Along rivers, along lakes: the most famous cruise routes in Russia. Traveling along the river Traveling along the river

PAKHRA RIVER

The Pakhra River is located in the Moscow region - it is the right tributary of the Moscow River, its length is 135 kilometers. Before traveling by boat on the water, you need to carefully prepare everything, I described this in detail in the previous

Moscow River

For such travel lovers, for such nature lovers like us, there is nothing brighter than traveling along the rivers in our native Moscow region. We, adventure seekers, got it in full, there is no comparison with hiking and traveling in our own car. There are a large number of rivers in the Moscow region

Beautiful places on the Pakhra River

And rivers with such banks, almost like (figuratively speaking) in the Amazon River basin. Here you can observe the life of wildlife. Here is a miracle of flora and fauna, all kinds of animals and birds strive for water in search of drink and coolness! How many tents and cars with license plates of different regions are there on the banks of this river?

Shish kebab on Pakhra

Whether you're going on a long walk for three or four days or just one day off, water tourism will take you into the world of inimitable nature, the branches of trees from one bank of the river reach the branches of the other bank of the river and they form a kind of tent above us. We glided on the water in the shade of trees, the water gave off a pleasant

Now launch and let's go...

it was cool, and the chirping of birds was heard in the air and we looked at various underwater inhabitants, this is where we swam, we didn’t turn it on all the time, we often rowed and listened to the silence and the buzzing of bees...

Again the Pakhra River

What beautiful hills overgrown with forest on the banks of the Pakhra River, what bizarre limestone formations were discovered and mined here in the 15th and 16th centuries, limestone was taken from here for construction, hence the name of Moscow - “White Stone Moscow”. And what a great way to organize a picnic on the shore beautiful river with a folding table, folding chairs and cook buckwheat with stew over a fire in a cauldron! The Moscow region is rich in navigable rivers; you can take a river cruise by boat, but we enjoyed traveling on a motor boat best of all!

Six-person French tent

A significant part coastline The Pakhra rivers are occupied by such thickets that you can’t even go ashore and swim! Yes beach places or a place for a fisherman to get ashore. To travel along this river, we always choose its mouth and start moving against the current.

Of course, for study tours, areas of calm waters where you can leisurely examine interesting objects and film them with a video camera or camera, or you can observe them with twenty-power binoculars.

We travel only in the summer and only during daylight hours. What is interesting is that along the banks of Pakhra there are anomalous zones. At Dubrovitsy, the Pakhra merges with the Desna River, the width of the river here is a maximum of 50 meters, here good fishing: there are pike, crucian carp, large bream, perch, ide and whitefish...

This is the area where he lives predatory bird kite, it settles in tall trees near the river...When traveling on a motor boat, you need to stock up sunscreen, mosquito repellent cream and a wide-brimmed hat. Observing nature in the Pakhra River floodplain requires patience, keen eyesight, good timing and luck! Rivers have always played an important role among our ancestors; they have always served transport arteries, dams were built on them, water worked for people, turned the wheels of mills.

It served and serves as a source of nutrition. Today, rivers in the Moscow region have turned into an excellent ecotourism resource. We rowed and with help climbed up the river to a riffle (about six kilometers), there are no rapids here like on the rivers of Siberia, Far East, Karelia, but here there is silence, the peace of a flat river. Rafting on this river is devoid of extreme sports, here there is calmness and once again calmness. Experience convinced me that you need to take a change of clothes with you, you should wear comfortable sports shoes on your feet, you should wear jewelry from your body take off.

You need to take a tent, a sleeping bag and a tourist mat for each person; we make sure to take a first aid kit with us; in case of rain, you need to have a plastic film for the motor boat. We make sure to take a gas burner with a set of gas cylinders on every trip..

How many times have we, on a motor boat, encountered, at full speed, half-submerged “float” trees, tree branches sticking out of the water, but God had mercy, we did not suffer an accident and for 9 years we have not glued the boat with PVC even once!

We also had an unpleasant incident with the engine! I couldn’t hold it, I slipped when I was carrying it from the motor boat to the shore, I stumbled and the motor ended up in the water! The instructions say that in this case you need to contact a service center, the motor cannot be restored on site, but I disassembled it, dried it, lubricated it, reassembled it and it worked like new!

What great fellows the Japanese are who manufacture and assemble Tohatsu motors! The motor has been serving me for 9 years and works like a clock!

Moskva river near the village island

Travel along lakes and rivers on motor boats with Tohatsu engines!

Many travelers dream of a wonderful romantic cruise. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a sea or river trip. Don’t think that they only exist in books or films, and that this is a beautiful pipe dream. Such a dream is easy to turn into reality. If you have the desire, an exciting journey along the river will become a grandiose and memorable event in your life.

Let's go today Let's go on a virtual river tour. And if you like anything we offer, take note for the future summer vacation. After all, dreams must come true!

Journey on the Nile

Are we going on a boat or in a time machine? Loading your oars and sailing down the world's longest river is like traveling back in time a thousand years ago. Time slows down to the speed of flow Nile River, and ancient temples, oxcarts, and wild palm trees seem to be floating past you. Nothing has changed since the pharaohs ruled Egypt.

Things to do while traveling:

-Stop in Luxor to see the monolithic columns of the city of Karnak, visit the Luxor Temple (especially in the evening when it is fully illuminated) and the burial sites of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings.
- Stay overnight at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan and enjoy delicious cocktails at the luxurious terrace bar.
- Visit the tomb of Ramses II at Abu Simbel.
- Be sure to get to the Blue Nile Falls in Ethiopia.

Traveling the Northwest Passage

Sail legendary by sea across the Arctic Ocean. Become the Victorian explorers who were searching for their ultimate goal: safe sea passage from North America to rich Asia.

Things to do while traveling:

- Take a walk through the Northwest Passage Park, visit the Gjoa Haven Outreach Center in Nunavut.
- Make a stop on Beachy Island, in historical place, where Franklin's expedition wintered before disappearing without a trace. Traces of the expedition members and their rescuers remain.
- Visit Cambridge Bay, the site of explorers' stopovers and where the wreck of the great explorer Roald Amundsen's Fram schooner is preserved.

Traveling through the Norwegian fjords

Norwegian fjords formed from glaciers, with crystal blue waters, is a true wonderland. These deep, flooded valleys, which seem to have cut the country's coastline, were recognized by the magazine National Geographic Traveler one of the best tourist places in Europe.

Things to do while traveling:

-See the impressive cliffs of Geirangerfjord.
- Take a fascinating journey through railway from Hardangervidda to the village of Flam.
- Visit the city of Ålesund and enjoy modern architecture of this beautiful city.
- Stop in Bergen, a city with the beautiful harbor of Bryggen, which is listed World Heritage UNESCO. The city is surrounded by seven hills and fjords.

Journey on the Mississippi River

The majestic and main waterway of America, which gave birth to the blues, introduced us to Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, “gave birth” to Budweiser beer and much more. Mississippi witnessed the Civil War and the end of slavery. Follow it down to New Orleans, heading towards the Gulf of Mexico.

Things to do while traveling:

- Visit Mark Twain's parental house-museum, walk through the places that were described in his famous novels and where his heroes walked.

- Visit the Fugitive Slave Museum in Memphis, which will tell you about the transportation of slaves down the Mississippi and their escape to freedom.

- Go on a pilgrimage tour to Graceland in Memphis, visit the Elvis Presley House Museum.

- Enjoy the blues in Clarksdale.

- Try dishes with a taste of the river: Tamales (steamed cornmeal tortilla with meat and red peppers) and pork ribs at Clarksdale or Pepper Tamales and Steak at Greenville. And also enjoy full spectrum Creole cuisine in New Orleans.

Travel along the Ganges River

Ice drops collect in streams that cascade down and suddenly turn into the smooth, calm, chocolate-colored waters of a river that cleanses sins, carries the souls of the dead, and nourishes Indian farmlands. This "Mother Ganga" sacred river India.

Things to do while traveling:

- Travel from Gangotri Temple to Gaumukhu, where the Gangotri Glacier is located. It is the source of the Ganges River.
- Meditate in the ashrams (abodes of hermits and sages) in the city of Rishikesh.
- Take a souvenir photo and feel the pious spirit of India in the holy city of Haridwar.
- Sail past the dilapidated ancient jetties of Varanasi.

Journey along the Amazon River

Amazon at one time it is an immense and mythical river. Therefore, a cruise on this river evokes images that are layered on top of each other: exotic, dense rainforests, native tribes, diverse wild nature, shrouded in mysticism and possible danger.

Things to do while traveling:

- Kayak through a flooded forest.
- Enjoy sleeping in a hammock on a boat, floating slowly with the current.
- Hear the chirping of hundreds of birds and the piercing cry of a howler monkey.
- Stop in a coastal town and stroll through the lush rainforest.

Traveling along the Mekong River

This river is considered one of the largest on the Indochina Peninsula. To sail along it means to see all the cultural and geographical flavor of the continent, to get acquainted with the diversity of Buddhism, to get acquainted with the rural way of life in Asia in its beautiful, almost always based on natural, mystical beauty. Let's go on a river cruise Mekong.

Things to do while traveling:

- Walk along the sources of the rivers of the Tibetan plateau, where different cultures collide in the shadow of the Himalayas.
- Explore China's mystical and enchanting Yunan province, defined by white-stone peaks and cut by deep river gullies.
- See monks in orange clothes, stroll through the shady streets of Luang Prabang, see the architecture of colonial buildings, get acquainted with local crafts and visit pastry shops.
- Explore rich, colorful undersea world Mekong Delta.

Journey along the Yangtze River

It is believed that traveling along the third longest river in the world - Yangtze- is the most memorable river cruise. Swimming between the Three Gorges and the impressive cliffs is nothing short of magical.

Things to do while traveling:

- Get into the Three Gorges during fog and enjoy beautiful views through the smoky veil.
- Go on a river trip on a rented boat alone.

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Everything about river cruises in Russia: travel routes, rivers, tours and prices from the best cruise tour operators.

Tours for May
Last minute tours

Almost lost after the 1917 revolution, the special spirit and flavor of river cruises began to revive again in shipping, and with them the popularity of this form of recreation, glorified by the classics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was reviving. And really, where else can you feel how “wide is my native country” if not on the deck of a cruise ship slowly cutting through the surface of the water?

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River cruises are gaining popularity not only due to nostalgia for pre-revolutionary times. Firstly, this is one of the few types of vacation that does not require travel time, because it is a “travel” in itself: your vacation begins at the moment of departure and ends upon arrival at your destination, and you have time to visit many places without “ loss of vacation days for traveling on trains or buses. Secondly, your hotel travels with you, and you can return from an excursion to your cabin at any time if you are tired or feel unwell. Thirdly, modern ships are equipped with everything necessary: most of the cabins on them have amenities, there are restaurants, bars, video rooms, billiard tables, karaoke and even swimming pools, so if you wish, you can spend the entire cruise on the ship without ever going to land.

However, those who are not happy about this prospect will not be disappointed either: almost all river cruises involve a rich excursion program, “green parking” with picnics under open air and other entertainments, and if the weather cooperates, then with swimming.

Routes and features

River crises last from 2 to 20 days, depending on the route. As for routes, the most popular are various cruises along the Volga, Kama and Don (the duration depends on the number of stops and the intensity of the excursion program), as well as excursion and religious tours of the northern destinations (Valaam, Kizhi, Solovki) - and numerous hybrids of these two types .

Thus, people traditionally go on cruises to northern destinations from St. Petersburg (it’s cheaper and faster - you can do it in 2 days off), and trips along the Volga to the south usually start in Moscow. At the same time, routes like “Moscow - St. Petersburg - Moscow” are gaining popularity, usually lasting from 6 to 11 days and combining part of the Volga and northern directions. The main excursion points are usually Valaam and Kizhi.

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Cruise prices

The cost of a cruise usually includes: accommodation and bedding (the price is usually indicated per person, not per cabin - keep this in mind), 2 or 3 meals a day (due to the busy program, the ship cannot stop for every meal of passengers, but it’s still expensive to eat a la carte in a restaurant every day), excursions according to the program, guide services and entertainment on board the ship.

Those who are determined not to take additional excursions should think about their free time, because the tourist finds himself alone (or in the company of the same tourists) in a city that is most often completely unfamiliar to him. It makes sense to know about locality more and outline the circle of objects that you would like, and most importantly, have time to visit before the ship departs.

Subtleties of choosing a cruise

There are a few more nuances that are worth discussing.

Firstly, medical insurance. Russian tourists Having come to terms with and realizing the need for medical insurance abroad, when traveling around Russia they rely exclusively on compulsory medical insurance and maybe, which does not always save them. For almost all cruises, medical insurance is offered on a voluntary basis, and it makes sense to take advantage of it: you can arrange it directly at the travel agency’s office; relative to the cost of any cruise, it’s pennies, and your soul will be at peace.

Secondly, you should carefully consider the choice of not only the route, but also the ship. On the website of almost every tourist and every shipping company there is fairly complete information about a particular ship, including the year of launch and reconstructions. Don't neglect this opportunity. In addition, for your own peace of mind, you can ask the captain to show all permitting documents before boarding.

It is worth learning more about the ship, not only for safety reasons, but also in order to understand the reason for the difference in prices. Thus, the same five-day tour “St. Petersburg - Valaam-Svirstroy - Kizhi - Petrozavodsk - Mandrogi - St. Petersburg” with a similar excursion program can cost 24,000-30,000 RUB per person on one ship, and 28,700-65,000 RUB on another, that is about one and a half to two times more expensive. Part of this money is spent on additional points of the excursion program, but still - why is this a big difference? Having opened the information about the ships, we find out that the “expensive” ship was recently restored, it is larger, more comfortable, all its rooms are equipped not only with a bathroom, but also with a refrigerator, and there is much more entertainment on board. And here we can already make a conscious choice: what are we sacrificing - money or comfort.

Prices on the page are as of November 2019.

Let's go today Let's go on a virtual river tour. And if you like anything we offer, take note for your next summer vacation. After all, dreams must come true!

Journey on the Nile

Things to do while traveling:

- Stop in Luxor to see the monolithic columns of the city of Karnak, visit the Luxor Temple (especially in the evening when it is fully illuminated) and the burial sites of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings.

- Stay overnight at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan and enjoy delicious cocktails at the luxurious terrace bar.
- Visit the tomb of Ramses II at Abu Simbel.
- Be sure to get to the Blue Nile Falls in Ethiopia.

Traveling the Northwest Passage

Sail the legendary sea route across the Arctic Ocean. Become the Victorian explorers in search of their ultimate goal: safe sea passage from North America to rich Asia.

Things to do while traveling:

- Stroll through Northwest Passage Park and visit the Gjoa Haven Outreach Center in Nunavut.
- Stop at Beachy Island, the historic site where Franklin's expedition spent the winter before disappearing without a trace. Traces of the expedition members and their rescuers remain.
- Visit Cambridge Bay, the site of explorers' stopovers and where the wreck of the great explorer Roald Amundsen's Fram schooner is preserved.

Traveling through the Norwegian fjords

Things to do while traveling:

- See the impressive cliffs of Geirangerfjord.
- Take an exciting journey by rail from Hardangervidda to the village of Flam.
- Visit the city of Ålesund and enjoy the modern architecture of this beautiful city.
- Stop in Bergen, a city with the beautiful harbor of Bryggen, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is surrounded by seven hills and fjords.

Journey on the Mississippi River

Things to do while traveling:

- Visit Mark Twain's parental house-museum, walk through the places that were described in his famous novels and where his heroes walked.

- Visit the Fugitive Slave Museum in Memphis, which will tell you about the transportation of slaves down the Mississippi and their escape to freedom.

- Go on a pilgrimage tour to Graceland in Memphis, visit the Elvis Presley House Museum.

- Enjoy the blues in Clarksdale.

Travel along the Ganges River

Things to do while traveling:

- Travel from Gangotri Temple to Gaumukhu, where the Gangotri Glacier is located. It is the source of the Ganges River.
- Meditate in the ashrams (abodes of hermits and sages) in the city of Rishikesh.
- Take a souvenir photo and feel the pious spirit of India in the holy city of Haridwar.
- Sail past the dilapidated ancient jetties of Varanasi.

Journey along the Amazon River

Amazon at one time it is an immense and mythical river. Therefore, a cruise on this river evokes images that are layered on top of each other: exoticism, dense tropical forests, indigenous tribes, diverse wildlife, shrouded in mysticism and possible danger.

Things to do while traveling:

- Kayak through a flooded forest.
- Enjoy sleeping in a hammock on a boat, floating slowly with the current.
- Hear the chirping of hundreds of birds and the piercing cry of a howler monkey.
- Stop in a coastal town and stroll through the lush rainforest.

Traveling along the Mekong River

Things to do while traveling:

- Walk along the sources of the rivers of the Tibetan plateau, where different cultures collide in the shadow of the Himalayas.
- Explore China's mystical and enchanting Yunan province, defined by white-stone peaks and cut by deep river gullies.
- See monks in orange clothes, stroll through the shady streets of Luang Prabang, see the architecture of colonial buildings, get acquainted with local crafts and visit pastry shops.
- Explore the rich, colorful underwater world of the Mekong Delta.

Journey along the Yangtze River

Things to do while traveling:

- Get into the Three Gorges during fog and enjoy beautiful views through the smoky veil.
- Go on a river trip on a rented boat alone.

Circumstances are such that we are increasingly beginning to travel around our country. And that's great! In summer, we most often choose the opportunity to relax and improve our health on the beaches of Crimea, Krasnodar region, Caucasus or broaden your horizons by going on a sightseeing tour of Russian cities.

But there is another option summer holiday, combining both educational excursion holiday, and the opportunity to swim and sunbathe on the beaches of Russian rivers - these are river cruises in Russia. Their routes run along almost all navigable rivers of our country. These are, of course, the Volga and Don, Oka and Kama, Northern Dvina and Sukhona, Yenisei, Lena and Ob, Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga.

You can go on an exciting river cruise from a variety of Russian cities. And this will not require any complex paperwork that always accompanies cruise travel abroad. By the way, travel on cruise ships possible from late April to early October.

River cruises can be classic and excursion, health and event, pilgrimage, fitness flights and others. They also differ in duration. Very short - 2-3 days - these are weekend cruises, which are convenient for those who like to have an interesting and eventful vacation from Friday to Sunday. These short cruises take you to many cities.

Active tourists who love sightseeing holidays most often go on a 5-8 day cruise. These could be routes along the Golden Ring, through the cities of Karelia (with visits to Valaam, Petrozavodsk, Kizhi, Solovetsky Islands, Upper Mandrog), along the Volga, between St. Petersburg and Moscow. Some cruises can last from 9 to 22 days.

What are the benefits of river cruises on a motor ship in Russia?

Dynamic travel - constant change of places, new cities and new acquaintances
Beautiful coastal scenery that can be admired directly from the deck
Big stops in the most interesting cities and interesting excursions along the route
Enjoy the outdoors with large green spaces
Comfortable accommodation in cabins and delicious food in restaurants
Daily entertainment program for adults and children
For little tourists - a children's playroom, activities and games with children's animators
Minimum documents when registering a tour
There are no sea storms on the rivers and there is no strong rolling
The cost of river cruises is often less than sea cruises.

Naturally, as with any type of recreation, there are disadvantages:

River cruise in Russia - a seasonal type of vacation
Cruise river boats differ in their size, capacity and leisure opportunities from large sea ships
Limited movement and confined space while on the ship (you cannot go ashore wherever you want, only strictly according to the schedule and the cruise route)
We have to take more things due to different weather in different cities
Sometimes you have to get to the place of departure on your own by other means of transport.
Not in all cities along the route where the ship docks, you can catch the flight. Sometimes these are points without boarding new holidaymakers
Not all cruise routes circular. In some cases, you have to return home by air or land.

Who is suitable for river tours?

Just like popular beach holiday, river cruises are suitable for almost everyone. These may be tourists who do not want or cannot go on holiday abroad and are looking for alternative options For family vacation, or those who like to relax near the water, but do not really like passive beach holidays. Such a relaxing holiday with "green parking" and beautiful views from the deck, the cool river air is especially pleasant on hot days.

River cruises are loved by active tourists who dream of seeing a lot on one trip with cities changing like a kaleidoscope and interesting excursions. At the same time, there is no need to carry your things with you when moving from place to place, make overnight journeys on a train or plane, or move from one hotel to another. Discerning tourists seeking maximum comfort while traveling very often choose this type of holiday because of the high level of service and good organization of leisure time on cruise ships.

And, of course, such a vacation is suitable for families with children. Little tourists are delighted with such exciting trips. Marine paraphernalia awakens children's imagination and evokes a sea of emotions. Many ships have children's animators who will not let any child get bored.

Cruise geography

Popular river cruises operate from Moscow and St. Petersburg, Volgograd and Samara, Rostov-on-Don and Astrakhan, Kazan and Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa and many other cities.

There are more than 2000 in Russia river routes, which lie in the South of Russia (Volgograd, Astrakhan and Rostov-on-Don), through Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl and the cities of the Golden Ring, in the Middle Volga region (Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Ulyanovsk and Kazan), in the northern part of the country (Kizhi, Valaam, Solovetsky Islands and Velikiy Novgorod), in the Urals and Siberia.

How to choose a ship and cabin?

The correct choice of route and ship will determine how successful your vacation will be.

In order for the trip to actually be comfortable and not turn into complete disappointment, you must first thoroughly study the chosen ship and the conditions of your stay on it. First of all, pay attention to the ship's infrastructure, its age, date of last renovation, level of comfort, availability of amenities and interior layout.

An important factor is catering. Usually these are one or two restaurants serving guests according to the classical scheme (ordered system with waiter service) with a choice of dishes from two to four options and the formation of a menu a day in advance.

Having decided on the ship, we move on to choosing a cabin. You need to take this seriously, since a poor choice of cabin (it can be considered a hotel room) can blur the most vivid impressions and emotions of the trip.

On ships that ply the rivers of Russia, various types of cabins are offered (luxury, junior suite and economy) with different options for amenities. These can be cabins with a shower and toilet, cabins only with a washbasin with cold and hot water or no amenities at all (toilet and shower are located on the deck).

The cost of the tour depends on the location of the cabin. The most comfortable and expensive options are at upper deck. The lower the cabin, the quieter and cheaper it is. Living in the bow of the ship is more expensive because there is less vibration and pitching. Accommodation at the stern is more convenient for young people and active vacationers - discos are held there.

The type of bed also affects the comfort and cost of travel. Single or double occupancy cabins may have bunk beds or two separate beds.

What is included in the price of a cruise tour?

Typically the cruise price includes:

Travel from the city of departure to the city of arrival and accommodation in a cabin
Meals (buffet, full board with three meals a day or half board with breakfast and dinner) without alcoholic beverages
One sightseeing tour at each stopping point
Travel information
Entertainment program on the ship

Insurance, if necessary, is issued separately (when traveling along the rivers of Russia, compulsory medical insurance policies are also valid).

Sale cruise tours begins long before the start of the season (six months to a year). Weekend tours are most often purchased shortly before departure (a couple of weeks). Long trips need to be booked in advance, carefully choosing the route and cabin, especially if it is a trip with children.

You can book a cabin at any travel agency engaged in river cruises, or and pay by bank card or in cash at the office (courier). In this case travel documents are sent by email.

According to statistics, many of those who have been on a cruise at least once return to this type of vacation again and again. And for some it turns into a tradition - to go on a boat cruise along the amazing rivers of Russia every year.

And finally, good news for budget travelers. A representative of the Mosturflot company announced the launch of a river low-cost airline (the first in Russia!) on the Princess Anastasia motor ship this summer. It is expected that such a trip will cost less, and tourists will be able to choose the type of food and excursion programs(for example, they can walk around the city in parking lots on their own and see the sights). Bye bye…