Day 1 Shanghai → St. Petersburg
All day
A trip to Murmansk is a must! Chase the mysterious aurora borealis and witness the world's dazzling colors! Tourists from all over the country gather at Shanghai Pudong International Airport Terminal 1 to board an international flight to St. Petersburg, Russia, to begin their aurora tour.
Upon arrival, you will be picked up by the tour bus and taken to the hotel for rest.
Full refund if visa is rejected:
This itinerary requires an electronic Russian visa, including visa services. Documents must be submitted to the designated email address on China-TravelNote approximately 14-21 days prior to departure. If there are no document issues, a visa will be issued within a week of departure. In the event of a visa rejection, a full refund will be provided. For details, please see "Fees Included - Visa" section.
Day 2 St. Petersburg → Murmansk (domestic flights to be confirmed)
·morning
After breakfast at the hotel, we'll visit the Catherine Palace (inside). The palace is a magnificent Rococo-style structure with an impressive blue and gold facade. The interior is equally opulent, adorned with gold leaf and exquisite artwork.
Special note: Due to official control over visitor flow, groups are only allowed to visit the Palace for about 2.5 hours (including security check and ticket collection time).
Among the most famous is the Amber Room, a room decorated with amber pieces and known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." However, during World War II, the Amber Room was dismantled and lost by the Nazi German occupying forces. After years of hard work, the Amber Room has been restored.
·afternoon
Lunch will be served at Putin's Log Cabin Restaurant (approximately US$35). This classic Russian log cabin restaurant, founded in 1993, is nestled in a birch forest near Tsarskoye Selo. Putin is a frequent visitor, having celebrated his 48th birthday there with family and friends in 2000, further cementing the restaurant's fame throughout Russia.
After lunch, transfer to the airport to board your flight to Murmansk.
·night
Arrive in Murmansk in the evening and check into the hotel to rest.
Day 3 Murmansk → Teriberka → Murmansk
·morning
After breakfast, continue your exploration and drive to the small town of Teriberka.
This is the filming location of the movie "Leviathan". Along the village are withered trees, collapsed fences, dilapidated and rickety old houses, and one or two sparse figures on the streets, which will make tourists feel as if they are in a desolate and abandoned place.
This place once developed into an important local fishing center, but with the arrival of super-large ships, the fishing industry gradually declined, leaving behind many abandoned ships. Under the influence of ocean currents, this harbor fishing village has also become the last stop for ships that wrecked at sea, so it is called the "ship graveyard."
Playing on the internet-famous swing, facing the Arctic Ocean, is also a unique experience. Then check out the whale skeleton and the Frozen Throne to experience Game of Thrones.
·afternoon
Enjoy local Russian food for lunch.
After checking in, taking photos, and enjoying the meal, we boarded the captain's boat for a whale watching trip to the Arctic Ocean. Winter is a great time to go whale watching in Tereberka. If you're lucky, you might even see a whale leaping from the water. The awe-inspiring experience is undeniable.
After the whale watching, we went to the Dinosaur Stone Beach in Novy Teriberka and saw the spectacular waterfall.
Then drive back to Murmansk.
Note* Reasons for not choosing to stay in Teriberka:
There is a shortage of housing.
Teriberka often experiences road closures due to heavy snow, which can delay trips and flights.
·night
The first aurora hunting experience begins in the evening: After nightfall, your guide and group leader will lead the tourists in their pursuit of the Northern Lights. The aurora displays are diverse, with a dazzling array of colors and shapes. No brush could possibly capture the dazzling, ever-changing lights that playfully play in the frigid air.
Day 4 Murmansk → Sami Village → Murmansk
·morning
After breakfast, drive to the Sami Folk Village and enjoy the wonders of ice and snow along the way.
Upon arrival at the village, the Sami people, dressed in traditional attire, welcomed the guests in Sami. Later, they led a tour of the tribe and their tents, where they learned about Sami culture and introduced them to polar animals, including reindeer,
Arctic foxes, huskies, wolves, and rabbits. They also had a chance to interact with the reindeer and feed them, where the gentle animals would even ask for bread.
Join a reindeer-pulled sleigh ride (approximately 10 minutes) and experience a thrilling ride across the Arctic snow. Enjoy interactive Sami games, including tug-of-war, reindeer and wolf sledding, and Sami football. You can also pose for photos in local traditional costumes.
·afternoon
At lunch time, the chef prepared Sami-style "venison stew with potatoes" and "salmon soup" for the tourists.
Note* If venison meal cannot be arranged, grilled fish meal will be substituted.
After visiting the Sami village, we return to Murmansk.
Afterward, we'll travel to the outskirts of Murmansk to experience a Russian sauna (approximately one hour). Russian saunas are typically held in wooden structures. Upon entering, tourists pour water over the hot stones to release steam. Russian saunas, along with Finnish, Turkish, and Japanese saunas, are known as one of the "Four Famous Baths of the World."
·night
A second aurora chasing trip was specially arranged in the evening.
Day 5: Murmansk city tour
·morning
After breakfast at the hotel, start your Murmansk city tour:
The 35.5-meter-tall statue of Alyosha, the guardian of the Arctic Circle, stands atop the city, a symbol of the spirit of the Arctic defenders during World War II. Gazing out at the perpetually unfrozen Kola Bay in the bitter cold, he seems to recount the vicissitudes and glory of the "Hero City."
["Lenin" Nuclear-Powered Icebreaker] (Inside): Russian hardcore industrial aesthetics, the red behemoth anchored in the harbor, was once the world's first nuclear-powered icebreaker!
Check in at the Arctic Circle monument in Murmansk: 68 degrees 58 minutes north latitude; 33 degrees 03 minutes east longitude monument.
·afternoon
After lunch, enjoy the King Crab Meal (approximately US$40).
After dinner, experience an Arctic Ocean ice float (approximately 1-2 hours): The brave ones get to experience the world first, check out the ice float! The thrill of diving into the icy water is truly breathtaking. The sea breeze and waves steal the tourists' warmth, transforming it into icy water—a truly life-enhancing experience!
Ice Float Precautions*
1. Wear comfortable and thick thermal underwear under your outer clothes. Since you don’t wear shoes when swimming, it is recommended to wear warm wool socks or fleece socks.
2. If you have long hair, it is recommended to tie it up and cover it with a swimming cap.
3. The ice floating project site provides warm tents and toilets for changing clothes.
Afterwards, you can return to the warm tent and enjoy a cup of hot tea.
In the evening, I arrived at the retro Russian train station: a Soviet time machine, its dark green walls, brass chandeliers, and wooden benches, making me feel like I'd stepped onto the set of "The Grand Budapest Hotel"! Elderly men wrapped in cashmere scarves on the platform and steamy coffee stalls formed a vivid nostalgic film.
·night
A third aurora chase was specially arranged in the evening.
Day 6 Murmansk → St. Petersburg
·morning
After breakfast, transfer to the airport in time to catch your flight back to St. Petersburg.
·afternoon
Upon arrival, head to downtown St. Petersburg to explore Russian aesthetics.
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (exterior): The exterior of the church is decorated with mosaics, the dome is covered with colorful tiles, and the top is topped with colorful onion domes, reflecting the typical Russian Orthodox church architectural style of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Kazan Cathedral (Inside): The cathedral houses the icon of Our Lady of Kazan, Russia. Ninety-four long, semicircular columns in the Cornish style stand on the north side of the cathedral, and the long corridor makes the cathedral a typical Russian cathedral.
Traveling the Ocean of Literature: Centennial Bookstore (Inside): The exterior is eye-catching, resembling a magical castle. The interior is also elegant and welcoming! Here, tourists can immerse themselves in the cultural atmosphere of St. Petersburg.
·night
Enjoy Chinese cuisine for dinner and then check into the hotel to rest.
Day 7 St. Petersburg → Shanghai (domestic flights to be confirmed)
·morning
After breakfast, we will go to the Winter Palace, one of the four largest museums in the world (enter).
The Winter Palace, originally the imperial palace of the Russian tsars, became part of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg after the October Revolution. It stands as a prominent example of Russian neoclassical architecture from the mid-18th century. It houses a vast collection of works, including Leonardo da Vinci's "Madonna Lida" and a clockwork golden peacock.
Special note: Due to official control over visitor flow, group tourists are only allowed to visit the Winter Palace for about 1.5-2 hours (including security check and ticket collection time).
Afterwards, we visited the Winter Palace Square, the Alexander Column, and the Bronze Horseman (exterior). The Bronze Horseman, a statue of Peter the Great, is a symbol of St. Petersburg.
·afternoon
Enjoy a Russian barbecue meal for lunch (approximately US$35).
Afterwards, we will visit the Cathedral of St. Isaac (enter and climb to the top): it is one of the four largest domed churches in the world, along with St. Peter's Basilica, St. Paul's Cathedral in London and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence.
The afternoon is free for tourists to explore Nevsky Prospekt. This is St. Petersburg's bustling street, home to the city's largest bookstores, food shops, department stores, and expensive shopping malls. You can also admire various churches, celebrity residences, and historical sites.
·night
After a free dinner, proceed to the airport to catch your flight back to Shanghai.
Day 8 Shanghai
All day
The trip ended after arriving in Shanghai at 10:00 noon.
