Moscow Times English

Moscow Times English

Moscow Times English

While many dream of taking the Trans-Siberian train across Russia, an increasingly common way to see Russia is from a boat along its mighty rivers. Popular cruise routes now run between Moscow and St Petersburg with many options for sightseeing and new experiences along the way. The summer season is, of course, the time to travel: before the rivers and lakes are iced over in the cold Russian winter.

Moscow to St Petersburg Cruising Basics

Cruise trips between Moscow and St Petersburg (or vice versa) average between 10 and 14 days, and most cruise companies offer all-inclusive packages with accommodation on the ship, many meals and sightseeing trips at the cities and towns along the way. Cruise themes often center on Imperial Russia as you travel along the “waterways of the Tsars”; shorter cruises feature less of the imperial sights and focus more on getting you from Moscow to St Petersburg, with a few interesting stops along the way.

What You’ll See on a Russian Waterways Cruise

Whichever direction you travel, most cruises make very similar stops. Starting from Moscow, most cruises make their first stop at Uglich after leaving the Moscow Canal. Uglich is famed for the Church of St Dmitry on the Blood, where it’s said that they found Ivan the Terrible’s son murdered.