Tales of the Volga region. Railway cruise

Breakfast on the train.

08:00 Arrival of the tourist train in Kazan (disembarkation of passengers from 08:00 to 08:30).

08:30 Meeting with the guide on the platform, boarding the bus (the bus number is indicated in the voucher).                                               

Bus and walking tour of Kazan with a visit to the Kazan Kremlin (the time of the tour is approximately 3 hours). 

We invite you to take a bus and walking tour of the most interesting sights of Kazan, which will show you Kazan from all sides. You will see ancient streets where each stone has its own history, and a modern metropolis living in the frenzied rhythm of the capital.

You will visit: 

• in the Old Tatar settlement, located on the picturesque embankment of the lake.Kaban, where the houses of Tatar merchants and mosques of the XVIII century have been preserved.;
• on the streets of old Kazan, with its cathedrals, monasteries and temples that miraculously survived in the Soviet years (with a visit to the monastery where the miraculous list of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is kept);
• Freedom Square is the administrative heart of Tatarstan, where the City Hall (the former Noble Assembly), the M. Jalil Opera and Ballet Theater, the S. Saidashev Concert Hall, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan, etc. are located.

You will see:

• The Palace of Farmers on Palace Square and the new embankment (panoramic view);
• sports facilities built for the Universiade 2013 (panoramic view).

A walking tour to the Kazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve is the living heart of the ancient city, which has experienced more than one exciting event in its centuries—old history! Originated as a Bulgar fortress at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries, along with its mighty lords, it has changed its appearance more than once and today is a unique complex of architectural, archaeological and historical monuments revealing the centuries-old history of the city. 

On the territory of the museum-reserve, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

You will see:

• Kul Sharif Mosque and Annunciation Cathedral;
• The Spasskaya Tower, erected by Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Shiryai, builders of St. Basil's Cathedral;
• The Presidential Palace and the leaning Tower of Syuyumbike.

The interactive program "Tea drinking in Tatar" in one of the small museums of the city will reveal the secrets of the tea ceremony, which the Tatar people are famous for!

Walking tour "Kazan Arbat" (along Bauman Street). The history of the central shopping street of Kazan lasts for many centuries, during which it has repeatedly changed its name. During the time of the Kazan Khans, it was called Nogai Road, and when Ivan the Terrible's troops stormed the Kazan Kremlin, blowing up its walls, the street was renamed Prolomnaya, leaving the memory of this event for several centuries. 

There are many architectural monuments here and each building has its own amazing history! You will definitely see:

• Tukai Square and the bell tower of the Church of the Epiphany;
• the building of the State Bank, where the gold reserve of Tsarist Russia was stored during the Civil War of 1918;
• Peter and Paul Cathedral, which is rightfully the most striking example of Russian Baroque of the Peter the Great era in all of Russia (!);
• an exact replica of Catherine II's carriage and many small architectural forms reflecting the originality of the Kazan land.

Interactive lunch "Secrets of Tatar cuisine" — we cook tokmach and echpochmak together. The chef of the restaurant will demonstrate the technique and teach you how to cook real Tatar noodles for Tokmach soup and traditional Tatar pastries echpochmak.

Bus tour to the island of Sviyazhsk. "An island lies on the sea, a hail stands on the island" — as if from the pages of Pushkin's fairy tales, from oblivion, by the will of the Terrible Tsar Ivan, a whole city grew up on a wild island in one month! You will learn the fantastic history of the city of Sviyazhsk by going with us to this unique historical and architectural object.

During the tour you will see:

• the only wooden Trinity Church in the Volga region, founded by order of Ivan IV the Terrible (built in 1551);
• St. Nicholas Church built in 1556;
• Assumption Cathedral built in 1560 (external inspection), which is undergoing restoration of unique frescoes, including the rarest image of St. Christopher with a horse's head.

Dinner in a cafe in the city.

Free time for independent walks, visits to cafes and souvenir shops.   

Transfer to the railway station. Boarding the train takes place approximately from 22:00.

00:10 Departure of the tourist train to Yoshkar-Ola.

06:00 Arrival of the tourist train to Yoshkar-Ola (disembarkation of passengers from 06:00 to 09:00).

Breakfast on the train.

09:00 Meeting with the guide on the platform, boarding the bus (the bus number is indicated in the voucher).

Sightseeing bus and walking tour of Yoshkar-Ola. 

During the sightseeing tour, tourists will get acquainted with the only Russian city with the letter "Y", see an eclectic combination of various styles and eras, walk through the most beautiful squares and streets, take a photo against the background of the Bruges embankment, visit the youngest Kremlin in Russia, make a wish from Yoshkin's cat, a favorite of tourists, look at a dynamic sculpture: "The Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem", which has no analogues in Russia.

A visit to the Yoshkin Kot gastromuseum with the program "Gifts of the reserved Mari El", during which tourists will taste all the best that the Mari land is famous for: local cheeses, sausage and meat products, the famous vodka "Yoshkin Kot", herbal balm "Lights of Mari El", Mari honey, the legendary Ivan tea.

Lunch with Mari podkogol with fillings of meat, pike, cabbage, potatoes and mushrooms. Podkogol is called the younger brother of Russian dumplings and one of the gastrobrands of Mari El. You will also be served soup in bread, the basis for which is specially baked with the addition of herbs, and salad "Akpatyr" of three types of meat, named after the legendary Mari hero.

Interactive music program at the M. Shketan National Drama Theater. Professional artists will present a program where tourists will hear Mari national instruments: "shuvyr"—bagpipes, "kyusle" gusli, "tyumor" drum, folk songs, learn how to dance the Mari "drobushka", spin together with the artists in the Mari dance.

Visit to the National Art Gallery. A modern exhibition featuring the best works of the republic's museums, where tourists will learn a lot about the art and culture of the Mari people and the region. From the first minute, tourists are immersed in the atmosphere of mystery. 

Light projections and original installations of the house, hearth, sacred grove are accompanied by the sounds of a crying child, the noise of the forest. All this gives tourists the opportunity to experience the traditional culture of the Mari people and become a participant in it.

Free time in the city center for independent walking and souvenir shopping.

Dinner in a cafe in the city.

Transfer to the railway station.

19:26 Departure of the tourist train to Moscow.

09:00 Arrival of the tourist train at the Kazan railway station in Moscow.

The time in the program is indicated approximately. 

The Company reserves the right to make changes to the tour program without reducing the total volume and quality of services, as well as to cancel the tour and/or offer alternative travel options in case of a shortage of the group and cancellation/replacement of rolling stock.