Five Star Touring, Inc

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With Classical Russia and The Ultimate Moscow & St. Petersburg you discover the very best of Moscow and St. Petersburg. You tour the vast collections at the Hermitage Museum and Pushkin Museum of Fine Art. You discover the talented Russian masters at the Russian Museum and Tretyakov Picture Gallery. You tour the lavish and historic palaces of the Czars: the Grand Palace and Monplaisir at Petrodvorets; the Catherine and Alexander Palaces at Pushkin and the Pavlovsk palace. You view the dazzling Treasuries at the Hermitage, the treasures of the Armory Museum and Diamond Fund within the Kremlin Territory. You see daily life as you explore the elegant stations of the Moscow Metro, stroll in GUM department store and walk along the Arbat.
Delights of Old Russia will transport you back in time with visits to historic, beautiful towns and villages of the fabled historic Golden Ring where the pace of daily life is still tranquil.
In winter Russia is in full cultural swing, and transformed under its snowy blanket, creating a magical landscape. In spring, the snowy landscape gradually gives way to reveal beautiful parks with thousands of trees. Summer brings vistas of colorful gardens, dazzling fountains, and endless daylight hours. In fall, the cultural season returns,and the birch trees transform the urban scenery to shimmering gold before the snowy blanket returns.
Central and Eastern Europe

Budapest, Vienna & Prague: A Tale of Two Rivers offers the best of these sophisticated and vibrant world capitals with visits to all of the major highlights.
In Budapest, you discover lively Pest with visits of the State Opera House, splendid St. Stephen's Basilica, historic Dohany Street Synagogue and the elegant Parliament. On the Buda side, you enjoy the view from Fisherman's Bastion and tour Matthias Church, coronation site of Hungarian kings. You stroll in the town of Szentendre, on the Danube Bend, and in the Renaissance town of Sopron. In Vienna, you visit the Imperial Apartments of the Hofburg, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the State Rooms of Schonbrunn Palace and Belvedere Palace. You will admire the town of Cesky Krumlov, a maze of Renaissance buildings, in the Czech Republic, to see its crown jewel, Hradek Castle. You explore the towns of Prague: Old Town or Stare Mesto filled with medieval buildings, Lesser Town or Mala Strana and New Town or Nove Mesto with superb Gothic and Baroque buildings, parks and gardens. You tour the historic Jewish Town or Josefov district with its historic synagogues. You drive up to the Castle District or Hradcany to visit St. Vitus Cathedral and the famous rooms within the Royal Palace. You stroll down Golden Laneand cross over the Charles Bridge that spans the Vltava for one of the finest views. Cultural events and local dining all add to the enjoyment of this tour.

Romanian Snapshot: Bucharest & Transylvania affords a comprehensive tour of the cosmopolitan capital Bucharest with visits of the lavish Palace of Parliament, the History Museum with the National Treasury, the award-winning Peasant Museum with an outstanding colorful array of folk art and costumes, Old Bucharest with visits of Stravropoleos Church. You tour Cotroceni Palace, once residence of Romanian royalty. You travel through the region of Wallachia to historic Transylvania. You enjoy in depth tours of medieval towns, castles and fortress cities: Brasov, Castle Bran, Sighisoara and Sibiu with brightly painted ancient houses. In Sibiel you observe the rural lifestyle and savor a traditional lunch at a working farmhouse. You will be amazed by Peles Castle, a truly spectacular royal palace with lavish interiors and treasures, considered one of the best preserved in all Europe. You enjoy accommodations at excellent hotels and top off your day with tasty dinners at local restaurants.
Bucharest & Beyond: Painted Monasteries & Fortress Towns includes some of the most important World Heritage Sites of Romania. You tour cosmopolitan Bucharest, often called “Little Paris” because of its wide tree-lined boulevards, fine architecture and French language, once its second language. You visit the most important highlights: Palace of Parliament, the Open-Air Village Museum, the award-winning Peasant Museum, the National History Museum and its glittering Treasury as well as Cotroceni Palace with lavish furnishings, art and personal effects of the former royals. You travel north to the remote region of Bucovina in Moldova – a region of unspoiled natural beauty, dotted with charming villages and land of the legendary painted monasteries, all greatly influenced by Byzantine art, with exteriors in brilliant colors that have survived the elements since the 15th century. You tour Humor Monastery, the smallest, where shades of red are predominant; Voronets Monastery, called the “Sistine Chapel of the East” for its exterior and interior frescoes with biblical scenes and themes and a predominance of a special blue, known as Voronet blue for its uniqueness; the award-winning Moldovita Monastery, built as a refuge from the Turks, and Suceavita Monastery, the best-preserved of all, with stone fortification walls and towers. You travel into Transylavia, the “land beyond the forests”, to explore its medieval fortress cities and towns, all World Heritage Sites, and enjoy the major highlights of Brasov, Sighisoara and Sibiu. You visit historic Castle Bran and have time to discover the “hidden” places that make it special. You get a taste of rural life in Sibiel and enjoy a traditional farmhouse lunch. You are dazzled by Peles Castle, once the summer residence of the Romanian royals, with 160 rooms filled with treasures of all kinds. A scenic drive brings you back to Bucharest, where the tour ends.
A Grand Tour of Romania: Maramures to Bucharest is a special tour and date. This tour begins in Bucharest where you see the major highlights before travelling to the very north, to the colorful region of Maramures. You tour Sapanta and its Merry Cemetery with colorful folk-art paintings carved into the wooden grave markers. In Sighetu Marmatiei, historic capital of the region, you stroll in its Open-Air Village Museum and delight in the splendid collections of folk art and costumes in the Maramures Museum. You will view village life at Plopis, Surdesti, Barsana and Ieud, with stops to admire these villages and their wooden masterpieces, unique to the region. You enjoy special visits of a wood-carving workshop, a pottery workshop and a private tour of a renowned carpet collection. A special highlight is the festival of Jocul Satului in the charming village of Hoteni. You will enjoy the colorful folk bands and dancing teams in colorful regional dress and have time to sample the tasty local cuisine and view the handiwork of the local residents. You travel into the enchanting region of Bucovina for visits of the legendary painted monasteries with their brilliant exterior colors that have survived since the 15th century: Suceavita Monastery, the best preserved of all; fortified Moldovita Monastery; built as a refuge from the Turks; Arbore Monastery known for the color green; Humor, the smallest monastery where red is the predominant color; Voronets, called the “Sistine Chapel of the East” for the biblical themes and scenes, and renowned for its special blue. You drive to the remote, unpainted Dragomirna Monastery with impressive fortress walls and view 26 ancient illuminated manuscripts. A scenic drive through the spectacular Bicaz Canyon brings you to Transylvania for comprehensive tours in Brasov, Sighisoara, Sibiu and Sibiel. You explore historic Castle Bran and dazzling Peles Castle. You continue to Snagov Monastery, steeped in legend and mystery, before reaching Bucharest.
Amazing Romania & The Best of Romania & Bulgaria are package tours guaranteed to operate from May to the end of September with just two participants. Amazing Romania focuses on the major highlights of Transylvania and Bucovina, while The Best of Romania & Bulgaria, explores Transylvania plus many UNESCO World Heritage Sites and historic towns, cities and villages of Bulgaria
Come join us on one of our tours in 2010.