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HOME HOLIDAY PLANNER RUSSIAN RIVER CRUISES CRUISE - ALONG THE VOLGA: ST. PETERSBURG - NIZHNY NOVGOROD - VOLGOGRAD - ROSTOV - 16 DAYS (CR-38)

Cruise - Along the Volga: St. Petersburg - Nizhny Novgorod - Volgograd - Rostov - 16 Days (CR-38)

Group size
from 2 people
Season
Summer
Duration
16 days
Departs
Thursday
Starts
St. Petersburg
Ends
Rostov-on-Don
Countries
Russia
Cities
St. Petersburg, Kazan, Kizhi, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Volgograd, Goritsy, Mandrogi, Saratov, Ulianovsk, Cheboksary
Price
Price by request
Reservation
View dates and prices
Russia’s highlights are condensed into this wonderful 16-day cruise along the Volga River. Beginning in majestic St. Petersburg, you’ll then cruise along the river, transiting the Volga-Don canal to reach Rostov-on-Don, with the opportunity to disembark at some of the country’s most interesting cities. From the Kremlin at Kazan, the cathedrals of the Golden Ring and the history behind the former German settlement of Saratov, there’s sure to be plenty of sights en route that will remain in the memory long after you return home.

IncludedServices included in the package price.
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St. Petersburg
Day 1
Transfer from the airport to the ship
On arrival at St Petersburg’s airport, you’ll be met by our driver who will be carrying a Go Russia sign. He’ll transfer you to the ship for a welcome cocktail reception.
Day 2
City Tour around St. Petersburg
Today we’ll leave the ship to explore this most elegant of Russian cities. Its legacy of history and the arts has delighted many a visitor and we’re sure you’ll be blown away by its striking beauty. Our guided tour will ensure you don’t miss any of the city’s must-sees. The fortress complex of the Cathedral of Peter and Paul, which before the revolution housed political prisoners, features a splendid cathedral inside which you’ll find the tombs of the Romanovs. Along the banks of the River Neva you’ll see the magnificent Hermitage museum. This world class museum was once the Winter Palace of the Tsars and now houses over three million priceless works of art.
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Mandrogi
Day 3
Free time in the village
We cruise to Mandrogi today. This pretty village sits amidst tranquil forest, perfect for a wander. We’ll be met by the villagers who will introduce us to the local culture and traditions and then you can learn more about the production of vodka at Remeslennaya Sloboda (optional). A buffet lunch of shashlik (shish kebab) is provided. There’ll be free time to explore on your own before we reboard the ship.
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Kizhi
Day 4
Visit to the Open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture
The tiny island of Kizhi is our stop today, accessed via the Volga-Baltic Canal which will take us to the northern end of Lake Onega. There, we will visit the renowned open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture, its exhibits collected from various areas of the country and restored to their former glory. The Church of the Transfiguration, with its 22 domes, is the ultimate in Russian fairy-tale church architecture.
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Goritsy
Day 5
Visit to the Largest Monastery of the Russian North
Goritsy is our port of call today, a tiny settlement where the largest Russian Orthodox monastery of the Russian North, the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery, is located. After exploring the monastery, we’ll continue our river journey in the afternoon.
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Yaroslavl
Day 6
City Tour around Yaroslavl
Visit to the Church of Ilja the Prophet
Visit to Spaso-Preobrazhenskiy Monastery
The ship docks in charming Yaroslavl today, an important port strung out along the banks of the River Volga. The city takes its name from Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Of special interest to history buffs is the magnificent 13th century Spassky Monastery complex, a group of several majestic 17th century cathedrals, an elegant rotunda and the remains of an ancient trading centre. Our city tour takes us to the Church of the Prophet Elijah and many other cultural highlights.
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Nizhny Novgorod
Day 7
City Tour around Nizhny Novgorod
We arrive in Nizhny, as the locals call it, Russia's fifth largest city. Commanding magnificent views of both the Volga and Oka rivers, its ancient Kremlin and pleasant pedestrian promenade “Pokrovka” make it an appealing place for tourists as you'll see when we disembark.
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Cheboksary
Day 8
City Tour around Cheboksary
We reach the Chuvash republic today and enjoy a city tour in historic Cheboksary. The fortress dates from 1555 but the place remained a sleepy backwater until the coming of the railway in 1939. During our visit you will enjoy a number of ancient churches and monasteries (among them Vvedensky cathedral (1657) and Saint-Trinity monastery (1566), as well as a view of a lovely bay beautifully situated in the middle of the city which has become a very popular gathering place for local residents.
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Kazan
Day 9
City Tour around Kazan
Visit to the Kazan Kremlin
In Kazan today, we're reminded that Russian history often looks to the east. Our destination today, nicknamed the Pearl of the Central Volga Region was founded by the Mongols back in the 13th century. An important centre of Tatar culture, once it was the capital of the powerful Khanate of Kazan, falling to the Russians under Ivan the Terrible's incursions in the 16th century. Presently, it is a city of around a million inhabitants (half Russian, half Tatar) and absolutely charming with a unique blend of Muslim and Christian culture. A focus of today's visit will be the World Heritage Site of Kazan Kremlin, the Qol-Şarif mosque rebuilt inside the citadel.
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Ulianovsk
Day 10
City Tour around Ulianovsk
Formerly called Simbirsk, this town has been Ulyanovsk in honour of Lenin since 1924. Ironically, though Lenin was born there, it was during the Soviet era that much of the town's historical heritage was torn down including the old wooden fort and all its old churches. However, the houses where Lenin was born and grew up between 1870 and 1887 remain. There's also an interesting museum which we will have the opportunity to visit.
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Samara
Day 11
City Tour around Samara
Samara, today's destination, was once a closed city due to its importance to the Soviet defence industry. It's history goes back much further to its founding in the 14th century. In 1935, Samara became Kuybyshev, renamed in honour of the Bolshevik leader. A few years later it was chosen to be Russia's standby capital, ready to take on the role should Moscow fall to the invading Germans.
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Saratov
Day 12
City Tour around Saratov
Another important city on the banks of the Volga, Saratov was once home to the Volga Germans. Settling here in the 18th and 19th centuries, they were exiled to Siberia and Kazakhstan at the outbreak of World War Two and few returned. After the war, the city became a military aircraft manufacturing base as well as a focus for the Russian space programme. Thus until 1991, Saratov, like Samara, was a closed city.
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Volgograd
Day 13
City Tour around Volgograd
Visit to Mamaev Kurgan
The fact that this city is named after Russia's most important river is no accident. The city formerly called Tsaritsyn and later Stalingrad was bestowed the honour as a result of its residents' outstanding heroism during World War Two. Heavy German bombardment in a battle which lasted two hundred days pushed the city to the limit and left it in ruins. With losses on both sides amounting to between one and two million, this was one of the great tragedies of the war. We'll make a guided visit to Mamaev Kurgan to pay our respects at the statue of The Motherland Calls.
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Along the Volga
Day 14
Cruising
We sail along the Volga today, taking the opportunity to enjoy the scenery we pass at a leisurely pace.
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Rostov-on-Don
Day 15
City Tour around Rostov
Modern Rostov-on-Don was established in 1749 to regulate the trade with Turkey. Once the Volga-Don shipping canal was constructed in 1952, the city could handle trade from five seas: the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, Caspian Sea, White Sea and finally the Baltic.
Day 16
Transfer from the ship to the airport
Our driver will be waiting for you as you disembark the ship ready to transfer you to the airport for your flight home.
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Dates and prices
Please read notes at the bottom of the table to learn more about the meaning of each pricing section
Prices and dates upon request, please contact us for more information.
See what our clients say about this tour
We are very happy to have served thousands of happy customers who travelled with us.
Thanks to GoRussia and the staff on the ship the whole experience was very positive. The staff at Go Russia were very supportive and enabled a friend from another country to join our group, showing flexibility. I had an amazing time...thank GoRussia.
The local guides were good and knowledgeable. The food on board was varied and excellent without exception.

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