Honeymoon to Moscow and St Petersburg

Included in the itinerary - Moscow Highlights. Accompanied by a guide, visit Moscow's main districts and sites. Splendid monuments mark the route, including Pashkov House, a stunning neoclassical achievement by Vasili Bazhenov (1788); the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (Constantine Tuna, 1883), the phoenix church where the band Pussy Riot became famous; the lovely church of St Nicholas des-Tisserands (1682), typical of the Naryshkin Baroque; the main building of Lomonosov University (Lev Vladimirovich Rudnev, 1953), from which you get a magnificent view of the city. In the afternoon, an hour's visit to GUM, the famous department store in Red Square. Founded in 1893, it is the Moscow equivalent of John Lewis, where more than 200 major brands share 1.5 miles of the shopping mall. On your way out, you can stroll around the square, where you'll also find Lenin's Mausoleum, the 16th century Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed (or St Basil's Cathedral).

Today you can visit the Kremlin as guests and admire the stunning collection of decorative art in the Armoury Chamber. And then go on to the Tretyakov Gallery, where you can get your fill of Russian paintings. The icons in particular are amazing. Rublev's The Trinity (1427), the Holy Face and the cloud-shrouded Dormition of Novgorod (12th century) are universal masterpieces. Then there is the enigmatic Black Square on a white background by Kasimir Malevich (1915). The VDNH Park, a kind of open-air museum of Soviet era architecture, is surprising. And back to Vinzavod, where a dozen prestigious art galleries have moved into a former wine warehouse. Together, they are an important artistic hub. Since its inception, the centre has enjoyed steady success.

Transfer to the station, high-speed train and first class to St Petersburg. Accommodation for four nights in the W Hotel, within sight of the Admiralty tower and close to Nevsky Prospekt. The restaurant provides European cuisine with contemporary influences: lightness, flavour, precision. In terms of well-being, the indoor pool, spa and gym are all fantastic.

Included in the itinerary - The bourgeois highlights of St Petersburg. A tour of the city accompanied by a private guide. You'll begin by going to Hare Island where the Peter and Paul Fortress stands: the Romanovs have been buried there since Peter the Great. Then there is the Field of Mars, on which Paul I loved to exercise his troops, and the Marble Palace, with its imposing neoclassical facade, and the Summer Garden. There is an eclectic feel to St Petersburg. Elements could feel like London - St Isaac's is modelled on St Paul's Cathedral, while parts could also look like Brasilia.

Compared to conservative Moscow, St Petersburg is a young, bustling city behind the impeccable contours of its palaces. Designed as a theatre of power, it is also home to intellectuals and the arts. It is best discovered by foot; walking through its many palaces, along the lattice of canals, sumptuous museums, peaceful parks and a thousand corners where the spirit of the Russian Enlightenment is still hidden.