Ship MS Volga Dream: Astrakhan - Moscow, River Cruise 02 Oct 2010 - 15 Oct 2010
Route description:
Launching off from Astrakhan where the Volga meets the Caspian Sea, head north to such fascinating places as Volgograd, Kazan, Uglich, and finally Moscow.
Itinerary
| Day 1 | Arrival in Astrakhan  Welcome to Russia! Your driver will be waiting for you at the airport arrivals gate with your name on a sign. After he takes you to the port to board your ship, you have the evening free to relax, enjoy dinner onboard, and meet your fellow travelers on this extraordinary adventure across Russia. Your tour manager will help you arrange a flight from Moscow to Astrakhan. Prices will vary from $150 to $250 per person |
| Day 2 | Astrakhan  Astrakhan is located where the mighty the Volga meets the Caspian Sea, on the trade route from India to Persia. Astrakhan was the capital of Khazaria and then of the Golden Horde (the Mongols). Moscow took Astrakhan in 1556 and ruled it ever since. Today, you will tour the city including its Kremlin and cathedrals, designed on the Baroque style. The city also features a monument to Peter the Great, who constructed a shipyard here for his aggressions against Persia.
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| Day 3 | Akhtuba  This day you will mostly spend on board. Crew have prepared an entertaining program for you. At the afternoon we will sail on Akhtuba river. Don't forget to charge your camera. |
| Day 4 | Volgograd  Volgograd (former Stalingrad) is famous for the battle that
unfolded here during the World War II. German forces attempted to
cut off the Russian armies and their industrial production from
their fuel supplies. To that end, they needed to take Stalingrad,
situated on the western bank of the Volga River. Hitler sent his
best armies and generals, including famous marshal Von Paulus to
command the siege. The Battle of Stalingrad lasted for almost one
year. The heroic defense of the city enabled the Russian army to
prepare a counter attack and to surround the invading forces. This
was a serious loss from which Hitler forces were never able to
fully recover. This was not the victory for the allies yet, but it
was in Stalingrad that the tide of war turned against the Germans.
Volgograd has a giant memorial Rodina Mat (Motherland)
commemorating those who fought and died here. You explore the city by bus and visit the infamous Mamayev Mound |
| Day 5 | Saratov  Samara has long been Russia's diplomatic and economic link to the East. The growing bread trade in 19th-20th centuries turned this city into an important economic center in Russia. In World War II many of military factories were moved to Samara. The soviet leaders were even planning to move Russia's capital here had Moscow fallen to the German hands. Today, Samara is the third largest metropolitan area in Russia after Moscow and St. Petersburg and an important industrial center. During you city tour you will get to see the local Art Gallery |
| Day 6 | Samara  Samara has long been Russia's link to the East. The growing bread trade in 19th-20th centuries turned this city into an important economic center and during World War II many of military factories were moved from western parts of the country to Samara. The soviet leaders even had a contingency plan to move Russia's capital to Samara had Moscow fallen to the German hands. Today, Samara is the third largest metropolitan area in Russia after Moscow and St. Petersburg and an important industrial center. |
| Day 7 | Kazan .jpg) Kazan was the capital of Tatars, the allies of Mongols. Ivan the
Terrible conquered Kazan in 1552 and forced its Muslim ruler to
convert to Christianity. Ivan remodeled Kazan's castle to the
Russian style and built St. Basil's Cathedral on the Red Square of
Moscow in the celebration of his victory. It is interesting that
St. Basil's domes, all nine of them, correspond to the number of
days that the siege of Kazan lasted. You will have bus city tour and visit Kremlin grounds |
| Day 8 | Nizhniy Novgorod  Nizhny Novgorod was one of the newly founded towns that escaped Mongol devastation on account of its insignificance. The city, similarly to Moscow and Tver, attracted refugees from other cities pillaged by the Mongols and expanded rapidly during the period of the "Mongol yoke" that lasted for a little over 100 years. Moscovy incorporated the city in 1392 and soon thereafter the Tatars of Kazan burnt it down (1408). It took over one century to construct an enormous redbrick castle here which was soon of use when the Tatars tried to burn it again in 1520 and 1536. Today, just like 500 years ago, Nizhniy is one of the main commercial centers of Russia. You will have bus city tour and will go inside of local Kremlin |
| Day 9 | Sailing  This day you will spend on the board of the ship, enjoying a great panoramic views offered by Volga. |
| Day 10 | Yaroslavl  By today's standards Yaroslavl is small, but its place in Russia's history and culture cannot be underestimated. Before it was annihilated by the Mongols it was Russia's economic, political, and cultural center. The Mongols were so obsessed with defeating Yaroslavl that they did not notice the gradual rise of Moscow. Absorb the remaining richness of this city and let its lingering power enthuse you. |
| Day 11 | Uglich  Located on the banks of the Volga River, Uglich presented itself as a perfect fortress of defense for the ancient Moscovy Kingdom. In 1591 the 10-year-old prince Dmitry of the ancient Ruyrik dynasty was murdered here by Boris Godunov before Godunov claimed the throne of Russia and was murdered himself. These events plunged Russia into three decades of political turmoil known as the Time of Trouble, leaving the lands devastated and open for a new dynasty: the Romanovs. We will visit the small but historically significant church of St. Dmitry-on-Blood, which stands on the location of the young prince’s murder. Tip: You can be a witness to these events by seeing the opera "Boris Godunov" in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. This classic opera reveals the extraordinary events and perseverance of this distant but ever-present epoch in Russian history. |
| Day 12 | Moscow: The Kremlin .jpg) The heart of Moscow, the Kremlin, is located on the bustling Red Square. The Kremlin is the most recognizable symbol of Moscow. This ancient citadel was constructed in 1147 to defend the city from the Mongols and the Lithuanians. Moscow has since grown beyond the original walls, but the Kremlin has remained a representation of political power in Russia. Russian Emperors, Soviet rulers, and Russian contemporary leaders alike used the Kremlin for official ceremonies and added their own personal touches by constructing new buildings, museums, churches, and galleries. |
| Day 13 | Moscow: Red Square  Moscow was originally the center of Moscovy, a small principality that unified Russia against the Mongols in the late 14th century. Today you will go on a comprehensive Moscow city tour that will take you to the Red Square, Central Tverskaya Street, the Novodevichiy Convent (exterior only), the KGB headquarters (exterior only), the GUM department store, and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. You will have a lunch in one of Moscow's many delicious restaurants. |
| Day 14 | Departure  Your driver will take you to the airport. You will be leaving with a lifetime of memories. We hope you return to this enigmatic area of the world soon! |
