Day 1Moscow
Welcome to Moscow, capital of Russia. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your ship. * After boarding, the rest of your day is free to explore on your own—or join our “welcome walk” to stretch your legs and start getting oriented. (D)
Day 2Moscow
Today, ride the city’s famed Metro and see the Bolshoi Theater and St. Basil’s Cathedral with its colorful onion domes. Enjoy free time in Red Square. Dinner is followed by a performance of traditional Russian folkloric music. Remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 3Moscow
After breakfast visit the Kremlin, a fortified enclosure of red brick walls, tall towers, many cathedrals and palaces, and the Armory. After a traditional Russian lunch in a local restaurant, take free time or join an optional tour to the Tretyakov Gallery, national treasury of Russian art. Dinner is served aboard.(B, L, D)
Day 4Moscow
Your morning is free to explore Moscow on your own. Visit more of the city’s renowned sites or join an optional tour to the quaint Golden Ring city of Sergiev Posad. The Golden Ring cities are ancient towns that preserve the memory of Russia’s historical events. Sergiev Posad, named for St. Sergius of Radonezh, is home to one of the four most important Russian Orthodox monasteries in the world. Lunch and dinner are served aboard. Depart in the afternoon. (B, L, D)
Day 5Uglich
Cruise along the Volga. After lunch, arrive in Uglich where you will see the former Kremlin of Uglich and visit the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood, built on the site where Ivan the Terrible’s son was mysteriously killed. Dinner aboard; cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 6Yaroslavl & Kostroma
After breakfast, tour Yaroslavl, another Golden Ring city. Ride along the riverbanks to the Church of the Epiphany and Church of St. Elijah the Prophet, where you enjoy a moving choir performance. Spend time in the marketplace before returning aboard for lunch and departure. Arrive this afternoon in Kostroma and visit the Ipatievsky Monastery, founded in 1330 by an ancestor of Boris Godunov’s and very important to the early Romanov czars. The evening is at leisure to choose a local restaurant for dinner or dine aboard before evening departure—as always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. (B, L, D)
Day 7Volga River & Nizhni Novgorod
Spend the morning cruising along the Volga River, taking in the riverside scenery. After lunch, visit Nizhni Novgorod, the fourth largest city in Russia, formerly known as Gorky. See its beautiful churches, lively boulevards and majestic, high-walled kremlin set on a hillside above the city. Dine aboard and cruise into the evening. (B, L, D)
Day 8Kazan
Today features a guided visit inside the “White Kremlin of Kazan.” This UNESCO World Heritage Site features the Annunciation Cathedral, Söyembikä Tower, New Mosque and the twin-towered Peter & Paul Cathedral. Enjoy free time on Baumann Street. Lunch is served aboard during departure. (B, L, D)
Day 9Ulyanovsk
After breakfast, disembark for a city tour of Vladimir Lenin’s birthplace and home. See the Lenin House and Lenin Memorial Complex, housing more than 5,000 items. You have free time before returning to your ship for lunch. Cruise through the night.
(B, L, D)
Day 10Samara
This morning, arrive in Samara. Tour Joseph Stalin’s World War II Bunker, one of the best-kept secrets of Soviet Russia. Visit the small but interesting Samara Art Museum, which houses many 19th- and 20th-century works in a delightful Art Nouveau building, and see where Vladimir Lenin practiced law. Return aboard for dinner and evening departure. (B, L, D)
Day 11Saratov
Arrive during lunch in Saratov. See Trinity Cathedral and take a stroll down the city’s main pedestrian mall, lined with shops and cafés, to the covered market. Dine on board and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 12Volgograd
Today’s half-day city tour features Fallen Heroes’ Square and Lenin Square. Visit the historic Panorama Museum. Then travel to Mamayev Kurgan to see the statue of Mother Russia and Eternal Flame. Dine aboard and remain docked overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 13Volgograd & St. Petersburg
After breakfast, fly to St. Petersburg. Check in to your hotel; the rest of your day is free to explore on your own. (B, L, D)
Day 14St. Petersburg
After breakfast, enjoy a city tour featuring Nevsky Prospekt, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Peter & Paul Fortress, and Peter & Paul Cathedral. Then, travel to the Winter Palace and visit the Hermitage Museum. Tonight, enjoy a performance of traditional Russian ballet or opera. (B, L, D)
Day 15St. Petersburg
This morning, visit Pushkin and tour the many halls of Catherine’s Palace. This elegant summer residence of the Russian Czars was named for Catherine I, widow of Peter the Great. Tour its various halls, including the Amber Room, and see the ornate décor throughout. The rest of the day is free, or take an optional canal cruise through St. Petersburg.
(B, L, D)
Day 16St. Petersburg
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)
The following meals are included:
B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner
*Airport meet & greet transfers included when air is purchased from Viking River Cruises.