Now it's easy to travel to St.Petersburg without a Russian visa! Step on board m/s Carelia and travel via the unique Saimaa Canal to Vyborg and further to the magnificient St.Petersburg.
Tour begins with and early morning departure from Lappeenranta on m/s Carelia along the historic Saimaa Canal. On board you can enjoy beautiful scenery, exciting locks and good food. From Vyborg your tour continues by bus to the trendy and unique Russian metropol. In St.Petersburg you accommodate in Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky on Vasily Island. First day ends with a Neva and canal cruise, on which you will see beautiful palaces, churches and other magnificent attractions.
Next day you will have time to get to know St.Petersburg on your own. Many significant sights, such as the Hermitage, Palace Square, the Admiralty, Russian Museum, Peter an Paul Fortress, are within easy reach from the hotel. Even without visiting any sights, St.Petersburg has a lot to offer. Maybe you just want to walk around and make stops in numerous cafes and restaurants.
For second day you can also book a guided tour in the Hermitage. Ask also ballet, opera, theatre or circus tickets from us.
On departure day you'll have time to have a walk or to do last minute shopping near the hotel. If the timetable allows, there will be some shopping time also in Vyborg on the way back.
Service fee €15 / reservation.
A copy of your passport (identity page) must be sent to our office at the latest 3 working days prior to departure. Passport should be valid at least 6 months after the tour. Don't forget to take your passport with you! Passport copy can be send by email to saimaatravel(at)saimaatravel.fi or by mail to our address in Lappeenranta (Valtakatu 49, 53100 LAPPEENRANTA, FINLAND), or you can fax it to the following number +358 5 5410 140.
Check-in starts at Lappeenranta harbour at 7.15, m/s Carelia departs for Vyborg at 7.45. Arrival in Vyborg at appr. 14.15, departure by bus to St.Petersburg, arrival in St.Petersburg at appr. 18.00. Accommodation at Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky, Neva and canal cruise in the evening.
Excursion to the Hermitage booked in advance or programme on your own.
Departure from hotel at 12.00, arrival in Vyborg at appr. 15:30. Check-in starts at 16:30 and m/s Carelia departs from Vyborg at 17:15, arrival in Lappeenranta at appr. 21:45.
All times local. Russian time is one hour ahead of Finnish time.
We reserve the right for changes.
V.O. 8 Liniya 11-13, www.sokoshotels.fi
Situated on the quiet Vasily Island, just a short walk away from St.Petersburg's main sights and attractions. The rooms at this boutique-style hotel are distinctive and individually decorated. The hotel has a restaurant specialising in French-Russian fusion cuisine, a cosy lobby bar and an Irish pub.
Reservations and inquiries: Please call +358 5 5410 100 or e-mail saimaatravel(at)saimaatravel.fi
1.day
Departure from Lappeenranta at 7:45
Arrival in Vyborg at appr. 14:15
Arrival in St.Petersburg by bus at appr. 18.00
3.day
Departure from St.Petersburg at 12.00
Arrival in Vyborg at appr. 15.30
Departure from Vyborg by m/s Carelia at 17:15
Arrival in Lappeenranta at appr. 21:45
All times local. Russian time is one hour ahead of Finnish time.
Check-in starts 30 min before departure.
We reserve the right for changes.
Hermitage situated in the centre of St. Petersburg consists of the Winter Palace, the former state residence of the Russian emperors. The collection of the Hermitage includes more than three million works of art and artefacts of the world culture.
The Saimaa Canal was built from 1845 to 1856 and opened for traffic in 1856. The canal was built between the cities of Lappeenranta and Viipuri (now Vyborg, Russia), both of them then in the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland in the Russian Empire.
In the Moscow Peace Treaty of 1940, the Karelian Isthmus and the city of Vyborg were ceded to the Soviet Union, thus effectively splitting the canal in half and ending all traffic.
Following a treaty agreement in 1963, Russia leased the Russian section of the canal area to Finland for fifty years. Negotiations in 2008 agreed upon an extension of 50 years in 2013. A new deeper canal was constructed by the Finns and opened to traffec in 1968. The length of the canal itself is 43 km.
There is a height difference of 76 m between the levels of the Gulf of Finland and Lake Saimaa. There are 8 locks in the canal to level this difference.
Designed and produced by Mainostoimisto Mediakolmio
