Overview
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What's included
- The cruise in cabin category selected
- Meals as described
- Excursions as described in the itinerary
- Drinks with meals: tea, coffee and water
- German / English speaking Cruise Director
- Audio sets on all excursions
What's not included
- Other drinks
- Flights and transfers
- Visa cost
- Gratuities (we recommend 5 - 7 Euros per person / per day)
2021 Cruise itinerary
Total meals included:
- 14 breakfasts, 13 lunches, 14 dinners
MOSCOW
Day1
Board the ship in Moscow. Relax and unwind after your journey before enjoying dinner aboard this evening.
Meals included:
- Dinner
MOSCOW
Day2
Your day starts with a sightseeing tour of the city including Red Square, and the Kremlin with the offices of the Russian president. You will see iconic sights including the St Basil Cathedral, with its colourful onion-shaped towers. On the Poklonnaja Hill visit Victory Park see the monument to the unknown soldier with many World War II tanks and military vehicles on display. Get to know the most important religious builiding of the Russian-Orthodox church, the Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer. Afternoon departure on the ship on the Moscow-Volga canal towards the Volga river.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
UGLICH
Day3
Visit the small historic town of Uglich. The walking tour includes the visit of the Uglich Kremlin with the Cathedral of the Transfiguration and St Dimitri, which is also called the "Cathedral of Blood" and is now used as a museum.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
GORITSY
Day4
Journey across the Rybinsk Reservoir and cruise along the Sheksna River. In Goritsy, visit the 14th Century Kirillo-Belozersky monastery, considered the most important in Russia and visited by Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
VYTEGRA
Day5
Cruise along the Volga-Baltic Canal. Stop in Vytegra to visit the “Submarine B-440” Museum, located on the shore of the Vytegorsk reservoir. While strolling through the town centre you may notice the contrast between the old wooden houses and the newer buildings. Enjoy cruising on the huge Lake Onega.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
MEDVESHJEGORSK
Day6
The 227 km long White Sea-Baltic Canal connects Lake Onega with the White Sea and has no fewer than 19 locks. It was formerly known as the Stalin Canal. Lock Number 5 is the starting point for an excursion to Medveshjegorsk, at the northern end of Lake Onega and on the St. Petersburg railway to Murmansk. The city centre is adorned with beautiful old wooden buildings and has a nostalgic railway station which is well worth a visit.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
SOSNOVEZ–SOLOVETSKY ISLANDS
Day7
Weather permitting, an early start with a full-day excursion by coach from Sosnovez to Belomorsk to the shores of the White Sea, where you'll then take a leisurely trip aboard a panoramic excursion boat to the Solovetsky Islands. Visit historical & cultural buildings including the UNESCO World Heritage Site monastery, churches and the Solovetskaya fortress. If the weather is unsuitable, an alternative excursion will be planned.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
SOSNOVEZ–PETROGLYPHS
Day8
Today's excursion takes you into the unspoilt region of the White Sea and where you will learn of the Karelians and see the White Sea petroglyphs, unique samples of primitive monumental art and among the most important ancient cultural and historical attractions of the Northern Europe. The prehistoric stone drawings bring their history back to life.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
REST DAY ON BOARD
Day9
Day at leisure as we sail through the White Sea–Baltic Canal. Enjoy the activity programme on board.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
KIZHI–PETROZAVODSK
Day10
Today we visit Kizhi, the magical museum island in Lake Onega. This unique ensemble of churches was built entirely without a single nail. A UNESCO World Heritage site visit to Kizhi Pogost, referred to as the “Miracle of Russian Wood Construction”. We then travel on to Petrosavodsk, where we are entertained in the town with music, dance and creative workshops.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
MANDROGUI
Day11
Relax as we follow the River Svir to the historic village of Mandrogui. Enjoy a guided walk through an artisan settlement with its northern architecture, followed by a visit to the Museum of Vodka, where you can learn about and have a taste of the Russian national drink. Evening grill party on shore.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
STARAYA LADOGA–SHLISSELBURG
Day12
Today's guided walk takes us to the 12th Century fortress and to the Alexander -Svirsky Trinity Monastery. During the walking tour learn about monastic life in the cloister and enjoy some time at leisure. After dinner we have an excursion to visit the UNESCO listed Shlisselburg Fortress.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
ST. PETERSBURG
Day13
This morning we visit the Hermitage, one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world, located in the former winter palace of the Tsar. The museum has more than 3 million exhibits from prehistoric to modern times. In the afternoon, enjoy the excursion to Peterhof, the magnificent summer residence of the Tsar on the Gulf of Finland. The dreamlike palace and park is also referred to as the "Versailles of Russia".
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
ST. PETERSBURG
Day14
Today's excursion is to the former Tsar's palace at Pushkin. Within the colourful park stands Catharine's Palace, named after Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great, with its famously reconstructed Amber Room. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of St Petersburg. During the tour we see cathedrals, palaces, Peter and Paul's Fortress, the Nevsky-Prospekt, as well as the legendary battleship "Aurora".
Meals included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
ST. PETERSBURG
Day15
Disembark after breakfast for your journey home.
Meals included:
- Breakfast
Things to note
Our cruises are popular with international customers and announcements on board the ships will be made in multiple European languages. Our Cruise Director speaks English and German. UK guests require a visa to visit Russia, visa costs are not included in the pricing and need to be budgeted for accordingly.Ships
MS Karelia
This generously designed mid-range ship was built in Wismar in 1961 and christened MS Popov. Over time, the ship has been continuously adapted to the increasing demands of technology and the needs of the guests. In 2018/19, the ship was completely rebuilt under the direction of Thurgau Travel and added to the Thurgau Travel fleet under the new name MS Thurgau Karelia.
Ship information
- Number of crew: 43
- Capacity: 142 passengers
- Number of decks: 4
- Length (m): 96
- Width (m): 14.3
- Speed in knots: 12
- Launch year: 1961
- Refit year: 2019
Cabins
All cabins are equipped with shower/WC, hairdryer, minibar, safe, TV, bathrobes, slippers and air conditioning. In the cabins on the central, upper and promenade decks, the air conditioning is individually adjustable.
2-bed standard main deck
- Cabin size: approx. 10 m2
- Shower/WC, hairdryer
- Bathrobes, slippers
- Air conditioning
- Safe
- Tv
- Minibar
- Portholes, can not be opened
2-bed Standard Plus middle deck
- Cabin size: approx. 13.5 m2
- Shower/WC, hairdryer
- Bathrobes, slippers
- Air conditioning, individually adjustable
- Safe
- Tv
- Minibar
- Windows, can be opened
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