- Bahasa Indonesia
- Slovenščina
- Science & Tech
- Russian Kitchen
Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital
There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.
How to find the right boat?
There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.
Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.
This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.
Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such option offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).
If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.
Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.
How to buy tickets?
Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.
“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!” wrote (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.
Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.
Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.
Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.
Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as this offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.
This website (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other website sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.
Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.
“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.
There are two main boarding piers in the city center: Hotel Ukraine and Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.
Where to sit onboard?
Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.
The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.
Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.
There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.
If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.
to our newsletter!
Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox
- What to do in Moscow City, if you’re not mega-rich
- Moscow after dusk: 10 places to drink, dance, and groove
- 5 things you must do in Moscow in 2018 between football matches (or without them)
- Sandwiched between Moscow and St. Petersburg: How to spend a perfect weekend in Tver
- 24 or 48 hours in Moscow: Where to go and what to do in 2019
This website uses cookies. Click here to find out more.
- Day Trip Saona Island – Quetzal boat
- Day Trip Saona Island – Small group
- Day Trip Catalina Island
- Whale watching
- Dominican Adventure
- Safari Discovery – exploring the hinterland
- Buggy Excursion – Half Day
- Full-day Sunset Buggy / 4 wheels tour
- Santo Domingo Premium
- Sea excursions for Cruiseship to Saona Island
- Daily PRIVATE Trip THE QUETZAL
- Catamaran, diving and snorkeling THE QUETZAL
- Private 2 Days & 1 Night Trip THE QUETZAL
- Day sensation at Catalina on yacht
- PRIVATE DAY WITH A LUXURY SAILING BOAT – Capacity 15 persons
- Daily PRIVATE Trip in motor catamaran – Max 60 persons
- PRIVATE DAY WITH A REAL SPEED BOAT – Capacity 6 persons
- “Two islands” Combo
- ”Land and Sea” Combo
- Luxury catamaran
- Uncategorized
Built in 2013, the Quetzal is a luxury 21,5m catamaran. It offers loads of space for relaxing and sunbathing in a safe environment.
For the private groups, the boat can accomodate up to 45 passengers but for the non-private groups, our team decided to limit the maximum number of daily passengers to 25.
Author: Quetzal Team
Related posts.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Cruise Routes (Interactive Map)
Request a quote download brochure
Russian River Cruises
- Find your cruise
- Moscow — St. Petersburg
- Moscow — Astrakhan
- Astrakhan — St. Petersburg
- St. Petersburg
- Cruise Highlights
- News & Travel Tips
Lorem Ipsum
Moscow to Saint Petersburg
13 days – 12 nights
Collapse Full Itinerary
Gold, Platinum Airport transfer / Check-in at centrally located Marriott Aurora***** or Ararat Park Hyatt*****
Imperial : Private airport transfer / Check-in at the luxurious Four Seasons Moscow***** only a minute from the Kremlin and Red Square
Volga dream experience:
Gold: City Tour / Novodevichy Cemetery Imperial, Platinum: City tour / Lunch in a Moscow City Skyscraper / Novodevichy Cemetery / Sparrow Hills
Meals: Breakfast
Platinum / Imperial
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Gold: Moscow Kremlin / Armory Museum / Red Square / GUM Department Store
Platinum: Moscow Kremlin / Armory Museum / Red Square / St. Basil’s Cathedral / GUM Department Store / Park Zaryadye
Gold: Tretyakov Gallery / Moscow Metro Tour.
Platinum: Leo Tolstoy House-Museum in Hamovniki / Tretyakov Gallery / Moscow Metro Tour.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Gold, Platinum: Town of Uglich / Church of St. Dmitri-on-the-Blood
Volga dream experience: Costumed Russian Tea Ceremony & Russian Cooking Class
Gold, Platinum: Yaroslavl City Tour / Governor’s house
Volga dream experience: Sun Deck Barbeque
Gold: Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery
Platinum: Ferapontov Monastery
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Russian Dinner with Vodka Tasting
Gold, Platinum: Kizhi Island / Lake Onega
Volga dream experience: Piano Concert – Compositions by Tchaikovsky and Rakhmaninov
Gold, Platinum: Svirstroy village / Local resident’s home / Local primary school
Volga dream experience: Farewell Dinner, Captain’s cocktail
Gold: City Tour / Peter and Paul Fortress
Platinum: City Tour / St. Isaac’s Cathedral / Canal boat / Yusupov Palace
Gold: The State Hermitage Museum / Peterhof: Park and a historic Cottage
Platinum: The State Hermitage Museum (Early Entrance!) / Gold Room / Peterhof: Park and a historic Cottage
Gold: Catherine’s Palace / Amber Room
Platinum: Faberge Museum / Catherine’s Palace / Amber Room
Meals: Breakfast / Imperial
Gold, Platinum, Imperial: Check-out / Airport transfer
Volga dream experience: -
The rates are set for a cruising season. The price is not dependent on the month within a selected year
Choose a date
View all months May July August
Choose Staterooms
All prices are per person based on double occupancy.
All rates are per person, based on double occupancy. Actual size of cabins can slightly differ within one category.
Request a quote
Journey: Volga Dream
Price per person: not specified
THE 10 BEST Moscow Boat Rides & Cruises
Boat rides & cruises in moscow.
- Boat Rentals
- Scuba & Snorkeling
- Fishing Charters & Tours
- Water Sports
- Stand-Up Paddleboarding
- Surfing, Windsurfing & Kitesurfing
- Kayaking & Canoeing
- Waterskiing & Jetskiing
- Parasailing & Paragliding
- River Rafting & Tubing
- Dolphin & Whale Watching
- Speed Boats Tours
- Submarine Tours
- 5.0 of 5 bubbles
- 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
- 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
- 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
- 3rd Transport Ring (TTK)
- District Central (TsAO)
- Garden Ring
- District Northern (SAO)
- Good for Big Groups
- Good for Couples
- Good for a Rainy Day
- Budget-friendly
- Good for Kids
- Hidden Gems
- Honeymoon spot
- Good for Adrenaline Seekers
- Adventurous
- Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.
1. Flotilla Radisson Royal
2. Moscow River Boat Tours
3. Sup-Club
4. Akvanavt Diving Centre
5. Diving Center Crocus City Oceanarium
6. CheapRussia Tours
7. Kite School Kiteclass
8. SUP Center
9. Erwin. Reka
11. Easy Russia Tour Guide
12. Lovely Russia Tours
13. Capital River Boat Tours - Moscow Centre
14. Alfa Centr
15. Diving Club Divers
16. Sup Outdoor
17. MORE MOSCOW
19. Soho Sailing Style
20. Mosparokhodstvo
21. Diving Center Crocodile
22. Dive-Project
24. Kosinskiy Children Marine Club
25. Kayak Moscow
26. DIVECLUB CHE
27. FLOW Moscow
28. Moswake
29. Morskiye Volki
30. S-cruises
What travelers are saying
- CheapRussia Tours
- Easy Russia Tour Guide
- Lovely Russia Tours
- MORE MOSCOW
- Insider Moscow Tours
- Flotilla Radisson Royal
- Moscow River Boat Tours
- Capital River Boat Tours - Moscow Centre
- Diving Center Crocus City Oceanarium
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Cruise ships. Sea excursions for Cruiseship to Saona Island; Private Excursions. Daily PRIVATE Trip THE QUETZAL; Catamaran, diving and snorkeling THE QUETZAL; Private 2 Days & 1 Night Trip THE QUETZAL; Day sensation at Catalina on yacht; PRIVATE DAY WITH A LUXURY SAILING BOAT - Capacity 15 persons; Daily PRIVATE Trip in motor catamaran ...
Quetzal Catamaran Cruise Prestige to Saona Island. 408. Full-day Tours. 6+ hours. Choosing the Quetzal is choosing the difference and the quality of service! Quetzal boat is the only fully equipped 75-…. Free cancellation. Recommended by 99% of travelers. from.
Visit Saona Island, the reef at Catuano, and the Las Palmillas natural swimming pool in a single tour on this catamaran cruise from La Romana. Squeezing all of these stops into a single day is a tough task, but passengers will enjoy lounging on the decks of the catamaran and watching the scenery while the boat whisks them around the island. lunch on the boat and open bar complete this all ...
Private Catamaran Cruise Aboard the 'Quetzal' cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Private Catamaran Cruise Aboard the 'Quetzal' on Tripadvisor.
The Quetzal Catamaran Cruise to Saona Island was the highlight of our 5 night stay in Punta Cana. I booked this directly through Quetzal and they were prompt with their reply's to all my questions and the booking process was simple. The tour may be a bit more than the average but this is a clear example of you get what you pay for.
Sailing in Dominican Republic: Check out 283 reviews and photos of Viator's Private Catamaran Cruise Aboard the 'Quetzal' a Tripadvisor company. Top Dominican Republic activities. Explore by category. Art & Culture; Audio Guides ... Catamaran Booze Cruise, Snorkeling & Punta Cana Coast View. 117. 3 hours 30 minutes. Free Cancellation. From. $58.00.
Cruise ships. Sea excursions for Cruiseship to Saona Island; Private Excursions. Daily PRIVATE Trip THE QUETZAL; Catamaran, diving and snorkeling THE QUETZAL; Private 2 Days & 1 Night Trip THE QUETZAL; Day sensation at Catalina on yacht; PRIVATE DAY WITH A LUXURY SAILING BOAT - Capacity 15 persons; Daily PRIVATE Trip in motor catamaran ...
Set out on a remarkable journey aboard the Quetzal Catamaran Cruise Prestige to Saona Island, where adventure and relaxation collide. This premier tour
Private Catamaran Cruise Aboard the 'Quetzal' 79. Catamaran Cruises . from . £1,600.90. per group (up to 15) Hiking Tabernacle Thundering Waterfall in Dominican Republic. 60. Full-day Tours. from . £104.58. per adult. Punta Cana Private Catamaran Small Group (Cat Pause) 193. On the Water. from . £522.91. per adult.
With the wind in their hair and the sun kissing their skin, adventurers embark on a private catamaran cruise aboard the Quetzal, a vessel that promises a
Pickup details. We offer FREE pick up ONLY from the Hotels located in the Bayahibe and Dominicus. From La Romana, Punta Cana and Sto domingo depends on the exact place - please contact us for more details Pick up start from: Punta Cana around 7am Bayahibe around 8 am Tours starts around 8.30am/8.45am.
Visit Saona Island, the reef at Catuano, and the Las Palmillas natural swimming pool in a single tour on this catamaran cruise from La Romana. Squeezing all of these stops into a single day is a tough task, but passengers will enjoy lounging on the decks of the catamaran and watching the scenery while the boat whisks them around the island. A seafood buffet lunch and open bar complete this all ...
Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats. Sergey Kovalev/Global Look Press. Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather ...
My wife and I both really enjoyed this cruise aboard the Quetzal Catamaran to Saona Island. The boat and the crew (especially) are both great. They provide nice snacks and drinks. We made two different snorkeling stops as well as a lunch and beach stop at Saona Island. Everything was top notch, and we look forward to booking it again on a ...
Moscow river boat cruises — an unforgettable experience with Moskvatrip. A tourist won't embrace Russia wholeheartedly until he goes on a boat trip in Moscow. Enjoy the comfort of our luxury and safe vessels while another Moscow tourist attraction spreads before your eyes. Moskvatrip is your assistant in the choice of Moscow river cruises.
Truly amazing! I would highly recommend Quetzal Catamaran Cruise to anyone. Read more. Written July 28, 2022. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards.
Luxury catamaran. Built in 2013, the Quetzal is a luxury 21,5m catamaran. It offers loads of space for relaxing and sunbathing in a safe environment. For the private groups, the boat can accomodate up to 45 passengers but for the non-private groups, our team decided to limit the maximum number of daily passengers to 25.
13 days - 12 nights. Moscow and St. Petersburg are Russia's best-known cities, but the towns of Russia's historic Golden Ring are delightful too. The luxurious Volga Dream offers a unique opportunity to visit these Russian gems by sailing gently along the Volga River on an unforgettable cruising experience.
Ask joyhL6424YZ about Quetzal Catamaran Cruise Prestige to Saona Island. Thank joyhL6424YZ . This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards.
Explore the scenic and historic attractions of Moscow from the water with the best boat tours and cruises. Enjoy the views of the Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and the Sparrow Hills on a relaxing or informative boat ride. Or, spice up your trip with some water sports and activities in Moscow. Find out more on Tripadvisor.