Russian River Cruises

09 Mar 2010 at 19:51

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Russian Cruises

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Travelling to Russia the traditional way and seeing typical tourist destinations may seem a little too simple for you. If you want to spice things up and experience the holiday of a lifetime why not embark on one of Intourists classic Russian river cruises? With many cruises available to suit a variety of budgets and travel requirements, there really is no excuse to miss out.

Intourist can help you arrange every aspect of your Russian River Cruise, from flights, to accommodation and from excursions to transfers, we’ve got it covered. One of Intourist favourite cruise routes is the classic Moscow to St Petersburg sailing path. Intourist currently offer three different cruise ships which sail this route so as to provide you with the choice and variety which makes for a fantastic holiday.

The Luxury River Cruise Ship M/S Peter the First sails from Moscow to St Petersburg via Uglich, Yaroslavl, Goritsy, Kizhi and Mandrogui. This lavish cruise ship is a favourite of Intourists clients and is said to offer you one of the most unique Russian river cruises on the market. This 12 day cruise is enough to provide you with a feel for Russian culture and a taste for luxury cruising.

Another of Intourists classic Moscow to St Petersburg Cruises is carried on the M/S Korotkov. This follows the same route as the Peter the First Vessel but is suited to passengers who prefer comfortable cruising as opposed to opulence. The final Moscow to St Petersburg cruise that Intourist offers is on the Palaces by the Water Cruise, a new addition to our website! This cruise is on board the M/S Nikolay Chernishevsky which is the perfect floating hotel for a sightseeing tour of Russia’s greatest cities!

If you’ve already seen St Petersburg, or you wish to try out a different route for the first time the Highlights of the Volga River Cruise may prove the ideal holiday for you! This ship sails from Moscow to Astrakahn and visits exciting destinations such as Volgograd, Saratov and Samara before arriving at the final destination. The cruise are very popular, so book now to avoid disappointment!

The Korotkov ship is considered one of the finest vessels on Russian Waterways and it travels from the Russian Capital of Moscow to Perm. A unique feature of the Ural Mountains by River Cruise is the lectures provided by guides in order to help you appreciate Russian culture, history, art and mythology. This combination of sightseeing, relaxation and education make for a thrilling adventure on board the M/S Korotkov.

The Lena cruise on board the M/S Mikhail Svetlov gives you the chance to float down one of the longest rivers in the world. The itinerary for this cruise is a round tour, meaning that the cruise starts and finishes in Yakutsk; this gives you the opportunity to view the finest sights on the Lena while sailing on a relatively small cruise ship which offers everything that you would expect from the larger cruise liners plus Russian language and song lessons.

The Lake Baikal Cruise provides the perfect addition to your trip in order to enhance your experience in Siberia. Lake Baikal is the oldest, deepest freshwater lake on Earth, and is surrounded by towering mountains. The nature that surrounds and is embedded in Lake Baikal is unique to the area, which makes for fascinating sights. The excursions and activities that you can join in on this tour include fishing and indulging in a Russian Banya! All of which makes this cruise unique and thrilling for nature and culture lovers.

Intourist can provide you with some of the finest and unique Russian River Cruises on the market. It gives you the opportunity to view this mysterious country in a distinctive and exciting way, it goes to show that cruising really can suit a variety of people and can make or complete the perfect holiday in Russia!

Holidays To Russia

04 Mar 2010 at 19:40

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Russia

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Russia has so much more to offer than its two great capitals Moscow and St Petersburg. From Murmansk in the West to Chukotka in the East, Russia is yours to explore and Intourist can help to plan the holiday that you thought beyond your dreams. There are two main ways that you can plan your holidays to Russia, in a set group tour or a tailor made independent trip, both can help you to experience new cultures and adventures!

The first place that often comes into peoples minds when thinking of Russia is the glorious capital of Moscow, and rightly so! This mysterious city has much to offer first time and return travellers, with its beautiful and regal architecture and unique and interesting art and culture. When travelling to Moscow it is best to find your footing with an introductory city tour, compressing all of Moscow’s famous sights and buildings into a short journey and allowing you to plan your trip ahead. Intourist are happy to help you arrange any excursions that take your fancy, we have a wide variety of excursions on offer and we would love to tell you about them! During your stay in Moscow you should make a visit to the famous Red Square and St Basils Cathedral where you can witness some truly impressive architecture. Moscow’s Metro System is a fantastic sight to see on your holidays to Russia as Stalin’s Palaces of the People can be described as a museum in itself.

Other Places To Go To During Your Russian Holidays!

If Moscow doesn’t take your fancy then why not travel to another of Russia’s most well known cities, St Petersburg. Its elegance and beauty and fantastic waterways have earned it the name of ‘The Venice of the North’ and with its beautiful palaces Peterhof and Pushkin it is a must for travellers. While in St Petersburg take the opportunity to organise an excursion to the infamous Hermitage which holds over 3million trinkets and treasures within its walls. St Petersburg is also the home to world class ballet in the Mariinsky Theatre; Intourist can help to arrange any of these excursions and would be happy to assist with any requests that you may have.

If you are looking for an alternative way to enjoy your holidays to Russia but still want to revel in the delights that are Moscow and St Petersburg then the group guided Golden Ring tour may be the perfect arrangement for you! As well as visiting Moscow, Russian cities Vladimir, Suzdal, Yaroslavl and Rostov Velikiy are also included; the tour can also be extended to include St Petersburg and any other destinations in Russia that you have a desire to visit!

Another appealing way to explore Russia’s vast landscapes is to take a Russian River Cruise. Intourist offer a wide variety of cruises to visit different destinations and to experience Russia in a completely unique way. The Peter the First, Palaces by the Water and the M/S Korotkov cruises all travel on the classic Moscow to St Petersburg route and give you a chance to view the beautiful surroundings that epitomise Russia. The Russian River Cruise on the M/S Russ offers a different route as it travels from Moscow to Perm; this is perfect for the return traveller who wishes to enjoy an alternative to the classic Moscow to St Petersburg route! The Highlights of the Volga cruise is ideal for those looking to explore more of Russia as the range of cities visited includes Astrakhan, Kazan, Yaroslavl and last, but certainly not least, Moscow!

Intourist are here to assist you with any help you may need when planning your holidays to Russia, from flights, accommodation, transfers and excursions, we’ve got it covered.

Trans Siberian Railway Tours

19 Feb 2010 at 14:44

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Trans Siberian

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From Moscow to Beijing, including places such as Irkutsk and Ulan Bator, makes this one of the most entrancing Trans Siberian railway tours. Spanning three fantastic countries (Russia, Mongolia & China) in thirteen days is something of an exhilarating experience as you meet a wealth of fellow travellers and begin to understand many of the different cultures that you encounter along the way.

Booking with Intourist made a somewhat intimidating journey seem easy and exciting as they offered me many different add on tours and options to allow me to tailor make my holiday in Russia. The helpful staff also provided me with useful information on the countries and routes that I would be travelling through so that they could help me plan my journey every step of the way. They also suggested that I spend more time in Beijing so that I could fully enjoy the sights and cultural delights that the capital of China has to offer.

I took them up on this offer and decided to extend my adventure by four days and booked the four star Jianguo Garden Hotel with Intourist, this add on package also included many excursions such as a city tour, visits to the Badaling Great Wall, the Sacred Road and Ming Tombs. What I really liked about this add on package is how easy it made things for me, for example most of my transport, excursions, accommodation and meals were included, it really allowed me to make the most of my time away.

The Adventure Of A Trans Siberian Railway Tour!

The increased accessibility of Trans Siberian railway tours is initially what attracted me to booking with Intourist. I knew what cities I wanted to visit most and they were able to help draw up an itinerary that suited my needs. They also gave me a few options to choose from but in the end I selected the Classic Trans-Mongolian tour. It was the kind of adventurous once in a lifetime holiday that I was desperate to take with my long term partner George. This was also the first time that George had ever taken a trip like this and we wanted it to be perfect.

Starting off in the Russian capital of Moscow began the trip on a high as we saw many famous sights such as the historic Novodevichy Convent, Kremlin and Armoury. Our personal favourite was the Armoury; the sheer size of the building was overwhelming and the amount of beautiful trinkets and treasures gave us a taste of Russian history and culture. After spending three days in Moscow we boarded the train for the first time, to head towards Irkutsk.

The train journey from Moscow to Irkutsk took three days. This may sound like a long time but it flew by, chatting to fellow passengers, relaxing and admiring the beautiful scenery outside. The changing landscapes that passed by made it clear that Russia is such a diverse country with much more to see than initially meets the eye. Although not as well known as other larger Russian cities, Irkutsk was one of my favourite stops on the journey. The city tour of Irkutsk allows you to see its true beauty before transferring to the Open Air Ethnographic Museum.

After leaving Irkutsk and arriving in Ulan Bator on day ten of the trip I was ready to immerse myself in the unique culture of Mongolians. Exploring places that are so unusual and beautiful such as Terelj National Park while doing something that I would never dream of doing in a million years (horse riding) is what made my trip so amazing and thrilling! (Thank you Intourist!) The next part of our time in Mongolia was truly my favourite part of the whole trip. Eating lunch with our hospitable Nomad family gave me a deep sense of appreciation for their culture and way of life. Afterwards sleeping in a Mongolian Ger was much more enjoyable and I had the best sleep I have had in a long while. Spending another day in the heart of Mongolia was thoroughly pleasant with sightseeing on the agenda before retiring to our hotel for the night.

George and I arrived in Beijing on day thirteen of our trip. Beijing is his favourite city in the world and he was excited to show me everything that he loves about the city. After enjoying our day sightseeing and trying some traditional Chinese food I was smitten with the city and couldn’t wait to explore it further. After this we embarked on our extended Beijing travel package and we saw all of the fantastic sights that I mentioned before. On behalf of George and myself, I would like to thank Intourist for all of the help that they have given us in planning one of the most thrilling Trans Siberian railway tours I would ever hope to experience. (Notice that I say ‘one of the most’ and not ‘the most’ as I will sure to be back to book again in the very near future!) Without their help and expertise this fantastic trip would not have been the same!

Moscow City Break

17 Feb 2010 at 09:45

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City Breaks, Moscow, Russia

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Russian City Breaks: Moscow City Break

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Having a few days off of work made for a great opportunity to uncover the intrigue of the Russian capital with a Moscow City Break. After choosing my destination I decided that the best way for me to explore Moscow was in a three night, four day trip with plenty of excursions. When going on this trip I felt it was important that I experienced true Russian culture while still being able to visit many famous tourist hotspots.

Moscow is truly a burst of energy and this was apparent from the moment I stepped onto Russian soil. Being particularly interested in Russian history and art I wanted to ensure that I visited museums with a classical air around them such as the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery. The State Historical Museum of Russia was one of my personal favourites and is centrally located between Red Square and Manege Square. As well as being a fantastic piece of neo-Russian architecture it also houses wonderful exhibitions ranging from priceless artefacts from the Romanov Dynasty to a mass of over 500,000 fine arts.

Seeing many great sights that I could only dream of such as the Kremlin and Armoury made for the perfect Moscow City Break. I achieved this on day two of my trip while embarking on a Moscow city tour and was amazed by the amount of famous architecture and sights that could be seen in such a short amount of time. Afterwards a trip to the world famous Tretyakov Gallery was on the cards. This gallery is internationally known for holding the best collection of Russian art and icons; it was easy to see why with many beautiful and unique pieces of artwork on display to admire.

On the second evening I took a trip to the world famous Moscow State Circus. Usually I am not interested in anything resembling a circus; however, this is something that I would recommend to anybody staying in Moscow. From thrilling trapeze acts to unusual and exciting dancers and contortionists this was the perfect night out.

The Moscow Kremlin is one of the largest architectural ensembles in the world and it is also became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1990. I had the privilege of exploring these fantastic architectural structures on the third day of my Moscow City Break and found it to be a truly enthralling experience. Following this I made a trip to the Armoury (which is located within the grounds of the Kremlin) where you can witness true Russian treasures such as the famous Faberge Egg Collection and the sleigh that Elizabeth rode from St Petersburg to Moscow for her coronation.

For my penultimate day in Moscow I chose to visit the famous Arbat and Metro. The Arbat Street is one of the most prestigious and desirable residential areas in Moscow, due to its pure beauty and architectural delights. Considering it is one of the oldest surviving streets in Moscow it has faired well as you can feel the buzzing energy with its many cafes and fantastic selection of fine foods. After visiting Arbat Street I moved on towards the famous Moscow Metro System. The undiluted intricacy of the art adorning the walls of the subway stations are truly an extraordinary sight. It is often described as a museum in itself, and this is something that I could personally vouch for.

This final excursion was the climax of my Moscow City Break before I had to travel home. Moscow is one of the most fascinating and mesmerising cities in the entire world. It embodies Russian art, culture and history and I am so thrilled to have been able to get the opportunity to travel to Moscow and experience all that I did in such a short period of time.

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