An individual tour with guided excursions and boat trips

Day 1 Solovetsky Monastery tour

After arriving in Kem, you will be transferred to a tourist complex for breakfast. Following that, you will take a motor ship to the Solovetsky Islands (a 2-hour journey). There, you will check into the hotel and have lunch, after which an individual guided tour of the Solovetsky Monastery awaits you.

The monastery was founded in 1436 and has witnessed one of the most significant events in Russian religious history — the separation between the supporters of Patriarch Nikon and the Old Believers. You will see unique architectural monuments: cathedrals and churches from the 16th to 19th centuries, an ancient water mill, and stone chambers dating back to the early 17th century.

After the tour, you will return to the hotel, and dinner will be available at the restaurant (for an additional charge).

Day 2 Cape Beluzhy and the Solovetsky Hermitages

After breakfast, you will embark on a private combined driving and walking tour of the Solovetsky hermitages. Your first stop will be the Voznesensky Skete, where you will learn why the hill it sits on is called Sekirnaya. Next, you will visit the secluded Savvatievsky Skete, founded in the 15th century. You will also see the Alley of the Young Seamen (Yunga), the dam of Krasnoye Lake, and the foundations of the channel system of the Solovetsky Lakes, designed by Hegumen Filipp Kolychev.

In the afternoon, as part of a small group, you will approach Cape Beluzhy by motorboat – a known resting spot for beluga whales.

In the evening, you will return to the hotel, and dinner will be at your own arrangement.

Day 3 The mysterious labyrinths and wooden chapel of Zayatsky Island

Following breakfast and check-out, you will embark on a private boat excursion to Zayatsky Island, accompanied by an English-speaking guide. Upon returning to the hotel to collect your luggage and having lunch, you will be transferred to the pier.

At 16:00, the motor ship will depart from the Solovetsky Islands to Kem, with the journey taking approximately 2 hours. Upon arrival in Kem at 18:00, a private car will transfer you to Petrozavodsk (420 km, about 6 hours).

Check-in at the 4* Frigat Hotel on the shores of Lake Onega is scheduled for around midnight. You will be accommodated in a standard twin room.

Day 4 Masterpieces of wooden architecture on Kizhi Island and Petrozavodsk

This morning after breakfast, you will depart by a high-speed motor ship to Kizhi Island (1 hour 15 minutes journey). During a private guided tour, you will learn about its history and visit one of its main landmarks — the Church of the Transfiguration.

This unique monument of 17th-century northern wooden architecture is crowned with 22 domes. Inside the church, you will see an ancient iconostasis consisting of 102 icons. Afterwards, you will ascend the bell tower, which offers a magnificent view of Kizhi and Lake Onega. Lunch will be served at a restaurant on the island.

Following this, you will return by motor ship to Petrozavodsk. In the evening, you will take a guided walking tour of the city and have dinner at your hotel or a local restaurant (for an additional charge).

Day 5 From Onega to Ladoga: an authentic Karelian village and Russian banya

After breakfast and check-out, you will depart by car with your guide to the historic village of Kinerma. Here, you will enjoy a guided tour, exploring its open-air museum atmosphere with well-preserved ancient houses and a chapel featuring a unique carved iconostasis. The experience includes a traditional homemade lunch in the village.

Afterwards, you will continue your journey towards the shores of Lake Ladoga. Your day concludes with arrival at the Lamberti Hotel, a countryside retreat located on the picturesque shore of a Lake Ladoga bay, where you will check in for the night.

For an additional charge and with prior booking, the hotel offers a traditional Russian wood-fired banya (sauna) complete with a birch besom (venik) for the authentic experience, followed by the option for a refreshing plunge into the invigorating waters of Lake Ladoga.

Day 6 Lake Ladoga: Valaam Archipelago

After breakfast and check-out (your luggage will remain in the vehicle until the evening), you will be transferred to the pier. At 11:00, depart by speedboat to Valaam Island. Upon arrival, you will take a walk to the archipelago's most picturesque hermitage, St. Nicholas Skete, followed by lunch. Your exploration continues with a guided tour of the Central Monastery Estate.

At 17:00, you will return by boat to Sortavala. Here, you will enjoy a guided walking tour of the city, known for its fascinating history and architecture. The day concludes as you board the train to Moscow, departing at 20:52.