Day 01 ISTANBUL - St. PETERSBURG
Meeting at Istanbul Airport, International Terminal, Turkish Airlines check-in desk at 05:00. After check-in and passport procedures, we will depart for St. Petersburg on Turkish Airlines flight TK401 at 08:15. Arrival in St. Petersburg at 11:50 local time. After the arrival, we will organize a complimentary panoramic city tour of St. Petersburg; sights include Moskovski Prospect, Nevsky Prospect, Strogonov Palace, Palace Square, Winter Palace, St. Isaac Cathedral, Anichkov Palace and Bridge, and the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Transfer to our hotel after the tour, check-in procedures, and room allocation. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel.
Day 02 St. PETERSBURG
After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart with guests who wish to join for a full-day optional tour. Today we will visit two important towns near St. Petersburg. First, we will go to Tsarskoe Selo, now known as Pushkin. Here, we will visit the Catherine Palace. This palace, famous for the Amber Room, is considered one of the most beautiful summer residences of the Tsarist period. After our visit here, we will head towards Peterhoff, located on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The magnificent gardens of the summer palace built during Tsar Peter the Great's period in Peterhoff attract significant interest from visitors. This park and garden complex is particularly known for its fountains, statues, and monuments placed throughout the park. After visiting the gardens of Peterhoff, we will return to our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel in St. Petersburg.
Day 03 St. PETERSBURG (EMBARKATION)
After breakfast at the hotel and check-out procedures, we will depart for an optional tour of the Hermitage Museum for guests who wish to join. One of the world's most important art museums, the Hermitage consists of five buildings. Once the residence of Russian tsars and empresses, the complex that includes the Winter Palace and the magnificent collection established by Empress Catherine is among the world's notable museums. After the museum visit, you will have free time to explore the city center, enjoy cafes on Nevsky Prospect. After the specific meeting time, we will transfer to our ship. After the captain's welcome cocktail, our ship will set sail. Dinner and overnight stay on the ship.
Day 04 VALAAM
After breakfast on board, we will arrive in Valaam. Located north of Europe’s largest lake, Ladoga, the Valaam archipelago is renowned for its nature and historical monasteries. During our walking tour on Valaam, the largest of the islands, we will explore historical buildings dating back to the 14th century and the island's stunning natural beauty. Valaam holds great significance in Orthodox Christianity and we will learn about the history of the island and its religious centers. After the tour, we will return to the ship and it will set sail.
Day 05 MANDROGI
After breakfast on board and arrival at Mandrogi at 10:30. A village filled with colorful wooden Russian houses surrounded by greenery, Mandrogi offers free time. Here, you can walk in the fresh air, visit a mini zoo, and see beautiful wooden buildings that house souvenir shops and gift workshops. There is also a small vodka museum here (entrance fee is required). After lunch, the ship will set sail. Enjoy the beautiful scenery as our ship navigates through the northern forests of Russia. Tonight, you will be treated to the Captain’s Gala Dinner. Overnight stay on the ship.
Day 06 KIZHI
After breakfast, you can participate in onboard activities or admire the beauty of Lake Onega. After lunch, we will arrive in Kizhi at 17:00. Located above the 60th parallel on Lake Onega, this island is an open-air museum and is listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. During our free walking tour in Kizhi, we will see the wooden Church of the Transfiguration with 22 domes, built without the use of nails, as well as explore old wooden houses and learn about life in past villages and on the island. After the tour, we will have free time on the island. Then, we will return to the ship and set sail at 20:30. Dinner and overnight stay on the ship.
Day 07 GORITSI / KIRILOV
After breakfast, you can participate in various onboard activities and enjoy the beauty of the Volga River from the deck. After lunch, we will arrive in Goritsi, a picturesque and tranquil village in Russia that has a small port by the riverbank. You will explore this charming village's simplicity and experience the medieval atmosphere. This region is also a significant center for early Christianism in Russia, reflecting the spiritual lives of many monasteries and monks. Upon arrival in this beautiful village located by the river, we will travel by bus to the Kirilov settlement, 10 km away. After visiting the monastery located in the town, we will return to the village. We will have free time to explore the village and shop. After the specified time, we will return to the ship and set sail. Enjoy a cup of coffee on the ship's upper deck while admiring the picturesque views along the riverbank. Dinner and overnight stay on the ship.
Day 08 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 will arrive in Uglich. During our free walking tour in this charming city on the banks of the Volga, we will explore the Transfiguration Cathedral in the Old Kremlin Square and the Church of Dmitry on the Blood, built at the site where Ivan the Terrible’s son Dmitry died at the age of 9. We will set sail at 18:00. Tonight, you will be hosted at the Captain's farewell dinner. Overnight stay on the ship.
Day 09 MOSCOW
After breakfast, we will have time for preparations before disembarking. Our ship will arrive in Moscow around noon. After leaving the ship, we will embark on a panoramic city tour of Moscow, with sights including Leningrad Avenue, Triumph Palace, one of Europe’s tallest buildings, Tverskaya Avenue, 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. After the city tour, guests can join the optional Kremlin + 2 Cathedrals tour if desired. Then, we will transfer to our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 10 MOSCOW
After breakfast at the hotel, we will complete check-out procedures and depart with our luggage. Those interested can join the optional tour of Novodevichy, Metro + Arbat. After the tours, we will gather at the specified time to transfer to Moscow Airport by bus.
Day 11 MOSCOW – ISTANBUL
After check-in and passport procedures, we will depart for Istanbul Airport on Turkish Airlines flight TK410 at 01:10. Arrival in Istanbul at 05:10 local time, concluding our tour.
- Economy class flight ticket between Istanbul Airport – Moscow / St. Petersburg – Istanbul Airport with THY.
- Accommodation in a cabin with FULL BOARD on the 5* Lavrinenkov 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.
- Moscow Panoramic City Tour (Half day).
- St. Petersburg Panoramic City Tour (Half day).
- Excursions at ports of call along the river route.
- Airport transfers as specified in the program.
- Professional Turkish guiding services.
- Luggage handling service on board.
- Welcome cocktail and Captain's Gala Dinner on board.
- Tea and coffee service with all meals on board.
- Concerts, shows, cultural lessons and activities on board (Russian language class, Russian songs class, Russian dance class, Russian cuisine, Russian folk arts, costumes, and information about the history and making of wooden souvenirs).
- Cruise staff service fee (per person: 80 Euros) will be collected at the airport.
- Tips for local guides and drivers (per person: 70 Euros) will be 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 purchase travel health insurance to avoid any inconvenience in case of a health-related cancellation).
- Visa Fee: Russia requires a visa for regular passports. An ONLINE ELECTRONIC VISA is required to participate in the Volga Tour. Visa fee per person (100 Euros) Green passport holders do not need a visa. Regardless of passport type, a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the end of the tour and is undamaged with no tears in the seams is required for entry into Russia.
- International departure tax.
TK 401 26JUN ISTLED 0810 1155
TK 410 06JUL VKOIST 0110 0510
- The ship and airline company will not be responsible for any changes in time and date made by the train company.
- The ship, airline, and train company reserve the right to make these changes.
- The operating days and hours of the museums and historical sites indicated in the program may vary.
- Documents related to the trip and flight tickets will be delivered to guests 48 hours before the trip. Participants are obliged to read and check these tickets and the information contained therein.
- Due to changes in river water levels, port conditions, weather, and unforeseen circumstances, the cruise company reserves the right to make changes in the program. Accordingly, the ports of call, arrival and departure times at the ports 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, do not complete check-in and boarding procedures on time, or do complete these procedures on time but still miss the flight or ship will not hold our agency responsible for the inability to complete the trip. All expenses for new round-trip flight tickets or transportation to reach the ship or port or transfers in the destination area required for passengers who miss the flight or ship are their own responsibility.
- Information about the ships' departure times is announced inside the ship or communicated through information boards. Guests are responsible for keeping track of this information. In case of missing the ship's departure, all expenses for continuing the trip by boarding the ship from a different port or returning because the trip has been interrupted are the responsibility of the passenger. In case the trip is interrupted, the tour fee is non-refundable.
- For foreign trips, it is mandatory to have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the end date of the trip and is legally valid. Passenger passports must be undamaged, unworn, and unbroken, and must have blank visa pages. Passengers are required to fulfill the legal obligations necessary for entry into the countries they are traveling to. If these rules are not followed, passengers will be personally responsible for any losses resulting from being denied boarding at the airports.
- Passengers participating in the tour are responsible for their personal belongings, bags, and luggage, and our agency is not responsible for forgotten/lost/stolen items. If forgotten items are found, the costs incurred in delivering them to the country and/or person 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, historical sites, and main squares and arteries of cities may be closed by the state without prior notice. In this case, the cruise management and the guide have the right to change or cancel planned tours (city tours, extra tours). This situation is unpredictable.
- Extra tour buses are only for guests who have participated in the extra tour, and guests who do not participate in the tours cannot benefit from these buses.
- The programs and days of tours and extra tours in Moscow and St. Petersburg may vary depending on the museums and historical sites. Some tours may be combined.
Cancellation Conditions:
There is a right to cancel without penalty up to 90 days before the tour departure date (This right to cancel without penalty up to 90 days before the tour departure date is only valid for the cruise portion. Flight ticket fees will be charged separately).
A 50% penalty will be applied between 89 days and 60 days.
An 80% penalty will be applied between 59 days and 45 days.
A 100% penalty will be applied between 44 days and the day of the tour departure.