Winter tour to Kizhi on hovercraft (1 day)

The difference in routes is distance. It is much more convenient to get from Petrozavodsk to the island. In an hour and a half Khivus will take you to Kizhi. And the road back will take the same amount of time upon arrival at the embankment of Petrozavodsk. With Velikaya Guba and Oyatevshchina, the situation is somewhat different. It takes about 4-5 hours one way to get to these villages by car. The transition by Khivus to Kizhi in winter from Velikaya Guba or Oyatevshchina takes less time, however, because of this move, you will have to spend the whole day from early morning until late evening.

As we have already noted, the most inappropriate time to go to Kizhi Island in winter is November and April, when the ice on the lake has already thawed, and solder is holding near the coast. At this time it is very difficult for the Khivus to reach Kizhi, and the boat is not yet able to do it. Of course, it all depends on the weather in a particular year, so for each application for the Khivus Kizhi it is better to specify the information separately. It happens that in November and April there is also ice, and in some years there is no ice even until January, and it becomes difficult to get to Kizhi in winter.
Holidays also require special attention. For example, on Kizhi in winter it is difficult to find a free air cushion for the New Year holidays, on February 23 and March 8, as well as on weekends that precede these dates or go after them. This is due to the fact that the number of airbags is limited, and many tourists want to get to Kizhi in winter.

Excursions to Kizhi in winter do not differ from the summer route. Upon arrival on the island, tourists are met by a guide and taken along the southern part of the island with a visit to the main attractions. The main plus on Kizhi in winter is the almost complete absence of tourists compared to summer. In summer, cruise ships rush to the island, each of which carries 200-300 people. Meteora also bring 50-70 people. And on the island there is nowhere for an apple to fall. The cost of an excursion to the Kizhi island in winter can be specified according to the museum price list. It consists of a guided tour and entrance tickets. There are discounts for a number of people, for example, for schoolchildren.
Various events are held on the island depending on the dates. So on the island of Kizhi in winter, revived expositions can operate, church services can be held, holidays can be organized, for example, Maslenitsa, etc. On these dates, there are many more tourists on the island, however, the trip becomes more interesting.

Hovercraft trips to Kizhi in winter are suitable for relatively small companies. The air cushion usually accommodates 4-5 people. If there are more tourists, then you will need 2 or 3 air cushions to Kizhi in winter.

We have already described the main options for how to get to Kizhi in winter, but we will repeat them. Usually, from December to February, you can get to Kizhi through Velikaya Guba or Oyatevshchina, where then there is an air cushion transfer to Kizhi. The road to Velikaya Guba takes about 4.5 hours. It takes a little longer to get to Oyatevshchyna – about 5-5.5 hours. However, the distance along the water is different. Oyatevshchina is literally a kilometer (by water or ice) from the island.
The second option, how to get to Kizhi in winter, appears with the formation of ice on the open Onega. This usually occurs at the end of January and lasts until the end of March or the beginning of April. This is the easiest and most convenient way. Almost from the embankment in Petrozavodsk to Kizhi, airbags are sent, on which you can get to Kizhi in an hour or an hour and a half in winter. Fast, convenient, practical. And the weather rarely interferes – only heavy snowfall or wind can disrupt the event.
The third option is to fly to Kizhi in winter by helicopter. However, this option is rarely considered by tourists, as it is much more expensive than the other two.
If you decide to go to Kizhi in winter, you can leave us a request on the website or by e-mail polaraurora@yandex.ru. Also on the site are our contacts: +79212280472. We will help you organize your trip, if necessary, we will provide a transfer and discuss other possible routes, for example, fishing in the area of ​​Kizhi Island in winter. You can consider completely different options. It all depends on your wishes.