3-Star Russian River Cruise - Moscow - Golden Ring - St. Petersburg - 12 Days (CR-02)

You'll begin your trip in Moscow where our reliable driver will be waiting to greet you in airport arrivals and transfer you to the ship. Tonight, there'll be a cocktail reception laid on to welcome you and your fellow guests onboard.

The boat will remain docked in Moscow while we disembark for a sightseeing tour of the lively Russian capital. The city's eclectic mix of architecture, verdant parks, leafy avenues and of course, the granite embankments of the Moscow River make for a superb introduction to your holiday. Our guided bus tour will begin with a panoramic view from the Sparrow Hills observation platform before visiting the city center with its busy streets and popular squares. You'll be able to see the Bolshoi theatre and, a short distance away, St Basil's Cathedral located in Red Square.

We revisit Red Square today to take a closer look at the Kremlin. It's the former home of the Tsars and now the current base of the Russian president. There are several optional choices on offer today, including visits to the Kremlin Armoury Museum, the Pushkin Museum and more. This is your chance to see the spectacular jewels, crowns, thrones and royal armour of Imperial Russia.

Uglich, founded in 1148, is beautiful when approached by boat along the Volga River. The Cathedral of the Resurrection and St. John's Church tower on the horizon. We'll visit these as well as the Kremlin, in which, at the end of the 16th century, the seventh wife of the Tsar Ivan the Terrible lived in honorary exile.

Yaroslavl, an important port on the Volga, is today's destination. It dates from the 11th century when it was founded by Prince Yaroslav the Wise. It still retains myriad architectural and historic sights which include the delightful 13th century Spassky Monastery complex and magnificent 17th century cathedrals, as well as an elegant rotunda and the remains of an ancient trading center. We will enjoy a city tour making an early start to ensure there's plenty of time to absorb the exhibits in the city's Museum of Russian Art. This contains around 70,000 works of art including icons and sculptures.

Tiny Goritsy, our focus today, has a big attraction: the largest Russian Orthodox monastery in the Russian North. We'll explore it throughout before continuing our river journey this afternoon.

Kizhi is a charming island located at the northern end of Lake Onega, which we'll access via the Volga-Baltic Canal. It's the site of the open air Museum of Wooden Architecture. This UNESCO World Heritage Site features structures from across the country which have been carefully restored to provide visitors with a glimpse into the past. One of the highlights of this museum is undoubtedly the Church of the Transfiguration, a fantasy church with twenty two domes. Note that for river cruises between 1st and 14th May, we'll have to stay on the ship. Due to the lake freezing solid, unfortunately a visit to Kizhi would not be possible.

Another of Russia's countryside gems today as we reach Mandrogi, a picturesque village in a woodland setting. The villagers will turn out to meet us to put on a display of their traditions and culture, after which we can visit a museum devoted to the production of Russian vodka (optional). For lunch we'll enjoy a delicious picnic lunch of Russian shashlik (shish kebab) and then the afternoon is yours to partake in some walks. See for yourself the village's wooden buildings or take a walk in the forest. Tonight, there'll be a farewell Gala dinner.

Today we reach St Petersburg, the end of our river journey. It's an elegant city, built on 101 islands linked by an incredible 350 bridges. It's no wonder the city has earned the nickname of the "Venice of the North". Our bus tour will show us the city's most famous landmarks including the Peter & Paul Fortress, built as a defense against a possible Swedish invasion, and the Church of Christ’s Resurrection (The Saviour of the Blood), which revives the traditions of 17th century Russian church building.

We couldn't leave St Petersburg without paying a visit to the wonderful Hermitage. This world-class art museum contains no less than three million works by artists such as Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, the French Impressionists and Picasso. The building itself is magnificent, built for the Tsars as their main residence, the Winter Palace occupies a prime waterside location on the bank of the River Neva.

Out in the suburbs of St Petersburg, we'll discover the Summer Palace of Petrodvorets, also known as Peterhof. A world-famous palace, fountain and park complex, it was built in the eighteenth century by Emperor Peter the Great. This splendid Royal residence is a delight to visit and we'll explore it on a half-day guided tour.

The time has come to leave the ship and so our driver will be waiting to transfer you to the airport.