Secrets of the Solovetsky Archipelago

Breakfast in the restaurant.

08:00 Departure to the Solovetsky Archipelago by boat on the White Sea (2.5 hours).

10:30 Sightseeing tour of the Solovetsky Kremlin. You will get acquainted with the history of the monastery, visit the territory of the central complex, active temples, monuments. You will be amazed by the nobility of proportions, monumentality and harmony with the harsh northern nature.

14:00 Lunch at a cafe.

16:00 Author's tour of the Solovetsky hermitages and the dam of the Red Lake.

You will drive to the northern part of the island through iconic and rarely visited places by ordinary tourists.

After driving along a dirt road through a dense, noisy forest, you will reach the highest point of the island. Here you will visit the Holy Ascension Skete and Sekirnaya Gora, a very picturesque place with a dark and terrifying history.

You will see a unique lighthouse church and a breathtaking panorama of the White Sea.

The next skete on the route is Savvatievo, where the cells of Savvati and Herman stood, and today there is a fraternal building with greenhouses and vegetable gardens.

A little further along the forest road is the Solovetsky Jung Alley, the guide will show you the location of the remains of the dugouts.

Next, you will drive to the Red Lake — from here the amazing lake and canal systems of Solovki begin. If the weather is good, you can swim.

Accommodation in the hotel "Solovetskaya Sloboda" or "Solovki-Hotel" in rooms of the category "standard" or "standard attic".

Breakfast at the cafe.

09:00 Excursion to Bolshoy Zayatsky Island – you will take a boat trip to Bolshoy Zayatsky Island, where you will see the largest pagan sanctuary of the II-I millennia BC, unique stone labyrinths, a complex of religious and funerary structures, Russia's first stone harbor and monuments of St. Andrew's skete.

Please note! St. Andrew's Skete on Bolshoy Zayatsky Island is in operation, we ask you to comply with the requirements of the skete charter and be dressed properly.

Return to the hotel.

Lunch at a cafe.

The Solovetsky Monastery is not only a spiritual stronghold, but also an amazing example of the harmony of faith and human thought. Here, amidst the harsh beauty of the northern nature, the monks created a real miracle of engineering art — a unique lake and canal system connecting more than 200 lakes.

You will travel along the mirrored surface of man-made canals laid back in the XVI century. On a motorboat, you will sail 12 kilometers through time and history, see ancient hydraulic structures and experience the wisdom of those who managed to subdue the elements in the name of life.

Return to the hotel.

Breakfast in the cafe.

09:00 Fascinating 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.

Tasting of White Sea mussels – perhaps you are lucky enough to find a real White Sea pearl in one of them.

Lunch at a cafe.

Return to the hotel.

In your free time, visit the souvenir pavilions and the company store of the Arkhangelsk Algae Plant, where you can buy products from White Sea algae.

Breakfast at the cafe.

Room release. Things are checked into the storage room.

Traditional craft workshop — under the guidance of a local craftsman, you will master the basics of one of the ancient needlework historically familiar to residents of Solovki.

You will work with natural materials and create your own souvenir — a unique thing that will remain with you as a warm memory of the archipelago, made with your own hands.

Lunch at a cafe.

Transfer from the hotel with your belongings to the pier.

Departure of the ship from Solovki to the village of Rabochiostrovsk (2.5 hours by the White Sea).

Arrival in the village of Rabochiostrovsk (by 18:00 or 21:00).

Transfer to Kem railway station.

Please let us know in advance which train you are taking back. Depending on the time of the train, you can book an additional night at the Berth tourist complex (2,700 rubles/person for a place in a standard double room).