Experience the best of Scandinavia and Russia on this exhilarating journey by rail and boat. Starting out in cosmopolitan Copenhagen, you will discover the Nordic countries’ stunning capitals and fjords before enjoying a river cruise between Russia’s two great cities – St Petersburg and Moscow.
Itinerary
Day 1 Copenhagen
Arrive in Copenhagen and make your own way to the hotel. Spend the rest of the day exploring Denmark’s vibrant capital at your leisure.
Day 2 Copenhagen
Enjoy a 2-hour walking tour of Copenhagen that includes, the National Museum, Christiansborg Palace, the colourful Nyhavn district, Amalienborg Palace, the Stroget pedestrian area and City Hall Square. (B)
Day 3 Copenhagen – Stockholm
Take a train through beautiful countryside to Stockholm. Spend the rest of the day exploring
Sweden’s delightful capital at your leisure. (B)
Day 4 Stockholm
Experience a private guided walking tour of Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s old town. Discover the city’s colourful history as you follow charming cobblestone streets past famous sights including the Royal Palace and Royal Opera. (B)
Day 5 Stockholm – Oslo
Catch a morning train to Oslo and spend the rest of the day at leisure in the Norwegian capital. (B)
Day 6 Oslo
Enjoy a morning walking tour of Oslo including the Royal Palace, the Parliament Building, the National Theatre, City Hall, Akershus Fortress and the Aker Brygge Harbour. Continue by boat to the Bygdoy Peninsula to visit the Viking Ship Museum before returning to the city centre by bus. (B)
Day 7 Oslo – Voss
Travel through a breathtaking landscape of farmland, forests and glacier-capped mountains to Voss. (BD)
Day 8 Voss – Gudvangen – Flam – Myrdal –Voss
Enjoy a full-day ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ sightseeing tour. Waterfalls line the road as your coach weaves its way down the valley to Gudvangen – a picturesque village on the Naeroy Fjord. Take a ferry along the fjord before catching the Flam Railway through spectacular mountain scenery to Myrdal. Return to Voss by train. (BD)
Day 9 Voss – Bergen
Take a train to Bergen and spend the rest of the day exploring this charming old city at your leisure. (B)
Day 10 Bergen
Experience a 3-hour walking tour of Bergen that includes the Fish & Flower Market, St Mary’s Church, the Hanseatic Museum and the old Bryggen harbour. (B)
Day 11 Bergen – Helsinki
Bid farewell to the fjords and fly to Helsinki (may consist of two flights). Spend the rest of the day discovering Finland’s cosmopolitan capital at your leisure. (B)
Day 12 Helsinki
Enjoy a guided tour of Helsinki including Senate Square, the Lutheran Cathedral, the university, the Presidential Palace, City Hall, Market Square, Uspenski Cathedral, Esplanade Park, the Parliament, the Kiasma contemporary art museum and the rock-carved Temppeliaukio Church. If time permits continue along the edge of Toolonlahti Bay to Finlandia Hall and the Opera. (B)
Day 13 Helsinki – St Petersburg
Enjoy some free time in Helsinki before taking a high-speed train to St Petersburg. Spend the rest of the day exploring this enchanting city at your leisure. (B)
Day 14 St Petersburg
Experience an orientation tour of the city and visit the famous Peter and Paul Fortress. After lunch you will enter the remarkable Hermitage Museum, which boasts over 3 million works of art including one of the world’s best collections of French Impressionist paintings. Continue to your hotel, which enjoys a superb location opposite St Isaac’s Cathedral. (BLD)
Day 15 St Petersburg
Discover the breathtaking imperial estate of Peterhof. Visit the complex’s Bath Cottage and take a stroll through the vast Lower Park, where 176 fountains surround majestic palaces and gilded statues. (BL)
Day 16 St Petersburg
Drive to the Tsar’s Village Pushkin for a tour of Catherine’s Palace, where you will see the exquisitely restored Amber Room and take a stroll through the formal gardens. Continue to a traditional Russian log-house restaurant for lunch and some vodka. (BL)
Day 17 St Petersburg
Spend the morning at your leisure before transferring to the MS Volga to commence your river
cruise. (BLD)
Day 18 Mandrogi – Svir River
Step ashore at Mandrogi to get a glimpse of life in the Russian villages of days gone by. Navigate through Lake Ladoga, Europe’s largest freshwater lake, before continuing along the Svir River past graceful willows, pines and alder trees. (BLD)
Day 19 Kizhi
Explore World Heritage–listed Kizhi, a picturesque island in Lake Onega. A highlight of the island is the fairytale Church of the Transfiguration, an oniondomed wooden masterpiece built without using a single nail. (BLD)
Day 20 Goritsy
Arrive in the peaceful village of Goritsy, where you will admire the magnificent frescoes of the Kirillo- Belozersky Monastery before continuing across Lake Beloye. (BLD)
Day 21 Yaroslavl
Stop in World Heritage–listed Yaroslavl, the oldest city on the Volga River. Visit the Spassky Monastery to see the Transfiguration of the Saviour Cathedral, which is adorned with murals of St John’s apocalyptic visions. Continue to the richly frescoed Church of St Elijah the Prophet before strolling through the lively farm market. (BLD)
Day 22 Uglich
Visit Uglich and enjoy a walking tour of this ancient town including the 17th-century Chapel of Dimitry. You will also admire the beautiful iconostasis in the Church of the Transfiguration and attend an unforgettable choral concert. (BLD)
Day 23 Moscow
Arrive in Moscow and enjoy an orientation tour of the city followed by a ride on the famous Moscow Metro. Eat lunch in a local restaurant before visiting the Old Tretyakov gallery, home to an extraordinary collection of Russian art ranging from 12th-century icons to 20th-century paintings. Transfer to your hotel, which is located by the Bolshoi Theatre in the historic city centre. (BL)
Day 24 Moscow
Admire the tsarist treasures of the Kremlin’s Armoury Museum before visiting the stunning 15th-century Assumption and Archangel Cathedrals. (B)
Day 25 Moscow
The tour ends after breakfast with a transfer to the airport. (B)
Inclusions
• Rooms with private facilities
• Meals (BLD) as per itinerary
• Privately guided city sightseeing tours in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Bergen & Helsinki
• “Norway in a Nutshell” scenic rail journey
• 2nd class rail ticket and seat reservations (where possible) Copenhagen/Stockholm; Stockholm/Oslo; Oslo/Voss; Voss/Bergen; Helsinki/St Petersburg
• Economy class flight Bergen/Helsinki (may consist of two flights) including taxes
• Arrival transfer in St Petersburg
• Departure transfer in Moscow
• 6 night Russian River cruise in superior stateroom.
• House wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner on board MS Volga Dream
• Daily sightseeing program in Russia - groups of maximum 25 Volga Dream guests
• Russian workshop, including lectures, classes, films, concerts and performances
• 24hr coffee station with complimentary tea, coffee and snacks on board MS Volga Dream
• Welcome fruit basket on board MS Volga Dream
• Bottled water, replenished daily on board MS Volga Dream on board MS Volga Dream
• All port charges, fuel surcharges and local taxes
Note the order of sightseeing in Russia is subject to
change.
