Why Take A Russian River Cruise?

Russia is the largest country on earth and even trying to figure out where to begin when organizing a trip to Russia can be daunting. Taking our Russian river cruises will provide you with a well balanced impression of this incredibly interesting, historically significant and culturally vibrant country. A cruise is the perfect way to really get to know the real Russia – learn insights into Russia’s past as well as become acquainted with Russia’s present. Every day you will visit a new town or city along the river and have guided, fully catered tours to all places of interest in the vicinity. Onboard the river boat you will be entertained with a comprehensive activity program including games, music, dancing and informative lectures on Russian culture and history. Our Russian river cruises give our travelers the perfect balance between an active vacation full of history and culturally stimulating activities and a relaxing time cruising along a comfortable river boat. A Russian river cruise is more than an introduction to Russia. After taking one of our cruises you will be left with a well rounded impression of the country and will have had the time of your life!

Our Russian river cruises provide a very economical way of visiting Russia. Russia is one of the most expensive destinations in Europe however by taking a cruise you will spend far less than you would if you were to travel by land or organize your journey yourself and also have a richer, safer experience with everything taken care of for you. The daily, all inclusive rate that you will pay will be somewhere between $100 and $200 per day per person. To see exact prices please refer to each individual cruise’s itinerary.

What Is Included?

All of our Russian river cruises are all inclusive and include airport transfers and full guided sightseeing programs in all ports. All cabins have a private bathroom with individual temperature controls and windows. Three meals a day are included as well as breakfast on the departure day. Activities range from the Captain’s welcome cocktail reception to a Russian language course, Russian song lessons, live music concerts, dancing music in the bars nightly, Captains bridge tour and the Captain’s Farewell Dinner (special menu). All boats have discos and bars onboard as well as a souvenir shop. There is also a medical center onboard.

Onboard Entertainment

Every one of the Russian river cruises that we offer comes with a large selection of onboard activities and entertainment all geared to making your cruise one of the most enjoyable experiences that you have ever had. You will enjoy Russian Folk concerts of Russian and gypsy music performed by professional folk groups, Classical music concerts and Nightly live music. Our staff will also offer a Russian dance class where you can learn folklore dances and simply have fun. We also offer a Russian Sing-along class where you can learn the lyrics and sing along to some of the most famous Russian songs. A Russian language course is offered so that after you have finished your cruise you will be able to impress your friends and relatives by greeting them in perfect Russian, or propose the famous Russian toast “Za zdorovie!” Lectures on the Russian history and contemporary life will be conducted where you can find interesting facts about the Russian people and, probably, find answers to some questions regarding the mysterious Russian soul! Start a new day with a morning Keep Fit class on the sun deck conducted by our onboard instructor. Stretch your muscles admiring the unspoiled beauty and tranquility of the Russian landscapes. Other activities include a Russian Pancake making class – these are the thin layered bliny with melted butter and best eaten with sour cream, jam and hony or caviar – a true Royal Russian specialty! A Nesting dolls painting class where you can try your hand in painting Russian nesting dolls. Some of our cruises also offer a Vodka tasting party where you will be able to sample different vodkas, various vodka snacks and learn the Russian way of drinking vodka. We also offer a Tea drinking ceremony where you will have a chance to taste Russian tea brewed from a samovar.

Onboard Dining

The Russian cuisine derives its rich and varied character from the vast and multicultural expanse of Russia. Its foundations were laid by the peasant food of the rural population in an often harsh climate, with a combination of plentiful fish, mushrooms, berries and honey. Crops of rye, wheat, barley and millet provided the ingredients for a plethora of breads, pancakes, cereals, beer and vodka. Lying on the northern reaches of the ancient Silk Road as well as Russia’s close proximity to the Caucasus, Persia and the Ottoman Empire has provided its cooking methods with an inescapable Eastern character. During the 6th-8th centuries many refined foods and culinary techniques were brought to Russia due the great expansion of country’s territory as well as to the growth of its influence in the world. Some of these include such widespread dishes as Veal Orloff, Beef Stroganoff, and Sharlotka (Charlotte Russe).

After daily activities and exciting excursions, however pleasant, you will be eager to try artfully cooked and appetizingly served dishes that you will choose from the menu adjusted to a variety of eating habits. That is exactly what awaits you aboard our comfortable ship restaurants, where the combination of delicious food, attentive service and pleasant ambiance will surely evoke a deep sigh of contentment. Our experienced chefs will treat you to a wide variety of the tastiest specialties of the Russian cuisine: tasty meat dishes, ukha (fish soup), shchi (cabbage soup), okroshka (cold vegetable soup), bliny (pancakes), cabbage pie and many other Russian specialties.

Our River Boats

All of the river boats that we use on our Russian river cruises were built in either Germany or Austria. They typically hold between 200 and 250 passengers and up to 100 crew members. They are all extremely comfortable and have the facilities equivalent to a stay at a 3+ star hotel. Each ship features comfortably furnished outside staterooms, affording majestic views of the passing countryside. All personal cabins are air-conditioned with private bathrooms and showers, and can comfortably hold 1 to 3 people per cabin. The dining room offers continental cuisine with samplings of Russian cuisine, as well as some specialties of the surrounding regions you will be visiting. You will be served in a warm shipboard atmosphere with an extremely friendly staff. There are pleasant bars, a small souvenir shop, a music salon and a beauty salon onboard these vessels as well. Parties, games, dancing and shipboard entertainment additionally all provide for a memorable and exciting vacation! To learn about each individual ship, please see the Our Fleet section of our website.

Destinations and Routes

We offer a wide variety of routes along Russia’s rivers. The most popular is the Moscow – St. Petersburg route with the main artery of travel being the Volga River – Russia’s most famous waterway. The route utilizes the Volga as well as a number of lakes and canals to link both of Russia’s capitals – Moscow, Russia’s political capital and the cultural, pre-revolutionary capital of St. Petersburg – the Venice of the North! Each day we stop at a different city to explore Russia’s history. We will visit the medieval town of Uglich with its Kremlin and ancient palace, the monastery at Goritsky, the fantastic wooden town of Kizhi, and a village wrapped in legend – Myshkin. We also spend 2 days in Moscow and 4 in St. Petersburg visiting world class museums such as the Hermitage, the Kremlin, imperial palaces and other heritage sites connected to the history of Russia. We promise that you won’t be disappointed!

Other routes include a cruise down the Volga river where you will visit Moscow, Uglich, the medieval city of Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod with its impressive Kremlin and Cathedral, Kazan – the capital of the Tatarstan Republic with its mosques and minarets, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) the site of the pivotal battle of World War II and finally the southern Russian city of Astrakan.

For specific itineraries please refer to each individual cruise. If you have any questions regarding routes, destinations or tour programs, please contact us.

Our Russian river cruises and tours do not include airfare. You arrange your own airfare and we meet you at the airport and handle everything else. You can easily book the discount tickets yourself through our own discount internet ticket office. The airline tickets we offer are the cheapest available on the web. Please browse our discount air tickets section to learn more.