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HOME HOLIDAY PLANNER CITY BREAKS IN RUSSIA & UKRAINE DISCOVERY OF THE RUSSIAN NORTH: ST. PETERSBURG, KIZHI, SOLOVETSKY ISLAND, GULAG CAMP (KL-07)

Discovery of the Russian North: St. Petersburg, Kizhi, Solovetsky Island, Gulag Camp (KL-07)

Group size
2-14 people
Season
Summer
Duration
9 days
Departs
Friday
Starts
St. Petersburg
Ends
St. Petersburg
Countries
Russia
Cities
St. Petersburg, Kizhi, Petrozavodsk, Solovetsky Islands, Kem, Kinerma
Price
from £2,295
Reservation
View dates and prices
This is a wonderful opportunity to discover the best of Karelia - one of the most beautiful parts of Russia. You will see the unique Kizhi complex, listed on the Unesco’s World Heritage List, mysterious petroglyphs, the signs left by an ancient people, which puzzle many archeologists in Russia and abroad, and finally, the legendary Solovetsky Islands, the heart of this mysterious land and full of legends.

IncludedServices included in the package price.
Not includedServices not included in the package price.
Optional extras and upgradesMake your trip more rewarding. View options.
Practical informationAll you need to know about Go Russia packages.
St. Petersburg
Half Day Guided Tour to Tsarskoe Selo (Catherine Palace & Amber Room)Guided visit to one of the major architectural treasures of the Royal St. Petersburg - settlement of Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin) located 25km south of the city. This small town has two gigantic palaces, set amidst huge and beautiful parkland: the glorious Catherine Palace, a Baroque masterpiece by the Italian architecture Bartolomeo Rastrelli, and the Alexander Palace, where the last tsar family dwelt. We will visit the Catherine’s Palace with the Amber Room. It features splendid interiors, designed by eminent architects Rastrelli, Cameron, Stasov and Monighetti.
5 hours | £110 per person
Yusupov Palace Guided TourOnce belonging to prince Yusupov noble family it is one of the most beautiful palaces in St. Petersburg. Its expositions reflect refined luxury, splendour of high life, human relationships and the history of rich aristocratic family. During the tour you will see luxurious decorations of the interiors: murals, carvings, marble, mirrors, gilded chandelier, expensive silk clothes and refined furniture. The palace is also known for the murder of Grigory Rasputin who is believed as having influenced the later days of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II.
3 hours | £70 per person
Museum of Political History of Russia Guided TourThe State Museum of the Political History of Russia, former the State Museum of Revolution, was created on October 9, 1919, by decree of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers and the Red Army Deputies. Among the initiators were prominent figures in the Bolshevik Party and the narodnik (populist) movement, and representatives of the intelligentsia. By the mid 1920s it had a unique collection of revolutionary banners, an extremely valuable collection of leaflets of the different political parties, posters, and objects from that period.
3 hours | £60 per person
Russian Museum Guided TourRussian museum features the largest collection of Russian art no other museum in the world can boast of. Over 400,000 exhibits reflect history of Russian fine art from the ancient icons to the 20th century avant-garde, presenting all the stages, schools and genres. The permanent exhibition of the State Russian Museum presents the works of Russian and Soviet artists and covers the period from the 11th century till nowadays. Along with paintings, the museum boasts unique collections of works of folk art, decorative and applied art, and numismatics.
4 hours | £60 per person
Folk Show at Nikolaevsky PalaceThe folk show "Feel Yourself Russian" is comprised of the bright performances of St. Petersburg professional folk companies. During two hours of this dynamic colourful and picturesque show you will hear tuneful folk songs - romantic, and full of life, watch sparkling dances of different provinces of Russia, and learn that some items - such as saws, wooden spoons, and other traditional household appliances - can also be used as musical instruments! The national colour of the performance is enriched with the bright dresses made in accordance with Russian traditions.
2 hours | £55 per person

Day 1 – Friday
Transfer from the airport to the railway station
Our driver will meet you in the arrival sector with a Go Russia sign board and transfer to the railway station. You will travel on a comfortable train to Petrozavodsk, arrival - next day early in the morning.
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Train: St. Petersburg - Petrozavodsk
Day 1 – Friday
Night train: St. Petersburg - Petrozavodsk
You will travel on a comfortable fast train to Petrozavodsk. Both 1st (2 berth) and 2nd (4 berth) compartments are available. Clean linen, including sheets, towels, blankets and pillows are provided for each berth. The train also has a dining car that serves good meals. Arrival in Petrozavodsk early in the morning.
Petrozavodsk - Kizhi - Petrozavodsk - Kinerma
Day 2 – Saturday
Petrozavodsk Walking Tour
Visit to the Ethnographic Museum
Hydrofoil: Petrozavodsk - Kizhi
Kizhi Open-air Museum Guided Tour
Hydrofoil: Kizhi - Petrozavodsk
Transfer by car / minibus: Petrozavodsk - Kinerma
Cooking class of baking traditional Karelian pies
Today you will have a guided city tour around Petrozavodsk. The city 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. We will visit the National Museum of the Republic of Karelia where you will learn about the local history and traditional culture of Karelian people and the Russian North.

Later we take a hydrofoil to Kizhi Island. 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. This open-air museum includes more than 80 magnificent structures. The most amazing are the 22-dome Church of the Transfiguration (1714) and 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!

In the afternoon we take a hydrofoil back to Petrozavodsk and travel by car to a local village of Kinerma. In the evening we learn how to bake traditional Karelian pies “Kalitki” - tiny pasties made of unfermented dough with rye flour and usually served with tea.
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Kinerma - Petrozavodsk
Day 3 – Sunday
Walking Tour of the Village
Transfer by car / minibus: Kinerma - Petrozavodsk
Historic village of Kinerma is a natural open-air museum representing a unique complex of traditional wooden architecture in Karelia. Seven of seventeen buildings of Kinerma have status of monuments of architecture. During a guided walking tour you will see dwelling houses and utility structures and visit a wooden chapel of the XVIII century. In the evening we travel back to Petrozavodsk and take an overnight train to Kem.
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Train: Petrozavodsk - Kem
Day 3 – Sunday
Night train: Petrozavodsk - Kem
Train ride to Kem takes about 8 hours. Arrival in Kem at midnight.
Kem - Solovetsky Islands
Day 4 – Monday
Transfer to the port
Ferry: Kem - Solovetsky Islands
Solovetsky Monastery Walking Tour
Upon arrival in Kem you will be taken to the port where you will have some rest in a local hotel. In the morning we depart to the Solovetsky Islands by ferry (3-3.5 hours). The Islands are renowned for their unique historical and cultural heritage, as well the beautiful Northern nature and their abundant sea life. In the afternoon we have a guided tour of the monastery which 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 WWII 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.
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Solovetsky Islands - Kem
Day 5 – Tuesday
Tour to Zayatsky Island
Ferry: Solovetsky Islands - Kem
Transfer to the railway station
Zayatsky is a small tranquil island in about 45 minutes boat ride from the Monastery. 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. The main places of interest of Zayatsky, covered with the tundra-type vegetation are its mysterious stone labyrinths dating back about 4000 years and a small wooden church of St. Andrew (1702). In the afternoon we take a ferry back to Kem where we board an overnight train to St. Petersburg.
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Train: Kem - St. Petersburg
Day 5 – Tuesday
Night train: Kem - St. Petersburg
Overnight train to St. Petersburg. Departure from Kem in the evening, arrival in St. Petersburg next day at noon.
St. Petersburg
Half Day Guided Tour to Tsarskoe Selo (Catherine Palace & Amber Room)Guided visit to one of the major architectural treasures of the Royal St. Petersburg - settlement of Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin) located 25km south of the city. This small town has two gigantic palaces, set amidst huge and beautiful parkland: the glorious Catherine Palace, a Baroque masterpiece by the Italian architecture Bartolomeo Rastrelli, and the Alexander Palace, where the last tsar family dwelt. We will visit the Catherine’s Palace with the Amber Room. It features splendid interiors, designed by eminent architects Rastrelli, Cameron, Stasov and Monighetti.
5 hours | £110 per person
Yusupov Palace Guided TourOnce belonging to prince Yusupov noble family it is one of the most beautiful palaces in St. Petersburg. Its expositions reflect refined luxury, splendour of high life, human relationships and the history of rich aristocratic family. During the tour you will see luxurious decorations of the interiors: murals, carvings, marble, mirrors, gilded chandelier, expensive silk clothes and refined furniture. The palace is also known for the murder of Grigory Rasputin who is believed as having influenced the later days of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II.
3 hours | £70 per person
Museum of Political History of Russia Guided TourThe State Museum of the Political History of Russia, former the State Museum of Revolution, was created on October 9, 1919, by decree of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers and the Red Army Deputies. Among the initiators were prominent figures in the Bolshevik Party and the narodnik (populist) movement, and representatives of the intelligentsia. By the mid 1920s it had a unique collection of revolutionary banners, an extremely valuable collection of leaflets of the different political parties, posters, and objects from that period.
3 hours | £60 per person
Russian Museum Guided TourRussian museum features the largest collection of Russian art no other museum in the world can boast of. Over 400,000 exhibits reflect history of Russian fine art from the ancient icons to the 20th century avant-garde, presenting all the stages, schools and genres. The permanent exhibition of the State Russian Museum presents the works of Russian and Soviet artists and covers the period from the 11th century till nowadays. Along with paintings, the museum boasts unique collections of works of folk art, decorative and applied art, and numismatics.
4 hours | £60 per person
Folk Show at Nikolaevsky PalaceThe folk show "Feel Yourself Russian" is comprised of the bright performances of St. Petersburg professional folk companies. During two hours of this dynamic colourful and picturesque show you will hear tuneful folk songs - romantic, and full of life, watch sparkling dances of different provinces of Russia, and learn that some items - such as saws, wooden spoons, and other traditional household appliances - can also be used as musical instruments! The national colour of the performance is enriched with the bright dresses made in accordance with Russian traditions.
2 hours | £55 per person

Day 6 – Wednesday
Transfer from the railway station to the hotel
St. Petersburg City Tour by Car
Our driver will meet you with a Go Russia sign board at the platform. You will start your discovery of St. Petersburg with a guided city tour by car that will take you around the stunning "Venice of the North"; you will see the Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Church of Christ's Resurrection (The Saviour of the Blood). You will also see the famous cruiser Aurora; the legendary ship whose canon gave the signal, on the order of Lenin, for the beginning of the Great Social Revolution more than 90 years ago.
Day 7 – Thursday
Hermitage Museum (Winter Palace) Guided Tour
A guided tour of the Hermitage, former residence of the Russian Tzars (famous Winter Palace) and one of best museums of the world. This stunning palace, an architectural masterpiece in itself, contains a collection over 3,000,000 works of art representing the development of world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century. The collection includes works of Leonardo Da Vinci, Titian, Raphael, French impressionists, sculptures and treasures icons, coins and Tsar’s jewellery. The Hermitage is an unforgettable place to visit.
Day 8 – Friday
Half Day Guided Tour to Petrodvorets (Palace, Fountain and Park Ensemble)
Half day tour to the suburbs of St Petersburg to visit one of the magnificent summer palaces - Petrodvorets. The Peterhof (Petrodvorets) is a world-famous palace, fountain and park complex, and an outstanding landmark of Russian artistic culture of the 18-19th centuries. Founded in the very beginning of the eighteenth century by Emperor Peter the Great not far from his new northern capital St. Petersburg, Peterhof was intended to become the most splendid official royal summer residence.
Day 9 – Saturday
Transfer from the hotel to the airport
Transfer to the airport. Our driver will meet you with a Go Russia sign board at the hotel lobby.
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Dates and prices
Please read notes at the bottom of the table to learn more about the meaning of each pricing section
Travel package
Comfort - 3*
Year of travel
2024
Travel dates Flights Excluding / Including Single / Solo supplement Train upgrade Book
17/05/2024 - 25/05/2024 £2,295 / £3,095 £195 / £695 £175 book now
24/05/2024 - 01/06/2024 £2,295 / £3,095 £195 / £695 £175 book now
31/05/2024 - 08/06/2024 £2,295 / £3,095 £195 / £695 £175 book now
07/06/2024 - 15/06/2024 £2,295 / £3,095 £195 / £695 £175 book now
14/06/2024 - 22/06/2024 £2,295 / £3,095 £195 / £695 £175 book now
21/06/2024 - 29/06/2024 £2,295 / £3,095 £195 / £695 £175 book now
28/06/2024 - 06/07/2024 £2,295 / £3,095 £195 / £695 £175 book now
05/07/2024 - 13/07/2024 £2,345 / £3,145 £195 / £695 £175 book now
12/07/2024 - 20/07/2024 £2,345 / £3,145 £195 / £695 £175 book now
19/07/2024 - 27/07/2024 £2,345 / £3,145 £195 / £695 £175 book now
26/07/2024 - 03/08/2024 £2,345 / £3,145 £195 / £695 £175 book now
02/08/2024 - 10/08/2024 £2,345 / £3,145 £195 / £695 £175 book now
09/08/2024 - 17/08/2024 £2,345 / £3,145 £195 / £695 £175 book now
16/08/2024 - 24/08/2024 £2,345 / £3,145 £195 / £695 £175 book now
23/08/2024 - 31/08/2024 £2,345 / £3,145 £195 / £695 £175 book now

Note on pricing:

  1. All prices are per person, in British Pounds. All included services are listed in the tour dossier and the section "Included" in the tour description.
  2. Price "Including flight" is subject to airfare availability and will be reconfirmed upon your booking. We advise not to delay with booking your tour as airfares may go up.
  3. Price "Excluding flight" does not cover airfare, you are free to book your own flights.
  4. Single supplement goes towards single room (cabin for cruises) accommodation.
  5. Solo supplement is payable in the unlikely event when you are the only person on the tour. It will be refunded if other people join the same tour.
  6. "Train upgrade" supplement means an upgrade for a compartment for 2 people and refers to overnight trains only. Advisable to book if you prefer more privacy and comfort during your overnight train journeys. Read more about train upgrade.
See what our clients say about this tour
We are very happy to have served thousands of happy customers who travelled with us.
Pick ups, transfers, etc. all happened as promised. We weree taken to key sites but also had some free time to explore. Our tour included areas less travelled. Guides fiendly and knowledgable.
Our guide for the Karelia tour, Polina, was outstanding in every way- of the best we have ever had. All of the other guides were very well trained knowledgeable. We saw a lot every day.
Just a brief note to thank you all at GoRussia for organising such a wonderful trip for us. We returned home late last night after enjoying 10 days of great hospitality in St Petersburg and Karelia. The arrangements all went like clockwork. Our guides were friendly and went out of their way to be helpful.

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