Petersburg, Moscow & Kazan

After halal breakfast, enter the State Hermitage privately and without queues (~3 hours): the Winter Palace, Jordan Staircase and the Rembrandt, Leonardo and Raphael galleries, with a licensed art-historian guide. Pause for prayer in the museum rest area. Have halal lunch near Palace Embankment, then walk along Nevsky Prospekt, through Palace Square, to the Bronze Horseman and Admiralty Embankment (~4 km). In heavy rain, choose the Hermitage General Staff Wing or the State Russian Museum instead, by agreement. This evening, your group has a private two-hour cruise on the Neva and canals, with seasonal drawbridges, illuminated façades and blankets; enjoy a light dinner aboard or at Sadko. Only your group of 2–8 is on board.

Meals: Halal lunch

Prayer: Hermitage pause

Halal: Embankment — halal

Begin with an early halal breakfast at Domina Prestige, then travel by private minivan to Peterhof (~30 km, ~45 minutes). Visit the Grand Palace and state rooms, Grand Cascade and Lower Park with its 147 fountains from May to October; out of season, see the statues and avenues. The queue-free visit lasts about three hours, with a prayer pause in a park pavilion. Have halal lunch by the Lower Park, then transfer to Ladozhsky Station with an escort to boarding. Travel business class on the Sapsan to Moscow (~4 hours, 650 km), with a separate space for your group of 2–8, tea and a light snack; a full lunch is not included. Meet on arrival at Leningradsky Station and transfer to Hotel National on Mokhovaya, to a Junior Suite with a Kremlin view. Halal dinner is served at the hotel restaurant, followed by rest.

Meals: Peterhof + Sapsan dinner

Prayer: Dhuhr Peterhof

Halal: Sapsan meal pre-ordered halal

After breakfast, take a private, queue-free tour of Red Square and the Moscow Kremlin (~4 hours): St. Basil's Cathedral from outside, the Mausoleum if you wish, and the Armoury Chamber with the Diamond Fund and ceremonial armour. A licensed historian guides only your group of 2–8 at an unhurried pace. Pause for prayer on site where possible or at Hotel National. Have halal lunch at a restaurant near the Kremlin. The afternoon is free for rest, a walk in Alexandrovsky Garden or optional Bolshoi Theatre tickets, booked in advance. In rain, spend more time in the Armoury Chamber. The evening is free, with dinner optional.

Meals: Moscow halal lunch

Prayer: Cathedral Mosque visit

Halal: Chaihona — halal

This morning, visit the State Tretyakov Gallery with a private guide (~2.5 hours), exploring Russian art from the 12th to 20th centuries, The Appearance of Christ Before the People, and works by Perov, Repin and Vrubel. Pause for prayer, then have halal lunch at a fine-dining restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Moscow City for the 89th-floor viewing deck in Federation Tower, then walk through Gorky Park and Sparrow Hills for views across the capital (~4 km). If fog reduces visibility, focus on the gallery and the park's indoor pavilions. Have dinner at a halal restaurant with a city panorama before returning to Hotel National. Your minivan and guide are exclusively yours.

Meals: Halal lunch Moscow

Prayer: Dhuhr at mosque

Halal: Halal grill

Breakfast is at Hotel National before your transfer to Kazansky Station. Travel business class by Sapsan or Lastochka high-speed train to Kazan (~4 hours, 800 km), with spacious seats, sockets and tea on board. Meet on arrival and transfer to Kazan Palace by Tasigo, where your Deluxe room has a view of Kazan Kremlin and the hotel has a prayer room. After a short rest, walk along pedestrian Baumana Street, with views of the Kul Sharif domes, cafés and souvenirs (~2 km). Enjoy a halal Tatar dinner of echpochmak, chak-chak and goose with porridge at Tubetey or House of Tatar Cuisine. The briefing covers the Kremlin programme and modest dress for the mosque. The group size is 2–8.

Meals: Train snack halal

Prayer: Prayer times card on train

Halal: Sapsan halal meal

Spend a full day at Kazan Kremlin (UNESCO) with a Muslim guide: this is the anchor day for your introduction to Islamic Russia. Visit Kul Sharif Mosque, with prayer pauses built into the programme, the Annunciation Cathedral for contrast, the leaning Suyumbike Tower and Volga viewpoints (~4 hours). Hear about Tatar Muslim heritage and Kazan's place as Russia's Islamic capital, in Arabic or English on request. Have halal lunch in the Old Tatar Quarter, then make echpochmak by hand in a Tatar cooking workshop (~2 hours). There is time for Kremlin photographs before a farewell dinner with views of the domes. Overnight at Kazan Palace by Tasigo.

Meals: Kazan halal Tatar dinner

Prayer: Full day Kul Sharif — all prayers on site

Halal: Dom Tatarskoy Kulinarii — halal certified

Drive to the island-town of Sviyazhsk (~60 km, ~1 hour), a fortress founded under Ivan the Terrible in 1551. Explore the Dormition Monastery, 16th-century wooden churches and the island history museum (~3 hours). Have halal lunch at a guesthouse or a chef-prepared lunch box. After lunch, return to Kazan by Volga cruise (~1.5 hours), passing embankments and bridges as the sun sets over the river. In stormy weather, return by minivan across the dam. The evening is free, or dine at the hotel's Jamig restaurant. Only your group is on board.

Meals: Island picnic halal

Prayer: Dhuhr Sviyazhsk

Halal: Packed halal

Breakfast is at Kazan Palace by Tasigo. The morning is free for shopping on Baumana Street and at Kazan GUM, for Tatar sweets, leather and cosmetics. Have halal lunch in the city, then transfer to the station for your business-class high-speed train to Moscow or St. Petersburg, as you prefer (~4–8 hours). On arrival, meet your transfer to the hotel or go straight to farewell dinner. Enjoy Russian and Tatar cuisine as your coordinator collects feedback and presents a gift set. The experience remains private for your group of 2–8.

Meals: Shopping lunch halal

Prayer: Kazan mosque

Halal: Baumana street halal

Enjoy a halal buffet breakfast at the hotel. The morning is free for last shopping or rest after the full journey. After collecting luggage, take a private transfer to Pulkovo, Sheremetyevo or Vnukovo Airport, timed to your international flight; we recommend a departure at least three hours after leaving the hotel. Receive a gift set of caviar, honey, Alyonka chocolate, Tatar sweets and tea. Your Almas host remains in touch until boarding, with no shared transfers.

Meals: Breakfast

Prayer: Fajr airport hotel

Halal: Airport halal