Eight days and seven nights: two in St. Petersburg, two in Petrozavodsk for Kizhi, two in Sortavala for Valaam and Ruskeala, and a final night in St. Petersburg before departure.
The USD price is calculated at the exchange rate on the day of the request. The site does not publish a fixed dollar rate; we confirm the group, the dates and the services in the proposal.
This group needs a personal quote. We will confirm the price for your party and dates.
Based on the published programme. Hotel changes mean changes of overnight base; hotel choice and the final daily schedule are confirmed in your quote.
Tell us the children's ages and any mobility needs of older guests. We agree rest breaks, walking limits and alternatives before booking.
Combine St. Petersburg's museums with Kivach, Ruskeala, Valaam and Kizhi.
Two nights in Petrozavodsk and two in Sortavala. Kizhi and Valaam are not the same day.
Ruskeala and Valaam involve long road days; the final plan makes those travel times clear.
Starting city: St. Petersburg. Your proposal confirms the meeting point and transfer time. Visit order depends on your dates and group’s pace.
Kizhi is reached from Petrozavodsk and Valaam from Sortavala on separate days; returning to St. Petersburg the day before departure separates the Karelian journey from your flight.
St. Petersburg (2 nights: the Hermitage and city centre)
Peterhof and evening Lastochka train to Karelia
Petrozavodsk (2 nights: morning Meteor to Kizhi or Kivach Waterfall)
Sortavala (2 nights: Valaam Island and Ruskeala Mountain Park)
St. Petersburg (1 final night before departure)
Pulkovo Airport
We meet you at Pulkovo Airport or the railway station and transfer you to your hotel. If your arrival time allows, we take a gentle walk along Nevsky Prospekt before the welcome dinner, where your guide outlines the days ahead in St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk and Sortavala.
Meals: Welcome dinner included. Other lunches and dinners are paid separately; we can help with restaurant choices.
Visit the Hermitage Main Museum Complex at your booked admission slot (on Mondays the museum is closed, so we swap days rather than squeezing two major visits together). After the museum, walk across Palace Square and along the Neva embankments, leaving the late afternoon free to rest. Night in St. Petersburg.
Meals: Breakfast included. Other lunches and dinners are paid separately; we can help with restaurant choices.
Spend the morning at one imperial suburb — the Lower Park at Peterhof, where the fountains operate from 25 April to 18 October. We do not add Tsarskoye Selo today so you can comfortably catch the evening Lastochka train from Ladozhsky Station to Petrozavodsk (departing around 17:50, travel time 5 hours 10 minutes to 5 hours 25 minutes). Transfer to your hotel on arrival. Night in Petrozavodsk.
Meals: Breakfast included. Other lunches and dinners are paid separately; we can help with restaurant choices.
Board the morning Meteor hydrofoil from Petrozavodsk to Kizhi Island (navigation runs from about 15 June to 27 September, about 1 hour 20 minutes each way; the boat ticket and the open-air museum admission are arranged separately). Outside the navigation window or if high winds cancel the boat, we replace the island with a land excursion to Kivach waterfall. Lunch is included. Night in Petrozavodsk.
Meals: Breakfast included. Lunch included; the venue or packed lunch is agreed before departure. Other lunches and dinners are paid separately; we can help with restaurant choices.
Travel by private car from Petrozavodsk to Sortavala (about 240 km, 3–3.5 hours). After checking in, take a short walk through the historic town and, if time allows, stop at the Ahvenkoski waterfalls (admission ticket arranged separately). Lunch is included. Night in Sortavala.
Meals: Breakfast included. Lunch included; the venue or packed lunch is agreed before departure. Other lunches and dinners are paid separately; we can help with restaurant choices.
Take the Meteor from Sortavala to the Valaam archipelago: the round trip including lunch takes about 7.5 hours and runs from about 15 June to 20 September. Sailings depend on the captain's weather clearance on the morning of departure; if a storm cancels the crossing, we spend a calm day on the Ladoga shore. Night in Sortavala.
Meals: Breakfast included. Lunch included; the venue or packed lunch is agreed before departure. Other lunches and dinners are paid separately; we can help with restaurant choices.
Travel to Ruskeala Mountain Park on the morning Ruskeala Express steam train from Sortavala (about 1 hour 15 minutes) when scheduled for your date, or by private car — your proposal specifies which option applies. After walking around the marble canyon and having lunch, return to St. Petersburg by train or car for your farewell dinner (if the train arrives late, we adjust the dinner arrangement in advance). Night in St. Petersburg.
Meals: Breakfast included. Lunch included; the venue or packed lunch is agreed before departure. Farewell dinner included at a venue agreed in advance.
After breakfast in St. Petersburg, take a private transfer to Pulkovo Airport timed to your flight. If you have an early departure, we request an early breakfast box from the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast included. Other lunches and dinners are paid separately; we can help with restaurant choices.
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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.
Choose one option for this stop. We compare the cost for your dates, location and room arrangements for your family, then include your choice in the quote.
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. PetersburgChoose one option for this stop. We compare the cost for your dates, location and room arrangements for your family, then include your choice in the quote.
On the Onega waterfront near the Kizhi pier, with connecting-room options. Useful for an early boat departure; lake views depend on the booked category.
Hotel website · new tab — FregatOn Gagarina Square by the railway station, with family accommodation options. Convenient after a train journey; allow a separate transfer to the Onega waterfront.
Hotel website · new tab — Piter InnA small hotel in a restored historic building on Anokhina Street, with a restaurant in the building. A central city option rather than a waterfront stay.
Hotel website · new tab — PETRAChoose one option for this stop. We compare the cost for your dates, location and room arrangements for your family, then include your choice in the quote.
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 — SortavalaChoose one option for this stop. We compare the cost for your dates, location and room arrangements for your family, then include your choice in the quote.
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. PetersburgLake conditions can change quickly, even in summer. Bring warm layers and rain protection. The captain decides whether a crossing can run; if it cannot, we agree a land alternative and any effect on the programme or price before making changes.
Your group travels with a guide and coordinator; local specialists lead the relevant visits and activities. We confirm the guiding language before booking. A female guide can be requested, subject to availability.
Included: 7 breakfasts; lunches on days 4, 5, 6, 7; welcome dinner on day 1 and farewell dinner on day 7. Choose and pay for other lunches and dinners yourself; we can recommend restaurants. We agree the farewell venue and menu before booking. On the listed days with included lunch, we confirm the venue or packed lunch in advance; a route change includes agreeing a replacement.
Private road transfers, with rail and boat tickets confirmed for the route. Train class and any private boat charter are stated in the quote; scheduled services may carry other passengers. Road and lake connections require a realistic time buffer.
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.
The USD price is calculated at the exchange rate on the day of the request. The site does not publish a fixed dollar rate; we confirm the group, the dates and the services 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.
We name the real trade-off instead of a star rating. Your exact hotels and vehicle class 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.
We publish guest reviews only after the trip is complete — no incentives, no edits.
Private 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 requestOne of Russia's oldest zoos (1865): 600+ species, kids' petting area
3 h
from $30 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.
Price on request
Details
Price on request
Details
Price on request
DetailsSeven nights: two in St. Petersburg, two in Petrozavodsk, two in Sortavala and one more in St. Petersburg. Kizhi and Valaam are not on the same day. The proposal lists accommodation, transport, tickets and meals. Day 8 is the transfer to Pulkovo.
If the crossing is cancelled, we discuss a land programme based on the weather and available visits. Valaam can move only if the remaining days and sailings allow it. We agree any change to services and price in advance.
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.
