8 popular routes on high-speed hydrofoils

‘Meteor’, ‘Raketa’, ‘Kometa’, ‘Valdai’ and ‘Voskhod’ – these high-speed hydrofoils appeared during the Soviet era and quickly became popular with tourists. The trip takes less time and the rocking motion is less noticeable than on larger ships – when accelerating, the vessel literally hovers above the water. Unlike open-deck boats, the cabin is enclosed – there's no risk of waves drenching you from head to toe and the windows provide ample visibility. Today, hydrofoils can be found on the Neva and Volga rivers and Lake Ladoga.

1 St. Petersburg - Peterhof

Trip duration: 45 minutes

Distance: 30 km

In the Northern capital, hydrofoils serve as water express services to the most popular tourist destinations. One of the most popular routes is to Peterhof, the imperial summer residence. Hydrofoils depart from the Dvortsovaya (Palace) and Admiralteyskaya embankments and take passengers to the Lower Park. It's an excellent combination for travelers. First, you can admire the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Spit of Vasilievsky Island, the Lakhta Center, the Tuchkov and Betancourt bridges and another of Peter the Great's residences – Strelna. And second, you can see Peterhof exactly as Peter the Great intended – from the water.

Hydrofoils take passengers to the Lower Park. First, you can admire the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Spit of Vasilievsky Island, the Lakhta Center, the Tuchkov and Betancourt bridges. And second, you can see Peterhof exactly as Peter the Great intended – from the water.

2 St. Petersburg — Kronstadt

Trip duration: 1 hour

Distance: 50 km

Instead of city traffic jams and a trip along the Kronstadt Dam, take a trip across the Gulf of Finland. Hydrofoils depart from the Dvortsovaya and Admiralteyskaya embankments and arrive at the ‘Zimnaya Pristan’ pier in the historic part of the city and the ‘Patriot’ pier near Fort Island. From this pier, you can take the shortest route to the Naval Glory Museum or a stroll around Kronstadt.

3 Sortavala — Valaam

Trip duration: 50 minutes – 1:15

Distance: 42 km

The island where the Valaam Transfiguration Monastery is located is only accessible by water. You can begin your trip across Lake Ladoga in St. Petersburg or Priozersk, but tourists most often choose the small Karelian town of Sortavala. The monastery’s fleet operates on Lake Ladoga year-round: in the summer, it's meteors and, in the winter, hovercraft. A trip across the lake also offers the opportunity to see the picturesque rocky islands – the famous Ladoga skerries. Be prepared for unpredictable weather conditions: in the event of a storm, the trip may be canceled or rescheduled.

4 Petrozavodsk - Kizhi

Trip duration: 75–90 minutes

Distance: 53 km

Just like Valaam, Kizhi can be reached by water. From Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia, navigation is open from May to October – in an hour and a half and you can admire the famous wooden churches of the Kizhi Pogost. You’ll have four hours before your return trip, during which time you can explore the architectural ensemble listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

5 Nizhny Novgorod - Kazan

Trip duration: 9 hours

Distance: 400 km

The trip from the “capital of sunsets” to the capital of Tatarstan takes half a day. This is a good option for those who don't have time for a longer river cruise but still want to travel along the Volga River. The hydrofoil makes stops in Vasilsursk, Kozmodemyansk, Cheboksary and Mariinsky Posad. Before reaching the capital of Chuvashia, the hydrofoil passes through locks – a vivid experience for those who have never traveled on a river before!

6 Kazan - Sviyazhsk

Trip duration: 40 minutes

Distance: 30 km

The Sviyazhsk Fortress at the confluence of the Volga and Sviyaga rivers was built in just over a month by order of Ivan the Terrible. Today, people visit the island-city to see the 16th-century Assumption Cathedral, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Trinity Church, where, according to legend, Ivan IV prayed before his campaign against Kazan. From Sviyazhsk, you can also see the Sviyazhsk Makaryev Monastery, located on the opposite bank.

7 Kazan - Bolgar

Trip duration: 2 hours

Distance: 140 km

The capital of Volga Bulgaria adopted Islam in 922; the anniversary of this event is celebrated in Bolgar every May. Hydrofoils run daily from Kazan, arriving at the Bolgar river port. From there, you can reach the UNESCO World Heritage Site by bus or on foot – the walk to the museum takes about 40 minutes. Along the way, you can admire the vast expanses of the Volga River and the majestic Kuibyshev Reservoir.

8 Irkutsk - Bolshiye Koty

Trip duration: 90 minutes

Distance: 70 km

In the summer, you can take a hydrofoil from Irkutsk to the shores of Lake Baikal. Depending on the weather, the summer navigation season lasts from June to the end of September. In winter, hovercrafts navigate on the Angara and Lake Baikal. You can travel, for example, to Taltsy, home to an open-air ethnographic museum featuring buildings from the 18th to 20th centuries. A trip along the Angara River to Listvyanka takes just an hour. Port Baikal is located on the opposite bank. This village was the starting point of the Circum-Baikal route.The railway still preserves the old tracks and trains. You can even travel further, along the western shore of Lake Baikal, to Bolshiye Koty, a former gold mining village.

You can travel, for example, to Taltsy, home to an open-air ethnographic museum featuring buildings from the 18th to 20th centuries. You can even travel further, along the western shore of Lake Baikal, to Bolshiye Koty, a former gold mining village.