The ultimate cycling trip will give you a unique experience of adventure and discovery in Northern Russian. With a short stop in Moscow to introduce you to the main highlights of the Russian capital, your journey will take you to Murmansk, the capital of the Kola Peninsula, one of the most beautiful and mysterious parts of Russia. The northern land within the Polar Circle is absolutely different from anywhere else you have ever visited: the trees are shorter than human beings, the summer sun doesn’t dip below the horizon, in heatwaves the snow doesn’t melt on the tops of peaks,, and the tundra desert rejoices in the bright colours of flowering lichens. We will cycle through mountains and tundra, along bays and lakes towards the austere Arctic Ocean. We will also go on foot through forgotten places, to discover Russian war history. During World War II Kola was the main trans-shipment point for the Russian navy and many remains from those tragic days can still be found there. A Russian Army truck will take us to the starting point, where you start your exciting - and challenging - cycling adventure. The route is not extremely difficult; but previous cycling experience is a must, along with good physical health. This is a tour for adventurous and physically fit people who are looking for different experiences and challenges on the rare still unknown tracks of the World; so why wait for adventure to come along – make it happen this summer!
PRICE
LAND-ONLY PRICE: £669
PACKAGE PRICE: £1,079
Tour condition: Grade B Activity: cycling (approx. 35 - 55 km per day)
ITINERARY
Day 1. Arrival in Moscow. Our English-speaking guide will meet you at the international airport. Transfer to the hotel. Your first night in Moscow. Optional – bus tour “Moscow at night” or pub crawl.
Day 2. Check-out from the hotel. We will have time to explore the major highlights of Moscow - a short bus tour around Moscow is waiting for us. Our tour guide takes you to the “Sparrow Hills” with an observation platform which provides a fantastic panoramic view of Moscow and then through the main streets of Moscow - huge, busy and elegant at the same time. Transfer to the airport to catch your flight to Murmansk. Arrival in Murmansk, the capital of the Kola Peninsula. Transfer to the hotel. Day 3. After breakfast travel to the starting point for our cycling adventure. (approx. 110km., 2 hrs). We have to cross a control point on the Russian Northern border, as our route is in the border zone. On the way we’ll stop at the Valley of Glory WW2 memorial, the only place where the frontline didn’t move during the fierce fighting from 1941 to 1944. After the border crossing we get on our bikes and start our cycling adventure, stopping at the waterfall on the river Tytovka. . Arrival at camp. Dinner cooked over open fire. Overnight in tents. (Distance covered – 32km.) Day 4. After breakfast we set off for a full day’s trekking. Today we explore the Musta Tunturi tundra (Finnish for Black Tundra), a fine example of Arctic tundra. It looks like a treeless plain, broken only by an occasional tree. Short grasses, flowers, and grass-like sedges, along with spreading mosses and lichen are the dominant forms of vegetation in the tundra. We’ll hike for 25km. stopping to admire the stunning views of the rocky tundra and the Barents Sea. We will also have an opportunity to visit the remains of some WW2 defences (trenches, defence pits, other fortified structures). Return to our base camp. Dinner cooked over open fire. Overnight in tents. (Distance covered – 25km.) Day 5. Today we continue our trip to the Arctic tundra, enjoying this beautiful northern landscape while we come down from the hills to the sea shore. Lunch en route. We pitch camp at Malaya Volokovaya bay. Dinner cooked over open fire. Overnight in tents. (Distance covered – 30km.) Day 6. After breakfast we cycle further north from Malaya Volokovaya bay to the Soviet artillery battery in the western part of the Shrednyj peninsula. We also stop at the Two Brothers rock,a strange,interesting rock formation and a sacred place for the Saami. Pitch camp. Dinner cooked over open fire. Overnight in tents. (Distance covered – 36km.) Day 7. Today is our longest day of cycling. We ride along the Arctic coastline to Skorbeevka bay. You’ll have a chance to enjoy some stunning Northern views en route. In the late afternoon we reach the scenic Skorbeevka bay, with a picturesque small waterfall on the river nearby. We pitch camp. You’ll feel as if you’re at the end of the world, looking out over the vast arctic waters. Dinner cooked over open fire. Overnight in tents. (Distance covered – 55km.)
Day 8. Our last cycling day. We ride to Cape Nemetsky, the northernmost point of European Russia. Plenty of time to admire the views and reflect on life!. Return to base camp. Dinner cooked over open fire. Overnight in tents. (Distance covered – 30km.)
Day 9. After a brief walk on the shore we pack up and leave for Murmansk (approx. 6hrs.). Transfer to Murmansk airport for the flight to Moscow. In Moscow transfer from the local airport to the international airport for your flight back home. Optional If you wish you can extend your stay in Murmansk for one more day and enjoy the biggest city within the Arctic circle! We start our sightseeing tour of Murmansk with a visit to the harbour to look at the various ships and icebreakers docked there. On request, we can include an optional tour of a working nuclear-powered icebreaker. We visit a museum dedicated to natural and cultural history, to see exhibitions of flora and fauna from the Kola Peninsula, as well as exhibits on the history and culture of the Russian North. Later in the afternoon, we visit an Aquarium to watch performing seals; then on to the Museum of the Polar Research Institute. This museum holds unique samples of the creatures that inhabit the polar oceans, as well as a relief model of the ocean bed. Lunch during sightseeing. Overnight at a hotel.
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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