Best of Russia: Moscow, St.Petersburg, Karelia and Golden Ring

Book the tour - 10 Jul - 20 Jul 2024

Motorcycle tour from Moscow to the Northern regions of Russia, to St. Petersburg and Karelia Republic with visiting several cities of the Golden Ring, tasting local food, BBQ, Russian sauna (banya), swimming in the lakes and visiting museums and UNESCO world heritage sights. This is a pure riding tour with just few days of rest. You will see small towns and villages and both Russia’s capitals, highways and small rural roads, there will be city walking tours and boat trip to islands in the Onega Lake

• Dates 2024: 10-20 July (11 days insted of 14 as usual. We will send details by request), 12-25 August
• Dates 2025: 12-25 June, 12-25 July, 12-25 August
• Duration: 14 days (9 riding days + 3 rest days + 2 days arrival/departure)
• Total mileage: 3,000 km
• Roads: 97% asphalt, 3% unpaved roads 
• Tour level: Intermediate
• Price: 4250 EUR (includes BMW F750/850GS rent)
• Extra charge for BMW R1250GS: 400 EUR
• Comprehensive motorcycle insurance: 420 EUR (no deposit needed, full coverage)
• Deposit for the motorcycle: 1500 EUR for F750GS or F850GS, 1750 EUR for R1250GS (Read more...) or you can purchase comprehensive all-inclusive motorcycle insurance that costs 420 EUR (no deposit needed, full coverage)
• Price if you ride your own motorcycle: 2250 EUR  
• Price for the passenger: 2150 EUR
• Single room supplement: 500 EUR

Key tour highlights: Moscow, Red Square, Kremlin, Metro, Sparrow Hills, Russian sauna (banya), Vodka museum, local BBQ, Savior on Blood Church, Hermitage, Peterhof, small towns and villages, Ladoga and Onega Lakes, old Monasteries, Golden Ring cities

Included services:

• Motorcycle rental (BMW F750/850GS)
• Petrol (for rented motorcycles only)
• Accommodation in 3-4* hotels (based on sharing a double/twin room)
• Welcome dinner
• Breakfasts during all days
• English-speaking guide on a motorcycle
• Support vehicle assistance with second guide
• Entry tickets to the places of interest and excursions with local guides
• Hotel transfers from/to the airport
• Souvenir pack (t-shirt, paper maps, etc.)       
• Visa assistance

Services not included:

• Air tickets to/from Russia
• Meals
• Personal medical insurance
• Visa counsel fee
• All services not mentioned as included

Possible connections:

• Best of Russia: Moscow-Saint-Petersburg-Karelia + Altay Mountains Tour (14 + 10 days)

 

Route: where we will go

Moscow – Tver – Velikiy Novgorod – St. Petersburg – Sortavala – Petrozavodsk – Vitegra – Vologda – Yaroslavl – Moscow

 

DAY 1. Moscow, arrival

Getting bikes, signing papers, meeting team and welcome dinner in the evening.

Important: to prevent any timing issues, please, make sure your arrival time is not later than 3 p.m.

DAY 2. Moscow, rest day

Half a day walking tour in Moscow with visiting all main places of interest - Red Square and Moscow Kremlin, Arbat Street, Metro, GUM, the Bolshoi Theatre and others. This day we also exchange money, buy local sim card, pack luggage and other staff. Team dinner in the evening. 

Highlight of the day: sightseeing in Moscow

DAY 3. Moscow – Tver, 400 km

We leave Moscow, make a stop at Red Square in the morning to make a photo and then ride to the cozy town Tver. With secondary roads and plenty of stops it will take 6-8 hours. 

Highlight of the day: historical center of Tver city, photos at Red Square

DAY 4. Tver – Novgorod, 450 km

More secondary roads, small villages and towns. In the end we reach Novgorod, one of the oldest cities in Russia, which is 1155 years old. We walk to the Kremlin and after have a dinner at one of the restaurants on the bank of the Volkhov river.

Highlight of the day: Hansa town Novgorod

DAY 5. Novgorod – St. Petersburg, 250 km

Saint-Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Marvelous palaces, churches and cathedrals, small streets and canals, Neva river and Baltic Sea. We reach the city and go for a city tour. In the evening dinner in Rumochnaya №1.

Highlight of the day: cultural capital of Russia

DAY 6. St. Petersburg, rest day

Full day city tour. We visit Peterhof, Hermitage, Savior on Blood Cathedral and many other sights.  

Highlight of the day: the State Hermitage museum and other sites of the city

DAY 7. St. Petersburg, rest day

Half day city tour. Free time in the evening. 

Highlight of the day: boat trip along the rivers and canals of the city

DAY 8. St. Petersburg – Sortavala, 280 km

Heading to the North we will reach Karelia Republic today. There will be 5-7 km of gravel road and after that fantastic 70 km of roads with ups and downs, turns and great views. Today we stay in Sortavala in the hotel complex on the Ladoga Lake. Russian sauna and tasty dinner in the evening. 

Highlight of the day: Ladoga lake and Valaam monastery

DAY 9. Sortavala – Petrozavodsk, 350 km

One more great riding day to the capital of Republic of Karelia. Today we will reach Petrozavodsk and straight from the bike just into the boat to see Kizhi, a unique wooden museum complex in the middle of another big lake with old wooden houses and churches. 

Highlight of the day: UNESCO heritage site - Kizhi

DAY 10. Petrozavodsk – Vitegra,  250 km

Late departure and road to Vitegra, a small town with a population of 10,000 people. We can see the life of the Russian backyard country. In the evening we have dinner on the banks of the river channel.

Highlight of the day: BBq with teammates

DAY 11. Vitegra – Vologda, 320 km

Heading back to Moscow in the last days we will visit several ancient city, for example Vologda. A traditional small town with very quiet way of life, small streets, old buildings, cozy restaurants and nice people.

Highlight of the day: Golden Ring of Russia

DAY 12. Vologda – Yaroslavl, 250 km

Yaroslavl is considered to be most beautiful city of the Golden Ring. All of its center is considered to be UNESCO Heritage site. 

Highlight of the day: Yaroslavl city center

DAY 13. Yaroslavl – Moscow, 380 km

In the last riding day we reach Moscow making plenty of stops on the way in different towns along the Volga River. In Sergiev Posad we stop on the observation deck of the famous Sergieva Lavra monastery.

Highlight of the day: Volga river

DAY 14. Moscow, departure