Tour for Christmas in Karelia and New Year holidays in Kalevala. Christmas tour in Karelia and New Year holidays in Kalevala
The Nativity of Christ is a great Orthodox holiday celebrated in Russia on January 7th. There are many customs associated with this holiday, most of which were transferred to the New Year celebrations during Soviet times. These include traditions of decorating a Christmas tree and giving gifts to loved ones.
Traditionally, Christmas should be celebrated at home, but this is not a requirement. However, the holiday is really a quiet, family one, and large-scale events, such as New Year’s corporate parties, are not usually organized during Christmas. But this is a great reason to spend time with your family.
Why is it worth celebrating Christmas in Karelia?
It is in the North, among snow-covered forests and frozen lakes, that the original traditions of celebrating Christmas and New Year have been preserved. If for some reason you come to Karelia for New Year if you didn’t succeed, then Christmas is a great reason to get out of the city and plunge into the atmosphere of real winter at least for a couple of days. In addition, sad as it may be, the long New Year holidays in 2019 end just after Christmas - on January 8, so perhaps there may not be another opportunity to visit Karelia this winter.
How to celebrate Christmas in Karelia?
To make Christmas in Karelia a real family holiday for you, you don’t need to make a lot of effort. Here are four main conditions, following which you will create a Christmas atmosphere wherever you are.
Continuing the theme of landscaping, we’ll tell you a little more about our cottages. Exactly for high level Comfort is appreciated by our park hotel guests. Each house not only provides all the necessary amenities, but also has a separate Finnish sauna, which is so pleasant to warm up after a long day spent in the fresh air. Read more about the conditions of accommodation at the Sorola Village park hotel in this section.
On the territory of our recreation center there is a good choice traditional winter activities which are suitable for both children and adults. Skiing, sledding, cheesecake riding - all these activities, despite their outward unpretentiousness, not only have fun and create a good mood, but are also extremely beneficial for health. All necessary equipment for a fun pastime can be rented at our base.
If your soul craves something more, then we offer you snowmobiling. Choose from one of two cars: Dingo 150 and Yamaha Viking IV. On a small compact Dingo you can explore the surroundings on your own; the controls of this car are quite simple, and are quite within the power of a person even with little experience in dealing with vehicles.
As for the Yamaha Viking IV, this is a more serious device, capable of accelerating to 100 km/h on a flat surface. But you can go further on it and see really interesting and rarely visited places.
Karelia is a region rich in various attractions, both natural and man-made. There are plenty of them in the vicinity of our park hotel. For example, literally a 5-minute walk away is the famous Snake Mountain - a rock more than 50 meters high, which offers an impressive view of the Ladoga lake and surrounding areas.
So that you can plan your route yourself and choose interesting objects to visit, we have collected information about them in a special section of the site. Read, compare, choose and make your weekend in Karelia as eventful and interesting as possible.
Christmas in Karelia: the main thing
Entertainment and attractions are, of course, an important part of the holiday. But still, the main thing in celebrating Christmas is communication. Communication with family, with those closest to us, for whom we sometimes often do not have enough time on weekdays. Come to Karelia for Christmas and turn it into an unforgettable family holiday, of which for some reason there are not so many in our lives.
Welcome to the capital of Karelia – the city of Petrozavodsk. A port of five seas, located on the shores of the second largest fresh water body in Europe - Lake Onega. Real European city, with national Karelian-Finnish flavor, the same age as St. Petersburg, cozy, beautiful, with its own unique story. Founded in 1703 by Peter I, the city was founded by Catherine II in 1777.
Cannons for the Russian army were cast here, cast iron decorations for St. Petersburg were made here, and the famous Onezhets tractors were built here. It is not for nothing that the name of the city contains the word factory. But the capital of Karelia is also a place of beauty and unbridled nature - sometimes harsh northern, sometimes calm, balanced in a Scandinavian way.
You can choose trains to arrive in Petrozavodsk from 7:00 to 9:30. Your guide, as well as the bus, will be at station square from 9:00. You can leave things in it. Also, our Santa Claus will meet you at the bus, who will give you a New Year's mood and good weather for the whole tour!
Our group's breakfast will last from 9:15 to 9:45.
We get on the bus and go on a tour of New Year’s, cozy and very beautiful Petrozavodsk. In the first part of the excursion we will get acquainted with the city: a journey through the eras awaits us - Petrozavodsk of the time of Peter the Great, Petrozavodsk of Catherine the Great, Soviet Petrozavodsk.
We will take a walk along the main city attraction - the embankment of Lake Onega. This is a unique art object, a museum of modern art under open air, with very picturesque views of the city and Lake Onega. Here, ancient history, with its roots in the mysterious Hyperborea and modernity, come to life in a unique collection of avant-garde sculptural monuments - seid stones, “Tree of Wishes”, “Wave of Friendship”, “Thinking Reed”, “Mermaid”... This is the most a nice place capital of the Northern Territory at any time of the year!
After a short walk around the city, we'll go to the Doll's House. Tatyana Kalinina's Doll House is represented by three small halls. In the hall of designer dolls you can get acquainted with dolls made in various techniques and styles; the “Spirits of Karelia” hall introduces visitors to brownies, mermaids and other creatures of the other world in which our ancestors believed; The exposition of the third hall is constantly changing. In addition, you can look into the workshop and see how dolls are created, and even buy and take home the doll or animal you like.
Lunch at a cafe.
A museum is a place where miracles happen, especially if it is New Year and Christmas time. We will go with you to the interactive program “New Year's Mosaic” in National Museum Karelia, during which you will take a fascinating journey through time. Travel to medieval Karelia and find out how the Yule holiday was celebrated. You will visit a Karelian hut from the late 19th century and get acquainted with ancient Christmas rituals. You will be asked to guess riddles and tell fortunes on runes for the coming year, and they will tell you about the Karelian Father Frost. Everyone can make a simple Christmas decoration and make a wish.
16:30 Check-in at selected hotels. Free time, rest.
For everyone interested, Evening master class on gates!
Kalitki is a national Karelian dish. In Finland they are called “karjalan piirakka”, which means “Karelian pies”. Wickets are baked from unleavened rye dough with fillings. The name comes from Kolyad, an ancient pagan holiday that later merged with Christmas. Carols are Christmas songs sung by guests. For this they were given a special treat - wickets.
During the master class, you will learn about the features of national Karelian cuisine, learn how to cook wickets yourself, and also be able to eat your pies with Karelian tea at the end of the master class.
DAY 2 (DECEMBER 31)/ KARELIAN GRANDFATHER CLAUS TALVI UKKO AND HIS FAITHFUL FRIENDS: FOREST REINDEER, SLED DOGS AND SAMIS PLAYERS
Breakfast at selected hotels.
11:00 Departure of the bus to visit the Karelian Father Frost - Talvi Ukko!
Here you will meet the best sled dogs in Russia, admire the reindeer and their timid fawns, and also get in touch with the unique culture of the forest Sami and drink tea in a yaranga near an open fire. And most importantly, visit, chat and take memorable photos with Talvi Ukko, the Karelian Father Frost, in his personal northern residence!
The largest kennel of sports sled dogs in Russia, where you will make friends with the famous Alaskan Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies, feel the boundless trust and love of these beautiful creatures, make nice photos as a keepsake. Talvi Ukko's assistants will give you a tour and tell you many amazing things about summer and winter species sled sport, the diversity and purpose of each of the sled breeds, the character traits and roles in the team of each of the four-legged athletes.
In a dense forest near a small lake, live domesticated deer, Talvi Ukko’s special pride and love. Santa Winter's assistants will show you a reindeer farm, where you will interact with cautious reindeer and admire their timid fawns. You will visit authentic Sami dwellings, see ancient household items, drink tea from Karelian medicinal herbs, taste real Karelian pastries and for a moment be transported to ancient times, when man and the forest were one.
You will have a chance to see the laboratory of wonders of Father Winter, his office where weather contracts are concluded, and the reception room, which has been visited by a variety of people and magical creatures. If you make a wish in it, it will certainly come true! And then you will excitedly ride down the miracle slide. (Don't forget about warm winter sports shoes and clothes)
Riding a dog or reindeer sled is a Karelian folk pastime! Huskies and Malamutes will give you a ride through the snowy forest and you will feel the drive and speed, wrapped in a warm cape. Always in the North they used sleighs and dogs, as well as deer, to move from one point to another, covering 80 to 100 kilometers in 1 day.
Reindeer sledding is included in the tour price! Dog sledding can be ordered additionally!
Cost: husky riding (500 meters) - children under 12 years old - 1500 rubles, adults - 2000 rubles. Husky riding (1000 meters) - children under 12 years old - 1950 rubles, adults - 2500 rubles Riding must be booked in advance when booking the tour.
16:00 Return transfer to Petrozavodsk. Check-in at selected hotels. Preparing for the New Year's Eve.
New Year's banquet in hotel complex Onego Palace (included in the tour price).
DAY 3 (JANUARY 1) / THE PEARL OF KARELIA - MOUNTAIN PARK AND MARBLE CANYON RUSKEALA.
Good morning! Today we are waiting for the Northern Ladoga region - another amazing natural treasure trove of Karelia. The Ladoga region is decorated with the very first large lake in Europe - Ladoga. Locals say Father Onego and Mother Ladoga.
240 kilometers and we are already there. But let's not start with Ladoga. And from the waterfalls. We will see Tokhminsky or Ruskeala waterfalls. The famous Soviet film “The Dawns Here Are Quiet...” was filmed here. Obligatory photo for memory and a tour along the beautiful wooden bridges.
Today we will eat in the Lutheran Church. The Karelians and Finns living on this land will hospitably welcome and feed us, after which we will move on.
By the way, another point on our route is connected with the Finns - the Ruskeala marble canyon. A unique quarry, which, according to one version, was flooded by the Finns with water from nearby rivers. After all, it was the Finns who rented this quarry for many years and mined marble here. Who would have thought that years later thousands of tourists would flock here. There really is something to see here.
Marble Canyon Ruskeala is a Karelian brand of new times. Ten years ago, desolation reigned here. Now we see an amazing natural object. There is everything for a tourist here! Gorgeous views, trails, caves.
Waiting for us hiking along the marble canyon (1.5 hours). The 1.5-kilometer-long eco-trail around Ruskeala has many panoramic platforms with views of it. unique place. In addition, you can move a little away from the main path and go into the depths of the through cave (adit). Here you will discover the real secrets of the canyon, its heart. You can also look at deposits of Italian marble.
At 17:00 a real SHOW awaits us - turning on the color lighting, thanks to which the canyon will sparkle with new colors and the glare of light on the luxurious marble will blow your imagination!
The Ruskeala Canyon is beautiful at any time of the year. We guarantee that you will not remain indifferent. Full of impressions and very satisfied, we head to the hotel in Petrozavodsk. Have a nice holiday!
DAY 4 (JANUARY 2) / LEGEND OF THE NORTH - KIVACH WATERFALL AND ORGAN CONCERT IN KONDOPOGA
Breakfast at the hotel. Release of rooms.
10:00 Departure to the legendary, very picturesque and unique Kivach waterfall. This is the most famous waterfall Karelia, sung by the first governor of our region, the Russian poet Gavrila Derzhavin: “The mountain is falling like diamonds...”. Indeed, the falling water and its power are mesmerizing. Everyone should see this.
Visit national reserve Kivach, where the waterfall of the same name is located. Its strength is so great that the waterfall does not freeze even in winter, and the harsh northern rocks covered with snow and yellowish, very ferruginous water create a truly impressive picture. The air in the area is so fresh that residents of megacities may feel dizzy if they are not used to it.
In addition, we will visit the botanical garden, where we will see the Karelian birch, many trees that traditionally grow in the north not only in Karelia, but also North America and Asia. After walking around botanical garden, we will visit the Museum of Nature.
The first of January is a special day. After the fresh air, a very hearty and tasty lunch awaits us, as well as a small animation program - we need to jump a little and have fun, so that the coming year will be easy and interesting!
After lunch we will go to the Karelian town of Kondopoga, to the new, very beautiful marble palace of arts. The Organ, the fourth largest in Russia, awaits us in the Palace of Arts. The sound of the organ is incomparable; it induces positive thinking, calms and forces those listening to its music to find agreement with themselves. At the concert, famous works by world classics will be performed especially for you - this will be an excellent end to your wonderful new year in Karelia!
17:00 Return to Petrozavodsk.
Fair of Karelian goods: you will have the opportunity to buy smoked Karelian fish, souvenirs, and shungite products.
17:45 Arrival of the group at the railway station for departure trains.
We hope that this New Year has given you a lot of bright and unforgettable emotions and that the whole year will pass in a good mood and pace! SEE YOU AGAIN!!! I WILL BE DREAMING OF KARELIA FOR A LONG TIME!
In a programme:
1 day (meals: breakfast only)
Meeting of trains No. 018, No. 092.
If you arrive earlier: Waiting for the arrival of the main group.
If you arrive later: transfer for an additional fee and program adjustments.
- Breakfast in a city cafe
-Sightseeing tour of Petrozavodsk. You will get acquainted with the capital of Karelia. The guide will tell you why during the time of Catherine II Petrozavodsk was famous throughout Russian Empire. You will stroll through the cozy center and see how history and modernity are successfully combined in the appearance of the city.
- We offer a fun start to the New Year together with the world-famous Kantele ensemble! We will arrange a festive revelry with games, songs and dances, and all this to the sounds of the magic instrument of the same name “kantele”.
-Accommodation in the selected hotel
Free time.
For the most active:*EXCURSION TO A DOG KENNEL WITH DOG SLED RIDING + tea + transfer(4500 rub/adult, 3500 rub/child under 12 years old) BOOKING ADDITIONAL EXCURSIONS IN ADVANCE
Day 2 (meals: breakfast only)
- Breakfast in the hotel cafe
**For an additional fee (reservation when ordering a tour): TRIP TO GRANDFATHER HULL'S KARELIAN ESTATE + PERSONAL AUDIENCE IN GRANDFATHER HULL'S OFFICE(2950 rub/adult, 2750 rub/child under 18 years old)
~~In the very heart of Karelia, in a deep forest, Grandfather Halla lives - the most hardworking of the Moroz brothers. Every winter, Grandfather Halla comes to work on his Karelian estate, where his housekeepers work on creating gifts. You have a unique opportunity to look into his workshops and see everything with your own eyes~~
Along the way, the guide will tell you about the customs and traditions of the Karelians.
Is waiting for you:
-Karelian fun (skis-shuksha, sleigh-smoking)
- school is homemade for the little ones
-work in workshops
-Grandfather Hull mail
- certificate for children graduating from a magic school
- shop of miracles
- photo for memory (optional)
At the end of this fabulous day there is a traditional lunch.
For arrivals from 01/05, we offer Christmas dinner on 01/06 at one of the city restaurants for an additional fee.
Day 3 (meals: breakfast + lunch)
- Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
Excursion to famous waterfall Kivach. Translated from Karelian “kivach” means “snowy mountain”, translated from Finnish it means “powerful”. In any case, this “powerful snow mountain” will not leave anyone indifferent. At all times, poets have written poems about the waterfall, artists come here for plein airs, and how many photographers are attracted by the unique views of Kivach! It is not for nothing that it is the calling card of Karelia.
Return to Petrozavodsk. Visit to the gift shop
-Late lunch in a city cafe.
-Transfer to the station. Returning home with pleasant memories of wonderful days in Karelia and a suitcase full of souvenirs from Karelian craftsmen.
ATTENTION! Air and railway tickets are not included in the tour price and must be purchased separately - from the BigTransTour company or independently.Find air/train tickets
Check-in 01/05/2018-01/07/2018
| Room/Hotel | "Onega Castle" | "Frigate"/"Onego Palace" | "Peter Inn" |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-seater standard | 12150 | 13100 | 13300 |
| 1-seat standard | 15150 | 16000/17000 | 17450 |
| extra bed | 11000 | 11450 | 10800 |
| Christmas dinner | Cost will be later | ||
Children under 18 years old - 300 rubles discount
Included in the price:
accommodation in the selected hotel, meals according to the program, entry tickets, transport and excursion services according to the program.
THE COMPANY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE ORDER OF EXCURSIONS WITHOUT CHANGING THE PROGRAM IN WHOLE.
Our company invites you to plunge into the festive atmosphere by booking a tour of Karelia in winter, where you can celebrate New Year and Christmas in a fun and unusual way. We present on our website wide choose entertainment programs, among which you will definitely find one that suits your taste, suits you in terms of cost and proposed content.
By choosing Christmas tours to Karelia, you will get a unique opportunity to visit the following historical attractions and famous places:
- Gallery "Doll's House",
- Ethnographic Museum "Karelian Hut"
- Kivach waterfall,
- Ethnocultural center “Elama”,
- Mountain Park"Ruskeala"
- Northern zoo complex “Three Bears”,
- Husky sled dog nursery,
- Kizhi Island,
- Marcial waters,
- Assumption Church and much more.
We will organize winter tours to Karelia, the cost of which already includes everything necessary services. This includes not only accommodation in comfortable hotel rooms, but also meals, transport service, entrance fees to museums, excursions from professional guides. You can find a detailed list of services included in the program in a special section.
Tours to Karelia for schoolchildren
With us you will always find excursion New Year's tours to Karelia, which are of interest to both adults and schoolchildren. They will not only be able to relax, enjoying the most long-awaited and fabulous holiday, but also learn a lot of new and useful information, thanks to the educational excursions that we offer. You and your children will not remain indifferent to local historical sights and architectural monuments.
Have you already decided where and how to spend the Christmas holidays?
We invite you to Karelia to celebrate the kindest New Year 2019, surrounded by fabulous winter landscapes! The real Karelian Father Frost, the largest husky nursery in Russia, a reindeer farm, legends of Karelia, comfortable accommodation, real Karelian cuisine and a very active pastime: snowmobile safaris, cross-country skiing, cheesecake sleighs, winter fun, interesting excursion programs and, of course, a luxurious Christmas table with traditional congratulations from Father Frost and Snow Maiden. We won't let you get bored, everyone will find entertainment to their liking!
Perfect for active parents with children, couples and a cheerful group of friends.
ALL INCLUSIVE program:
- skiing;
- riding on “cheesecakes” behind a snowmobile;
- Christmas banquet with host and gifts from KareliaOK;
- visiting Father Frost and Snow Maiden,
- excursion to the capital of Karelia - the city of Petrozavodsk;
- interactive program in the Kantele House;
- accommodation in a comfortable hotel;
- food in a good restaurant;
- high level of service.
Morning arrival at the railway station. Petrozavodsk. Meet the accompanying manager.
Breakfast in a cafe in Petrozavodsk.
Departure in a comfortable minibus to fiefdom Karelian Grandfather Frost(the journey takes about 30 minutes). The duration of the program is 2.5 hours.
Good winter morning! We are glad to see you in the capital of Karelia, dressed up for the magical holiday of Christmas - the time when fairy tales and reality meet to give the best impressions!
Karelian Father Frost and his clever assistant Lumiki are waiting for us.
The Karelian Father Frost has vast domains. Grandfather loves smart furry animals very much husky sled dogs, on which he delivers gifts, he has a whole lot of them nursery - the largest throughout our vast country. Grandfather also likes the glorious and charming inhabitants of the North - deer, which he carefully breeds on his Deer Farm. We will meet, take pictures and hug the tailed, furry and horned pets, accompanied by the cunning and cheerful Mistress of the North - the sorceress Louhi and other representatives of the fabulous Karelian people, and they, in turn, have prepared for you other ventures and entertainment with a Karelian flavor: let's take part in folk games, we will learn the movements of national dances to catchy music, we will drive a Finnish sleigh and ride down a snowy mountain. And now comes the moment of magic - we go to meet the real Santa Claus, take memorable photographs, listen to stories and receive congratulations.
Feeling pleasantly tired? Now the kind and good hostess Lumiki invites you to a warm yaranga to treat yourself to signature wicket pies with millet and potatoes and try aromatic hot tea with medicinal herbs.
Transfer to a country hotel on the shore of Lake Ukshozero (40 min travel).
Accommodation in comfortable double rooms. Each room has: a balcony, a combined bathroom with a shower, a TV, a telephone, a double or two 1.5-size beds. It is possible to install additional space.
The hotel is located on the rocky shore of the lake, surrounded by tall pine trees. The place is cozy, beautiful and quiet. On a large well-groomed and protected territory there are two Russian baths, a Finnish sauna, recreation areas: covered gazebos, barbecues, children's and sports grounds. At your service: a high-quality billiard room, a bar with a fireplace and karaoke, a panoramic restaurant with stunning views, offering Russian, Karelian and Scandinavian cuisine.
The hotel is a 3-story stone building with a capacity of 29 rooms. The hotel is known far beyond the region for its hospitality and level of service.
Lunch at a restaurant with an original interior in an epic Scandinavian style.
After lunch, you can relax: walk through the winter forest, explore the territory, visit the fireplace room and have a heart-to-heart conversation with new acquaintances, demonstrate your skills in billiards, invigorate your body and spirit with a birch broom in a hot sauna, or just take a nap.
Delicious hearty dinner in a cozy atmosphere.
The shy northern sun timidly peers through the windows. It's time to get up! Another beautiful winter day awaits us, full of joy and festive mood!
Buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
Free time for relaxation.
Now is the time to take a winter break:
Ride a larger cheesecake behind a snowmobile. Uhhh!;
Take a leisurely ski ride in the surrounding area picturesque lake Ukshozero;
Race down an icy mountain on ice sleds and cheesecakes, just like in childhood;
Breathe deeply with clean air, free your thoughts from the hustle and bustle of the cities, communicate with loved ones and friends, spend time with children, watching mischievous snow games.
Dinner! After fresh air and an appropriate appetite! In the warm, spacious gazebo, Karelian fish soup is waiting for you, which we call “Lohikeyto” - a creamy soup from the local king-fish trout accompanied by freshly brewed mulled wine, cooked over a fire.
Free time to relax according to your taste.
Dinner in warm company.
Today is a special day - Christmas Eve.
2-hour snowmobile safari behind additional payment or spending time on your own. Children remain under the supervision of a teacher-animator.
Selection of special equipment: warm overalls, special shoes, helmet, balaclava, gloves. Instruction on safety precautions and driving a snowmobile. Access to the route from the hotel premises.
We invite you to travel through the snowy expanses of Karelia! 2-hour snowmobile safari in the surrounding area country hotel: fluffy winter forest, frost-covered Ukshozero, clear winter air and silence, broken only by the sounds of powerful snowmobiles. Anyone over 10 years old can participate in the event.
The rest of the children and their parents are also having a great time: under the guidance of the animator, they make Christmas souvenirs, play with winter Games and ride down the hill.
Free time: skiing, tubing, family gatherings and Board games. For an additional fee: billiards, sauna, sauna with swimming pool, karaoke.
Preparation for the festive dinner-banquet with entertainment program.
The most important evening of the year has arrived, smoothly flowing into the night. A time of magic, when a miracle descends on earth, when wishes come true, when hearts open up to let goodness in.
The program of our festive evening includes a lot of fun for big and small, good music, dancing, competitions and gifts, making wishes, an extravaganza of good mood, congratulations and a feeling of happiness.
