The Golden Ring is a ring of cities northeast of Moscow, and one of Russia’s oldest routes. Moscow is a city of oriental irregularity and bizarre beauty, an eastern exotic transplanted to the west. After exploring this fascinating capital, we head to the ancient towns of Vladimir and Suzdal, the jewels of the Golden Ring, where we find unique monuments of Russian architecture dating back to the 12th century. We explore the Kremlins, convents and museums of these picturesque towns, and see many examples of the onion domes for which Russia is famous. Then it is on to the beautiful city of St Petersburg, the “Northern Venice” and former capital of the Russian Empire for over 200 years. We tour Peterhof Palace, the former summer residence of the Russian Tsars, and then wander around the historic centre of St Petersburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, overflowing with palaces, cathedrals, beautiful bridges over canals, spacious squares and wide streets.

Discover the impressive capitals of St. Petersburg and Moscow and the Russian landscape of traditional towns and villages during this fascinating cruise. Engaging lecturers present Russia's dramatic history in preparation for visits to historic towns of the "Golden Ring" and along the Volga-Baltic Waterway. Highlights in Moscow include Red Square with the spectacular St. Basil's Cathedral, the world-famous collection of Faberge at the Kremlin's Armory Museum and a magnificent collection of Russian art at the Tretyakov Art Gallery. In St. Petersburg, a visit to the world-famous Hermitage Museum complements an excursion to Tsarskoye Selo which features the incomparable Baroque grandeur of the Catherine Palace.

This tour moves at a leisurely pace with two-night stays in Warsaw, Tallinn and Vilnius, plus a couple of three-night stays in Moscow and St Petersburg. This allows ample time for in-depth exploration, as well as leisure time.

This extensive tour which visits eight countries moves at a lively pace and has two-night stays in the five major cities of Copenhagen, St Petersburg, Moscow, Vilnius and Warsaw.