9 JUNE - 16 JUNE 2022 / MS ROSTROPOVICH

6 JULY - 13 JULY 2022 / MS ROSTROPOVICH

  Although it is not possible to sail around the whole route of the Golden Ring of Russia as only three of the cities are located on the Volga, we have put together this cruise so that you can nevertheless combine a short cruise on the longest river in Europe, tours around the most beautiful cities of the Golden Ring and a visit to Moscow and St Petersburg

  Your journey begins in the Russian capital from where you will set off on a modern, high-speed train to Nizhny Novgorod - an old and important city on the confluence of the rivers Volga and Oka. It was a closed city for three decades during the Soviet-era but in 2018 it welcomed thousands for foreign guests as a venue of the Fifa World Cup.

  It is in Nizhny Novgorod that your cruise will start on the Mstislav Rostropovich premium cruise ship, heading up the River Volga. Your first stop will be Gorodets, a small city famous for its handicrafts.

  The next stop will be Kostroma, which is famous for being the ‘Cradle of the Romanovs’ as the first Romanov tsar was at the city’s Ipatiev Monastery, when he heard the news that he had been selected to rule the country.

  Finally, you will get off at Plyos - an extremely picturesque city famous for its views of the Volga which has made it popular with artists and summer house owners.

  From Plyos, you will once again travel over land and head for the city of Suzdal, which has so many architectural treasures, including many unique churches and examples of ancient Rus architecture, it is often called an open-air museum. It practically hasn’t changed in over 100 years and is like nowhere else in Russia.

  From Suzdal you will return to Moscow. You can also continue your trip to St Petersburg directly.

1 DAY / MOSCOW

Arrival in Moscow. Transfer to the hotel.

 Night in Moscow.

2 DAY / TOUR OF MOSCOW

 Breakfast at the hotel.

 City tour of Moscow - During this tour you will visit some of the most famous and beautiful places in the city: Red Square, St basil’s Cathedral. Zaryadye Park, the historical street of Ulitsa Vavarka, Novodevichy Convent (exterior only), Victory Park, the viewing platform on Sparrow Hills, Lubyanka Square and the Bolshoi Theatre.

Duration: 4h / Transportation: by a car

 After the tour you will then visit some of the most beautiful stations of the Moscow Metro.

 Evening transfer to the train station for a high-speed train to Nizhny Novgorod.

 Night in Nizhny Novgorod.

3 DAY / NIZHNY NOVGOROD

 Breakfast at the hotel.

 City tour of Nizhny Novgorod - During the tour, you will visit the most interesting places of the city:

• Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin - this is the city’s main sight. The strong fortress, built to protect the Russians’ hold on the Volga, has seen many Tatar incursions in its 600-year history. Although its defensive function is now obsolete, it remains the heart of the city.

• Chkalov Steps - these are the longest steps in Russia, running from the Volga embankment up to the kremlin.

• Nativity Church - this stunning church was built in the ancient Russian style and has highly decorated domes.

• Headland at the Confluence of the Oka and Volga - this point known as the Strelka is where two of the most important rivers in European Russia meet.

• Nizhny Novgorod Fair - this was once the largest fair in the whole of the Russian Empire, but now it is used as an exhibition centre.

• Cable Cars - these cross the Volga to the satellite-city of Bor and you can enjoy great views of the historical centre of Nizhny Novgorod and the Pechorsky Monastery.

Duration: 4h / Transportation: by a car

 Night in Nizhny Novgorod.

4 DAY / CRUISE TO GORODETS

 Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to Nizhny Novgorod River Port.

Check-in on the cruise ship and the beginning of your cruise. 6 hours cruise upstream the Volga.

Lunch on board.

 City tour of Gorodets - Your first stop will be the city of Gorodets and you will see a large wooden complex built on the banks of the Volga as you arrive. This is a centre dedicated to the city’s association with handicrafts and you will visit it as part of your city tour here, along with some of the city’s quaint old streets and wooden houses. You will also get a chance to buy souvenirs featuring Gorodets painting - for which the city is famous.

Duration: 2h / Transportation: walking tour

You will then return to the ship and head further upstream.

Dinner.

 Night on the ship.

5 DAY / KOSTROMA

 Morning arrival in Kostroma 

 Tour of Kostroma - You will visit the historical centre of Kostroma and the Ipatiev Monastery. In the autumn of 1612, 16-year-old Mikhail Romanov had taken shelter from Polish invaders in the monastery’s cells. In the spring of 1613 a delegation from Moscow arrived here to tell Mikhail that he had been elected as the new tsar. For this reason, the Ipatiev Monastery is known as the ‘Cradle of the Romanovs’. A fascinating coincidence is that the last Romanov tsar met his death in a house in Yekaterinburg known as the Ipatiev House.

Duration: 3h / Transportation: by a car

Lunch on board.

After lunch you will continue your cruise down the Volga to Plyos. 

16:30 arrival in Plyos. End of the cruise. Transfer to the hotel.

 Night in Plyos

6 DAY / PLYOS

 Breakfast at the hotel

 Tour of Plyos - The city is famous for its landscapes and celebrated landscape painter Isaak Levitan came here to paint the Volga and its hilly banks. Today many people come for the same reason and to enjoy the calm quiet atmosphere of this provincial city.

Duration: 2h / Transportation: walking

 Transfer to Suzdal. Distance: 150km

Upon arrival in Suzdal - check-in at the hotel.

 Night in Suzdal.

7 DAY / SUZDAL

 Breakfast at the hotel.

 Tour of Suzdal - This city is like an open-air museum and you will walk around its pleasant streets and visit the Suzdal Kremlin and the Museum of Wooden Architecture. You will also walk up the bell tower of the Rizopolozhensky Monastery and end the tour with a traditional Russian meal in a real Russian wooden house.

Duration: 3h / Transportation: by a car

Russian lunch.

In the evening you will be able to try a real banya (a Russian sauna) -  probably one of the most Russian experiences available.

 Night in Suzdal.

8 DAY / TO MOSCOW

 Breakfast at the hotel. 

 Transfer to Vladimir railway station. High-Speed train to Moscow. 

 Upon arrival in Moscow - transfer to the hotel or airport.

• The tour is available on the certain dates.
• Optional excursions should be booked before the start of the tour to schedule the itinerary.
• Tickets to museums cannot be sold without an excursion with a guide.
• All excursions/guided tours included in the itinerary are private which means private guides and private transport along the programme - unless otherwise stated.

MS ROSTROPOVICH

Mstislav Rostropovich (former Mikhail Kalinin) is a comfortable four-deck ship, built in Czechoslovakia. Ship underwent a complete refit in 2009-2011. The ship is equipped with modern navigation equipment and reaches speeds of up to 26 km/h. Length of the vessel - 135.7 m, width - 16.8 m, draft - 2.9 m. The number of seats is 212.

A single-room cabin with facilities (shower, WC, air-conditioning) accommodates up to two persons. The area of the cabin ranges from 15.7 sq.m. to 16.5 sq.m. In the cabin: balcony, twin beds (can be pushed together), bedside tables, chest of drawers, chair, wardrobe, TV, refrigerator, radio, telephone, hairdryer, safe, electrical outlet 220V.

Breakfast, lunch - buffet, fixed seating;

Dinner "Chef - MENU" - bespoke system with drinks included (unlimited water, tea, coffee, juice; choice of red/white wine, beer), fixed seating.

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