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

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Embark on an exciting journey through Karelia, a land of lakes, forests and ancient secrets!

Stunning landscapes, unique natural and historical monuments, as well as unforgettable experiences await you.

You will see the famous Ruskeala Mountain Park, powerful waterfalls, holy islands and ancient monasteries, plunge into the atmosphere of northern nature and feel its magic.

This tour is a great way to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and get full of Karelian energy.

Location

Russia, Republic of Karelia, Sortavala

Sightseeing tours

from

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

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Tour highlights

Ruskeala Mountain Park

Admire the beauty and grandeur of the marble Canyon

Capital of Karelia

Take a walk along the Onega embankment and make a wish at the "Wishing Tree"

The mysterious Kizhi Island

Go to the island, which is the "calling card" not only of Karelia, but also of Russia.

Kivach Waterfall

You will see one of the largest lowland waterfalls in Europe

Solovetsky Islands

Immerse yourself in the history of the Solovetsky Monastery, learn about its past and feel the indescribable atmosphere.

The power of shungite

Visit the relaxation room filled with the power of a rare rock

Itinerary

Day 1 - Ruskeala Mountain Park
Meeting in Sortavala, train No. 160A at 08:22 at the entrance to the railway station from the city. A guide with a sign greets you.
Breakfast in a cafe in the city.
Departure by comfortable bus to Ruskeala Mountain Park.
Excursion to Ruskeala Mountain Park — Marble Canyon.
The park was established in 2005 on the basis of the Ruskeala Marble Quarry, a unique monument of Russia's industrial heritage.
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 combination of Karelian nature and human activity has given these quarries a surprisingly picturesque appearance that attracts travel enthusiasts not only from Karelia.
The next stop is at the Ruskeala Akhvenkoski waterfall.
The bathing scene of one of the heroines of the film "And the dawns here are quiet" was filmed at this waterfall.
Amazingly picturesque nature invariably attracts the creators of modern films with its mysterious beauty and some kind of mysterious power.
In 2010, a fantasy film "The Dark World" was shot here.
Entrance to the waterfall is paid for on the spot at the ticket office.
Return to Sortavala.
Dinner at a cafe in the city.
Accommodation at the Piipun Piha Hotel.
Time to rest.

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Day 2 - Valaam Island (for an additional fee)
Buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
Room release.
Boarding the bus with your belongings.
Transfer to the pier.
For an additional fee, an excursion to Valaam Island (to be booked with the tour, to be paid on the spot).
Departure by Meteor to Valaam Island (45 minutes along Lake Ladoga).
Arrival at the monastery bay.
Sightseeing tour of the central estate of the monastery with a visit to the Transfiguration Cathedral, chapels, cell buildings, outbuildings and hotel buildings.
Lunch in the monastery refectory.
Transfer to Nikonovskaya Bay.
Visit to the Resurrection and Gethsemane skete.
Return to Sortavala.
Attention: the water excursion to Valaam Island will take place under favorable weather conditions!
Departure to Petrozavodsk.
Accommodation at the Peter Inn 4* hotel.
Time to rest.

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Day 3 - Guided tour of the capital of Karelia. Kizhi Island Tour
Buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant
Meeting with the guide in the hotel lobby.
Sightseeing tour of the capital of Karelia and a walk along the Onega embankment.
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.
Be sure to visit the Governor's Park.
Excursion to Kizhi Island.
Ride on the "Comet" (1 hour and 20 minutes on Lake Onega).
Kizhi Island is a "calling card" not only of Karelia, but also of Russia.
The unique ensemble of the Churchyard is known all over the world, and every year the flow of tourists wishing to visit the island is only growing.
Guided tour of the museum-reserve with a visit to the Church of the Intercession and ethnographic exhibitions.
Return to Petrozavodsk.
Time to rest.

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Day 4 - Kivach Waterfall
Buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
Room release.
Departure to the city of Kem.
On the way:
Visit to the Shungite Center.
Visit to the souvenir center, where you can buy figurines, cosmetics, jewelry made of shungite at wholesale prices.
As well as a visit to the relaxation room, filled with the vitality of shungite.
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 on the way.
Arrival in Kem.
20:00 Accommodation at the tourist complex "Pier" Rabochyostrovsk.
Free time.

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Day 5 - Solovetsky Islands
Breakfast.
Room release.
Transfer by boat to the Solovetsky Islands (2 hours across the White Sea).
Arrival at the Bay of Well-being.
The items are transported to the hotel.
Sightseeing tour of the Central estate of the Solovetsky Monastery.
The tour introduces visitors to the history of the Solovetsky Monastery, the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp, the Training Detachment of the Northern Fleet and the Jung School.
Tourists visit the territory of the central complex of the monastery, active temples, monuments included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, objects of economic activity of the monastery, expositions.
Lunch at the island cafe.
Accommodation at the hotel.
Time to relax or explore the island on your own.

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Day 6 - Boat trip to Bolshoy Zayatsky Island (for an additional fee)
Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
For an additional fee, a boat trip and an excursion to Bolshoy Zayatsky Island (to be booked with the tour, to be paid on the spot).
Today you can enjoy a boat trip to Bolshoy Zayatsky Island.
On the island you will visit the largest pagan sanctuary of the II–I millennia BC, see stone labyrinths, a complex of religious and funerary structures, Russia's first stone harbor, monuments of St. Andrew's skete.
Lunch for an additional fee at one of the island's cafes.
Free time.
Dinner for an additional fee at one of the island's cafes.

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Day 7 - Sekirnaya Mountain, Botanical Garden (for an additional fee)
Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
Room release before 10:00.
Things in the luggage room.
Guided tour for an additional fee Sekirnaya Mountain and Botanical Garden (to be booked with the tour, to be paid on the spot).
We invite you to visit one of the highest points of Bolshoy Solovetsky Island — Mount Sekirnaya, from the top of which you can enjoy an unforgettable view of the northern part of Bolshoy Solovetsky Island and the White Sea.
To get acquainted with the history and monuments of the current Holy Ascension Skete, where during the time of the Solovetsky camp there was a penal isolation unit - a place of detention and punishment of prisoners.
See the unique lighthouse church.
And also take a look at one of the northernmost botanical gardens in Russia, which is located on the territory of the former Makaryevskaya desert, see the monuments, unique plantings of various periods of the history of the Solovetsky Islands, enjoy the amazing view of the ensemble of the Solovetsky Monastery, opening from Alexandrovskaya Hill.
Return to the village.
Lunch for an additional fee at one of the island's cafes.
16:00 Boarding the ship.
Return to Kem.
Accommodation in the tourist complex "Pier".
Tourists from St. Petersburg can leave Kemi by evening train No. 011 from Kemi to St. Petersburg at 20:40. In this case, a discount is provided.

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Day 8 - Departure home
Breakfast at the cafe.
Room release.
Transfer to Kemi railway station.
Departure to Moscow by train No. 091A Kem — Moscow at 10:06.
To St. Petersburg by train No. 015A Kem - St. Petersburg at 06:19.
See you soon!

Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Tour organizer's comments

The tour has large bus crossings of up to 300 km in one direction.

Accommodation

Hotel

5 nights
Camp Site

2 nights

Comfort

Upscale

The tour includes accommodation in hotels and at the tourist complex.

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

Placement option	Cost, rub.
Double occupancy, adult	81 000
Double occupancy, child under 10 years old	78 000
Extra seat, child under 10 years old	58 500
Extra seat, adult	61 500
Single occupancy	112 000

Tourists from St. Petersburg can leave Kemi on the seventh day of the tour by evening train No. 011 from Kemi to St. Petersburg. In this case, a discount is provided (please specify when booking).

The hotel is located in the Republic of Karelia. It offers internet access, a terrace, a sauna, a gift shop, a parking space, a laundry service and a shuttle service.

The rooms have all the necessary furniture and appliances for a comfortable stay.

The hotel has a restaurant where hearty and delicious breakfasts are served. The bar offers a wide range of refreshing drinks.

The distance to the train station is just over two kilometers. The journey to the airport takes about three hours.

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Tour conditions

Group

From 35 to 50 tourists

Minimum age

7 years old

Duration

8 days 7 nights

Group meets at

Russia, Republic of Karelia, Sortavala

Included in price

accommodation in hotels;
meals according to the program (8 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner);
transportation services along the route;
The guide's job;
entrance tickets for excursions;
guided tours included in the price of the tour:
- Petrozavodsk City Tour;
- Kizhi Island Tour;
- Ruskeala Mountain Park tour — Marble Canyon;
- Kivach Waterfall tour;
- visit to the Kivach Nature Reserve Museum;
- visit to the Karelian Birch Arboretum on the territory of the Kivach Nature Reserve;
- sightseeing tour of the Solovetsky Monastery.

Paid extra

railway tickets to Sortavala and back from Kemi;
meals not included in the tour program;
entrance to the Akhvenkoski waterfall (to be paid on the spot at the ticket office) – 500 rubles/person.;
boat trip to Bolshoy Zayatsky Island with an excursion (booked with the tour, paid on site) – 1,700 rubles/person.;
excursion to Valaam Island (to be booked upon purchase of the tour, to be paid on the spot):
- adult – 6800 rubles/person.;
- children under 12 years old – 3,500 rubles/person.;
the fee for visiting the protected area "Valaam Archipelago" (self–payment on the website of the Directorate of Specially Protected Natural Territories of Regional significance of the Republic of Karelia) is 200 rubles/person.;
the tour "Sekirnaya Mountain. Holy Ascension Skete (to be booked with the tour, to be paid on the spot) – 1,800 rubles/person.

It's important to know

1. Medical preparations for individual needs.

2. Documents: passport, insurance policy (medical), when traveling with children — children's birth certificate.

3. Comfortable sports shoes:

sneakers or moccasins, but not new, but familiar and comfortable;
replacement shoes (light sneakers or sneakers).

4. Sportswear for hot and cool weather:

The jacket is windproof, waterproof;
raincoat;
warm tracksuit (sweatshirt, pants);
T-shirts with long (from sunburn) and short sleeves;
sports trousers;
shorts;
socks.

5. Headdress: cap, panama hat (with visor).

6. Bathing suit.

7. Personal hygiene products.

8. Useful equipment:

small backpack (20-30 l);
flashlight with spare batteries;
sunscreen (required);
sunglasses.

9. For photo and video equipment, take care of an airtight package in case of rain.

To visit monasteries and temples, women will need a headscarf and a skirt below the knee, and men will need long trousers.

Please note that in summer, especially in early June, temperature differences from +30°C to +10°C are possible. Therefore, take care in advance of warm clothes, windbreakers, hats and comfortable, familiar, worn shoes, because you will have to spend a lot of time on your feet.

Dates and Prices

$1,003

1 – 8 Jun 8 days 7 nights

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$1,003

6 – 13 Jul 8 days 7 nights

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$1,003

10 – 17 Aug 8 days 7 nights

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Reviews

AS
Anaid Shahbazyan

about provider

19 Mar, 2025

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.

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IT
Igor Tikhonov

about provider

17 Mar, 2025

I enjoyed everything about the tour

Mega tour of Karelia