Petersburg and the Ruskeala Fairy Tale

Order breakfast the day before and pick up the lunch box.

Room release. Check out with your belongings.

Meeting with a guide in Karelia (SMS with the guide's phone number and bus number will be sent on Thursday evening before 22:00).

07:00 Departure of the bus from Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station (10 Ligovsky Ave. – opposite the Oktyabrskaya Hotel).

10:00 Korela Fortress. External inspection.

Priozersk– an outpost city, was located in the center of the confrontation over the lands between Ladoga and the Baltic, so this strategic place was guarded by a fortress, first made of wood, then stone. The stone fortress of Korela is the main attraction of Priozersk.

10:30 a.m. Guided tour of Karelia.

The road winds between hills covered with taiga, lakes in granite shores, crossing forest rivers and passing Karelian villages and towns. Nature is the main attraction of Karelia.

12:00 Sortavala city. Bus route tour.

The town of Sortavala is located on the shore of Ladoga, in the very center of the Ladoga skerries, so from here you can see the picturesque landscape.

13:00 Lunch for an additional fee.

13:30 Ruskeala waterfalls of Akhvenkoski.

The Akhvenkoski Waterfalls are small but picturesque cascades on the Tohmajoki forest River.

The entrance to the ecotrope is additionally paid upon request.

14:30 Ruskeala Mountain Park.

Guided tour and free time.

Ruskeala Mountain Park is Karelia's main year–round attraction.

The center is Marble Canyon, a large lake stretching from south to north with crystal clear water and steep shores made of real marble.

17:20 Departure from the Ruskeala Mountain Park by retro train (ticket is self-purchased).

If you wish, you can complete the tour of the park by taking a retro train to the city of Sortavala, where our bus to St. Petersburg will pick you up. To date, this is the only daily locomotive-powered train in Russia, the interior of which is designed in the style of the Nikolaevsky Express.

17:30 Departure from Ruskeala Mountain Park by bus.

18:30 Check-in at the hotel.

Free time.

Breakfast.

Free day.

Guided tours to choose from (for an additional fee).

Option 1. Excursion "Winter waterfalls, pomegranate extraction, alpacas and tiger". It is not included in the price and must be paid in advance when booking the tour.

10:00 Group meeting.

Visit to the hydroelectric power station in Lyaskela. This is one of the oldest hydroelectric power plants in Russia, built on the Yanisjoki River to provide electricity to a paper mill that once operated here.

Excursion to the ancient waterfalls of Karelia.

Visits to possible sites (based on weather conditions).

Visit to Koirinoya II Waterfall (Upper), Yanisjoki River valley, Hyamekoski hydroelectric power station.

15:30 Lunch for an additional fee.

16:30 Visit to the Karelian Zoo.

The Karelian Zoo is a lovingly equipped home for 500 different animals and 150 birds. Here you can meet both an agile ferret and a giant bison, and children will squeak with delight at the petting zoo.

18:30 Return to Sortavala.

Option 2. A walk along the Ladoga skerries by airboat. It is not included in the price and must be paid in advance when booking the tour.

11:30 a.m. Transfer from the hotel.

12:00 Airboat tour of Ladoga skerries.

By airboat, you will ride along the ridge of the Karelian fjords and see the fantastic natural beauty of Ladoga.

14:00 Return from a boat trip to Sortavala.

08:00 Breakfast at the hotel.

09:00 Gathering of the group on the bus.

09:30 Climb to Mount Paaso.

Mount Paaso, or Paasonvuori, is a picturesque hill near the town of Sortavala. It offers panoramic views of the natural beauty. But besides its beauty, it is also a historical monument that preserves memories of the ancient Karelians.

10:30 Departure by bus. Author's tour "The rocky coast of Kiryavalakhti".

Not far from Sortavala, the beautiful landscapes of Lake Ladoga begin with rocky islands scattered across its surface – these are the Ladoga skerries.

12:00 "Northern Thebaid" and the museum "At the Master".

The Northern Thebaid is a rocky promontory with wooden temples, replicas of ancient churches and traditional Karelian chapels built on its slopes.

14:00 Lunch for an additional fee.

Visit to the trout farm company store.

16:00 Sightseeing tour of Sortavala. Author's tour "The mysteries of the park "Vakkosalmi".

The town of Sortavala is located on the shore of Ladoga, in the very center of the Ladoga skerries, so from here you can see the picturesque landscape, the monument to the Rune Singer, which embodies the collective image of ancient Karelian storytellers, the Leander joint–stock bank, which belongs to Finnish buildings, and the historical part – the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

17:30 Visit to the Karelian shungite mineral center.

The mineral Center combines the qualities of a truly interesting museum, a place for recreation and even for recreation.

18:30 Departure to St. Petersburg.

20:30 Technical stop in Priozersk.

23:30 Arrival at Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station.

Independent check-in at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Room release, check-out with your belongings.

Meeting with the guide in the lobby of the base hotel, the sign "Petersburg welcomes".

• 10:00 meeting with a guide in the lobby of the Rossiya Hotel, including for guests from the Elkus Hotel;
• 10:40 meeting with a guide in the lobby of the Moscow Hotel, including for guests from the Atrium Hotel;
• 11:00 Meeting with a guide in the lobby of the Oktyabrskaya Hotel, including for guests from the Best Western, Dostoevsky, Kronwell Inn Stremyannaya, Smart Neo Moskovsky, Novotel, Nevsky Bereg, Comfort Port Ligovsky, Station,Socroma", "Emerald".

Bus tour to Kronstadt.

After driving along the causeway through the Gulf of Finland, you will take a walk through the fortress city located on a small island, and at least for a short time you will feel involved in the sea. The largest Naval Cathedral in Russia awaits you on the huge Yakornaya Square.

One of the initiators of its construction was the famous preacher John of Kronstadt. Nowadays, the Naval Cathedral is the main temple of the Russian Navy.

13:30 Visit to the museum-model of the Forts of Kronstadt, where, thanks to modern technologies, you will be fully immersed in the 300-year history of these structures. Unique layouts, recreated with exquisite precision, will come to life in front of you.

Free time to explore the Ostrov Fortov Museum and Historical Park, which is dedicated to the history and glory of the Russian Navy. You will find an Alley of Heroes, reminiscent of the road of time, a Lighthouse of memory, recreation areas for children and adults.

In the park, you can learn about the history of the fleet, admire the views of the Coastal Harbor, ride a panoramic swing and, of course, make a wish that will be fulfilled by a penguin inhabitant of Antarctica. It is symbolic that the Russian travelers who discovered this continent began their journey in Kronstadt.

18:00 Transfer to the base hotels "Moscow", "Oktyabrskaya", "Russia".