Petrozavodsk – Valaam – Staraya Ladoga – St. Petersburg on the ship Symphony of the North

Picnic on the beach.

• "Water and walking tour between Nikonovskaya and Monastyrskaya bays of Valaam Island with a visit to the Central estate of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery"
  Boat tour of the most beautiful places of the Valaam archipelago: along its western coast, from Monastyrskaya Bay, on the high shore of which the central estate of the Valaam Monastery with its majestic Transfiguration Cathedral is located, to Bolshaya Nikonovskaya Bay. The route of the ship passes by small islets, picturesque straits and secluded island hermitages – Nikolsky and Predtechensky. The recently restored church of the Nikolsky Skete, whose amazing harmony and harmony opens from the water, is truly one of the masterpieces of Russian architecture of the second half of the nineteenth century and the main decoration of the reviving Valaam monastery. The Predtechensky Monastery, which has the strictest charter, is traditionally closed to the public, and only from the water can you see the head of its bell tower and the light gray granite cross of worship, which stands out vividly against the background of reddish rocks and dark green pine needles.
  
  A sightseeing tour of the central estate of the Valaam Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery traditionally begins from the pier of the Monastery Bay, where ships of the Valaam fleet arrived in the XIX – early XX century. The monastery, located on a high cliff, looks especially beautiful from the twentieth century. From the pier, the road leads to the foot of Mount Tabor, to the top of which rises a wide staircase of 62 steps, built in the middle of the last century. To the left of the stairs there is a view of the famous monastery garden, charming with its delicate beauty most of all during the flowering season and the quiet golden autumn. Above the garden, along a patterned cast-iron lattice running along the edge of the cliff, a path was laid, from where the monks of old Valaam admired the gloomy, reflecting reddish rocks of the waters of the Monastery Bay, meeting or escorting boats with pilgrims. Next, the path goes past the marble Znamenskaya chapel to the Holy Gates of the monastery, decorated with the Peter and Paul gate Church, which in former times was the house temple of royalty arriving at Valaam. After passing through the Holy Gates, the guests enter the monastery. A special place is given to visiting the main functioning temple of the monastery – the majestic Transfiguration Cathedral, where the relics of the holy founders of the monastery, St. Sergius and Herman of Valaam Wonderworkers, rest.
  
  During the tour, guests will see the Assumption Refectory Church – the oldest surviving in Valaam, and the church of the Valaam Icon of the Mother of God, consecrated in 2002, walk along the cell buildings and outbuildings, as well as admire the recently restored temple of the Icon of the Mother of God "Life-giving Spring" where concerts of church hymns are held. In the souvenir shop, you can buy something from the products of monastic crafts to take away the "particle of Valaam" as a souvenir.
  The tour is included in the price.
  
• "Walking tour of the hermitage of Valaam"
  A walking tour based on the desire to show and reveal the rare harmony of wild, harsh northern nature and strict ascetic monastic life. The tour route passes through three Valaam monasteries: Voskresensky, Gethsemane and Konevsky.
  
  The Resurrection and Gethsemane skeets with their peculiar architectural and landscape design form the famous "Valaam Palestine", located in the western part of the island. Valaam, near the berth of cruise ships in Bolshaya Nikonovskaya Bay. In the area of the remote inner Igumen lakes and Konevsky skete, guests will meet with a completely different corner of Valaam – unusually quiet and sheltered. It was here that the hermitage of the hermit of Damascus, the future famous Valaam abbot, was once located. Always a smooth water surface reflecting a dense coniferous forest, an oak alley forming a transparent rustling arch, wooden bridges connecting low banks, thick, healing, juniper–scented air - all this creates a special soothing atmosphere.
  
  The excursion "The Hermitages of Valaam" ends at the monastery farm, which has been supplying the monastery with excellent dairy products since the end of the XIX century to the present day. The guide's story will touch upon the issues of the economic and economic life of the monastery. A special place in the tour is given to getting acquainted with the unique natural complex of the Valaam archipelago, its flora and fauna.
  
  The duration of the route is 6 km.
  The tour is included in the price.
  
• "Walking tour to the rocky shore of Valaam Island"
  The tour route runs from the pier of Bolshaya Nikonovskaya Bay to the southwest of the Valaam Archipelago in the area of the picturesque Rocky Coast Bay, where Finnish military fortifications were located in the 30s of our century. The story of the tour introduces the history of the Valaam monastery during the Soviet-Finnish and World War II, as well as the features of the unique nature of Valaam and the surrounding Ladoga – the largest lake in Europe.
  
  The duration of the route is 4 km.
  The tour is included in the price.
  

• "Walking tour with a visit to the Old Ladoga fortress"
  The excursion program introduces more than a thousand years of the city's history, monuments of archeology and architecture. The tour includes a visit to the fortress complex, the exposition "Military and Political History of Ladoga" in the Gate Tower, the exposition "Archeology: from the Neolithic to the Early Middle Ages" in the Arrow Tower and Varyazhskaya Street. For an independent visit during the tour, the exposition "Churches of Saints George and Dmitry Solunsky. History, frescoes".
  
  The tour begins in the historical center of Ladoga, near the walls of the ancient fortress. There is an assumption that the first stone fortress was built here back in the IX century, but over time, the fortifications were repeatedly rebuilt. Ruined and restored fragments of fortifications of the XII-XV-XVI centuries are open for viewing: parts of the fortress spinning wheel, trade arch, towers. The restoration of four of the five towers has been completed.
  
  The Gate Tower houses an exposition dedicated to the military and political history of Ladoga. Models of the fortress of the firearms period, diagrams and images telling about the events of the XVII-XVIII centuries are presented for review.
  
  The exposition in the Arrow Tower of the fortress is devoted to archaeological research. In total, more than 3.5 thousand archaeological objects are presented for viewing, supplemented with cartographic and pictorial materials. On the third floor of the tower, a part of the collection of Neolithic antiquities is presented: fragments of ceramic vessels, articles made of bone, horn, flint and local stone rocks. The fourth battle features the exposition "Ladoga in the Early Middle Ages". The central part of the hall is occupied by a mock-up of an Earthen Settlement with a stone fortress under construction at the turn of the IX–X centuries. The presented finds comprehensively represent the life and everyday life of the citizens of the VIII-X centuries: jewelry and costume details, crafts, religious beliefs, trade and shipping, military affairs, hunting, fishing, agriculture, home improvement, games and entertainment.
  
  The tour introduces the history of two temples located in the courtyard of the fortress: the stone church of St. George of the XII century and the wooden church of St. Dmitry Solunsky of the XVII century.
  The next part of the walking route is a walk along Varyazhskaya Street, which is accompanied by a guide's story about the settlement of the central part of modern Old Ladoga, partially preserved buildings of the turn of the XIX–XX centuries; a display of the monument to Princes Rurik and Oleg.
  The tour is included in the price.
  
• "Walking tour "Along the path of Holy Russia""
  During the tour, tourists visit the territory and the temple of the Nikolsky Monastery, Varyazhskaya Street, as well as the Holy Dormition Maiden Monastery. Stop at the monument to Rurik, accompanied by a guide. The tour ends with a visit to the Holy Dormition Maiden Monastery with a sightseeing tour of its territory. After that, tourists will have free time, and then they return to the ship on their own.
  
  This program offers a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the historical and cultural sights of Russian Orthodoxy, enjoy the beauty of monastic buildings and learn new facts about ancient monasteries. Visit two active monasteries at the same time.
  
  The tour is included in the price.
  
• "Bus and walking tour to Tikhvin with a visit to the Tikhvin Theotokos Dormition Monastery"
  Immerse yourself in history with a sightseeing bus tour of the city of Tikhvin in the Leningrad region, founded 320 years before St. Petersburg.
  
  During the tour, you will visit the Holy Dormition Tikhvin Monastery, where the miraculous Tikhvin icon is located, which "radiantly traveling through the air" was transferred from Constantinople to the banks of the Tikhvinka River. During the German occupation, the icon was lost and returned to the Tikhvin Monastery in 2004. The monastery is also known for its unusual belfry. The lock of the Tikhvin water system (1811-1956) has been preserved next to the monastery, This system, along with the Mariinsky and Vyshnevolotskaya, was an important trade route connecting the Caspian Sea with the Baltic Sea.
  
  The city is also famous for its heroic past. Thanks to the victory over the Swedes in 1613, the Romanov house began to strengthen near the walls of the Tikhvin Monastery, it was the events of the defense of Tikhvin that historians called "the first victory of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich."
  
  During the Great Patriotic War, during the Tikhvin defensive operation, the plan of the German command to connect with Finnish troops and complete the blockade of Leningrad was thwarted. If this had happened, Leningrad, and with it the Baltic Fleet, would have been lost.
  
  The most famous local resident is the Russian composer N.A.Rimsky-Korsakov. You will see the house from the bus window where he spent his childhood.
  
  The tour is paid separately
  

The last meal service is breakfast.

The place of termination of additional excursions is the Moscow railway station.

• "Bus and walking tour of the Lower Peterhof Park"
  The suburbs of St. Petersburg are famous for the majestic palaces that the noble Russian nobles built for themselves. Peterhof is one of the most beautiful country residences built in the style of the French Versailles.
  
  The Peterhof State Museum-Reserve is the most visited museum in Russia. Every tourist coming to St. Petersburg is simply obliged to see the fountain capital! And it is during this tour that you will be able to visit and spend time in the Lower Park of Peterhof.
  The tour is paid separately
  
• "Bus tour to Pushkin with a visit to the Catherine Palace with the Amber Room and Catherine Park"
  In Tsarskoye Selo, you will visit the Catherine Palace and stroll through the Catherine Park. You will see live what the famous Baroque by architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli looks like, walk through the enfilades and halls of the palace, accompanied by a guide's story, get acquainted with the works of art presented in the palace. And, of course, you will enter the world–famous Amber Room, the history of which is full of twists and turns and secrets - the guide will tell you about them.
  
  Catherine Park is notable for being filled with pavilions and sculptures, many of which appeared here in Peter the Great's time, has both French and English parts, and is extremely picturesque. Enjoy the magnificent architecture created by the geniuses of Rastrelli, Cameron, Stasov.
  The tour is paid separately
  
• "Bus tour to Gatchina with a visit to the Gatchina Palace and court territories"
  Our tour will begin on the bus on the way from St. Petersburg to Gatchina, where the guide will tell you about the history of the region and the peculiarities of the construction of the Gatchina Palace, about its English style and chivalrous spirit.
  
  An acquaintance with the palace itself will take place in Gatchina. Gatchina Palace is the owner of priceless treasures. For a long time it was called the suburban Hermitage. In the palace you will take a tour of the state rooms and private rooms of Nicholas I. You will find out what role Pavel Petrovich played in the history of the Gatchina Palace, how reverently Nikolai Pavlovich treated the legacy of his parent, what transformations he brought to the appearance of the palace facades and interiors.
  
  The desire for order and discipline, a penchant for romanticism and theatricality, a love of art and a passion for collecting, attention to detail, a passion for military and engineering – all this not only united the two emperors, father and son, but was also reflected in the design of the Gatchina Palace.
  The tour is paid separately