Northern Lights and White Sea Tour with Pegasus Airlines, 8 Nights 9 Days

1. DAY | ISTANBUL (SAW) – MOSCOW Meeting at Sabiha Gökçen Airport and departure for Moscow at 12:15 on Pegasus Airlines flight PC 388. After an approximately 4-hour flight, arrival at Moscow Vnukovo Airport at 16:25. After passport control, transfer to the city center by our waiting vehicle. Check-in to the hotel and a short rest, then departure to the city center for dinner with our guide. We enjoy our “Welcome Dinner” at a local restaurant where we will taste special delicacies from Russian cuisine. Overnight in Moscow at our 4-star standard hotel (Holiday Inn Express Sokolniki / Vega Izmailovo Hotel, etc.) 2. DAY | MOSCOW – JOURNEY NORTH TO ARKHANGELSK (WHITE SEA) Breakfast at the hotel. Then, together with our guide, panoramic city tour of Moscow: • Red Square and the area around St. Basil’s Cathedral • Arbat Street (shopping and a short walk) • Photo stop on the banks of the Moscow River Transfer to the airport in the early afternoon. We depart from Moscow (Sheremetyevo Airport) at 15:35 on Aeroflot flight SU1340. After an approximately 2-hour flight, arrival in Arkhangelsk Talagi Airport at 17:40. Transfer to the city center amid snowy North Russian landscapes. Along the way, a short panoramic tour and information from our guide about the Pomor people living on the White Sea coast. Evening check-in at the hotel. Then dinner at a local restaurant serving traditional Russian cuisine. Overnight in Arkhangelsk at our 4-star hotel (Pur-Navolok Hotel, etc.) 3. DAY | ARKHANGELSK – THE HISTORY AND WOODEN SOUL OF THE WHITE SEA After breakfast, we begin our city tour around 10:00. Today we will explore both the modern face of Arkhangelsk and the traditional Pomor culture. City Center & Riverfront First, we make a panoramic crossing from Kuznechevsky Bridge to the White Sea riverbank. In Arkhangelsk city center: • North Sailors Monument, • Lenin Square and the old City Hall, • The Northern Angel statue, the symbol of the city, are visited. During the short walk, free time is given for cafés and small souvenir shops. We get to know the city with photo stops while feeling the serene atmosphere of the North. Around 13:00, lunch at a set-menu Pomorsky restaurant. We taste regional specialties, including seafood and northern cuisine. After lunch, we take a short transfer (about 40 minutes) to the Malye Korely Open-Air Wooden Architecture Museum. This museum, featuring 18th–19th century wooden houses, churches, and bell towers from Northern Russia, is a true “time travel under the snow.” On our guided tour: • Pomor villagers’ living spaces, • Old mills, • Wooden carved houses and northern churches will be seen. In free time, those who wish may take a walk in the snow landscape or visit souvenir shops. Solombala District & Anglican Church A short stop in the Solombala district on the way back. The Anglican Church, built in the 1870s, was once a frequent stop for English sailors and merchants. After a short photo stop, return to the hotel. Return to the hotel and rest. Overnight in Arkhangelsk at our 4-star hotel (Pur-Navolok, etc.) 4. DAY | ARKHANGELSK – NARYAN-MAR: ARRIVAL IN THE NORTH & LAND OF THE NENETS After breakfast, transfer to Arkhangelsk Talagi Airport. We depart from Arkhangelsk at 11:30 on flight 5N-307 and arrive in Naryan-Mar (Nenets Autonomous Area) at 12:50. The view from the airplane window is now from another world — frozen rivers, endless tundra, reindeer tracks... Upon arrival, we are met by our guide. On the first step into the heart of the North, we head directly to Timan Restaurant-Museum to become acquainted with the local culture. Every corner of this restaurant reflects the spirit of the northern peoples: wooden interior decor, hunting equipment, handmade items, halls decorated with fox and reindeer pelts... At lunch here, we will taste specialties from Pomor and Nenets cuisine. After lunch, we set out on a city tour of Naryan-Mar: A small but warm city — the streets are quiet, and people live with the calmness of the North. With panoramic vehicle tour and short walks: • Lenin Square, • Pechora Riverbank, • Northern Peoples Museum (Nenets Museum) are visited. In the evening, check-in at Pechora Hotel (3*). Rest and free time. In the evening, a short meeting with guests who wish is held: equipment fitting for the next day’s snowmobile safari (boots, thermal clothing, gloves, helmet) and a brief information session. Overnight at Pechora Hotel 3*, Naryan-Mar. (Dinner is free; those who wish may go to Timan Restaurant or the hotel café.) 5. DAY | NARYAN-MAR – NELMIN-NOS VILLAGE & NENETS CULTURE After breakfast, we depart the hotel around 09:00. After a short briefing, we travel by private vehicles and snowmobile transfers to Nelmin-Nos Village, a traditional Nenets settlement. The approximately 60 km route offers a unique winter landscape along the Pechora River. Along the way, we take short photo stops amid snow-covered forests, frozen lakes, and reindeer tracks. Upon arrival, we visit the village’s small Ethnography Museum and Cultural Center. Our local guide tells us about the history of the Nenets people: • Transition from nomadic life to a settled lifestyle, • The effects of the Soviet era, • How this people preserves its culture today. During a walk among the village houses, we see the traditional “chum” (a tent made of reindeer hide). Then a hot tea and camp lunch (local soup, fish, fresh bread). In the afternoon, a short snowmobile tour and photo stop. You may observe reindeer herds from a distance or take a short sled ride. Return to Naryan-Mar in the late afternoon. Arrival at the hotel, rest. Dinner at the hotel or in the city center (free). Overnight at Pechora Hotel 3*, Naryan-Mar. 6. DAY | REINDEER CAMP VISIT & NORTHERN LIGHTS VIEWING After a late breakfast, depart around 10:30. Today is a short tundra experience day: With our guide, we travel by snowmobile to a nearby reindeer camp (approximately 30–35 km). Along the way: frozen tundra landscapes, ice fields shining under snowstorms, and the silence of the North... When we arrive at the camp, we are welcomed by Nenets herders. Here: • Feed the reindeer herd and take photos, • Try on the traditional “malitsa” (Nenets fur clothing), • Reindeer sleigh ride (short ride, in a safe area), • Cultural introduction talk. A simple lunch with hot tea, soup, and snacks is served in the camp tent. In the afternoon, return to the city center (around 16:30). In the evening, depending on weather conditions, we go on a short Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) tour. We observe the sky with the guide in an area 10–15 km outside the city, away from light pollution. The Northern Lights changing colors in the quiet of the night will be the most magical moment of our tour. (Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon; visibility cannot be guaranteed.) Overnight at Pechora Hotel 3*, Naryan-Mar. 7. DAY | NARYAN-MAR – ST. PETERSBURG After breakfast, check out from the hotel. We depart with our luggage around 08:30. Before transfer to the airport, we take a short city tour: • Visit to the Naryan-Mar Ethnography and Culture Center Transfer to Naryan-Mar Airport in the early afternoon. We depart from Naryan-Mar at 13:40 on flight 5N and arrive in St. Petersburg at 17:25 (via ARH connection). In the evening, dinner at a warm, Russian-style restaurant serving regional cuisine. After dinner, transfer to the hotel. Accommodation at a 4-star city hotel (for example: Hotel Dostoevsky, etc.) Overnight in St. Petersburg. 8. DAY | FULL-DAY ST. PETERSBURG CITY TOUR After breakfast at the hotel, meet our guide. Today we will explore the cultural capital of Russia to the fullest. In St. Petersburg, where European elegance blends with Russian history, we will be captivated by architecture, art, and history. • Nevsky Prospekt: the heart of the city and its most famous avenue • Kazan Cathedral: a magnificent building constructed in Baroque style • Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood: one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, adorned with mosaics • St. Isaac’s Cathedral: the most impressive place for city views with its golden dome • Senate Square & the Bronze Horseman Monument: symbol of Peter the Great. The panoramic drive is completed with short photo stops. Lunch: Hermitage Museum & Neva River We have lunch at a local restaurant (Russian set menu). After lunch, we visit the Hermitage Museum, home to one of the world’s largest art collections. In the splendid halls of the Winter Palace, we see works by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, and many others. At the end of the tour, return to the hotel. Overnight in St. Petersburg. 9. DAY | ST. PETERSBURG – ISTANBUL (SAW) After breakfast at the hotel, check-out. We say farewell to the city with some free time: Transfer to the airport in the early afternoon. After baggage and passport procedures, depart at 15:35 on Pegasus flight PC 397 from St. Petersburg. After an approximately 3 hours 50 minutes flight, arrival at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport at 19:25. 1. Day (Monday) Istanbul (SAW) – Moscow (VKO) PC 388 Pegasus 12:15 16:25 2. Day (Tuesday) Moscow – Arkhangelsk (White Sea) SU 1340 Aeroflot 15:35 17:40 4. Day (Thursday) Arkhangelsk – Naryan-Mar (Nenets Region) 5N 307 Nordavia 11:30 12:50 7. Day (Sunday) Naryan-Mar – St. Petersburg 5N + connection ARH 13:40 17:25 9. Day (Tuesday) St. Petersburg – Istanbul (SAW) PC 397 Pegasus 15:35 19:25 General Features • Guaranteed period for Northern Lights viewing: February–March 2026 • Total 5 flights: 2 international + 3 domestic flights within Russia • Total 8 nights’ accommodation: Moscow (1) • Arkhangelsk (2) • Naryan-Mar (3) • St. Petersburg (2) • Includes: All breakfasts + 5 main meals + museum & park entrance fees