Murmansk in Summer Tour3 Days | Murmansk, Teriberka, Minkino, Loparskaya

Transfer to airport for flight to Murmansk. Upon arrival in Murmansk meet your driver and transfer to the hotel to drop off your luggage, before taking a sightseeing tour of the city. Murmansk, located on the Kola Peninsula near Russia’s borders with Finland and Norway, is the largest city in the world located north of the Arctic Circle. It experiences the midnight sun in summer, the polar night in winter, and snowfall even as late as June. This fascinating Arctic city, now one of Russia’s most important military, fishing, and commercial ports, was founded just before the Russian Revolution and has a significant Soviet legacy. Murmansk’s main street is the Avenue of the Heroes-Sailors of the Northern Seas Fleet, the Communist party newspaper “Polyarnaya Pravda” (“Polar Truth”) was founded here, and the famous nuclear icebreaker “Lenin” was placed here after decommissioning. The tour includes admiring the views of the city, with its commercial port and Russia’s icebreaker fleet, from observation decks on different sides of the Kola Bay. You’ll also discover various attractions reflecting Murmansk’s maritime history: the “Waiting” Monument dedicated to the women waiting for their loved ones to return from being at sea, the “Alyosha” Monument to the defenders of the Soviet Arctic during World War II, a memorial complex for sailors who died in peacetime (which includes a monument to the sailors who lost their lives when the Kursk nuclear submarine sank near Murmansk), and a fragment of the jaw of a blue whale. After the tour, return to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 3 hours

During your free time, we offer the following optional activities (at additional cost):
City tour under the midnight sun (from 22 May to 22 July).

After an early breakfast, leave the hotel at 8:00 to explore the unique Arctic landscape. Drive to Teriberka, an ancient fishing village on the shores of the Arctic Ocean (140 km, 2-2.5 hours) via the tundra, rocky hills, and gorges that illustrate the isolation and harsh beauty of the northern nature. Discover the seascapes of the Arctic Ocean, the unexpected palette of Rocky Beach, the unique “Dragon Eggs” beach, the skeletons of sunken fishing ships, and the waterfall in the heart of the tundra. Enjoy the impressive flora and fauna of this unique place: northern grasses and mosses, many seabirds in their natural habitat and, if you’re lucky enough to be here in May, whales and seals. The tour includes lunch at a local restaurant. After the tour, return to Murmansk. Overnight at the hotel.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 10-11 hours

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and spend the day learning about the unique traditions of indigenous peoples living in far north-western Russia: the Pomors and the Sami. The Pomors are local Russian people united by common traditions and a way of life that has been associated with fishing and hunting since ancient times. You’ll visit a Pomor house in the village of Minkino (22 km, 30 minutes from Murmansk) on the shores of Kola Bay. The Bolshukha (as the Pomors call the mistress of the house) will welcome you to the unique atmosphere of a Pomor home and show you the homemade floorboards, traditional stove, and various objects associated with Pomor life. She’ll then invite you to taste local tea and pies and join a traditional Pomor “evening party”. In old times, the villagers and guests used to gather in the evenings to talk, have fun, sing songs, and make “goats” (traditional biscuits that symbolise health, love, family, and well-being). You can participate in a master class to try making your own “goat” and then take a (pre-made) “goat” home as a souvenir.
Duration of sightseeing tour: 2 hours

Continue to the village of Loparskaya (40 km, 1h30m) to immerse yourself in the fascinating culture of the Sami, the indigenous people of northern Europe. Meet a representative of the community, who’ll tell you about the traditional rituals, culture, and life of these “northern nomads” and explain how, for the Sami, reindeer are everything – transport, currency, housing, clothing, and food. After the talk, you can feed the reindeer with lichen (northern moss), take unique photos of yourself wearing traditional Sami clothing, and try the local natural herbal tea and lingonberry pie. At the end of the village visit, you’ll have the opportunity to buy souvenirs (traditional crafts made from leather, bone, or wood).
Duration of sightseeing tour: 2 hours

Afterwards, drive back to Murmansk. Free time to have dinner (not included in the tour price) or explore the city on your own. Then transfer to the airport. End of the Murmansk in summer tour.