Day 1 - ISTANBUL - St. PETERSBURG
Meet at Istanbul Airport, International Terminal, Turkish Airlines counter at 05:00. After check-in and passport procedures, we depart for St. Petersburg on Turkish Airlines flight TK401 at 08:15. Arriving in St. Petersburg at 11:50 local time, we will have a free panoramic city tour of St. Petersburg, including sites such as Moskovski Prospekt, Nevsky Prospekt street, Count Stroganov Palace, Palace Square, Winter Palace, St Isaac Cathedral, Anichkov Palace and Bridge, and the Church of Alexander Nevsky. After the tour, we transfer to our hotel for check-in and room distribution. 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 the optional Hermitage Museum tour. The Hermitage, one of the world's most important art museums, consists of five buildings. In addition to the Winter Palace, which served as the residence of Russian emperors and empresses, the complex is home to a magnificent collection developed by Empress Catherine over the years, and is considered one of the world’s finest museums. After the museum visit, you can enjoy free time in the city center, exploring the cafes on Nevsky Prospekt. After the specified meeting time, we transfer to our ship. After check-in and settling into cabins, there will be an informational meeting providing details about the ports of call, waterways to be crossed, and how the pool systems work. The ship departs at 19:00. Meet the Captain and crew at the "Welcome" cocktail reception. Dinner and overnight stay on the ship.
Day 3 - LODEYNOE POLE
After breakfast on the ship, we arrive at Lodeynoye Pole. Lodeynoye Pole, a small city with a population of 20,000 located on the banks of the Svir River, has monasteries dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries, which hold significant importance in Russian Christianity. The city was founded in 1702 on the orders of Tsar Peter the Great. After a walking tour of Lodeynoye Pole, we return to the ship for lunch. The ship departs in the afternoon, and while sipping tea or coffee on deck, you can enjoy the views of the landscapes along the Svir River flowing through the northern forests of Russia or participate in onboard activities. Dinner and overnight stay on the ship.
Day 4 - KIZHI
After breakfast, we arrive at Kizhi. Located on the 60th parallel of Lake Onega, this island is an open-air museum and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During our free Kizhi walking tour, we will first see the wooden Transfiguration Church with 22 domes, built without the use of any nails, which looks like something out of a fairy tale. We will then observe the beautiful examples of typical northern Russian architecture, such as old wooden Russian village houses, and learn about the daily lives of the villagers. After the tour, we will have free time on the island. We will then return to the ship and depart. In the afternoon, you can admire the beauty of Lake Onega from the deck or take part in various shipboard activities. Lunch, dinner, and overnight stay on the ship.
Day 5 - GORITSY
After breakfast, you can participate in various onboard activities or enjoy the beauty of the Volga River from the deck. After lunch, we arrive at Goritsy. Known as a picturesque and quiet village in Russia, Goritsy has a small harbor on the riverbank. You will immerse yourself in the simplicity of this charming village and discover its medieval atmosphere. This area is also one of the important centers of early Christian history in Russia, which reflects the spiritual lives of many monasteries and monks. Upon arrival at this beautiful village located by the river, we will travel by bus to Kirilov, which is 10 km away. After visiting the monastery there, we will return to the village. We will have free time to explore the village and shop. After the specified time, we return to the ship and depart. During the sailing, you can enjoy coffee on the upper deck while watching the picturesque views along the riverbank. Dinner and overnight stay on the ship.
Day 6 - TUTAYEV / RIBINSK
After breakfast on the ship, we arrive at the charming city of Tutayev. With a population of around 40,000, this delightful town on the banks of the Volga is a place to explore. We will return to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon, our ship will arrive in Ribinsk around 16:30. Located near the Ribinsk Reservoir (where the Sheksna River flows into the Volga), Ribinsk is one of the oldest cities in Russia, founded in the 11th century. On our walking tour, we will explore Ribinsk's historical center, including the monument to the Volga Burlaks (barge hauliers), the Old Market Square, and the Transfiguration Cathedral. After the specified meeting time, we return to the ship and depart. Dinner and overnight stay on the ship.
Day 7 - UGLITCH
After breakfast, we arrive in Uglich. Once one of Russia's significant principalities, Uglich is where specific events changed the fate of Russia and Uglich itself. During our free walking tour of this charming city located on the bank of the Volga, we will see 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. In the afternoon, we will set off for Moscow. After lunch, you can participate in the onboard activities and enjoy the beautiful views of the Volga River from the deck. Tonight, you will be hosted at the Captain's Gala Dinner. Overnight stay on the ship.
Day 8 - MOSCOW
After breakfast, we will have time for preparations before disembarking. Around noon, our ship arrives in Moscow. After disembarking, we will have a panoramic city tour of Moscow, where we will see sites such as Leningrad Avenue, Triumph Palace (one of Europe’s tallest buildings), Tverskaya Avenue, Parliament Building, Bolshoi Theatre, Lubyanka Square, KGB Headquarters, St. Basil Cathedral, Red Square, GUM Shopping Center, Christ the Savior Cathedral, and the Parliament Building. During the tour, guests wishing to do so can join the Optional Kremlin + 2 Cathedrals tour. We will then transfer to our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 9 - MOSCOW
After breakfast at the hotel, we will check-out and collect our luggage before departing from the hotel. Guests wishing to do so can join the optional tours of Novodevichy Monastery, Metro + Arbat. After the tours, we will gather at the specified time to transfer to Moscow Airport by bus. After check-in and passport procedures, we will depart for Istanbul New Airport on Turkish Airlines flight TK416 at 19:35. Arriving in Istanbul at 23:00 local time, our tour comes to an end.
- Economy class flight ticket with THY between Istanbul Airport – Moscow / St. Petersburg – Istanbul Airport.
- Full board cabin accommodation on the 5* Stravinsky ship (Full board service begins with dinner on the day of boarding the ship and ends with breakfast on the day of disembarkation).
- 1 night half board accommodation at a 4* star hotel in Moscow.
- 1 night half board accommodation at a 4* star hotel in St. Petersburg.
- Moscow Panoramic City Tour (Half day).
- St. Petersburg Panoramic City Tour (Half day).
- Tours at the ports visited 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 at all meals on the ship.
- Concerts, shows, cultural lessons, and activities on the ship (Russian language lesson, Russian songs lesson, Russian dances lesson, Russian cuisine, Russian folk arts, costumes, and information about the history and making of wooden souvenirs).
- Cruise staff service fee (per person: 80 Euros) is collected at the airport.
- Tips for local guides and drivers (per person: 70 Euros) are collected at the airport.
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and bottled water on the ship.
- Tours not mentioned in the program.
- Travel Health and Cancellation Insurance (We recommend our guests to obtain travel health insurance to avoid any issues in case of a health-related cancellation.)
- Visa Fee: Russia applies a visa for ordinary (normal) passport holders. It is necessary to obtain an ONLINE ELECTRONIC VISA to participate in the Volga Tour. The visa fee per person is (100 Euros), and a visa is not required for Green passport holders. Regardless of passport type, a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of the tour is required, which must be undamaged and with no stitches torn out.
- International exit fee.
- The cruise company will not be responsible for any changes in hours, dates, and routes made by the airline or train company.
- The cruise, airline, and train company reserves the right to make these changes.
- The working days and hours of museums and historical 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 therein.
- Due to changing river water levels, port conditions, weather, and unforeseen circumstances, the cruise 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 port at the times indicated by our agency, who do not complete check-in and boarding procedures on time, or who complete these procedures on time but miss the flight or boarding will not hold our agency responsible for their inability to travel. All expenses for new round-trip plane tickets or transportation to the port, as well as transfers in the destination area for passengers who miss their flight or cruise, are their own responsibility.
- Information regarding the departure times of the ships is announced or displayed on information boards within the ship. Guests are responsible for following this information. In cases where the ship's departure is missed, all costs incurred for continuing the trip by boarding the ship from a different port or for returning after interrupting the trip are the responsibility of the passenger. No refunds will be made for trips interrupted.
- For international trips, it is mandatory to have a legally valid passport with at least 6 months validity from the date of the end of the trip. Passengers' passports must be undamaged, unspoiled, and have no tears, and they must have blank visa pages. Passengers are obliged to fulfill the legal requirements for entering the countries to be visited. In case of non-compliance with these rules, passengers will be personally responsible for the damages resulting from being denied boarding at the airports.
- Passengers participating in the tour are responsible for their personal belongings, bags, and suitcases, and our agency is not responsible for items left behind, lost, or stolen. In cases where lost items are found, the costs incurred during their delivery to the country and/or individual shall be borne by the owner of the item.
- Accommodation on the ship is all-inclusive and begins with dinner on the first day and ends 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 such cases, the cruise management and guide have the right to change or cancel planned tours (city tours, extra tours). This situation cannot be foreseen in advance.
- Extra tour buses are for guests who have participated in the extra tour only, and guests who do not participate in the tours cannot use these buses.
- The schedules and days of tours and extra tours in Moscow and St. Petersburg may vary depending on museums and historical sites. Some tours may be conducted in combination.
Cancellation Policies
Cancellation without penalty is allowed up to 90 days before the tour departure date (This right to cancel without penalty applies only to the cruise portion. Air ticket fees will be charged separately).
A 50% penalty will be applied for cancellations between 89 to 60 days.
An 80% penalty will be applied for cancellations between 59 to 45 days.
A 100% penalty will be applied for cancellations between 44 days and the day of tour departure.