Explore the high lights of Karelia with visits to the open-air museum Kizhi and the pearl in the White Sea: the Solovetsky Islands. Start from Saint Petersburg. Train holiday: The Karelia Express (5 days) Saint Petersburg – Petrozavodsk – Kem Visit the treasures of Karelia for indivials and groups
Explore the high lights of Karelia with visits to the open-air museum Kizhi and the pearl in the White Sea: the Solovetsky Islands. Start from Saint Petersburg. Train holiday: The Karelia Express (5 days) Petrozavodsk on the shore of Onega lake.
Explore the high lights of Karelia with visits to the open-air museum Kizhi and the pearl in the White Sea: the Solovetsky Islands. Start from Saint Petersburg. Train holiday: The Karelia Express (5 days) Open air museum Kizhi Island Boat excursion from Petrozavodsk
Explore the high lights of Karelia with visits to the open-air museum Kizhi and the pearl in the White Sea: the Solovetsky Islands. Start from Saint Petersburg. Train holiday: The Karelia Express (5 days) Solovetski Island in the White Sea Boat excursion from Kem
Explore the high lights of Karelia with visits to the open-air museum Kizhi and the pearl in the White Sea: the Solovetsky Islands. Start from Saint Petersburg. Train holiday: The Karelia Express (5 days) Saint Petersburg "Venice of the North"

The Karelia Express train holiday

A 5-days train holiday to the highlights of Karelia for the individual traveller!

If you are in Saint Petersburg and you have seen the city already why not take the Karelia Express to Petrozavodsk from where you can explore the highlights of Karelia. With this adventure you will visit open-air museum Kizhi and the pearl in the White Sea: the Solovetsky Islands. For not loosing time you travel by night trains. All tickets, route descriptions, vouchers for transfers, accommodation and excursions, city maps and descriptions you will get from us in a ready package. With the support of Kola Travel your holiday in Northwest Russia will be pleasant and hassle-free; you will have the freedom of being without a guide, yet feel at ease in unfamiliar cities.

Please, pay attention the program is basic. In every location you can choose options (see Optional tab) what to do / visit. If you prefer to stay more amount of days in any city we will change the program according to your wishes.

The Karelia Express train holiday

Day 1: In the evening leave from Ladozhsky railway station in Saint-Petersburg for Petrozavodsk. Overnight in the train.

Day 2: Arrive in Petrozavodsk in the morning. Meeting by a car from a hotel and transfer to the hotel. Check-in. At the harbour, board a boat to Kizhi Island for a hiking excursion there. You can be met by a guide to show you Kizhi Island. Lunch on your own. It’s also good just to take some sandwiches and drinks with you. Take a ship to come back to Petrozavodsk. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 3: Check-out and spend the day in Petrozavodsk. Before noon you can explore Petrozavodsk city on your own or take optional trips.
In the afternoon leave for Kem (or for Belomorsk). Arrive in Kem or Belomorsk at night. Meeting by a car from a hotel and transfer to the hotel. Check-in. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 4: Leave for Solovetsky Islands in the morning (the harbour is close to the hotel in both cities). On Solovetsky you can explore the Monastery and its lands. Return to your hotel in the evening and take a taxi to the train station. Depart for Saint Petersburg on a late train. Overnight on the train.

Day 5: Arrive in Saint Petersburg at Ladozhsky railway station at noon. You have time to explore Saint Petersburg. If you want we can add extra hotel nights to your itinerary.

The Karelia Express train holiday

Accommodation: 
  • 1 night in a twin room at a hotel in Petrozavodsk
  • 1 night in a twin room at hotel in Kem harbour or in Belomorsk
  • 2 nights in 4p-coupe of train
Level: not applicable.
Group size: From 1 person
Duration: 5 days (4 nights)
Dates:  On request from beginning of May until end of September.
Price:  Prices on request.
Price includes: 
  • Mentioned accommodation
  • Train tickets in 4p-coupe Saint-Petersburg – Petrozavodsk
  • Train tickets in 4p-coupe Petrozavodsk – Belomorsk (or Kem)
  • Train tickets in 4p-coupe Belomorsk (or Kem) – Saint-Petersburg
  • Transfer Petrozavodsk railway station – hotel
  • Transfer Belomorsk (or Kem) railway station- harbour - Belomorsk (or Kem) railway station
  • Two way ticket for hydro-foil boat to Kizhi Island
  • Entrance fee to Kizhi
  • Two way ticket for boat to Solovetsky Islands
  • Migration registration
  • Detailed information about the routes and cities
Documents:  Het paspoort moet minimaal 6 maanden geldig zijn na terugkomst. Voor toeristen uit Nederland is een Russisch visum vereist. Voor meer informatie raadpleeg de website van het Russische consulaat in Den Haag. Na boeking sturen wij je de benodigde toeristische uitnodiging.
Insurance: 
  • De deelnemer dient over een ziektekostenverzekering te beschikken die op zijn minst het Europese deel van de Russische Federatie dekt.
  • The Karelia Express train holiday can be extended with the following optionals:

    • Petrozavodsk:
      • Trip to Zoo Complex located 70 km far from Petrozavodsk.
      • Trip to Kinerma Village with excursion and lunch located 100 km far from Petrozavodsk.
      • Combination of trips Zoo Complex and Kinerma village in a round drive. A taxi picks you up from Petrozavodsk, waits at the places and brings you back to Petrozavodsk.
      • Local guide-interpreter.
      • Entrance fees to Museums in Petrozavodsk will be between 5 and 10 euros per person.
      • Boat excursion to Kizhi Open Air Museum.
    • Kizhi Open Air Museum:
      • Two-way boat tickets in Kizhi Island.
      • English speaking guide in Kizhi Island.
      • Audio guide on Kizhi Island: EUR 4,-- per person
      • See link above for more info.
    • Kem harbour (5 min walk from boat to Solovetsky Island):
      • Overnight in a hotel: approx. EUR 51,-- per person in twin room
      • Overnight in a hotel: approx. EUR 85,-- per person in single room
    • Solovetsky islands:
      • Two-way boat tickets
      • Entrance tickets to expositions. Price to exhibitions approx. EUR 3 to 5 per person.
      • Guided excursions for groups from 10 persons: from EUR 8 to 18 per person
      • Extra overnights in hotel: approx. EUR 51 per person per night in twin room or approx. EUR 85 in single room
      • See link above for more info
    • Saint Petersburg:
      • Folklore program in Nikolaevsky Palace "Feel yourself Russian" inclusive traditional Russian snacks.
      • Guided hiking excursions in St-Petersburg, 3 hours.
      • Guided hiking and driving excursion in St-Petersburg, 3 hours.
      • 7 hour excursion to Tsarskoe Selo/Pushkin and Ekaterina Palace.
      • 7 hour excursion to Peterhof by hydrofoil “Meteor".
      • Entrance tickets for Hermitage: approx. EUR 18 per person.
      • Local guide-interpreter.
    • Single- or double-entry invitations for Russian visa request.

    Train holidays overview