A Russian River cruise is one of the best, most enjoyable ways to explore Russia's key cities.
A River cruise through Russia along the Volga allows ample time to explore St. Petersburg and Moscow from the comfort of a modern river ship. Most Russian river cruises spend 4 or 5 days in both of these extraordinary cities which allows for an up close and in-depth view of each.
While Communism is for the most part gone, land travel in Russia as a tourist can at times be a bit daunting as there are still many travel restrictions to deal with. A river cruise will all but eliminate the majority of those restrictions, and as a part of a small river cruise group, you will easily avoid the long tourist lines at key sites in Moscow and St. Petersburg as well as other stops along the Volga.
On a Russian river cruise, you pack and unpack only once and will have plenty of time to tour. The Russia of today, while still an exotic experience in many ways, has done an almost complete 180 degree shift away from the highly rigid and restrictive culture and society that suffocated under communism, to a more open, welcoming and increasingly western-oriented society. A Russian now owns the New York Mets basketball team, their bevy of beautiful female tennis players have captivated America’s for years, and they own as many iPods as do wec
A brief review of Russian history.
Yes, we all think we know Russia — who among us hasn’t seen dozens of portrayals depicting Russia as our biggest threat, diametrically opposed to all that “we” hold dear. I mean, if you can’t believe what you see on the big screen thanks to Hollywood, who can you believe! Russia is much more than just nuclear missiles, shadowy spy organizations, and Boris and Natasha! It has also been the birthplace of many talented individuals whose gifts have enriched the world in a myriad of fields. Artists such as the painter Marc Chagall; classical musicians such as Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, and Mstislav Rosropovich, who for many years conducted the US National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.; Ballet dancers like Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov from the fable Bolshoi Ballet; and, writers and poets of the stature of Alexander Pushkin, Anton Chekov, Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. We may not have read any of their works, but I’ll bet most of us have at least a passing knowledge of War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, and The Cherry Orchard. The list of talented Russians is almost endless.
Did you know that the Vikings used their long ships to explore and trade down the Volga and other internal waterways or Russia? In fact, the name Russia is supposedly derived from one of these Scandinavian peoples, the RUS, who conquered and ultimately settled around the city of Kiev and the surrounding areas in the 9th-century. Of course, we all learned a little bit about Russian history while in school — I’m sure names like Ivan the Terrible, first Czar of Russia, Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, are all familiar. And who doesn’t know the sad history of the Romanovs, the last rulers of the Russian Empire, slaughtered down to the last family member during the Russian revolution. You'll learn and hear much more about all the above on your very stimulating river cruise journey through Russia.
From Viking longships to modern-day, luxurious floating 4-star riverships.
Today, you don't have to rely on the Vikings to take you to Russia because you can sail the Volga on a luxurious river cruise ship provided by Scenic, Uniworld and Viking, all most certainly fit for a king.
Russia is a vast, expansive country stretching over 5,000 miles east to west, 1,500–2,500 miles north to south, from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea, Russia is the largest country by far in the world – almost twice the size of Canada and with a land area that spans 9, yes 9, time zones, covering an incredible 1/9th the surface area of the earth. So, I guess that means it’s hard to see and that would be correct, unless you choose a value-packed Volga River cruise for your visit.
Russian river cruises tend to be slightly longer with most itineraries spanning between 11 and 14 days of history-packed fun as you sail from Moscow to St. Petersburg (or reverse direction). Image strolling the Kremlin just as Stalin and Lenin did, and viewing the colorful onion domes of Moscow’s St. Basil’s Cathedral, taking that perfect photo as the sun slowly slips below Moscow’s horizon; or perhaps wandering about the “Venice of the North,” St. Petersburg.
On your Russian river cruise you’ll also enjoy the sights, sounds and fantasies that abound in St. Petersburg, enhanced to the max as you stroll the former lavish Palace of Catherine the Great, or wander the vast halls of what many believe to be one of the world’s great museums, St. Petersburg’s fabulous Hermitage Museum.
Cruises through Russia are far more than just Moscow and St. Petersburg, although that’s the main calling card for most. Your cruise will also visit what are called the “Golden Ring” where some of Russia’s most beautiful cities — including Uglich and Yaroslavl are located. Along the way you'll also enjoy some of the most unusual and breathtaking architecture found anywhere. And, of course no visit to Russia would be complete without a visit to the Russian Ballet and a ride on the infamous pre-world war II Moscow subway system, the most elaborate in the world.
If Russia is on your “bucket list,” but you want more of a good glimpse, rather than an in-depth history lesson, a river cruise vacation is by far and away the best and MOST affordable way to get your arms around this beast and best of all you will enjoy Russia in a style and fashion that would befit even Peter the Great. Scenic, Uniworld and Viking still have some exceptional values and great dates remaining for this year. Remember, the season is short (May-Oct), so if you want to go this year, give us a call now to book your exciting Russia river criuise.
TRAVEL ALERT
Russia's Volga River voyages are extremely limited at this time; cruises on Ukraine's Dnieper River have been cancelled. Please call and speak to one of our cruise experts – or use the "Get A Quick Quote" email option below – and we'll help you find the best cruise line available sailing the Volga.
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