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

16 more

On this journey, you will be greeted by the amazing beauty of winter Karelia!

Give yourself and your children a real Christmas fairy tale.

The beauty of the northern nature, the real Karelian Santa Claus and magic will envelop you and give you a lot of impressions.

Location

Petrozavodsk

from

Contact the tour coordinator

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

Or text us in messengers

Tour highlights

Winter Petrozavodsk

Let's plunge into the friendly atmosphere of the northern city

Ruskeala Mountain Park

Let's take a walk through the snow-covered marble quarry

Kivach and Ahvenkoski

Let's admire the most beautiful waterfalls of Karelia

Naughty huskies

Let's visit the cute dogs and take a ride on a dog sled

Shungite Energy

We will learn about the properties of a mineral that is mined only in Karelia

Tastes of Karelia

Enjoy a hot lunch with lohikato, a rustic plate and a gate

Itinerary

Day 1 - Petrozavodsk. The Doll's House. Kivach Waterfall
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.
The guide greets tourists upon arrival of train No. 18 "Moscow — Petrozavodsk".
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.
Then there is an exciting excursion to the Doll's House.
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.
We leave for the fabulous winter forest.
Lunch at a cafe.
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!
Transfer to Kondopoga.
Accommodation at the Teremok 3* hotel.
Free time to explore the city on your own and relax!

9 more photos
Day 2 - Ruskeala Mountain Park. Akhvenkoski Waterfall
Buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
09:00 Departure by comfortable bus to West Karelia (280 km).
Visit to Ruskeala Mountain Park.
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 most popular place for visitors and residents of Karelia!
The combination of Karelian nature and human activity has given these quarries a surprisingly picturesque appearance that attracts travel enthusiasts not only from Karelia.
On the way, stop at the Ruskeala Akhvenkoski waterfall.
Translated from Finnish as "Okunevy threshold".
Locals sometimes call it the "waterfall at the three bridges."
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 tickets are purchased independently — 450 rubles).
Lunch at a cafe on the way.
21:00 Return to the hotel.
Time to rest.

1 more photo
Day 3 - On a visit to the Husky
Buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
Room release.
Departure for the excursion program, and on the way stop at Sampo mountain. 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.
The Country Dog Kennel is Russia's only kennel for Chukchi Sled Dogs, and there are also other sled dog breeds such as the Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Taimyr Sled Dogs, and Samoyedic Dog.
Getting to know the cabins and sled dogs.
Participation in the preparation of the team for the trip, briefing.
Enjoy a dog sled ride through the picturesque snowy Karelian forest 2 km away.
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 wicket, a mors d'oeuvre of northern berries, herbal teas and a tasting of drinks with northern herbs and berries.
Next, let's 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.
Souvenirs made of shungite purchased at the center will remind you of Karelia for a long time!
Transfer to Petrozavodsk railway station approximately by 16:00.
Farewell to the guide! See you soon!
Departure to Moscow, train No. 17 or to St. Petersburg, train No. 11 or No. 805.

Difficulty

Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Hotel

2 nights

Comfort

Upscale

The tour provides accommodation in Kondopoga at the Teremok Hotel.

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

Placement option	Cost
Double occupancy (adult)	28 800
Double occupancy superior room dabl	29 900
Single occupancy	36 400
Extra seat (adult)	27 800
Double occupancy (child under 12 years old)	26 300
Additional place (child under 12 years old)	25 300

The cozy and comfortable Teremok Hotel is located in a modern three-storey building in the cozy town of Kondopoga. It can accommodate 36 people at the same time. One of the best hotels in Kondopoga, located in the city center.

The hotel has 18 rooms, including single, double and suite rooms. Each room is equipped with a full bathroom with modern plumbing, a TV and a minibar.

2-bed standard room (15 rooms). The room has two beds, a shower cabin, a refrigerator, a TV, a telephone.

1-bed room (2 rooms). The room has a large bed, shower, TV, telephone, refrigerator.

2-bed suite (1 room). In the room: TV, telephone, refrigerator, minibar, full bathroom, air conditioning.

All rooms, regardless of their category, have a shower, toilet, washbasin, color TV with satellite channels, mini fridge and telephone.

Infrastructure:

restaurant, bar;
parking (secured);
sauna.

Check-in time: check-in from 14:00, check-out until 12:00.

3 more photos

Tour conditions

Group

up to 40 tourists

Minimum age

7 years old

Duration

3 days 2 nights

Group meets at

Petrozavodsk

Included in price

meals specified in the program: 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches;
hotel accommodation;
transportation services according to the program;
the work of a guide, animators, instructors;
guided tour service according to the program;
entrance tickets for excursions:
- sightseeing tour of Petrozavodsk;
- excursion to the Doll's House Art Gallery;
- excursion to Kivach waterfall;
- excursion to Ruskeala Mountain Park;
- excursion and dog sledding;
- excursion to the Center of Shungite.

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Petrozavodsk and back;
meals not specified in the tour program;
many places of visit charge a fee for photo and video shooting (from 10 to 150 rubles)

It's important to know

An identity document.
For tourists traveling with children, a birth certificate of children is required.
A compulsory medical insurance policy.
Warm, windproof and waterproof clothing.

Dates and Prices

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

from
$350

2 – 4 Jan, 2026 3 days 2 nights

Submit request
No need to pay now

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.

6 more photos
IT
Igor Tikhonov

about provider

17 Mar, 2025

I enjoyed everything about the tour

Winter fairy tale in Karelia