Grand tour of Karelia and Solovetsky Islands

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Visit the most iconic Orthodox sights of Karelia. Spend time on the Solovetsky Islands and Kizhi Island. Conquer Onega and Ladoga Lakes by water transport.

Discover the Kivach Nature Reserve, caves and grottoes of the Ruskeala Mountain Park and visit the mysterious cape of labyrinths!

Location

Petrozavodsk

Sightseeing tours

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Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)

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Tour highlights

Kizhi

We will visit the traditional peasant's house, learn a lot about Karelian crafts and traditions

Solovetsky Archipelago

Let's get acquainted with the history of the famous Solovetsky monastery, see and feel the greatness of the Solovetsky temples

Ruskeala

Let's be impressed by the marble walls of the canyon and take a lot of memorable photos

Itinerary

Day 1 - Petrozavodsk city tour, Kindasovo village, master class
Upon arrival of train No. 18, a meeting with the guide at the railway station, a sign "Grand tour of Karelia".
Breakfast in a cafe in the city.
A bus sightseeing tour of Petrozavodsk and a walking tour of the unique open-air Museum of Modern Art (sculpture exhibition on the embankment of Lake Onega).
During the tour, you will get acquainted with the history of the city, as well as its modern appearance.
You will explore the historical squares, visit the Governor's Park, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and walk along the embankment of Lake Onega.
Departure to the amazing Karelian village of Kindasovo, the first mention of which is recorded in the books of 1496.
The main local population is a nation with a cute name "Karelian people".
The village stands on the banks of the beautiful Shuya River.
After the tour of the village, you will have a master class on playing traditional Karelian shepherd musical instruments (torvi, pili).
The signature Kindasa tea brewed on the purest spring water with Karelian herbs and Karelian pies will warm everyone.
Return to Petrozavodsk.
Accommodation in the selected hotel, standard rooms with amenities.
Breakfast is included in the price.

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Day 2 - Free day or additional excursion "Valaam and Ruskeala"
Free day.
Excursion for an additional fee "Valaam and Ruskeala" (reservation in advance, payment on site).
The duration of the tour is 18-20 hours.
~05:00 Early check-out in time to see everything.
Please take a "lunch box" on the road at the reception desk of your hotel.
Transfer to the Northern Ladoga region (250 km).
On the way, visit the memorial "Poklonny Krest", established in memory of the Winter War.
Excursion to the Ruskeala Mountain Park — the famous marble canyon.
The sheer marble walls of the canyon make a strong impression on visitors.
After the end of the tour, a visit to the Tokhmin waterfalls (Akhvenkoski waterfalls), where the film "And the Dawns are quiet here" was shot.
Transfer to the port of Sortavala.
Departure along Lake Ladoga to Valaam Island (45 minutes on the way by meteor).
Valaam has a full program (stay on the island for 5 hours, walking programs):
A tour of the Central manor of the monastery.
Excursion to one of the monasteries of the Valaam archipelago (according to the technical possibility of the monastery):
An excursion to the Nikolsky skete is one of the most beautiful skeets of Valaam.
"The New Jerusalem." The Resurrection Hermitage, the Gethsemane Hermitage, ascend Mount Olivet to the Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Lunch in the monastery refectory (fast).
Valaam is the Northern Athos, the holy monastery, the magical land. At one time, N. Roerich, I. Shishkin, A. Kuindzhi, F. Tyutchev, representatives of the Romanov dynasty, prominent church figures liked to visit Valaam.
Valaam will not leave you indifferent!
Return to Sortavala.
~00:00 Late arrival in Petrozavodsk.
A lunch box and a lean lunch (for those who are going on an excursion) are included in the price.
For those who are not going on a tour, breakfast is included at the hotel.

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Day 3 - Kizhi Island
Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
Meeting with the guide on the embankment of Petrozavodsk (independent arrival at the specified time).
A trip by "comet" to Kizhi Island (1 hour 20 minutes along Lake Onega. On the island — 4 hours).
Kizhi Island is the pearl of Zaonezhye, located among the Kizhi skerries.
The main attraction of the island is the museum of wooden architecture, in the center of which is the ensemble of the Kizhi churchyard.
During the tour of the island, you will visit a traditional peasant's house, learn a lot about Karelian crafts and traditions, listen to the bells and see one of the main Orthodox shrines of the Russian North — the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus.
Return to Petrozavodsk.
Breakfast is included in the price.

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Day 4 - Kivach Nature Reserve, moving to Kem
Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
Room release, check-out with things.
Departure by comfortable bus to Kem (470 km).
Visit to the Shungite Center.
You will get acquainted with the mysterious mineral, here you will learn about the properties of shungite and its application, visit the shungite relaxation room, rest in which will give you an incredible charge of living energy.
After that, we will treat you to Karelian ivan tea.
On the way, a country excursion to the Kivach Nature Reserve — the oldest in Russia and the first in Karelia.
During the tour of the reserve you will see the most famous waterfall of Karelia — Kivach and the arboretum of the famous Karelian birch.
Lunch at the cafe is on the way.
Arrival in Kem.
Accommodation at the Prichal hotel, located on the shore of the White Sea (economy hotel, rooms with amenities).
Breakfast and lunch are included in the price.

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Day 5 - Solovki. The central manor of the monastery and the cape of labyrinths
Early rise.
Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
Departure of the ship to Solovki.
Crossing the White Sea (2 hours on the way).
Arrival on the island.
Transfer of things to the hotel.
A tour of the Central manor of the monastery.
Lunch at the cafe.
Hotel accommodation, standard rooms, with amenities.
A walk to the Cape of labyrinths on the picturesque shore of the White Sea.
Here you can see dancing birches and labyrinths of stones.
Free time for buying souvenirs, shopping.
Breakfast and lunch are included in the price.

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Day 6 - Sekirnaya Mountain and Botanical Garden, departure
Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
Rooms are cleared by check-out time.
Things can be left in the hotel's luggage room.
Bus tour to Sekirnaya Mountain, where during the Solovetsky camps there was a penal isolation ward – a place of punishment for prisoners.
You will see a unique lighthouse church.
Excursion "Botanical garden – Makaryevskaya desert".
You will see one of the northernmost botanical gardens in Russia, which is located on the territory of the former monastery of the Makaryevskaya desert.
Lunch.
Free time.
Departure to 16:30, 18:30, 20:30 — please inform us in advance which flight is needed.
Due to the limited number of seats on the ships, departure data must be provided no later than 2 weeks before the start of the tour. In the absence of data, the distribution is based on the residual principle — there may be delays for railway trains.
Transfer to Kem railway station.
Departure by train to Moscow/Saint-Petersburg.
It is possible to book an additional one. overnight at the Prichal Hotel after the tour.
Breakfast and lunch are included in the price.

Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Hotel

4 nights
Camp Site

1 night

Comfort

Midscale
Upscale
Premium

The tour includes accommodation in a hotel.

The cost of the tour for 1 person, depending on the accommodation, RUB.:

	*Karelia 4 Hotel (Petrozavodsk) + Berth (Kem) + Solovetskaya Sloboda / Solovki Hotel / Shelter** (Solovki)	*Fregat 4 Hotel (Petrozavodsk) + Berth (Kem) + Solovetskaya Sloboda / Solovki Hotel / Shelter** (Solovki)	*Cosmos 4 Hotel (Petrozavodsk) + Berth (Kem) + Solovetskaya Sloboda / Solovki Hotel / Shelter** (Solovki)
2-bed with amenities	60 000	61 600	62 700
1-bed with amenities	72 700	78 300	83 200
Additional place	—	50 600	50 600

Check-out time at the hotel: check-in after 15:00, check-out before 12:00.

Check-out time in hotels on Solovki: check-in after 13:00, check-out before 10:00.

If necessary, you can book an additional one. overnight at the Prichal Hotel after the tour:

2-bed — 4,000 rubles.;
1-bed — 3,000 rubles.;
breakfast — 650 rubles.

Discounts:

for children up to and including 9 years old — 5,400 rubles.;
for children under 12 years old inclusive — 2,900 rubles.;
pensioners (women over 55 years old, men over 60 years old) — 700 rubles/person.

When settling children unaccompanied by parents (for example, with a grandmother, grandfather, etc.), a notarized copy must be issued.

When foreign citizens check in at the Prichal tourist complex (Rabochostrovsk, Kem), a registration fee is charged (self-payment on site).

Karelia Hotel

The Karelia Hotel is one of the best options we have chosen in Petrozavodsk.

This modern hotel is located in the very center of Petrozavodsk. It offers a well-equipped spa and rooms with panoramic views of Lake Onega and the surrounding park.

The bright rooms at this spa hotel feature wooden floors and wooden furniture. Each room here will provide you with a TV, a work desk and a private bathroom. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.

The elegant Karelia Restaurant has large windows overlooking Lake Onega. A buffet breakfast is served daily and a variety of traditional local dishes are served here.

At leisure, guests of the Karelia Hotel can relax in the sauna and book spa treatments. Staff can arrange laundry and dry cleaning services, as well as sightseeing tours.

24-hour parking is available at the Karelia Spa Hotel. Petrozavodsk Airport is a 15-minute drive away. On weekdays, a free shuttle service runs from and to Petrozavodsk Train Station.

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Another option

The Fregat Hotel

The Fregat Hotel is located in the center of Petrozavodsk, in a quiet and picturesque place on the shore of Lake Onega. It offers a restaurant. Free Wi-Fi is available in all areas and secure parking is available.

The rooms are equipped with air conditioning and a flat-screen TV with Smart TV technology. They are equipped with a minibar, a work desk, a telephone and a safe. The modern private bathroom comes with underfloor heating, a hairdryer and toiletries.

The hotel's restaurant serves a buffet breakfast, as well as European and Russian cuisine. The fitness center and lobby bar at the Fregat Hotel are open 24 hours a day.

The hotel is located in the city center, a 5-minute walk from the beautiful Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The Theatre of the Republic of Karelia is a 7-minute walk away.

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Another option

The Cosmos Hotel

This modern hotel is located right on the embankment of Petrozavodsk, on the shore of Lake Onega. The building is built in the shape of a ship, and the windows offer panoramic views. There is also a lobby bar. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel. Free private parking is available on site.

Guests of the Cosmos Petrozavodsk Hotel can relax in the large foyer with a glass roof, comfortable leather sofas and a piano. The spacious rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV and a work desk.

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Tour conditions

Group

up to 50 tourists

Minimum age

5 years old

Duration

6 days 5 nights

Group meets at

Petrozavodsk

Included in price

accommodation in hotels according to the program;
sightseeing, transport services;
meals specified in the tour program:
- Day 1: Breakfast;
- Day 2: Breakfast;
- Day 3: Breakfast;
- Day 4: Breakfast, lunch;
- Day 5: Breakfast, lunch;
- Day 6: Breakfast, lunch;
entrance tickets to museums.

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Petrozavodsk and back from Kemi;
Valaam + Ruskeala tour (reservation in advance, payment on site):
- adult — 9,500 rubles/person.;
- a child under 12 years old — 6,600 rubles/person.;
- a pensioner over 60 years old, a student — 9,100 rubles/person.;
visit to the specially protected natural area "Valaam Archipelago" — 100 rubles/person.:
- it is paid for independently on the website of the Directorate of Specially Protected Natural Territories of Regional Significance of the Republic of Karelia;
- we recommend making payment on the day of visiting Valaam Island (not earlier than one day before departure), as flight cancellations are possible due to weather conditions, technical malfunction of ships;
meals not specified in the tour program;
extra night at the Prichal hotel after the tour:
- 2-bed — 4,000 rubles.;
- 1-bed — 3,000 rubles.;
- breakfast — 650 rubles.;
registration fee for the settlement of foreign citizens in Kemi (self-payment on site).

It's important to know

an identity document in an airtight package (for children – a birth certificate);
compulsory medical insurance policy;
comfortable shoes – sneakers or sneakers;
waterproof, windproof jacket;
raincoat;
a warm sweater or a warm tracksuit (sweatshirt, pants);
sports trousers;
lightweight headdress;
bathing suit;
sunglasses;
personal hygiene items: soap, towel, toothbrush and toothpaste;
repellents and remedies for mosquito and tick bites;
personal first aid kit;
photo and video equipment + sealed packaging for them in case of rain;
a small backpack (20-30 l).

Dates and Prices

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1 – 6 Jun, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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8 – 13 Jun, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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15 – 20 Jun, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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22 – 27 Jun, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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29 Jun – 4 Jul, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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6 – 11 Jul, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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13 – 18 Jul, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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20 – 25 Jul, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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27 Jul – 1 Aug, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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3 – 8 Aug, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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10 – 15 Aug, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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17 – 22 Aug, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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24 – 29 Aug, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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31 Aug – 5 Sep, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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7 – 12 Sep, 2025 6 days 5 nights

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Reviews

K
Konstantin

26 Jul, 2024

about provider

Grand tour of Karelia and the Solovetsky Islands, a very interesting and exciting tour. Comfortable accommodation and buses. Qualified guides. A competent, positive, responsible guide Vera Ivanovna. Thank you very much.

26 Jul, 2024