Arrival in Moscow, the capital of Russia

Arrival at the airport in Moscow. Meeting with a guide. Transfer from the airport to a hotel. Check-in. Accommodation. Dinner.

Moscow

Breakfast. The bus city tour with the visit to the Red Square and St.Basil’s cathedral. Free time. Shopping. Lunch. Transfer to the hotel. The Moscow metro tour. Dinner.

Moscow is the capital and largest city of the Russian Federation. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with the population estimated at 13.0 million residents within the city limits, over 18.8 million residents in the urban area, and over 21.5 million residents in the metropolitan area.

Moscow

Breakfast. Meeting with the guide. Visiting the Kremlin, the Kremlin cathedrals and the Armoury. Lunch. Shopping. Free time. Dinner.

Moscow

Transfer to the town of Sergiev Posad. It is about 75 km from Moscow to Sergiev Posad.
The excursion around the Sergiev Posad with the visit to the famous Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

Sergiev Posad is a city in Russia northeast of Moscow. It is a part of the ensemble of the ancient Russian cities of the Golden Ring. Sergiev Posad boasts the famous Trinity-Sergius Lavra built in the 14th century, as well as the Church of the Ascension of the Lord, decorated with blue domes with golden crosses and frescoes. In the Trinity Cathedral on the territory of the Lavra you can see a shrine with the relics of St. Sergius and the exquisite silverware. The ringing of the bells of the blue and white tower can be heard throughout the area.

Breakfast.Lunch. Coming back to Moscow. Dinner.

Moscow

Moscow Breakfast. Free day. Transfer to the train station. Taking a night train from Moscow to Petrozavodsk.

Petrozavodsk, the capital of the Republic of Karelia

Arrival in Petrozavodsk. Meeting with a guide at the train station.
Transfer from the train station to a hotel.
Breakfast.
Leaving the luggage in the hotel luggage room. Accommodation in late afternoon or in the evening.
Transfer from the hotel to sea-port.
Taking the boat to Island Kizhi. Going to the Island of Kizhi by hydrofoil (1,5 hour).
Arrival in Kizhi.
The excursion around the Kizhi Architectural Ensemble and the historic village of the 19th century.
The Kizhi museum is one of the largest open air museums in Russia. This unique historical, cultural and natural complex is a particularly valuable object of the cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia. The basis of the museum collection – the Kizhi Ensemble – is the UNESCO World cultural and natural heritage site.
Free time.
Lunch.
Departure by boat to Petrozavodsk.
Arrival in Petrozavodsk.
Transfer from the sea-port to the hotel. Accommodation.
Dinner.

Sortavala – Island Valaam

Breakfast. Transfer to the town of Sortavala by bus (about 250 km). Arrival in Sortavala. Breakfast in a café.

Going by hydrofoil to the Islands of Valaam (about 50 minutes by hydrofoil). The excursion around the central part of the Valaam monastery with the visit to the Transfiguration Cathedral, some churches and some other monastery buildings.

Going by hydrofoil to the Islands of Valaam (about 50 minutes by hydrofoil). The excursion around the central part of the Valaam monastery with the visit to the Transfiguration Cathedral, some churches and some other monastery buildings.

Valaam is an archipelago in the northern part of Lake Ladoga, lying within the Republic of Karelia, Russian Federation. The total area of its more than 50 islands is 36 km². The largest island is also called Valaam. Other named islands are Skitsky (second by size), Lembos, Sviatoy, Bayonny, Moskovsky, Predtechensky, Nikonovsky, Divny, Emelyanov, Oboronny, Goly, Savvaty's, Zosima's, Skalisty, Lukovy, Ovsiany, Rzhanoi, Nikolsky.

Lunch in the refectory. Coming back to Sortavala. Dinner. Leaving for Petrozavodsk.

Petrozavodsk - Kem

Breakfast. Transfer to the train station. Taking the train from Petrozavodsk to Kem. Arrival in Kem. Transfer from the train station to the hotel in Kem or to a hotel on the shore of the White Sea. Accommodation. Dinner.

Kem – the Solovetsky Islands (Solovky).

Breakfast.
Taking the boat from Kem to the Solovetsky Islands (Solovky). It takes about 2,5 hours to get to Solovky (Solovki).

Summer is the perfect time for hiking and biking on the islands. You can enjoy the white nights from June to July, in August you can watch beautiful sunsets and sunrises. In late July the mosquito time ends on Solovky, and before this period we recommend you to provide yourselves with repellents. In August blueberries begin to ripen, in July forests already have mushrooms. Despite the warm weather on the beach, it can get quite chilly during the seawalks. You should take some warm clothes with you for a trip. There is the 'beluga' season on the Solovky from June to August. There is a great opportunity to take a close look at these sea animals, and learn how they breed. Summer is also rich in various holidays – we have the Navy Day, the “Solovetskaya regatta” yacht competitions, the folk craft festival “The Solovky fair”; in August we remember the victims of the political repressions and have the art song festival “On the Solovky Islands”. “The Solovky week” starts on 19th August, when the series of the main Orthodox Solovky events are held (on 19th August – the Transfiguration of the Christ, on 22nd August - the Synaxis of All the Saints of Solovky, on 23rd August – the Synaxis of New Martyrs and Confessors of Solovky, August 28th – the Assumption Day).

Arrival in Solovky. Transfer from the Solovky sea-port to the hotel. The monastery tour. Walking back to the hotel. Lunch. The boat trip to see the nature of the White Sea and white whales. Walking back to the hotel. Dinner.

On Solovky.

Breakfast in the hotel. Check-out. The bus trip to the Sekirnaya hill and the botanical garden. Transfer back to the hotel. Lunch. Transfer from the hotel to the sea-port. Taking the boat from Solovky to Kem. Arrival in Kem. Dinner. Transfer to the train station In late evening taking the train from Kem to Saint-Petersburg.

Saint-Petersburg.

Arrival in St.Petersburg. Meeting with the guide at the train station.

The bus sightseeing tour in Saint-Petersburg with the visit to St. Isaac's Cathedral.

This excursion will introduce you to the main attractions of St. Petersburg: Palace Square with its unique architectural ensemble, the Bronze Horseman, the Admiralty, the Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Summer Garden, the Field of Mars, the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island and the heart of the city - the Peter and Paul Fortress.

St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg is an example of Russian art and the last temple erected by the hands of serfs. It is recognized as one of the most beautiful and significant domed structures not only in Russia, but also in the world. On clear, sunny days, the sparkling dome of the cathedral can be seen tens of kilometers away.

Transfer to the hotel. Check-in. Lunch. Free time. Dinner at the restaurant. The visit to the folklore show FEEL YOURSELF RUSSIAN (music, dancing, a snack with a glass of champaign). Return to the hotel.

Saint-Petersburg

Breakfast in the hotel.

Trip to Pushkin to the museum Tsarskoe Selo. The excursion programme.

Tsarskoe Selo is a cluster of very fine examples of Baroque and Classical architecture and it was also the first place in the Russian capital where interiors decorated in the Moderne (Art Nouveau) style appeared.

Tsarskoye Selo (lit. 'Tsar's Village') was the town containing a former residence of the Russian imperial family and visiting nobility, located 24 kilometers (15 mi) south from the center of Saint Petersburg. The residence now forms part of the town of Pushkin. Tsarskoye Selo forms one of the World Heritage Site Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.

Lunch. Transfer to Saint-Petersburg to the hotel. Free time. Dinner.

Saint-Petersburg

Breakfast at the hotel. Meeting with the guide.

The excursion in the Hermitage. The Hermitage is the second largest art museum in the world, housing more than three million exhibits. It would take decades to explore them all. The Hermitage selected iconic places and exhibits in the Main Museum Complex which you will have time to get acquainted with in one visit.

Lunch at the restaurant.

Visit to the Savior on Spilled Blood.

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg is a monument of the Russian architecture. It was erected by order of Alexander III on the spot where on March 1, 1881, the Narodnaya Volya member Grinevitsky mortally wounded Alexander II. The people called the emperor the Tsar Liberator for the abolition of serfdom.

Shopping in the center.

Visiting the museum of the Russian vodka. Tasting the real Russian drink – vodka!

Dinner at the restaurant. The visit to the Mariinsky theatre. Enjoying the concert. Return to the hotel.

Saint-Petersburg

Breakfast at the hotel.

The trip to Peterhof. The excursion programme with the visit to Peterhof’s park and palaces.

Peterhof is a unique treasure of the cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. Every year Peterhof is visited by millions of tourists who come to admire the greatness of the Russian baroque style. It is no wonder that there are plenty places to admire in Peterhof – the parks with the beautiful ponds, the palaces, the unique landscapes and finally the world’s famous fountains.

Leaving Saint-Petersburg

Breakfast at the hotel.Transfer to the airport.