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Great Russian lakes
Great Russian lakes

Snowmobiling in Karelia

Great Russian lakes
Difficulty
Difficulty levels
Easy. Passive relaxation and sightseeing — cruises for example. No physical activities. Good for older people.
Normal. Active tours. You don’t have to be a sportsman, but you need to be strong enough to ride a snowmobile or go hiking in the mountains.
Advanced. Get ready for a challenge — long trekking with a heavy backpack on the shoulders, rafting along mountain rivers.
Hard. Professional training and perfect physical fitness are required. The level involves climbing to the tops of the mountains (above 3000 meters), freeriding and North Pole diving.
Age
10 y.o.
Group size
to 16 person
Duration
3 days

Accommodation during the trip

2 nights

Languages

EN
guide
FR
guide
We update the dates and tour price.
Leave your email and we’ll notify you when get this info.

The biggest lakes in Europe — Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega, picturesque forest roads, old villages, snowy dunes... In this journey Karelia opens for you all the secret corners of the region. 

Great Russian lakes
Difficulty
Difficulty levels
Easy. Passive relaxation and sightseeing — cruises for example. No physical activities. Good for older people.
Normal. Active tours. You don’t have to be a sportsman, but you need to be strong enough to ride a snowmobile or go hiking in the mountains.
Advanced. Get ready for a challenge — long trekking with a heavy backpack on the shoulders, rafting along mountain rivers.
Hard. Professional training and perfect physical fitness are required. The level involves climbing to the tops of the mountains (above 3000 meters), freeriding and North Pole diving.
Age
from 10 y.o.
Group size
to 16 person
Duration
3 days

Accommodation during the trip

2 nights

Languages

EN
guide
FR
guide
We update the dates and tour price.
Leave your email and we’ll notify you when get this info.

Experiences you'll have

From Lake Onega to Lake Ladoga by snowmobiles

In three days you will travel more than 370 km on snowmobiles from Lake Onega to Lake Ladoga. The route will pass through snowy forest trails, frozen rivers and dunes, as well as cozy ancient Karelian villages. There will be experienced guides and instructors in your team, luggage and fuel will be tranferred with an escort car.

This program is a good idea for a weekend journey. Both beginners and experienced riders will enjoy beautiful winter trails through varying landscapes.

Just in 3 days you will:

  • ride snowmobiles through forest trails
  • visit one of the oldest settlement in Karelia — a 440-years-old Kinerma village, where you will have a walk along quiet streets, visit a church and taste local cuisine
  • get acquainted with the peasant life of the Livvik Karelians
  • visit the zoo complex "Three Bears", where bears, elks, raccoons, lynxes, wolves and polar foxes live in enclosures
  • see monuments of military history

We accept bookings for groups of 6 or more

Itinerary

The journey begins on Petrozavodsk or Lodeynoye Pole railway station, where you should get to on your own.  

 

On different dates the route runs in different directions: from Lake Onega to Lake Ladoga (from Petrozavodsk to Lodeynoye Pole) or from Lake Ladoga to Lake Onega (from Lodeynoye Pole to Petrozavodsk). Please check the details with the manager when you are planning to book the tour. Below is the route from Lake Onega to Lake Ladoga.

 

For arrival on the first day of the tour we recommend train №018A from Moscow. As for return tickets, trains № 017А or 091Ч. We are ready to help with the purchase of tickets. If necessary, leave a comment in the application.

 

Note: the tour program can be slightly changed due to the weather conditions.

Day 1 A snowmobile route to Lake Syamozero

After meeting at the railway station in Petrozavodsk you will have breakfast in a cafe. After that, you will be taken to Chalna village (20 km). Then you will meet with instructors, chose your equipment and have a safety-briefing. If you are a beginner, you can also learn some snowmobile moves.

 

Next, you will have a trip to Lake Syamozero with snowmobiles. The route will pass through snowy forest trails, frozen rivers and dunes. On the way, you will visit the zoo complex "Three Bears"in Syapsya village. A guide will tell you about animals' habits. You can spend time with the animals and feed them.

 

If you wish, you can replace the visit to the zoo with dog sledding ride (for an additional fee). Check "Common questions" section for details.

 

On the way you will have s top for having lunch. In the evening you will come to the touristic base. Here, you will be accommodated in double rooms, have dinner and relax in a sauna (extra charge). 

 

The length of the route is 100 km by snowmobiles.

Day 2 Ancient Kinerma village

After breakfast, you will check-out from the tourist base. Your itinerary today will include several frozen lakes and old Karelian villages, such as lakes Syamozero, Shotozero and Vedlozero, as well as Syargelakhta and Yurgilitsa villages. The final stop will be in Kokhtuselga village.

 

For lunch you will stop in the ancient Kinerma village, famous for its northern wooden architecture of the Karelian-Livviks. It was founded over 440 years ago.There, you will visit a chapel and taste local specialties in the old museum house, with traditional pies and tea. 


The day will finish with arriving to the tourist base near Lake Tulmozero. Here you will stay in the rooms, have dinner and enjoy bathhouse. 

 

The length of the route is 140 km by snowmobiles.

Day 3 Along the banks of Lake Ladoga

After breakfast, you will leave for a round trip towards Ladoga Lake. It is a lake of tectonic and glacial origin, the second biggest lake in Russia after Baikal. There are many sandy dunes, covered in snow, on the banks of Ladoga Lake. They are perfect for free riding. 

 

You will start from Kokhtuselga village, then pass through the Kormelisto tract and Mount Kanabra, overcome Kosesuo swamp. After reaching Lake Ladoga, you will ride along the snow-covered dunes on the shore of the lake.


In the evening, you will arrive at the suburban complex. Here, you will take shower, relax and have dinner. Then, you will be transferred to the railway station in Lodeynoye Pole, from where you will go home.

 

The length of the route is 120 km by snowmobiles.

Great Russian lakes
Difficulty
Difficulty levels
Easy. Passive relaxation and sightseeing — cruises for example. No physical activities. Good for older people.
Normal. Active tours. You don’t have to be a sportsman, but you need to be strong enough to ride a snowmobile or go hiking in the mountains.
Advanced. Get ready for a challenge — long trekking with a heavy backpack on the shoulders, rafting along mountain rivers.
Hard. Professional training and perfect physical fitness are required. The level involves climbing to the tops of the mountains (above 3000 meters), freeriding and North Pole diving.
Age
10 y.o.
Group size
to 16 person
Duration
3 days

Accommodation during the trip

2 nights

Languages

EN
guide
FR
guide
We update the dates and tour price.
Leave your email and we’ll notify you when get this info.

Accommodation during the trip

The first night you will stay in "Alekka" touristic base. It is located on the picturesque banks of Lake Syamozero, 70 km from Petrozavodsk. You will be accommodated in in comfortable double or twin rooms with solid pine furniture. Each room has a TV, bedside tables, chairs, a wardrobe, a coffee table and a bathroom with shower. Some rooms have a sofa (extra bed). The vestibule and the bathroom have warm floor. There are also two areas for outdoor recreation and a Russian sauna with access to the lake.


The second night you will spend in "Kokhtuselga" touristic base, located near Lake Tulmozero. You will be accommodated in double rooms of the guest house or in a cottage. The guest house has a shower and toilet (amenities are located on the floor), as well as a guest area with a TV. There is one double or bunk bed in the room. On the territory of the base there is a bathhouse with a shower.

 

On the third day, before leaving home, you will have rest in a touristic complex "Villa Vitel". It is located in the village of Ust-Vidlitsy.

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Common questions

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Who will be my guide +

An English- and French-speaking guides, as well as an experienced insrtuctor will accompany you and ensure your safety. Before you start the trip, our coaches will train each participant how to drive a snowmobile and give you a full safety briefing.

 

All instructors have completed the Red Cross First Aid courses, and in case of injury, they can provide qualified assistance.

Meals +

The price of the tour includes three meals per day. Breakfasts and dinners will be served at the base. 

 

Lunch will be served on the route: chicken broth, sandwiches with cheese, sausages, pâté, red fish. Tea / coffee with cream, chocolate, tea cupcakes. At the second day you will have lunch with national cuisine in the museum during the tour to old Kinerma village.

What type of snowmobiles is used +

In the journey two-seater BRP Lynx Adventure LX 550 snowmobiles are used. Luggage is transported by an escort car or in a cargo sleigh behind the instructor's snowmobile.

 

It is more comfortable to travel alone on a snowmobile. But if yout budget is limited, or your partner is not confident in driving, two people can be accommodated.

 

You will be provided with the following equipment: 

  • warm windproof overalls 
  • snowmobile helmets with visors 
  • balaclavas 
  • snowmobile shoes 
  • snowmobile mittens
What should I bring with me +

Documents:

  • passport
  • voucher

 

Personal equipment:

  • loose outdoor clothing (warm windproof jacket, warm trousers)
  • outdoor thermal underwear or warm woolen sweater and cotton pants
  • warm loose shoes
  • wool socks
  • knitted hat
  • mittens or gloves 
  • clothes and shoes for home
  • bath towel, slippers
  • personal cleaners
  • personal first aid kit

 

Please pack your personal items in bags or backpacks without a rigid frame. So, it will be more comfortable to transport them along the route.

What will the weather be like +

The weather in Karelia is not stable in winter. The average temperature is -15°С. Thows and frosts are also possible. The temperature can lower up to -30°С.

 

Please, pay attention: the tour will be canceled in case temperature is higher than +3-5°С for more than a day. Conditions will be dangerous for riding snowmobiles. We will inform you in advance. 

What is included in dog sled excursion +

If you wish, you can replace your visit to "Three Bears" zoo complex with a dog sled tour (for an additional fee). It includes:

  • excursion to the largest sled dog kennel in Russia. You will get acquainted with the high-speed mestizos who are bred for sports. And also, with Siberian huskies and aboriginal dogs of Taimyr and Chukotka, which still help people to survive in the Arctic.
  • training in working with a dog team. You will learn how to harness dogs and drive a sled. Then, you will go to the trail through the forest (10 km)
  • lunch at a restaurant

 

The program is comfortable for participants with average physical fit. It is better when two people drive a team of six dogs together. Like this it will be easier to manage, also, you will have a chane to rest. Children from 12 years old can participate in this program.

 

It is important to inform about the wish to replace the visit to the zoo complex with dog sledding at the stage of booking the tour.

Are there any restrictions on participation +

Children over 10 years old can participate as passengers on the tour, but the child must have winter travel experience. Persons under the age of 18 are not allowed to drive snowmobiles.

 

Participation in a snowmobile tour is not recommended for:

  • pregnant women
  • people with spinal injuries
  • people who have central nervous system diseases

 

Before starting the route, you will receive a safety briefing. It consists of a theoretical and practical part. You will be introduced to the basic rules of safety, traffic rules in a convoy and signals that will be given by the instructor for announcing obstacles.

 

The itinerary is designed specifically for beginners. Average speed: on forest roads — 20-40 km / h, on wide roads (graders) — 40-60 km / h, on lakes — 60-80 km / h. You will have stops when changing terrain (going from lake to shore, going from road to snowmobile trail).

Booking

Great Russian lakes

Difficulty
Difficulty levels
Easy. Passive relaxation and sightseeing — cruises for example. No physical activities. Good for older people.
Normal. Active tours. You don’t have to be a sportsman, but you need to be strong enough to ride a snowmobile or go hiking in the mountains.
Advanced. Get ready for a challenge — long trekking with a heavy backpack on the shoulders, rafting along mountain rivers.
Hard. Professional training and perfect physical fitness are required. The level involves climbing to the tops of the mountains (above 3000 meters), freeriding and North Pole diving.
Age
from 10 y.o.
Group size
to 16 person
Duration
3 days

Accommodation during the trip

2 nights

Languages

EN
guide
FR
guide
470 EUR
What's included in the price:
  • double accommodation at tourist bases

  • meals as per program

  • transfers and transport services as per program

  • instructors' and guides' services 

  • rent of snowmobiles (double-rider) and necessary equipment (overalls, helmet, balaclava, shoe covers, gloves), fuel

  • accompaniment on the route by a technical support car

  • tour to Kinerma village

  • tour to the sled dogs' kennel

  • bathhouse

  • visa support letter 

Extra charge:
  • train tickets "Moscow — Petrozavodsk" and "Lodeynoe Pole — Moscow" (or "Moscow — Lodeynoe Pole" and "Petrozavodsk — Moscow" depending on the date of the trip)

  • accommodation in a single room (+35 EURO pp)

  • single-rider snowmobile fee (+177 EURO pp)

  • services of an interpreter (+307 EURO per group. The cost is divided by the number of participants)

  • a dog sledding tour  (+82 EURO pp)

  • visa 

  • travel insurance 

In the price:
Included Extra charge
  • double accommodation at tourist bases

  • meals as per program

  • transfers and transport services as per program

  • instructors' and guides' services 

  • rent of snowmobiles (double-rider) and necessary equipment (overalls, helmet, balaclava, shoe covers, gloves), fuel

  • accompaniment on the route by a technical support car

  • tour to Kinerma village

  • tour to the sled dogs' kennel

  • bathhouse

  • visa support letter 

  • train tickets "Moscow — Petrozavodsk" and "Lodeynoe Pole — Moscow" (or "Moscow — Lodeynoe Pole" and "Petrozavodsk — Moscow" depending on the date of the trip)

  • accommodation in a single room (+35 EURO pp)

  • single-rider snowmobile fee (+177 EURO pp)

  • services of an interpreter (+307 EURO per group. The cost is divided by the number of participants)

  • a dog sledding tour  (+82 EURO pp)

  • visa 

  • travel insurance 

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