ITINERARY & MAP
Days 1-2
Nizhny Novgorod: The first day is arrival day. You are welcome on board! Check in starts at 14:00 (2.00 PM), but you may arrive earlier or later on that day. If you order a transfer you will be met at the airport or train station by one of our drivers and taken by a comfortable car to the river port where you will board your cruise ship (transfer is OPTIONAL).
During a city tour you will become acquainted with the city’s most prominent landmarks and you will also see the Kremlin grounds.
Nizhny Novgorod is one of Russia’s major cities, the dominating feature of the city skyline is the grand Kremlin (1500-1511), with its red-brick towers. After BolsMinin and Pozharskyhevik devastation, the only ancient edifice left within the Kremlin walls is the tent-like Archangel Cathedral (1624-31), first built in stone in the 13th century. The city has a fascinating history that you will learn more about during your tour. The city was founded in the 13th century and became one of the Russian Empire’s most important outposts by the 16th century. The city played a pivotal role in ending the Time of Troubles by forming an army that would expel the Poles from Moscow. Much of the city downtown is built in the Russian Revival and Stalin Empire styles. There are more than six hundred unique historic, architectural, and cultural monuments in the city leading the way for UNESCO to include Nizhny Novgorod in the list of 100 cities of the world which are of great historical and cultural value.
Day 3
Kazan: Take a city tour with a visit to the Kremlin grounds and get a feel for this most eastern of cities full of history, the capital of Tatarstan.
Kazan is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and one of Russia´s largest cities. It is a major industrial, commercial and cultural center, and remains the most important center of Tatar culture. Historically Kazan was the capital of the Tatars and was conquered and by force and brought into the Russian Empire in the mid 16th century by Ivan the Terrible. During the siege of Kazan and in the years that followed almost the entire population was massacred. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga
Day 4
Cheboksary: Take a panoramic city tour.
Cheboksary is the capital of the Chuvash Republic, home to the Finno-Ugric Chuvash people. The city possesses excellent cultural opportunities. There is an Opera-Ballet Theatre, a Philharmonic Orchestra, and numerous other theaters (showing productions in both Russian and Chuvash languages). A very popular gathering place for the locals is the recently completed zaliv (bay), beautifully situated in the middle of the city and adorned with the Monument of Mother. People gather there to stroll, visit cafes, and socialize. Cheboksary also has beautiful boardwalks and beaches along the Volga River.
Day 5
Gorodets: You will be taken on a bus city tour and visit to one of the museums
Gorodets was founded in 1152 by Prince Yury Dolgoruky (who also founded Russia’s capital Moscow) as a large fortress on the Volga River. During the years of its history, the town was completely destroyed twice: in 1239 by the Mongols and in 1408 by the Nogai Horde, but it was revived each time. In the 19th century, Gorodets was a prosperous village famous for its decorative handicrafts, such as wood carving and painting. In 1950s, the dam of Gorky Hydroelectric Station was built a few kilometers upstream from Gorodets. Today besides Hydroelectric Station the town has a shipbuilding industry, and it is also a tourism center with a number of museums, the most famous of which is the Museum of Samovars.
Day 6
Plyos: Today you visit picturesque provincial town Plyos which inspired painters and artists for years. You will have a walking city tour and visit the Museum of Art Crafts of Ivanovo region.
A small town of Plyos can’t but inspire so beautiful it is. No wonder it inspired the most outstanding landscape painter Isaac Levitan. Dating back to the 15th century every year Plyos hosts hundreds of tourists who come to the town attracted by its charm and tranquility and by a great opportunity to visit Levitan museum where his best paintings are exhibited.
Day 7
Yaroslavl: You will be taken to the panoramic city tour with a visit to a local market (free time). You will also see the Church of Elijah the Prophet (exterior), Church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker (interior) and enjoy an interactive tour of former Governor's House (and visit to an Art Gallery).
Yaroslavl: Stretching for 18 miles on both banks of the Volga, Yaroslavl is an important Volga port with a population of 600,000. It was founded in the 1010 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise and is one of the ancient Russian cities making up the Golden Ring. It was destroyed by the Tatars in the 13th and 14th centuries but then restored and rebuilt and by the 17th century it had become Russia's second largest city after Moscow and an important cultural and political center. Today, Yaroslavl retains many noteworthy monuments of its colorful past. Of special interest is the magnificent 13th century Spassky Monastery ensemble, a group of majestic 17th century cathedrals, an elegant rotunda and remnants of an ancient trading center. The churches of St. Nicholas and Elijah the Prophet have some of the Golden Ring's most impressive frescoes.
Day 8
Myshkin: You will have a walking tour with visit to Verkhniy boulevard, Assumption Cathedral, Old Mill, Russian Valenki Museum, and the House of Crafts
Myshkin is a typical old Russian town almost unchanged since the beginning of the 20th century. A brave mouse is a symbol of the town and actually gave the name of this place («myshka» in Russian means «mouse»).
Days 9-11
Arrival in Moscow, your final destination. Over the next few days you will have a chance to explore Moscow and learn about its riveting history. You will be taken on a city tour where you will see Moscow's most interesting sights and learn about this amazing city's past and present. You will also have a chance to do some light shopping and there will be time to relax aboard the ship in the evenings.
One of the highlights of your time in Moscow is a visit to Red Square and the Kremlin. You will also visit one of the Kremlin's famous cathedrals. The Kremlin as we know it today was rebuilt as a stone structure during the beginning of the 14th century but the actual site had been inhabited and used as a fortified city wall for centuries before this period. The Kremlin is truly a fascinating structure - at the same time it is an ancient tower, the city's former military fortification, a palace and the workplace of the Russian President. The Kremlin is the center of Russia's political life and State power and has been home to Tsars, General Secretaries of the Soviet Union and Russian Presidents.
You will also visit Tretyakovsky State Gallery. The world famous gallery contains works of Russian art from the 10th century up until present day. You will view exquisite Russian icons and paintings from the 18th and 19th century including works by Rublyov, Karavak, Vishnyakov, Nikitin, Antropov, Levitsky, Kiprensky, Tropinin, Fedotov, Repin and many others.
On the last day of your cruise you will say goodbye to Russia, your ship's crew and the many new friends we are sure you will have met during your time with us. We are sure that your memories of the trip will last a lifetime and we look forward to welcoming you to Russia sometime in the future. Our driver will meet you at the ship and take you to the airport to see you off (transfer is optional).
Moscow is Russia's political and financial capital as well as a major world class cultural center. The city includes many must see attractions from the Kremlin and Red Square to the Assumption Cathedral. Moscow is the largest city in Europe. It is unique in that it blends the ancient with the modern. See medieval structures among modern office buildings, walk down crooked old city streets opening up to wide busy boulevards. It is a fantastic city and truly a site that shouldn't be missed.
PRICES & DATES
Prices are per person.
The surcharge for single occupancy in a double cabin is 75% of the total amount for the cruise. Surcharge for single occupancy in Deluxe cabins, Junior Suites and Suites is 100% of the cruise price.
Included:
- Accommodation in a cabin of a chosen category
- Sightseeing programs in each port as per itinerary (optional tours are available on board)
- daily entertainment including live music concerts, evening entertainment, Captain’s bridge tour, dancing music at bars at night etc
- English-speaking guides onboard; services of guides speaking other languages are available upon request
- Luggage handling onboard the ship
- Russian visa invitation - the document necessary for obtaining a Russian visa when applying for one 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 in 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 visa application process. In case you have to cancel your trip because of visa issues standard cancellation policy will be applied.
Included meals:
- Full board, three meals per day (from dinner on the arrival day to breakfast on the departure day)
- 1 bottle of mineral water (0.5 l) for 1 person daily in the cabin
- Welcome bread and salt ceremony on arrival day
- Russian Tea Ceremony
- Captain’s welcome cocktail
- Captain’s farewell dinner with a special menu
- Coffee station available from 06:00 to breakfast, from 10:00 to 12:00, from 16:00 to 18:00, from 21:00 to 23:00
Not included:
- Russian Visas. For US, UK and Canadian citizens, our company offers Full Visa Support. This is where 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 those for an extra fee.
- Additional drinks and water in ship restaurant and drinks from the onboard bars
- Optional tours
- Tips for the crew and ship staff
- Forwarding of baggage/souvenirs
- 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.
- Items of a personal nature (laundry services, bar charges, beauty salon services, telephone and cable charges and medical services).
- Room service offered at an additional price.
- Water; you can order packages of water as extra for the following prices. Please contact your order manager for more information.
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 2021:
Conditions of payment: To book your cruise a 25% deposit is required in advance. The trip must be fully paid 75 days before departure.
Cancellation terms:
75 or more days before departure – a fee equal to 25% of the entire package will be charged.
74-65 days before departure – a fee equal to 30% of the entire package will be charged.
64-41 days before departure – a fee equal to 60% of the entire package will be charged.
40-35 days before departure – a fee equal to 75% of the entire package will be charged.
34 days or less before departure or in the event of a no-show - a fee equal to 100% of the package will be charged.
Ship
Ships
TESTIMONIALS
Louis and I want you to know that our vacation was just great. The Rostropovich was very nice boat. All the crew were pleasant and helpful, including our guide Antonne. The food was very good. All the transfers worked out perfectly. We certainly would recommend your company.
We have just returned home to the UK after our visit to Russia and the cruise on the MS Rostropovich. We had a superb time. The quality of the ship was superb and the service provided by all the staff was very friendly and professional. A very good introduction to Russia on our first visit to your country. I am emailing to thank you personally for the very efficient service provided by Express to Russia. From the initial enquiry, through the provision of additional information, to the conclusion of the booking you have always responded very promptly to my emails. This made the whole process much easier than it might otherwise have been and I would most certainly recommend your services to others. Thank-you and best wishes for the future.
We had the most wonderful cruise and really enjoyed Russia. The crew on board were fantastic, food was great and we had a professor on board discussing current affairs, amazing. Tours were amazing and informative. Transfers were on time, so all in all, thank you for arranging such an experience, much appreciated.
Two days ago we have returned from our journey in Russia. It was absolutely a wonderful experience! We had enjoyed every minute of our trip. Beautiful country with so much to offer! Many thanks for the great assistance that you have provided to us with the booking of the cruise!
I want to provide to you some feedback about the boat trip which we undertook from 12 till 19 May 2018. 1. The transfers from the airport to the boat was fantastic. Your driver went out of his way to assist us till into the reception area of the correct boat. He was on time at the airport also. He was very friendly also. 2. The cruise: this was a memorable experience for us. We got much more than we expected. The Russian history lessons; the Russian language lessons; the Vodka tasting lecture – these were very informative 3. The crew on the ship went out of their way to make us comfortable and relaxed. They were always available and very friendly 4. The local tours and the guides were very well planned and executed. The Guides are so passionate about their tasks and made one feel ashamed of the way we were told by our government in the communism era how bad Russia was. 5. The transfer from the ship to the airport in Moscow was great. The driver was there on time and drove safely to the airport with us. Very friendly also. I will definitely recommend the tour and your company to all who ask me about the visit to Russia. Perhaps I will come visit Russia again in the future and spend more time in Moscow also. Thank you once again for assisting with arranging a most memorable vacation!
I enjoyed my holiday in Russia very much and I found your company to be extremely helpful and courteous, it was a joy to correspond with you, thank you for making my holiday plans easier.
Staff of Express to Russia and especially ms, Galina are exceptional competent ladies: very communicative and prompt with answers; booking, invitation letters, transfer from the airport to pear and in Saint Petersburg to hotel (we extended staying there for five days on our own) etc. went smooth. Pleasure to do business with ms. Galina and Express to Russia!
We are back from our beautiful, Russian Cruise Excursion. My wife Helga and I want to thank you for helping me/us to arrange this wonderful trip. The specific reason for this trip was to take once more an adventure trip of this kind as a gift to our self on our 50th wedding anniversary. The anniversary was on the 10th while we were in St. Petersburg were we celebrated at the Astoria hotel with a ballet in the evening at the Mariinsky Theater in Tsar Nicolas Box. Upon our arrival on ship, and thanks to you I felt like a Russian finding the bottle champagne in our cabin and enjoying it. I made a toast to you and want to express my sincere thanks. My wife and I would have liked to have met you while in St. Petersburg. I now would like to say, that we experienced some of the Russian Soul and would wish that the rest of the world would have such love for their country.
It was a long held dream of mine to visit your beautiful country. Cruising between St Petersburg and Moscow was beyond my expectations , so far my best travel experience Thanks to Express to Russia for all their assistance in organising my trip
I LOVED THE CRUISE!!!!! It was amazing and I had the best time. The food/service/cabin were all great and the price was FANTASTIC!!!!! I have mentioned this to my sister and her husband and they are considering going next year. LOVED it. I don't have ONE complaint :). THANKS for an amazing experience.