Discover the beautiful countryside and historic cities of Russia's European side, aboard a BMW R1200GS or F650GS motorcycle. Your expert guide will take you through the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg, and through the highways and dirt roads of some of Russia's most important historic cities. Starting in Moscow, drive to Uglich, an ancient city and showpiece for the wealth of the Tsars. Through the heart of the Middle Russian valleys and forests to Tver, the most powerful princedom in northeastern Russia. Lake Seliger, a renowned resort destination known as the 'Pearl of Russia'. Ride north to Velikiy Novgorod and it's UNESCO heritage square, and rural village of Vitoslavlitsy. And onward to the palaces and museums of St. Petersburg. Our guided tours include motorcycle rental, insurance, expert guide, support vehicle, and some meals (budget $50/day to enjoy the local cuisine and drink). Your professional guide knows everything about good touring from the best roads, to the best place to taste Russian pies. As an option you can ride free of luggage, with a support vehicle to carry it from stop to stop (or reduce the cost of the tour and pack your side saddles with your own clothes). And of course you will discover Russian traditional attractions and enjoy other activities in addition to motorcycle riding! A fascinating tour of this important country, enjoy it with the comfort of your private guide, 24/7 support, private transfers, and the flexibility of starting whenever you want and moving at your own pace.

The focal point of Moscow is Red Square, on one side of which is the Kremlin surrounded by a thick red fortress wall containing 20 towers altogether. There a several gorgeous buildings in the square including the Uspensky Cathedral, the 14th-century Grand Kremlin Palace, the golden-domed Belfry of Ivan the Great, and the renowned St Basil’s Cathedral, famous for its brightly colored domes. Lenin’s Mausoleum is also located in Red Square and is still open to the public on certain days. Outside Red Square, Tverskaya Street is one of the main shopping streets. Old Arbat Street is a pedestrian zone with crafts and artists’ stalls and street performers. The world-famous Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater at Teatralnaya Square dates from 1824. Novodevichy Convent near Sportivnaya metro station houses a museum of rare and ancient Russian art, and is one of the finest examples of 16th- and 17th-century architecture in the city. The Metro system itself is steeped in history, with many of stations featuring beautiful decoration. Other sites include the superb Tretyakov Gallery, the Annunciation and Our Lady of Kazan Cathedrals, Gorky Park, and the macbre KGB museum.

Enjoy an airport transfer with private vehicle and driver.

A welcome package with small wooden doll Matreshka, nice book on Russia, vouchers, a city map, train tickets (if relevant) and any other touristic information that you may find useful will be waiting for you upon your arrival at your first hotel on your trip.

We will provide you with a letter of Invitation for your Russian Visa. Once payment has been received, the letter along with other important documents will be sent to you.

The Holiday Inn Sokolniki (4*) is situated just a short drive from the Moscow City center and the Red Square. The hotel gives the Russian capital a new dimension with world class service and intriguing cuisine. All 523 guest rooms are spacious and are outfitted with modern amenities, and the five restaurants and bars cater to a variety of needs and tastes. This hotel is a great choice for both business and leisure travelers as it is close to the business quarter and famous Moscow attractions, which are easily accessible by car or metro.

Overnight at Holiday Inn Sokolniki (4*).

Take a panoramic tour and get acquainted with the main architectural and historical monuments of Moscow with your private guide and driver. The famous Red Square starts outside the Kremlin´s walls. View the panorama of the Kremlin from the Sophiiskaya Embankment, Lubyanka Square, Tverskaya Street, The White House of Russia and Victory Park, view of St. Basil Cathedrals, Lenin Mausoleum, Alexandrovsky Garden, Manezh Square and shopping. No entrance fees and visit to Kremlin  included.

Pick up your rental motorcycle, a BMW F650GS, or R1200GS. Riders should bring their own enduro boots, pants and jacket, gloves, and rain suit. Helmets are available for additional $5 per day. All bikes have top/side cases for luggage (some have Garmin GPS cradle). Renter must provide a passport, valid motorcycle license, and have good riding skills. Minimum age is 23 years. Riders must have travel insurance. Additional medical insurance is included with the rental covering medical assistance up to $150,000.

The motorcycle rent charge includes: third part liability, partial insurance against damage or theft, and VAT. Deposit of $300 payable in cash. According to insurance conditions, renter is responsible for all damage up to the deposit amount. Additional damages will only be covered by insurance if the rider is not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and has not broken the traffic regulations, otherwise renter has a full responsibility for motorcycle damange and recovery.

Overnight at Holiday Inn Sokolniki (4*).

Founded in 1148, Uglich flourished in the 13th and 14th centuries and was the favorite city of Ivan the Terrible.  Grand Duke Ivan III of Moscow gave the town to his younger brother Andrei Bolshoi in 1462. During Andrei's reign the town was expanded and the first stone buildings were constructed. Particularly notable were the cathedral (rebuilt in 1713), the Intercession Monastery (destroyed by the Bolsheviks) and the red-brick palace of the prince (completed in 1481 and still standing today).

Tour starts from your hotel in Moscow. After 58 km of highway we arrive at one of the most famous historical and religious places – Troitse-Sergiev monastery in Sergiev Posad. It was founded in the XIV century and remains one of the most important centers of the Russian Orthodox church. We shall make a brief tour of the monastery. Our tour goes on in the direction of the ancient Russian town of Uglich. We will drive, alternatively, tarmac, gravel and dirt roads for 177 km among forests, fields and abandoned villages, until we reach Ilyinskaya village. After that, an old brick road built by the medieval Russian tsars will lead us to the Uleyma convent. Following a brief visit to the monastery and a 10-km tarmac road drive, we reach Uglich, one of the most ancient Russian towns founded in 937 AD. The town is known for its 3 monasteries of the XIII century, typical Russian provincial architecture (mainly XIX century).

Your private motorcycle guide will lead the tour, provide directions, and inside information on the best sights, restaurants, and experiences.

Dedicated support vehicle follows the group carrying luggage, spare parts, and extra seats (in case a rider wants to take a break and ride a section of the tour).

The Hotel Moskovsky Trakt is located in the heart of Rostov Veliky, just 10 minutes walk from the favorite historical place Rostovskiy Kremlin. It is within walking distance from the railway station, an hour drive from Tunoshna Yaroslavl Airport, and three hours drive from ing from the Sheremetevo Airport. The hotel provides a wide range of conference facilities. It also offers a restaurant with a warm and cozy atmosphere, a fitness center, a banquet hall, and free parking area. Each room has a TV set, a fridge, air-conditioning, telephone, and a bathroom with the amenity set.

Overnight at Hotel Uglich.

Tver is the administrative center of Tver Oblast, in Russia. Tver, which is located north of Moscow, was formerly the capital of a powerful medieval state and a model provincial town in Imperial Russia. It is located at the confluence of the Volga and Tvertsa Rivers. The city was known as Kalinin from 1931 to 1990. Apart from the suburban White Trinity Church (1564), there are no ancient monuments left in Tver. The downtown is graced with Catharinian and Soviet edifices, bridges and embankments.

Myshkin (town of mice) is our next stop point. There are a lot of interesting museums. Of course the Museum of Mouse, and in addition, the Museum of Russian merchant, Museum of Wooden Architecture, Museum of Russian vodka, Museum of Handicrafts. Enjoy a walking tour through the museums and break for lunch before continuing on to Yaroslavl, an 11th century town that has a great role in Russian history. There are many ancient buildings, which keep its historical secrets. Visit a Monastery and see the real life of nuns and in the evening, take a short walk around the town.

Your private motorcycle Guide will lead the tour, provide directions, and inside information on the best sights, restaurants, and experiences.

Dedicated support vehicle follows the group carrying luggage, spare parts, and extra seats (in case a rider wants to take a break and ride a section of the tour).

Tver Park Hotel is the only three-star hotel complex in Tver, lying on the bank of the river Volga, in the calm place among birches. The hotel has 36 comfortable rooms, a large conference-hall, which can be easy transformed to the banqueting hall. There is a large waterside zone where you can walk and have a rest. Boats and fishing rods, tennis, badminton, billiards, sauna are always at your service.

Overnight at Park Hotel.

Seliger is a lake in Tver Oblast, in the northwest of the Valdai Hills, a part of the Volga basin. Seliger is a large system of lakes linked by effluents, has many small islands and is surrounded by forests, including pine woods with many berries and mushrooms. Seliger is situated within a picturesque landscape of forests and hills. The lake is a protected nature reserve and is sometimes known as the "European Baikal" due to the diversity of its unique flora and fauna, similar to Lake Baikal. Ostashkov is the only town on the lake and is one of the most popular resorts in central Russia.

In the morning – a tour of the city followed by a 100 km drive to the town of Staritsa (tarmac). Staritsa was mentioned in ancient chronicles in 1297. The local Assumption monastery has been founded in 1110 and is one of the oldest acting monasteries in Russia. After 1569, Staritsa was owned by tsar Ivan the Terrible. Lunch and a brief tour of the town. After that, we drive to the pearl of Russia, the Seliger system of lakes. 282 km (tarmac 200 km, gravel 82 km)

Your private motorcycle guide will lead the tour, provide directions, and inside information on the best sights, restaurants, and experiences.

Dedicated support vehicle follows the group carrying luggage, spare parts, and extra seats (in case a rider wants to take a break and ride a section of the tour).

In the heart of Russia - in the Tver region, 386 kilometers from Moscow - a unique place awaits with a rich history and relaxed atmosphere. An old manor house of Tver landlords Tolstoy, built in the late XVIII century on the banks Lake Seliger in the XXI Century XXI - this historic gem has been fully restored and opened as Palace Hotel Seliger. The only four star hotel in the region, this mansion boasts classic interiors with modern conveniences for the guest's comfort. This three-story building with 50 comfortable single, doubles and triple rooms, "Luxe." The new hotel building 29 of the 38 standard rooms are equipped with single beds shell that allows you to receive guests traveling in groups. 4 two-room suites of the new building meet the needs of most demanding guests. Restrained classic in interior design is complemented by a high level of service. In every hotel room - color TV with satellite channels, radio telephone, minibar, bath or shower in the bathroom, and air conditioning

Overnight at Palace Hotel.

In the beautifully located lodge on the river bank, you can swim, water ski, travel by motor boat, or just relax after the tiring travel. After lunch you will have a nice boat tour on the Seliger system of lakes with its 160 islands, visiting Nilova Pustyn monastery founded in the XVI century on one of the islands. In the evening enjoy a Russian sauna ("banya") and try tasty Russian barbeque - shashlick.

Your private motorcycle guide will lead the tour, provide directions, and inside information on the best sights, restaurants, and experiences.

Dedicated support vehicle follows the group carrying luggage, spare parts, and extra seats (in case a rider wants to take a break and ride a section of the tour).

Overnight at Palace Hotel.

Veliky Novgorod is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia, and the administrative center of Novgorod Oblast. It is situated on the M10 federal highway connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg. The city lies along the Volkhov River just below its outflow from Lake Ilmen. Novgorod is among the most ancient cities of the East Slavs. No other Russian or Ukrainian city can compete with Novgorod in the variety and age of its medieval monuments. The foremost among these is the St Sophia Cathedral, built between 1045 and 1050. The Novgorod Kremlin, traditionally known as the Detinets, also contains the oldest palace in Russia (the so-called Chamber of the Facets, 1433). Outside the kremlin walls, there are three large churches constructed during the reign of Mstislav the Great. There are now some fifty still-extant medieval and early modern churches scattered throughout the city and its environs.

Tarmac, gravel and dirt roads among the breathtaking scenery of lakes and forests will lead us to the old Russian town of Novgorod, once a powerful medieval city-state. You will visit Russian Village Vitoslavlitsy which situated in Novgorod suburb. 216 km (tarmac 166 km, gravel and dirt 50 km)

Your private motorcycle guide will lead the tour, provide directions, and inside information on the best sights, restaurants, and experiences.

Dedicated support vehicle follows the group carrying luggage, spare parts, and extra seats (in case a rider wants to take a break and ride a section of the tour).

Rated as the very best and largest hotel in Great Novgorod "Beresta Palace" is located on the bank of the Volkhov River not far from the down-town, the well-planned and well-managed property area totals 1956 sq. m. The Hotel’s gracious atmosphere harmoniously incorporates a multitude of possibilities to rest and to have business meetings. The Hotel features 195 spacious comfortable double rooms, 14 "Junior Suites", 5 "Suites", President Apartments, Modular Conference Hall with 250 seats, 2 meeting rooms, Business Center, WiFi-Internet. "Beresta" Restaurant, Austrian Style "Bierstube" Restaurant and the Lobby-Bar - a real temptation for the most exacting guests. A stylish night club, Relaxation and Wellness Center offer pleasure for the soul and relaxing joy for the body. The vast property area includes scenic green meadows, flowerbeds, tennis courts, jogging trails, as well as the Barbecue site and the Sun terrace.

Overnight at Beresta Palace Hotel.

St Petersburg is known as a cultural center and for its elegant buildings, and is spread over 42 islands in the delta of the River Neva. In comparison to Moscow, which tended to be more Eastern in character, St Petersburg has always retained a European flavor and was intended as a ‘Window to the West’. It was built by Peter the Great in 1703 and remained the capital of Tsarist Russia for 200 years. Wide boulevards, tranquil canals, bridges and some of the best examples of tsarist architecture gave rise to the epithet the ‘Venice of the North’. The Palace Square and the Winter Palace (Hermitage Museum) are among the most popular attractions for enthusiasts of Russian history.

We cross Volga and drive along its banks for some time. The picturesque dirt road leads us to an old town of Kashin founded in the XII-XIII centuries. After a brief tour of the town we proceed to Tver, a big city with long and interesting history, lie in the heart of the Middle Russian valleys with their forests, quite rivers and charming lakes. 111 km of gravel and tarmac roads lead us to the village of Stoyantsy. After Stoyantsy, a difficult section – 10 km of narrow and winding dirt road. Next, 22 km of tarmac and 70 km of sand road to Savateevo village. And finally, 12 km of tarmac to Tver. The city was founded in the ?II century, and it was a capital of the most powerful princedom in the North-Eastern Russia. Some architectural monuments of the ?III century have remained till our time. 294 km (tarmac 134 km, gravel and dirt 160)

Your private motorcycle guide will lead the tour, provide directions, and inside information on the best sights, restaurants, and experiences.

Dedicated support vehicle follows the group carrying luggage, spare parts, and extra seats (in case a rider wants to take a break and ride a section of the tour).

Your motorcycle will be returned to Moscow by truck.

Located in St. Petersburg, the Ambassador Hotel (4*) is a unique complex, combining a modern building with an architectural gem from the 19th century. The hotel has 255 air-conditioned bedrooms that are comfortable and provide a homely ambience. Whatever the day, whatever the hour, the Ambassador hotel offers a room catering service for your convenience. In adhering to culinary traditions, the onsite restaurants are renowned for high standards and exceptional style. Despite the stylistic differences of the hotel's facades, the interiors are all in the classical style. Guests have access to gymnasium, sauna and swimming pool as well as beauty salon, currency exchange point and newspaper stand.

Overnight at Ambassador (4*).

Enjoy a private guided 5hr tour of the Hermitage and admire the gems of the collection. During the tour you will see the State Rooms of the Winter Palace, a part of the collection of paintings of Old Masters and other exciting exhibits and works of art. Value the splendour of the Gala stair-way, Peter's Memorial Hall, the Armorial Hall, the Gallery of 1812 with its numerous portraits, the Pavilion Hall and its various amusements and other gala rooms. You are sure to enjoy the works of applied arts, precious items and paintings. The collection of Western European art, numbering over 600,000 items, is considered to be one of the finest in the world. It presents all the stages of the development of art from the Middle Ages to the present. Enjoy masterpieces by outstanding Western European artists, as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Giorgione, Titian, Michelangelo, Francisco de Goya, Renoir, Picasso and others. You will have an opportunity to see such world-famous masterpieces as works by Degas, Renoir, Pissarro, Van Gogh, Gauguin and others. Admire the richest collection of ancient and early medieval items, works of art from Ancient Greece and Rome, fabulous treasures of oriental culture and wonderful European art. (Entrance fee to Hermitage Museum is included in the tour price).

Enjoy a private guided 4.5hr excursion to one of the most beautiful summer residences of the Royal family, Peterhof. The world-famous palace, fountain and park is an outstanding landmark of Russian artistic culture of the 18th-19th centuries. It was founded at the very beginning of the 18th century by Emperor Peter the Great. Visit the Great Palace, which is the structural center of the Upper Gardens and the Lower Park, the high terrace, adorned with gold statues, the crystal jets of the Great Cascade and the terrace fountains. Learn from your private guide about the fate of the palace and the parks during the World War II, see the pictures representing the palace and in process of restoration works. Enjoy the spacious and airy rooms of the palace, adorned with rich moldings, splendid parquet flooring, exquisite carving, painted ceilings and canvases by great masters. Walk through the various fountains of different sizes and shapes in the lower Park, and admire the beautiful gardens. (transportation to and from the palace as well as entrance fee is included).

Overnight at Ambassador (4*).

Avail of a private airport transfer in St Petersburg.

Kensington Tours donates a portion of proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities.

Depart from St. Petersburg international airport - end of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.