Москва – Углич – Кострома – Нижний Новгород – Казань – Тольятти – Хвалынск – Балаково – Саратов – Волгоград – Романовская – Ростов-на-Дону

Moscow is the capital of Russia, one of the oldest and at the same time modern cities.

Population: ~ 12,506,000 (as of 2018).

Time: Moscow time.

Moscow attracts tourists from all over the world. The key matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup were held here, but guests from other countries and cities come here at any time.

Cruises to Moscow are one of the most popular trips. This is due to the beauty of Moscow itself, and to the picturesque river landscapes that can be seen along the way.

Over the past few years, Moscow has changed beyond recognition. This is real city of contrasts: old mansions, interactive museums, large green parks, popular theater premieres and modern skyscrapers. This is a city that never seems to sleep and never ceases to amaze.

There are two river stations in Moscow. Most motor ships come to the North, but if you find yourself in the South, we recommend you to go to Kolomenskoye Park. The former royal residence, now a green park with shady alleys, observation decks, picturesque views of the Moskva River and the Ascension Church, which is included in the UNESCO Heritage List.

All attractions are best reached by metro. The Moscow Metro is not only a convenient and fast mode of transport, its stations are one the most beautiful in the world.

Getting off at the Teatralnaya station, you will find yourself in the very center of Moscow. The Bolshoi Theater is very close, it is worth going a little to the left and you will find yourself at the Alexander Garden, situated at the walls of the Kremlin, and on the Red Square, paved with paving stones. A short walk away is Zaryadye Park, a green island in the heart of the city, with interactive and music venues and the famous Floating Bridge.

Those who love art, try to get to the Tretyakov Gallery or the Pushkin Museum during their visit to Moscow. Moscow City attracts connoisseurs of modern cities — by the way, here you can climb to the observation deck to admire the city from a height. Another famous observation deck is located on the Ostankino TV Tower, the tallest building in Europe. And young guests of the capital will be interested in the Moscow zoo.

One of the advantages of Moscow is the opportunity to explore it as you want. Ride on public transport to see the most interesting sights for you, walk through the streets, stop to rest in cozy cafes, or rent a bicycle.

In Moscow there is a huge number of souvenirs depicting local attractions. From earrings to decorative plates, from shawls to cups, what to choose from is up to you.

Also near most of the attractions and museums there are special shops where you can buy books, commemorative posters and postcards.

Uglich, one of the oldest cities on the Volga, was founded in 937, where the river makes a sharp turn, forming a corner. Perhaps this feature gave the city its name.

Population: ~ 32,000 (as of 2017).

Time: Moscow time.

Uglich is a popular tourist destination and visiting it is included in most weekend cruises from Moscow.

You can get here by bus or car, but it is more convenient - by ship. First, it's just comfortable. Secondly, almost all the attractions are located near the pier: the so-called Kremlin, museums, including the Museum of Hydropower plant. Here you can see a turbine that used to work at the power plant, a map that shows water stations in Russia, and even watch the process of generating energy.

Uglich has never been a big city. The attention of the whole country was drawn to it only once. In 1591 the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, Tsarevich Dmitry, who lived here and accidentally died while playing with knives. This tragedy made an impression even on the famous writer Alexandre Dumas, who came to Uglich.

During the tour, you will get to the territory of the Kremlin. The fortress walls are not preserved and there are old churches and princely chambers. The Kovcheg ensemble loved by citizens and tourists performs here.  A small program is performed for tourists free of charge.There are more than 10 museums in this small town. In addition to the classic ones, there is, for example, the Park-Museum of the Fire Rooster or the Museum of Hydropower plant -an interactive complex where you can touch the exhibits with your hands.

A short walk from the pier, at the entrance to the Victory Park, there is a souvenir market where you can choose something to remember Uglich by. In addition, local watches are made in Uglich — the local factory is the largest manufacturer in Russia. And we advise fans of dairy products to pay attention to the brand "From Uglich".

Kostroma is a part of the Golden Ring of Russian towns; it is located at the confluence of the rivers Volga and Kostroma.

Population: ~ 277,000 people (2018 Census).

Time: Moscow time.

The city was first recorded in the chronicles for the year 1213, but some historians believe it could have been founded by Yury Dolgoruky more than half a century earlier, in 1152. Since many scholars believe that early Eastern Slavs tribes arrived in modern-day Belarus, Ukraine and western Russia AD 400 to 600, Kostroma could be much older than previously thought. The city shares the same name as the East Slavic goddess Kostroma.

Like other towns of the Eastern Rus, Kostroma was sacked by the Mongols in 1238. It then constituted a small principality, under leadership of Prince Vasily the Drunkard, a younger brother of the famous Alexander Nevsky. Upon inheriting the grand ducal title in 1271, Vasily didn't leave the town for Vladimir, and his descendants ruled Kostroma for another half a century, until the town was bought by Ivan I of Moscow.

Nizhny Novgorod is an ancient city on the Volga River.

Population: ~ 1,259,000 people (2018 Census).

Time: Moscow time.

Nizhny Novgorod was founded on Volga and Oka rivers in 1221. Nowadays, it is a popular cruise stop.This is one of the few cities in Russia where the Kremlin has been preserved. Moreover, Nizhny Novgorod is included in the list of one hundred UNESCO cities of historical and cultural value. In total, there are about 600 attractions in the city: both ancient architectural monuments and modern ones are among them. Originally the name was just Novgorod (“Newtown”), but to distinguish it from the other, older and well-known Novgorod (Veliky Novgorod) to the west, the city was commonly called “Novgorod of the Lower lands”, or “Lower Newtown”. This land was named "lower” (nizhniy) even though it is actually higher in altitude than Veliky Novgorod, because it is situated downstream of other Russian cities such as Moscow, Vladimir and Murom.

Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering an area of 425.3 square kilometres.

Population: ~ 1,244,000 people (as of 2018).

Time: Moscow time.

Kazan was founded in the late 13th century by the Golden Horde. In 1438, Kazan became the capital of the Khanate of Kazan. In 1552, Kazan was captured by Ivan the Terrible and became a part of Russia. The city was seized and largely destroyed during Pugachev's Rebellion of 1773–1775, but was later rebuilt during the reign of Catherine the Great. In the following centuries, Kazan grew to become a major industrial, cultural and religious centre of Russia. In 1920, after the Russian SFSR became a part of the Soviet Union, Kazan became the capital of the Tatar ASSR. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kazan stayed as the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. Kazan is renowned for its vibrant mix of Tatar and Russian cultures.In 2015, 2.1 million tourists visited Kazan, and 1.5 million tourists visited the Kazan Kremlin, a World Heritage Site. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the right to brand itself as the "Third Capital of Russia".In 2009 it was chosen as the "Sports capital of Russia",and it still is referred to as such. Kazan hosted the 2013 Summer Universiade, and was one of the host cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Tolyatti also known in English as Togliattigrad and in Italian as Togliatti in honor of the Italian communist politician Palmiro Togliatti, is a city in Samara Oblast, Russia.

Population: 719,632 (2010 Census).

Time: Moscow Time +1.

It was founded in 1737 as a fortress called Stavropol by the Russian statesman Vasily Tatishchev. Informally it was often referred as Stavropol-on-Volga to distinguish from Stavropol, a large city in southwest Russia, although Stavropol-on-Volga was never its official name. The construction of the Kuybyshev Dam and Hydroelectric Station on the Volga River in the 1950s created the Kuybyshev Reservoir, which covered the existing location of the city, and it was completely rebuilt on a new site. In 1964, the city was chosen as the location of the new VAZ automobile plant—a joint venture between Fiat and the Soviet government. It was thus renamed Tolyatti (after Palmiro Togliatti, the longest-serving secretary of the Italian Communist Party, who had been instrumental in setting up the venture with Fiat). Much of the modern city was constructed in the 1960s to house the workers of the factory, and today, AvtoVAZ dominates the economy of the city.

Saratov is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd.

Population: 837,900 people (2010 Census).

Time: Moscow Time +1.

Many things are unknown about that area and its earlier cultures. Uvek, a city of the Golden Horde, stood near the site of the modern city of Saratov from the mid-13th century until its destruction by Tamerlane in 1395. While the exact date of the foundation of modern Saratov is unknown, all plausible theories date it to ca. 1590,[ during the reign (1584–1598) of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, who constructed several settlements along the Volga River in order to secure the southeastern boundary of his state. Town status was granted to it in 1708. By the 1800s, Saratov had grown to become an important shipping port on the Volga. The Ryazan-Ural Railroad reached Saratov in 1870. In 1896 (26 years later), the line crossed the Volga and continued its eastward expansion. A unique train-ferry, owned by the Ryazan-Ural railroad, provided the connection across the river between the two parts of the railroad for 39 years, before the construction of a railway bridge in 1935.

During January 1915, with World War I dominating the Russian national agenda, Saratov became the destination for deportation convoys of ethnic Germans, Jews, Hungarians, Austrians and Slavs whose presence closer to the western front was perceived as a potential security risk to the state. During World War II, Saratov was a station on the north–south Volzhskaya Rokada, a specially designated military railroad supplying troops, ammunition and supplies to Stalingrad. In 1942-1943 the city was bombed by German aircraft. The main target was the Kirov oil refinery, which was heavily bombarded, seriously damaging the installation and destroying 80% of its plant and temporarily interrupting its work. The Luftwaffe was able to destroy all the fuel stock at bases in Saratov and eliminate the oil plant in the city. Until the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Soviet authorities designated Saratov a "closed city"; off-limits to all foreigners due to its military importance as the site of a vital facility manufacturing military aircraft.