Russian Far East cruises Kamchatka

Kamchatka's Forgotten Coast - Expedition Cruise

By 56th Parallel | Last updated on 4th Apr 2022

On this Kamchatka cruise, venture into the forgotten landscape of the Kamchatka and Chukotka coasts, the sublime natural beauty of untouched landscapes and abundant wildlife! As the Kamchatka coastline has been largely uninfluenced by human interaction for years, natural habitats and colonies of birds, seals, foxes, bears, and marine life have been able to flourish in the region.

It is also home to many indigenous peoples such as the Itelmen, Even, Chukchi, and Koryak, whose cultures you can experience on this Kamchatka cruise.

Kamchatka’s Forgotten Coast Cruise Highlights:

  • Take a unique journey to the Commander Islands, rich with bird and marine life like the Red-faced cormorant, horned puffin, Pigeon Guillemot, Crested and Whiskered Auklets, and Sea Otters. Cruising the surrounds, you’ll also have the opportunity to observe the humpback, northern minke, sperm, orca, and Baird’s Beaked whales.
  • Multiple landings across the Koryak and Chukotka coast will provide an excellent opportunity for sightings and photography of the natural world. As this Kamchatka cruise expedition takes you from the forested fiords to lagoons and bays, you’ll be in awe of wildlife like the brown bear, Kamchatka marmot, red fox, Tundra Bean Goose, Asian Rosy Finch and Siberian Accentor.

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north pole cruise, Russia tour

Top of the World - North Pole Cruise

By Anna Schneider | Last updated on 4th Apr 2022

Get on board for the ultimate North Pole adventure. Nothing compares to experiencing the untamed grandeur of the Arctic quite like seeing its majestic landscapes unfold from the deck of a state-of-the-art nuclear icebreaker. Imagine an endless expanse of ice under the polar midnight sun. Pristine waters teeming with marine life. Prowling polar bears in the tundra. This is Mother Nature at her breathtaking best.

From Murmansk, Russia, you’ll embark the icebreaker 50 Years of Victory for a roundtrip voyage to the earth’s geographic North Pole. Our mighty vessel will plough its way through the frozen Arctic Ocean on a cruise that literally circumnavigates the globe in a matter of days. In addition to the exhilaration of cruising to the very apex of the earth, passengers will have the extraordinary privilege to land, via helicopter, on the scarcely visited Russian Arctic archipelago of Franz Josef Land, a remote wilderness home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.

North Pole Cruise Highlights: 

  • After 7 days of cruising from Murmansk, we’ll arrive at the geographic North Pole, the place where all meridians meet and the only direction is south. To celebrate our successful mission to the top of the world, we’ll ceremoniously drop anchor and disembark on a sturdy stretch of ice for the ‘International Round Dance’ – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to literally walk around the world!
  • Franz Josef Land: Weather permitting, we’ll spend two days exploring this uninhabited archipelago, one most pristine Arctic habitats on earth. It is comprised of 192 islands where glaciers cover 85% of the land, carving out a spectacular terrain of steep valleys, caves and pinnacles

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Franz Josef Land cruise Arctic Cruise Russia

Franz Josef Land and Svalbard Cruise

By Anna Schneider | Last updated on 4th Apr 2022

A Franz Josef Land cruise is as unique and authentic as the place itself. Franz Josef Land is part of the Russian Arctic National Park which is a nature sanctuary. Starting in Longyearbyen in the Norwegian territory of Svalbard, the Sea Spirit cruise ship crosses the icy, wildlife-rich Barents Sea to the Russian High Arctic. This remote wilderness is home to a variety of wildlife, including polar bears. In the surrounding icy waters, it is possible to spot seals, walruses, and the elusive bowhead whale. The archipelago also hosts an abundance of nesting Arctic seabirds such as the rare ivory gull.

Franz Josef Land and Svalbard Cruise Trip Highlights:

  • Upon our arrival in Franz Josef Land, we’ll spend a week exploring this uninhabited archipelago. We’ll navigate the shallow waters of the isles by Zodiac and make as many on-shore landings as possible. It is comprised of 192 islands where glaciers cover 85% of the land, carving out a spectacular terrain of steep valleys, caves and pinnacles
  • Our mission during our time in Franz Josef Land is to observe (sometimes at an extremely close range) the iconic Arctic animal species that call the islands home, including polar bears, walruses, beluga whales and narwhals

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Golden Ring Russia tour

Golden Ring - Reflections of Russian Heritage

By Anna Schneider | Last updated on 22nd Oct 2020

Long before the Golden Ring gained fame as one of Russia’s best multi-day tourist circuits, the small collection of cities northeast of Moscow played a vital role in shaping the country’s history. Its oldest settlements can be traced back to at least the 10th century. Our  Golden Ring Russia tour will unfold the fascinating, deep-rooted history of the region and take you back to a simpler time of picturesque farms and villages, wooden houses and onion-domed cathedrals, all set against the enchanting backdrop of the Russian countryside.

Golden Ring Russia Tour Highlights

  • The village of Suzdal appears like a scene from a Russian storybook and has inspired artists and writers for centuries. Wander wide-eyed through quiet laneways and cobblestone plazas, passing horse-drawn buggies and medieval churches.
  • Yaroslavl was the first Christian city on the Volga River. Many of Russia’s greatest craftsmen, stonemasons, painters and sculptors came together to create this city of magnificent churches and monuments, dating back to the 12th century.

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Reindeer herders festival

Reindeer Herders Festival in Yamal 2023

By Anna Schneider | Last updated on 4th Apr 2022

The Reindeer Herder’s Festival is a one-day holiday, celebrated annually in the main cities and villages in the Yamalo-Nenets region in the Russian Arctic. For the nomadic Nenets people, a festival day is a major event, which offers a chance to meet with friends and compete in contests of physical skill and a variety of other competitions.

It has also become an event in which the Nenets are able to share with the world a fascinating slice of their unique culture, which has remained relatively unchanged throughout the centuries. On this tour not only will you witness the Reindeer Herders’ Festival in Yamal but you will also stay with a Nenet family far from the city, giving you an amazing opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the nomadic way of life and if you are lucky enough, to witness Northern Lights.

Reindeer herders festival trip highlights:

  • Salekhard (population 43,000) is the only city in the world located right at the Polar Circle. Despite its remoteness, it harbours a great deal of wealth as the city at the centre of one of the world’s richest oil and gas regions.
  • From Salekhard, we’ll travel to a nomad camp to spend two days living with the Nenets and sleeping in their chums (tepee-style reindeer skin tents). The Nenets are one of the last surviving grounds of reindeer-herding nomads, making this experience an extraordinary privilege. Take part in day-to-day activities around the camp, herding and lassoing reindeer, sledding into the forest to cut firewood and assisting in the erecting of new chums, with plenty of time in between to relax, socialise and just take in the atmosphere.

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Wrangel Island Cruise Russian Arctic

Wrangel Island - Expedition Cruise in Russian Arctic

By 56th Parallel | Last updated on 4th Apr 2022

Cruise to Wrangel Island, an area 140km off the northeast coast of Siberia, separated from northern Alaska by the Chukchi Sea. For 10 frozen months of the year, this lonely wilderness is completely cut off from the outside world. Reaching Wrangel and braving its polar climate is not for the faint of heart. Only the most dedicated nature lovers make the journey – but the rewards are without parallel. There is simply no better destination than to meet the wild denizens of the Arctic up-close, virtually undisturbed by human interference, and in numbers that will simply astound you.

Wrangel Island – Russian Arctic expedition cruise highlights:

  • Whale Bone Alley is the name given to a beach on Yttygran Island in the Bering Sea. Landing on the beach, you’ll take in the haunting atmosphere of this ancient site, where gigantic whalebones appear to sprout out of the ground, stretching along the coast for nearly half a kilometre
  • Wrangel Island: After 6 days we reach the highlight of our cruise. Explore the island on foot and via Zodiac, searching for wildlife such as polar bears, musk oxen and reindeer amid majestic tundra landscapes with brilliant pastel patches of Arctic wildflowers

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Volga dream Russia river cruise

Volga River Cruise and Two Capitals

By 56th Parallel | Last updated on 4th Apr 2022

On this mesmerising and romantic Moscow to St Petersburg river cruise, you’ll take in the sights, sounds and history of Russia’s heartland from the comfort of a stunning 5-star modern cruise vessel. After three days of touring the must-see sights of Moscow, we’ll sail through the Moscow Canal which connects the city to the majestic Volga River, the longest river in Europe. Heading north, you’ll experience the contrast between life in a heaving megacity and the languid pace of the gorgeous Russian countryside. Traversing the Volga with port calls in the timeless townships of Russia’s ancient Golden Ring, our Russian river cruise finishes in the glittering far northern metropolis of St Petersburg, one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

Moscow to St Petersburg Volga river cruise highlights:

  • Highlights of Moscow: Enjoy guided excursions to the most lauded landmarks of the Russian capital. Walk the Red Square, enter the halls of the imposing Kremlin and marvel at the works of the Russian masters at the Tretyakov Gallery
  • Uglich: One of the most magnificent towns to behold from the Volga, with its brightly painted Kremlin standing proudly along the waters’ edge, Uglich is home to the Church of St Dmitry, where the last heir of Ivan the Terrible met his mysterious demise

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About 56th Parallel

56th Parallel is a travel company specialising in providing packaged tours and travel services in Russia.

Our goal is to redefine travel to Russia, focusing on creating the most rewarding experiences, which help travellers unfolds the soul of this exciting destination.

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