Winter Fairytale

Day-by-day program

1. Day 1 — St. Petersburg in winter

   transfer 25 km, walk 3 km

   Meet at Pulkovo Airport or Moskovsky Rail Terminal at whatever time suits you, without waiting for other groups. Transfer privately to Domina Prestige on St. Isaac's Square, where a Premier room awaits; check-in is around 14:00 (we arrange early arrival in advance), and a prayer mat and qibla marker are available on request. Rest briefly after your flight, then around 16:00 take a winter minivan tour of snow-covered embankments, the frozen Neva and illuminated bridges (~3 hours). Walk through Palace Square and along Nevsky Prospekt (~3 km) with a prayer stop. Around 19:00 dinner is halal, with adapted borscht, dumplings and beef stroganoff. At the briefing, prepare for tomorrow's flight and Arctic layers — the full packing list is on our packing checklist page and we send a PDF checklist before departure — plus realistic aurora expectations: it is a natural phenomenon, needing a KP index of 3+ and a clear sky, never a 100% guarantee. A troika ride is optional, weather permitting (price on request). The day is private for your group of 2–8.

2. Day 2 — The Hermitage and snow-covered Peterhof

   transfer 60 km, walk 4 km

   After halal breakfast around 08:30, visit the Hermitage privately and without queues — entry roughly 09:30–10:00 before the main crowds (~3 hours): intimate winter galleries, the Jordan Staircase, and Italian and Dutch masterpieces. Pause for prayer, then around 13:00 halal lunch near Palace Embankment. Around 14:30 continue to Peterhof (~45 min) for the Grand Palace and Lower Park under snow, with statues and avenues (~4 km); the fountains are off in winter, but the alleys and Grand Cascade are nearly crowd-free. In strong wind, shorten the park visit and focus on the palace. Return to the city around 18:30. Evening: an optional troika ride in the centre, weather permitting, or an ice show. A Russian banya is available as an extra, reference ~$60–100 per session. Retire early before tomorrow's flight to Murmansk.

3. Day 3 — Murmansk and the first aurora search

   flight 2 h, road 30 km

   Transfer to Pulkovo around 07:30 for a morning flight to Murmansk (~2 hours; departures usually fall in the 09:30–11:30 window). A Toyota Land Cruiser meets you at the airport and takes you to Aurora Lodge on the Barents Sea shore, with check-in around 13:30. Around 14:30 enjoy northern specialities for lunch, with halal alternatives of chicken, vegetables and fish by agreement. Around 16:00 a Murmansk city tour covers the Alyosha monument, the Lenin icebreaker (exterior or museum) and Lake Semenovskoye. Dinner at the lodge around 19:00. Around 21:00 join your first 4–6-hour aurora search with an astronomer guide, following the KP index and cloud cover, with hot tea at the viewpoint. The aurora cannot be guaranteed; only a clear sky, solar activity and repeated attempts improve the chances. Under full cloud, swap the outing for an aurora talk and an early night. The day is private for your group of 2–8.

4. Day 4 — Teriberka and huskies

   road 240 km, sled 5 km

   Breakfast around 08:00, then around 09:00 drive to Teriberka (~120 km, ~2 hours), a village on the Arctic Ocean shore. If a blizzard closes the road, follow the plan B agreed at the briefing: Kirovsk and the Khibiny Mountains, or an enhanced programme around Murmansk, with halal lunch in any scenario. In Teriberka around 11:30 see the coast, ship graveyard, cliffs and waterfall. Around 13:30 halal lunch overlooking the ocean, then around 15:00 about an hour of husky sledding (included). Want a longer ride or another run? Market references: husky farms from ~$125 per person, snowmobiles from ~$160 per person (16+) — we book ahead. Around 21:00 make a second aurora search from a darker location. A wood-fired banya is optional, reference ~$60–100. By the fire, your guide repeats the honest note: the aurora is a gift of nature, not a contractual promise.

5. Day 5 — Return

   road 60 km, flight 2 h

   Breakfast around 08:00. Around 09:30 take a guided walk on sea ice along a safe route (ice is checked daily), or choose an optional Saami reindeer encounter (~1–2 hours, booked in advance, reference ~$40–60 per person), which replaces part of the morning rather than adding to the programme. Around 12:00 transfer to Murmansk Airport for your flight to St. Petersburg (~2 hours; the return flight usually falls in the 14:30–17:00 window), then a transfer to Pulkovo for your international departure — we plan connections ahead with at least a 3-hour buffer. Receive a Polar Explorer certificate and a jar of Arctic honey. Your host stays in touch on WhatsApp until departure.

Pricing

30% deposit at booking confirmation