Day 1 (Sunday).
By arriving early on a Sunday morning, in Moscow, our tour-guide will meet you and then give you your tour overview.
During the sightseeing part of the Moscow tour, you will see all the most interesting spots. You will be comfortably driven round imposing Red Square, Alexander Gardens – with its Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Manezh Square, then on to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior where great views of the Kremlin from Sophia embankment can be seen not forgetting the enormous monument to Peter the Great and the massive "House on Embankment." You will also have an opportunity to see from the outside, the wonderful New Maiden Convent with its cemetary where the tombs of many notable Russian people can be seen.
Next, the panorama from Sparrow hills and one of the "Seven Sisters" the Moscow State University or MGU building. You can walk in Victory Park well manicured grounds, see the fountains and tall monument, a lofty height of 150 meters and is obelisk-shaped bearing a statue of Nike, the goddess of Victory, at Poklonnaya hill, marked by the Triumphal Arch with beautifully laid out flower gardens and down Kutuzov Avenue towards other famous streets and avenues like New Arbat Street, Boulevard ring, Theatre Square, Tverskaya Street and Pushkin Square.
All this program will take approximately 3-4 hours.
You will have meal and we will discuss the itinerary of your stay.
After a short break, we will take you to the recreation facility – the village tourist centre about 180 km from Moscow. Our interpreter will accompany you.
Once there, you will check into your room.
To help you become acquainted with the area, we will give you a short tour around the village to meet with the locals, see the rustic homes and learn about infrastructure of your house, also, you will see the stable and kennels.
After dining there is free time to spend how you will…
Day 2 (Monday). Discovery of the village way of life.
After a traditional breakfast in your country home, you will start your day having a look at the way life works in the village. Our professional instructor will accompany you, and will explane how to start an oven or fire-place, to whet-stone a scythe and mow the grass and work in the vegetable garden on the collective farm, and, of course, you may swim in the river.
This will be only the first part of the day. Lunch will mark the break before the second half commences with an opportunity to drive a tractor and for you to try your hand at ploughing a field!
You will be shown how to cut and prepare firewood.
At the end of this busy day, you will go to the traditional Russian bath, where you will have little talk about the history of the bath and features of it and how to use it before actually having one. You will your bath with honey and tea which will be made from different herbs, according to a traditional Russia recipe.
Finally, dinner will be served and you will be free.
Day 3 (Tuesday). Cattle-breeding day.
Breakfast in your home starts the day where you will visit the horse breeding Institute. There you will see horses being raised and cared for.
Next, we will take you to visit the Apicultural (or Beekeeping) Institute Museum with our experienced bee-keepers. They will show you how honey should be made, which is one of the most valuable products of our time. Then, you will see the process of how bees are bred, then you can taste some natural honey.
A short lunch break before continuing the tour where you will learn how to groom and saddle horses. Then you can, if you wish, ride a horse.
Later, you will be shown how to prepare cattle-feed and how to feed them. Then our dairy specialist will show you how to milk cows. You will, also, be given a short course how to make natural products from milk, such as butter, curd, sour cream, baked milk and more….
During the evening, you will dine and, later, have some free-time to relax, before being invited to an evening barbeque in the meadow (23:00-1:00). It is a lovely, warm and friendly occasion followed by lighting of the fire, the preparation of shashlik, drinking mead and koumiss (fermented mare’s milk) and listening to tales of interest. It should be a wonderful night out in the open, communicating with the local villagers!
Day 4 (Wednesday).
First, breakfast! Next, a trip where you will be taken out to see historic monuments and other interesting local places. Our representative will accompany you in the coach on this sightseeing tour. You will visit the local historic Kremlin and local history museum, where you can learn about the region’s history, including a Russian monastery, in which you will be shown the Holy Fount. Locals claim that those who swim there will be healed and will be cleansed of their sins.
Then you will have lunch at a reputable restaurant before leaving to return to the village.
In the evening, you will have free time and some traditionally prepared food for dinner.
Day 5 (Thursday). Fishing day.
You are to get up early, then have breakfast and, afterwards, you will be taken to your fishing destination. You will be accompanied by our fishing specialist and you will be given a crash course how to prepare fishing tackle, use lures and, naturally, which lure to use so you can catch certain types of fish. You will try different ways of fishing from a motorboat. After spending time fishing, you will be shown how to prepare our traditional fish soup, made over an open fire. You can also swim in the river, if you wish.
Afterwards, you will be taken back to the camp, where you will have some time to relax before the evening, where we will have organized a festive dinner for you. Singers and accordion players will entertain you. You will have the opportunity to sit with a friendly crowd of Russian villagers and try various dishes from the stove, national snacks, alcoholic drinks and also hot roast suckling pig and specially made "village casha".
For posterity, your name will be entered into a special of "Guests of Honour" book, after which, we will make a memorial plaque with your name and the date of your stay.
You will be presented a Personal Certificate as a souvenir of your experiences of village life. Finally, there will be a photo session with many of the villagers.
Day 6 (Friday).
After breakfasting and checking-out, you will be taken back to Moscow.
Then you will have lunch in prestigious Moscow restaurant. Upon finishing the meal, we will deliver you to the airport for departure from Russia.
