Holy Triangle: Kizhi, Valaam and Solovki, 7 days

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All the pearls of Karelia in a seven-day tour!

On an educational trip through the Russian North, you will have the opportunity to visit the islands of Kizhi and Valaam, the Ruskeala Mountain Park and stroll around Petrozavodsk, as well as the Solovetsky Islands.

We will get acquainted with the history of this region and the beauty of the northern nature.

Location

Petrozavodsk

Sightseeing tours

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

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Tour highlights

The Pearls of Karelia

Get acquainted with the history of this region and its key places.

Picturesque nature

Admire the beauty of the northern nature

The famous mountain park

Take a guided tour of Ruskeala Mountain Park

Itinerary

Day 1 - Guided tour of the capital of Karelia. Kizhi Island Tour
~ 07:50 Meeting at the Petrozavodsk railway station upon arrival of train No. 18 from the platform.
The guide greets you with a sign "Holy Triangle".
Having arrived on earlier trains or on their own transport, they approach the meeting time at the Petrozavodsk railway station.
If you arrive later (train number 92 ~ 09:58), you will be individually met at the railway station. Breakfast is not provided and is replaced by a transfer to meet the group on the route (transfer at no extra charge).
Breakfast.
Guided tour of the capital of Karelia (duration 2 hours).
Petrozavodsk is the younger brother of St. Petersburg, born in the same year. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great.
You will get acquainted with the historical center, the monument to Peter the Great, the Governor's Park.
A promenade along the beautiful city embankment along Lake Onega, where there is a collection of original sculptures located in the open air.
Excursion to Kizhi Island (duration 7 hours).
The Kizhi Museum-Reserve is one of the largest museums of traditional wooden architecture in Russia, a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site.
You will travel to Kizhi Island by Meteor on Lake Onega (1 hour and 30 minutes in one direction).
In the famous open-air museum you will get acquainted with the temples of the Kizhi architectural ensemble.
Marvel at the beauty of the 22nd Transfiguration Church, visit the interiors of the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin and the ethnographic exposition in a peasant hut.
You will observe the work of craftsmen who demonstrate traditional crafts.
Return to Petrozavodsk.
Supper.
Accommodation at the selected hotel after the end of the excursion program.

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Day 2 - Ruskeala Mountain Park. Excursion to Valaam (for an additional fee)
Full-day guided tour (duration about 18 hours).
Ruskeala Mountain Park + optional (for an additional fee) Valaam.
Early departure from Petrozavodsk. Lunch box.
The crossing is about 260 km.
Along the way, you will see picturesque Karelian landscapes, the smoothness of forest lakes and a magnificent panorama of Lake Ladoga framed by rocks.
On the way, you will learn many interesting stories and legends from the guide.
Stop for breakfast at a cafe.
Guided tour of the Ruskeala Mountain Park (duration 1 hour and 15 minutes).
It is the most visited tourist site in Karelia at the moment. For about 300 years, marble has been mined here to decorate palaces and temples in the Northern Capital.
A marble lake was formed in a huge man-made bowl, which is now admired by numerous tourists.
The rocky grotto and tunnels cut into the rocks, the Italian quarry, the Marble Square will make an indelible impression on you.
There are no analogues to this unique natural object either in Russia or in Europe!
Guests who do not go to Valaam Island can stay in Ruskeala Mountain Park after the tour ends and take a taxi to Sortavala on their own (the taxi cost is approximately 1,500 rubles) or come to Sortavala with a group and walk around the city in their free time, visit museums and cafes.
Transfer to the city of Sortavala (30 km).
For an additional fee, the Wonderful Island of Valaam tour (duration 7 hours). Booking in advance, paying for the tour guide.
The tour takes place in favorable weather conditions and there is no storm warning!
The preliminary cost for 2025 is: an adult – 6,200 rubles, a child under 12 years old – 3,100 rubles, children under 6 years old – free of charge (upon presentation of a birth certificate). The exact cost will be approved in April 2025.
Transfer by Meteor along Lake Ladoga "Sortavala city – Valaam Island" (1 hour on the way).
Sightseeing tour of the Central estate of the Valaam Monastery.
Visit the majestic Transfiguration Cathedral, where the relics of the monastery's holy founders, St. Sergius and Herman the Wonderworkers of Valaam, rest.
Lenten lunch in the monastery refectory.
The second tour (one of two options at the discretion of the Valaam Monastery):
Nikolsky Hermitage is one of the most beautiful monasteries of Valaam;
"New Jerusalem" — a visit to the Resurrection Skete, Gethsemane Skete, Mount of Olives and the Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Return to Sortavala.
Departure of the whole group from Sortavala to Petrozavodsk.
Later return to Petrozavodsk.

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Day 3 - Kivach Waterfall, guided departure to the north of Karelia
Breakfast at the hotel.
Room release.
Departure with a guide to the north of Karelia to the White Sea (a distance of about 400 km).
On the way, an excursion to the Kivach Nature Reserve, where you will admire the most famous waterfall in Karelia, praised in Russian poetry as the "northern hero".
Here you will see a real Karelian birch – the famous "cinderella" of the northern forests, get acquainted with the collection of the arboretum and the museum of Nature.
Lunch.
In the evening, arrival at the tourist complex "Pier" (located in the village of Rabochiostrovsk on the shore of the White Sea, 12 km from the city of Kem).
Accommodation in rooms with amenities.
Day 4 - Solovetsky Kremlin Tour
Breakfast.
Boarding the ship (starts 30 minutes before departure).
08:00-10:00 Transfer by boat across the White Sea to Bolshoy Solovetsky Island (2 hours).
Arrival, transfer of things to the selected hotel. Together with the guide, you will walk from the pier to the tour desk building, from where the tour begins.
Along the way, useful information about attractions that you can visit on your own, shops and cafes.
Accommodation at the selected hotel after the end of the excursion program.
10:30 Sightseeing walking tour of the Solovetsky Kremlin (duration — 3 hours).
During the tour, you will see the unique architectural ensemble of the Solovetsky Monastery, active temples and monuments, and objects of the monastery's economic activities.
You will learn about the history of the Solovetsky Monastery, which mirrors the history of Russia.
All temples and monuments are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
13:30 Lunch.
In your free time, we suggest taking a walk to the Cape of Labyrinths.
This is a picturesque natural area on the shore of the White Sea. There are reconstructed stone labyrinths and the famous Solovetsky "dancing" birches.
Optional, for an additional fee, guided tour "Sights of Bolshoy Zayatsky Island" (duration — 3 hours, payment — on-site to the guide).
Boat trip to Zayatsky Island (travel time 45 minutes). You will visit the largest pagan sanctuary of the II-I millennia BC, stone labyrinths, a complex of religious and funerary structures, Russia's first stone harbor, and the monuments of St. Andrew's Skete.
The preliminary cost is 1,500 rubles/person.
In your free time, we suggest taking a walk to the Cape of Labyrinths.
This is a picturesque natural area on the shore of the White Sea. There are reconstructed stone labyrinths and the famous Solovetsky "dancing" birches.

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Day 5 - Free day. Additional excursions (optional)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Optional for an additional fee:
Book excursions in advance, when booking a tour. The number of seats is limited. Payment is made on the tour to the guide.
1. Walking tour "The history of the Solovetsky special purpose camp. 1923-1939." (duration — 2.5 hours).
On this tour, visitors will learn about the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp, the stages of the camp's development and its transformation into the Solovetsky Special Purpose Prison in 1937, as well as learn about the fate of prisoners.
They will visit a new exhibition about the camp and a monument to Solovetsky prisoners.
The preliminary cost is 800 rubles/person.
2. Boat trip along the Long Bay (duration — 4-5 hours).
An exciting ecological boat trip along the Long Bay, the "inner sea" of Solovki, where even in stormy weather there are rarely waves. Driven by a fresh salty wind, a carbine boat with a motor will run past sandy beaches, countless islands and rocky ridges crashing into the water. One of them has a bird family, and the other one seems to have a seal basking in the sun.
Shallow depths allow you to see the underwater world: starfish are buried in the sandy bottom, translucent ultramarine jellyfish hover in the water, algae sway and stretch somewhere along with the sea currents. The price of the tour includes a bus transfer to Long Bay and back, as well as a tasting of White Sea mussels – perhaps you are lucky enough to find a real White Sea pearl in one of them.
Don't forget to bring a light snack and drinks.
Preliminary cost:
adult — 3,500 rubles/person.;
child 3-10 years old — 2,200 rubles/person.
3. Boat trip "Cape Beluzhy" (duration 2 hours).
Often, for tourists who find themselves on Solovki, the most desirable thing is to see belugas – northern white whales.
The peaceful inhabitants of the Arctic Ocean come to the White Sea in the summer. They do not swim close, appear on the surface for a short time and then swim quite a long distance.
But there is a special place on Solovki – Cape Beluzhy – a sea trip here will be remembered by every minute. The cape's water area is one of the few places on the planet where you can observe whales in the wild.
From the beginning of June to the middle of August, during low tide at sea, mating games of whales, birth and upbringing of cubs take place here.
There is also a station of oceanographers who have the opportunity to observe these beautiful creatures every day.
Bring good weather and intention with you, don't make any noise, and you may be able to see a beluga literally at arm's length, feel the power and beauty of these amazing marine mammals.
Preliminary cost:
adult — 3,500 rubles/person.;
child 3-10 years old — 2,200 rubles/person.
Water excursions are conducted in favorable weather conditions and in the absence of a storm warning.

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Day 6 - Bus tour "Mount Sekirnaya. The Holy Ascension Monastery." The Botanical Garden
Breakfast.
After breakfast, room release (according to check–out time before 10.00).
You can take your belongings to the hotel's luggage room (free service).
Sekirnaya Mountain bus tour. Holy Ascension Hermitage" + "Botanical Garden" (duration 3.5 hours).
You will visit one of the highest points of Bolshoy Solovetsky Island, Mount Sekirnaya, from the top of which you can enjoy an unforgettable view of the island and the White Sea.
Get acquainted with the history and monuments of the current Holy Ascension Skete, where during the time of the Solovetsky camp there was a penal isolation unit – a place of detention and punishment of prisoners.
Visit to the northernmost botanical garden in Russia with a tour of the Archimandrite's cottage, the Alexander Chapel and the Cross of worship.
Free time.
Transfer from the hotel to the pier.
15:30 Boarding the ship (starts 30 minutes before departure).
16:00 Departure of the ship from Solovki to Kem (on request, a later departure time from Solovki is at 19:00).
18:00 Arrival at the port in the village of Rabochiostrovsk.
Accommodation in the tourist complex "Pier".
You can have dinner on your own at the restaurant of the tourist complex.
Please note:
For the participants of the tour from St. Petersburg, transfer to Kemi railway station to train No. 011A immediately after the arrival of the ship.
You can take the night train to Moscow on the day of your return from Solovki (when calculating the cost for 1 night of stay at the Pier shopping center).
A transfer to the railway station will be arranged free of charge immediately after the arrival of the ship at the pier.

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Day 7 - End of the program
Breakfast.
Transfer to Kem railway station.
Departure by the Murmansk – Moscow morning train (train No. 015 ~ at 06:30 or train No. 091 ~ at 09:30).

Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Hotel

2 nights
or

Camp Site, Hotel

2 nights
Camp Site

2 nights

Comfort

Midscale
Upscale

The tour provides accommodation in a hotel in Petrozavodsk, a tourist complex in Kemi and a hotel in Solovki.

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

Solovetskaya Sloboda Hotel in Solovki

	Double room placement	Single room placement	Additional place
Greenfeel 3* Hotel (July-August) + Tourist complex "Pier" + Solovetskaya Sloboda Hotel	74 700	102 600	56 900
The *4 Severnaya Hotel + Tourist complex "Pier" + Solovetskaya Sloboda Hotel**	74 700	100 200	58 900
Peter Inn 4* Hotel + Tourist complex "Pier" + Solovetskaya Sloboda Hotel	74 700	99 200	58 900

The Solovki Hotel in Solovki

	Double room placement	Double room (Standard LOFT (Solovki Hotel, new building)	Single room placement	Additional place
Greenfeel 3* Hotel (July-August) + Tourist complex "Pier" + The Solovki Hotel	76 000	81 200	105 200	56 900
The *4 Severnaya Hotel + Tourist complex "Pier" + The Solovki Hotel**	76 000	81 200	102 700	58 900
Peter Inn 4* Hotel + Tourist complex "Pier" + The Solovki Hotel	76 000	81 200	101 700	58 900

Discounts:

a child under 9 years old inclusive — 3,500 rubles/person.;
child from 10 to 16 years — 2,000 rubles/person.;
pensioners over 60 years old – 400 rubles/person.;
without the last overnight stay in Kem (upon departure by night train on the day of return from Solovki):
- in a double room — 1,500 rubles/person.;
- in a single room — 3,000 rubles/person.;
- for an additional place — 1,200 rubles/person.

Additional payment for foreign citizens (including citizens of Belarus), self—payment upon check-in at the Prichal shopping center - 500 rubles/person.

Greenfeel Hotel 3*

The Greenfeel Hotel is located in Pervomaisky district of Petrozavodsk. Lake Onega stretches 1.8 km away.

Double and triple rooms of various furnishings are offered for accommodation. Each has one or two comfortable beds, a TV, a small desk, and blackout curtains.

There are a lot of cafes, canteens, pizzerias and other places where you can have a delicious meal around the hotel.

If you want to visit the sights and get to know the city, you can go to the Nameless Stream Park, which is located nearby, or to the Botanical Garden. The distance to the railway station is 2.5 km, to the airport — 11.8 km.

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Another option

Hotel "Peter Inn Petrozavodsk" 4*

The Piter Inn is located in the center of Petrozavodsk, just a 2-minute walk from the central train station. It offers a 24-hour gym, free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour front desk.

Each room has a telephone, air conditioning, a TV with digital channels and a safe. The private bathroom comes with a hairdryer.

The Paulaner Restaurant, which has its own brewery, serves Bavarian, local and international cuisine. The cafe serves European cuisine, desserts and coffee.

The hotel has conference facilities. Guests can make use of the laundry service.

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Another option

Severnaya Hotel

The Severnaya Hotel is located in the very center of Petrozavodsk, surrounded by major attractions and infrastructure facilities.

The hotel offers comfortable and modern rooms, which are fully equipped with everything you need. Each room has everything you need: ergonomic furniture, modern appliances and an individual bathroom. Regular cleaning is carried out everywhere.

Delicious and hearty breakfasts are served every morning, which are fully equipped with everything you need. There is also a restaurant consisting of several halls.

There is a bus stop near the hotel, as well as a museum of local lore and picturesque parks for long walks.

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The Solovki Hotel

The Solovki Hotel is located in the village of Solovetsky in the forest area, near the shore of the White Sea. The Cape of Labyrinths and the Solovetsky Monastery are located nearby. The hotel consists of 5 buildings built in the traditional Russian style. The administrative building houses a restaurant, a bar, a souvenir shop and an accommodation service.

The hotel has 46 Standard and Junior Suites. The rooms are decorated in the style of log cabins with mosquito nets on the windows. Each room has its own bathroom.

For lunch and dinner, guests can enjoy local cuisine. Packed lunches are available on request. The bar serves international cocktails.

Guests are provided with a conference room equipped with the most necessary furniture and appliances for comfortable seminars, trainings or conferences.

Arkhangelsk Airport is located at a distance of 240 km, the railway station is 235 km away. There are several churches, a monastery and a Holy Lake within walking distance.

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Another option

Solovetskaya Sloboda Hotel

The Solovetskaya Sloboda Hotel is located in the center of the village, a 3-minute walk from the world-famous Solovetsky Monastery and 187 m from the Gulag Museum.

Each guest will be able to choose a suitable accommodation option from 45 comfortable and cozy rooms. All rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi, a sleeping place, and a flat-screen TV. There is a billiard room and a library on site.

For an additional cost, guests can purchase delicious local dishes, as well as lunches and dinners at the hotel's restaurant. There is a restaurant with a bar on site.

The guest house provides its guests with a spacious conference room for business events and banquets. The hall is equipped with necessary furniture and appliances.

Solovetsky Port is a 20-minute walk away. Within walking distance there is the Church of the Annunciation, the Solovetsky Monastery and the Assumption Church. The distance to the airport is 1.4 km, and the Kem Railway Station is 54.2 km away.

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Tour conditions

Group

up to 50 tourists

Minimum age

7 years old

Duration

7 days 6 nights

Group meets at

Petrozavodsk

Included in price

accommodation in rooms of the selected category (2 nights in Petrozavodsk, 2 nights in Kem, 2 nights in Solovki);
meals according to the program (7 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner, 1 lunch box);
excursions:
- sightseeing tour of Petrozavodsk, Kizhi Museum-Reserve;
- Ruskeala Mountain Park;
- Kivach Nature Reserve;
- 3 excursions to Solovki:
  - sightseeing tour of the Solovetsky Kremlin;
  - Sekirnaya Mountain;
  - Holy Ascension Skete, Botanical Garden;
transportation services under the program (bus, water);
the work of the guide and accompanying person all days according to the program.

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Petrozavodsk and back from Kemi;
meals not included in the tour program;
Wonderful Island of Valaam tour:
- adult — 6,200 rubles/person.;
- a child under 12 years of age — 3,100 rubles/person.;
- children under 6 years old — free of charge (upon presentation of a birth certificate);
visit to the specially protected natural area "Valaam Archipelago" — 200 rubles/person (self-paid);
excursion "Sights of Bolshoy Zayatsky Island" — 1,500 rubles/person.;
walking tour "The history of the Solovetsky special purpose camp. 1923-1939." — 800 rubles /person.;
Long Bay boat trip:
- adult — 3,500 rubles/person.;
- child 3-10 years old — 2,200 rubles/person.;
Cape Beluzhy boat trip:
- adult — 3,500 rubles/person.;
- child 3-10 years old — 2,200 rubles/person.;
an additional payment for foreign citizens (including citizens of Belarus) for migration registration at the Prichal shopping center (self—payment upon check-in) is 500 rubles/person.

The preliminary cost of additional excursions is indicated. Book excursions in advance, when booking a tour, payment is made to the tour guide.

It's important to know

1. Medical preparations for individual needs.
2. Documents: passport, insurance policy (medical).
3. Comfortable sports shoes:

sneakers or moccasins, but not new, but familiar and comfortable;
replacement shoes (light sneakers or sneakers).

4. Sportswear for hot and cool weather:

The jacket is windproof, waterproof;
raincoat;
warm tracksuit (sweatshirt, pants);
T-shirts with long (from sunburn) and short sleeves;
sports trousers;
shorts;
socks.

5. Headdress: cap, panama hat (with visor).
6. Personal hygiene products.
7. Useful equipment:

small backpack (20-30 l);
flashlight with spare batteries;
sunscreen (required);
sunglasses.

It is also important to remember that the period from early May to mid-June is particularly dangerous due to the activity of encephalitic ticks. Prepare in advance for a trip to Karelia during this period – get a preventive vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis, take with you a special ointment, as well as clothes and hats that cover all parts of the body as much as possible.

The best protection against ticks is compliance with safety regulations.:

It is not recommended to climb into the impenetrable thickets of low-growing shrubs unnecessarily.
When moving along the forest road, do not tear off branches.
The legs should be completely covered (shorts are not recommended).
Sweatpants, tights (preferably with a smooth surface) should be tucked into socks.
It is mandatory to have a headdress (cap, headscarf).
It is advisable to hide long hair under a headdress.
After hiking in the forest, it is necessary to check (shake off) both outerwear and underwear.
Examine the whole body.
Be sure to comb your hair with a fine comb. If you find a crawling tick, it must be burned. Ticks are very tenacious, it is impossible to crush it.

If you find a tick that has already bitten into your skin:

In any case, do not pull it yourself, because you can detach the body from the head (the head can exist without a body).
To remove the tick, it is necessary to fill it with camphor or vegetable oil, after 10-15 minutes carefully pull out the tick with tweezers.
Lubricate the bite site with greenery or iodine.

Vaccination provides the most effective protection. If the immunization schedule is followed, human diseases are extremely rare and, as a rule, occur in a mild form. The difficulty of vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis lies in the duration of the vaccination course, and you can find out more about it at the vaccination center in your region.

It should be remembered that all vaccinations must be completed 2 weeks before the start of the tick season, i.e. by the end of March.

Tick bite insurance is not included in the price of the tour. We recommend that you insure your health.

Dates and Prices

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5 – 11 Jun 7 days 6 nights

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12 – 18 Jun 7 days 6 nights

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19 – 25 Jun 7 days 6 nights

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26 Jun – 2 Jul 7 days 6 nights

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3 – 9 Jul 7 days 6 nights

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10 – 16 Jul 7 days 6 nights

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17 – 23 Jul 7 days 6 nights

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24 – 30 Jul 7 days 6 nights

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31 Jul – 6 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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7 – 13 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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14 – 20 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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21 – 27 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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28 Aug – 3 Sep 7 days 6 nights

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Reviews

S
Svetlana

about provider

6 Nov, 2024

A wonderful trip with our fantastic guide, Lyudmila, who was with us every step of the way. Everything was quick, well-organized and professional. Thank you!

Holy Triangle: Kizhi, Valaam and Solovki, 7 days

Location

Tour highlights

Itinerary

Accommodation

Tour conditions

Included in price

Paid extra

It's important to know

Dates and Prices

Reviews

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