Санкт-Петербург – Орешек – Валаам – Старая Ладога – Свирьстрой – Мандроги – Кижи – Горицы – Углич – Москва

St. Petersburg is the Northern capital, built on the coast of the Gulf of Finland.

Population: ~ 5,350,000 (as of 2018).

Time: Moscow time.

Saint Petersburg is popular among tourists all over the world. This is the starting point of many routes, both large liners that make cruises on the Baltic Sea, and river ships.  Saint Petersburg is a modern city with a rich history. Its embankments, palaces, temples and parks remind of the majesty of imperial Russia. And many architectural monuments keep traces of the siege of Leningrad — for example, on the columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral you can see the chips that were left after the shelling.

But, of course, tourists are attracted not only by history. This is one of the most picturesque Russian cities, our Venice. St. Petersburg is especially popular during the White nights - from late May to mid-July. In these months, it does not get dark here, which means that you can walk almost all night! Another nightly entertainment is bridge lifting. Since the Neva is a navigable river, several bridges are lifted across it so that motor ships can pass under them. Also, once in St. Petersburg, we advise you not to miss the opportunity and go on a trip along the canals to admire the city from the water.

At whatever river station you are, it is better to go down to the metro and go to the center. In the metro, pay attention to the closed-type stations: you are separated from the train by a wall, you can get into the cars through special doors. One of the most beautiful stations is "Mayakovskaya".

Taking a metro to the station "Nevsky Prospekt", you will get to the heart of the city, on its main pedestrian area. We advise you to start your walking journey from here. You will cross the Griboyedov Canal and the Moika River, admire the solemn colonnade of the Kazan Cathedral, feel the atmosphere of Nevsky Prospekt, with street musicians and open cafes, and reach the Admiralty. To the left of it, on the bank of the Neva River, the famous "Bronze Horseman" is situated, and next to it — St. Isaac's Cathedral. In good weather, we recommend climbing its colonnade — there are several hundred steps leading up, but the view is worth it. This is one of the best viewing platforms in the city! The Palace Square and the Hermitage are to the right of the Admiralty where a huge number of valuable exhibits are collected: from ancient Egyptian mummies and medieval knight armor to paintings by the greatest artists.

The Spit of Vasilievsky Island with Rostral columns is not far from the Hermitage, the columns are decorated with sculptures in the form of ships prows. From here you can enjoy a picturesque view of the wide Neva River and its beautiful embankments. The Northern Capital has many popular suburbs. Most often, it is suggested to go on an additional excursion to Peterhof, the former imperial residence, which was supposed to surpass Versailles. Here you can see the Grand Palace, a giant park decorated with various fountains and sculptures.

Valaam is the largest island in the Ladoga Archipelago.

Time: Moscow time.

The Valaam Archipelago is an amazing combination of history and strict northern beauty, which makes the place attractive for tourists. You can get here by helicopter or by water: motor ships go to the island, and from St. Petersburg you can even get to Valaam by high-speed vessels of the Meteor type.

Valaam is located in that part of Lake Ladoga, which is famous for skerries — rocky islands, whose shores are cut by narrow bays and the journey to Balaam  is extremely picturesque. The history of Balaam is characterized by various events: it belonged to both Russia and Finland, and experienced a flourishing and decline. Now it is a popular tourist destination, which is visited by more than 100,000 travelers every year.

First of all, Valaam surprises travelers with its landscapes: rocky shores with viewing platforms, a fabulous dense forest with hiking trails and clear lakes that reflect the trees. And all this — in the middle of the endless Lake Ladoga. The main attraction is the monastery with a majestic cathedral, designed for 3,000 people. You can enjoy a picturesque view of the surrounding area from the walls of the monastery, and below there is a garden with apple trees, plums, and even pineapples in the greenhouses!

During the tour, travelers can also see the monasteries, although guests of the island will only be able to get to one of them: the Resurrection, built of bricks that were once produced on Valaam. Monastery pies are popular. Gourmets are also advised to pay attention to the cheese, which is made on a local farm. On Valaam, you can also buy handicrafts made of Karelian birch or shungite, a rare rock, and pillows stuffed with juniper.

Staraya Ladoga is a rural locality (a selo) in Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia.

Population: 2,012 (2010 Census)

Time: Moscow Time.

located on the Volkhov River near Lake Ladoga, 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) north of the town of Volkhov, the administrative center of the district. It used to be a prosperous trading outpost in the 8th and 9th centuries. It was dominated by Scandinavians who were called by the name of Rus'. For that reason, it is sometimes called the first capital of Russia.

Svirstroy is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Lodeynopolsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Svir River several kilometers northeast of the town of Lodeynoye Pole.
Population: 927 (2010 Census).

In 1927, a large-scale construction of the Lower Svir Hydroelectric Station started, and subsequently in 1931, the concentration camp of Svirlag was established. The settlement which hosted the headquarters of Svirlag became known as Svirstroy. In the same year, Svirstroy was granted urban-type settlement status. On May 13, 1963, during the abortive Khrushhyov administrative reform, Svirstroy was subordinated to the town of Podporozhye, but on January 13, 1965 it was transferred back to Lodeynopolsky District.

Mandrogi is a small village on the bank of the Sviri River, located between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega.

Population: ~ 50 (as of 2017).

Time: Moscow time.

Mandrogi is one of the most popular stops on cruises in Karelia. You have a choice here: You can stay on the beach, try local pies and kebabs. Or you can go on a tour of a stylized Russian village, with elegant houses, stables, craft workshops and an unusual museum. Tourists also love the Handicraft Settlement, where you can watch how the craftsmen work: they cast candles, sculpt them from clay, weave them from birch bark and make decorations using flowers. There are also musicians who play ancient instruments.

Kizhi is an island in Lake Onega, which is famous for its open-air museum.

Time: Moscow time.

Kizhi is not accidentally called the pearl of Karelia. This small island attracts tourists not only from all over Russia, but also from other countries.One of the special features of Kizhi is its isolation, you can get here by helicopter or by water. Kizhi is traditionally included in most cruises in Karelia, and for a short excursion you can go from Petrozavodsk.

Kizhi is an open-air museum, where 68 buildings are collected, many of them are included in the UNESCO Heritage List. The island's hallmark is the famous multi-headed churches, built without a single nail. It's hard to believe now, but only a century ago the churches of Kizhi were white — like the classical churches of Yaroslavl. During the restoration, it was decided not to cover the tree with any paint, in order to preserve its natural beauty. If you think that there are only two attractions on the island, you are mistaken. There are many architectural monuments here, which seem to transport us to the mysterious world of Zaonezhye. One of the oldest wooden churches in our country: the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus is among them.

Despite the fact that the island is relatively small, it surprises with a variety of excursions. You can pay attention to the main attractions of the island or walk through the villages, which allow you to look at the life of the northern peasants. Or learn more about the kizhanka boats that were built by local craftsmen. Strong, stable boats were a necessity for them, who lived in the middle of the huge Onega Lake. The fame of kizhanki quickly spread around the area, and people began to come here for miracle boats. You can go shopping and buy magnets with the image of local churches, and Zaonezhskaya embroidery, and amulet dolls that are made right in front of your eyes. If you walk along the shore-pay attention to the coal-black stones. You may find shungite, a very rare rock. It is easy to verify its authenticity, shungite is extremely fragile and easily breaks.

Goritsy is one of the campsites on the bank of the Sheksna River, near the town of Kirillov.

Population: ~ 500 (as of 2010).

Time: Moscow time.

Goritsy is a very small settlement where cruise ships stop on their way to St. Petersburg, Karelia, to the Solovetsky Islands and back. Goritsy got its unusual name because of the many low mountains located in the surrounding area. The most famous of them is Maura, which is covered with a dense forest. During the construction of the Sheksninsky reservoir, the coastal part of Gorits fell into a flood zone. In present time, you can see small islands that have turned into hills that have gone under the water. The main attraction of Gorits is the Resurrection Monastery, which looks beautiful from the side of the ship: snow-white walls rise at the water's edge.

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".

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.