Karelia Grand Expedition

Day-by-day program

1. Day 1 — Petersburg → Sortavala

   transfer 260 km

   Early departure from Petersburg at 07:30 by private minivan (~4 h) — only your group of 2–8, with a comfort kit (water, wipes, chargers, dates) on board. En route: around 10:30 — stop at Ahvenkoski waterfall (filming location of 'The Dawns Here Are Quiet'), ~30 minutes. Around 13:00 — lunch in Sortavala (salmon soup, halal alternative). Afternoon: walk through old Sortavala (Finnish architecture, waterfront). Check-in at the boutique hotel on the Ladoga shore around 17:00. Dinner.

2. Day 2 — Valaam

   boat 2×40 km, walking 5 km

   Morning Meteor boat to Valaam island: departure around 08:00, ~1 h each way (seats on the scheduled crossing — benchmark ~$45–60 per person round trip, booked in advance). Guided tour of Valaam Monastery: Transfiguration Cathedral, sketes, gardens. Around 13:00 — lunch at the monastery refectory (fish-based, halal option). Trail walk: Nikolsky Skete, Resurrection Skete, skerries panorama from above. Return boat around 16:00, back at the hotel around 18:30. If the forecast is stormy, Valaam moves to the reserve day and this day is filled with skerries and forest trails with a halal lunch — agreed before departure, at no extra cost. Evening — lake silence, tea on the terrace.

3. Day 3 — Ruskeala + retro train

   train 30 km, walking 4 km

   Morning: the retro train “Ruskeala Express” Sortavala → Ruskeala (steam locomotive, departure around 09:20, 1 h 15 min on board; compartment seats from ~$40 per person one way). Around 10:50 — the Mountain Park: Marble Canyon (1.5 km loop), underground route with lighting, Italian quarry. Around 13:00 — lunch by the canyon. Afternoon: zipline over the canyon (optional, benchmark ~$25), trolley (~$20). Return to Sortavala around 18:00. Dinner.

4. Day 4 — Ladoga skerries + fishing

   boat 25 km

   Morning: around 09:00 — boat out into the Ladoga skerries (an archipelago of 650+ islands). Around 10:00 — landing on an uninhabited island. Guided fishing: pike, perch, zander, salmon (gear included). Around 13:00 — island BBQ lunch: fresh fish soup, halal kebab, campfire tea. Afternoon: stand-up paddleboards along the rocky shores (rental benchmark ~$25), swimming in calm water. Return around 17:00. If Ladoga is rough, the departure moves to the reserve slot and the day is filled with forest trails and lakeside banya with a halal grill — at no extra cost. Evening — banya.

5. Day 5 — Kizhi + Lake Onega

   transfer 200 km, boat 2×60 km

   Around 07:00 — transfer to Petrozavodsk (~3 h) with a prayer pause en route. Around 10:30 — Meteor hydrofoil to Kizhi (~1 h 15 min each way; hydrofoil seats — benchmark ~$60 per person round trip, booked in advance): Transfiguration Church, Intercession Church, bell tower, peasant homestead. Masterclass: woodcarving or embroidery. Around 13:00 — lunch. Return boat around 16:00, back in Petrozavodsk around 18:30. From December to March, while the ice is stable, the Meteor is replaced by an airboat on the same route. Evening: Onega waterfront walk, Karelian cuisine dinner (kalitki, sultchiny, fish).

6. Day 6 — Kivach → Petersburg

   transfer 300 km

   Around 09:00 — Kivach waterfall + dendrarium (Karelian birch). Nature museum. Around 12:30 — lunch. Around 13:30 — transfer to Petersburg (~4 h), back roughly by 18:00, or the Petrozavodsk → SPb train to suit your schedule. Gift: Karelian balsam, cloudberry jam, birch bark crafts.

Pricing

30% deposit at booking confirmation