Karelia - wild forests and picturesque lakes, fishing and outdoor activities. There are so many things in one region! We share information about holidays in Karelia: what are the prices in 2021 and how to organize a trip.
Karelia is an escape from civilization, an opportunity to slow down and breathe fresh air, to be in nature with loved ones. Recreation here is very different: someone puts up a tent on the shore of the lake, picks mushroom berries and meets surprisingly pink sunsets, someone lazily rests at a comfortable recreation center, preparing a barbecue, and someone is mastering extreme sports or exploring the sights of the republic.
We chose the last type of rest - we arrived by car and drove around Karelia for two weeks, discovering the wonders of the region. I share my personal experience and advice on how to organize a comfortable vacation in Karelia in 2021.
When to go
Here you need to clearly understand what you want from your vacation in Karelia.
Karelian summer - the time of flowering edges, berries and mushrooms. The best period for family outdoor recreation. In summer they go on vacation to Karelia to relax on the shore of the lake, pick berries, go hiking, raft down the river and go on excursions.
Summer in the region is rather short. If you want to catch the white nights, come from about May 26 to July 17, and even better - June 20-22, when night does not come at all. July is the warmest month, at this time strawberries and cloudberries ripen. In August, it rains quite often, but you can feast on blueberries and blueberries.
We went to Karelia in August. For 2 weeks, we found all the weather conditions - from dank lingering rain to heat, so take clothes for all occasions! Don't forget about repellents.
Fall - for those who love bright colors, fishing and mushrooms. The weather is quite comfortable until mid-October, but not without rain.
Winter snowy and beautiful. Basically up to -20 ° С, but there are also 30-degree frosts. This is the high season - many come to Karelia to the recreation centers and celebrate the New Year. In winter, entertainment is no less than in summer! Read how to relax in winter in Karelia.
Spring capricious and unpredictable. It gets warm in May.
How to get there
From Moscow. Many people decide to fly to Karelia by plane - this is the fastest way. Now Pobeda is flying to the Besovets airport. Prices for air tickets in the summer of 2021 start at 2,000 rubles, the flight lasts just over 1.5 hours.
On the train, you will spend a lot of time - 16-20 hours, and tickets cost about the same - from 1600 to 2200 rubles in a reserved seat. But the coupe is sold at the price of an airplane and even more expensive - 2000-4000 rubles.
You can get to the republic by car in different ways. A popular route runs along the M10 highway through Torzhok, Valdai, Veliky Novgorod and Volkhov. Some people like the way along the A114 motorway past Sergiev Posad, Ustyuzhna and Lodeynoye Pole. Another option leads through Vologda.
From Saint-Petersburg it is convenient to get to the resting place in Karelia by train. In the summer of 2021, prices for the "Swallow" start at 1300 rubles per seat, for the branded train "Arctic" - 1400 rubles in a reserved seat and from 2300 rubles in a compartment. The road takes 5-7 hours.
Most of them travel to Karelia by car. If you want to relax in the west of Karelia - in Sortavala, go through Priozersk. The road from the east of Ladoga goes through Lodeinoe Pole.
Regular buses run from St. Petersburg to Petrozavodsk several times a day. On the way - 8.5 hours, travel costs from 600 to 1200 rubles.
What to see in Karelia
On vacation in Karelia, excursions are very popular - few people travel around the region on their own. There are excursions directly from Moscow and St. Petersburg for several days with accommodation in a hotel or base, and there are from Petrozavodsk or Sortavala - for example, to Kizhi, Valaam and Solovki.
The simplest and most inexpensive excursions are walks in Petrozavodsk, they cost from 1200 to 2500 rubles. See the most popular one on Tripster - tourists are thrilled.
More complex excursions with departures from Petrozavodsk cost from 4000 to 7000 rubles:
- To husky, reindeer and Santa Claus - 2500₽
- Sampo, Kivach, Marcial Waters - 5000 RUB.
Jeep tours, safari tours and trips to holy places like Valaam are more expensive - from 4000 to 10000 rubles. Tours can be booked online on Tripster and Sputnik - read the reviews of tourists before booking.
You can see a lot in Karelia on your own if you have a car. A passenger car is also suitable, but if you want to get deeper into the taiga, an SUV or at least a crossover is better. For example, only a car with a high ground clearance will drive to the foot of Vottovaara Mountain.
During our vacation in Karelia, we managed to see a lot: we visited the promoted Ruskeala, the original village of Kinerma, admired the northern Art Nouveau in Sortavala, found an abandoned church, mined grenades, looked at waterfalls, marveled at ancient petroglyphs and climbed mystical mountains. You can't count everything! Read more about this in the articles below:
Prices for tours to Karelia
Agencies offer tours that include excursions and outdoor activities in Karelia. They are designed for 2-8 days and include accommodation, transfer, meals and payment for part of the excursions. When purchasing the tour, please note that most routes provide overnight stays in the field. In addition, the road to the starting point of the journey is usually not included in the price of the tour.
A wide selection of tours in Karelia can be found at the tour operator "Big Country". They have both inexpensive tours with a classic program and real adventures for the most discerning tourists.
Prices for holidays in Karelia in the summer of 2021 start from 6400 ₽ for a two-day trip and from 11,700 ₽ for a trip lasting 8 days. According to tourists' reviews, tours are popular in the summer:
- trips to the White Sea
- rafting on the rivers Shuya, Loimola, Vodla, Tumcha, Pistajoki and Uksa
- combined trips with rafting, horseback riding and ATV safari
- tours to Solovki, Valaam, Kizhi
- Golden Karelian ring
- jeep safari in the Northern Ladoga area.
Accommodation at recreation centers
Tourist bases, country estates and recreation centers are mainly located near the lakes. Rest on the lakes in Karelia is what attracts many tourists, especially fishermen. Some tourists prefer to live in a tent as a savage, and some prefer to live comfortably at the bases.
There are budget camps where you can just put up a tent and use the kitchen and toilet, and there are more expensive ones - with all the amenities, food and accommodation in houses on the shore of the lake. See how much recreation centers cost in Karelia.
Previously, tourists cooked themselves, but now some recreation centers offer accommodation with meals. For example, three meals a day are organized at the Niska camp site on the banks of the Pyaozero River and at the Hunter Paradise recreation center on Lake Yashezero.
We advise you to look for recreation centers in advance, and book the options you like right away - in the high season, good housing quickly disappears.
Rest in Karelia on "all inclusive" does not exist yet - maximum full board. You can relax on the all inclusive program only during boat trips in Karelia: a river cruise from St. Petersburg costs from 33,000 rubles, and from Moscow - from 44,000 rubles.
Useful services for self-booking accommodation:
- Booking is the world's most popular booking service.
- Hotellook and Rumguru - comparison of prices for recreation centers on different services.
- Airbnb and Daily - rent of houses and apartments from private owners.
Food prices
On vacation in Karelia, there are no problems with food - there are enough cafes. Somewhere the prices are adequate, but somewhere they are too high. Lunch in a cafe-dining room for two will cost 500-600 rubles, and dinner in an inexpensive restaurant is twice as expensive.
Many recreation centers have cafes with reasonable prices: you can have breakfast from about 250 rubles, and lunch or dinner - from 400 rubles. For example, at the base in Gimols, from where you can get to Vottovaara, we dined for 400 rubles - first, second, compote. And on the base "Verkhovye" we ate in a beautiful cafe with affordable prices.
If you find it, try the game dishes.They are not cheap - from 500-600 rubles and more. True, the locals did not advise eating bear meat - they say it is often wormy.
Be sure to try the gates - delicious pies made of rye flour with potatoes or porridge, sometimes berries. You can buy it in cafes and some shops, they cost from 20 to 60 rubles.
Fishing is developed in Karelia - order dishes from local fish. For example, we ate soup in Kondopoga for 250 rubles.
All the usual chain stores in Karelia are: Pyaterochka, Magnet, Dixie, Lenta. There we bought food for breakfast, water and snacks.
Rest in Karelia with children
You can go to Karelia with children without hesitation - clean air will benefit them. Many families come to the republic for active recreation: they go kayaking and catamarans, ride bicycles. Children are interested in picking berries and mushrooms, fishing, swimming in lakes, going on excursions to reindeer farms and husky nurseries.
While on vacation with a child, you can visit Petrozavodsk. There is something to see in the capital of Karelia: "House of Dolls", climbing wall, museum "Polar Odysseus" and museum "Animal world of Karelia". The whole family should look into the Karelian zoos, which are located on the banks of the Syamozero River and near the town of Sortavala.
Find out about the best camp sites for families with children.
A trip by car to Karelia
I believe that it is worth going on a vacation to Karelia in the summer by car - this is freedom of movement and the opportunity to see all the most interesting without tourists.
We ourselves went to Karelia by car. There are enough hotels and hostels - we booked on Booking day in and day out. There are cafes and shops. Gas stations, however, are few. If you are driving off the beaten path, fill the tank full. As a last resort, gasoline can be bought in bottles from locals. The editor-in-chief of our site told in detail and clearly how to travel to Karelia by car - read his advice.
The main disadvantage of the autotrip is bumpy country roads. Some attractions such as Vottovaara or the White Bridges waterfalls can only be reached by 4x4.
Safety Tips
Mosquitoes and midges. Get ready - in some places there are so many of them that you can't stand still for a second. We need repellents and mosquito nets. Mosquitoes do not disturb mosquitoes in open, ventilated places.
Ticks. May to September is the tick season. Get vaccinated, use mite sprays, and enter the forest with closed clothes and a hat. After walking, carefully examine your clothing and skin.
The Bears. They try to stay away from people, but there is a risk of meeting. Do not leave food on the halt because the smell attracts them. During our trip there were reports of bears constantly.
Vipers. They love the outskirts of swamps, clearings, deciduous and mixed forests. Walk in the woods in closed shoes, preferably in high rubber boots. We met a snake on Vottovaar - it seems that it was just too much.
The vagaries of the weather. Before going down on the water, check the weather forecast - it changes quickly. In the offseason, you should not test the ice for strength.
Reviews of tourists about the rest in Karelia
Many tourists positively assess their vacation in Karelia in the summer. Judging by the reviews, the prices for accommodation, food and entertainment are lower here than in the Russian south, so the vacation turns out to be quite budgetary. Vacationers celebrate a lot positive moments of vacation in Karelia:
- No need to apply for a visa and cross borders.
- In Karelia, a wide variety of recreation is possible - from the beach to the extreme.
- The climate is suitable for everyone who does not tolerate heat well.
- Coniferous forests and fresh air are good for your health.
Disadvantages slightly: poorly developed public transport; get mosquitoes and midges, bad country roads. The biggest disadvantage is that during the high season it is difficult to find comfortable and inexpensive housing in Karelia, because there are many who want to relax.
Still, rest in Karelia is good for its low cost and the opportunity to spend a lot of time in nature. Someone is stopped by the lack of a warm sea and a developed tourist infrastructure. However, after weighing all the pros and cons, the majority of tourists make a choice in favor of Karelia.
