Cruise of the Czars: The Russian Waterways

13 days
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4.9/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
99%
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Cancellation Policy
Small Ship Cruise
Enjoy your 13 day Cruise of the Czars: The Russian Waterways by visiting attractive cities and have a chance to learn the culture and history of Uglich and Moscow. Experience the guided trip of SmarTours.

Overview

Trip type
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • Explore Moscow's attraction - Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral
    • Visit Kremlin (Moscow)
    • See the Czar’s Cannon (Moscow)
    • Enjoy a guided tour to Armory Museum (Moscow)
    • Optional Moscow Metro Tour
    • See the Governor’s Palace in Yaroslavl
    • Enjoy a magnificent walking tour on the fairy tale island of Kizhi
    • Explore the culture and the architecture in St. Petersburg
    • Visit Hermitage Museum

What's this trip about?

    Enjoy your 13 day Cruise of the Czars: The Russian Waterways by visiting attractive cities and have a chance to learn the culture and history of Uglich and Moscow. Experience the guided trip of SmarTours.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityMoscow
End CitySt. Petersburg

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • National Parks
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Russia

Attractions

  • Moscow
  • Moscow Red Square
  • St. Petersburg

Activities

  • Culture
  • Festivals & Special Events
  • Historic sightseeing
  • History
  • Nature
  • River cruise

Trip includes

    • Round trip airfare from New York (JFK) via Finnair
    • Airfare taxes, fees & fuel surcharges
    • 11 nights aboard the first class MS Sergei Yesenin cruise boat in a Cat. C Main Deck outside facing cabin with a large picture window
    • Port charges
    • 32 meals: 11 full buffet breakfasts (B), 10 lunches (L), 11 dinners (D)
    • Comprehensive sightseeing tours and shore excursions
    • English-speaking tour guides throughout

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Itinerary

Travel Map
Day 1: Depart USA.
Your fascinating voyage on one of our Russian tours begins as you depart New York this evening on your overnight flight via Finnair.

Day 2: Arrive Moscow.
Meals: Dinner Today, arrive in Moscow, the historic capital of Russia situated between the banks of the Oka and Volga Rivers. You’ll be met at the airport and escorted to the pier where you board your riverboat with the balance of the day at leisure to rest and unpack....
Day 3: Moscow Sightseeing.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner This morning join a guided walking tour of the Kremlin’s grounds where you’ll see the Czar’s Cannon, the 200 ton Czar’s Bell and the architecturally striking Cathedral. The highlight of the tour will be a guided visit to the renowned ...
Day 4: Moscow/Set Sail.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Today, enjoy an orientation tour to view the city’s major highlights: Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral with its colorful onion domes and the Kremlin, the seat of the Russian government. Leisure time for independent pursuits and last ...
Day 5: Uglich.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Over the next few days aboard one of our Russian river cruises, sail along the scenic Volga River. Today, dock in Uglich, Russia’s second oldest city and one of its most beloved. You’ll have an opportunity to visit the imposing Church...
Day 6: Yaroslavl.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Today’s port of call is Yaroslavl, founded in the 11th century. Its main attractions are in the area around the main square anchored by the impressive Governor’s Palace. A guided tour includes the ancient monastery and the Church of Elijah the Prophet, renowned for its precious frescoes. Back on board, you’ll enjoy a delightful folk performance.

Day 7: Goritzi.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Today, stop at the quaint riverside town of Goritzi, typical of the charming villages along the river. You’ll have an opportunity to disembark and explore on foot. A visit to an authentic peasant home is included. Later, you’ll be our guest for a caviar & Blini tasting featuring red caviar and blini pancakes with vodka.

Day 8: Kizhi Island.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner This afternoon, enjoy a magnificent walking tour on the fairy tale island of Kizhi, situated in the northern part of Lake Onega. Kizhi boasts a delightful open-air museum highlighting the picturesque architecture of the region. A guided walking tour will include the Church of Transfiguration, a truly outstanding masterpiece of wooden structure!

Day 9: Mandrogi.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour of the charming town of Mandrogi, a replica of an authentic 19th century Russian village. Be sure to visit the Vodka Museum (celebrating over 2500 varieties of Russia’s national drink) and delight...
Day 10: Arrive St. Petersburg.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner St. Petersburg, one of Europe’s most magnificent cities, is often called “Venice of the North”. While docking in St. Petersburg for the next three days, experience the architecture, natural beauty and rich culture of the city. St. Pet...
Day 11: St. Petersburg/Hermitage Museum.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Today, an expert guide leads you on a tour of the priceless art collection presented at the famous Hermitage Museum, located at the Winter Palace. The Hermitage boasts over 3 million artifacts spread across 365 rooms, featuring an art...
Day 12: St. Petersburg/Optional Palaces Excursion.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner A day at leisure. We recommend a full day optional Palaces excursions that includes visits to two premier palaces. First visit Catherine’s Palace in Pushkin, the former residence of Russian Royalty. Here you’ll also visit the fabulous...
Day 13: St. Petersburg/New York.
Meals: Breakfast After breakfast, disembark from the MS Sergei Yesenin and transfer to the airport for your return flight. Your memorable cruise through Russia ends as you arrive New York this afternoon.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $2,999
Price per day$231
Single supplement (single occupancy)$699
Last Updated: 2/13/2023

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with SmarTours.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

SmarTours Reviews & Ratings

4.9/5  Excellent
Excellent
995
Great
111
Average
1
Disappointing
1
Terrible
4
G

Greg

Aug 2017

Written on

One of a Kind

This trip through the waterways of northwestern Russia was a truly unique and wonderful learning experience, combining the pleasures of cruising on a small ship (wit...

C

Caryl

Aug 2017

Written on

Cruise Of The Czars

My daughter and I traveled in May to Russia for the Cruise of the Czars in May of 2017, and it was fantastic. The ship was very modern and well maintained and the st...

d

d. Burg

Aug 2016

Written on

Great Way to Visit Russia

Went with a group of seven women on the river cruise Moscow to St. Petersburg and we were extremely well satisfied over all . Trip was handled efficient, our tour le...

B

Bonnie Mack

Aug 2016

Written on

Another Blockbuster for smarTours!

In celebrating 50 consecutive years of international travel this year, I turned to smarTours for the 16th time, and wasn't disappointed with the "Cruise of the Czars...

P

Patsy Martinez

Jun 2016

Written on

Wonderful cruise!!

This cruise was excellent. The crew, activities, food, entertainment,tours, services, room, etc. everything marvelous. The cruise directors, Galia Saufulina was the ...

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Tour Operator

SmarTours

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smarTours was founded in 1996 with one goal in mind: to provide high quality, exciting group tour packages to some of the most fascinating countries in the world at the lowest possible price.  The team at smarTours believes deeply that high quality international travel should be affordable, and we work tirelessly to deliver affordability.

At smarTours, most of our travelers in any given year are repeat customers – they had such great experiences with us before that they decided to travel with us again.  And many of our customers are so happy with smarTours that they have made traveling with us an annual tradition, reaching 5, 10, even 15 trips with smarTours!  In other words, we must be doing at least a few things right.

Unbeatable Value: We provide exceptional value for your money, and it does not take that much time visiting our website to figure that out.  However, it can be difficult to compare the value provided by different tour operators because the tours are so intricate and multifaceted.  If you take the time to really peel back onion and evaluate the tours offered by smarTours, we are confident that you would come to the conclusion that our loyal customers have – that smarTours provides unbeatable value.

Phenomenal Tour Guides: If you ask anyone who has been on an escorted tour, they will tell you that the tour guides are an essential ingredient to making the trip a success.  The importance of tour guides is not lost on us at smarTours, which is why we are relentless in our pursuit and retention of the very best tour guides.  We are proud to say with confidence that our tour guides are phenomenal, and many of them have become celebrity-like figures within the smarTours community.

smarTours Price Protection: We have had a price protection policy since we started in 1996, and we thought it was time to share it with you.  If you reserve a spot on a tour and we later lower the price, we will make up the difference for you!  We do not penalize you for booking early, so you can reserve your spot with confidence that the price will not get any better (lower) for that particular date.  Also, to be clear, if you reserve a spot on a tour and we later increase the price, we will not raise your price to match the new price!

Focus: Unlike most of our competitors, we focus exclusively on providing affordable group tours to foreign, largely exotic destinations.  In the travel business, it is particularly easy to get distracted by new trends and themes, but we have chosen to focus on what we do best.  We are extremely deliberate in introducing new tours because we have set a standard that our loyal customers have come to rely on, and we are committed to meeting and exceeding your expectations.

What they’re known for
Low-cost international tours to bucket list destinations for travelers looking to maximize their holiday budget.

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Logistics

Transportation & Flights

Round trip airfare from New York (JFK) via Finnair,

Transportation & flights

Round trip airfare from New York (JFK) via Finnair
Ship & cabin information
MS Sergei Yesenin
Originally built for the Russian elite in 1984, the first class MS Sergei Yesenin was refurbished in 2002 and then again in 2013. The Yesenin maintains a truly intimate and friendly environment with a maximum of only 96 passengers on the ship. With just two decks (both above water), all cabins are outward facing and feature large picture windows, two twin sized beds, tiled bathrooms with separate showers, flat screen TV’s, mini-safes, hair dryers, air conditioning, and plenty of storage space. The public areas, enhanced with beautiful woodwork, include a restaurant with panorama windows, a library/reading room, a concert hall on the sun deck, and a spacious evening lounge/bar. An experienced and friendly crew of 42 (excluding live entertainers) and excellent English-speaking cruise managers will ensure an intimate and memorable Russian cruise experience that you’ll never forget!
Cancellation policy
Full Payment due 75 days before departure. Failure to make final payment on time may result in automatic cancellation of reservation and loss of deposit.   Changes to the original reservation will result in a $150 change fee per person per change. No changes allowed within 75 days of departure.   Cancellation charges per person are:   Up to 75 days before departure: $300 74-45 days before departure: $600 44-30 days before departure: $1000 29-10 days before departure: $1500 9 days or less before departure: No refund. All cancellations must be received in writing.   We recommend the purchase of Travel Insurance. Insurance premium is non-refundable and cannot be transferred from one departure to another in the event of a reservation change.
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included
11 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches and 11 Dinners
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Optional Activities
Moscow: Visit to Moscow Circus (euro 65 per person) Moscow: Moscow Metro and Pedestrian Arbat Street (euro 35 per person) St. Petersburg: Evening Cultural Performance (euro 85 per person) St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg Palaces Tour (euro 80 per person)
Trip ID
smartours-smartours-RW

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