St Petersburg - Moscow on the Volga River / 4* river cruise
Days
11 days
Price available
on request
St Petersburg - Moscow on the Volga River / 4* river cruise
- Overview
- Itinerary
- Included
- Cruise Overview
Cruise the scenic Volga River stopping for sightseeing at historic towns, charming villages and monasteries en route from St Petersburg to Moscow. It is a great way to explore the diversity of the fascinating modern and ancient cities along the way, and experience the enchanting and peaceful nature of Eastern Europe’s countryside.
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Day 1 - St Petersburg
Airport arrival transfer to the ship
Arrival in St Petersburg. Our driver will meet you in the arrival sector. Transfer to the ship.
Welcome cocktail reception on board
Your first night on board! We will spend several glorious days in this exciting city while your ship is docked in the port. Welcome cocktail reception in the evening.
Day 2 - St Petersburg
City tour around St Petersburg. Visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress
After breakfast, you have a guided tour of St Petersburg. This magnificent city enchants all its visitors with its legacy of history and the arts, and its striking beauty. St Petersburg is a city of canals and rivers, built on 101 islands and linked by 350 graceful bridges, thus earning the name of "Venice of the North". Then you will embark on a bus tour around the city. You will see the major sights of St Petersburg, including the Peter & Paul Fortress and the Church of Christ’s Resurrection (The Saviour of the Blood), which revives the traditions of 17th century Russian church building. The Peter and Paul Fortress, the historic heart of St Petersburg, dating back to 1703. The fortress, the first building of the new city, was founded to protect the lands of the Neva from possible attack by Swedish troops. The sacred site of the fortress complex is the Cathedral of Peter and Paul. Until 1917 the fortress housed political prisoners. Many of its buildings have now been converted into museum. It features a splendid cathedral containing the tombs of the Romanov monarchs.
Visit to the Hermitage
Today we visit one of the world’s most famous museums, the Hermitage, housed in the former Winter Palace. The museum contains a vast collection of Western Art, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Picasso and many other great masters. There are also fascinating Historical, Russian and Oriental sections. From the 1760s onwards, the Winter Palace was the main residence of the Russian Tsars. Magnificently located on the bank of the river Neva, this Baroque-style palace is perhaps the major attraction of St Petersburg.
Day 3 - St. Petersburg
Free time
Day 4 - Mandrogi
Free time in the village
Today we reach the village of Mandrogi and enjoy an outdoor break in beautiful landscape surroundings. There are several masterpieces of wooden architecture in the village. Villagers will meet you and present a special programme of their traditions and culture. There is a museum of Russian Vodka in Remeslennaya Sloboda, where tourists can learn about the technology and history of Russian vodka production. There are attractive walks through the village and the forest to beguile you until late afternoon, when we get back on board and continue our amazing journey.
Traditional Russian shashlik (shish kebab) picnic lunch
Enjoy picnic lunch of traditional Russian shashlik (shish kebab) served buffet-style.
Day 5 - Kizhi
Visit to the open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture
Today our ship will take us to the amazing tiny island of Kizhi via the Volga-Baltic Canal. The island is located at the northern end of Lake Onega. We will visit the renowned open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture, collected from various areas of the country and restored to form a glimpse of the past. The Church of the Transfiguration, with its 22 domes, is the ultimate in Russian fairy-tale church architecture. The Kizhi museum is one of the most interesting cultural sights in Northern Russia, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Day 6 - Goritsy
Visit to the largest monastery of the Russian North
Our new destination today is Goritsy, a tiny settlement where the largest Russian Orthodox monastery of the Russian North, the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery, is situated. We continue our river journey in the afternoon.
Day 7 - Yaroslavl
City tour around Yaroslavl
Arrival in the charming Russian city of Yaroslavl. This is an important port with a population of 600,000, stretching for 18 miles on both banks of the Volga. Yaroslavl was founded in the 11th century by Prince Yaroslav the Wise, and still has many interesting architectural and historical treasures. Of special interest is the magnificent 13th century Spassky Monastery complex, a group of several majestic 17th century cathedrals, an elegant rotunda and the remains of an ancient trading center. We will start our city tour in the early morning and will visit the Church of the Prophet Elijah and many other cultural highlights.
Visit to the Museum of Russian Art
The Yaroslavl Museum of Russian Art is the biggest art museum in provincial Russia containing more then 70,000 pieces of arts and crafts including icons, graphics, sculptures and numismatics. It is located in the former residence of the Governor of Yaroslavl.
Day 8 - Uglich
Visit to the Cathedral of the Resurrection and the Kremlin
Today we arrive in one of the best loved towns of provincial Russia, Uglich, founded in 1148. The view of the town as approached from the Volga River is especially beautiful, with the Cathedral of the Resurrection and St. John's Church towering on the horizon. At the end of the 16th century, the seventh wife of the Tsar Ivan the Terrible lived in honorary exile in the Kremlin at Uglich. We will visit the Cathedral of the Resurrection and the Kremlin, which are among the oldest buildings in Uglich.
Day 9 - Moscow
City tour around Moscow
Moscow combines the best of old and modern architecture. It is a city of long avenues and majestic squares, leafy boulevards, parks and gardens, new luxury housing, bridges, the granite embankments of Moscow River, and the unique cultural and historical sites. Start your discovery of Moscow with a guided bus city tour. Enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the Sparrow Hills observation platform, visit Poklonnaya Hills a monument in honour of a Russian victory in World War II, see the famous Red Square and the Bolshoi (Big) theatre or explore modern Moscow’s busy streets and discover the rich history of this magnificent city.
Day 10 - Moscow
Kremlin Territory with Cathedrals
Today we explore Moscow as a great city of Russian history and culture. We will visit the Kremlin (the former residence of the Tsars and Russian Orthodox Patriarchs) and its uniquely beautiful Orthodox cathedrals. You will also see the Byzantine splendour of St. Basil's multi-coloured onion-domed cathedral, in Red Square. You can take an optional tour to the Pushkin Museum, as well as the Kremlin Armoury Museum, where you'll admire many of the treasures of the Tsars, including famous and spectacular jewels, crowns, thrones and royal armour.
Day 11 - Moscow
Airport departure transfer from the ship
Breakfast at leisure on board ship prior to your departure transfer to the airport.
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Transfers airport-ship-airport;
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Accommodation: TWIN / DBL cabin. All of the ship's deck cabins are outward facing. All cabins have private toilet/shower facilities, bath amenities, refrigerators, air conditioning, radio and ample closet space. Cabin type according to the package selected. The package price depends on the availability and is to be reconfirmed by your travel consultant;
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Meals: Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner) each day in the on-board restaurant. Service begins with dinner on the day of arrival and ends with breakfast on the day of departure. A variety of high-quality meals: welcome "bread and salt" ceremony on the embarkation day, welcome cocktail, "Russian tea ceremony", "Vodka show", Cocktail party, Captain's farewell dinner with special menu, mulled wine/hot tea (during cool weather) upon returning to ship after shore excursions, ice tea/fruit drink (during hot water) upon returning to ship after shore excursions. Kebab (shashlik) ashore in Mandrogi village;
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Transport: for sightseeing we generally use a coach or simply go on foot;
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Tour staff and support: cruise tour leader, English-speaking guide, transfer driver, support staff;
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Local culture and traditions: all excursions, entrance fee as described in the itinerary. The earphones will be provided for the whole program of the tour;
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Entertainment: welcome cocktail reception on Day 1, full sightseeing programmes as per itinerary, captain's bridge tour, lectures on Russian language and songs throughout the journey, nightly entertainment and dancing, daily aerobics;
Flights and Visa services are not included in the tour.
You may choose and book your flight using our smart and easy tool at: https://www.visitrussia.org.uk/flights/
The 4* cruise ship "K. Fedin" is a comfortable four-deck vessel built in Germany in 1980 and fully refurbished in 2018. All cabins are equipped with modern private facilities, wardrobe, radio, refrigerator and air conditioning. Each cabin has a large scenic window.