Mount Vottovaara is a Pisan. Jeep Tour

We will drive more than 300 km through Karelia, along the old Murmansk highway — the historical route to the resort of Marcial Waters, which was opened by Peter I. 

We will see the ancient Girvas volcano, Pisanets Lake, climb to the top of Vottovar, visit the famous picturesque Kivach waterfall. 

We will try Karelian treats, admire the taiga and take great photos!

The tour is held on any date for groups of 2 people or more.

Location

Petrozavodsk
from
$261
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
2 Days
1 Night
Departures
  • Group departures
    • Dates for next season
    • 14 – 15 May, 2025
    • 3 – 4 June, 2025
    • 10 – 11 June, 2025
    • 24 – 25 June, 2025
or
Accommodation
  • Guest House
    1 night
Comfort
  • Midscale
Difficulty
Moderate
Involves moderate physical activity
Group
Up to 50 people
Minimum age
8 years old
Group meet at
Petrozavodsk
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
Or text us in messengers

Tour highlights

Marcial waters
Let's go to the first Russian resort and taste the healing waters
Kivach Waterfall
We will visit the largest plain waterfall in Europe and enjoy the scenery of the reserve
Tastes of Karelia
Let's try dishes of national Karelian cuisine

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Inspection of Girvassky hydroelectric power station and Pisanets Lake. Girvas Volcano

    09:00 Meeting at the Petrozavodsk train station, accommodation by jeep.  

    Breakfast in a cafe in the city. A short sightseeing tour of the city, a walk along the Onega embankment.

    10:00 Departure from Petrozavodsk along the Cola highway.

    We are moving along the "old Murmansk highway" — the historical path along which Peter the Great passed for treatment in the "Marcial Waters".

    11:00 Visit to the first Russian resort "Marcial waters". (Founded by Peter I in 1719).

    Tasting of healing water from 3 underground springs.

    Further movement to Girvas village.

    12:00 Inspection of the operating Girvasskaya HPP (Paleozerskaya HPP), built in the period from 1933 to 1951 on a rock of volcanic origin.

    It was thanks to the spillway of the hydroelectric power station, which washed away the soil from the cliff, that the oldest volcano, Girvas (3 billion years old), was discovered.

    We continue along the route — the asphalt ends, the road gets worse and worse, and here we are driving along a narrow forest path with dilapidated bridges through the Karelian taiga.

    14:00 Rest on the shore of a beautiful forest lake, lunch.

    Sandwiches, pies and wickets with potatoes (Karelian national pastries). Fresh vegetables. Hot tea, coffee.

    Tasting of balsam and sweet liqueurs made from natural Karelian berries and herbs.

    Having refreshed ourselves, we continue our journey. Our current goal is a lake of tectonic origin — Pisanets.

    Unlike most Karelian lakes formed by the movement of a glacier, Lake Pisanets is a fault in the earth's crust — long, narrow and incredibly deep. 

    The depth of this small-looking lake, according to some sources, reaches 200 meters!

    16:00 We leave the jeeps, 10 minutes on foot along the forest path and we go out onto the steep shore of Lake Pisanets. From the top point there is a beautiful view of a long rocky fault, at the bottom of which is Lake Pisanets.

    Sightseeing of the lake, a walk along the steep shore, photos. Return to the jeeps, move to the village of Gimola.

    21:00 Arrival at the hotel, dinner.

  • Day 2 - A trip to Mount Vottovaara. Kivach Waterfall
Difficulty
Involves moderate physical activity

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Guest House
    1 night
Comfort
  • Midscale

The tour provides accommodation in a guest house (please specify the details when booking the tour) in the village of Gimoly.

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

When boarding 3 participants in the car + instructor25,875 rubles/person.
When boarding, 2 participants in the car + an instructor33,000 rubles/person.
Guest House 1 night

Accommodation in rooms with amenities.

Tour conditions

Group
up to 50 tourists
Minimum age
8 years old
Duration
2 days 1 night
Group meets at
Petrozavodsk

Included in price

  • SUVs (imported four-wheel drive vehicles, fuel, driver-guide);
  • accommodation in a guest house;
  • meals according to the program throughout the route;
  • tasting of alcoholic beverages made from Karelian berries and herbs;
  • entrance fees.

Paid extra

  • air and railway tickets to Petrozavodsk and back;
  • Karelian souvenirs made of stone, birch bark, wood, national drinks, preparations of Karelian mushrooms and berries.

It's important to know

Personal equipment you need for the tour

1. Backpack.
All personal items must be carefully packed in a travel backpack. Bags or suitcases will not work, they will be very inconvenient to carry and put in jeeps.

2. Trekking waterproof boots (preferably high – above the bone) or high leather boots.
If there are none, you can take rubber boots, but it can be uncomfortable to be in boots all day.

3. Sneakers – you can wear them in camps.
Most of the time you will be wearing shoes on the route, sneakers.

4. Outerwear:

  • a tourist waterproof jacket (or windbreaker), with a hood. The jacket should have cuffs on the sleeves, cover the lower back well and be tightly zipped;
  • trousers are better than waterproof travel trousers, but jeans or any durable trousers that are comfortable for you will also work well;
  • a sports down jacket is for night gatherings around the campfire. Optional, but it must be very tightly folded and packed so that it does not take up much space;
  • a hat or cap without nets and holes, if you do not want to wear a hood.

5. Undergarments:

  • a sweater (sweatshirt) or a pair of thick T-shirts (shirts) with long sleeves;
  • a pair of warm socks and thin socks for every day;
  • lightweight sports cotton pants and a lightweight cotton T–shirt - as nightwear;
  • underwear;
  • swimming trunks, if you want to swim.

6. Personal hygiene products and anti-mosquito products.

  • towel, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and more;
  • insect repellents – mosquitoes, horseflies, midges. We recommend using Gardex aerosol products for application to exposed areas of the body.

7. Documents: passport, driver's license (if available).
It is better to pack the documents in a plastic bag or a special sealed case and store them in a backpack pocket during a jeep tour. We recommend making a couple of copies of photocopies of the first pages of the passport.

8. Money.
We recommend that you always have a small amount of cash with you so that, if desired, you can quickly buy drinks or sweets in the village shops on the jeep tour route.

9. Personal items.
We recommend that you bring sunglasses, a small flashlight, a small penknife, a lighter, handkerchiefs, a small personal first aid kit, a cell phone, and a wristwatch.

10. You can take a camera, a video camera.

What are the safety rules for jeep tours?
Is there a discount for children to participate in the tour?
Do you take out accident insurance?
Are plane tickets included in the price of the tour?
Which cars are on tour?

Dates and Prices

The tour dates are not confirmed yet. Please, for clarification
  • Individual dates available on request
    15 May – 1 Oct, 2025
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $261
    14 – 15 May, 2025 2 days 1 night
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    No need to pay now
  • from
    $261
    3 – 4 Jun, 2025 2 days 1 night
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    No need to pay now
  • from
    $261
    10 – 11 Jun, 2025 2 days 1 night
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $261
    24 – 25 Jun, 2025 2 days 1 night
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $261
    8 – 9 Jul, 2025 2 days 1 night
    Submit request
    No need to pay now