Seven days and six nights: a St. Petersburg night before and after Karelia, and four nights at one base near Sortavala. Ruskeala, the skerries and Valaam or a land alternative.
Starting city: St. Petersburg. Your proposal confirms the meeting point and transfer time. Visit order depends on your dates and group’s pace.
Main stops in programme order · transport confirmed in your quote
St. Petersburg
Sortavala
St. Petersburg
Meet at Pulkovo, private transfer, check-in under the hotel terms and time to rest. A short walk depends on energy and arrival time. Agreed dinner, or preordered hotel food after a delay. Overnight in St. Petersburg.
Meals: Welcome dinner included. Today's lunch is not included — you pay for it separately, and we can help choose a place.
Breakfast and travel from St. Petersburg to Sortavala by private road transport. Confirm departure and the full hotel-to-hotel journey for your dates. Plan lunch, breaks and food en route. After arrival, check in, have dinner and rest; keep major sightseeing for a separate day.
Meals: Breakfast included. Lunch included; the venue or packed lunch is agreed before departure. Dinner included.
Travel from Sortavala to Ruskeala. The family base is a surface route, lunch near the park and rest. The underground tour is only an adult-profile option with a confirmed slot and eligible ages; a party with a child under seven stays together on the surface route. A retro train requires a separately checked complete timetable.
Meals: Breakfast included. Lunch included; the venue or packed lunch is agreed before departure. Dinner included.
Sail from Sortavala to Valaam only with confirmed sailings, suitable conditions and a suitable party. The base plan uses the same bay for arrival and departure; another pier requires an extra transfer and a revised timetable. Allow sightseeing, food and breaks without rushing the last boat. Families may choose a full mainland day beforehand.
Meals: Breakfast included. Lunch included; the venue or packed lunch is agreed before departure. Dinner included.
A skerries trip from the Sortavala area on an agreed vessel if the captain allows departure. Check lifejackets, eligibility, permits and toilet breaks before boarding. Lunch and free time ashore. A cancelled sailing activates the agreed land programme.
Meals: Breakfast included. Lunch included; the venue or packed lunch is agreed before departure. Dinner included.
Breakfast and travel from Sortavala to St. Petersburg by private road transport. Confirm departure and the full hotel-to-hotel journey for your dates. Plan lunch, breaks and food en route. After arrival, check in, have dinner and rest; keep major sightseeing for a separate day.
Meals: Breakfast included. Lunch included; the venue or packed lunch is agreed before departure. Dinner included.
Breakfast, luggage, check-out and transfer to Pulkovo with a buffer for your flight. Keep the airport transfer clear of extra sightseeing. Request a breakfast box in advance for an early flight.
Meals: Breakfast included. Today's lunch and dinner are not included — you pay for them separately, and we can help choose places.
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Three or four alternatives at each stop: smaller hotels, family rooms or countryside cottages. We consider cost, location and comfort. These are options to discuss, not confirmed bookings. Availability, room category, meals and the final price are checked for your dates; the tour does not include all options at once.
A shortlist for an individual quote. Confirm capacity, connecting rooms, quietness, breakfast and availability in writing.
A historic building on Vosstaniya Street, near Nevsky Prospekt and Moskovsky Station. A useful base for city walks and train arrivals.
Hotel website · new tab — AKYANSet in the Bertgold Centre creative courtyard. A two-room family category makes it worth considering when room layout matters more than a star rating.
Hotel website · new tab — GutenbergA small hotel on Sotsialisticheskaya Street in the Dostoevsky district. Suits city walks; the room combination for your family is checked separately.
Hotel website · new tab — Brothers KaramazovOn Sinopskaya Embankment by the Neva. Suits a riverside stay with transfers to Palace Square. The room view depends on the category booked.
Hotel website · new tab — Bagration St. PetersburgA shortlist for an individual quote. Confirm capacity, connecting rooms, quietness, breakfast and availability in writing.
On Lake Ladoga in Sortavala, with a restaurant and pier. Family rooms have a sofa bed; sightseeing boat departures are arranged separately.
Hotel website · new tab — Piipun PihaA historic hotel on Karelskaya Street in central Sortavala. Useful for town walks. If a lake view matters, we check which rooms offer it.
Hotel website · new tab — SeurahuoneIn Ryuttyu beside a forest lake, not Lake Ladoga. Rooms have terraces or balconies; the café is about 700 m away. Piers require a transfer; family room arrangements need checking.
Hotel website · new tab — Tochka na Karte — SortavalaA shortlist for an individual quote. Confirm capacity, connecting rooms, quietness, breakfast and availability in writing.
A historic building on Vosstaniya Street, near Nevsky Prospekt and Moskovsky Station. A useful base for city walks and train arrivals.
Hotel website · new tab — AKYANSet in the Bertgold Centre creative courtyard. A two-room family category makes it worth considering when room layout matters more than a star rating.
Hotel website · new tab — GutenbergA small hotel on Sotsialisticheskaya Street in the Dostoevsky district. Suits city walks; the room combination for your family is checked separately.
Hotel website · new tab — Brothers KaramazovOn Sinopskaya Embankment by the Neva. Suits a riverside stay with transfers to Palace Square. The room view depends on the category booked.
Hotel website · new tab — Bagration St. PetersburgThe programme depends on season, schedules and weather. Alternate outdoor sections with shelter and rest. Agree a full replacement and monetary terms for road closures, cancelled boats or unavailable tickets; another day’s availability is checked separately.
The guiding language, Arabic coverage hours, museum guiding permissions and the backup arrangement are confirmed in your proposal. After a late evening, we agree the next day's start separately so you can rest.
The base individual proposal plans for: 6 breakfasts; lunches on days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; dinners on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Before booking, agree venues, menus, payment, children's food, allergens and halal status in writing. Preorder a suitable box for transit and islands, following the venue's eating rules. Agree other meals and changes separately.
Private road transport sized for your party, baggage and child seats. Domestic trains, flights and boat sections are confirmed and costed explicitly in the proposal.
Check Wi-Fi availability with the selected accommodation. Mobile coverage can be limited on roads and islands; save tickets and meeting details offline. Local SIM or eSIM options depend on current registration requirements and your device.
We calculate costs in RUB; the payment currency and a dated exchange rate are fixed in your individual proposal. Group size, dates and services are confirmed in the proposal. We recommend medical insurance. It is not included in the tour price and is not required for visa-free entry. For an e-visa, the portal still lists a policy for the whole stay unless an official exemption applies to your citizenship.
A private vehicle for the family or friends travelling together. Vehicle class, luggage, child seats and winter transfer conditions are confirmed in the proposal.
City hotels: location and family room arrangements chosen for your budget. The room category is specified in the proposal; central areas can be noisy.
Shore barbecue with a chef: vegetables, fish or meat from an agreed menu. Ingredients are checked before booking
3 h
from $100 per group
Add to requestPrivate boat: drawbridges under golden sky, blankets, hot chocolate
2 h
from $90 per group
Add to requestBallet tickets at the legendary Mariinsky — Swan Lake, Nutcracker
3 h
from $150 per person
Add to requestAdd-ons are quoted for your family or the friends travelling together. Before booking we confirm the operator, each guest's eligibility and the replacement or refund terms.
Individual quote in 24–48 hours
Details
Individual quote in 24–48 hours
Details
Individual quote in 24–48 hours
DetailsThe new plan is 7 days and 6 nights: one St. Petersburg night before and after Karelia, plus four nights at one base near Sortavala. Ruskeala, Ladoga and Valaam or an agreed mainland day. Kizhi is outside the programme. Confirm inclusions and price in the proposal.
Use an agreed land day from the same base when navigation is cancelled. Check venue availability, food, shelter and opening days. Agree refunds and price differences; moving an island visit requires a separate check.
We discuss your requirements before booking and ask kitchens about ingredients, meat sourcing and preparation. Options vary by region, and not every restaurant or hotel is halal-certified. If certification is essential to you, we check available documentation separately. Your host's presence does not replace certification. We agree the proposed menu and any limitations with you in advance.
Step 1: your trip details. Step 2: how we reach you. No payment now.
Your host
Maria
Arabic-speaking host · art historian
Maria reads requests personally. Working hours: daily 09:00–21:00 Moscow time (UTC+3).
Tell us your group size and preferred month. We aim to reply within 2 working hours, daily 09:00–21:00 Moscow time (UTC+3). Your proposal is prepared in 24–48 hours after we clarify your needs.
