Saint Petersburg and Karelia

SAINT PETERSBURG AND KARELIA

ST.PETERSBURG / KIZHI / VALAAM

 

The tour combines the highlights of both St.Petersburg and Karelia in a week's trip. After the busy city life and fast pace of Russia's Nothern capital, peace and tranquility of Karelia may be a nice change. Taking a hydrofoil across Onega Lake with its myriads of the islands to the beautiful wooden cathedral on thу Kizhi island could be truly unforgettable experience.

 

The program of the tour 8 Days / 7 Nights

 

Day 1

 

Arrival in St.Petersburg. Transfer to the hotel Check-in. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 2

Breakfast. Sightseeing tour of the city, including visit to the Peter & Paul Fortress. Lunch in a city restaurant. Tour of the Hermitage museum.

Day 3

Breakfast. Trip to Pushkin, for the tour of the Catherine’s Palace. Lunch. Proceed to Pavlovsk for the tour of the Emperor Paul’ Palace. Return to the hotel. Dinner in a city restaurant. Transfer to the train station. Departure to Petrozavodsk, the capital of the Republic of Karelia, by the overnight train.

Day 4

 

Arrival in Petrozavodsk. Transfer to the hotel, accompanied by the local tour escort. Check-in. Breakfast. Sightseeing tour of the city. Visit to the Dolls’ House private art gallery. Proceed to the Russia’s oldest resort of Martsial Waters. Visit to the Church of the Apostle Peter built in 1721 for the guests of the resort. Trip to Kivatch waterfall, the Europe’s second highest flat fall. Picnic on the site including shish kebab as the main course. Return to Petrozavodsk. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 5

 

Breakfast. Visit to the exhibition of the petroglyphs (rock carvings) from the Onega Lake and the White Sea. Made by the ancient hunters and fishermen about 6 thousand years ago the carvings are considered among the most outstanding monuments of the primitive art in Northern Europe. Trip to the Kizhi Island by hydrofoil across the Onega Lake. Tour of theopen air museum of the wooden architecture.Among the highlights of the island is the UNESCO listed Church of Transfiguration of the Savior crowned with 22 cupolas and built without a single nail. Visit to the Church of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God. Return to Petrozavodsk. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 6

Breakfast. Departure by bus to Sortavala (260 km away from). The trip includes a 2-hour rafting the Shuya river followed by lunch on the picturesque river bank.

(the customers can optionally get to the lunch place by bus). Arrival to Sortavala. Check-in. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 7

Breakfast. Check-out. Transfer to the river-boat station. Trip to Valaam Island by boat across the Ladoga Lake. Walking tour of the Valaam Island. Visitto the Transfiguration Monastery. Visiting a skeet (Russian for a small secluded monastery built for one or several monks, sometimes nearby the main building of the monastery). Lunch in the refectory. Concert of sacred music.

Departure by bus to Petrozavodsk (via Sortavala). Dinner on the way in the village of Kinerma featuring the authentic specialities of the Karelian cuisine. Arrival in Petrozavodsk. Transfer to the train station. Departure to St.Petersburg by the overnight train.

Day 8

Arrival in St.Petersburg early morning. Breakfast in a downtown restaurant. Transfer to the airport. Departure.