Tour dates: January 3-7, 2020

Program: 

Day 1: (January 3)

- We welcome our guests at Petrozavodsk railway station. The tour guide meets tourists from trains arriving from Moscow and St. Petersburg, when train 18 "Moscow-Petrozavodsk" arrives (at 09.00 am) near the railway station, at the city's side, please, look for SIVER pickup sign.

Sightseeing tour around Petrozavodsk – Doll House Art Gallery – Karelian Santa’ farmstead – Husky Farm

- Breakfast at a cozy cafe.

• Sightseeing tour around Petrozavodsk. History and modernity, so surprisingly blended in the look of Petrozavodsk. Festive streets, historical squares, governor's garden, Onega embankment with the famous open-air museum of modern sculpture will plunge you in a unique atmosphere of New Year’s holidays and cozy winter vibes!
• The Doll House lures to a charming fairyland right in the downtown of Petrozavodsk. Exquisitely handcrafted, the dolls look alive and warm – each with their own nature and a changeable mood. The world of dolls resembling humans is complex, with its complicated rules; it is a blend of fairy tale, reality and mysticism. The gallery exhibits house spirits, folklore kikimoras, water and barn spirits, as well as other characters.

Departure to the countryside residence of the Karelian Santa – Talvi Ukko – and the winter palace of the Karelian snow maiden Lumikko.

• Talvi Ukko will invite you to his residence, while his helpmates will welcome you in the sled husky farm and the farmstead with reindeer, the favorite pets of the Karelian Santa Claus! The Karelian snow maiden Lumikko will show the palace packed with miracles and surprises.

Tour to the husky farm.

• Huskies are most easy going among other breeds of Northern sled dogs. Huskies are surprisingly friendly; you will immediately feel it during your first tour around the farm. Here, you will see the Siberian and Alaskan huskies, as well as the famous, charming and kind malamute. You will explore their history, enjoy a photo shoot with them, and learn how to drive a dog sled.

Tour around the reindeer farm.

• Reindeer has long been considered the most beautiful animal of the North. These ingenuous animals have impressive height and weight. Their height sometimes reaches two meters, weight – up to two hundred kilos. The primitive images of reindeer are found in Karelia among the rock paintings made in the 4th millennium BC, in particular on the White Sea petroglyphs.

Tour to the farmstead of Talvi Ukko, the Karelian Santa Claus.

• His courtyard is full of animals – geese, chickens, goats. You can take picture will all the animals living in large spacious enclosures.
• Dog sledding along 1,000 meters!!! Get off the hook and feel the drive from this spin ride across the woods. Drive the dogsled and husky team yourself, who enjoy high-speed running as well! ₽3,050/person (paid extra)

Savor a refreshing cup of fragrant tea with Karelian herbs and served pastries.

- Lunch at a city cafe.
- Check-in the hotel.

 Day 2: (January 4)

- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Tour of your choice (included in the tour price)

Tour to the Karelian Kinerma village, or Northern Ladoga-Ruskeala marble canyon

Tour to the Karelian Kinerma village

- Breakfast in the hotel.

• Departure to Kinerma, the most beautiful village of Russia
• Visiting the unique complex monument of wooden architecture of the 19th century's Karelia
• Learning the traditions of Lake Vodlozero area
• Tea or lunch + savoring the Karelian cuisine
• Departure to Petrozavodsk

Northern Ladoga – Ruskeala marble canyon

- Departure for a country tour:

• The mountainous Ruskeala park has a stunning marble canyon. Initially, it was a source of marble for the buildings and temples of St. Petersburg and Valaam. Today, this is a mountainous park offering a big panorama of the marble canyon and the possibility of going down to the old mine galleries and grottoes.
• Sightseeing program along the route, WC stop on the route
• During the journey, you will see beautiful panoramas of the southern Ladoga and famous Ladoga skerries.
• Lunch at a cafe.
• In the mountainous park, you will enjoy a walking tour around the marble canyon with the chance to go down to the old grottoes and mine galleries.
• There are souvenirs sold in the park. You can also take beautiful panoramic pictures.
• On the way back we will visit Ahvensky Falls, a picturesque place, where one of the fragments of The Dawns Here Are Quiet movie was shot.

 - Trip to Petrozavodsk.

Day 3: (January 5)

- Breakfast in the hotel.

Explore the city on your own or choose a tour (paid extra):

• Ruskeala marble canyon min. ₽2,500/person
• Trip to the estate of Santa's brother, Hull min. ₽3,400/person
• Snowmobiling (if the weather is good) min. ₽2,850/person
• Trip to Kizhi island by hovercraft (if the weather is good) min. ₽4,900/person
• Visiting the Karelian Kinerma village min. ₽2,450/person (on January 4, 2020)

Day 4: (January 6)

Trip to Alexander-Svirsky Monastery

- Breakfast in the hotel.

- Country tour to Alexander-Svirsky Monastery. Tour program along the way.
• Trip around the monastery:  You will visit the Transfiguration and Trinity wings of the monastery, as well as explore its history and architecture. Visiting the Chapel on the site, where the Holy Trinity appeared before the monk Alexander Svirsky.
•  Holy Trinity Church with the fascinating frescoes of the 19th century. There is a holy water spring on site, you can pour and take some.

- Lunch at Palomnik cafe

- Return to Petrozavodsk.

Day 5: (January 7)

Shungite center – Marcial Waters Resort – Kivach Waterfall in winter

- Breakfast in the hotel

- Exploring Karelian beauty...

- Welcome to the shungite center. You will learn about this mineral, its properties and method of extraction.
• Marcial Waters is a unique group of Karelian healing springs with liquid natural iron dissolved. The springs discovered during the epoch of Peter the Great helped thousands of visitors to boost their health! The power of the springs was so immense that even Peter the Great himself repeatedly visited this place. We will taste three different springs.

Next, we will enjoy a hearty lunch at a cafe + Karelian liquors!

• Kivach is a waterfall with three cascades. It is a picturesque flow framed by beautiful rocky shores and Karelian coniferous woods. A walk along its edges is uplifting and fills with nature's energy; this is the place of the same-name reserve, which preserves the woods, swamps and lakes surrounding the waterfall in their pristine beauty. On the territory of the reserve, we will visit a small cozy museum of nature, buy souvenirs and just relax at one with nature with the sounds of cascading ice water.

- Trip to Petrozavodsk
-Evening Petrozavodsk, farewell to the city.
- Visiting souvenir shops. Be sure to take a piece of Karelia with you, it will warm you up during winter evenings and help to wait for the upcoming summer. And in summer, Karelia offers new opportunities, vibrant emotions and impressions. Who knows, maybe we meet again! So far, see you! Be sure to enjoy dreams about Karelia for a long time since!
Railway station, departure by train to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Price:

 Inclusive: transfers, 2 meals daily, hotel accommodation, sightseeing tour around Petrozavodsk, visiting Ruskeala mountainous park, tea, entrance ticket to Kivach Waterfall, Marcial Waters, visiting the shungite center, Karelian Kinerma village, congratulations from the Karelian Santa Claus, Alexander-Svirsky Monastery, pilgrimage gathering in the monastery.

*The company reserves the right to change the service without reducing its scope.
*In case of unforeseen circumstances, the company reserves the right to replace tour without reducing the total scope of the program.

* IMPORTANT! Depending on the dates of arrival, the tour dates may interchange, please specify during booking!

N. B.! You can book extra nights at the chosen hotel:

Take: 

Comfortable and warm clothes and footwear to stay warm during long outdoor tours, warm hat and gloves (2 pairs), camera, a charger for a mobile phone, camera and your positive state of mind!

Please note that the tour includes long outdoor activities! Therefore, your footwear and clothing should be warm, comfortable and suitable for different weather conditions (shoes without heels).

Travel documents: passport (national or international; for a child under 14 years old – birth certificate), citizens of the Russian Federation are recommended to take a medical policy of compulsory medical insurance for each person.

Trains info:

From St. Petersburg to Petrozavodsk:

Train 012A "St. Petersburg-Petrozavodsk". Departure at 11.20 pm, arrival at 06.50 am. 

Train 242A "St. Petersburg-Petrozavodsk". Departure at 01.45 am, arrival at 08.10 am.

From Petrozavodsk to St. Petersburg:

Train 805Ч "Petrozavodsk-St. Petersburg". Departure at 06.00 pm, arrival at 10.56 pm.

Train 11A "Petrozavodsk-St. Petersburg". Departure at 10.40 pm, arrival at 06.13 am.

From Moscow to Petrozavodsk:

Train 018A "Moscow-Petrozavodsk" (deluxe train). Departure at 09.05 pm, arrival at 08.55 am.

Train 092A "Moscow-Murmansk". Departure at 07.50 pm, arrival at 09.18 am.

Train 100A "Moscow-Murmansk". Departure at 04.20 pm, arrival at 08.10 am.

Train 242A "Moscow-Murmansk". Departure at 04.20 pm, arrival at 08.10 am.

From Petrozavodsk to Moscow:

Train 17A "Petrozavodsk-Moscow" (deluxe train). Departure at 09.00 pm, arrival at 08.53 am.

Train 91A "Murmansk-Moscow". Departure at 09.10 pm, arrival at 10.36 am.