Four summer days in Karelia

Absolutely safe rafting, which can be attended by both children and elderly people. This type of recreation will allow you to get in direct contact with the nature of the Karelian region.

Picturesque birches and fir trees shake their branches, welcoming dear guests, the water overboard of the raft smoothly rushes you forward, the air fills you with a feeling of freshness and purity.  And, at the end of the route, a fragrant ear by the campfire will complement the received charge of positive emotions! 

You will take a rafting trip along an 8 km section of the river with 3 rapids of the 1st-2nd category of difficulty. 

Program: pick–up - 10 minutes before departure. 10.00/13.30 (the exact time of departure is indicated in the voucher) – departure from the Peter Inn hotel (Gagarin Square, 1, next to the railway station building) to the beginning of the rafting, Yumanishki metro station (1 hour) – safety briefing – equipment delivery (life jackets, helmets) – rafting rafting on the Shuya River 8 km (1.5 — 2 hours) – arrival in the town of Polyana – equipment delivery – changing clothes – picnic by the campfire – transfer to Petrozavodsk (1 hour). 

The price of the tour includes: bus transfer to the beginning of the rafting and back, rental of rafts, life jackets, helmets, paddles. Lunch: fish soup with herbs, Navy pasta, sliced vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers), bread, mineral water, tea, coffee, biscuits or crackers. For adults — alcohol: 50 grams of vodka and 75 grams of wine per person. One-time tableware. The work of instructors. Photography is taking place on the doorsteps of Bolshoy Tolly and Maly Tolly. 

The cost of a flash drive with a photo is 1000 rubles. Duration: 5 hours. 

The organizers reserve the right, in case of adverse weather conditions (strong headwind), to shorten the route — to reduce the passage of the plesov section, where it is necessary to row intensively. The rafting season starts in mid-May and ends in mid-September.

Attention! 

1. To participate in rafting, you must have it with you (it is possible in electronic form): a document confirming the purchase of this service (voucher), spare clothes, shoes, because during the rafting the lower part of the clothes will get wet, including shoes (shoes must be of a sports type — sneakers, sneakers, light summer shoes such as "flip-flops" are allowed, but with a fixed back). In case of rain, a rain cape.
2. Before starting the rafting, listen carefully to the safety instructions given by the instructor.
3. Properly put on and secure the life jacket. It is forbidden to stay in the raft without a life jacket, as well as to unbutton it during rafting.
4. During the rafting, carefully listen to the instructions of the instructor.
5. In case of falling out of the raft, do not panic, do not try to catch things that you had with you. Turn around in the direction of the river flow so that your feet are in front of your head. The instructor and the other participants help the dropped participant.
6. The company is not responsible for the safety of phones, photo, video equipment, etc., which were taken with them to the raft (it is recommended to leave the equipment on the bus). When using photo and video equipment, it is recommended to have an airtight package with you (a thick plastic bag, which must be removed under the life jacket when passing the thresholds). 

It is forbidden to stay in the raft while intoxicated. 

Sealed packages are not provided for the safety of customers' equipment (when using a common hermetic bag, customers' equipment may be damaged, for example, someone will step on it). It also makes it impossible to take pictures at the request of the client, as it takes too much time to remove/get the equipment). 

Neoprene suits are not provided due to hygienic requirements (a neoprene suit is equivalent to underwear). The end point of the rafting is located between the village of Matrosy and the village of Polova, the 406th km of the St. Petersburg-Murmansk Cola highway.

Discounts:

• a child under 6 years old inclusive — 2,300 rubles/person.;
• school children up to and including 16 years old — 600 rubles/person.;
• a pensioner over 60 years old — 400 rubles/person.

Discounts are provided upon presentation of a birth certificate or passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.

The Ruskeala Express retro train runs daily between the Ruskeala Mountain Park and the town of Sortavala. The journey takes about 1 hour. 

The route follows the route of the overland road that transported Ruskeala marble to Lake Ladoga. 

The train runs on steam traction. 

The interiors of the train and the shape of the conductors are stylized for the era of Nicholas II. 

There are carriages with different levels of comfort: seating compartments, seats in the dining car, and there is also a "Royal compartment", which is fully redeemable for 4 people. 

Tickets for this train are sold on the Russian Railways website. The demand for this train during the high season is huge! Ticket sales start 90 days in advance.

Water crossings on Lake Onega (on Kizhi Island) and Lake Ladoga (on Valaam Island) are carried out under favorable weather conditions and in the absence of a storm warning.

In case of cancellation of the tour due to weather conditions, the company will refund the cost of the unproven services in full.

Seating on the bus is free.

The company reserves the right to change the order of provision of services without reducing their volume.

Due to the economic situation in the country, the company reserves the right to change prices. Check the price of the tour when booking!

The tour program includes the train schedule that is current as of the date of the tour's publication. Please check the information about the current timetable on the Russian Railways website.

The approximate time is indicated in the program. There may be changes depending on the current timetable of the ships and the schedule of excursions.

In connection with the entry into force of the new Rules for the provision of hotel services, in accordance with paragraph 18 of these rules, from 01.01.2021:

Minors under the age of 14 are checked into the hotel on the basis of identity documents of their parents (adoptive parents, guardians), accompanying person(s), provided that such accompanying person(s) provides notarized consent of legal representatives (one of them), as well as certificates about the birth of these minors.

Minors who have reached the age of 14 can be accommodated at the hotel in the absence of their legal representatives on the basis of documents certifying the identity of these minors, subject to the notarized consent of the legal representatives.

Air and railway tickets are not included in the price of the tour. You can purchase them yourself or contact us for help.

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.:

1. It is not recommended to climb into the impenetrable thickets of low-growing shrubs unnecessarily.
2. When moving along the forest road, do not tear off branches.
3. The legs should be completely covered (shorts are not recommended).
4. Sweatpants, tights (preferably with a smooth surface) should be tucked into socks.
5. It is mandatory to have a headdress (cap, headscarf).
6. It is advisable to hide long hair under a headdress.
7. After hiking in the forest, it is necessary to check (shake off) both outerwear and underwear.
8. Examine the whole body.
9. 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:

1. In any case, do not pull it yourself, because you can detach the body from the head (the head can exist without a body).
2. 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.
3. 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.

Due to the declaration of Sortavala as a border zone, all tourists visiting the region should carry an identity card (civil passports, birth certificates for children) for possible passport control.

The climate in Karelia is temperate continental. The summer is cool, but prolonged heat is possible. The weather changes frequently, with thunderstorms and heavy rains. The water in rivers and lakes warms up in late June and July to 18-20 degrees C. White nights last until the middle of summer.

The weather in Karelia is changeable, the wind may suddenly increase, and a storm may break out on the lakes. This is especially true of the Onega and Ladoga lakes. In this regard, there may be changes in the excursion programs related to movement on the water.

When there is a large wave on Lake Ladoga, high-speed vessels do not enter the route for technical reasons, but are replaced by slow-moving ones.

Insurance is not included in the tour program. The compulsory medical insurance policy is valid on the territory of the Russian Federation. You can purchase additional travel insurance on the website of a Large Country without commission directly from insurance companies.

When visiting active churches and the territory of the inner square of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam Monastery, the dress code must be observed: men must be without hats, women must have skirts and a headdress. 

It is not allowed to visit the monastery in sports or outdoor clothing. 

You can buy icons, candles, and hand in notes at the monastery's icon and souvenir shops.

Valaam Island is part of the Valaam Archipelago Nature Park. In accordance with the Federal Law "On the introduction of payment for visits to specially protected natural areas", you must independently pay for a visit in the amount of 200 rubles per person. There are preferential categories that are exempt from payment.