Russia 2009 - Day-by-Day Itinerary

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Day 01/August 18 - San Diego to Moscow
Today we will board our flight at San Diego Airport bound for Moscow. Upon landing, we will begin to follow the history of Russian flight, past and present. Nowhere else can you find such a clandestine Russian program exclusively for aviation and space enthusiasts.

Day 02/August 19 - Moscow (D)
Upon arrival into Moscow we will clear customs and immigration. From there you will have a panoramic city tour of Moscow en-route to the hotel.

Day 03/August 20 - Moscow (B/L/D)
After breakfast depart for the Russian Air Force Museum at Monino, with aircraft exhibits dating back to the earliest days through the GreatPatriotic War. The Russian Air Force Museum is the largest and best aviation museum in all of Russia. The area was off-limits to civilians during the Soviet era and today advance permission to visit the museum is required for Non- Russians. This is the finest Russian aviation museum that exists and will be the highlight of any enthusiast's visit. In the afternoon we return to Moscow for a city sightseeing tour including the Novo-Devichy Cemetery where you can see the memorials to famous people and disasters of early Russian aviation.

Day 04/August 21 - Moscow (B/L/D)
After breakfast, depart for Bykovo & Myatchikovo Airports where ramp tours have been requested. In the afternoon, we will have a guided visit to Red Square and the Kremlin. Red Square, the most famous city square in Moscow, is considered the central square of all of Russia. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as China-Town. In the evening enjoy a performance at the Bolshoi Theater, which also includes Russia's premier opera company.

Day 05/August 21 - Moscow (B/L/D)
Depart the hotel after breakfast for a full day visit to Star City, the specialized cosmonaut training facility, created at the end of the 1950's in conjunction with the birth of the manned space flight program in the USSR. More than 200 fighter pilots were selected and after rigorous medical checkups, 20 people were chosen to make up the first group of Soviet cosmonauts. Here, you will tour the Cosmonaut Training Centre and view full-scale mock-ups of the Mir Space Station, the Soyuz trainer, ISS docking module, and the Priroda and Spektr modules. After lunch, enjoy a once- in-a-lifetime experience when we meet with a retired cosmonaut. What secrets can he now share with us about the Soviet Space Program from the past?

Day 6 & 7/August 22/23 - Moscow (B/D)
Departing the hotel each morning after breakfast, we spend two full days at the 2009 Moscow Air Show (MAKS) at Zhukovsky. MAKS is a showcase for the Russian aerospace industry and is a combination of air show and trade fair. Spectators will see amazing fighting machines closer than ever before because Russian safety regulations are so much more relaxed than in the USA. The highlight of MAKS 2009 is expected to be the Russian aerobatic display teams. Three are expected to perform: "Russ", flying the Czech-designed and built L39 Albatross jet trainer, "Swifts", flying MiG-29 Fulcrums in 6-ship deltas; and "Russian Knights", performing in their Su-27 Flankers' riveting 5-ship and solo maneuvers.

Day 08/August 24 - Moscow (B/D)
Today we tour the Central Museum of Armed Forces and The Great Patriotic War Museum. The Central Museum of Armed Forces is one of the world greatest places to see military history. It was founded in 1919 and every year about 1 million visitors come to see the Museum's regular display and exhibitions. After an early dinner we transfer to the Red Arrow Train where you will enjoy a first class overnight sleeper train to St. Petersburg.

Day 09/August 25 - St. Petersburg (B/D)
This morning after breakfast we start our sightseeing tour of St Petersburg. See the cruiser Aurora, St Issacs Cathedral, the Fortress of St Peter and St Paul, and the stunning Naval Museum - which actually has a Polikarpov I16 exhibited. As the former official some still say cultural capital, St. Petersburg is the most westernized of Russia's cities. Its grand architecture echoes the great cities of Europe, and there are seemingly endless museums full of staggering quantities of treasure. For visitors who want to understand what came before, and what is happening now in Russia, St. Petersburg is essential.

Day 10/August 26 - St. Petersburg (B/D)
After breakfast we will visit the Civil Aviation Academy & Kulkovo Complex Museum. The afternoon has been set aside to explore the magnificent Hermitage Museum. The State Hermitage is pulsing in the heart of St Petersburg. The most magnificent of the museums six buildings is the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian tsars. The Hermitage works of art have been collected for over two centuries.

Day 11/August 27 - St. Petersburg (B/D)
After breakfast, depart for an excursion to Petrodvorets and the Summer Palace of Peter The Great. Petrodvorets is situated on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, 29 km from Saint Petersburg. On the slope in front of the palace the Grand Cascade of fountains embellished with bronze sculptures and bas-reliefs dedicated to Russia's victories in the Northern war is located. In the evening join your program director for an elegant farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 12/August 28 - St. Petersburg - San Diego (B)
Transfer to airport for outbound flight, arriving in the USA the same day and while in flight, recall your experiences of the last 11 days, the behind the scenes sights and sounds of Russia's rich aviation industry.