Depart from your chosen Australian airport for our Emirates flight to Dubai and Moscow.

Depart Dubai Emirates EK 133, 10.10 
Arrive Moscow Domodedovo, 15.20

Depart Moscow Aeroflot SU 853, 19.25
Arrive St Petersburg 21.00
 
On arrival at St Petersburg Pulkovo airport we transfer to our hotel.

          Helvetia Hotel
        11 Marata Street
        St Petersburg
        Ph: 0011-7-812-571-9597

Today we take a city tour of St Petersburg. Formerly known as Leningrad, this most European of Russian cities is the country's intellectual and cultural heart. We will enjoy such sights as St Isaac's Cathedral, the Winter Palace and Peter and Paul's Fortress, where the bodies of Tzar Nicholas and his family are interred.

Today we take the hydrofoil down the Neva River to Petrodvorets. This is the site of the magnificent Summer Palace, playground of the Tzars and Tzarinas. The beautiful gardens and fountains are comparable with the palace at Versailles, outside Paris. In the evening there is the opportunity to attend a traditional cossack folk show.

This morning we visit the Winter Palace. Finished in 1762, the palace was home to the Tzars until the Russian Revolution in 1917. It now houses the Hermitage Museum, home to one of the greatest art collections in the world. In the afternoon we leave for the river port  to board our ship, the MS Lenin, for the voyage south to Moscow.

Around midday we arrive at the small village of Mandrogi. Walking around the many cosy log cabins is like stepping into Russia's past.

Today's highlight is a visit to Kizhi Island on Lake Onega. We visit the magnificent Church of the Transfiguration which has no fewer than 22 grey domes arranged in three tiers.

Just south of White Lake our ship pulls into the tiny settlement of Goritsy. This was where many women were exiled and the legendary Boris Gudunov sent his daughter for protection.

Early morning our ship arrives at Yaroslavl where we disembark. We then make the scenic drive to Moscow and check in to our centrally located hotel.

      Budapest Hotel
      2/18 Petrovskie Linii
      Moscow
      Ph: 0011-7-495-6211060
      Fx:                  6215290

We spend the afternoon in the Kremlin and visit the great Armoury Museum  which houses Russia's crown jewels.  After lunch we explore some of the palatial stations of Moscow's famous underground system. Dinner is at our hotel.

This morning we walk into magnificent Red Square and visit the extraordinary St Basil's Cathedral. In the afternoon we can stroll down Moscow's most famous shopping mall, Arbat Street.

Today is entirely at leisure in this magnificent city.

On our final day in Moscow we travel outside the great city to the beautiful estate of Kolomenskoye on the banks of the Moskva River. This tranquil park was once the summer residence of Alexei Romanov. In the afternoon we return to Moscow and board our ship, the MS Russ, for the voyage south to the Caspian Sea.

We begin the second part of our cruise and head out to the Volga. The approach to Uglich is one of the most memorable sights of the cruise. Founded in 1148, it became the favoured city of Ivan the Terrible. It is one of the oldest cities on the upper Volga and was once part of the famous 'Golden Ring' of Russian cities.

As our journey continues we reach Yaroslavl, the 'precious jewel on the Volga'. Founded in 1010, no other town or city in Russia can boast such wealth of 17th century architecture. Among the gems in the town are the Church of Elijah the Prophet and the amazing Monastery of the Transfiguration of Christ. Founded in the 12th century, it is the oldest monastery on the Volga.

Later today we reach Kostroma which is as old as Moscow. It abounds in magnificent monuments and its picturesque suburbs have long been a source of inspiration for many Russian artists. The outstanding role which Kostroma played at certain periods in Russian history accounts for the art heritage to be found in the city today. At the confluence of the Kostroma and Volga rivers rise the white stone walls and golden cupolas of the Ipatievsky Monastery. It was founded in the latter half of the 13th century to protect the approaches to the city from the upper reaches of the Volga.

Nizhny Novgorod (formerly known as Gorky) was founded in 1221 by the Prince of Vladimir, Yuryi Vsevolodovich. It is the fourth largest city in Russia, surpassed only by Moscow, St Petersburg and Novosibirsk. Until quite recently it was a closed city, best known for being the place of exile of the great physicist and Nobel Peace Laureate, Andrei Sakharov, after he denounced the war with Afghanistan.

The Volga has always been a major traditional route connecting north and south. There are 40 cities and towns along its banks, including Tver, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd  and Astrakhan. In addition there are 1000 smaller settlements on the Volga, most of them perched on the high right bank.

As we continue to head south towards the Caucasus, we start to see the Russian Orthodox religion give way to Islam. Kazan, the capital of the Tatar Autonomous Republic (Tatarstan), is often called the 'Pearl of the Central Volga Region'. Founded in the 13th century by the Mongols, who at that time occupied Russia, it served as the seat of the mighty Golden Horde or 'Tatar' Empire. Today, it is a city of one million inhabitants (half Russian, half Tatar) with a charming and unique blend of the Muslim and Christian cultures. Kazan is also the birthplace of the great ballet dancer, Rudolf Nureyev.

Samara (formerly known as Kuybyshev) is a small city on the left bank of the Volga where the Samara River flows in. Under the communist regime Samara became a centre of the armament and space industries. Today it is an important industrial and cultural centre famous for its port and chocolate. Today we can try our hand at making pancakes on board!

Saratov was founded in 1590 by Ivan the Terrible as a fortress to protect the Volga route from the nomadic tribes. Since the 17th century it has been an important fish and salt trading centre. Saratov's most famous son was Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space.

Today we arrive in Volgograd. First called Tsaritsyn and then renamed Stalingrad, the city has a unique geographic location on the crossroads of land and waterways which link together Europe and Asia. It was here, between August 1942 and February 1943, that the bloodiest battle in human history took place. The combined casualties of the Battle of Stalingrad were estimated at 1.5 million and it proved to be the turning point of the Second World War in Europe.

After the rebuilding of the city's basic infrastructure following the war, a number of monuments were built in Volgograd - the most famous being the Mamayev Kurgan Memorial Complex. Today we will visit Mamayev Hill. The series of monuments here is dedicated to the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad. The complex opened on October 15th, 1967 and tourists from around the world have been flocking here ever since. Literally the high point is the enormous statue of 'the Motherland', an impressive monument of Mother Russia brandishing her sword overhead to defy any would-be invaders. This statue is regarded as Volgograd's landmark.

Today we continue our journey south to Astrakhan.

This morning we reach Astrakhan, the largest river and sea port in the Volga-Caspian basin. Founded in the 13th century Astrakhan is spread over 11 islands linked together by bridges and today is a multinational city where Russians, Kalmyks, Tartars, Kirghizes and Cossacks happily coexist. Beyond the city, the Volga River splits up into 800 tributaries that flow into the Caspian.

Today we visit the Caspian Sea which is located 90 kms from Astrakhan.

Depart Astrakhan  SU 710                18.50
Arrive Moscow                                   21.15

On arrival we transfer to our hotel.

       Cosmos Hotel
       150 Prospect Mira
       Moscow
       Ph: 0011-7-495-2341000
       Fx:                     6158880

Today we further explore Moscow.

After lunch we drive to the airport for our flight to Dubai.

Depart Moscow  Emirates Air EK 134, 18.25
Arrive Dubai, 23.30          

Connect for your chosen Australian capital city.