19:40 | Overnight Premium train to Kazan from Moscow’s Kazansky Railway Station. You can board your train 30 minutes before departure.

Duration: 12h20

08:00 | Arrival in Kazan. Transfer to the hotel. A driver will wait for you next to your carriage with a sign saying .

10:00 | City tour of Kazan – on which you will visit the main sights of the city, including:

Kazan Kremlin – the heart of Kazan and its main site. Although a fortress has stood here for centuries the present-day walls mainly date from the time of Ivan the Terrible. The Kazan Kremlin is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Qol-Şärif Mosque – rebuilt in 1996, it is now the main mosque in Tatarstan. The mosque stands on the site where a mosque, said to be reminiscent of St Basil’s Cathedral, was destroyed by the troops of Ivan the Terrible in 1552.

Ulitsa Baumana – the main pedestrian and most beautiful street in Kazan.

Ss Peter and Paul’s Cathedral – one the most unusual and pretty cathedrals, not just in Kazan, but in the whole of Russia. Its beauty was noted by the Russian emperors who visited as well as by Aleksandr Pushkin and Alexandre Dumas. The famous opera singer Fyodor Shalyapin also sang here.

Palace of Agriculturalists – although it was only built relatively recently, this palace is now one of the most spectacular buildings in the city. The main structure of the palace incorporates elements of empire and classical architecture on a grand scale.

Kazan Family Center – one of the more unusual buildings in Kazan built in the form of a kazan cauldron opposite the kremlin. From here you can enjoy stunning views of the historical centre of the city.

Duration: 3½h |  Transportation: by a private car

Free time in Kazan – you can explore the city by yourself or book one of our optional additional excursions.

Night in Kazan.

Breakfast at your hotel.

 Transfer to Sviyazhsk Island. Your guide will wait for you in the lobby of your hotel with a sign saying . During the transfer you will stop on the way at the Temple of All Religions, a unique building comprising symbols of 16 world religions, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and the ancient Egyptian religion. The man behind this temple is Ildar Khanov who was convinced that if all religions of the world were united, there would be no more wars on earth.

 Distance: 65km

 Excursion around the island - the highlights of this tour include:

Trinity Church – the first church to be built on the island; it dates from 1551 when Sviyazhsk itself was being constructed. It is the only wooden church on the island and the oldest surviving church on the Volga. It is believed that Ivan the Terrible himself prayed here several times.

Bogoroditse-Uspensky Monastery – this monastery boasts unique architectural treasures which can be found nowhere else on the Volga. It has two ancient churches which date from the mid-16th century, soon after the construction of the original fortress here. These are St Nicholas' Church with its tall bell tower and the Dormition Cathedral. Inside the cathedral you can see frescoes with date from the time of Ivan the Terrible. They represent one of just two examples of 16th-century fresco painting in Russia and cover almost 1080 square metres.

Joy of All Who Sorrow Cathedral – the largest cathedral on the island; it was built at the end of the 19th century in the Byzantine revival architectural style popular at the time in Russia. The external appearance of the cathedral has remained practically unchanged, resembling a multi-tier tower with flat spherical domes.

 Duration: 2½h |   Transport: by a private car.

 Transfer back to Kazan.

 Distance: 65km

 Upon your return to Kazan you will have free time in the city.

 19:00 | Transfer from your hotel to Kazan Railway Station. The driver will wait for you in the reception of your hotel.

 19:45 | Departure on the Tatarstan premium night train to Moscow

 Duration: 11h25