiance of the Monarchy made the Tennis Court Oath a pivotal event that inflamed what became the French Revolution
- Afternoon at leisure Returning to Paris, the afternoon is free for teacher supervised sightseeing and activities
- Hotel des Invalides Visit the Hotel des Invalides, which was originally built as a hospital for returned servicemen. It now serves as a military museum dating from the times of the King’s musketeers and is also the final resting place of Napoleon himself. On 14 July, 1789 the building was being used as an arsenal and so was stormed by Parisian rioters who seized cannons and muskets to use against the Bastille later that same day
- Farewell In the afternoon transfer to the airport for the flight back to Australia
- Welcome home
