Thinking of Russia, two great cities immediately come to mind: Moscow and St. Petersburg. This monumental 13-day itinerary includes multiple days in both cities, touring such landmarks as Moscow’s Kremlin and Red Square, and the Catherine Palace and Hermitage in St. Petersburg. But, there is another side of Russia; quaint Golden Ring towns like Yaroslavl and Uglich that only a river cruise can provide. See opulent palaces, discover fortified monasteries and visit beautiful churches and cathedrals. It is an unforgettable way to experience the history and culture of this unique and mysterious country..

DAY 1 | MOSCOW, RUSSIA
Arrive in Moscow and transfer to your ship.* After boarding, you have free time to relax before dinner. (D)

DAY 2 | MOSCOW, RUSSIA
Relax this morning and enjoy an early lunch before your half-day tour of Moscow. See the famed Bolshoi Theater and stop at Red Square for a view of the brightly colored St. Basil’s Cathedral and a visit to the famous GUM Department Store. You will also get the chance to experience the city’s Metro. Stay in the city center for an evening performance of traditional Russian folkloric music. (B, L, D)

DAY 3 | MOSCOW, RUSSIA
Today you have a full day to further explore Moscow’s many buildings, parks and monuments. Or you may choose an optional experience: Take an afternoon tour to Tretyakov Gallery, the world’s foremost museum of Russian fine art; or visit the Cosmonaut Museum with displays that trace the history of space exploration; or a Jewish Moscow tour, illustrating the history and spirit of the Jewish people who settled in the city. Lunch is served aboard, or included in your full-day excursion. Dine aboard for dinner, then relax or take an optional Moscow by Night tour. (B, L, D)

DAY 4 | MOSCOW, RUSSIA
After breakfast, travel to the city’s famous red brick enclosure known as the Kremlin. You’ll go behind its walls to see historic gems like Tsar’s Canon and Tsar’s Bell, and tour inside two cathedrals. Enjoy a scenic cruise along the Moscow Canal after lunch as we depart the city. (B, L, D)

DAY 5 | UGLICH, RUSSIA
We cruise through the morning. After lunch, disembark for your walking tour through the provincial village of Uglich, one of the Golden Ring cities that preserve the memory of Russia’s historical events. See the former Kremlin of Uglich and visit the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood, built on the site where Ivan the Terrible’s son Dmitry was mysteriously killed. Then a local family invites you into their home for tea and friendly conversation. Depart before dinner; cruise through the night. (B, L, D)

DAY 6 | YAROSLAVL, RUSSIA
Arrive this morning in Yaroslavl, another Golden Ring city. Tour this ancient town rich in monuments and visit the covered food market where you may shop for handcrafted souvenirs. During your free time, you may visit the Church of St. Elijah the Prophet, featuring detailed frescoes and icons. Return to your ship for lunch and departure. (B, L, D)

DAY 7 | KUZINO, RUSSIA
We dock this morning in Kuzino, a typical Russian village. From here, you visit the renowned Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, founded by Saint Cyril in 1397. Take a guided walk through the monastery’s historic grounds, seeing several small wooden chapels, the Assumption Cathedral and a museum. You will also have the opportunity to visit a children’s school in Kuzino. Return to your ship for lunch and an afternoon departure. Spend the remainder of the day cruising along the Volga-Baltic Waterway. This system of rivers and canals, spanning 229 miles and seven locks, links the Volga River with the Baltic Sea. (B, L, D)

DAY 8 | KIZHI, RUSSIA
We cruise through the morning, admiring the tranquil waters of Lake Onega, Europe’s second largest lake, and arrive this afternoon at the island village of Kizhi. Set out on a walking tour through the Open Air Museum of Architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, see a collection of wooden houses, windmills and churches representing ancient Russian architecture, highlighted by the famous three-tiered Preobranzhenskaya (Transfiguration) Church, a fairy-tale-like structure built in 1714 without a single nail. Depart in the evening and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)

DAY 9 | MANDROGY, RUSSIA
Spend a relaxing day cruising Russia’s intricate waterways. Sail the scenic Svir River, traveling the 139-mile “Blue Route” as it takes you southwest from Lake Onega. Stop in Mandrogy and take some time to explore this museum village. Visit the Vodka Museum or shop for handmade Russian craft items. For a truly immersive experience, try an optional visit to a banya; (traditional Russian bath house), or you may choose an optional tour where you will witness and participate in the art of matryoshka doll making. Continue along the Svir, then cross Lake Ladoga, Europe’s largest lake, on your way to the Neva River. All meals are served aboard your ship. (B, L, D)

DAY 10 | ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
Sail on the Neva River into St. Petersburg early this morning. After a leisurely breakfast, visit the Winter Palace to tour the legendary Hermitage Museum, where you marvel at the vast collection of art, antiquities, jewelry and sculpture. Return aboard for an early dinner, followed by an evening performance of traditional Russian ballet. (B, L, D)

DAY 11 | ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
Today’s excursion goes to the Pushkin area where you visit Catherine Palace, the elegant rococo 18th-century summer residence of the Russian tsars, named for Catherine I (widow of Peter the Great). Tour its various halls, including the storied Amber and Agate Rooms, and see the ornate decor throughout. Return to your ship for lunch. After lunch embark on a city tour; see noted sights including St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Peter & Paul Fortress and Nevsky Prospekt. Dine aboard, then relax or attend an optional evening folkloric performance. (B, L, D)

DAY 12 | ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
You have the day free to see the sights that interest you. Visit one of the many palaces, churches or museums, or take an optional morning tour to Peterhof Palace, with its landscaped gardens and beautiful fountains. In the afternoon, you may choose to join an optional kommunalka visit to get a glimpse of these communal living spaces or take an optional tour of St. Petersburg from the water. Lunch and dinner are served aboard. (B, L, D)

DAY 13 | ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
After breakfast, disembark and proceed to the airport for your return flight.* Or, extend your journey into another country with 3 nights in Helsinki, Finland, the “White City of the North.” (B)

This exclusive winter program features the Hermitage as a destination unto itself. With special access and private tours by Hermitage scholars, this is a rare occasion for those that truly appreciate art and culture to discover one of the world’s greatest museums. Exhibit specialists guide you through featured collections, affording you the privileged opportunity to experience a side of the Hermitage not open to the public. Your discoveries away from the museum allow you to immerse yourself in the glories of St. Petersburg, touring famous sights, dining at St. Petersburg’s finest restaurants, seeing a ballet or orchestral performance and mingling with your host family at a communal apartment. Each group is limited to 12 participants.

DAY 1 | ST. PETERSBURG
Saturday. Welcome to St. Petersburg. Upon your arrival, you will be taken to your superior room at the spectacular 5-star Grand Hotel Europe, an Orient-Express property.*

A cultural and culinary landmark, the Grand Hotel Europe has played a central role in the life of St. Petersburg for over 130 years. With its impressive facade and graceful interiors, it stands on Nevsky Prospekt adjacent to Arts Square. A stay here takes you straight to the heart of Russia, especially during the White Days of winter, when snow lies outside and a warm welcome awaits within.

The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax and prepare for the week to come. Upon arrival you will be given a schedule detailing the upcoming week’s performances at St. Petersburg’s famous Mariinsky Theater. You may choose the evening and type of performance you prefer, from either a ballet, opera, or symphony orchestra concert. Let your Program Director know your decision in the morning so we may make arrangements for you.

DAY 2 | ST. PETERSBURG & WINTER PALACE
Sunday. The morning and early afternoon are yours to explore some of the sights of St. Petersburg. You may wish to visit the Russian Museum and Yusupov Palace, then perhaps wander along Nevsky Prospekt, or visit some of the city’s remarkable art galleries.

Midafternoon, visit the Winter Palace of Peter the Great. Then enjoy a welcome cocktail at your hotel, followed by an introductory talk by a Hermitage historian about the history of the palace and the museum. This evening we dine at Caviar Bar, for excellent Russian fare in a stunning Art Nouveau ambiance. (B, D)

DAY 3 | PRIVILEGED ACCESS: HERMITAGE
Monday. The Hermitage is closed to visitors on Mondays so we will take the opportunity to see the most popular galleries without crowds. On this day only, we return to the galleries after lunch. The visit begins with a survey of the museum as a palace, examining the Peter the Great Memorial Throne Room, Armorial Hall, main Throne Room and the Military Gallery of 1812. See the famous Peacock Clock and continue touring the Italian galleries, featuring various pieces by Leonardo da Vinci and Titian. Passing through the breathtaking Raphael Loggias, which Catherine the Great had copied from the Vatican, you examine the two Raphaels, study Michelangelo’s Crouching Boy and pass through the Skylight Galleries.

After lunch in the Hermitage Staff Canteen (off limits to the public), we proceed to the world-renowned Hermitage Impressionists and Post-Impressionists collection, housed in rooms formerly used by the palace ladies in waiting. We spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying these pieces, without the crowds they attract during regular museum open hours.

There will be a short St. Petersburg By Night tour en route to tonight’s dinner. (B, L, D)

DAY 4 | HERMITAGE & ST. PETERSBURG CITY TOUR
Tuesday. This morning we return to the Hermitage for a visit to the remarkable Hidden Treasures exhibition, Romanov portrait gallery and spectacular Malachite Room created by Nicholas I for his wife. Then view highlights of the Egyptian collection en route to the spectacular Treasury II displaying the development of jewelers’ art from ancient history to today. One of today’s highlights is ascending the iconic Ambassadors’ Staircase, also known as the Jordan Staircase. We leave the museum to have lunch at a popular local restaurant.

This afternoon we take a panoramic city tour of Alexander Nevsky Monastery, Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral, Smolny and St. Isaac’s Cathedrals. Tonight’s dinner is at Backstage Restaurant, adjacent to the Mariinsky Theater. (B, L, D)

DAY 5 | HERMITAGE AND KOMMUNALKA VISIT
Wednesday. This morning is highlighted with a tour of Treasury I, containing Peter the Great’s collection of Siberian gold. The tour continues to works by Dutch Masters, including the famous collection of 25 works by Rembrandt as well as works of Rubens, Van Dyck and Snyders.

We depart the museum for the day to juxtapose the glories of the Hermitage with a visit to a kommunalka, a communal apartment, where your host family invites you to see their home and enjoy a light lunch of tea and Russian pierogi. After time to relax at the hotel, we dine at Mansarda restaurant. (B, L, D)

DAY 6 | PRIVILEGED ACCESS: HERMITAGE STORAGE FACILITY
Thursday. Today’s tour, a highlight of the week, visits the Hermitage’s off-site state-of-the-art storage facility. With only about one-tenth of the three million pieces on display at the museum, our exclusive behind-the-scenes visit allows you to see how the world-class collections are stored when not on display. See paintings by great Masters, a collection of imperial carriages and furniture, sculptures, icons and much more.

Your afternoon is at leisure, followed by a farewell dinner at the Old Customs House, widely regarded as one of St. Petersburg’s best restaurants. (B, L, D)

DAY 7 | CATHERINE PALACE
Friday. This morning’s excursion takes you to the spectacular Catherine Palace, summer residence of many tsars, located in the village of Tsarskoe Tselo/Pushkin. Your afternoon is free in St. Petersburg for independent exploration in a museum or the city center. (B)

DAY 8 | ST. PETERSBURG
Saturday. After a morning at leisure, we will bring you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)