Moscow - St. Petersburg Luxury Cruise by Vodohod
This 8-day Russian river cruise on a luxury ship takes you to Russia’s two capitals – Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as to the ancient towns of Uglich and Goritsy, Mandrogui village, Kizhi island, and Valaam archipielago.
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Itinerary

Day 1

Moscow: Board the ship in the morning. The ship departs at 12:00 p.m.

PLEASE NOTE: The program of this cruise doesn't include any sightseeing in Moscow. We will be glad to help you arrange a pre-cruise program in Moscow (hotel, excursions, transfers), just ask your reservation specialist.

Day 2

Uglich: Walking city tour with the visit to the territory of the Kremlin, exclusive concert of choir “Kovcheg”, visit to the home of local family (Russian izba, degustation of Russian home-made vodka, pickled goods, tea-party with pies), free time

Uglich was founded in 1148 as a small princedom bordering on Muscovy and is one of the most beloved towns in Old Russia. The view of the town as you approach it from the Volga River is breathtaking with the Cathedral of the Resurrection and St. John's Church rising on the horizon. The history of the town is fascinating; At the end of the 16th century, Maria Nagaya, seventh wife of Ivan the Terrible, lived in honorary exile at the Kremlin in Uglich. It was here in her garden that the 10 year old Prince Dmitry of the Rurik Dynasty, heir to the Russian throne was murdered by Boris Godunov who wanted to seize power for himself. On the spot of his death, the Church of St. Demitrius of the Blood was built and still stands today. The death of Prince Dmitri brought on the start of the Time of Troubles, a dynastic and political crises and one of the most tumultuous periods in Russian history which ended 15 years later after the election of a new Tsar, Mikhail Romanov (the first Tsar of the Romanov Dynasty). Inside the Kremlin the oldest building in Uglich, the Palace of Tsarevich Dmitry also stands. During your time in Uglich you will learn more about the town's past and walk along the paths of Russian history.

Day 3

Goritsy: Visit to Ferapontov monastery

Goritsy is a tiny settlement 7 kilometers from the St. Cyril on the White Lake Monastery. The remains of the Nunnery of the Resurrection that sits on the banks of the Sheksna River can be visited and is within a quarter of a mile of where the ship stops. Goritsy is definitely a site to see for anyone with an interest in Russian history. St. Cyril on the White Lake was founded in 1397 by Kirill Belosersky on the shore of Lake Siverskoye. The monastery had wide trade in the 15th to 17th centuries and was used as a fortress to protect Russia's nobility during the Times of Troubles.

Day 4

Kizhi: Open-air museum of wooden architecture, interactive program “Music of Northern Village”

Kizhi Island: Via the Volga Baltic Canal, our cruise takes us to the tiny island of Kizhi, located at the northern end of Lake Onega. The island is renowned for its open-air Museum of Architecture, which is assembled from over 80 monuments of wooden architecture from various areas of the country and restored to form a glimpse of the past. The most impressive site on the island is the Church of the Transfiguration or Preobrazhenskaya (the church of twenty-two wooden domes). This masterpiece of architecture, featuring five tiers of 22 domes, was built in 1714 without the use of a single nail, only an axe and pine trees. The church magically changes color as the day grows old, it is certainly one of the most interesting things you will see during your time in Russia.

Day 5

Mandrogui: Walking tour “Acquaintance with the life of the Russian village”, visit to museum of vodka, picnic ashore

Mandrogui is really more of a living museum than a live-in village. It features a collection of old wooden houses and is geared towards showing visitors what a traditional Russian village resembled in the past. One of the features here is the Vodka Museum, which contains thousands of different brands and types of Russia's favorite pastime.

Day 6

Valaam: Visit to the Valaam Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior

Valaam is an archipelago of about 50 islands in Ladoga Lake. It is also the largest island in the area of Karelia, at one time belonging to Sweden. In the period of 1811-1917 the island belonged to the Grand Duchy of Finland, a part of the Russian Empire. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Finland received its independence. Valaam was one of the few holy places that was not destroyed and closed. After the war between the Soviet Union and Finland, Valaam was returned to the USSR. Valaam is famous for the Valaam Monastery as well as for numerous sketes. A skete is the place where monks live keeping much stricter rules than in monasteries. On Valaam, many monks who were searching for salvation through renunciation of the world, would move from monasteries to sketes, and later become hermits. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were 13 sketes and numerous hermitages with their churches and chapels throughout the islands.

Day 7

St. Petersburg: Bus city tour, lunch in the city, visit to Peterhof (Grand Palace + Lower Park), night pass under the bridges from Utkina Zavod pier to the English Embankment

St. Petersburg is Russia's second largest and second most important city - the Northern capital of the country, Russia's cultural center, and considered the world's 'Northern Venice' due to its extensive system of canals and islands. Walk along Nevsky Prospect and experience the grandeur of pre-revolutionary imperial Russia. Pass palaces from the past and gaze at the famous embankment of the Neva River with its numerous bridges and striking architecture. St. Petersburg is also home to Russia's largest and busiest port and with its many world class theaters and museums has a very high level of cultural life.

Day 8

St. Petersburg: Disembarkation after breakfast

Prices and Terms

This cruise is currently not available. Please check back later.

Prices are per person.

The surcharge for single occupancy in a Standard, Deluxe or Junior Suite cabin is 75% of the total cruise price. The surcharge for single occupancy in Suites is 100% of the cruise price.

Included meals:

Full board, three meals per day (from dinner on arrival day to breakfast on departure day). For Moscow to St. Petersburg cruises in 2022, the first meal on arrival day will be lunch. Breakfast is buffet style, lunch and dinner are served at your table.

Russian welcome “Bread and salt” ceremony on embarkation day

Coffee station available 24/7

1 bottle of mineral water (0.5 l) per person per day in cabin

1 bottle of mineral water (0.5 l) per person for excursions

Unlimited water for your table for all meals (including lunch in the city in St. Petersburg)

Cappuccino or Espresso at breakfast without extra charge

ALL INCLIVISE system as follows: passengers can order any drinks from the list below without extra charge during meals on board and in all onboard bars:

• vodka, whiskey, cognac

• tequila, rum, gin

• vermouth, liqueur

• infused vodka

• white / red / rose / sparkling wine

• draught / bottled beer

• alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails

• soft drinks

Lunch in the city in St. Petersburg: water for your table + 1 glass (150 ml) of red or white wine or 1 glass of juice (200 ml) or 1 beer (0,33 l) or 1 soda (0,33) per person

Welcome drink on embarkation day – 1 glass of sparkling wine or 1 glass of juice and 1 canape per person

Crew presentation cocktail – 1 cocktail per person (choice of 3 cocktails: 2 alcoholic and 1 nonalcoholic)

Russian Tea Ceremony

Farewell cocktail – 1 glass of sparkling wine or 1 glass of juice and 1 canape per person

Captain’s Farewell dinner (special menu)

Vodka tasting ceremony

Themed dinners

In cool weather: hot tea upon returning onboard after shore excursions;

In hot weather: cold iced tea or fruit drink upon returning onboard after shore excursions

Afternoon snacks (traditional cuisine of Russian regions)

Included services:

Sightseeing programs in each port as per itinerary

Reception desk available 24/7

Onboard guides speaking English, French, German, Spanish, Italian

Daily entertainment including Russian language lessons, live lounge music, live dance music at night, piano music concerts, lectures about Russian history and culture and more.

Bathrobes and slippers in all cabins

Umbrella in all cabins

Minibar all cabins (for additional fee)

Hot towels upon returning onboard after shore excursions

Headsets for shore excursions

Luggage handling in river ports from the inspection point to the ship and from the ship to the bus, as well as onboard

gratuities

port taxes

Russian visa invitation - the document necessary for obtaining a Russian visa when applying for a visa at the local Russian Consulate in your country.

PLEASE NOTE: your passport should be valid for no less than 6 months after the planned departure from Russia and it should have at least 2 blank pages. The process of applying for visa may take a long time and we recommend that you start 3 months before your trip. In case you are booking the trip last minute, we recommend that you check with the Russian Consulate in your country whether you have enough time for the visa application process. In case you have to cancel your trip because of visa issues the standard cancellation policy will be applied.

Not included:

Hotel accommodation before or after the cruise

IMPORTANT:

For Moscow to St. Petersburg cruises it is necessary to book at least 1 night at a hotel in Moscow before boarding the boat, as an early departure is planned on the embarkation day.

For St. Petersburg to Moscow cruises it is necessary to book at least 1 night at the hotel in Moscow after the cruise, as a late arrival is planned on the disembarkation day.

Please ask your order manager to help you with a hotel booking.

Visa processing costs. For US, UK, Australian, Indian and Canadian citizens, our company offers Full Visa Support. With Full Visa Support, you send us your passport and other documentation and we obtain the Russian visa for you.

International airfare.

Arrival and departure transfers. We can arrange these for an extra fee.

Travel insurance. We highly recommend to purchase travel insurance before embarking on your trip to Russia. It’s always good to have extra protection while traveling far from home. Click here to learn more.

Premium brand drinks in bars

Birthday greetings (cake, music)

Sauna, hairdresser, massage

Sports equipment rental: bicycles, Nordic walking poles, folding chair canes

Personal spending

Culinary master class

Please be informed that all pre/post cruise services (additional arr/dep transfers, hotel accommodations, additional excursions, etc.) can also arranged by us.

BOOKING AND CANCELLATION POLICY IN 2022:

Conditions of payment: To book your cruise, a 25% irrevocable deposit is required. The trip must be fully paid 75 days before the cruise start date.

Cancellation terms:

75 or more days before the trip – a fee equal to 25% of the entire package will be charged.

74-65 days before the trip – a fee equal to 30% of the entire package will be charged.

64-41 days before the trip – a fee equal to 60% of the entire package will be charged.

40-35 days before the trip – a fee equal to 75% of the entire package will be charged.

34 days or less before the trip or in the event of a no-show - a fee equal to 100% of the package will be charged.