Saint Petersburg – Karelia: a weekend motorcycle tour through the land of lakes and waterfalls

Book the tour - 25 Jun - 28 Jun 2026

• Dates 2026: June 25–28, July 23–26
• Duration: 4 days
• Total distance: 1 250 km
• Start: St. Petersburg
• Difficulty level: Easy, around 70 km of gravel roads
• Roads: 95% asphalt, 5% gravel
• Price with your own motorcycle:  750 Euro
• Price with rental (BMW F750GS / Voge 900, BMW F850GS): 1 200 Euro
• Price with rental (BMW R1250GS): 1 350 Euro
• Single room supplement: 300 Euro
• Passenger price: 500 Euro
• Minimum group size: 6 people

Includes in price:

• Accommodation in 3–4 stars hotels (double rooms)
• Breakfasts
• Tour guide support
• Excursions
• Technical support

Not included:

• Fuel
• Lunches and dinners
• Medical insurance
• Personal expenses

Route:

Saint Petersburg – Kurkiyoki / Lahdenpohya – Petrozavodsk – Lodeynoye Pole – Saint Petersburg

Daily Program:

Day 1. Saint Petersburg – Kurkiyoki / Lahdenpohya, 400 km

We leave Saint Petersburg heading toward Vyborg along the “Royal Road,” also known as the Lower Highway. Our route takes us through the scenic Karelian Isthmus and historic towns such as Kuokkala, Terijoki, and Koivisto. The latter is now known as Primorsk and is famous for its Lutheran Church of St. Mary Magdalene, built in the early 20th century and now operating as a local history museum.

After a short sightseeing stop, we’ll head to medieval Vyborg for lunch, and by evening we’ll arrive in a small town on the shores of Lake Ladoga, where we’ll spend the night.

Day 2. Kurkiyoki / Lahdenpohya – Petrozavodsk, 360 km

In the morning, we ride to Sortavala - a small but very interesting town that has changed hands many times throughout its history. At various times it belonged to Novgorod, Sweden, Russia, Finland, the USSR, and again Finland. It’s a great place for a walk, with beautiful and distinctive architecture.

Next, weather permitting, we’ll visit the White Bridges Waterfalls, known in Finnish as Yukankoski. This exceptionally beautiful natural landmark is the highest waterfall in Northern Ladoga Karelia, reaching a height of 18 meters. Part of the route to the waterfall follows a classic Karelian gravel road, so be prepared for a short off-road section of about 10 km each way.

After that, we continue on to the capital of Karelia - Petrozavodsk - where we’ll enjoy a walk through the historic city center.

Day 3. Petrozavodsk – Lodeynoye Pole, 200 km

In the morning, we head south along the shores of Lake Onega. Along the way, we’ll see vivid examples of northern wooden architecture, and in the small village of Sheltozero we’ll visit the local Veps culture museum.

Overnight stay in Lodeynoye Pole.

Day 4. Lodeynoye Pole – Saint Petersburg, 250 km

Our return journey to Saint Petersburg partly follows the federal Kola Highway. Traffic here is relatively light, and there are plenty of interesting places along the way. One of them is the Storozhensky Lighthouse, the second-highest lighthouse in Russia. As usual, reaching such places isn’t always easy, so we’ll once again tackle a gravel road section of about 20 km each way - but trust us, it’s well worth it.

We’ll stop for lunch in Staraya Ladoga, considered by some historians to be the ancient capital of Rus’. There we’ll also visit the Staraya Ladoga Fortress and other local landmarks.