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

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The Solovetsky Islands attract people, but require a non-fussy, thoughtful and contemplative attitude.

We invite you to explore the centuries-old history of Solovki. Educational historical programs, nature walks, active sea trips accompanied by historians and local historians are waiting for you.

The program received the certificate "Made in Karelia".

Location

G. Kem

Sightseeing tours

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

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Tour highlights

Magic Solovki

Let's go to another reality!

Flexible program

We will choose an excursion to your taste

The Botanical Garden

We will visit the northernmost botanical garden in Russia and inspect the Archimandrite's cottage

Itinerary

Day 1 - Sea crossing to Solovki. Tour of the Solovetsky Kremlin
Meeting at the building of the Kemi railway station (train No. 012H).
Due to the fact that the schedule of train No. 12 has changed since 07/18.24, in arrivals from July 18, less than 45 minutes remain from the time of arrival of the train to the departure of the ship, therefore, please do not delay when exiting the train cars and promptly approach the meeting place for transfer to the pier.
Transfer to the Berth tourist complex, located on the shore of the White Sea in the village of Rabochiostrovsk (12 km from Kemi).
The beginning of boarding the ship.
Departure to the Solovetsky Archipelago:
arrivals until July 17 — 12:30;
arrivals from July 18 — 13:30.
The passage by boat along the White Sea is 2 hours.
Arrival, transfer to the selected hotel: "Solovetskaya Sloboda" / "Solovki-hotel".
Accommodation at the selected hotel after the end of the excursion program.
Lunch.
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, objects of economic activity of the monastery.
You will learn about the history of the Solovetsky Monastery, which seems to mirror the history of Russia.
All temples and monuments are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In your free time, we suggest you take 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 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 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 reformation in 1937 into the Solovetsky Special Purpose Prison, 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 700 rubles/person.
A 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 disturbances.
A carbureted boat with a motor, driven by a fresh salty wind, will run past sandy beaches, countless islands and rocky ridges crashing into the water.
On one of them there is a bird family, and on the other, it seems, a seal is basking in the sun. Shallow depths allow you to see the underwater world: starfish are buried in the sandy bottom, translucent ultramarine jellyfish are floating in the water, algae are waving and stretching somewhere along with the sea currents.
The price of the tour includes a bus transfer to Long Bay and back, as well as 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.
Cost: adult — 2,500 rubles/person, child 3-10 years old — 2,000 rubles/person.
Excursion "Sights of the Big Hare 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 cult and burial structures, Russia's first stone harbor, monuments of the St. Andrew's Hermitage.
The cost is 1,300 rubles/person.
Attention: water excursions are conducted under favorable weather conditions and in the absence of a storm warning.

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Day 3 - Excursion "Sekirnaya Mountain. Holy Ascension Hermitage" and "Botanical Garden". Return to Kem
Breakfast.
After breakfast– the rooms are vacated.
Things are handed over to the luggage room.
Bus tour "Mount Sekirnaya. Holy Ascension Hermitage" and "Botanical Garden" (duration — 3.5 hours).
You will visit one of the highest points of the Bolshoy Solovetsky Island – Mount Sekirnaya, from the top of which an unforgettable view of the island and the White Sea opens.
Get acquainted with the history and monuments of the current Holy Ascension Monastery, where at the time of the Solovetsky camp there was a punishment cell - a place of detention and punishment of prisoners.
A visit to the northernmost botanical garden in Russia with an inspection of the Archimandrite's cottage, the Alexander Chapel and the Cross of worship.
Transfer from the hotel to the pier.
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. 011H.
Departure of tourists by train home.
If desired, you can extend the accommodation on Solovki (check availability with the manager when booking a tour).

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Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Hotel

2 nights

Comfort

Midscale

The tour includes accommodation in a hotel.

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

	Double room placement	Single room placement	Additional place
"Solovetskaya Sloboda"	30 500	42 500	22 900
Solovki Hotel	31 200	43 800	22 900

An additional place in the Solovetskaya Sloboda hotel is a bed, in the Solovki Hotel there is a "euro" cot.

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

Discount for children under 9 years old inclusive — 1,800 rubles.

We want our guests to feel comfortable traveling, so you can specify your accommodation requirements: DBL (2-bed room with one bed) or TWIN (2-bed room with two separate beds).

The Solovki Hotel

The most comfortable on the Solovetsky Islands is located in one of the most picturesque places of the archipelago on the shore of the bay, a 5–minute walk from the famous Solovetsky Monastery and the ancient pagan sanctuary. The hotel is designed in a traditional Russian style and is located in 6 buildings, 5 of which are designed to accommodate guests, and in the sixth there is an accommodation service, a bar and a restaurant.

Standard Room: One-room apartment with an area of 12 m2. The room has two separate beds, two bedside tables, chairs. There is a wardrobe at the entrance. The bathroom is equipped with a shower cabin, toilet, sink, hairdryer.

2-bed Junior Suite: a studio room with a work area, a bedroom and a bathroom. The room has one large bed, two bedside tables, chairs. There is a wardrobe at the entrance. The bathroom is equipped with a shower cabin, toilet, sink, hairdryer. The area is 25 m2.

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Another option

Solovetskaya Sloboda Hotel

It is located a three-minute walk from the Solovetsky Monastery and is a four-storey building with a facade decorated in the style of ancient brickwork. On the ground floor there is a restaurant with a bar and a banquet hall. On the first and second floors there are double rooms, suites and apartments. There is a billiard room in the annex of the first floor. On the attic floor there are two Suites, single and quadruple rooms.

The rooms are decorated in neutral tones, using wooden panels, and are equipped with LCD TVs with satellite channels. All rooms at the hotel have a private bathroom with free toiletries. The area and design of the rooms correspond to the European standard.

It offers free Wi-Fi in the rooms and the hotel's restaurant, billiards, bicycle rental and tourist equipment, a souvenir kiosk and a tour center. During the day, meals are served according to a pre-approved menu, in the evening the restaurant operates on an A-la carte menu. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks can be purchased at the restaurant's bar. The restaurant has a cozy banquet hall with 24 seats, where you can celebrate a family or corporate holiday.

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Tour conditions

Group

up to 25 tourists

Minimum age

10 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 and from Kemi;
meals not specified in the program;
Long Bay boat trip:
- adult — 2,500 rubles/person.;
- child 3-10 years old — 2,000 rubles/person.;
excursion "Sights of Bolshoy Zayatsky Island" — 1,300 rubles/person.;
walking tour "The history of the Solovetsky special purpose camp. 1923-1939." — 700 rubles / person.;
additional payment for foreign citizens (including citizens of Belarus) for migration registration at the Prichal shopping center (payment independently upon check-in) — 500 rubles / person.

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

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.

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 a special ointment with you, 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.
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, shawl).
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 dug into your skin:

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

Vaccination provides the most effective protection. If the immunization schedule is followed, human diseases are extremely rare and usually occur in a mild form. The difficulty of vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis lies in the duration of the course of vaccinations, you can find out more in detail 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 activity season, i.e. by the end of March.

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

Dates and Prices

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1 – 3 Jun, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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17 – 19 Jun, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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22 – 24 Jun, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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29 Jun – 1 Jul, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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6 – 8 Jul, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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15 – 17 Jul, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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20 – 22 Jul, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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27 – 29 Jul, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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29 – 31 Jul, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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3 – 5 Aug, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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10 – 12 Aug, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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12 – 14 Aug, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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17 – 19 Aug, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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24 – 26 Aug, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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31 Aug – 2 Sep, 2025 3 days 2 nights

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Reviews

S
Svetlana

6 Nov, 2024

about provider

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!

6 Nov, 2024

Solovetsky Archipelago