You will have some free time in the evening to explore the city for yourself or relax at your hotel ready for the long day of exploring ahead.

You will have some time to stop for lunch at a local restaurant before moving onto part two of your St Petersburg experience, a visit to the Hermitage museum. Holding close to three million works of art on display from the likes of Rembrandt, Matisse and Picasso, the Hermitage is a must-see for any art enthusiast. If ancient art is more your thing, then you will be pleased to know that the museum has an excellent Greek and Roman antiquities collection.

After your trip to the Hermitage, you will return to your hotel for an evening meal and a well-needed rest.

Your day will include a spectacular tour of the Peterhof with a visit to the Grand Palace and Lower Park. This complex, reminiscent of the French Versailles, was created by Peter I as a suburban residence decorated with mansions, museums, sculptures, pavilions, and numerous ornately decorated fountains.

After visiting the Peterhof, you will have time to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, before returning to St Petersburg city where you will be transferred to Ladozhsky railway station before getting the high-speed train to Petrozavodsk.

Once you have arrived in Petrozavodsk, you will be taken to your hotel for check-in and some free time in the evening.

After your morning walk, you will be taken to Kizhi, where you will have some time for lunch before starting the second part of your day with a walking tour of the Kizhi Museum Reserve.

The reserve is one of the largest open-air museums in Russia, holding many important collections of Russian cultural heritage, including the 18th century Kizhi Pogost with its striking wooden architecture, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

After your visit to Kizhi, you will return to your hotel in Petrozavodsk for the evening.

You will stop for lunch at a café on the way, before making a stop to see the Belomorsk petroglyphs. Thought to have been created over 5000 years ago by the ancestors of the modern Baltic-Finnish people, the petroglyphs are one of the finest examples of pre-historic art in the world.

After leaving Belomorsk, you will continue the journey to Kem, where on arrival, you will check into your hotel and have some free time to reflect on the experiences of the day.

Your time on the islands will start with a sightseeing tour of the Solovetsky Kremlin, where you will experience unique architectural examples. Including the Solovetsky monastery, a majestic structure with walls built from sea-polished granite boulders, intricately designed, and blended to compliment the natural surroundings.

After your visit to the Kremlin, you will have time to get some lunch as a local café before checking into your hotel. After checking in, you will be free to explore the island to your heart’s content.

After breakfast, you will start your day trip to Sekirnaya Hill where you will enjoy panoramic views of Northern Solovki and the White Sea. Your guide will talk you through the ominous history of the St. Ascension skete, 19th century monastery buildings and the lighthouse.

After your tour, you will return to your hotel where you will check-out, before enjoying lunch at a local café and departing for Kem by the MS “Metel.” On arrival in Kem, you will check into your hotel and have a bit of free time to relax.