Cruises by motor ship from St. Petersburg — where can you sail in 2026? Schedule, routes, prices, conditions. The program of river cruises from St. Petersburg, how much it costs to go to Valaam or Kizhi, get to Moscow, visit Solovki – says Eurotraveler.
Cruises are a special type of travel. Usually weakly connected with movements on land and therefore a priori fraught with a certain unusualness. Impressive, needless to say, to almost anyone who has retained a minimally romantic perception of reality.
And, naturally, not suffering from motion sickness. After all, even during a short boat cruise from St. Petersburg to Valaam, you have a good chance of meeting her.
If you tolerate such boat trips well, or even perfectly, then there are simply no significant reasons for refusal. Fortunately, the number of routes and variety of programs in 2026 will already so bigso that you can choose the option that best suits you.
The prices are also not too surprising – without any guile, they can be called affordable for citizens from many social groups.
Not on all routes, of course! Because the cost of a VIP cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow on the motor ship Mustai Karim, which was recently put into operation and therefore as comfortable as possible, easily costs 200 thousand rubles per person.
But in general, the assortment allows you to easily choose for yourself something no less interesting and noticeably cheaper.
Note that today river cruises depart from St. Petersburg (on the Volga, among others), as well as trips on Lake Ladoga. Ferry flights connecting the “Northern capital” of Russia with other cities on the Baltic Sea coast were discontinued 2 years ago. Simultaneously with the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic!
Naturally, there has been no talk of their resumption recently…
Therefore, if you want to take a boat trip to Stockholm or Tallinn, then first you will have to somehow get at least to Helsinki. Which is clearly not easy, given the closed border with Finland…
River cruises from St. Petersburg
It’s probably worth starting the analysis with inexpensive routes – in difficult times, people try to save as much as possible. Even, alas, on vacation! Which, of course, is not recommended.
Note that river and lake navigation in the North-West region resumes in May. And in general, activity practically fades away by the end of September.
The most interesting time for a cruise is June and the first half of July – who hasn’t heard about the “magical” white nights in St. Petersburg? And the most popular period is the second half of summer, the traditional period of mass holidays!
Along the Volga
Our hit parade opens with a cruise route from St. Petersburg to Kazan lasting 8 days (7 nights) and costing from 67-70,000 rubles per person. The tour was once subject to the action of the Federal Tourism Agency and therefore allowed up to 20% of the money spent on it to be returned to the MIR card. Alas, not today – due to the lack of sane alternatives and high demand, it became obvious to everyone that they would buy it without any discounts.
The voyage takes place on board different ships; the most inexpensive cruise is made by the motor ship “Lenin” (Vodohod). A classic-looking river cruise ship with good seaworthiness. Which, in theory and in practice, minimizes the unpleasant consequences of pitching.
Lenin was built in Germany in 1986. So he’s not quite old yet… by the standards of such ships.
The route starts from the River Station in St. Petersburg. Then a stop in Lodeynoye Pole and Svirstroy, a bus excursion to the Holy Trinity Alexander Svirsky Monastery.
Then the ship sails to Cherepovets, makes a stop there and goes through the “Rybinsk Sea” to the Volga. There are stops in Kostroma, Gorodets and Nizhny Novgorod.
The first and third points look like a clear highlight of the entire journey. And in essence, we can say that it is being undertaken in order to see a couple of very bright cities in Russia.
The cruise will end in Kazan. And you will have to return to St. Petersburg on your own. Before this, of course, having visited all the interesting places in Kazan and nearby.
Alas, in terms of money, extending the pleasure will cost a considerable amount. Because hotels and even apartments in Kazan are quite expensive in summer. And for a plane or train ticket you will have to pay an impressive amount.
What else
Of course, this is not the only option for a cruise from St. Petersburg along the Volga. For approximately the same amount, in the summer of 2026 you can sail to Yaroslavl, the capital of the Golden Ring of Russia. On the way, again stopping by Cherepovets.
You can go further: to Volgograd and Astrakhan. Only the cost of participating in such a water trip will be much higher – you will have to pay from 140-150 thousand rubles per passenger.
St. Petersburg-Moscow
As you know, it is extremely unwise to limit yourself to visiting one of the capitals of Russia when you have the opportunity to see the second. And if you connect these two points on the map with the help of a boat trip, you will find yourself in complete happiness.
Moreover, on the way from the “Varangians to the Greeks” there is a great chance to see many interesting places. Starting from the monastery and monasteries on Valaam and churches without a nail in Kizhi. And ending with the cozy original Russian cities on the Volga: Myshkin and Uglich.
Excursions that cost simply touching sums from the point of view of capital cities. For 2,500-3,000 rubles they will tell you everything you need to know about one, and for 5 thousand – about both cities!
Also included in the program of such a cruise (sometimes) are: a bus sightseeing and water excursion around St. Petersburg, a tour of the Oreshek fortress, a visit to Staraya Ladoga and a couple of ancient monasteries in Karelia.
Not to mention the opportunity to see Petrozavodsk in a day. And even (in rare cases, however) go on a bus excursion to Veliky Novgorod.
Not so little for about (from) 80-85 thousand rubles per person? We would even say that the intensity of the program does not have many analogues!
Watercraft? Well, for example, the motor ship “Konstantin Simonov”, built at the shipyards of the GDR in 1984.
Naturally, there are also
Variations
For example, when you go sailing on the motor ship “Kronstadt”, you can visit the Kizhi Nature Reserve. Thoroughly explore Petrozavodsk and this part of Karelia, and maybe visit the Solovetsky Islands (the route includes a bus excursion there – for an additional fee).
Stops are planned in Yaroslavl and Myshkin. But Uglich, like the famous bell tower in Kalyazin, however, will have to be admired from the upper deck.
Have you been to Petrozavodsk before, but still wouldn’t mind taking a boat trip between the two capitals? Then you should pay attention to the simple but exciting program that the motor ship “Nikolai Chernyshevsky” implements.
Solovetsky Islands
The designated archipelago, a harsh place full of laconic northern romance, attracts travelers. Despite the fact that it is located away from the main tourist roads, on the White Sea in the Arkhangelsk region.
Fortunately, today there is no longer a need to take a separate trip to see the legendary Solovetsky Monastery and monasteries. Fortunately, the islands are included in several cruise routes. And can be inspected during the trip lasting from 9 days.
They all start in St. Petersburg. But they can end (depending on the program) both in Moscow and in Yaroslavl.
The price of pleasure is steep – from 110 thousand rubles per participant (the ship does not go to the White Sea). But the experience is also promised to be extraordinary. Indeed, in the program, in addition to the Solovki itself, for the study of which 2 days are planned, the following opportunities may be present:
- hiking on the main island of Valaam
- acquaintance with the “traditional” Russian village of Mandrogi
- bus excursions to the monasteries (Holy Trinity or Kirillo-Belozersky)
- sightseeing in Petrozavodsk
- excursion in Yaroslavl
The cruise takes place on a rather old motor ship “Kronstadt”. A four-deck ship built at German shipyards in 1974. But it underwent a thorough reconstruction in 2018.
Valaam and Kizhi
These main attractions of Karelia are especially loved among residents of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. It’s not surprising – you can take a cruise from St. Petersburg to Valaam, as well as to Kizhi, in a fairly short period of time. Only 5-6 days – plenty of time will be left to continue your vacation in warmer climes!
However, brevity does not have the most beneficial effect on the cost of the event. For a cruise that includes visiting Valaam, Petrozavodsk, Kizhi, the village of Mandrogi and Svirstroy, you will have to pay almost 60 thousand rubles.
Yes, for this money you will find a rich program. But still, can you already start asking the price for cruises on the Volga?!
There are many options that allow you to visit Valaam for much less money. For example, having made a 3-day voyage to the legendary monastic archipelago on Lake Ladoga on board the Yuri Andropov, you will go broke for 25 thousand rubles.
The program of such a cruise cannot be called too eventful. But in any case you will spend 2 nights on the ship!
If you want to expand your horizons by visiting the monastery complex on Konevets Island, you will have to pay extra to the organizers’ cash desk. In general, a significant amount – more than 10 thousand rubles. However, you will spend one more day sailing on Ladoga.
© Eurotraveler
