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

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Joy, romance, expectation of a miracle — these are the components of a great winter holiday that you will feel during the New Year's tour in Karelia!

Or maybe add more children's laughter and even a glass of champagne? Why not!

And all this festive set is packed in the republic with fluffy fir trees, winter landscapes and ... a huge number of attractions and winter entertainment.

The cost of the tour without accommodation is 20,300 rubles.
The cost of a tour with accommodation starts from 33,400 rubles.

Location

Petrozavodsk

Sightseeing tours

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

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Tour highlights

Winter Petrozavodsk

Immerse yourself in the friendly atmosphere of the northern city

Talviukko Residence

You will visit the residence of the main Santa Claus of Karelia

Kivach Waterfall

You will visit one of the largest flat waterfalls in Europe

Itinerary

Day 1 - Sightseeing tour of the city. Excursion to the Doll's House
We will meet you at the Petrozavodsk railway station upon arrival of train No. 018 Moscow — Petrozavodsk at the entrance to the railway station from the platform. A guide with a sign.
Breakfast in a cafe in the city.
And now we invite you to plunge into the friendly atmosphere of the northern city — the capital of Karelia — the city of Petrozavodsk.
On the sightseeing tour, you will see the beautiful embankment of Lake Onega, where you will find the "Tree of Desires" and other avant-garde sculptures donated to the city by the twin cities.
An exciting excursion to the Doll House Art Gallery.
In an effort to keep up with the times, we risk missing the chance to find ourselves in a fairy tale.
This exposition provides us with such an opportunity today.
Purchase of angels, weirdos, sofas and many other handmade toys by Karelian craftsmen.
Next, we will have a "New Year's trip to the Governor's House", during which you will make a fascinating journey through time.
Go to medieval Karelia and find out how the Yule festival was celebrated.
You will visit a Karelian hut at the end of the 19th century and get acquainted with ancient Christmas rituals.
You will be offered to guess riddles and tell fortunes on runes for the coming year.
Everyone will be able to make a simple Christmas decoration and make a wish.
The journey will end in the Hall of the Noble Assembly with everyone's favorite custom — plucking a fir tree.
Lunch at a cafe in the city.
Accommodation in the selected hotel.
Free time to prepare for the banquet.
New Year's banquet at the hotel restaurant.
New Year's Eve on December 31, 2024:
New Year's banquet at the Pauliner restaurant of the Peter Inn Hotel 4* — 10 000 rubles/adults, 7,500 rubles./children from 5 to 12 years old, 1 rub./children under 5 years old.
New Year's banquet at the Karelia Spa Hotel restaurant 4* — 12 000 rubles/adults, 4,500 rubles./children from 3 to 12 years old, 1 rub./children under 3 years old.
Detailed information on New Year's Eve banquets is provided in the "Important to know" section.

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Day 2 - The residence of Talviukko— the main Santa Claus of Karelia
Buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
Departure for an excursion program outside the city to the residence of Talviukko— the main Santa Claus of Karelia!
You will be warmly welcomed by the ubiquitous Puniki forest men, friends and assistants of the Karelian Santa Claus.
You definitely need to play with them, then playful Hunters will easily agree to show you amazing things: a reindeer farm, a Sami village and a sled dog kennel, the largest in Russia.
We will visit the office where weather contracts are concluded, the Fabulous reception room, which has been visited by the most wonderful people and magical creatures, and the laboratory of miracles.
If you make a wish in it, it will certainly come true!
Let's get acquainted with the legend of Talviucco.
And free time, which can be spent at your discretion for an additional fee.:
reindeer sledding: children under 12 years old — 2000 rubles, adults — 2500 rubles.;
dog sledding 500 m.: children under 12 years — 2000 rubles, adults — 2500 rubles.;
dog sledding 1500 m.: children under 12 liters. — 2500 rubles, adults — 3000 rubles.
Return to the hotel.

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Day 3 - Free day or excursions to choose from
Buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
Guided tours to choose from for an additional fee (to be booked and paid with the tour):
Excursion to Ruskeala Mountain Park.
The tour "Visiting the huskies".
Excursion to Kizhi island through Zaonezhye.
A detailed description of the excursions is provided in the "Important to know" section.

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Day 4 - Kivach Waterfall and arboretum. Marcial Waters Resort
Buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
Room release.
Departure for the excursion program:
Today we will get acquainted with the mysterious shungite, which is mined only in Karelia.
We will learn about the properties of shungite and its application, and visit the shungite relaxation room, where relaxation will give you an incredible boost of vibrant energy.
Visit Kivach Waterfall, one of the largest lowland waterfalls in Europe.
You will also visit the arboretum, the decoration and pride of which are the famous Karelian birches.
Karelian birch is a tree to which nature has given the amazing beauty of wood, which resembles marble in its pattern.
Even in the 21st century, there is a debate among scientists about the origin of this amazing tree!
Lunch at a cafe.
A trip to the first Russian resort "Marcial Waters", founded by Peter the Great in 1719.
Visit to the Church of St. Peter the Apostle (1721), tasting water from famous natural springs. Inspection of the museum and the Church of Peter and Paul – 1721
Return to Petrozavodsk and stop at Sampo Mountain on the way. For locals and tourists alike, Mount Sampo is a place of power.
Those who believe in it rush to Mount Sampo. However, once in this place, you involuntarily begin to believe in the magic and fairy tale of nature: beautiful views open from the top, and you want to stay for a moment longer, peering into the outlines of the rocks, looking at the lake with dozens of small islands and listening to the mysterious noise of the trees.
Arrival in Petrozavodsk at the railway station approximately at 17:00.
Farewell to the guide. See you soon!
Departure to Moscow by train No. 17 or to St. Petersburg.

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Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Hotel

3 nights

Comfort

Premium

The cost of the tour for 1 person without accommodation, RUB.:

	Cost
Adult	20 300
Child under 16 years old	19 800

The cost of the tour for 1 person, depending on the accommodation at the Karelia Spa hotel 4*, RUB.:

Placement	Cost
Double occupancy	34 000
Double occupancy children under 16 years old	33 500
Double room Junior Suite dabl	36 400
Single occupancy	41 100
Additional place in the Junior Suite	30 000
Additional place in the Junior Suite for children under 16 years old	29 500

The cost of the tour for 1 person, depending on the accommodation at the Peter Inn 4* hotel, RUB.:

Placement	Cost
Double occupancy	33 400
Double occupancy children under 16 years old	32 900
Double Superior accommodation	35 400
Double Room Junior Suite	39 000
Single occupancy	46 400
Additional place adults	26 000
Additional place children under 16 years old	25 500

Karelia Spa Hotel 4*

It is located in the city of Petrozavodsk, near the historical center.

The hotel has cozy and bright rooms, which have everything you need for a comfortable stay: comfortable furniture, TV, work desk. The bathroom has a shower and toiletries.

It offers a chic restaurant, a spa, a swimming pool and a sauna. Free parking and Wi-Fi are available on site. The restaurant serves breakfast and a variety of local dishes.

Karelia Spa Hotel is 2.1 km from the train station and 21 km from Petrozavodsk Airport.

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Another option

Peter Inn Hotel 4*

It is a 5-minute walk from the railway station and offers impeccable quality service, friendly staff and the highest safety standards.

180 rooms of 4 different categories, including rooms for people with disabilities.

The two-storey Paulaner Brewery restaurant offers guests Bavarian cuisine and freshly brewed unfiltered beer. The CoffeeShop coffee shop, unique in its design, is ideal for meetings and negotiations.

Standard rooms
In the standard rooms of the hotel, guests can take advantage of free high-speed wireless Internet access, a safe and a flat-screen TV, as well as relax in a comfortable bed and appreciate the individual climate control system.

Approximate area: 20-24 sq. m. Maximum number of guests: 2 adults and 1 child.

Main features: Hair dryer, individual climate control, safe, telephone, shower cabin.

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Tour conditions

Group

up to 50 tourists

Minimum age

5 years old

Duration

4 days 3 nights

Group meets at

Petrozavodsk

Included in price

accommodation, when choosing a rate with accommodation;
meals specified in the program:
- when choosing a rate with accommodation — 4 breakfasts, 2 lunches;
- when choosing a fare without accommodation — 1 breakfast (on the first day), 2 lunches;
transportation services according to the program;
the work of a guide, animators, instructors;
excursion service according to the program;
entrance tickets for excursions;
excursions:
- overview of Petrozavodsk;
- to the Shungite Center;
- Kivach Waterfall;
- to Talviukko's residence;
- to the Doll's House Art Gallery;
- interactive program "New Year's trip to the Governor's House";
- to the Marcial waters and Mount Sampo.

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Petrozavodsk and back;
accommodation, when choosing a tariff without accommodation;
New Year's banquet (to be paid upon purchase of the tour):
- at the Paulayer restaurant of the Peter Inn Hotel:
  - adults — 10,000 rubles/person.;
  - children under 5 years old — 1 RUB/person.;
  - children from 5 to 12 years old — 7,500 rubles/person.;
- at the Karelia Spa Hotel 4*:
  - adults – 12,000 rubles/person.;
  - children from 3 to 12 years old – 4,500 rubles/person.;
  - children under 3 years old – 1 RUB/person.
excursion to Kizhi Island (payment at the time of booking the tour, the recommended hotel in the tour, when choosing this tour — "Peter Inn" 4*):
- adults – 7,500 rubles/person.;
- children from 5 to 12 years old inclusive, students, pensioners – 7,200 rubles/person.;
excursion to Ruskeala Mountain Park (payment at the time of booking the tour):
- adults – 4000 rubles/person.;
- pensioners, students – 3800 rubles/person.;
- children under 16 years old – 3600 rubles/person.
excursion to visit the husky (payment at the time of booking the tour):
- adults — 7,000 rubles/person.;
- children from 5 to 12 years old inclusive — 5,000 rubles/person.;
- children under 5 years old (with a seat on the bus, without meals, riding with a parent) — 2,500 rubles/person.;
reindeer sledding:
- children under 12 years of age — 2,000 rubles/person.;
- adults — 2,500 rubles/person.;
dog sledding 500 m.:
- children under 12 years of age — 2,000 rubles/person.;
- adults — 2,500 rubles/person.;
dog sledding 1500 m.:
- children under 12 years old — 2,500 rubles/person.;
- adults — 3,000 rubles/person.;
many visiting sites charge a fee for photo and video shooting — from 10 to 150 rubles.

It's important to know

identification document;
for tourists traveling with children, a birth certificate of children is required;
compulsory medical insurance policy;
warm, windproof and waterproof clothing;
cash — it is not possible to pay with bank cards everywhere at the facilities.

On the first and last day of the tour, all items can be checked into the hotel's luggage room or left in the luggage compartment of the bus. You will not need to take them with you on the tour.

Excursions to choose from for an additional fee (booked and paid together with the tour):

1. Excursion to Ruskeala Mountain Park.

09:00 Departure by comfortable bus to West Karelia (260 km). A visit to the Ruskeala Mountain Park. The park was created in 2005 on the basis of a unique monument of the industrial heritage of Russia, the Ruskeala marble quarry.

Marble mining was started here in 1769 by decree of Catherine II to decorate the famous buildings of St. Petersburg: the Marble Palace, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Mariinsky Palace, etc.

The most popular place to visit among guests and residents of Karelia! The combination of Karelian nature and human activity has given these quarries a surprisingly picturesque appearance, which attracts travel enthusiasts not only from Karelia.

On the way, stop at the Ruskeala waterfall Ahvenkoski.

Translated from the Finnish language, "Perch threshold". Locals sometimes call it the "waterfall at three bridges". The bathing scene of one of the heroines of the film "And the dawns are quiet here" was filmed at this waterfall. Amazingly picturesque nature invariably attracts the creators of modern films with its mysterious beauty and some mysterious power.

In 2010, a fantasy film "The Dark World" was shot here (entrance fee is paid additionally on site).

21:00 Return to the hotel.

Time to rest.

2. Excursion "To visit the husky".

Departure for the excursion program to the country dog kennel — the only kennel of Chukchi Sled Dogs in Russia, and there are also other breeds of sled dogs, such as: Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Taimyr sled dogs, Samoyed dog. Getting to know the cabins and sled dogs. Participation in the preparation of the team for the trip, instruction.

Cheerfully ride a dog sled through the picturesque snowy Karelian forest 2 km.

And in the Polar explorer's House, by the fireplace with a live fire, you will write a real letter to the North Pole, which will be delivered and sent to you by a famous polar explorer on a real Arctic expedition. A unique opportunity to touch the little-studied and almost forgotten life of the northern peoples. Feel the spirit of the far North!

A hot lunch with lohikato, a rustic plate (pickles and smoked meats), a gate, a morse of northern berries, herbal teas and a tasting of drinks with northern herbs and berries. Return to the hotel.

3. Excursion to Kizhi Island through Zaonezhye.

The tour starts from the railway station.

During the bus tour (travel time is 4 hours and 30 minutes) from Petrozavodsk to the village of Oyatevshchyna, you will see the deposit of the Karelian mineral shungite and visit the healing spring "Tsaritsyn Klyuch".

It takes 10 minutes by hovercraft from the village of Oyatevshchyna to Kizhi Island.

On the island you will visit the Kizhi architectural ensemble, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, walk through the Zaonezhskaya village, see one of the oldest wooden churches in Russia and get acquainted with the daily life of the Zaonezhans of the 19th century.

The duration of the tour is 1 hour and 30 minutes.

After the walk, you will find a heated cozy hut in an old peasant house, fragrant tea from a samovar and New Year's treats.

Return trip to Petrozavodsk (travel time 4 hours and 30 minutes).

Departure for the tour at 07:00.

Return at 21:00.

The recommended hotel, when choosing this tour, is "Peter Inn" 4*.

Please note: You can only get to Kizhi Island by the end of January in this way, because the ice in the open Onega Lake and in Petrozavodsk usually rises only by the end of January. In this regard, to get to Kizhi, you need to take a bus almost to the island itself in a detour, through Medvezhegorsk. And there is a short distance on strong ice (because this is the northern part of the lake and there are skerries — in which the ice rises very quickly) on a hovercraft. This is the only way to get to Kizhi on New Year's holidays!

NEW YEAR'S EVE MENU

Cold appetizers and salads:

Assorted fish 150 gr. (cold smoked sockeye salmon fillet, cold smoked salmon, cold smoked escolar, mackerel riet, lemon, microgreens).
Cold cuts 170 gr. (roast beef, chicken terrine, Dijon mustard, cherry tomatoes, micro-greens).
Assorted cheeses 170 gr. (parmesan, cheddar, camembert, dorbloux, edam, honey, walnut, grissini).
Assorted vegetables and pickles 150 gr. (fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, pickled peppers, wild cherry, pickled pears, cabbage in Georgian, micro-greens).
Salad with tangerine and chicken 100 gr. (chicken fillet, iceberg lettuce, orange, soy sauce, tangerine, cherry tomatoes, sunflower oil).
Olivier 100 gr. (turkey fillet, boiled potatoes, pickled cucumber, green peas, chicken egg, quail egg, trout roe, salad shrimp).
Salad of three types of meat 100 gr. (homemade pork, beef tongue, ham, mushrooms, onions, pickled cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, capers, olive oil, mustard).

A hot dish to choose from:

Salmon steak with cream sauce and green salsa 120/150/50 gr. (salmon, broccoli cabbage, spinach, zucchini, onion, garlic, olive oil, lemon, leek, dry white wine, cream).
Rabbit sous-vide with ptitim paste and cloudberry sauce 150/150/50 gr. (rabbit leg, ptitim paste, onion, parsley, butter, dry white wine).

Hot appetizer:

Sausage kebab with venison 125 gr.

Hot dish for children under 12 years old:

Turkey meatballs with mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables 250 gr.

Dessert, fruits and pastries

Dessert "New Year" 60 gr. (yogurt, cream 33%, leaf gelatin, sugar, black currant, cranberries, shantipak, coconut chips).
Fruit plateau 150 gr. (tangerine, grapes, pear, apple, kiwi, physalis, mint, powdered sugar).
Bread basket with pastries 150 gr.
Rye and wheat bread, a pie with meat, a gate with potatoes

Drinks:

water;
Morse;
champagne;
Paulaner beer from our own brewery;
Karelian tinctures.

The offer includes: welcome-drink, show program, festive menu, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages.

Note: children under 5 years old take a full place at the banquet.

Dates and Prices

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

from
$257

30 Dec, 2025 – 2 Jan, 2026 4 days 3 nights

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from
$257

3 – 6 Jan, 2026 4 days 3 nights

Tour option - Merry Christmas in Karelia

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Reviews

N
Natalia

about provider

2 May, 2025

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Everything was clearly explained, whenever we had questions, they were answered thoroughly and patiently.
A
Anastasia

about provider

23 Apr, 2025

I’ll definitely keep exploring Russian cities or return to Karelia to discover more of its sights. I can wholeheartedly recommend the tour operator “Big Country.” I’m really happy with my trip. It was an exciting and fulfilling vacation packed into just 4 days.
AS
Anaid Shahbazyan

about provider

19 Mar, 2025

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From the moment we were met at the train station to the hotel, the guides, and all the excursions, everything was flawlessly organized. I enjoyed every part of it.

Happy New Year in Karelia