River cruises in Russia - nuances of choice. Traveling by motor boat Traveling along the river

Attention! The site administration is not responsible for the content of methodological developments, as well as for the compliance of the development with the Federal State Educational Standard.

The development is intended for children 6-7 years old, to consolidate knowledge in a playful way about plants and animals of water bodies.

The place of the game situation in the educational process: GCD, educational activities in special moments.

Materials and equipment: doll Funtik, the Waterman, who gives tasks to children during the trip, cards with river inhabitants, cards with images of a pond and its inhabitants, album sheets, colored pencils, wax crayons.

Plan-scenario of the plot of the game situation: Children find a picture of Funtik standing by the river. The teacher invites the children to guess where Funtik is inviting them on a trip this time. The children decide that they will travel along the river. To do this, children build a ship from a floor constructor and chairs and go on an excursion. On the way, they meet the Vodyanoy, who asks them to play with him, as he is very bored. The merman and the children play with pleasure, completing a number of tasks. After which Vodyanoy asks to help him come up with and draw environmental signs that would explain to everyone what not to do near or in a pond. The children promise to help. Upon returning from the trip, they come up with and draw prohibition signs.

Summary of the game situation “River Journey”

Children on the board see a picture of Funtik standing by the river.

- Guys, today our old friend Funtik invites you on a trip. Where do you think? (down the river). How did you guess? (children's answers: because Funtik is standing by the river).

– What can you use to travel along rivers and seas? (Children conclude that they will travel along the river on a ship).

But we don't have a ship. What should we do? (The children offer to build a “ship” and go on a journey with Funtik).

- Guys, what are we going to build our “ship” from? (Children's answers). Yes, we can use floor set pieces and chairs. Then let's get to work!

- Well done! We have a wonderful pleasure boat with enough room for everyone. I suggest you take your seats.

– Guys, you need to be careful not to miss the appearance of various inhabitants of the river. We need to choose a tour guide. He will monitor their appearance and take out cards with images of various plants and animals from the bag prepared by Funtik.

Rules of the game: if the “tour guide” names a plant, you need to turn left (look down to the left side), if an animal, look to the right; up - if a bird is named, down - if an animal is named.

- You see, guys, it’s not difficult to sail along the magic river - you just need to work together with the oars (Vodyanoy appears)

Vodyanoy: Dear children, girls and boys, play with me. I really love solving riddles.

Educator: Dear Vodyanoy, we know how to compose them, right, guys? We do have pictures. Let us write riddles for Vodyanoy, without naming what is shown in the picture and without showing these pictures until Vodyanoy guesses your riddle.

Children ask riddles to Vodyanoy. At the end of the game, Vodyanoy thanks the children for the pleasure they received and invites them to play his game “Full speed ahead!”

Vodyanoy: I want to see how well you can act coherently and accurately carry out commands.

The vodyany can give various commands: stand in a circle, settle for first or second, pass the ball different ways and so on.

Vodyanoy: Guys, I ask you to help me resolve the dispute between the inhabitants of the ponds located in my possession. Every year I have to change their name according to what kind of inhabitants they have more.

Having completed the work, the children need to tell how they found out who was more in the pond, what result they got, what will be the name of the pond whose inhabitants they counted (if there are more fish - fish, crayfish - crayfish, frogs - frog)

Vodyanoy thanks the children for their help, notes the knowledge and skills demonstrated by the children, and their interest in the inhabitants of the rivers.

– But I have one more problem: not all people come to the river with kindness. If only we could come up with drawings and signs that would make it clear to everyone that the river needs to be protected.

The children say goodbye to Vodyanoy and thank him for interesting trip along the river and promise to fulfill his request. They “board” the “ship” and return to kindergarten.

Educator: Let's try to fulfill Vodyanoy's request? (discussion: what is dangerous for the river, which causes the water in it to become polluted). Now let's draw prohibition signs.

We will attach the signs to poles and place them near our small pond on the territory kindergarten– let everyone see and understand how to protect rivers and ponds.

Cruises vary from hour-long rides to water bus along the Moscow River to a two-week trip along the Volga and its tributaries. We give advice on when to go on a trip along deep Russian rivers and lakes, what to see – and what to bring as a souvenir.

Capital Cruise

"Moscow Around the World"– 1800-kilometer ring route along the Moscow River, Oka, Volga and the Moscow Canal. This route includes two cities of the Golden Ring - Yaroslavl and Kostroma, as well as Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Myshkin, Murom and Kolomna. The beginning and end of the route are considered to be two capital cities river station, North and South. The direction of movement along the river ring - clockwise or counterclockwise - can be any.

Lydia Lipkina View from the walls of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.

Sometimes river cruises are part of a longer itinerary Volga – Kama. Depending on the number of stops and excursions, the Moscow Around the World takes from 10 days to two weeks. Longer cruises traveling to the upper reaches of the Kama require more time - about 20 days.

From afar for a long time...

Traveling along the Volga also varies in time. The shortest are weekend cruises, for example to cities lying north of Moscow: Uglich, Yaroslavl or Tver - and back.

Chernysheva Victoria Volga in the vicinity of Ulyanovsk

However, ships often head south, to the lower reaches of the Volga. Having reached Astrakhan or Rostov-on-Don, the ships turn around and return up the river to the capital. The duration of such a voyage is considerable, from 19 to 22 days. However, it is not at all necessary to do it entirely: you can get off the ship at any stop, and you can return back by train or plane.

On North!

Moscow, Saint Petersburg
The Moscow River, the Volga, Lakes Beloe, Onega, the Svir River, Lake Ladoga and, finally, the Neva. Sailing along a chain of rivers, canals, locks and lakes cannot be called fast (a one-way journey can take a whole week), but the impressions gained are worth the time spent.

Vagina Yulia Gennadievna On Lake Ladoga.

Cruise companies offer a variety of cruise programs. For example, a 12-day voyage to the Northern capital and back can be diversified with excursions to the main attractions of the Russian North: the Kirillo-Belozersky and Ferapontov monasteries, Valaam and Kizhi.

Alexey Zavodskiy Monastery on the Great Solovetsky Lake.

From Moscow you can get to the pearl White Sea – Solovetsky Monastery. The first stages of this journey coincide with the route to St. Petersburg, but at a crossroads - Lake Onega- the ship does not enter the Svir River, but goes further to north shore, where the entrance to the White Sea-Baltic Canal is located. Passing another chain of reservoirs (Matkoozero, Telekino, Vygozero), the cruise ship reaches the waters of Belomorsk, located on the coast itself. Now only 65 kilometers (that is, of course, 35 nautical miles) separate it from the Solovetsky archipelago. A round trip usually takes 11-13 days.

If you happen to visit Arkhangelsk in the summer, don’t miss the opportunity to go up the Northern Dvina: this is a less popular route, and it’s only used a couple of times a year – but that’s where its charm lies.

Siberian cruises

A description of lake cruises would be incomplete without mentioning routes along Baikal. The village of Listvyanka, Peschanaya Bay, Aya Bay, Cape Khoboy - and itself famous island Olkhon, Ushkany Islands, Cape Kotelnikovsky - for those who travel by ship, the sights of Lake Baikal are revealed in a completely different way. The duration of the trip, as in the case of river cruises, can vary - from a couple of days to 12 days.

Bykova Regina Vladimirovna Sunset on Olkhon

Cruises on Siberian rivers differ from the trips described above. For example, on the full-flowing Lena (unlike the Volga, and even the Yenisei and Ob) there are no dams or hydroelectric power stations, so sailing along the Lena Pillars, walking through the taiga and getting to know the indigenous inhabitants of these regions will allow you to be transported to the distant past of Siberia, which has not yet knew European colonialists.

Tatyana Gasich Lena Pillars

Usually all cruises Lena start in the port of Yakutsk. From here the ships either go north and reach the Laptev Sea, where the village of Tiksi is located, or rise against the current to the south, reaching the Lena Cheeks canyon. Both journeys last about two weeks.

Travel around Yenisei often included in the program of larger tours - for example, expeditions to the Putorana plateau. However, local travel agencies also organize cruises between Dudinka (the river “gate” of Norilsk), Yeniseisk and Krasnoyarsk.

Maxim Akulich Embankment in Krasnoyarsk.

In these cities and their surroundings there are many natural and man-made monuments: from the first house of Norilsk to the famous Krasnoyarsk pillars.

For those who are planning to sail Obi, you will need to arrive in Salekhard or Novosibirsk: ships sail between these two cities.

Andrey Polyakov Two bridges across the Ob in Novosibirsk.

The cruise program usually includes excursions to Salekhard, Khanty-Mansiysk, Surgut and smaller settlements.

On what?

Most river and lake cruises are carried out on large ships. Such ships have several decks (that is, “floors”) with many rooms, several dining rooms and bars, and swimming pools. Cabins on such ships are most reminiscent of hotel rooms: there is a shower and toilet, beds (often double), wardrobes, a minibar and so on.

On board the ship you can find everything your heart desires - from a souvenir kiosk to a sauna and sports equipment, but keep in mind that the number and range of services varies depending on the tour and type of ticket.

Popov Nikolay Ivanovich Tver, embankment.

For a cruise you can also charter a motorboat or sailing yacht, pleasure boat or catamaran. They are faster and more maneuverable, but in terms of comfort they are inferior to motor ships: there is less space, there may be no latrine at all, and on large lakes in windy weather you can get seasick on a small boat. However, some may find such a voyage sweeter and more romantic than slow ships.

When?

River navigation is closed for the winter - although there are exceptions, such as floating restaurants that ply the Moscow River 365 days a year. However, most ships go into winter mooring from November to April.

What to bring with you?

From the “Moscow Around the World” - scarves, gingerbreads, decorations and utensils, from northern cruises - crafts from Karelian birch, liqueurs and liqueurs, from Volga travels - chak-chak and herbal teas, and from Siberian, of course, smoked meats, pickles and crafts native bone carvers.

Kolyma River

Yuri Prokofiev dedicated this trip along the Kolyma River to the memory of the victims of political repression of the 30-50s. Such an amazing, harsh, and, at the same time, extremely beautiful region was revealed to its inhabitants in those painful years. A trip along the river these days is not at all the same as living in these parts before, during the Gulag, but, at the same time, such a brave, free journey into wildlife Kolyma north, without vouchers, guides, various comfortable hotels - deserves the highest respect from me! I think you do too, dear readers!

Part 1. The path to Kolyma

At 6:15 I arrived at Lena station, checked my things into the luggage compartment, sat in the waiting room until 8:00 - and rushed to the city of Ust-Kut in search of good luck, which was widely wished to me at home. At first, she avoided me in every possible way, I ran around the piers and control rooms, but, of course, no one needed me there. There was a ship waiting to be loaded on the right bank, and I was advised to go and talk to the captain, but he pretended that we were not on our way, and I did not insist. The ship was heading to Lensk, and thank God I didn’t get on it, although I was ready to board any ship heading in the direction of Yakutsk, even with transfers. But the world is not without good people, they advised me to contact the electronic warfare department of the Lena River Shipping Company to the director Petchik P.E., he was inspired by my idea to go through the Kolyma and put up a worship cross and promised to help. He told me where to go and who else to contact. I went to the director of the LORP, G.D. Golovin, but he could not help me. I ran to the station to find out if my raft had arrived (I sent it to Ust-Kut by freight train). Near the station I met the owner of the house where I lived for 10 days last year while I was waiting for the raft. She gave the go-ahead for accommodation this time too. I went there to pick up the key to the house - her son was there at the time. Called from luggage compartment station, they said that the raft had arrived and it needed to be picked up urgently, otherwise you would have to pay 1,500 rubles. for storage for 1 day, and then there will be even more. He took the key and ran to P.E. Petchik. - to say that nothing happened to me at the LORP. He called immediately - and it was like I was in a fairy tale: private room in the Parus hotel, moreover, free of charge, which is very important to me; there is not enough money for the trip to Kolyma.

After spending the night at the hotel, in the morning I arrived at the station to pick up my trunks from the storage room and the raft. P.E. Petchik called. and told me to wait with all my things at the station, and they would take me where I needed to go. I received the raft, paying 1,500 rubles for storage, soon a car arrived, and we arrived at the electronic warfare department, and then Petchik P.E. took me with all my belongings to the ship, where, with the consent of the captain, I settled. After spending the night on board, I went to church early in the morning, attended the service and received Father Pavel’s blessing for a trip to Kolyma. On this day was the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord.

We are loading. On May 25, I asked the captain for leave, went to church to pray and light candles for health - Masha and Leva were in the hospital. On May 28, we hooked up another barge and weighed anchor at about 4 p.m. I'm finally on my way. May 29, 30, 31, June 1, 2, 3 - we go along the Lena River to Yakutsk. Last year I walked along the Lena on a raft from Ust-Kut to Tiksi - the river is practically my own. On June 4 we arrived at Moksogolov and began unloading.

The way to Kolyma, Ust-Kut - Yakutsk on a barge

Hiking along the Lena River on a barge

They unloaded the barge and left for Yakutsk. At 16:00 I was put ashore, I spent the night on the shore next to the road on the climb to Nizhny Bestyakh.

The path to Kolyma along the Kolyma - Nizhny Bestyakh highway

In the morning a kind man was found and took me and all my belongings to the village of Nizhny Bestyakh. In the village, I loaded the raft and equipment onto the roof of the UAZ, and drove 400 km in the rain along a broken road so as not to be late for the crossing over Aldan. We arrived on time, but it was a bummer: the KAMAZ got stuck near the ferry and we had to spend the night at the crossing.

In the morning we fought our way onto the ferry and crossed the Aldan. Misha took me to the exit from the village of Khandyga and dropped me off at an abandoned traffic police post. I voted all day, but all the cars flew by without slowing down. In the evening, a KAMAZ stopped and took me to the village of Teply Klyuch, where I pitched a tent and spent the night. Celebrated our wedding anniversary. At night, dogs were running around the tent and some drunken bastard wanted to see what was inside the tent.

overnight in Teply Klyuch

It started raining at night and continued all day. I trampled the road, voted, but to no avail, all the cars were loaded to the limit. Several people came up, including the police, asking where I was coming from, where I was going and why. A group of children and teachers passed through a children's summer camp and got to know each other. The woman said that she would talk to her husband about taking me away from Teply Klyuch in the direction of Ust-Nera. At 17:00 he came for me, loaded up, picked up his wife and drove along the Kolyma highway. We drove through the mountains, the beauty was indescribable and terrible at the same time. The Kolyma highway in this section from Teply Klyuch and beyond is so beautiful that it takes your breath away, but terrible incidents constantly happen on it, and it is literally built on human bones. Stepan works as a foreman, services a 300 km section of the road and knows everything about it. His wife is a philologist, teacher in English at school, an absolutely wonderful woman in every way. They are Yakuts. They drove them as far as possible and dropped them off near the Khandyga River. There are mountains all around, and the sound of the river not far from the parking lot.

Road to Kolyma, Yakutia

Beauty of Yakutia

Stepan with his wife

Set up camp near the road. I wrote “Ust-Nera” on the cover of my bag so that people passing by could see where I was going. I'm on duty as soon as I hear the sound of the engine. I prayed for the people who gave their lives during the construction of this road. Stepan said that the place is bearish, and if a clubfoot comes, so that I should not be surprised. He gave me a can of condensed milk and said: “You will give it to him, and while he eats it, tear his claws if you can.” So I collected wood and smoked the fire all night, sleeping like an animal, with my eyes and ears open.

I got up at 3 in the morning and immediately went to work. Before 8 am, two cars passed, not mine. It started to rain and I had to go to the tent. When the rain stopped, I crawled out of the tent onto the road. Five cars passed: they all rushed by without slowing down - and this greatly surprised me. A man stands on the Kolyma highway and almost jumps out onto the road, risking his life. I think if I had laid down by the road or on it, they would have simply driven around me without stopping. In our time, the law of the North has died, that's a fact. By evening, a normal man finally found him, stopped and asked if he needed help. Apparently, Nikola Ugodnik intervened. I explained everything, and he understood everything and took me on board. Name good man Farid, with him I got to Susuman, but they warned me there, and I myself realized that there could be serious problems if I started from Susuman. There was ice on the Kolyma Reservoir. So we went further to Debin. Farid didn’t take anything for the road, apparently he got into my situation.

Nature of Yakutia

Circumstances are such that we are increasingly beginning to travel around our country. And that's great! In the summer, we most often choose the opportunity to relax and improve our health on the beaches of Crimea, Krasnodar region, Caucasus or broaden your horizons by going on a sightseeing tour of Russian cities.

But there is another option summer holiday, combining both educational excursion holiday, and the opportunity to swim and sunbathe on the beaches Russian rivers- This river cruises across Russia. Their routes run along almost all navigable rivers of our country. These are, of course, the Volga and Don, Oka and Kama, Northern Dvina and Sukhona, Yenisei, Lena and Ob, Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga.

You can go on an exciting river cruise from a variety of Russian cities. And this will not require any complex paperwork that always accompanies cruise travel abroad. By the way, you can travel on cruise ships from late April to early October.

River cruises can be classic and excursion, health and event, pilgrimage, fitness flights and others. They also differ in duration. Very short - 2-3 days - these are weekend cruises, which are convenient for those who like to have an interesting and eventful vacation from Friday to Sunday. These short cruises take you to many cities.

Most people go on cruises of 5-8 days active tourists who love excursion holidays. These could be routes along the Golden Ring, through the cities of Karelia (with visits to Valaam, Petrozavodsk, Kizhi, Solovetsky Islands, Upper Mandrog), along the Volga, between St. Petersburg and Moscow. Some cruises can last from 9 to 22 days.

What are the benefits of river cruises on a motor ship in Russia?

• Dynamic travel - constant change of places, new cities and new acquaintances
• Beautiful coastal scenery that can be admired directly from the deck
• Big stops in the most interesting cities and interesting excursions along the route
• Enjoy the outdoors with large green spaces
• Comfortable accommodation in cabins and delicious food in restaurants
• Daily entertainment for adults and children
• For little tourists - children's room game room, activities and games with children's animators
• Minimum documents when registering a tour
• There are no sea storms on the rivers and there is no strong rolling
• The cost of river cruises is often less than sea cruises.

Naturally, as with any type of recreation, there are disadvantages:

• River cruise in Russia - a seasonal type of recreation
• River cruise ships differ in their size, capacity and entertainment options from large sea ships
• Limited movement and confined space while on the ship (you cannot go ashore wherever you want, only strictly according to the schedule and the cruise route)
• We have to take more things due to different weather in different cities
• Sometimes you have to get to the place of departure on your own by other means of transport.
• Not in all cities along the route where the ship docks, you can catch the flight. Sometimes these are points without boarding new holidaymakers
• Not all cruise routes are circular. In some cases, you have to return home by air or land.

Who is suitable for river tours?

Just like popular beach holiday, river cruises are suitable for almost everyone. These may be tourists who do not want or cannot go on holiday abroad and are looking for alternative options for family vacation, or those who like to relax near the water, but do not really like passive beach holidays. Such a relaxing holiday with "green parking" and beautiful views from the deck, the cool river air is especially pleasant on hot days.

River cruises are loved by active tourists who dream of seeing a lot in one trip with cities and towns changing like in a kaleidoscope. interesting excursions. At the same time, there is no need to carry your things with you when moving from place to place, make overnight journeys on a train or plane, or move from one hotel to another. Discerning tourists seeking maximum comfort while traveling very often choose this type of vacation because of the high level of service and good organization of leisure time on cruise ships.

And, of course, such a vacation is suitable for families with children. Little tourists are delighted with such exciting trips. Marine paraphernalia awakens children's imagination and evokes a sea of ​​emotions. Many ships have children's animators who will not let any child get bored.

Cruise geography

Popular river cruises operate from Moscow and St. Petersburg, Volgograd and Samara, Rostov-on-Don and Astrakhan, Kazan and Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa and many other cities.

There are more than 2000 in Russia river routes, which lie in the South of Russia (Volgograd, Astrakhan and Rostov-on-Don), through Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl and the cities of the Golden Ring, in the Middle Volga region (Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Ulyanovsk and Kazan), in the northern part of the country ( Kizhi, Valaam, Solovetsky Islands and Veliky Novgorod), in the Urals and Siberia.

How to choose a ship and cabin?

The correct choice of route and ship will determine how successful your vacation will be.

In order for the trip to actually be comfortable and not turn into complete disappointment, you must first thoroughly study the chosen ship and the conditions of stay on it. First of all, pay attention to the ship's infrastructure, its age, date of last renovation, level of comfort, availability of amenities and interior layout.

An important factor is catering. Usually these are one or two restaurants serving guests according to the classical scheme (ordered system with waiter service) with a choice of dishes from two to four options and the formation of a menu a day in advance.

Having decided on the ship, we move on to choosing a cabin. You need to take this seriously, since a poor choice of cabin (it can be considered a hotel room) can blur the most vivid impressions and emotions from the journey.

On ships that ply the rivers of Russia, various types of cabins are offered (luxury, junior suite and economy) with different options for amenities. These can be cabins with a shower and toilet, cabins with only a washbasin with cold and hot water, or no amenities at all (the toilet and shower are located on the deck).

The cost of the tour depends on the location of the cabin. The most comfortable and expensive options are on the upper deck. The lower the cabin, the quieter and cheaper it is. Living in the bow of the ship is more expensive because there is less vibration and pitching. Accommodation at the stern is more convenient for young people and active holidaymakers- Discos are held there.

The type of bed also affects the comfort and cost of travel. Single or double occupancy cabins may have bunk beds or two separate beds.

What is included in the price of a cruise tour?

Typically the cruise price includes:

• Travel from the city of departure to the city of arrival and accommodation in a cabin
• Nutrition (" Buffet», full board with three meals a day or half board with breakfast and dinner) without alcoholic drinks
• One sightseeing tour at each stopping point
• Travel information
• Entertainment program on the ship

Insurance, if necessary, is issued separately (when traveling along the rivers of Russia, compulsory medical insurance policies are also valid).

Sales of cruise tours begin long before the start of the season (six months to a year). Weekend tours are most often purchased shortly before departure (a couple of weeks). Long trips need to be booked in advance, carefully choosing the route and cabin, especially if it is a trip with children.

You can book a cabin at any travel agency, engaged in river cruises, or and pay by bank card or in cash at the office (courier). In this case travel documents are sent by email.

According to statistics, many of those who have been on a cruise at least once return to this type of vacation again and again. And for some it turns into a tradition - to go on a boat cruise along the amazing rivers of Russia every year.

And finally, good news for budget travelers. A representative of the Mosturflot company announced the launch of a river low-cost airline (the first in Russia!) on the Princess Anastasia motor ship this summer. It is expected that such a trip will cost less, and tourists will be able to choose the type of food and excursion programs themselves (for example, they can independently walk around the city in parking lots and see the sights). Bye bye…

Everything about river cruises in Russia: travel routes, rivers, tours and prices from the best cruise tour operators.

• Tours for May
• Last minute tours

Almost lost after the 1917 revolution, the special spirit and flavor of river cruises began to revive again in shipping, and with them the popularity of this form of recreation, glorified by the classics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was reviving. And indeed, where else can you feel how “wide is my native country” if not on deck? cruise ship slowly cutting through the surface of the water?

Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo

River cruises are gaining popularity not only due to nostalgia for pre-revolutionary times. Firstly, this is one of the few types of vacation that does not require travel time, because it is a “travel” in itself: your vacation begins at the moment of departure and ends upon arrival at your destination, and you have time to visit many places without “ loss of vacation days for traveling on trains or buses. Secondly, your hotel travels with you, and you can return from an excursion to your cabin at any time if you are tired or feel unwell. Thirdly, modern ships are equipped with everything necessary: ​​most of the cabins on them have amenities, there are restaurants, bars, video rooms, billiard tables, karaoke and even swimming pools, so if you wish, you can spend the entire cruise on the ship without ever going to land.

However, those who are not happy about this prospect will not be disappointed either: almost all river cruises involve a rich excursion program, “green parking” with picnics under open air and other entertainments, and if the weather cooperates, then with swimming.

Routes and features

River crises last from 2 to 20 days, depending on the route. As for routes, the most popular are various cruises along the Volga, Kama and Don (duration depends on the number of stops and saturation excursion program), as well as excursion and religious tours of the northern destinations (Valaam, Kizhi, Solovki) - and numerous hybrids of these two species.

Thus, people traditionally go on cruises to northern destinations from St. Petersburg (it’s cheaper and faster - you can do it in 2 days off), and trips along the Volga to the south usually start in Moscow. At the same time, routes like “Moscow - St. Petersburg - Moscow” are gaining popularity, usually lasting from 6 to 11 days and combining part of the Volga and northern directions. The main excursion points are usually Valaam and Kizhi.

Previous photo 1/ 1 Next photo

Cruise prices

The cost of a cruise usually includes: accommodation and bedding (the price is usually indicated per person, not per cabin - keep this in mind), 2 or 3 meals a day (due to the busy program, the ship cannot stop for every meal of passengers, but it’s still expensive to eat a la carte in a restaurant every day), excursions according to the program, guide services and an entertainment program on board the ship.

For those who are determined not to take additional excursions, it’s worth thinking about your leisure time free time, because the tourist finds himself alone (or in the company of similar tourists) in a city that is most often completely unfamiliar to him. It makes sense to know about locality more and outline the circle of objects that you would like, and most importantly, have time to visit before the ship departs.

Subtleties of choosing a cruise

There are a few more nuances that are worth discussing.

First, health insurance. Russian tourists Having come to terms with and realizing the need for medical insurance abroad, when traveling around Russia they rely exclusively on compulsory medical insurance and maybe, which does not always save them. For almost all cruises, medical insurance is offered on a voluntary basis, and it makes sense to take advantage of it: you can arrange it directly at the travel agency’s office; relative to the cost of any cruise, it’s pennies, and your soul will be at peace.

Secondly, you should carefully consider the choice of not only the route, but also the ship. On the website of almost every tourist and every shipping company there is fairly complete information about a particular ship, including the year of launch and reconstructions. Don't neglect this opportunity. In addition, for your own peace of mind, you can ask the captain to show all permitting documents before boarding.

It is worth learning more about the ship, not only for safety reasons, but also in order to understand the reason for the difference in prices. Thus, the same five-day tour “St. Petersburg - Valaam-Svirstroy - Kizhi - Petrozavodsk - Mandrogi - St. Petersburg” with a similar excursion program can cost 24,000-30,000 RUB per person on one ship, and 28,700-65,000 RUB on another, that is about one and a half to two times more expensive. Part of this money goes to additional points of the excursion program, but still - why is there such a big difference? Having opened the information about the ships, we find out that the “expensive” ship was recently restored, it is larger, more comfortable, all its rooms are equipped not only with a bathroom, but also with a refrigerator, and there is much more entertainment on board. And here we can already make a conscious choice: what are we sacrificing - money or comfort.

Prices on the page are as of November 2019.