Discover the famed artistic treasures and legendary art & architecture of Russian imperial cities. Explore the dichotomy of Moscow, filled with monuments to both 15th-century tsars and 20th-century communist leaders. Be awed by the massive Kremlin complex, domed St. Basil’s Cathedral and the extravagant Moscow metro system.
Find Russia Cruises at 24x7Cruise.com
Favourite sights & excursions in Russia
- See some of Russia’s vast countryside as well as its charming small towns, for an intimate look at provincial daily life, by visiting tiny villages such as Goritsy, a farming settlement on the Sheksna River, and Kirillov, which has extraordinary churches linked to the tsars.
- Be amazed by Kizhi Island’s UNESCO-designated Transfiguration Church, a wooden structure with 22 shimmering shingled domes built without using a single nail. Also explore the island’s famous open-air museum and its 89 traditional wooden structures.
- Cruise along the Golden Ring to some of Russia’s most beautiful cities, including Uglich and Yaroslavl, which are well known for their white-stone churches and beautiful monasteries. Uglich walking discovery tour includes the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood and leads you to Green, blue and silver onion domes top colorful churches along the Volga river.
- A Moscow city tour with a knowledgeable local guide will introduce you to the most iconic sights: the Kremlin, Bolshoi Theatre, Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral and Tverskaya Street, which are all close together in the heart of the historic city. Sparrow Hill, on the right bank of the Moscow River, gives you a panoramic view of the city below, as well as of the Moscow State University. You’ll also see landmarks such as the New Maiden Convent, Bow Hill and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
- Travel by the famous Moscow metro with its lavishly decorated 1950s stations, which have marble walls, chandeliers, mosaics and bronze fittings. Get off at Arbatskaya station to visit Arbat Street a pedestrian shopping area lined with grand buildings where many famous writers including Tolstoy & poets once lived. These days its' cafés and bars are a great place to watch street performers.
- A must-visit is the Kremlin, a self-contained city with palaces, armories and cathedrals built within a medieval fortress is a must. The center of the Kremlin is Cathedral Square, with its 15th to 17th century churches, and the Assumption Cathedral, burial place of Russian patriarchs and site of coronations and royal weddings. Equally iconic is the Armory Museum with its priceless collection of tsarist treasures, such as imperial crowns, jewels, and gem-encrusted armor, as well as more than 50 of the world-famous Fabergé eggs.
- With its grand Italian architecture, St. Petersburg is a city of 3 rivers, canals, palaces and cathedrals. On a St. Petersburg city tour with canal cruise and Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood visit you’ll see magnificent palaces, cathedrals and monuments that fill the historic city center via a panoramic tour and from the water. Travel down Nevsky Prospect, the street intended to lead from the Winter Palace to Moscow, and take in such sights as St. Isaac’s Cathedral with a gold-covered dome, the ornate blue-and-white Smolny Cathedral, the Field of Mars and the state university.
- Experience the world-renowned Russian ballet with a Russian theatre ballet performance.
- Spend a day in St. Petersburg at one of the finest art museums in the world, the legendary Hermitage museum, a former residence of the tsars that’s now home to an extensive and mind-boggling collection of priceless works of art. Nearly all of the Western European masters, from Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo to Manet and Rodin, are represented here and there is also an extensive collection of Russian art and artifacts.
- Enjoy a guided tour through the lavishly decorated Catherine Palace and Park in Pushkin which was once the summer residence of the tsars. Twenty neoclassical rooms are open to the public, each more opulent than the last. The Amber Room was Rastrelli’s masterpiece: it is sheathed in panels of amber mosaic (given to Peter the Great by Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia) that were augmented with gemstone mosaics, mirrors and gilding, and the stunning room was used to set off collections of amber pieces and fine porcelain. Your tour will also take you through the beautiful grounds, which boast a lake (with boathouse), grottoes, fountains, pavilions, semi-wilderness areas.
- Spend a day in St. Petersburg exploring the city on your own. Tour Aleksandrovsky Park, where you’ll find bronze miniatures of the major architectural works of St. Petersburg, along with a tribute to the key architects who designed the buildings. These replicas were created by famous Russian sculptor Alexander Taratynov. Stroll along the Neva embankments and admire the elegant granite barriers adorned with sculptures of sphinxes and lions which were erected to protect the city from flooding. The grocery store Yeliseyevsky, on Nevsky Prospect is a gourmand’s delight & worth visiting just for its marble counters and stained-glass windows.
- On a Mandrogi “Village Day” walking tour travel back in time to the 19th century at a reconstructed Russian village on the shore of the Svir River where talented artisans make handmade items using traditional materials and techniques. Observe craftspeople in the workshops create miniature Fabergé-style eggs mounted as pendants, Karelian birchwood boxes painted with exquisite scenes and gorgeous dolls in traditional costumes. A highlight of your visit will be a rustic shashlik picnic lunch with shish kebab and the trimmings, as well as local entertainment.
Best time to cruise
The best time to cruise in this region is from May until the end of August; this is the cruising season.
