5* M/S ALEXANDRA WITH MAGNIFICENT VOLGA RIVER DURING WHITE NIGHTS - (7 NIGHTS - 8 DAYS) - 2026
Day 1 - ISTANBUL - St. PETERSBURG
Meeting at 05:00 at Istanbul Airport, International Terminal, Turkish Airlines check-in counter. After check-in and passport procedures, departure to St. Petersburg at 08:15 on Turkish Airlines flight TK401. Arrival in St. Petersburg at 11:50 local time. After arrival, we will have a free panoramic city tour of St. Petersburg, including sights such as Moskovski Prospekt, Nevski Prospekt, Strogonov Palace, Palace Square, Winter Palace, St. Isaac's Cathedral, Anichkov Palace and Bridge, and the Church of Alexander Nevsky. After the tour, transfer to our hotel, check-in and room allocation. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.
Day 2 - St. PETERSBURG (EMBARKATION)
After breakfast at the hotel and check-out procedures, guests wishing to do so can join an extra tour to the Hermitage Museum. One of the world's most important art museums, the Hermitage consists of five buildings. It includes the Winter Palace, which once served as the residence of Russian emperors and empresses, and is home to the magnificent collection of the museum founded by Empress Catherine, which has developed over the years. After the museum visit, free time in the city center to enjoy the area or relax in the cafes along Nevski Prospekt. After the specified meeting time, we transfer to our cruise ship. After check-in procedures and settling into cabins, an informational meeting will be held, providing details about the ports we will visit, the waterways we will navigate, and how the pool levels work. The ship departs at 19:00. An evening "Welcome" cocktail will be held to meet the Captain and cruise staff. Dinner and overnight stay on board.
Day 3 - MANDROGI
After breakfast, you can participate in various activities on board or enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Volga River from the deck. Our ship arrives at Mandrogi at 13:30. Mandrogi is a village filled with colorful Russian wooden houses surrounded by lush greenery, offering free time. Here you can take a walk in the open air, visit a mini zoo, and browse souvenir shops and workshops housed in beautiful wooden buildings. There is also a small vodka museum here (entrance fee required). We will depart at 18:30. As our ship sails through Russia's northern forests, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery. This evening, you will be treated to the Captain's Gala Dinner. Overnight on board.
Day 4 - KIZHI
After breakfast, you can participate in on-board activities and enjoy the beauty of Lake Onega. After lunch, we arrive at Kizhi at 14:00. This island, located above the 60th parallel in Lake Onega, is an open-air museum and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During our free walking tour in Kizhi, we will see the wooden Transfiguration Church, which has 22 domes and was built without the use of nails, as well as the old wooden village houses, and we will learn about the past village and island life. After the tour, there will be free time on the island. Later, we return to our ship, which will depart at 18:00. Dinner and overnight stay on board.
Day 5 - GORITSY / KIRILOV
After breakfast, you can participate in various activities on board or enjoy the scenic views of the Volga River from the deck. After lunch, we arrive in Goritsy. Known as a picturesque and peaceful village in Russia, Goritsy has a small port on the riverbank. You will explore the tranquility of this quaint village and uncover the medieval atmosphere it offers. This area is also home to many monasteries that reflect the spiritual lives of early Christianity in Russia. Upon arrival in this lovely village by the river, we will travel to the town of Kirilov located 10 km away by bus. After visiting the monastery there, we will return to Goritsy. We will have free time to explore the village and shop. After the designated time, we will return to our ship for departure. Enjoy your coffee on the upper deck while admiring the picturesque views along the river. Dinner and overnight stay on board.
Day 6 - MYSHKIN
Nestled quietly along the banks of the Volga River, this charming little town, named after a mouse legend, invites visitors to a nostalgic Russian fairy tale where time seems to move slowly. Known for its traditional wooden houses, cobblestone streets, and warm atmosphere, Myshkin is also famous for its unique mouse museum. We will walk around and explore this town, which is filled with mouse figurines at every turn. In the early afternoon, the ship will depart for Moscow. After lunch, you can participate in on-board activities or enjoy the beautiful views of the Volga River from the deck. This evening, you will be hosted at the Captain's farewell dinner. Overnight stay on board.
Day 7 - MOSCOW
After breakfast, there will be time for preparations before we disembark the ship. Around noon, our ship arrives in Moscow. After disembarking, a panoramic city tour of Moscow will take place, where we will visit sights such as Leningrad Avenue, Triumph Palace (one of the tallest buildings in Europe), Tverskaya Street, the Parliament Building, Bolshoi Theatre, Lubyanka Square, KGB Headquarters, St. Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, GUM Shopping Center, Christ the Savior Cathedral, and the Duma Building. Guests wishing to do so can join the optional Kremlin + 2 Cathedrals tour. Afterward, we will transfer to our hotel. Dinner at the hotel and overnight stay.
Day 8 - MOSCOW
After breakfast at the hotel, we will check-out and take our luggage as we leave the hotel. Guests wishing to do so can participate in an optional tour of Novodevichy, Metro + Arbat. After the tours, we will meet at the specified time to transfer to Moscow Airport by bus. After check-in and passport procedures, flight TK416 with Turkish Airlines will depart for Istanbul Yeni Airport at 19:35. Arrival in Istanbul at 23:00 local time, marking the end of our tour.
- The cruise company is not responsible for any changes in the schedule and dates made by the airline or train company.
- The cruise, airline, and train companies reserve the right to make these changes.
- The operating days and hours of the museums and sites specified in the program may vary.
- Travel documents and plane tickets are provided to guests 48 hours before the trip. Participants are responsible for reading and checking these tickets and the information contained within them.
- Due to river water levels, port conditions, weather, and unforeseen circumstances, the cruise company reserves the right to make changes to the program. Accordingly, the ports to be visited and the arrival and departure times may vary based on river traffic.
- Passengers who are not present at the indicated airport or port for check-in and boarding at the times specified by our agency, or who complete check-in and boarding on time but miss their flight or ship, are not the responsibility of our agency. All costs for new round-trip plane tickets or transportation to the port where the ship docks, as well as transfers in the destination area, incurred by passengers who miss the flight or ship are their own responsibility.
- Information regarding the departure times of ships from the port is announced or displayed on information boards within the ship. Guests are responsible for following this information. In case of missing the ship's departure, all expenses for continuing the journey by boarding the ship from a different port or for returning after cutting the trip short are the responsibility of the passenger. No refunds will be made for the trip's fee in case the trip is cut short.
- For international trips, it is mandatory to have a valid passport that is legally acceptable and has at least 6 months of validity remaining from the end date of the trip. Passengers' passports must not be damaged, worn out, or torn, and there must be a blank visa page. Passengers are required to fulfill the legal obligations required to enter the countries they are visiting. In cases of non-compliance with these rules, passengers are personally responsible for any resulting damages from being denied boarding at the airports.
- The personal belongings, bags, and suitcases of passengers participating in the tour are their own responsibility, and our agency is not responsible for forgotten, lost, or stolen items. If forgotten items are found, the costs incurred during delivery to the country or person will be the responsibility of the item owner.
- Accommodation on the ship is all-inclusive and starts with dinner on the first day and ends with breakfast on the last day.
- In Russia, state closures of museums, archaeological sites, and major squares and arteries without prior notice can occur. In such cases, the extra tour changes and cancellation rights for the planned tours depend on the cruise management and the guide's initiative. This situation is unforeseeable in advance.
- Extra tour buses are only for guests who have participated in the extra tour, and guests who do not participate in the tours cannot use these buses.
- The programs and days for tours and extra tours in Moscow and St. Petersburg may change based on museums and historical sites. Some tours may be combined.
What's Included
- Economy class flight ticket between Istanbul Airport – Moscow / St Petersburg – Istanbul Airport with THY
- Full board cabin accommodation on the 5* Alexandra ship (full board service starts with dinner on the embarkation day and ends with breakfast on the disembarkation day)
- 1 night half board accommodation in a 4* hotel in Moscow
- 1 night half board accommodation in a 4* hotel in St Petersburg
- Panoramic city tour of Moscow (half day)
- Panoramic city tour of St Petersburg (half day)
- Tours at the ports visited along the river route
- Airport transfers specified in the program
- Professional Turkish guiding service
- Luggage handling service on the ship
- Welcome cocktail and captain's gala dinner on the ship
- Tea and coffee service at all meals on the ship
- Concerts, performances, cultural lessons, and activities on the ship (Russian language lesson, Russian songs lesson, Russian dance lesson, Russian cuisine, Russian folk arts, costumes, and information about the history and production of wooden souvenirs)
Not Included
- Port personnel service fee (80 Euro per person) is collected at the airport
- Tips for local guides and drivers (70 Euro per person) are collected at the airport
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and bottled water on the ship
- Tours not specified in the program
- Travel health and cancellation insurance (we recommend our guests to obtain travel health insurance to avoid possible issues related to health-related cancellations)
- Visa fee applies to public (standard) passports to Russia; for participation in the Volga Tour, an online electronic visa is required. The visa fee is 100 Euro per person. No visa is required for green passports. Regardless of passport type, a passport is required for entry into Russia that is valid for at least 6 months from the end of the tour and is undamaged with no sewing or tearing on the seams.
- Departure fee for international travel
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