Greatness of the North: railway cruise to Karelia, Arkhangelsk and Veliky Ustyug

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The train passes through three regions — Karelia, Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions with their northern nature and rich festive traditions.

You will have a visit to the patrimony of Santa Claus, an interesting tour of Sortavala and acquaintance with the Ruskeala Mountain Park, as well as a New Year's Arkhangelsk and a country tour to the museum of wooden architecture and folk art "Malye Kareli".

Location

Russia, Moscow

from

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

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Tour highlights

The charm of the mountain park

We will admire the majestic marble slopes of the canyon and get acquainted with the history of mining

The beauty of wooden architecture

We will see a unique open-air museum, which has preserved for posterity the unique creations of folk architecture.

The hospitable Santa Claus

We will visit the patrimony of Santa Claus and see his house, which stands in the very center.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Departure by train from Moscow
Independent boarding of the train according to the original documents (passports, birth certificates for children under 14 years old).
16:20 Departure of the train from Leningradsky railway station in Moscow.
Please note! There is no entertainment program on the train on New Year's Eve.

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Day 2 - Mount Paaso. Ruskeala Mountain Park
06:25 Train arrival at Ruskeala Mountain Park station.
Breakfast on the train.
09:00 Meeting with a guide on the platform at Ruskeala Mountain Park station, boarding a bus, transfer to Sortavala.
Bus and walking sightseeing tour of the historical Karelian city of Sortavala, exploring the sights and architecture of the city.
Visit to Mount Paaso.
Transfer to Ruskeala Mountain Park.
The Marble Canyon tour is a great place to explore the park. The main location of the park is the marble slopes of the canyon.
Take a walk in the "Dry Tunnel" and visually get acquainted with the history of mining.
A stone processing workshop has been opened on the route. Guests can watch the master's work and purchase original souvenirs.
The Ruskeala Marble Canyon is one of the most popular attractions in the whole of Karelia, which consists of steep marble cliffs that go vertically down and break off into emerald-green water.
There is a special trail around the quarry where you can walk and enjoy these amazing and beautiful places.
Generally speaking, there are several quarries in the park.
The largest is the Grand Marble Canyon. Its length is about 500 meters, and its width is about 100 meters. An Italian quarry and two small lakes are located not far from it.
After the tour, you will have free time to explore the rich infrastructure of the mountain park.
16:00 Departure of the train to Arkhangelsk.

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Day 3 - Getting to know Arkhangelsk. The Maly Korely Museum
Breakfast on the train.
12:46 p.m. Arrival of the train in Arkhangelsk.
Meeting with the guide on the platform, boarding the bus.
Russian Russian culture and traditions Today you will visit Arkhangelsk, a city with a five-century history, the birthplace of northern Russian culture and traditions, which is called the capital of the Russian Arctic: it is from here that more than 300 expeditions dedicated to the study and development of the Russian North began.
Sightseeing bus and walking tour "Arkhangelsk New Year".
Arkhangelsk occupies a worthy place in the family of Russian cities.
It was in Arkhangelsk in 1693 that the very first New Year's fireworks in Russia thundered. Since the foundation of the city, the life of the city and its citizens has been intertwined with the history of the country, with the sea and numerous overseas guests.
The tour will introduce you to the history of the city, the diverse life of modern Arkhangelsk and its New Year traditions.
The embankment of the Northern Dvina, ancient houses and ice sculptures will not leave anyone indifferent!
Late lunch/early dinner in a cafe in the city.
A country tour at the Museum of Wooden Architecture and Folk Art "Maly Kareli" is a unique open–air museum that has preserved for posterity the unique creations of folk architecture and shows the life and everyday life of a Russian northern village of the past.
The largest collection of wooden architecture objects in the world is collected here.
Chopped huts, six–walled houses, ancient temples and bell towers, grain barns on stilts resembling fabulous "huts on chicken legs", and windmills – the whole world of Pomeranian architecture in one territory.
During the tour, you will learn about the traditions of decorating the house for Christmas, why housewives laid hay on the festive table, covering it with a towel and a tablecloth, about the most popular fortune-telling and many other things that our ancestors celebrated "holy" and "terrible" evenings.
Transfer to the railway station.
20:30 Departure of the train to Veliky Ustyug.

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Day 4 - Veliky Ustyug. A program to choose from
Breakfast on the train.
10:52 a.m. – arrival of the train in Veliky Ustyug.
Meeting with the guide on the platform, boarding the bus.
The program of your choice (specify the selected program when booking):
1. Program No. 1 (we recommend it for travelers with children, because we spend more time in Santa Claus' Patrimony).
Sightseeing tour of the city with a visit to the current temple of Prokopius the Righteous, the first in Russia, Christ for the sake of the fool, who saved the city from a stone cloud.
Master class/interactive program.
Lunch at a cafe in the city.
The program is based on the Patrimony of Santa Claus.
Travel along the magical path of fairy tales, where miracles meet, and the heroes of Russian folk tales offer fun and fun!
In the very center of the Patrimony stands the House of Santa Claus. It is built of wood, with two floors and 12 magical rooms, none of them like the other.
Guests will travel to Santa Claus's House with fabulous assistants who will tell about all the wonders that live in it.
Transfer to the railway station.
18:00 – departure of the train to Moscow.
2. Program No. 2 (aimed at adults with an extended sightseeing tour and a museum of New Year and Christmas toys).
Sightseeing tour of the city with a visit to the current temple of Prokopius the Righteous, the first in Russia, Christ for the sake of the fool, who saved the city from a stone cloud.
Lunch at a cafe in the city.
Visit to the museum of New Year's Christmas toys.
The program is based on the Patrimony of Santa Claus.
In the very center of the Patrimony stands the House of Santa Claus. It is built of wood, with two floors and 12 magical rooms, none of them like the other.
Guests will travel to Santa Claus's House with fabulous assistants who will tell about all the wonders that live in it.
Transfer to the railway station.
18:00 Departure of the train to Moscow.

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Day 5 - Return to Moscow
Breakfast on the train.
13:43 Train arrival at Yaroslavsky railway station in Moscow.

Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Tour organizer's comments

On some routes, climbing heights, long walks and being outdoors are possible to complete the experience. In such situations, you may need some physical effort, comfortable and appropriate to the weather and terrain, reliable shoes and clothing.

Accommodation

Train

4 nights

Comfort

Upscale

The tour provides for travel in a carriage of the selected category.

Please note! There are seats available in double compartments, there are no seats in quadruple compartments.

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

Category	Four-seater compartment	Double compartment	Single room in a double compartment
For an adult	84 800	116 700	199 400
For children from 0 to 9 years old inclusive (with a seat)	83 900	115 800	-
For children from 0 to 4 years old inclusive (without providing a separate seat and breakfast on the train)	29 800	29 800	-

The purchase of one additional seat in a four–seater compartment is 37,500 rubles.

The accommodation in the four-person compartment is mixed.

Preliminary description of the wagons:

Four-seater compartment:

2 lower + 2 upper shelves;
1 medium towel for 1 person.;
1 change of linen;
compartment cleaning — 1 time;
the presence of a traveler's kit (slippers, a toothbrush with toothpaste).

The car is single-story, 2 toilets with sinks per car. A shower car will be attached separately to the train.

When fully loaded, there are about 36 people in the car.

Double compartment:

2 lower shelves;
1 medium towel for 1 person.;
1 change of linen;
compartment cleaning — 1 time;
the presence of a traveler's kit (slippers, a toothbrush with toothpaste).

The car is single-storey, 2 toilets with sinks + 1 shower per car.

When fully loaded, there are about 18 people in the car.

The train has a dining car.

Tour conditions

Group

up to 50 tourists

Duration

5 days 4 nights

Group meets at

Russia, Moscow

Included in price

railway passage in a carriage of the selected type on the route Moscow – Ruskeala – Arkhangelsk – Veliky Ustyug – Moscow;
transportation and tour service according to the program;
entrance tickets to tourist sites according to the program;
meals according to the program.

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Moscow and back;
meals not specified in the program;
purchase of an additional compartment seat — 37,500 rubles.;
personal expenses.

It's important to know

Air and railway tickets from your city to Moscow and back are not included in the price of the tour. You can purchase them yourself or contact us for help.

It is impossible to know in advance whether passengers can board and disembark at non-fixed stops, upon arrival at which the tour service is provided (there may be parking on the train, but boarding/disembarking may not be allowed. There are various reasons for this. For example, the length of the platform does not allow, the train is on the sidings, and there is basically no platform.). The tour operator is not responsible for boarding and disembarking passengers when the train stops without sightseeing services.
Tourists can join the tourist route on any part of it, where there is a train parking with an excursion day service. But without recalculating the cost of the tour in terms of railway transportation. Since a cruise train ticket is issued from the start point of the tour to the end point of the tour, there will be no recalculation of the cost of railway travel in this case. For sightseeing days when tourists will not be present on excursions, we will recalculate the cost.
In a 4-seater compartment for two people, top+bottom accommodation is provided. Placement on the two lower shelves is possible only in a 2-seater compartment or a single compartment.
The purchase of the fourth seat in the compartment is optional, accommodation with check-in is possible.
Tours on the territory of the Russian Federation do not imply the presence of a notarized consent from one of the parents / legal representative for the child's trip accompanied by a third party. However, we recommend a handwritten consent from one of the parents / legal representatives to make a decision if medical care is needed for the child + a copy of the first page and the page with the registration of the parent / legal representative giving the handwritten consent.
Smoking is prohibited on the train (both electronic and plain cigarettes; a fine of 1,500 to 2,500 rubles). You can smoke in the train parking lots, if possible, get off the train in smoking areas specially designated on the platforms.
The tour operator issues railway tickets according to the tariff without transportation of animals (for group railway transportation of tourists, this tariff is not possible for registration). In addition, it is not allowed to enter the tour bus with animals (there may be allergies in the group). Pets are also not allowed to enter the museums.

Dates and Prices

The tour dates are not confirmed yet. Please, for clarification

$1,157

30 Dec, 2026 – 3 Jan, 2027 5 days 4 nights

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P
Polina

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5 May, 2026

The providers are true professionals. You feel completely safe and in good hands with them.
VS
Valentina Spasskaya

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11 Mar, 2026

The tour provider is very responsible and professional. They are attentive to the clients’ needs and preferences, take them into account, and help you find your way and make the right choice.
VK
Veronika Karpova

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5 Mar, 2026

Professional and friendly.