The Russian North breaks the price record: how much is being asked for a tour in Karelia?

      On average, a nine-day tour of Karelia costs from 185,000 rubles per person. For this money, a traveler can visit the main gems of the region: the Kizhi Museum-Reserve, Valaam Island, Petrozavodsk, the Ruskeala Mountain Park, and the Solovetsky Monastery. The price usually includes accommodation in standard rooms in hotels in Petrozavodsk, Sortavala, Kem, and on the Solovetsky Islands, as well as trips on meteor boats to Kizhi and Valaam, a cruise ship to the Solovetsky Islands, and a boat trip through the Ladoga skerries.

      For comparison: 185,000 rubles for one person is the amount that can send a whole family of two adults and a child on a ten-day vacation to Turkey with an all-inclusive system (such tours start from 190,000 for everyone). The difference is obvious.

      If you are looking for cheaper options, a five-day route in Karelia costs on average from 80,600 rubles per person, reports karelinform.ru. It includes Kizhi, Valaam, and Solovki. This is almost three times more expensive than a week in Turkish Belek or Kemer (from 40,000 rubles per person with flight and meals). Even in southern Russia, the prices are lower: a five-day stay in a 3-star hotel in Sochi without meals will cost about 40,000 rubles, while for 27,000–33,000 rubles in Turkey, you can get both the flight and three meals a day with an all-inclusive system.

      A more affordable option in Karelia is a six-day tour (Ruskeala, Kivach Nature Reserve, and Solovki) which costs on average about 65,000 rubles per person. All offers already include transportation, accommodation, and meals.

      Thus, a trip to the Russian North is not a cheap pleasure, especially against the backdrop of the usual mass tourist foreign vacations.