Exciting adventure in the snow as well as Russian history and culture.
A trip which is an experience – a winning combination! On the one hand, Russian history and culture in Moscow, the center of power and St. Petersburg, the most beautiful city in Russia. The Kremlin and Red Square, the Hermitage Museum and Katrina Palace and more. And on the other hand, exciting adventures and experiences in the snow. Where?! in Karlia – Russian Lapland, a unique natural area with a thousand lakes, rivers, waterfalls and forests with a variety of exciting and unique attractions to the area. Come to hike, to ride, and to learn- to fish, to cook, to sled, and to dance. There is a memorable one-time experience waiting for you!
These are some of the sites and attractions we will visit:
Snowmobiles
Dog sledding
Snowmobile Sledge
Tire surfing
Building an igloo
Kivach Falls Reserve
Walking in snowshoes
Karaoke Club
Reindeer sledges
Fishing in a frozen lake
Master Chef Cooking Workshop
St Sampo Mountain
Immersive folklore evening
Semi-precious stone factory
Archery shooting
Red Square
Kremlin Compound
Hermitage -World’s Largest Museum
Ekaterina Palace
Petropavlovsk Island
We’ll fly to Moscow, founded in 1147, the city developed around the Kremlin and became the capital of the Russian kingdom in the 14th century. We will begin our visit to Moscow at one of the quintessential symbols of Moscow and, in fact, of Russia as a whole, Red Square. This square is surrounded by a number of important buildings.
READ MOREThe Kremlin and Lenin’s Mausoleum, Russia’s Historical Museum, the two largest shopping malls in Russia, the Gum and Gustini Debor, and St. Basil Church. We will continue to the Great Coral Synagogue, which first opened for prayer in 1906 and operated throughout the Soviet era. This synagogue was visited by the heads of state of Israel, Golda Meir in 1948 and Benjamin Netanyahu in 2006. We will continue our visit to the Jewish Museum in Moscow that presents the development of the Jewish community in Russia with modern and interesting technology. We will continue to visit the Poklonnayam Victory Park, which is a vast park commemorating the Soviets’ huge victory over the Nazis in World War II. We walk down central avenue in the park called the “Years of War”, see the vast obelisk at the center of it, visit the “Museum of the Great Patriotic War” which presents the course of the war and Russian heroism. We’ll see “The Arc of Victory.” We will continue to the Holocaust Memorial Synagogue established in the park in 1998.
Close thisIn the morning we will go to the airport and take a short flight to Petrozavodsk. Upon landing, we will go to the hotel and receive rooms, light refreshments and also Arctic equipment suitable for winter activities and appropriate for the elements. The equipment includes a snowsuit, lined shoes and a face mask, and we’ll try on clothes and once dressed will visit The Talviaika Park.
READ MOREWe will warm up with tea and pastry and then visit the reindeer farm and learn the lifestyle and customs of the animals living in extreme conditions. We’ll take a short ride in a reindeer-littered sled as well as a snowmobile-led sledge… visit the Malmut and Musk dog pens and play in the snow and more.
Close thisAfter breakfast, we’ll head to the husky dogs farm. After an introductory meeting with the dogs and a detailed briefing that includes a short ‘course’ in sled driving – we will set off on an exciting drive into the snowy wild forest. We will continue hiking with special snow sandals in the amazing winter nature.
READ MOREWe’ll also learn to build a snow house, an igloo, and feel like a real Eskimo. We’ll warm up with a hot drink in front of the fire and see a traditional local tent. After lunch, we will continue to visit an authentic local house on the edge of the frozen lake. We’ll walk on the thick ice sheet and warm up with local tea and pastries. Towards evening we will return to the hotel in Petrozavodsk for dinner.
Close thisAfter breakfast, we will take a walk in the Kivachs Reserve and enjoy the amazing beauty of the Krilli nature. We’ll see The Kivachs Waterfall, which sometimes freezes and stops at the height of winter. We will hike the reserve and see the unique tree to the area – Birch Krilly. We will also visit the local museum containing a collection of stuffed animals from the area.
READ MOREWe will continue to ascend to Mount Sampo, from which we will look at a spectacular view of the snowy treetops in the forest and hear about the ancient pagan custom of tying colorful ribbons to the branches of the trees on the mountain. After lunch, we will visit a factory for processing the shuglia stone – a unique medicinal stone for Karelia created by a meteor impact in the area.
Close thisAfter breakfast, we will go to the park where we will have an introductory briefing about the snowmobiles. We’ll get basic skills in controlling the vessel and ride the snowmobile in intermittent pairs. Later in the day, we will do winter fishing – we will fish in a frozen lake using a special method through holes made in the ice.
READ MOREWe’ll also be sledding on inner tubes on the snow slopes. In the afternoon we will return to our hotel, prepare for Shabbat, and have prayers and dinner at the hotel.
Note: Driving the snowmobile is contingent on maintaining a car driving license and travel insurance that includes extreme winter sports.
After prayer and Shabbat lunch, we will take a walking tour of the city’s promenade accompanied by the group’s escort. On Saturday night, we will enjoy a local hospitality folklore show that combines music, unique instruments and authentic dances.
After early breakfast, we’ll take a high-speed train ride from Petrozavodsk to St. Petersburg. We will arrive at midday and start with a panoramic tour of this beautiful city. We will visit the Peter and Paul Fortress, located on Zayachy island in the center of the Neva River, from which the city was founded as a ‘window into Europe’.
READ MOREIn the center of the citadel, Peter the Great is buried along with his heirs until the last of the Romanov dynasty. We will see the memorial to the victims of the Siege of World War II. We will also visit the local Choral Synagogue and hear about the history of the Jewish community in the city.
Close thisIn the morning we will visit the Hermitage – the largest museum in the world, established in the 18th century as the Winter Palace of the Tsars of Russia. Today it is a public museum that currently contains over 3 million works of art from all over the world and from all periods.
READ MOREAfter touring the fascinating museum, we will continue to tour the city and see the Izakaki Cathedral, the Church of “the savior on spilled blood” with its colorful towers – one of the symbols of the city – where Tsar Alexander II was murdered in 1881, causing attacks on the Jews. From there we will go to the town of Pushkin where we will visit Ekaterina Tsarina Palace and also see the stunning amber room, which was restored after it was destroyed in World War II.
Close thisOur fascinating trip is completed. We will go to St.Petersburg airport and fly back home packed with exciting experiences that will accompany us for a long time to come.
* Price per person in USD double or twin room
** Supplement Price for single room
Moscow Domestic Flight – Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk -St. Petersburg Railway
First-class hotels
Half board, and the option to make sandwiches at noon
Tour bus
Tours and entrances to sites as described in the route
Professional English speaking guide from the “Shai Bar-Ilan” team
Tips for service providers abroad
Folklore night
Full quality winter clothing including a snowsuit, snowshoes and a face mask.
Additional equipment required for riding, walking in the snow.
International flight
Personal expenses
Travel, health and cargo insanation
Extreme sports insurance
Tip for the Israeli guide, it is recommended to give $5 per day
Anything that is not listed under the “Total price” section.
There may be changes to the order of places visited. We will make every effort to visit every place mentioned in the itinerary.
The tour organizers have no control over airline services such as seating, special meal requests, changes in departure times or delays. These remain the sole responsibility of the airline company.
Only strictly kosher food is provided to our travelers on all our tours. On some of our tours we are able to provide glatt meals. Kashrut is of utmost importance to us and we take special measures to ensure that everything served is kosher.
Breakfast is prepared using our utensils. We use local fresh fruits and vegetables, and we use milk products when they are permitted. We use kosher cereals, and bread. We usually serve hard boiled eggs and sometimes scrambled eggs or omelets. At breakfast, we prepare our lunches so that people have their choice as to what they eat for lunch. We bring food from Israel to supplement what is served in the hotel such as cheeses, peanut butter, tuna, etc.
For dinners, we serve either fish or meat (usually chicken) as our main course. In areas where meat is not available nor readily acquired, we will have fish. When possible, we acquire the meat locally from Chabad or other reliable kosher source, and in some cases we fly the meat in from Israel. We try to provide as many meat meals as possible. The main course at dinner is preceded by soup and salad and accompanied by freshly prepared vegetables. Dessert typically consists of fresh fruits.
We do not guarantee Pat Israel and Chalav Israel for all destinations.
In many destinations we have our own dishes and silverware. Where we don’t, we provide disposables at the meals. When we cook in hotel kitchens, we use our own knives, cutting boards, pots and pans, cooking implements and disposable metal trays. All food preparation is done on covered surfaces under the strict supervision of our trained staff/guides who function as our mashgichim.
We make great efforts to assure that our travelers will experience local foods first-hand, while maintaining stringent observance of Kashrut laws on all occasions.
On most of our tours, you will be accompanied by two of our staff members- one a guide for the tour who is knowledgeable about the places you are visiting and will accompany you throughout the day and the second, a person who will deal with the logistics of the tour and provide kashrut supervision in the kitchen.
It is our aim to provide the finest hotel possible in each area we visit. We require our hotels to allow us to work in the kitchen and to supervise the cooking and there are many hotels that are not willing to cooperate. They simply have no desire for us to be “meddling” in their cooking process nor are they happy about our bringing our equipment into their kitchens. We work very hard to find the best hotel in the area that will meet our requirements. Because we are not ready to compromise on kashrut, we may not always be able to use a five star hotel.
Comments and illuminations
* The price of the trip is based on a minimum of 20 people paying
* All events on the trip depend on weather conditions.
* It is important to make sure that the passport is valid for at least 6 months
* If any airfares are issued or additional services such as visa, etc., their prices will be added for the cancellation fee stated below.
* In the event of a change, cancellation or malfunction related to flights, sailing or traffic, the responsibility will be that of the airline or transport company.
* There may be changes in the itinerary due to a change in domestic flight times and other objective reasons.
* The tour is subject to terms and conditions as shown on the website.
* Due to Lapland’s unique weather characteristics ,which affect roads and creeks and therefore accessibility, it is possible that we may have to give up specific activity here and there. All of these, according to the guide’s decision and based on his experience. And in a way of ensuring the safety of the passengers first. In that case, and if possible, we will make every effort to find a suitable alternative.
Payment terms
• From the moment of registration and up to 31 days before departure, the passenger will be charged only $300 registration fees.
• 30 days before the trip departs, we require full payment.
Cancellation conditions
• Up to 30 working days before departure, the passenger will be charged only $150 registration fee
• 24-29 working days before departure The cost of cancellation is 50% of the price of the trip
• 13-8 working days before departure The cost of cancellation is 70% of the price of the trip
• From 7 working days, the date of departure of the trip cost 100% cancellation
* If any flights are cancelled or additional services (Visa, for example) their prices will be added to the cancellation fee
* Fridays and Saturdays, holidays and holidays in Israel, Sundays and holidays abroad are not considered working days.
