Signature journey · Karelia
Karelian Saga
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Groups of 10-35 guests
- Winter season
Winter Karelia in five days: the Kivach Waterfall, the runes of the Kalevala at the Sampo Ethnopark, Karelian Father Frost Talvi Ukko, the traditions of the Halla Courtyard, the Ruskeala marble canyon and living Viking history at the Bastion park.
Price on request: we quote for your group size, dates and hotel category.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia
- Meet your licensed English-speaking guide from St. Petersburg at the railway station
- Transfer to the hotel (0.5h), check-in from 14:00
- Lunch or dinner of local or European cuisine at the hotel, depending on arrival time
- Free time
Day 2
Karelian nature and the “Gold of Sampo” at the Ethnopark
- Guided drive to the nature reserve (1h)
- Kivach Nature Reserve: the waterfall, Karelian birch, northern flora and fauna (1h)
- Free time at the reserve shop: Karelian products and natural treasures (0.5h)
- Lunch of local or European cuisine (1h)
- Drive to Mount Sampo, a place of power with a panorama of islands and forests (1h)
- The interactive “Gold of Sampo” programme at the Ethnopark: the world of the Kalevala epic, a Sami tent with tea by the campfire, the secret of the Tree of Life, rune heroes and Karelian games (2h)
- Return to the hotel around 17:30, free evening
Day 3
Karelian Father Frost and the Halla Courtyard
- Drive to Talvi Ukko, the Karelian Father Frost (1h)
- At the House of Talvi Ukko and his fairy-tale friends: a fairy tale, a real Russian stove, a wizard and a handmade souvenir (1h)
- Drive to the Halla Courtyard (0.5h)
- Lunch of local or European cuisine at the courtyard (1h)
- Meeting the guardians of Karelian traditions, Karelian baking and a forest walk to the lake (2.5h)
- Free time at the courtyard (0.5h)
- Return to the hotel around 18:30, free evening
Day 4
Ruskeala Mountain Park and the Bastion Viking park
- Check-out at 7:00 with luggage, guided drive to Ruskeala (3h)
- Ruskeala Mountain Park, “Follow the path of the mining masters”: a marble canyon with sheer cliffs above crystal-clear lakes (1.5h)
- Drive to the Bastion historical park (1h)
- Lunch of local or European cuisine (1h)
- Bastion, a living history complex: handle weapons and armour, try on costumes and meet the reenactors (1h)
- The trout farm store: Ladoga trout and red caviar, tasting (1h)
- Check-in at the hotel around 17:30, free evening
Day 5
Departure or onward journey
- Check-out by 12:00
- Transfer with your guide to the railway station (0.5h)
- Train to St. Petersburg (4.5h) or another destination in Russia
Included
- Meet-and-greet and see-off at the railway station, porter service
- Transport throughout: a minibus, or a big bus for groups over 19
- Licensed English-speaking guide from St. Petersburg every day
- Kivach Nature Reserve, the “Gold of Sampo” programme, the House of Father Frost Talvi Ukko, the Halla Courtyard, Ruskeala Mountain Park and the Bastion historical park
- Lunches as per programme
- Headphones for excursions
- 4* hotel in the city centre with breakfast
- Passport registration and tourist tax
Optional extras
- The “1500 Steps into Nature” eco-trail at Kivach: forest and the bank of the Suna River (1h)
- Husky sledding at Father Frost's: meet the dogs and ride 1.5 km through the forest (1h)
- A walk along the Onega embankment and the “Polar Odyssey” maritime museum with its wooden sailing ships (1.5h)
- A Viking-style feast at Bastion: medieval dishes and live ethnic music (1.5h)
- Dinners at the hotel
- Train tickets to St. Petersburg, Veliky Novgorod, Pskov, Moscow or Murmansk
- Souvenirs: shungite figures and Karelian birch crafts
- Extra transfers and additional transport hours
Good to know
- Lunches include a three-course menu, dessert and a drink. Ethnic cuisine on request: Indian, Chinese, Halal, Turkish.
- The first and last days are arranged around your arrival and departure times.
- Museums have weekly days off, so the order of days is adjusted to your dates.
- Optional services extend the guide's and transport working time or replace a visit in the programme.