Day 1. Arrival in St. Petersburg. Our English-speaking guide will meet you at the international airport or at the railway station. Transfer to the hotel. Today you will have a guided city tour around St. Petersburg. You will see the major sights of St. Petersburg, including the Peter & Paul Fortress (the oldest building in St. Petersburg, used as a political prison before 1917), St. Isaacґs Cathedral - one of the world’s most beautiful cathedrals, the Church of Christ’s Resurrection (The Saviour of the Blood), which revives the traditions of 17th century Russian church-building and other major highlights of this legendary city. Free time in the afternoon. In the evening you can enjoy a ballet or opera performance at one of the best St. Petersburg's theatres (tickets on request). Overnight in a hotel.

Day 2. Breakfast in the hotel. Visit to one of the world famous museums, the Hermitage, housed in the former Winter Palace. The museum contains an enormous collection of Western Art, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Picasso and many other great masters. There are also Historical, Russian and Oriental sections which are definitely worth visiting. From the 1760s, the Winter Palace was the main residence of the Russian Tsars. Magnificently located on the bank of the Neva River, this baroque-style palace is perhaps the major attraction of St. Petersburg. In the evening transfer to the railway station to catch your train to Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia region.

Day 3. Arrival to Petrozavodsk. Our English-speaking guide will meet you at the railway station. Transfer to the hotel. Check in. Today you will have a guided city tour around Petrozavodsk. The city (in English translates to Peter’s factory) was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 in an effort to win The Great Northern War against Sweden. It’s located on the shore of Lake Onega and has a reputation as the green city with plenty of beautiful parks. It is undisputedly one of the prettiest of Russian cities. With its vibrant student life and European ambience you will definitely enjoy the Karelian capital. Then we will take hydrofoil to Kizhi Island. Lunch en route. This open-air museum includes more than 80 magnificent structures. The most amazing is the 22-dome Church of the Transfiguration (1714), the oldest wooden church in Russia- the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus. Dating from the 14th century, its whole structure was built without a single nail!!! The Kizhi museum is one of the most interesting cultural sights in the Northern Russia; it is also included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Return to Petrozovodsk. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 4. Breakfast. We drive today to the White Sea cost (approx. 450km.). First we visit the nature reserve “Kivatch” (80 km from Petrozavodsk), where you could see a beautiful waterfall which is the biggest lowland waterfall in Europe and admire the unforgettable beauty of the Northern landscape. Lunch at a cafй. Upon arrival to the village of Vygostrov we hike through the beautiful forest (approx. 4 km roundtrip) to the petroglyphs site - the 10,000 year-old ancient rock-carvings found along the shore of the White Sea. After excursion we head to Kem – our today’s destination. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 5. Breakfast. Departure to the Solovetsky Islands by ferry (3-3.5 hours). The Islands are renowned for its unique historical and cultural heritage, as well the beautiful Northern nature and its abundant sea life - seals and white whales to name a few. Arrival at the legendary Solovetsky Island, the largest of the Solovetsky islands group. Transfer to the hotel. Lunch. Tour to the Solovetsky Monastery Complex, which is included on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The monastery was founded in 1430. As centuries passed the monastery grew bigger and became famous all over the Orthodox world, thousands of pilgrims visited the monastery every year. In the early Soviet period the island of Solovki was turned into a political prison and during the W.W.II the island was the home of a school for young sailors. Nowadays Solovki is a functioning monastery again. You will get acquainted with legendary monastery buildings and fortresses walls, and learn the history of the infamous Stalin's Gulag camp situated within the Solovetsky Kremlin wall. Overnight at a hotel. 

Day 6. Breakfast. Today we experience paddling along the lakes and man made canals of the Island (approx. 5 km long, 3-5 people per boat). Stop for lunch (lunch boxes or a picnic on the lake shore). Then we board a bus and embark on a walking tour to Sekirnaya Mountain (in English means Hatchet Mountain) in the northern part of the Island which became infamous for Alexander Solzhenitsin’s novel “Gulag Archipelago”. You’ll see the Ascension Church which in Soviet times was used as solitary confinement and an observation place. After our return to the Solovetsky settlement we will visit the Botanical Garden founded by monks in the 19th century - one of the most northern botanical gardens in the world. You will be stunned by the trees and plants normally found in more southern parts of the world. Overnight at a hotel.

Day 7. Breakfast. Free time. Optional: a boat tour to the Big Zayatsky Islands. This group of islands has a lot of attractions, including prehistoric sacred labyrinths, burial mounds (thought to have been created by the protosaami people), a medieval church, household structures and a stone dock. About 90 plant species inhabit the islands, mostly of a tundra type, including ‘dancing’ birch trees. Gull and tern colonies, foxes and field voles can be found in the area. Visit to the old wooden church and ancient labyrinths. Departure to Kem. Overnight at a hotel. 

Day 8. Early morning transfer to the railway station. Day on train. In the evening arrival to St. Petersburg. Transfer to hotel. Check in. 

Day 9. Free time to explore city by yourself. Transfer to airport to catch your flight back home.

 Major Highlights of this Tour: 

St. Petersburg: The St. Isaac’s Cathedral  , The Peter and Paul Fortress Solovetsky monastery (UNESCO World Heritage List) Museum of wooden architecture on Kizhi Island (UNESCO World Heritage List) Europe's largest lowland waterfall Kivach Petroglyphs

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