5* M/S LAVRINENKOV AND THE MAGNIFICENT VOLGA RIVER WHITE NIGHTS - (9 NIGHTS - 10 DAYS) - 2026
DAY 1 - ISTANBUL - MOSCOW
Meet at Istanbul Airport, Departures Terminal, Turkish Airlines counter at 06:00. After check-in and passport procedures, departure to Moscow on Turkish Airlines flight TK417 at 09:10. Upon arrival in Moscow at 13:00 local time, we will undertake a panoramic city tour. During the city tour, sights will include Leningradskaya Street, Tverskaya Street, Parliament Building, Bolshoy Theater, Lubyanka Square, KGB Headquarters, Saint Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, GUM Shopping Mall, Savior Cathedral, and the Parliament Building. At the end of the tour, transfer to the hotel and dinner. Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 2 - MOSCOW
After breakfast at the hotel, optional excursions will be available, including the NOVODEVICHY Cemetery, where many statesmen and artists who shaped Russian history are buried, and the Metro + Arbat tours. After the tour, return to the hotel and dinner. Following dinner, optional "Lights of Moscow" night tour will be available. Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 3 - MOSCOW
After breakfast, optional "KREMLIN" tour will be available. After the tour, we will move towards the dock where our cruise ship awaits. After check-in and settling into the cabins, our ship departs. During the informational briefing at the scheduled time, details about upcoming ports, waterway crossings, and dam systems will be provided. In the evening, there will be a Welcome Champagne with the captain. Dinner and overnight on the ship.
DAY 4 - UGLICH
After breakfast, join onboard activities or enjoy the view of the Volga River from the upper deck. After lunch, the ship arrives in Uglich. In this charming town by the Volga, we will take a free walking tour which includes the Transfiguration Cathedral at the Old Kremlin Square and the Church of Dmitry on the Blood, built at the site where Dmitry, son of Ivan the Terrible, died at age 9. The ship departs at 18:00. Dinner and overnight on the ship.
DAY 5 - GORITSY / KIRILOV
After breakfast, enjoy onboard activities and the scenic view of the Volga River. After lunch, arrive at Goritsy. Known as a picturesque and tranquil Russian village on the riverbank, you will explore its medieval atmosphere. This area was an important center of early Christianity with many monasteries and hermitages representing monastic spiritual life. From there, we will transfer by bus to Kirilov, about 10 km away, to visit its monastery. After the visit, return to the village for free time to explore and shop. Return to the ship at the designated time, and depart. You can relax on the upper deck with coffee while enjoying the breathtaking river views. Dinner and overnight on the ship.
DAY 6 - KIJI
After breakfast, enjoy onboard activities or admire the beauty of Lake Onega. After lunch, arrive at Kiji at 17:00. Located on an island in Lake Onega above the 60th parallel, Kiji is an open-air museum listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During our free walking tour, admire the 22-domed traditional wooden Church of the Transfiguration, built without nails, and see the traditional wooden houses of old Russian villages, learning about village and island life. There is free time on the island afterward, after which we return to the ship. The ship departs at 20:30. Dinner and overnight on the ship.
DAY 7 - MANDROGI
Morning on the ship with breakfast, arrival at Mandrogi at 12:30. This colorful village of Russian wooden houses in a lush green environment offers free time. You can walk among the greenery, visit the small petting zoo, explore the gift shops in the wooden buildings, and visit the gift workshop. There is also a small vodka museum here (admission fee required). After lunch, depart from the ship. While sailing through the northern Russian forests, enjoy the beautiful scenery. Dinner and overnight on the ship.
DAY 8 - VALAM
After breakfast, arrive at Valaam. Located on the Valaam archipelago north of Lake Ladoga, Europe's largest lake, this group of islands is famous for its natural beauty and historic monasteries. During our walking tour on Valaam, we will explore the structures dating back to the 14th century and enjoy the stunning natural landscape. Valaam is significant for Orthodox Christianity, with a rich history of monasteries and spiritual centers. After the tour, return to the ship and depart for St. Petersburg. You will be treated to a captain's gala dinner tonight. Overnight on the ship.
DAY 9 - ST. PETERSBURG
After breakfast, arrive in St. Petersburg. Disembark and start city tours with your luggage. Sightseeing will include Alexandr Nevsky Monastery, Nevsky Prospect, Stroganov Palace, Palace Square, Winter Palace, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Smolny Monastery, Annunciation Palace and Bridge, and the Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood. Optional guided tours of the Hermitage Museum and canal boat tours will be available. Afterwards, transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 10 - ST. PETERSBURG
After breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport for your return flight. End of our tour.
- The ship, airline, and train companies are not responsible for any changes in time, date, or route made by the company.
- The ship, airline, and train companies reserve the right to make such changes.
- The working days and hours of museums and historical sites indicated in the program may vary.
- Documents related to travel and airline tickets are delivered to guests 48 hours before the trip. Participants are responsible for reading and verifying these tickets and related information.
- Due to river water levels, port conditions, weather, and unforeseen circumstances, the ship company reserves the right to change the program. Accordingly, the ports to be visited, as well as arrival and departure times, may change depending on river traffic.
- The agency is not responsible for travelers who fail to arrive at the designated airport or port in time for check-in and boarding, or who miss their flight or ship despite completing check-in and boarding procedures on time. All costs for rescheduling, transportation to the new port, or reaching the ship, and transfers in the region are the responsibility of the passenger.
- Information about the ship's departure times from ports is announced via announcements or information boards onboard. Guests are responsible for following this information. If the ship departs without the passenger, any resulting expenses for boarding from a different port or terminating the trip early are the traveler's responsibility. No refunds are provided for partial trip cancellations.
- International trips require a valid passport with at least 6 months remaining from the end date of the journey. Passports must be undamaged, unripped, and have blank visa pages. Passengers must fulfill legal entry requirements of the destination countries. Failure to comply makes passengers solely responsible for any issues at airports or border crossings.
- Passengers are responsible for their personal belongings, bags, and suitcases. Our agency is not responsible for lost, forgotten, or stolen items. Costs incurred in locating forgotten items or delivering them to the owner are borne by the owner.
- Accommodation on the ship begins with dinner on the first evening and ends with breakfast on the last day.
- In Russia, museums, historical sites, and city squares may be closed without prior notice by the government. In such cases, planned tours (city tours, extra tours) may be changed or canceled at the discretion of the ship management and guides. Such situations are unpredictable.
- Bus tours for extra excursions are only for guests participating in those excursions; non-participants cannot use these buses.
- Tours and the schedule of extra tours in Moscow and St. Petersburg may change depending on museum and site availability. Some tours may be combined.
Cancellation Terms:
- Cancellations up to 90 days before the departure date are free of charge (Note: Free cancellation applies only to the boat portion; any airline ticket cancellations will be charged separately).
- Cancellations between 89 and 60 days prior will incur a 50% penalty.
- Cancellations between 59 and 45 days prior will incur an 80% penalty.
- Cancellations within 44 days or less before the departure date will incur 100% penalty.
What's Included
- Economy class airline ticket between THY İstanbul Airport – Moscow / St. Petersburg – İstanbul Airport.
- Full board accommodation on the 5* Lavrinenkov ship (Full board service begins with dinner on embarkation day and ends with breakfast on disembarkation day).
- 2 nights stay in Moscow at a 4* hotel with half board.
- 1 night stay in St. Petersburg at a 4* hotel with half board.
- Moscow Panoramic City Tour (Half day).
- St. Petersburg Panoramic City Tour (Half day).
- Tours at the port cities along the river route.
- Airport transfers as specified in the program.
- Professional Turkish-speaking guide service.
- Luggage handling service on the ship.
- Welcome cocktail and Captain’s Gala Dinner on the ship.
- Tea and coffee service during all meals on the ship.
- Onboard concerts, shows, cultural lessons, and activities (including Russian language lessons, Russian songs, Russian dances, Russian cuisine, Russian folk arts, costumes, and the history and craft of wooden souvenirs).
Not Included
- Crew service fee (Per person: 80 EURO) is collected at the airport.
- Tips for the local guide and drivers (Per person: 70 Euro) 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 all passengers to have travel health insurance to avoid any issues related to health cancellations.)
- Visa Fee: Russia applies a visa to general passport holders (normal). Participation in the Volga Tour requires obtaining an ONLINE ELECTRONIC VISA. The visa fee is 100 EURO per person. A visa is not required for Green passports. Regardless of passport type, a passport with at least 6 months validity after the end of the tour and in undamaged condition, without any sewn seams, is required for entry into Russia.
- Exit fee for abroad.
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