Cruise along the Volga from Samara is a great opportunity to have a great vacation and enjoy all the beauties of the Volga region. Basically, this type of tourism is popular with those who are tired of constant trips to the sea and are looking for some alternative.
An undoubted plus is the program of a one-day cruise along the Volga from Samara. Thanks to it, so many people can simply take a small mini-trip for themselves on the weekend , in which they do not have to climb mountains or wander along various paths - everything takes place on a large and comfortable boat in a pleasant atmosphere.
Also, the advantages of river cruises on the Volga from Samara include a variety of routes. A person can independently familiarize himself with all the options, find out all the details of the trip and choose what he liked best. At the same time, prices are quite reasonable, and discounts are given for pensioners and children. However, it is worth talking about everything in more detail.
How to get there
For a person who does not live in Samara, but who wants to get on a cruise, information on how to get to the place will not be superfluous. Of course, there are several ways: bus, plane and train. Now a couple of words about each.
Bus
The first is the bus. It can reach Samara from Moscow in about 17 hours, which is not so little. The ticket price per person is about 1700 rubles and above. The main disadvantage of this method is not even the travel time, but the fact that such flights are infrequent and you need to constantly monitor the schedule.
A train
The second way is by train . By train from Moscow to Samara can be reached at different times. Some flights take only 13 hours, some 15 - 16, and there are also those with travel times of up to 22 hours (almost a day). Branded trains usually arrive in 13-16 hours, however, and quite often there are ordinary ones. The ticket price for 1 passenger is from 1600 to 2500 rubles for a reserved seat. A coupe or a sleeping car, of course, will cost an order of magnitude more expensive, but what's the point of overpaying for the road at 13 o’clock? Unless only for a coupe, the cost of which starts from 2200 rubles.
Airplane
Well, the third way, it’s the fastest and most effective, is a plane. Basically, the flight time from Moscow to Samara is 1 hour 35 minutes, but sometimes it can reach 1 hour 45 - 50 minutes. It all depends on the carrier.
The cost of tickets is also pleasantly pleasing. For the economy class, the price tag starts with a ridiculous 1200 rubles and, as a rule, does not exceed the mark of 3000 rubles. There are, of course, exceptions, but again, it all depends on the carrier. Thus, a round-trip ticket in economy class and without luggage will cost about 3200-3500 rubles (this is the average price), which, in general, is quite good.
Description of routes
One of the most popular routes is , of course, Samara - Kazan - Samara . The duration of such a trip is no more than 3 days (2 nights), so this route has long been a part of the weekend program, but we'll talk about it separately.
Also, there are longer cruises along the same route Samara - Kazan - Samara . For example , a 5-day trip. During this period, all vacationers travel by boat from Samara, through Togliatti, Tetyushi, Bulgar, Kazan, Sviyazhsk , Ulyanovsk, Volzhsky Utes and finally return back to Samara.
In addition to 5-day trips, there are programs for 6, 7, 8, 9, etc. up to 20 days! The cost of such routes, of course, is quite high, but you can get much more impressions.
One way or another, the most popular routes at the moment are weekend routes and 7 days. It is them that we will consider.
7 day trip
Cruise on the Volga on the boat from Samara lasts only 7 days (6 nights). During this period, vacationers will visit 7 cities and this, not counting Samara. The first on the route after the port of departure will be Kazan. Here everyone will be invited to take one excursion, which is prescribed in the program, as well as to get acquainted with other interesting places for an additional fee.
In the excursion planned under the program, tourists will be shown the Kazan Kremlin , as well as the Spasskaya Tower, Peter and Paul Cathedral and the Annunciation Cathedral. For Muslims, there will be an opportunity to visit the Kul Sharif Mosque and the Mardjani Mosque.
Further after Kazan there will be a stop in Cheboksary. There everyone can visit the Vvedensky Cathedral, the Trinity Monastery and the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God. In addition, for a fee, a tour of one of the museums, which are four in the city, will be held.
On the same day, the ship leaves from Cheboksary and proceeds to the port of Kozmodemyansk. There you can freely walk around the surroundings and enjoy the local sights: visit the Trinity Church, Smolensky Cathedral and Tikhvin Church. Well, in the old part of the city, vacationers will be able to see old houses, the facades of which are decorated with a variety of panoramic carvings. By the way, it was Kozmodemyansk that at one time became the very prototype of Vasyukov - the city from the famous novel by Ilf and Petrov "12 chairs".
From Kozmodemyansk the ship will proceed to the great city of Nizhny Novgorod. A mandatory tour of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin will be held here, where the Annunciation and Pechersky Monasteries, and, of course, the famous Archangel Cathedral are also located. For a fee, you will have the opportunity to visit other significant architectural places and monuments of the city, which, by the way, are many .
The next item on the cruise route to be visited is Makaryevo. A small village in which the famous Makaryevsky Zheltovodsky Monastery is located, the year of foundation of which is 1435. Today, this monastery is the spiritual center for the whole of Nizhny Novgorod and the Nizhny Novgorod Volga region. Here the guide will tell in detail the whole history of these places, which is horrifying and shocking at the same time.
After Makaryevo, the journey begins in the opposite direction, to Samara. On the penultimate day of the cruise, 2 stops will be held immediately. The first is in the Bulgarians, and the second in Tetyushi. Both places have a rich history and their local attractions. There are no excursions here. Tourists are given the opportunity to get acquainted with everything on their own.
Well, the last day of the trip is a return to the port of Samara. This is where the cruise ends.
Weekend Cruise
After we got acquainted with one of the long routes, you can go on a weekend cruise along the Volga from Samara. It is important to understand that a weekend trip differs from a one-day trip in that it lasts 3 days (2 nights).
Actually, the program here is standard. After sailing from Samara, the ship calls at the port of Kazan. There, a compulsory tour is conducted in all those places described above, i.e., in the Kremlin, the Spasskaya Tower, the Peter and Paul Cathedral, etc. In addition, for an additional fee, you can choose another tour, well, in the end, anyone who wants to problems can walk around the city and independently get acquainted with local attractions.
Actually, after Kazan, the finish line is the port of Samara. This is where the journey ends.
Cost
Prices for cruises on the Volga from Samara are very different and directly depend on the duration of the trip , the class of the ship and the route itself. For example, for a trip lasting 7 days, which was described above, you will have to pay 27,000 rubles - this is the cheapest ticket. For this money, a person receives everything necessary: breakfast (buffet), lunch and dinner, a cabin with drinking water. Aerobics classes, massages and more are also available. There is also a discount system. Photo attached.
As for the weekend cruise, its price is 9600 rubles. All living conditions are exactly the same as above.
Reviews
Reviews of cruises on the Volga from Samara are the most diverse. There are, of course, those who do not like something, but the number of fully satisfied people still outweighs. Especially people praise guides who are great at telling about various historical places. Well, and, of course, everyone really likes the unforgettable landscapes that open their eyes to the route.
Finally
A Volga cruise from Samara is a great option to have a good vacation, not only on your own, but also with family or friends. The prices are quite acceptable, and the travel program provides a wide selection for every taste.