Join in an extraordinary adventure in the sublime and wild nature of Karelia. During this intense exclusive getaway, you will see the famous and must-see Kizhi Island, will go snowmobiling, snowshoe hiking, dog-sledding and will taste the national cuisine. Mini-group tour.
Reception at Petrozavodsk station in the morning. You will be greeted by your English-speaking guide. Breakfast in a café.
After the breakfast, you take the bus to the lake (10 min) and walk along the Petrozavodsk waterfront. Then you board a hovercraft for a day trip to the Kizhi island: you sail on Lake Onega which is the second largest lake in Europe (1.5 hours). On arrival, you will discover the architectural complex of Kizhi, whose amazing history will be told to you by the guide. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the island has been turned into an open-air museum where traditional buildings from all over Karelia have been brought back. After a visit to a cosy, typical restaurant, you will be introduced to Karelian tea traditions.
On the way back, lulled by the hum of the hovercraft's engines, you can take a nap (1.5 hours).
Upon arrival in Petrozavdosk, you will reach the Chichki rest base (85km) in the middle of a forest, where you will spend the next few nights. Dinner and overnight stay at the base.
Breakfast at the base.
You prepare to leave for a day of snowmobile getaway in the heart of Karelia (60km): safety instruction, training and departure. You are two on the snowmobiles (1 driver, 1 passenger). Your snowmobile safari starts on the frozen Sandal Lake. On the horizon you can see the wooden church of Peter and Paul, built in 1620, which has been on the island of Lytchny for four centuries and is beautiful both outside and inside. Tea break.
Then you continue to the Belaya mountain. More than a century ago this place was a huge marble quarry. Lunch in a café overlooking the river (soup, fish).
On the way back to the base, you pass through several villages that are known as "sleepy". Life there is calm and discreet. In one of these villages, you will visit a charming chapel, climb on the upper platform and take many beautiful pictures of the real Russian North.
Return to the base at the end of the day. Dinner and overnight at the base. In the evening you can enjoy the Karelian bania (sauna).
Breakfast at the base.
Departure by snowmobile to a husky dog kennel (25km): You will hear the happy barking of the Huskies from afar upon your arrival. Once the dogs are harnessed, you begin a fascinating journey through the woods (10km). A sleigh ride is like a time machine that takes you back in time to a time when man lived in harmony with nature and you also take a short snowshoe hike in the snow (2-3km). In the woods, the instructor will show you how to cook local fish on the embers. Lunch on the spot.
Return to the base by snowmobile, and from there you will take the bus to Petrozavodsk. Dinner at a restaurant in town.
Transfer to the railway station/airport and back to Moscow.
. Accommodation mentioned or similar in standard double room base (unless your estimate indicates another room category)
. Breakfasts
. Excursions mentioned in the program, with an English-speaking guide and admission tickets
. Transport mentioned
. The activities mentioned in the program
. Flight tand train tickets
. Unreported meals
. Tips and personal expenses
. Optional visits and excursions not mentioned in the program
. Individual rate: 35 100 RUB / Person (2 persons per snowmobile), 47 100 RUB / Person (1 person per snowmobile )
. 30% deposit upon reservation
. Balance payment one month before departure
. The order of the excursions can be modified according the touristic sites or for any other technical reasons
. Non-binding pictures
. According to the Warsaw Convention, in case of delayed baggage delivery, in the context of air travel, the passenger must personally hand in a written protestation letter to the effective carrier (the air company ensuring the flight, which can be different from the selling company, in case of code-share flights) no more than 21 days after said luggage was given to them
. If the cancellation is made more than 30 days before departure, the fee is 100€
. Between 30 and 20 days before departure, cancellation fee equals 25 % of the total amount of the trip price
. Between 19 and 13 days, the fee equals 35 %
. Between 12 and 9 days, the fee equals 60 %
. If the cancellation is made less than 9 days before departure, the cancellation fee is 100% of the total amount
Ticketing service: except if specified otherwise, flight and train tickets are non-changeable and non-refundable
