An exciting adventure in Karelia

21:21 – Departure by train No. 22 from St. Petersburg.

Evening departure and night trip by train are convenient because you can sleep to the knock of wheels and prepare for the upcoming journey.

Arrival in Kem. Breakfast. Transfer.

An escort will meet you at the station. Also, with its help, you will be taken by comfortable bus to the port in the city of Raboeostrovsk.

Departure to Solovki at the local attraction - the ship "Vasily Kosyakov".

The passenger ship is named in honor of the outstanding Russian architect Kosyakov V.A., who designed the Kazan Church in the courtyard of the Valaam Monastery, the Savior-on-Vody chapel in Kronstadt and the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Peterhof.

Arriving at Solovki. Hotel check-in. Lunch (if desired for an additional fee).

For you will be offered a hot lunch in one of the cafes located on the island. A varied menu, reasonable prices and a cozy atmosphere will help you relax and relax.

Excursion to the Central Estate and the Solovetsky Kremlin. Free time.

Departing from the ship, you immediately plunge into the atmosphere of the 60s of the XX century. The earliest local buildings date back as far as the XV century, and the main spiritual center is the Solovetsky Stavropegial Monastery, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the territory of the Solovetsky Kremlin and adjacent lands, you will be guided by a local guide who will reveal all the secrets and legends.

Free time.

You will have free time to explore the island and its unique nature. We recommend you to walk along the coast and admire the beauty of the White Sea. Dinner is possible in a restaurant at the hotel or choose a cafe that you will like.

Breakfast at the hotel.

On this day we have prepared for you several options for rest.

You can visit the exposition "Solovetsky Camp and Prison" (optional for an additional fee), where the milestones of history will be revealed to you in personal letters and notes of prisoners, as well as in photos and household items presented in the museum. The tour will take place with a group of 10 people.

Or you will have the opportunity to spend a whole day alone with nature and Orthodox shrines, which are still in operation today.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Bus tour to Sekirnaya Mountain.

After breakfast, you will go on a bus tour to Sekirnaya Mountain. It is one of the highest mountains on the islands. The guide will tell you the legend about the origin of such a strange name, as well as the history of this place – visited by both a hermitage and a prison for prisoners. You will also see a unique lighthouse church.

Free time. Possibility to have lunch (optional fee).

Excursion "Botanical Garden - Makariev Desert"

In the afternoon, you will have a fascinating excursion to the northernmost Botanical Garden in the world. You will also be taken to an equally unique place – Makarevskaya Desert. Picturesque gardens, a place for solitary prayers, the commandant of the Solovetsky camp - all this was located here.

Return to Kem. Departure by train to Petrozavodsk.

Check-in at the Peter Inn Hotel.

No long transfers and transfers you will not need, a comfortable business class hotel is located a 5-minute walk from the railway station in the heart of the city.

Breakfast. Free time.

You will be fed breakfast according to the buffet system and will be advised which places to visit while walking around the capital of Karelia.

Departure to Kizhi Island by meteor.

On the way you can admire the beauty of Lake Onega and take some unforgettable photos.

Arrival on Kizhi Island. Tour. Free time.

According to legend, the main attraction of the island was built without the use of nails, and the wooden domes of the Transfiguration Church are cast in gold in the sunlight. Accompanied by a local guide, you will personally see the Kizha Pogost, the Windmill and the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, built in 1764.

The Kizhi Museum-Reserve will show the life of a peasant of the XIX century from everyday life to spiritual values, as it was conceived as an exhibition of historical, architectural and ethnographic features of Karelia.

After the tour, we recommend you to walk along the paths of the island and appreciate all the charms of Karelian nature and relax from the noise of the big city.

Return to Petrozavodsk by meteor. Free time.

In Karelia, the season of white nights begins very early, so you will have a lot of time to walk along the Onega embankment, dotted with monuments-gifts from all over the world. We recommend to get acquainted with the national Karelian cuisine in one of the restaurants and cafes of the city.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit to the first Russian resort "Martial Waters"

The first Russian resort, founded by Peter I in 1719 on the basis of glandular mineral springs, was opened on March 20, 1719 by the decree of Peter I. Resort business in Russia begins to develop only in the Petrine era. At that time, treatment with mineral water was considered one of the most advanced methods. Here you can take with you natural mineral water of varying degrees of mineralization.

A visit to the husky nursery and lunch.

You are waiting for a kennel of dogs of northern sled breeds Husky. An experienced cairn will guide you through the nursery, introduce you to all its inhabitants and tell many interesting stories about husky and other dogs. Then you will be able to communicate, take pictures with Siberian and Alaskan Husky dogs.

Lunch in the cafe (paid additionally, if desired).

During the tour, we will take a break for lunch (for an additional fee of 400-500 rubles.)

Reserve and waterfall Kivach, nature museum.

Kivach Falls is the second largest, after the Rhine, plain waterfall in Europe. Located on the Suna River in the central part of Karelia. Around it is a natural reserve of the same name. Kivach waterfall is incredibly beautiful and majestic. Compressed by basaltic rocks, the waters of the Suna River, from an eight-meter height, fall down in a heavy cast stream, forming a powerful, in shreds of foam, whirlpool and creating an impressive noise. But the waterfall is only part of the Kivach reserve. In addition to observation platforms overlooking the cascades of the waterfall, tourists can get acquainted with the fauna and flora of Karelia in the nature museum, the entrance to which is already included in the price of visiting the reserve.

Return to Petrozavodsk.

Sightseeing tour of the city.

The capital of Karelia - the city of Petrozavodsk is located on the western shore of Lake Onega. This city is one-year St. Petersburg, and like St. Petersburg, it was founded by Peter the Great. The name of the city is explained very simply - the settlement grew around an arms factory, the building of which was surrounded by earthen ramparts, guarded by artillery and a garrison in case of attack by the Swedes. It was probably the only fortress in the world!

As part of the bus and walking tour, you will learn about the history of the city and see the main attractions, among which the embankment of Onega Lake occupies a special place. This is the most beautiful place in Petrozavodsk. Here you can get indescribable sensations from the unusual combination of urban architecture and pristine purity, and the spaciousness of Onega.

Dinner (independently) and rest.

Petrozavodsk is a big city. There are many cafes and restaurants. You can always check with our guide where to go in the evening.

Breakfast at the hotel. Group gathering, exit.

Enjoy a late breakfast and views of morning Petrozavodsk. On the way you can relax or admire the Karelian landscapes.

Visit the most beautiful village in Russia Kinerma.

In the depths of Karelia there is a village founded about 400 years ago. The houses in Kinerm are located according to Karelian traditions, which preserves its unique appearance and tells about the life of Karelian-Livviks. Several huts are monuments of Karelian wooden architecture, and the chapel in the center of the village has preserved not only the carved iconostasis, but also some icons of the 18th century.

Departure to the Pearl of Karelia.

Traveling along the picturesque road to one of the main attractions of Karelia, you can appreciate the beauty of the local nature or just take a nap. And when you find yourself on the Ladoga coast and see the famous “Motley Bay” and Ladoga skerries, you will be offered an easy walk and a short photopause.

Mountain Park and Ruskeala Marble Canyon.

The emerald lake and picturesque rocks in the frame of the Karelian forests are the first things you will see when you enter the lands of the mountain park. But behind the external beauty there are amazing facts and legends of this place, which you can learn during the tour of the park with a local guide: what colors marble was mined in the quarry, what palaces and cathedrals were built using it, and what is hidden in the depths of the underground mine system.

In your free time, you can walk around the park or choose one of the entertainment facilities provided by the Ruskeala entertainment complex: walk along the Underground Space route to the lake hidden in the bowels; fly on a troll over the canyon or have a snack in one of the establishments in the mountain park.

Akhvenkoski are the most photogenic Karelian waterfalls.

On the Tohmayoki River there are waterfalls that have been attracting both tourists and famous filmmakers for many years. In these places, films such as “And the Dawns Are Quiet Here” and “The Dark World” were shot. In spring you can see the waterfalls "Ahvenkoski" in all its glory, as the level of the river rises, and it becomes full-flowing. We recommend walking along the “ecotrope” over the waterfalls (optional for an additional fee).

Accommodation in a hotel in Sortavala.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure to the dock.

A delicious breakfast in one of the cozy hotels. Sortavala will charge you with energy and cheerfulness for further travel.

Free day.

or

Excursion to Valaam Island (for an additional fee).

Transfer by meteor to Valaam Island and sightseeing tour with a local guide.

You arrive at the Monastery Bay and, accompanied by a guide, inspect the Central Manor and the lands allocated for the monastery buildings. The history of the monastery is very diverse, it was attacked by the Swedes in the Middle Ages, bombed in the Great Patriotic War and launched in the era of atheism.

The central manor is known for the Male Transfiguration Cathedral with majestic domes, magnificent frescoes and iconostasis. At the end of the inspection, you will find a concert of spiritual chants and the opportunity to attend the service.

Transfer to Nikon Bay and lunch (for an additional fee).

You can try real monastery food in the refectory and take a break from the worldly bustle, and then, with new strength, go on a further journey.

New Jerusalem tour.

Despite everything, unique historical and Orthodox monuments have been preserved on the island, the Resurrection Skete is one of them. Consisting of two churches, one of which is arranged on the likeness of the cave of the Holy Sepulcher, it is strikingly different from most hermitages.

A local guide will guide you along the most popular route of Russian pilgrims: from the Resurrection Skete through the Garden of Gethsemane to the wooden church of the Assumption of the Most Holy Mother of God, and will lead you to the Mount of Olives, from where one of the most breathtaking views of Lake Ladoga opens.

A meteor ride to Sortavala.

An hour walk along Lake Ladoga awaits you, during which you can relax or take pictures of the receding island of Valaam.

Free time in Sortavala.

We recommend walking along the embankment along Lake Ladoga, visiting one of the open-air cafes or the central square with the Tree of Desire, on which the newlyweds hang castles-symbols of a long family life.

Departure to St. Petersburg by bus.

Time to rest, gather your thoughts after an active and intense rest. You can watch themed films, listen to the unobtrusive story of our guide or just take a nap, sitting in a comfortable chair.