Moscow (3 days) – Kizhi – Saint Petersburg (3 days)

Shlisselburg is a town in Kirovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located at the head of the Neva River on Lake Ladoga, 35 kilometers (22 mi) east of St. Petersburg. From 1944 to 1992, it was known as Petrokrepost.

Valaam is the largest island in the Ladoga Archipelago.

Time: Moscow time.

The Valaam Archipelago is an amazing combination of history and strict northern beauty, which makes the place attractive for tourists. You can get here by helicopter or by water: motor ships go to the island, and from St. Petersburg you can even get to Valaam by high-speed vessels of the Meteor type.

Valaam is located in that part of Lake Ladoga, which is famous for skerries — rocky islands, whose shores are cut by narrow bays and the journey to Balaam  is extremely picturesque. The history of Balaam is characterized by various events: it belonged to both Russia and Finland, and experienced a flourishing and decline. Now it is a popular tourist destination, which is visited by more than 100,000 travelers every year.

First of all, Valaam surprises travelers with its landscapes: rocky shores with viewing platforms, a fabulous dense forest with hiking trails and clear lakes that reflect the trees. And all this — in the middle of the endless Lake Ladoga. The main attraction is the monastery with a majestic cathedral, designed for 3,000 people. You can enjoy a picturesque view of the surrounding area from the walls of the monastery, and below there is a garden with apple trees, plums, and even pineapples in the greenhouses!

During the tour, travelers can also see the monasteries, although guests of the island will only be able to get to one of them: the Resurrection, built of bricks that were once produced on Valaam. Monastery pies are popular. Gourmets are also advised to pay attention to the cheese, which is made on a local farm. On Valaam, you can also buy handicrafts made of Karelian birch or shungite, a rare rock, and pillows stuffed with juniper.

Sortavala (Finnish and Karelian: Sortavala; Swedish: Sordavala); is a town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located at the northern tip of Lake Ladoga near the Finnish border, 246 kilometres (153 mi) west of Petrozavodsk, the capital city of the Republic of Karelia.

Population: 19,235 (2010 Census);

Time: Moscow time.

The district of Sortavala was first recorded in Swedish documents dating to 1468. Russian documents first mention it as Serdovol or Serdobol in 1500. It was ceded to Sweden after the Ingrian War. With the 1721 Treaty of Nystad, the settlement was joined to Russia along with the rest of Old Finland and was given the Russian name Serdobol. It became known for its marble and granite quarries which provided materials necessary for construction of imperial palaces in St. Petersburg and its neighborhood. In 1812, along with the rest of Viipuri Province, it was joined to the newly formed Grand Duchy of Finland. In 1917, the town remained a part of independent Finland. It suffered extensively from mass Soviet bombardment during the Winter War, and through the Moscow Peace Treaty Finland was forced to cede the town to the Soviet Union. All of the population of the town was evacuated for the first time. Like the rest of Finnish Karelia, Sortavala was retaken by Finland during 1941–1944 (the period of the Continuation War) and most evacuees returned to rebuild their homes. However, after the armistice of 1944, the Finns were evacuated again and the town was ceded back empty of population. After the war, the town was resettled by the Russian and Karelian population. Until 1940, the Ladoga shore southwest of Sortavala had been one of the very few relatively densely populated areas north of the Karelian Isthmus populated by Karelians.

Svirstroy is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Lodeynopolsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Svir River several kilometers northeast of the town of Lodeynoye Pole.
Population: 927 (2010 Census).

In 1927, a large-scale construction of the Lower Svir Hydroelectric Station started, and subsequently in 1931, the concentration camp of Svirlag was established. The settlement which hosted the headquarters of Svirlag became known as Svirstroy. In the same year, Svirstroy was granted urban-type settlement status. On May 13, 1963, during the abortive Khrushhyov administrative reform, Svirstroy was subordinated to the town of Podporozhye, but on January 13, 1965 it was transferred back to Lodeynopolsky District.

Mandrogi is a small village on the bank of the Sviri River, located between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega.

Population: ~ 50 (as of 2017).

Time: Moscow time.

Mandrogi is one of the most popular stops on cruises in Karelia. You have a choice here: You can stay on the beach, try local pies and kebabs. Or you can go on a tour of a stylized Russian village, with elegant houses, stables, craft workshops and an unusual museum. Tourists also love the Handicraft Settlement, where you can watch how the craftsmen work: they cast candles, sculpt them from clay, weave them from birch bark and make decorations using flowers. There are also musicians who play ancient instruments.

Kizhi is an island in Lake Onega, which is famous for its open-air museum.

Time: Moscow time.

Kizhi is not accidentally called the pearl of Karelia. This small island attracts tourists not only from all over Russia, but also from other countries.One of the special features of Kizhi is its isolation, you can get here by helicopter or by water. Kizhi is traditionally included in most cruises in Karelia, and for a short excursion you can go from Petrozavodsk.

Kizhi is an open-air museum, where 68 buildings are collected, many of them are included in the UNESCO Heritage List. The island's hallmark is the famous multi-headed churches, built without a single nail. It's hard to believe now, but only a century ago the churches of Kizhi were white — like the classical churches of Yaroslavl. During the restoration, it was decided not to cover the tree with any paint, in order to preserve its natural beauty. If you think that there are only two attractions on the island, you are mistaken. There are many architectural monuments here, which seem to transport us to the mysterious world of Zaonezhye. One of the oldest wooden churches in our country: the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus is among them.

Despite the fact that the island is relatively small, it surprises with a variety of excursions. You can pay attention to the main attractions of the island or walk through the villages, which allow you to look at the life of the northern peasants. Or learn more about the kizhanka boats that were built by local craftsmen. Strong, stable boats were a necessity for them, who lived in the middle of the huge Onega Lake. The fame of kizhanki quickly spread around the area, and people began to come here for miracle boats. You can go shopping and buy magnets with the image of local churches, and Zaonezhskaya embroidery, and amulet dolls that are made right in front of your eyes. If you walk along the shore-pay attention to the coal-black stones. You may find shungite, a very rare rock. It is easy to verify its authenticity, shungite is extremely fragile and easily breaks.

Goritsy is one of the campsites on the bank of the Sheksna River, near the town of Kirillov.

Population: ~ 500 (as of 2010).

Time: Moscow time.

Goritsy is a very small settlement where cruise ships stop on their way to St. Petersburg, Karelia, to the Solovetsky Islands and back. Goritsy got its unusual name because of the many low mountains located in the surrounding area. The most famous of them is Maura, which is covered with a dense forest. During the construction of the Sheksninsky reservoir, the coastal part of Gorits fell into a flood zone. In present time, you can see small islands that have turned into hills that have gone under the water. The main attraction of Gorits is the Resurrection Monastery, which looks beautiful from the side of the ship: snow-white walls rise at the water's edge.

Kuzino is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) under the administrative jurisdiction of the town of oblast significance of Veliky Ustyug, Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Northern Dvina River at the confluence of the Sukhona and the Yug Rivers, opposite to Veliky Ustyug. Municipally, it is incorporated as Kuzino Urban Settlement, one of the three urban settlements in Velikoustyugsky Municipal District.

Population: ~ 1,131 (2010 Census).

Time: Moscow time.

Myshkin is a city on the Volga River, which has recently become a tourist center.

Population: ~ 6,000 (as of 2017).

Time: Moscow time.

Myshkin became a city in 1991 and a few years later began to attract tourists with its unusual sights. About 150,000 travelers come here every year. Most of the attractions are located near the river. For example, to walk to the only Mouse Museum in the world, you need to walk only a few minutes. Under the roof of the museum, there are many symbols of the city: large mice and very small ones, clay, porcelain, wood and fabric. Young travelers will enjoy the Mouse Palace. The guards at the door will ask you for the password to get inside, the hay girls will take you through all the rooms and show you a small local zoo, and the king and queen will tell you about their lives.

Uglich, one of the oldest cities on the Volga, was founded in 937, where the river makes a sharp turn, forming a corner. Perhaps this feature gave the city its name.

Population: ~ 32,000 (as of 2017).

Time: Moscow time.

Uglich is a popular tourist destination and visiting it is included in most weekend cruises from Moscow.

You can get here by bus or car, but it is more convenient - by ship. First, it's just comfortable. Secondly, almost all the attractions are located near the pier: the so-called Kremlin, museums, including the Museum of Hydropower plant. Here you can see a turbine that used to work at the power plant, a map that shows water stations in Russia, and even watch the process of generating energy.

Uglich has never been a big city. The attention of the whole country was drawn to it only once. In 1591 the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, Tsarevich Dmitry, who lived here and accidentally died while playing with knives. This tragedy made an impression even on the famous writer Alexandre Dumas, who came to Uglich.

During the tour, you will get to the territory of the Kremlin. The fortress walls are not preserved and there are old churches and princely chambers. The Kovcheg ensemble loved by citizens and tourists performs here.  A small program is performed for tourists free of charge.There are more than 10 museums in this small town. In addition to the classic ones, there is, for example, the Park-Museum of the Fire Rooster or the Museum of Hydropower plant -an interactive complex where you can touch the exhibits with your hands.

A short walk from the pier, at the entrance to the Victory Park, there is a souvenir market where you can choose something to remember Uglich by. In addition, local watches are made in Uglich — the local factory is the largest manufacturer in Russia. And we advise fans of dairy products to pay attention to the brand "From Uglich".

Uglich, one of the oldest cities on the Volga, was founded in 937, where the river makes a sharp turn, forming a corner. Perhaps this feature gave the city its name.

Population: ~ 32,000 (as of 2017).

Time: Moscow time.

Uglich is a popular tourist destination and visiting it is included in most weekend cruises from Moscow.

You can get here by bus or car, but it is more convenient - by ship. First, it's just comfortable. Secondly, almost all the attractions are located near the pier: the so-called Kremlin, museums, including the Museum of Hydropower plant. Here you can see a turbine that used to work at the power plant, a map that shows water stations in Russia, and even watch the process of generating energy.

Uglich has never been a big city. The attention of the whole country was drawn to it only once. In 1591 the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, Tsarevich Dmitry, who lived here and accidentally died while playing with knives. This tragedy made an impression even on the famous writer Alexandre Dumas, who came to Uglich.

During the tour, you will get to the territory of the Kremlin. The fortress walls are not preserved and there are old churches and princely chambers. The Kovcheg ensemble loved by citizens and tourists performs here.  A small program is performed for tourists free of charge.There are more than 10 museums in this small town. In addition to the classic ones, there is, for example, the Park-Museum of the Fire Rooster or the Museum of Hydropower plant -an interactive complex where you can touch the exhibits with your hands.

A short walk from the pier, at the entrance to the Victory Park, there is a souvenir market where you can choose something to remember Uglich by. In addition, local watches are made in Uglich — the local factory is the largest manufacturer in Russia. And we advise fans of dairy products to pay attention to the brand "From Uglich".

Myshkin is a city on the Volga River, which has recently become a tourist center.

Population: ~ 6,000 (as of 2017).

Time: Moscow time.

Myshkin became a city in 1991 and a few years later began to attract tourists with its unusual sights. About 150,000 travelers come here every year. Most of the attractions are located near the river. For example, to walk to the only Mouse Museum in the world, you need to walk only a few minutes. Under the roof of the museum, there are many symbols of the city: large mice and very small ones, clay, porcelain, wood and fabric. Young travelers will enjoy the Mouse Palace. The guards at the door will ask you for the password to get inside, the hay girls will take you through all the rooms and show you a small local zoo, and the king and queen will tell you about their lives.

Yaroslavl is one of the oldest Russian cities, the unofficial capital of the Golden Ring of Russia.

Population: ~ 609,000 (as of 2018).

Time: Moscow time.

Yaroslavl, which recently celebrated its millennium, is one of the most popular tourist cities. According to the legends, at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl, Russian Tsar Yaroslav the Wise killed a bear and ordered to found the city. During its long history, Yaroslavl was both an inconspicuous city on the border of the principalities, and one of the cultural and commercial centers, and even (for a short time) the capital of our state. In memory of its former greatness, Yaroslavl has preserved a huge number of architectural monuments that are included in the UNESCO Heritage List. There are more than 800 of them — it is not surprising that the city is called an open-air museum. During a visit to Yaroslavl, you should pay attention to the Church of St. John the Baptist in Tolchkov, depicted on a bill of 1,000 rubles. And also visit the Volkov Drama Theater — the oldest in our country. Young travelers may be interested in the Yaroslavl zoo.