Top 3. Saint Petersburg, Vyborg, Karelia in one trip

Breakfast at the hotel (if the "no breakfast" rate is not selected).

09:00 Meeting with the guide in the lobby of the hotel.

Bus tour "Brilliant St. Petersburg".

The tour presents the city as a single organism, where the granite rim of rivers and canals, the golden glow of spires and domes, the stone decoration of grand ducal palaces and numerous temples create a unique image of the brilliant Northern capital.

Excursion to the Hermitage.

The Hermitage occupies a very special place among the art museums of the world. It began as a private collection of Empress Catherine II and remained closed to the general public for a long time. In the middle of the 19th century, the museum became public. Now his collections number more than 3.5 million exhibits. Among them are masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Impressionist paintings, antique sculpture, Egyptian antiquities, a real mummy and much more.
 
Boat trip "Northern islands of the Neva Delta".

The "Northern Islands of the Neva Delta" boat trip on a two–deck motor ship is one of the most popular urban routes. In one trip you will be able to see the historical center of St. Petersburg with its main symbols – the Winter Palace, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Arrow of Vasilievsky Island, and the ultramodern buildings of the city's recent history – the Gazprom Arena stadium in the form of a flying saucer and the tallest skyscraper in Europe, the Lakhta Center.

The comfortable ship will delight travelers with a large promenade deck with a panoramic view. There is a restaurant on board the ship with an author's menu from the chef: You can order a full lunch, a light salad or a cappuccino with dessert to make your trip even more enjoyable.

The place of completion of the program: the pier (the nearest metro station "Admiralteyskaya").

Program duration: ~ 5 hours.

Breakfast (you can order a dry ration at the reception on your own the night before, if you have purchased a breakfast tariff).

Room release. Check out of the hotel with your belongings.

08:00 Transfer to Vyborg (136 km).

A walk through the territory of Vyborg Castle. You will visit the territory of Vyborg Castle, founded in 1293, during the third Swedish Crusade. The castle was built according to medieval canons, when artillery was not yet used on the battlefield, and the main military force was mounted knights.

Sightseeing tour of the Old City, during which you will slowly walk through narrow cobbled streets and ancient squares, see military fortifications of the XIII – XIX centuries, admire the "cascade of squares": Cathedral – Pionerskaya – Market, inspect the monument to Torgels To Knutsson.

The theatrical program "Visiting the merchant Kaarina".

You will travel to Vyborg, in 1557. Merchant Kaarina and her assistant Hans will tell you about their trade affairs, about Vyborg, conclude a trade agreement with you, treat you to fragrant tea under the arches of the Hanseatic Court! You will have vivid impressions of a real trip to Vyborg of the XVI century, acquaintance with the merchant life of the medieval city, everyday tricks, tales and everyday life.

14:00 Lunch at a cafe in Vyborg.

15:30 Monrepos Park tour.

After lunch, you can admire the beauty of the Monrepos Park, which translates as "my rest". Many famous Russians and members of the imperial family loved to visit the unique rocky landscape park of the Romantic era, which embodied the whole nature of the Karelian Isthmus.

18:00 Approximate time of arrival at the Vyborg hotel. Placement. Free time.
 
On request, for an additional fee (booked in advance) - 1100 rubles /adult and 550 rubles /wk.

19:00 Excursion "Underground city" with beer tasting!

A journey through the passages cut through the rocks will open the veil of mystery to you. So far, researchers have not come to a consensus on how extensive the network of underground galleries of ancient Vyborg was. Today you will look at the only available segment - under the Vyborg Brewery array. The tour includes beer tasting in the decorations of ancient cellars!

Important! The temperature in the cellars in the summer stays at the mark +6 — +8 °C, dress warmly.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Room release.

07:30 Departure to Karelia (285 km).

Stop at the Korela fortress.

Acquaintance with the northern territory will begin with the fortress in the city of Priozersk on the site of an ancient settlement mentioned in the chronicles as Korela. Then you will go to the North Ladoga region, to the city of Sortavala.

A guided tour of Karelia.

During the guided tour you will learn about one of the most beautiful trails of the Leningrad region and the Republic of Karelia, hear a story about the ancient history of the Karelian Isthmus and its amazing nature.

13:00 Lunch at a cafe in Sortavala.

Stop at the Ahvenkoski waterfalls. 

An entrance ticket to the ecotrope is purchased at will for an additional fee (adult - 400 rubles, student - 300 rubles).

After lunch at the cafe, we will make a stop in a picturesque place - the Ahvenkoski waterfalls. The system of cascades that do not freeze even in winter on the Tohmajoki River became famous after the release of the film "And the dawns are quiet here". Today waterfalls are one of the most popular photo zones in Karelia.

15:30 Excursion to the Ruskeala Mountain Park (Marble Canyon).

The Ruskeala Mountain Park is another gem of Karelian nature. The main attraction is the man-made Marble Canyon, famous for its beauty. A huge bowl of white stone, carved by the hand of a man in the rock, is half filled with emerald-colored water. It was from here that marble was delivered for the Marble and Mariinsky Palaces, St. Isaac's Cathedral.

After the tour, you will have free time for an independent walk through the mountain park.

17:00 Departure from the Ruskeala Mountain Park by retro train (for an additional fee).

Tickets for the Ruskeala Express retro train are purchased independently in advance. The train arrives at the railway station in Sortavala at 18:10.

If desired, you can complete your tour in 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-hauled train in Russia, the interior of which is designed in the style of the Nikolaevsky Express. The entourage will allow you to enjoy the atmosphere of the era of imperial Russia, touch the history and take unusual photos.

Please note that by choosing the option of traveling by retro train, free time in the park is reduced.

17:30 Departure from the Ruskeala Mountain Park by bus to St. Petersburg (310 km).

Technical stop at the railway station in Sortavala.

Visit to the trout farm company store.

We will make a stop at the trout farm company store so that everyone can try and buy Karelian fish delicacies from the farm.

Later return to St. Petersburg. Accommodation at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel (if the "no breakfast" rate is not selected).

09:00 Meeting with the guide in the hotel lobby.

Bus tour to Peterhof "There are fountains shining with silver..."
 The tour will give you an unforgettable encounter with one of the most famous suburban imperial residences. The road that will lead us to Peterhof still carefully preserves the traces of bygone centuries. The preserved monuments and estates recreate the atmosphere of country life in Russia at the end of the XIX – beginning of the XX century.

A tour of the Peterhof Fountain Park.

The lower park has an area of 102 hectares and stretches for more than 2 kilometers along the shore of the Gulf of Finland. It took incredible efforts to turn the deserted marshy coast of the Gulf of Finland into a luxurious park with fountains and cascades. Moreover, all the work was done manually – tons of fertile land were imported, ornamental trees and shrubs were planted, which were able to take root in the cold northern climate. 

Where to have lunch?

After the tour, you will have 1.5-2 hours of free time to walk around the park and have a snack on your own. There are fast food outlets on the territory of the park, as well as the Standart cafe, where the cost of a set lunch is 700-1500 rubles per person. If you want to save money, we recommend taking drinks and snacks with you and having a picnic on the shore of the Gulf of Finland.

The place of completion of the program: Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station.

Program duration: ~ 7 hours.

Breakfast at the hotel (if the "no breakfast" rate is not selected).

Rooms are available until 12:00. 

Check out of the hotel on your own.

Free day.

The departure time for the tour can be changed to earlier or later.

It is possible to change the order of excursions, as well as replace them with equivalent ones.