Moscow – Astrakhan
River cruise

On the second day, you will visit the majestic Kremlin, the heart of Moscow. For ages, this fortress protected the city from foreign invaders. Nowadays it is the largest operating fortress in Europe. The Kremlin is not only the architectural monument included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List but also the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation. On an area of 27 hectares, there are twenty towers, seven cathedrals, six palaces, many squares, and dozens of other objects of exceptional historical and architectural value.

After the excursion, you will have time to enjoy the beauty of the main square of the country, Red Square and buy something interesting for the memory in the main department store of the country, GUM.

Today you will attend the cradle of Russian art – the State Tretiakov gallery appeared in the 19th century. Pavel Tretyakov, the founder of this extensive museum complex, gathered a unique collection of Russian national art. Today it consists of more than 180 000 masterpieces from different authors and eras. You will be able to see more than 1,300 works of Russian art from the 11th till the early 20th centuries, from pre-Mongol icons and mosaics to landscape, portrait, and historical paintings, for example, such masterpieces of the world significance as “Trinity” by Andrei Rublev and “The Appearance of Christ to the People” by Alexander Ivanov.

In the second part of the day, you will enjoy a walk and souvenir shopping in the main pedestrian street – Arbat. Here street dancers, musicians, singers, and painters create an amazing atmosphere that will impress you deeply.

In the evening you will come aboard the beautiful ship. Our impressive voyage begins.

On Day 4 the ship will moor to the pier of the first Golden Ring city on our route – Uglich. This city attracts tourists from all over the world with its dramatic history. In 1591 the last heir of the Russian ruling dynasty of Rurik, Dmitry (the youngest son of tsar Ivan the Terrible) died mysteriously, allegedly on the orders of Boris Godunov. This event was of fatal and tragic significance for the whole Russia. The ensuing riot was the beginning of the Time of Troubles – the bloody era of civil wars, impostors, intervention, and devastation of the country.

During the city tour, you can make sure how small and unhurried Uglich is. Its quiet streets contribute to calm contemplative walks, and beautiful churches, monasteries, merchant mansions, museums simply will not allow you to be in a hurry. Such major attractions of the city as the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood and Transfiguration Cathedral will not leave you indifferent.

After Uglich, you will head to the capital of the Golden Ring – Yaroslavl. The city, despite the whirlwinds of wars and social upheavals, has preserved examples of architectural styles of different ages. Among the most interesting sites of the city are the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Church of St. Elijah the Prophet, and the former Governor’s House (Art Gallery). You will see all of them during the city tour. Moreover, you will enjoy the Volga embankment, probably the most picturesque one of all Volga promenades in Russia.

Not far from Yaroslavl the fabulous city of Kostroma is located. According to Russian fairy tales, Kostroma is considered to be the birthplace of the main winter wizard, Snow Maiden, who accompanies her grandfather Father Frost in his trips to Russian cities during the New Year holidays. Kostroma Snow Maiden residence is a good option for children. During the tour around this small quiet town, you can admire the wonderful old churches, stunning views, visit the Ipatiev Monastery and the Trinity Cathedral.

The next city on our cruise route is Nizhny Novgorod. Being the 5th largest city in Russia, Nizhny Novgorod is called a metropolis with provincial allure. The city is very ancient, it was founded in 1221 on the banks of the main trading artery. As there are a lot of ancient sights here, UNESCO has included Nizhny Novgorod into the list of 100 cities of cultural and historical importance.

The city tour will allow you to see a lot of unique historical, architectural, and cultural monuments. You will enjoy the grandeur of the local Kremlin and its towers, admire the beauty of Rukavishnikov museum-estate, and end this wonderful day with a leisurely walk along the beautiful Volga promenade.

On the seventh day of our trip the capital of the Chuvash Republic, Cheboksary, welcomes you. Since ancient times the city has been developing thanks to the trade, the spread of Orthodoxy, and the mass baptism of the Chuvash people. During the city tour, you can find out that many churches and temples give charm to Cheboksary. Moreover, you can admire the beauty and dive into the long history of the main church of the city, Vvedensky Cathedral.
You will also get acquainted with the life of the local people, Chuvashs. The chuvash population is considered to be the fifth largest in Russia. Their language is the world`s only living language of the disappeared Bulgarian language family.

Besides, Cheboksary is famous for the first prison in Russia, which does not know any cases of successful escape since its foundation during the times of Tsar Ivan the Terrible.
Before returning to the ship, you will enjoy the captivating view of the local pedestrian bridge. You will learn that Cheboksary bridge has even more light bulbs than the Brooklyn one.

This day you will depart to Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan Republic, and the Muslim capital of Russia. Kazan is a very beautiful multinational and multicultural city. Here Tatars and Russians, who were once implacable enemies, live side-by-side in a very friendly way, as well as Christians and Muslims.

During the city tour, you will enter the amazing Kazan Kremlin, a major touristic object of the city, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You will enjoy the beauty of the Kul Sharif Mosque, the symbol of Kazan and one of the most magnificent Mosques in Russia, and the Annunciation Cathedral, a fascinating Orthodox temple, situated not far from the Mosque. At the end of this wonderful day, you will have a walk along Bauman street, widely-known as “Kazan Arbat”, a major street of Kazan, which tourists find rather delightful and lively.

From Kazan, the ship will bring you to Samara. Samara combines the rhythm of a modern business city, old-world charm, and resort relaxation. The city breaks records in beautiful landscapes. They inspired an outstanding Russian artist Ilya Repin to create his masterpieces.

During the tour, you will get acquainted with the main sights of the city, the Square of Samara and the Square of Glory, built in honor of the people who defended their motherland. From this place, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the Volga. You will also see the Kuibyshev Square, being the largest one in Europe, it occupies more than 17 hectares, about 7 hectares of which are allocated for flower beds.

During the second part of the day, you will visit the famous Art Gallery, located in an incredibly beautiful historical building, constructed in Palace style. The museum includes the best collection of works of Russian avant-garde artists: about 35 thousand exhibits from the 16th till the 21st centuries. The main treasures are the pictures of Aivazovsky, Repin, Malevich, Levitan, Serov, Shishkin, and others.

The tenth day will be remembered for the tour around Saratov, a very beautiful ancient merchant city on the Volga River. In the central part of Saratov you will see entire neighbourhoods of buildings from Tsarist Russia. Carefully restored architectural ensembles on Moskovskaya Street and Kirov Avenue will allow you to dive into the atmosphere of the 19th century.

Afterward, you will visit Victory Park and get acquainted with the memorial complex dedicated to World War II. Stella “Cranes”, the main construction of the complex, can touch you deeply. It is represented by three high pylons with 12 figures of cranes, which symbolize the immortal souls of soldiers flying towards the West, where the fierce battles took place in those distant years. The memorial complex is located on the Sokolinaya Gora (Falcon Mountain), the highest point of Saratov, which offers a stunning panoramic view of the whole city.

The next city of our cruise journey is the heroic city with great history, Volgograd. Its former names were Tsaritsyn (1589–1925) and Stalingrad (1925–1961). It was here that the famous Battle of Stalingrad took place, a turning point in World War II when the invincible Hitler’s army was defeated, and Russian soldiers took the offensive for the first time, after 2 years of endless loss.

You will see the highest monument of Russia, the Motherland Calls on Mamayev Kurgan. This sculpture is taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York or the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro. You will also see Yakov Pavlov’s House, one of the bastions of soldier’s glory, and the ruins of the Gerhardt Mill. For the additional price, you can visit the Museum Battle of Stalingrad, where you will get acquainted with weapons, pictures and history of the defense of the city, for example, the legendary tank «T-34».

At the end of this unforgettable day, you will have a walk along the Volga River embankment and enjoy the beauty and views of modern Volgograd.

On Day 13 you will arrive at the final city on the route, called Astrakhan. It is famous for the fishing industry, the world’s saltiest lake, and its extensive history. Astrakhan was the capital of Tatar khanate till Ivan IV the Terrible conquered it in the 16th century. Located on the north coast of the Caspian Sea, it was a part of the Great Silk Way, and nowadays it is the largest transport hub that unites different people and cultures.

During the city tour, you will see beautiful central streets, the embankment of the Volga, temples, and mosques, and the Kremlin, the main symbol of the city. Built from the ruins of the ancient city Saray-Batu, nowadays the Astrakhan Kremlin is a huge, fully preserved fortress of Russia, which includes beautiful Assumption Cathedral, Torture Tower, Cyril’s Chapel, and Trinity Monastery, Stepan Razin`s places and burial sites of Georgian tsars.

Later on, you will see the grandiose building of the Opera and Ballet Theatre, the fabulous House of the merchant Tetyushinov, where you can dive into the Russian traditions.

Today is the last day of our exciting Volga River journey. You will have a transfer to the airport to return home.

Such an impressive and long journey can serve as a wonderful reload of life when you can forget about all your problems and troubles and just dive into the diversity of the Russian soul. And after returning back to your normal life you will feel how different and “renewed” you have become. Say goodbye to Russia and make a wish to come back!