RUSSIAN RIVER CRUISE St.Petersburg to Moscow | 04 September, 2019
Excite your culinary senses and join your host, renowned Chef Scott Webster, on this memorable journey…
Russian River Cruise 13 Days | St.Petersburg to Moscow | 04 September, 2019 The Russian State Ballet
FINLAND
LAKE LADOGAKizhi SVIR RIVER
LAKE ONEGA
Helsinki St. Petersburg Mandrogy NEVA RIVER
WATERWAY
RUSSIA Kuzino RYBINSK RESERVOIR VOLGA RIVER
VOLGA RIVER
MOSCOW CANA L
Cruise Overnight in Port
Yaroslavl Uglich Moscow
INCLUDES: • Return airfares economy class Sydney/ St.Petersburg, Moscow/Sydney including all pre-payable airline fuel and departure taxes • Stopover available in either direction (additional cost and subject to allocated airline, see notes page 3) • 13 day Viking River Cruise on board Viking Rurik • One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call • Silver Spirits Package – beer, wine and soft drinks for the entirety of the cruise • 24-hour specialty coffee, tea and bottled water • Port taxes and fees • Ground transfers to/from cruise ship • Free WiFi whilst on cruise • Gratuities Depart Australia and travel to Russia flying via Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai or Doha (stopover available) Day 1: St.Petersburg, embarkation day Arrive in St. Petersburg, “The City of 300 Bridges,” then transfer to your ship. After boarding, you have free time to relax before dinner. D Day 2: St.Petersburg This morning, proceed to the Winter Palace to visit the legendary Hermitage Museum, where you can marvel at the vast collection of art, antiquities, jewelry and sculptures. Return on board for an early dinner, followed by an evening performance of traditional Russian ballet. B.L.D 2
Day 3: St.Petersburg Today’s excursion goes to the Pushkin area where you visit Catherine Palace, the elegant rococo 18th-century summer residence of the Russian tsars named for Catherine I (widow of Peter the Great). Tour its various halls, including the storied Amber and Agate Rooms, and see the ornate decor throughout. After lunch, embark on a city tour including St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Peter & Paul Fortress and Nevsky Prospekt. Dine on board and enjoy an optional Russian folkloric performance this evening. B.L.D Day 4: St. Petersburg Most of the day is free to see the sights that interest you. Visit one of the many palaces, churches or museums, or take an optional morning tour to Peterhof Palace, admiring its landscaped gardens and beautiful fountains. In the afternoon, you may choose to join an optional kommunalka visit to get a glimpse of these communal living spaces or take an optional tour of St. Petersburg from the water. Lunch and dinner are served on board as we depart early this evening. B.L.D Day 5: Mandrogy Spend a relaxing day cruising Russia’s intricate waterways. Sail the Neva River, then cross Lake Ladoga, Europe’s largest lake. Cruise the Svir River to Mandrogy where you have some time to explore this museum village. Visit the Vodka Museum or shop for handmade Russian craft items. For a truly immersive experience, try an optional visit to a banya, a traditional Russian bath house. Or, on board your ship, take the opportunity to witness and participate in the
art of matryoshka doll making. Continue along the Svir’s 139-mile “Blue Route” toward Lake Onega. B.L.D Day 6: Kizhi During breakfast, dock at Kizhi Island, located on Lake Onega, Europe’s second largest lake. Set out on a walking tour through the Open Air Museum of Architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, see a collection of wooden houses, windmills and churches representing ancient Russian architecture, highlighted by the famous 3-tiered Preobranzhenskaya (Transfiguration) Church, a fairy-tale-like structure built in 1714 without a single nail. Depart Kizhi in the late morning and enjoy the scenery as you continue cruising through the rest of the day. B.L.D Day 7: Kuzino We continue cruising along the Volga–Baltic Waterway. This system of rivers and canals, spanning 229 miles and seven locks, links the Volga River with the Baltic Sea. Arrive in Kuzino, a typical Russian village. Take a guided walk through the historic Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, founded by Saint Cyril in 1397. See several small wooden chapels, the Assumption Cathedral and a museum. You will also have the opportunity to visit a children’s school in Kuzino or the local Merchant House. Return on board for an afternoon departure. B.L.D Day 8: Yaroslavl Arrive midafternoon in Yaroslavl, one of the Golden Ring cities that preserves the memory of Russia’s historical events. Tour this
The Kremlin, Moscow
ancient town rich in monuments and visit the covered food market, where you may shop for handcrafted souvenirs. During your free time, you may visit the Church of St. Elijah the Prophet, featuring detailed frescoes and icons. Return to your ship for dinner and an evening departure. B.L.D Day 9: Uglich After breakfast, disembark for a walking tour through the provincial village of Uglich, another Golden Ring city. See the former Kremlin of Uglich and visit the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood, built on the site where Ivan the Terrible’s son Dmitry was mysteriously killed. Then a local family invites you into their home for tea and friendly conversation. Lunch is served on board the ship; cruise through the night. B.L.D Day 10: Moscow This morning, cruise along the Moscow Canal, approaching Moscow during lunch. Disembark for a half-day city tour. See the famed Bolshoi Theater and stop at Red Square for a view of the brightly colored St. Basil’s Cathedral. You also get the chance to explore the famous GUM Department Store and experience the city’s Metro. Enjoy an evening performance of traditional Russian folkloric music followed by a late onboard dinner. B.L.D Day 11: Moscow Today you have a full day to further explore Moscow’s many buildings, parks and monuments. This morning, you may want to
Church of Transfiguration & Intercession , Kizhi Island
join a half-day optional excursion to Tretyakov Gallery, the world’s foremost museum of Russian fine art. Lunch is served on board the ship. This afternoon you may choose to take an optional Jewish Moscow tour, visiting key sites within Moscow that illustrate the history and spirit of the Jewish people who settled there. Or you may also choose to visit the Cosmonaut Museum to see displays about the history of space exploration. Dine on board, then relax, or take an optional Moscow by B.L.D Night tour. Day 12: Moscow After breakfast, travel to the city’s famous red brick enclosure known as the Kremlin. Go behind its walls to see historic gems like Tsar’s Cannon and Tsar’s Bell, and tour inside two cathedrals. The afternoon is free to relax and explore. Perhaps join an optional tour of Moscow’s oldest museum, the Kremlin Armory, which originated as the royal arsenal in 1508. Or, you may wish to spend some time people watching in Red Square or visit Lenin’s Tomb. On Saturday or Sunday you may also choose to visit the Cosmonaut Museum to see displays about the history of space exploration. Return to your ship for a farewell dinner. B.L.D Day 13: Moscow After breakfast, disembark and proceed to the airport for your return flight. Or choose to extend your voyage by journeying into another country to explore some more of B Europe. (Additional cost)
NOTES: • The included airfare is at Viking Cruises discretion – Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qatar or Cathay Pacific • You can choose your own airline, however this will incur a surcharge starting from $250 per person • Business Class upgrades are available starting from $5495 per person • You may add a stopover pre cruise, additional costs will be incurred for all accommodation and land arrangements • Should you choose to extend after cruise, you may do so at your own expense for all accommodation and land arrangements • Excluded are items of a personal nature • Cost subject to currency fluctuations and variations in airport taxes and airline fuel charges • A Russian Visa will be required (own expense) and minimum six months validity on your passport
13 DAYS ST.PETERSBURG TO MOSCOW 04-16 SEP 2019 Deluxe (DX) Verandah (BX) Verandah (AX)
FLIGHTS INCLUDED
$8,445 $10,045 $10,245
All prices include economy class Fly Free ex Sydney and are per person twin share. Solo price available upon request. Airline at Viking Cruises discretion. Tour is based on minimum 20 passengers. For full terms and conditions see back cover. (B) Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner
3
Moscow slyline
Scott Webster Our special guest tour host Scott Webster is Chef-Owner of Carrington Place Bar, Restaurant and Guest House in Newcastle, New South Wales and Osia Steak & Seafood Grill at Resorts World™ Sentosa’s Festive Walk, Singapore. Epitomising the face of eclectic Australian cuisine is celebrity chef and successful entrepreneur, Scott Webster. Scott’s consultancy company, Australian Culinary Consultants (ACC), over the years, has planned and developed dining concepts for some of the world’s major hospitality projects including Hyde Park Corner in London for the InterContinental group and the Westin Hotel in Sydney on the former GPO site. Through hotel and airline food promotions, assisted menu planning, trade exhibitions, seminars and lectures abroad, as well as through educational tours throughout Australia for executive chefs
holidaydeals.com.au
Contact a store below or 1300 HELLOWORLD Belmont 4945 0044 Kotara 4957 0277 Charlestown 4942 1551 Newcastle 4940 2233 Glendale 4956 7226 Toronto 4959 4011 Green Hills 4933 3077 @helloworldHTG
and importers, ACC has assisted in placing Australia at the forefront of many a chef’s preferred supplier list. Chef Webster owns and operates the highly acclaimed Carrington Place Guest House in Newcastle, Australia, which he opened in April 2009 with his wife, Jennifer. The guest house has beautifully restored guest rooms, a tapas bar, dining room and 2 private rooms that serve contemporary local cuisine highlighting superb regional products enhanced with indigenous flavours from Australia. A featured wine list with a focus on wines from the renowned Hunter Valley. Chef Webster is also one of several celebrity chefs who owns and operates a highly acclaimed restaurant within Resorts World’s Sentosa Singapore, Osia Steak and Seafood Grill, awarded its first Michellin star in 2016. As a chef, Scott has an impressive career track, after completing his formal training at Royal Sydney Golf Club he worked throughout Europe, the USA, Canada and Asia and had the privilege of working at the legendary Savoy Hotel in London, UK, as well as the Grand Hotel in Leysin, Switzerland. In 1988, he was appointed the co-ordinating chef for the athletes’ village at the Winter Olympic Games in Alberta, Canada. Chef Webster also has a very successful food export business, Prestige Foods International, based in Melbourne, suppling Australian ingredients to chefs and kitchens all over the world. Together with Jennifer, the couple launched The Trevor Drayton Scholarship in 2009, to honour the memory of the late wine maker Trevor Drayton, creating career opportunities for promising young chefs / service staff and wine makers from around the region. Today, Chef Webster continues to change the landscape of the Australian culinary scene.
GREEN HILLS 4933 1234 | KOTARA 4935 9900 cruisetravelcentre.com.au @cruisetravelcentre
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