Camper and caravanning tours in Northwest Russia
Day 1: Finland to Saint-Petersburg via Vyborg (200 km) or Narva (200km)
Drive to Russia via Border crossing point Vyborg or Narva.
Drive to Saint-Petersburg and stay at a camping place in Saint-Petersburg's suburb. (electricity and water supply, sewage system for draining toilets).
Day 2, 3, 4: Excursions in Saint-Petersburg: Hermitage, Peterhof Palace etc
Explore the city on your own according to the map.
Optional 1: Hiking excursion in the city with an English speaking or German speaking guide to see the most famous places of interests.
Lunch in a cafe (optional). After lunch you can have an excursion in the Hermitage without a guide. Optional 2: Come to the start point of
the bus for an excursion to the Peterhof palace. You can take a sit in a bus according to your voucher. English speaking guide cannot be guaranteed.
The trip starts at 11.30. Lunch during the day on your own. Come back to the start point around 17.00.
Day 5: Saint-Petersburg to Olonets (320 km): Smolensk Cathedral
Drive to Olonets direction. On the way visit Monastery Alexander Svirsky Staraya Sloboda. Hike in Olonets city including a park on the place
of Old Fortress where Historical Museum is located. Visit the museum: it has a model of the Old Fortress. Also there is a big beautiful
Smolensk Cathedral on an island in a lake of the city. Stay overnight close to Olonets with possibility to connect electricity,
fire place as well as sauna and kitchen.
Day 6: Olonets to Sortavala (180 km): Geese fields
On the way you can visit to a big ancient stone (like a train wagon) laying on a beach. Hike through forest and over beach.
Visit a marble mine. Stay overnight in camping place on lake side at a bungalow park with toilets, electricity, water supply, sewage system
for draining toilets.
Day 7: Excursion to Valaam.
Boat trip to Valaam Island. Island excursion, visiting Monastery. Lunch in the Monastery dining room. Coming back by boat
around 17.30 and driving back to the bungalow park.
Day 8: Sortavala to Syapsya (210 km): Kinerma village and Zoo Complex of local wild animals
Excursion in Kinerma village where they keep the traditional style of building of Karely-Livviki, visit to an ancient
Chapel of XVIII century, watching an exhibition of the village's history and making Folk dolls as well as traditional
Karelian pies. Stay overnight at a parking place with possibility to use toilets, shower, electricity.
Visit a Zoo complex to see life of wild animals.
Days 9, 10: Syapsya to Petrozavodsk (105 km): Boat excursion to 'Kizhi Island' with traditional Karelian buildings
Drive to a camping specially equipped for campers not far from Petrozavodsk: electricity and water supply, sewage system,
toilets, showers, kitchen, also big lake where you may swim and nature where you can hike. From the camping are transfers
Petrozavodsk and back. Hike in this beautiful city to Embankment street. Boat excursion to Kizhi Island for a hike along the beautiful wooding buildings in Karelian style.
Optional: a guide to show you the Kizhi Island. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon come back to Petrozavodsk. Visit museums
including the Museum of replicas of old ships, and the Smithy work shop. Optional: Guided city tour
Day 11: Excursion to Sheltozero (140 km): Culture of Pomor people
Drive to Sheltozero village to see architecture of Vepse people and visit to Historical Museum. Traditional Veps tea.
Optional: a guided excursion program including tea with pies. Drive back to the camping for overnight.
Day 12: Petrozavodsk to Konchezero (120 km): Martsialnye Vody Resort build by Peter the Great
On the way visit the Martsialnye Vody Resort (Peter the Great establishment). Stay overnight at a bungalow park's camping place.
Possibility to take fresh water.
Day 13: Konchezero to Belomorsk (330 km): Kivach waterfall and Belomorsk canal
During way you can visit 'Kivach waterfall'. Visit a sluice of the Belomorsk canal. Stay overnight in Belomorsk with electricity
and water supply, sewage system, toilets, showers, kitchen.
Day 14: Belomorsk to Kem (120 km): Petroglyphs (rock carvings)
Hike to the Petroglyphs (rock carvings) which are not far from the camping place. Drive to Kem. Visit the museum about Pomors
(local sea dwellers) in Kem city. Stay overnight at harbour hotel parking place. (Possibility to take fresh water)
Day 15: Excursion to Solovetsky Island.
Boat excursion to Solovetsky Islands.( from 8:00 till 17:30). Visit the Monastery. Come back to Kem in the evening.
Stay overnight at harbour hotel parking place.
Day 16: Kem to Kandalaksha (300 km): Wooden Church of Kovda
Drive to Kandalaksha city. On the way visit Kovda village and the famous Kovda wooden church. Stay for overnight at a hotel parking place (possibility for electricity and water supply, sewage system, toilets).
Day 17: Visit ancient stone labyrinth "Babylon".
The car can stay on the parking and you can have a nice hike to the White Sea shore to visit an ancient stone labyrinth, named; "Babylon". It takes approx. 3 hours by foot.
It is possible to watch seals and sometimes white whales (beluga's) in the sea. It is also possible to have a boat excursion to the stone labyrinth. Board the boat and sail to a beautiful small peninsula where you can find the Labyrinth.
Day 18: Kandalaksha – Lodochny Ruchey (230 km – 4h).
On the way possibility to visit the historical museum and house of culture in Umba village, but Umba village is since 2007 restricted area and a permission of Federal Security Board is necessary.
We can take care about that at least 50 days before the visit, but is not guaranteed that you get permission.
Proceed to drive along the coast to Kashkarantsy, a traditional Pomor village. Visit the Chapel of the Unknown Monk near the sea.
Sauna and overnight at a camping of our tourist base at Lodochny Ruchey on the White sea shore.
Optionally we can add day(s) to this program if you like to go fishing for Atlantic salmon at a professional fishing camp
Umba Lodge with guide service including lunch and dinner.
Day 19, 20, 21, 22: The White Sea Shore. Wooden Church Complex of Varzuga and lucky stones: Amethyst
You can drive to Varzuga village, an ancient place located on the shore of Varzuga River. Visit to Church Complex of the 17th century. Take a boat
on another side of Varzuga River and walk on wooden pavements between small cosy houses.
Optional: Hiking excursion to Saint Spring. Hike with a local guide to a very special place situated in the forest behind Varzuga
village (4 km). Distance Lodochny Spring - Varzuga = 20 km
Or you can stay in Lodochny Spring. There is a left Amethyst mine nearby. Everybody can find his lucky Amethyst stone brush there.
In the evening brown bear watching.
Day 23: Lodochny - Kirovsk (380 km)
Drive via Apatity city where you can visit Mineralogical Museum and Museum of the North to Kirovsk city where you can see the most old and far
to the North Botanical garden as well as Museum of Discovery of the North and first house of the Pioneers of the North.
First possibility for overnight is at parking place close to a hotel in the centre of Kirovsk city with possibility to use
electricity and water connections. Second possibility for overnight is at a recommended place in wild nature of Khibiny Mountains.
It has no electricity or water connections but beautiful nature around. The third possibility is to drive 35 km to a small
guesthouse in Oktyabrsky village and park in a yard.
Possibility to use kitchen, dry toilets, electricity and sauna. (Possibility to take fresh water).
Day 24: Kirovsk to Lovozero Reindeer fold (260 km): Visit Saami and their reindeers
Drive to Lovozero village. Lovozero village is a place on Kola Peninsula where all Lappish people live. Excursion in Museum of Saami History.
Stay overnight on the parking place of a Saami sight or husky farm. Optional: Excursion in the reindeer fold or hiking tour with huskies.
Day 25, 26: Reindeer fold to Murmansk (120 km): Worlds biggest city above Polar Circle and Atomic Icebreaker
Drive to Murmansk. Park at a camping place near a hotel beside Murmansk city. Possibility to use electricity and water connections there.
There is a swimming pool with SPA and restaurant with delicious meals. We suggest you visit the Regional Historical Museum,
the Art Museum and the Folk Art Centre. One of highlights of the city is Second World War Memorial 'ALESHA'; a figure of a
watchman with a rifle of a height of 34 meters, which is visible almost from any point of the city. There are a number of
interesting places to visit that are related to the sea and maritime culture. These include Worlds First Nuclear Icebreaker 'Lenin',
the Naval Museum, the Shipping Company Museum and the Oceanarium with performances of seals and other sea animals.
Optional: guided city tours.
Day 27: Murmansk to Kirkenes (250 km): Valley of Glory and Steinberg
On the way you can visit the Valley of Glory. Hiking tour to the height "Steinberg". Then proceed the way to the border.
Optional: Guided hiking tour to the height "Steinberg"; a German front-line strong point in WW II. The name was given by German soldiers.
It consists of trenches, caves, underground galleries where Germans had base, headquarters, sauna and sleeping rooms.
This itinerary can be changed according your wishes and time-table.
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