Tour condition: Grade BActivity: cycling (approx. 35 - 60 km per day)
ITINERARY
Day 1. Arrival in St. Petersburg. Our English-speaking guide will meet you at the airport. Transfer to the hotel 3*. Your first night in St. Petersburg. Optional – bus tour “St. Petersburg at night” or pub crawl. Overnight in a hotel.
Day 2. Today we will have time to explore the major highlights of St. Petersburg – the great city of Russian history and culture. You will visit the Peter & Paul Fortress - the oldest building in St. Petersburg, used as a political prison before 1917, and St. Isaac´s Cathedral, one of the world’s most beautiful cathedrals. Our tour guide will take you through the main streets of St. Petersburg. In the afternoon (on request) we can organise a guided tour of the Hermitage Museum, housed in the Winter Palace. The Winter Palace was the main residence of the Tsars from the 1760s onwards. The museum contains an enormous collection of Western Art, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Picasso and many other great masters. It also contains Historical, Russian and Oriental collections, which are definitely worth visiting. In the evening transfer to the railway station to catch your train to Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia region.
Day 3. Meeting at the railway station. After breakfast you will receive equipment and safety briefing. Transfer to the local Sopokha village (approx. 60km.). During the journey, you will enjoy beautiful natural scenery. From here we start with an easy radial cycling stopping at the waterfall Kivach –the most famous waterfall in Russia. This 10.7-meter-high tiered waterfall is the second highest plain waterfall in Europe.
Afterwards we will cross Sandal Lake by motorboat and reach another local settlement. From here we cycle to an Island and visit its beautiful old St. Peters and Paul church (1620) and traditional Karelian houses. Dinner cooked over fire camp fire. Overnight in tents. (Cycling distance: approx. 35 km)
Day 4. Continue cycling. Our route runs further through beautiful lakes and picturesque little villages with typical northern wooden architecture. Lunch en route. Dinner cooked over fire camp fire. Overnight in tents. (Cycling distance: approx. 60 km)
Day 5. Continue cycling to Lake Trasmozero with its historical hill. We will see a few more small Karelian villages on the way. Dinner cooked over fire camp fire. Overnight in tents. (Cycling distance: approx. 60 km)
Day 6. We will spend a day at the Lake Trasmozero admiring the unforgettable beauty of the Northern landscape. A variety of activities will be available for you today, including hiking, cycling or simply relaxing. In the evening we will gather around the campfire. Overnight in tents.
Day 7. Our relaxing break is over and we resume cycling. Today’s route allows you to enjoy unique wooden Northern architecture. Dinner cooked over fire camp fire. Overnight in tents. (Cycling distance: approx. 60 km)
Day 8. We continue cycling through the authentic Karelian villages enjoying amazing Northern landscape. Dinner cooked over fire camp fire. Overnight in tents. (Cycling distance: approx. 60 km)
Day 9. Today we have an exciting opportunity to see a unique ensemble of traditional Russian wooden architecture – Kizhi Museum, enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage List. You will be impressed by what you see in this open-air museum situated on Kizhi island in Lake Onego. It includes more then 80 magnificent wooden constructions. Most impressive are the 22-dome Church of Transfiguration (1714) and the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus, which is the oldest wooden church in Russia. In order to get to Kizhi island we will take the hovercraft (1.5-2 hours ride one way via the Onego Lake, which is the 2nd largest European Lake). Lunch - picnic outside. Transfer to Petrozavodsk (capital of Karelia) by hovercraft in the afternoon. Transfer to the railway station to take the train back to St. Petersburg.
Day 10. Arrival in St. Petersburg. Transfer to the hotel or airport to catch your flight back home. If your flight is in the afternoon you can enjoy some additional sightseeing in St. Petersburg.
Major Highlights of this Tour:
Optional: At your request we can organise for you one of the following activities:
- Visit to the Russian Museum. The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg has the largest collection of Russian art in the world, ranging from ancient icons to modern paintings.
- Visit to the Yusupov Palace. Yusupov Palace, once belonging to princes Yusupov’s noble family, is one of the most beautiful palaces in St. Petersburg. The palace retains its original 19th and early 20th century interior. Motives of various styles have been used in the decoration of the halls and chambers. The influence of the art of different countries and epochs can be traced in the Turkish study, Oaken dining-room, Musical chambers, Moresque chamber and the chamber of Henry II. The palace is worth visiting from a historical point of view. The cellar of the palace became the setting of the murder of one of the most scandalous figures in Russian history Grigory Rasputin. Nowadays the cellar where the dramatic events took place, houses an exhibition of Grigory Rasputin.
Some places you visit in this journey are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Please click here to view the UNESCO review page:
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