Big Country Travel: Trips to Russia, Adventure Tours & Vacation Packages

16 more

Embark on an unforgettable trip to the Solovetsky Islands, a place where history, nature and spirituality are intertwined in a unique harmony.

You will have an amazing opportunity to see the stunning landscapes of the White Sea, ancient monasteries, mysterious labyrinths and feel the atmosphere of solitude that will remain in your heart forever.

Immerse yourself in the world of northern beauty, where every corner breathes history, and every sunset gives inspiration.

Location

G. Kem

Sightseeing tours

from

Contact the tour coordinator

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

Or text us in messengers

Tour highlights

Magic Solovki

You will see the Solovetsky Monastery, an architectural masterpiece included in the UNESCO list, and feel the spirit of history that lives within its walls.

Flexible program

You can choose the tour according to your taste.

The Botanical Garden

Visit the northernmost botanical garden in Russia and see the Archimandrite's cottage

Itinerary

Day 1 - Sea crossing to Solovki. Tour of the Solovetsky Kremlin
10:39 a.m. Meeting on arrival of train No. 012A at the railway station in Kem.
Transfer to the tourist complex "Pier", located on the shore of the White Sea in the village of Rabochiostrovsk (12 km from the city of Kem).
Boarding the ship (starts 30 minutes before departure).
12:30-14:30 Transfer by boat across the White Sea to Bolshoy Solovetsky Island (2 hours).
Arrival, transfer of things to the selected hotel: "Solovetskaya Sloboda" / "Solovki-hotel".
15:00 Lunch.
16:00 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.
Accommodation at the selected hotel after the end of the excursion program.
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.

1 more photo
Day 2 - Free day. Additional excursions (optional)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Optional excursions 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.
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 cost is 800 rubles/person.
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.
The cost is being specified.
Guided tour "Sights of Bolshoy Zayatsky Island" (duration — 3 hours).
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 cost is 1,500 rubles/person.
Attention: water excursions are conducted in favorable weather conditions and in the absence of a storm warning. If you want to book another tour, please let us know in advance!

1 more photo
Day 3 - Excursion "Sekirnaya Mountain. Holy Ascension Hermitage" and "Botanical Garden". Return to Kem
Breakfast.
Check-out time is until 10:00.
Things are checked into the luggage room (the service is free).
Sekirnaya Mountain bus tour. Holy Ascension Skete" and "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.
Transfer from the hotel to the pier.
15:30 Boarding the ship (starts 30 minutes before departure).
16:00 Departure from Solovki back.
18:00 Arrival at the port in the village of Rabochiostrovsk.
Transfer to Kemi railway station to train No. 011A.
20:42 Departure by train No. 011A to St. Petersburg (arrival the next day at
10:09).
If you wish, you can extend your stay in Solovki (check availability with the manager when booking the tour).

1 more photo

Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Hotel

2 nights

Comfort

Midscale

The tour includes hotel accommodation.

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

	Double occupancy			Single room placement	Additional place
Solovetskaya Sloboda (standard room and standard attic at a single price)	Standard room/attic	Standard room	Standard LOFT (new building)	52 900	25,900 (bed)
	38 300	—	—	52 900	25,900 (bed)
Solovki Hotel There is no additional information.beds in standard, standard loft rooms	—	39 600	44 900	55,500 (in the standard room)	25 900

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

Discount for children up to and including 9 years — 2,500 rubles.

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.

4 more photos

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. A shuttle service is available upon request.

Breakfast is included in the room rate. 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.

4 more photos

Tour conditions

Group

up to 25 tourists

Minimum age

7 years old

Duration

3 days 2 nights

Group meets at

G. Kem

Included in price

accommodation in rooms of the selected category (2 nights on Solovki);
meals specified in the program (2 breakfasts, 1 lunch);
3 excursions on Solovki:
- overview of the Solovetsky Kremlin;
- The Axe Mountain. Holy Ascension Hermitage;
- The Botanical Garden;
transportation services:
- moving across the White Sea "Kem — Solovki — Kem";
- bus transfers;
the work of an accompanying guide according to the program

Paid extra

railway tickets to Kemi and back;
meals not specified in the program;
a boat trip along the Long Bay — the cost is being specified;
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.;
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.

Booking excursions in advance, when booking a tour, payment is made on the tour to the guide (in cash).

It's important to know

raincoat;
windbreaker;
comfortable shoes without heels;
trekking shoes;
a warm sweater;
swimsuit;
cash;
repellent;
photo camera;
personal first aid kit;
a lightweight backpack.

Dates and Prices

from
$488

22 – 24 Jun 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

29 Jun – 1 Jul 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

6 – 8 Jul 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

8 – 10 Jul 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

13 – 15 Jul 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

15 – 17 Jul 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

20 – 22 Jul 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

22 – 24 Jul 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

27 – 29 Jul 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

29 – 31 Jul 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

3 – 5 Aug 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

5 – 7 Aug 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

10 – 12 Aug 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

12 – 14 Aug 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

17 – 19 Aug 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

19 – 21 Aug 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

24 – 26 Aug 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now
from
$488

31 Aug – 2 Sep 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now

Reviews

N
Nina

about provider

15 Jun, 2025

2 more photos

Thank you so much for organizing such a wonderful experience. The excursions were heartfelt and meaningful, and the guides were fantastic. We visited some truly remarkable places and were very pleased.:) I’d especially like to mention our guide Lyudmila — a warm, kind-hearted woman who shared incredibly engaging and insightful information.
A
Anna

about provider

6 Jun, 2025

6 more photos

I discovered the tour provider "Big Country" online while searching for vacation options on the White Sea. Out of many offers, theirs stood out and immediately caught my attention. I submitted a request and received a callback very quickly. From that point on, nearly all communication — including booking and registration — was handled through Telegram, with the occasional phone call when clarification was needed. The managers were consistently polite and friendly. It was my first time working with them, and I sincerely hope it won’t be the last. There are several things I especially appreciated about the organization of the Solovetsky Islands tour: 1). The option to book a private room (without roommates) for an additional fee — a big plus for solo travelers. 2). The ability to pay for the trip in installments by a set deadline. "Big Country" offers a convenient payment system where you can always check the total cost, the amount already paid, and the remaining balance. Multiple payment methods are accepted — card, bank transfer, and more. After each payment, I received Big Country receipts and confirmations via email and Telegram. 3). The managers responded promptly to any questions I had during the trip. 4). A transfer was provided from the train station to the hotel, with early check-in arranged at the hotel in Rabocheostrovsk. 5). Meals were thoughtfully included: breakfast before departing to the island, a set lunch after the island and monastery tour, and buffet breakfasts at the hotel. 6). We were accompanied by a lead guide who explained everything clearly, met us at the tourist base, and made sure the group knew where to go — from breakfast locations to the pier for the boat to Solovki. After the tour, she also ensured a smooth return to Kem. On the islands themselves, she handed us over to local guides for excursions and met us again afterwards. 7). The tour was very well organized. Aside from the scheduled excursions, there was plenty of free time to explore at your own pace. Some rented bikes to ride through the village or forest, others went on boat rides, and some simply wandered around enjoying the scenery. 8). A return transfer to the train station and a follow-up message after the trip — small touches, but much appreciated. All in all, the experience was outstanding — great service + excellent organization+ a high level of comfort. The providers really left a lasting impression.
S
Svetlana

about provider

17 May, 2025

6 more photos

Thank you. Everything was excellent. From the warm welcome at the train station to the hotel check-out before heading home, everything was well organized. I also appreciated that we had some free time to explore the beautiful sights of Karelia on our own (although we were told we'd have two hours at each stop, they were often combined, which made the schedule feel a bit rushed).

Solovetsky Archipelago