Karelia 555

Breakfast in the restaurant.

11:00 From the Sortavala pier, you will take a boat trip to Valaam Island. The trip to the island will take about an hour. During this time, you will be able to fully enjoy the beauties and expanses of Lake Ladoga. Valaam Island.

Here you will see a beautiful stone chapel, built in the late 19th century from red brick. An ancient 62-step pilgrimage staircase will take you up Mount Tabor to the Valaam Monastery.

Along the way, you will see the monastery garden surrounded by greenery, where fruit trees and berry bushes grow.

At the top of the mountain, you will be greeted by the Transfiguration Cathedral with its famous sky-blue domes, the center of the ensemble of the Central Estate.

After passing through the Holy Gates, you will enter the territory of the monastery, where the guide will tell you about the history and architecture of this place, and you will also visit the Transfiguration Cathedral, where the relics of the founders of the monastery, Herman and Sergius of Valaam, rest.

Lunch in the refectory.

On the way back, take a boat trip along the unique Ladoga skerries with access to the open Lake Ladoga and disembark on the island of Honkasalo.

You will admire the picturesque landscapes, stroll through uninhabited islands and be able to take selfies in locations on beautiful cliffs inaccessible to most tourists on bus tours.

Return to the city and transfer to the hotel.

Breakfast in the restaurant.

Room release.

Optional visit to the trout farm to buy fish, caviar and souvenirs.

09:00 – 11:00 We leave for Petrozavodsk.

We drive along the shore of Lake Ladoga to one of the most rarely visited waterfalls in Karelia – White Bridges.

It is located in the Pitkyarantsky district on the river with the difficult-to-pronounce name Kulismajoki.

The height of the waterfall is about 17 meters. This is the highest waterfall in South Karelia!

It is possible to move to the waterfall by special transport.

Excursion to the Tunic deposit of almandines, in simple terms, Karelian garnets. These are crystals of dark crimson and cherry-red color, known since the 16th century.

You will become a participant in the fascinating process of mining these beautiful minerals, and under the guidance of an experienced guide you will find your cherished pebble, which will become a valuable souvenir embodying your adventure in Karelia.

Lunch at the restaurant.

Arrival in Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia.

Let's go on an exciting tour with a master class and tasting at the Karelian ice cream factory. An hour of vivid impressions and sweet discoveries awaits you!

You will take a mini-journey into the history of ice cream, see how the very "taste of Karelia" is created, and learn all the secrets of production.

The culmination will be a master class where everyone, under the guidance of a technologist, will prepare and decorate their own popsicle. And it will end, of course, with an unlimited tasting of the freshest soft ice cream – eat as much as you want!

19:00 Accommodation at the hotel in standard rooms.

Breakfast at the hotel restaurant.

Guided walk to the pier.

Meteor ride on Lake Onega to Kizhi Island.

You will see the endless expanses of Onego and numerous picturesque islands called the Kizhi skerries.

The excursion "Masterpieces of Kizhi Island", which will bring a lot of positive emotions and a charge of healthy energy from staying in the clean air.

The Kizhi Museum-Reserve can be called Karelia in miniature: 68 monuments of traditional wooden architecture are collected here in the open air. Kizhi is greatness and simplicity! Strength and grace!

After the tour, climb to the tent bell tower. Take a bird's-eye view of the protected island and the famous Kizhi skerries, and explore the main belfry of the Kizhi parish.

Free time on the island.

Return to Petrozavodsk.

Getting to know the capital of Karelia – sightseeing tour "From the history of Petrozavodsk".

You will find an interesting immersion in the history of the city from the reign of Peter the Great to the present day. You will learn how Petrozavodsk was founded and even see the places at the mouth of the Lososinka River, where Petrovskaya Sloboda originated.

With his fascinating story, the guide will take you back to the time of the Petrovsky Factory construction.

You will stroll through the beautiful old squares and avenues, take a lot of photos at art objects and monuments in the open-air "museum" on the famous Onega Embankment.

Dinner in a restaurant with Karelian cuisine.

Breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Room release.

At 09:00 we are going on a country trip.

09:30 – 10:30 The first stop is Sampo Mountain.

For locals and tourists alike, Sampo Mountain is a place where legends are born. Once here, you involuntarily begin to believe in the magic of nature: from the top there are endless views, and you want to linger, peering into the outlines of the rocks and listening to the mysterious noise of ancient trees.

11:00 – 12:00 Then we will move to the resort "Marcial waters".

This is the first Russian resort founded by Peter the Great on the basis of ferruginous mineral springs. The tsar himself visited and was treated here 4 times. In the middle of the last century, a museum dedicated to the history of the resort was opened.

Here you will visit the Church of St. Peter the Apostle of the 18th century, the caretaker's house with a unique historical exposition and be sure to taste the water from three healing springs.

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch in a cozy cafe.

14:30 – 15:30 Departure to the Kivach Nature Reserve. The pearl of the reserve is Kivach Waterfall, which has long become the hallmark of Karelia. This is the second largest lowland waterfall in Europe, and people flock here to feel its power, hear the age-old roar of stormy water and learn a beautiful local legend.

Also in the reserve you will meet with the famous Karelian birch and visit a small but very cozy "Nature Museum".

Return to Petrozavodsk at 17:00 at the railway station.

The end of the program.