Pearl necklace of winter Karelia

We invite you to a rich tour in which you will see Karelia in a new, snow-white color! 

On this tour, you will discover another Russia, realizing the depth and power of the culture of our great country. 

The shrines of the Russian North can be visited all year round, but it is in winter that they open to people with all-encompassing power.

Location

Republic of Karelia, Sortavala
from
$660
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
5 Days
4 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • 29 December, 2025 – 2 January, 2026
    • Dates for next season
    • 3 – 7 January, 2026
    • 21 – 25 January, 2026
    • 4 – 8 February, 2026
    • 18 – 22 February, 2026
or
Accommodation
  • Hotel
    7 nights
Comfort
  • Premium
Difficulty
Easy
Suitable for everyone
Group
From 18 to 50 tourists
Minimum age
4 years old
Group meet at
Republic of Karelia, Sortavala
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
Or text us in messengers

Tour highlights

Talviukko's patrimony
Let's visit Karelian Santa Claus and his faithful friends: huskies and reindeer
Kizhi Island
We will see the famous Kizhi churchyard, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Charming Sortavala
Let's go on a city tour and visit the Viking Age Museum
Retro train
Let's take a steam-powered train to the Ruskeala marble quarry
Legends of the North
We will visit the mountain "Sampo" and the resort "Marcial Waters", we will see the winter waterfall "Kivach"
Winter Petrozavodsk
Let's get acquainted with the capital of Karelia and take a walk along the embankment of Lake Onega

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Charming Sortavala. Ladoga skerries. An ancient Viking fortress

    From 08:00, the group members will meet at the main entrance at the Sortavala railway station.

    The most suitable train for the tour: Moscow — Sortavala 160B with arrival at 08:19.

    We have breakfast in a cafe and go on an excursion to Sortavala.

    We will visit the Museum of the Northern Ladoga Region and the Kronid Gogolev Gallery.

    Sightseeing tour of the city and the stunning monuments of Northern Art Nouveau:

    • the building of the national school, built in 1929 in the neoclassical style;
    • The Seurahuone Hotel, built in 1908, where Nicholas Roerich stayed;
    • Leander's House (1905);
    • the Finnish Bank building, built in 1915, in which every detail tells about the inaccessibility and reliability of the bank;
    • The Siitonen Merchants' House is a typical Northern Art Nouveau house built in 1907;
    • The Town Hall, built in 1882, is one of the most beautiful buildings: turrets, carved gables, delicate pink color, with carvings and white frames, as if a lace napkin had been draped over it;
    • Wooden fire station built in 1888;
    • The house with a lantern, built in 1920 and owned by the Helsinki Joint—Stock Bank, is shaped like a glass syringe;
    • The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It was built with the money of St. Petersburg merchants in 1873. It is built in the Russian style. Today, the main city temple of Sortavala.

    The pearl of Sortavala awaits us — the Kronid Gogolev exhibition hall.

    There is an old three-storey house in the very center of Sortavala. The Gogol Art Center is located here - an exhibition hall, workshops, and an art studio.

    The main exhibition features stunning carved paintings with northern motifs. The unique images that you fall in love with the first time will impress even the most sophisticated art lovers.

    After exploring the main attractions of Sortavala, it's time to explore the amazing beauty of the natural places.

    Karelian Fjords — Ladoga skerries are waiting for us.

    We will go on an exciting tour of the Ladoga skerries, which will appear before you in all their winter splendor!

    A hovercraft is also called an amphibious boat, such a means of transportation is very convenient for passing through ice, snow, water, sand, grass or swamp.

    In case of unstable ice conditions, this tour is replaced by an equivalent trip to the White Bridges waterfall.

    The duration of the tour is 1 hour.

    Upon our return from the Ladoga skerries, a delicious lunch awaits us.

    After a delicious meal, we go on an excursion to the Viking Age museum "Svartbjornborg" (Svartbjornborg — the fortress of the black bear).

    You can touch everything here, absolutely any object, with your hands. Any costumes, uniforms, or armor can and should be tried on and, at least for a short period of time, feel like a brave warrior, craftsman, or merchant.

    This is a large interactive platform where visitors are directly immersed in the era, turning from a spectator into a participant.

    At the end of the tour on the territory of the fortified settlement of the "Viking age" on the shores of Ladoga, you can see:

    • fortress walls in the form of a stockade with corner and gate towers. Along the wall, you can walk around the entire territory of the museum, climb any tower, from where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire museum and the Ladoga skerries, since the museum is located on the very shore of the lake.;
    • a Scandinavian military house under an earthen roof, which features an exposition of Viking life, costumes and weapons; an active blacksmith shop — an exposition of blacksmithing;
    • a pier with replicas of wooden ships of the VIII — XI centuries. All models are valid and during the navigation period everyone has the opportunity to sit at the oar of a real Viking dragon boat.;
    • a model of the sanctuary with carved wooden sculptures;
    • two playgrounds: a shooting range, with the opportunity to practice shooting with historical bows and crossbows, as well as learn how to throw battle spears and axes; and a wrestling ring — a prepared space for tournaments and funny duels (on protected weapons);
    • The pearl of the museum is the long Scandinavian house — "Honey Hall" — the largest recreated Viking dwelling in Russia. The roof of the house is made in the form of an inverted dragon boat. The Honey Hall houses one of Russia's richest collections of household items, costumes and weapons.

    In the evening, we will have dinner and a cozy hotel.

    1 more photo
  • Day 2 - Retro train and marble pearl of Karelia — Ruskeala Mountain Park
  • Day 3 - A trip to Zaonezhye in winter with a visit to Kizhi Island
  • Day 4 - Winter Petrozavodsk. Ethnopark with deer and huskies
  • Day 5 - Legends of the North — Kivach Waterfall, Sampo Mountain, Marcial waters
Difficulty
Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Hotel
    7 nights
Comfort
  • Premium

The tour provides accommodation for:

  • in a small hotel with room facilities in the center of Sortavala;
  • in a hotel in the center of Petrozavodsk.

The cost of the tour for 1 person, rub.:

Tour datesDouble occupancySingle occupancyAdditional place
22–26.01.25, 
05–09.02.25,
19–23.02.25, 
05–09.03.25
56 40064 40048 400

Discounts:

  • for pensioners, the disabled, and veterans of the database — 1,250 rubles.;
  • for children from 4 to 14 years — 2,550 rubles.

Information on accommodation in Petrozavodsk:

For accommodation, we provide comfortable rooms in superior hotels and service levels located in the city center and within walking distance from the embankment of Petrozavodsk, restaurants and entertainment centers, souvenir and grocery stores. 

We accommodate our guests in some of the best hotels in Petrozavodsk, consistently providing a high level of service and high-quality accommodation.

You will receive breakfast at the hotel in the price of the tour

All excursions will also start from the hotels (a maximum of 10 minutes walk from the meeting point for the tour, including on the day of check—in and check-out, as large buses are difficult to access some hotels). 

You can write your wishes in advance regarding the choice of a specific hotel and we will try to ensure that you stay there, but the specifics of group tours are such that the accommodation schedule is drawn up at the last moment, based on the available room quotas in the hotels we have booked.

Hotel in Sortavala 3 nights

Accommodation in a small hotel with room facilities in the center of Sortavala.

9 more photos
Hotel in the center of Petrozavodsk 4 nights

Tour conditions

Group
From 18 to 50 tourists
Minimum age
4 years old
Duration
5 days 4 nights
Group meets at
Republic of Karelia, Sortavala

Included in price

  • Meals: 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners;
  • master class on Karelian gates;
  • the work of a tour guide;
  • hotel accommodation;
  • all entrance tickets according to the program;
  • transport service by bus;
  • passage to Kizhi Island on a hovercraft;
  • railway tickets for the retro train;
  • skiing on the Ladoga skerries.

Paid extra

  • tickets to Sortavala and back from Petrozavodsk;
  • meals not specified in the program;
  • reindeer riding:
    • children under 12 years old — 1,000 rubles;
    • adult — 1,500 rubles;
  • husky riding (500 meters):
    • children under 12 years old — 1,000 rubles;
    • adult — 1,500 rubles;
  • husky riding (1,500 meters):
    • children under 12 years old — 1,500 rubles;
    • adult — 2,000 rubles;
  • tour of the Talviukko residence — 300 rubles/person.;
  • sightseeing of Lumikki Palace — 300 rub/person.;
  • Karelian farmstead (visit to an authentic Karelian log house) — 600 RUB/person.

Additional services can be purchased directly on site.

It's important to know

Are plane tickets included in the tour price?

Air and railway tickets are not included in the price of the tour. You can purchase them yourself or contact us for help.

Is insurance included in the price of the tour?
Is it possible to book services in the Ruskeala Mountain Park in advance?
What are the features of the tour?
Is it possible to go on a tour with a dog?

Dates and Prices

The tour dates are not confirmed yet. Please, for clarification
  • from
    $930
    29 Dec, 2025 – 2 Jan, 2026 5 days 4 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $930
    3 – 7 Jan, 2026 5 days 4 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $660
    21 – 25 Jan, 2026 5 days 4 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $660
    4 – 8 Feb, 2026 5 days 4 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $660
    18 – 22 Feb, 2026 5 days 4 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now

Reviews

  • L
    Larisa
    about provider
    20 Mar, 2025
    I would like to thank the tour providers for their excellent work in arranging accommodation, meals, transportation, tour registration, and selecting the sightseeing locations. A special thanks to our guide, Anna, whose love for her region shines through. She is not only a true professional but also a kind-hearted person. Many thanks!
    6 more photos
  • O
    Olga
    about provider
    2 Nov, 2024
    I was very impressed with the guides and would gladly recommend them to friends and family. Our guide, Marina, shared fascinating insights about Karelia and made sure everyone felt completely at ease.
    5 more photos
  • N
    Natalya
    about provider
    21 Oct, 2024
    Ihr seid einfach großartig! Macht weiter so
    2 more photos