DAY 1 - ISTANBUL - MOSCOW
Meeting at 06:00 at the Turkish Airlines counter in the International Terminal of Istanbul Airport. After check-in and passport procedures, we will depart for Moscow at 09:10 with Turkish Airlines flight TK417. Arrival in Moscow at 13:00 local time, followed by a panoramic city tour. During the city tour, highlights will include Leningrad Avenue, Tverskaya Avenue, the Parliament Building, Bolshoi Theatre, Lubyanka Square, KGB Headquarters, St. Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, GUM Shopping Mall, Christ the Savior Cathedral, and the Parliament Building. Transfer to our hotel at the end of the tour and dinner. Overnight stay at our hotel.
DAY 2 - MOSCOW
After breakfast at our hotel, guests who wish can join an optional tour to NOVODEVICHY Cemetery, where many statesmen and artists critical to Russian history are buried, as well as a METRO + ARBAT tour. After the tour, transfer back to the hotel for dinner. After dinner, guests who wish can embark on an optional tour of MOSCOW UNDER LIGHTS. Overnight stay at our hotel.
DAY 3 - MOSCOW
After breakfast, guests who wish can join an optional tour of the “KREMLIN.” After the tour, we will head to the port to board our ship. Following check-in and settling in the cabins, the ship will set sail. A briefing will be held at a specified time, providing information about the ports we will visit, waterways, and the operating system of the level pools. In the evening, we will gather for the captain’s welcome cocktail. Dinner and overnight stay on our ship.
DAY 4 - UGLICH
After breakfast, you can participate in onboard activities or enjoy the beauty of the Volga River from the upper deck. After lunch, our ship arrives in Uglich. We will take a free walking tour in this charming town on the banks of the Volga, where we will see the Transfiguration Cathedral in the Old Kremlin Square and the Church of St. Dmitri on the Blood, built on the site where Ivan the Terrible's son Dmitri was killed at the age of 9. The ship will depart at 18:00. Dinner and overnight stay on our ship.
DAY 5 - KUZINO
After breakfast on the ship, we will arrive in Kuzino, located at the confluence of the Sukhona and Yug rivers amidst the beautiful scenery of Northern Russia. This small settlement, opposite the historic Veliky Ustyug, is a crucial stop on Viking River Cruises due to its tranquility and natural setting. After a stop, we will travel by bus with guests who wish to visit one of the region's most impressive structures, the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. This monastery, which is one of the finest examples of Medieval Russian architecture, holds great religious, cultural, and historical significance. After our visit, we will return to the ship and set sail. After lunch, you can enjoy the scenery and participate in various onboard activities.
Dinner and overnight stay on our ship.
DAY 6 - PETROZAVODSK
After breakfast, you can enjoy the view of Lake Onega, the second-largest lake in Europe, from the deck. After lunch, at 17:00, our ship arrives in Petrozavodsk, the capital of the Republic of Karelia. We will explore the important squares and streets of this city located on the shores of Lake Onega. Notable stops will include the famous Onega Pier and Gubernator Park, where locals spend their leisure time. After the city tour, we will have free time in the center before returning to the ship and setting sail. Dinner and overnight stay on our ship.
DAY 7 - MANDROGI
After breakfast, you can participate in various activities on the ship and enjoy the beauty of the Volga River from the deck. Our ship arrives in Mandrogi at 13:30. This lush village, known for its colorful wooden houses, provides some free time. You can walk around the greenery, visit the mini-zoo, and explore the souvenir shops and workshops located in beautiful wooden buildings. There is also a small vodka museum (entrance fee applies). The ship will depart at 18:30. As we sail through the northern forests of Russia, enjoy the scenic views. Dinner and overnight stay on our ship.
DAY 8 - VALAAM
After breakfast on the ship, we arrive in Valaam. Valaam, located north of Lake Ladoga, is known for its extraordinary beauty, historical monasteries, and natural surroundings. During our walking tour on Valaam, we will explore the historical structures dating back to the 14th century and the island's stunning natural beauty. Valaam holds significant importance in Orthodox Christianity, and we will learn about the historical events and religious centers on the island and in the region. After the tour, we will return to the ship and set sail. This evening, you will be treated to the Captain’s Gala Dinner. Overnight stay on our ship.
DAY 9 - ST. PETERSBURG
After breakfast, we will arrive in St. Petersburg at 09:00. After disembarking, we will have a free panoramic city tour by private vehicle, during which we will see: Alexander Nevsky Monastery, Nevsky Prospekt, the Stroganov Palace, Palace Square, Winter Palace, St. Isaac's Cathedral, Smolny Monastery, the Anichkov Palace and Bridge, and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. For those interested, there will be optional tours to the “Hermitage Museum” and a “Canal Tour.” Afterward, we will transfer to our hotel for check-in. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.
DAY 10 - ST. PETERSBURG
After breakfast, optional tours to “Peterhof Park, Pushkin Town, and Catherine Palace” will be available for guests. After the tour, we will return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.
DAY 11 - ST. PETERSBURG
After breakfast, we will check out of the hotel and depart for St. Petersburg Airport. After check-in and passport procedures, return flight and the end of our tour.
- Economy class flight ticket between Istanbul Airport and Moscow / St. Petersburg – Istanbul Airport with THY
- Full board accommodation in a 5* General Lavrinenkov cruise ship (The full board service starts with dinner on the day of boarding and ends with breakfast on the day of disembarkation)
- 2 nights half-board accommodation in a 4* hotel in Moscow.
- 2 nights 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 of call along the river route
- Airport transfers as 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 with all meals on the ship
- Concerts, shows, cultural lessons and activities on the ship (Russian language course, Russian songs course, Russian dance course, Russian cuisine, Russian folk arts, costumes and information about the history and making of wooden souvenirs)
- The fee for the ship personnel service (per person: 80 Euro) is collected at the airport
- Tips for local guides 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 that all our passengers take out travel health insurance to avoid any inconvenience in case of a health-related cancellation.)
- Visa Fee: Russia applies a visa for public passport holders. It is necessary to obtain an ONLINE ELECTRONIC VISA to participate in the Volga Tour. The visa fee is (100 Euro) per person. A visa is not required for green passport holders. Regardless of the type of passport, a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the end of the tour, undamaged, and with no tearing in the seams is required for entry into Russia.
- International departure tax
- The company will not be responsible for changes in the schedule, date, and itinerary made by the ship, airline company, and train company.
- The ship, airline, and train company reserves the right to make these changes.
- Travel documents and plane tickets are sent to the guests 48 hours before the trip. Participants are obliged to read and check these tickets and the information provided on them.
- Due to changes in river water levels, port conditions, weather, and unforeseen events, the shipping company has the right to make changes to the program. Accordingly, the ports to be visited, arrival and departure times may vary according to river traffic.
- Passengers who are not present at the specified airport or the port where the ship will dock at the times indicated by our agency, who do not complete check-in and boarding procedures on time, or who complete check-in and boarding procedures on time but cannot board the plane or ship, are not the responsibility of our agency. All costs related to new round-trip plane tickets or transport to the port where they can reach the ship, as well as transfers in the region to be visited, incurred due to missing the flight or ship are their own responsibility.
- Information regarding the departure times of the ships from the port is announced or displayed on information boards inside the ship. Guests are obliged to follow this information. In the case of missing the ship's departure, all costs for continuing the trip by boarding from a different port or for returning halfway through the trip are the responsibility of the passenger. No refund will be made for the tour fee in case of interruption of the trip.
- For international trips, it is mandatory to have a legally valid passport with at least 6 months remaining until its expiry from the departure date. Passengers must ensure that their passports are undamaged/worn/unripped and have blank visa pages. Passengers are obligated to fulfill the legal requirements necessary for entry into the countries to be visited. Passengers are personally responsible for any losses resulting from not complying with these rules, such as being denied boarding at airports.
- Passengers' personal belongings, bags, and suitcases are their own responsibility, and our agency is not responsible for forgotten/lost/stolen items. If forgotten items are found, the costs for delivering them to the country and/or the individual are the responsibility of the item owner.
- Accommodation on the ship is full board, starting with dinner on the first day and ending with breakfast on the last day.
- In Russia, museums, archaeological sites, and city main squares and arteries may be closed without prior notice by the state. In this case, the management of the ship and the guide have the discretion to change or cancel planned tours (city tour, extra tour). This situation is unforeseeable.
- Extra tour buses are exclusively for guests who participate in the extra tour, and guests who do not participate in the tours cannot benefit from these buses.
- The programs and days of the tours and extra tours in Moscow and St. Petersburg may vary depending on museums and archaeological sites. Some tours may be conducted in combination.