Russia: 4x4 Expedition

The off-road vehicle journey through Russia starts in Travemünde at the ferry port. On your own, you make your way to the meeting point, the ferry port in Travemünde. Perhaps you will meet other participants of the 4x4 off-road tour already on the way, but at the latest in the evening at the ferry port. After the journey, it's time to check in and relax until we arrive on the third day in Helsinki, Finland, and disembark. Once in Helsinki, we make our way to the Russian border. After we win the patience game of border control, we reach our camping or parking spot in St. Petersburg after a short drive. The evening is free for everyone.

For the next two days, we will extensively explore St. Petersburg, the City of the East - with a city tour. For both days, we will discover the beautiful city with a local guide using a minibus, as well as with public transport. Among other things, we will visit the Catherine Palace and Park, the Fountain Park in Peterhof, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, the Hermitage, as well as the most beautiful metro stations and experience the Peter and Paul Fortress with photo breaks and a private boat trip on the Neva. Depending on the wishes of the group, we can spend the last afternoon strolling in the city or head out of the city to Lake Ladoga for a barbecue on the beach, away from the hustle and bustle.

We make our way to Lake Ladoga. From now on, with some exceptions, small villages, nature forests, lakes, and rivers are on the agenda, and camping will be in the wilderness of Russia. We have the option to explore the Monastery Island of Valaam with motor boats or leave the area around Lake Ladoga a little earlier and head north towards the Kola Peninsula. On the way north, we pass many small villages where we get a good impression of the daily life and lifestyle of the local Russian population. With a bit of luck, we will discover a wooden church or two and other photo motifs along the way. To reach the Kola Peninsula, we will take a connection stage on the road.

In the coming days, we will reach one of the focal points of our 4x4 journey through Russia and thus get to the toughest off-road part of the tour - the southern Kola Peninsula, please bring cola yourself. The upcoming days promise pure off-road driving! On the way to Umba, we cross the Arctic Circle, refuel for the next few days, and find a camp by the White Sea. If time allows, we will take a detour south of the Kola Peninsula and try to go as far as we can. Forests, lichens, sand, and beach driving will offer us adventures at their finest.

We move further north and start the water-rich part of the journey with wild and exciting off-road trails, as well as water crossings. We reach the highest mountains of the Kola Peninsula and try to traverse or climb them. We will continue to camp in the wilderness wherever we like. We will drive to Murmansk, which is about 1200 km from Moscow and lies beyond the Arctic Circle. If possible, we will arrange a visit to an icebreaker. For a change, we will stay in a hotel tonight.

Our journey remains wild and adventurous until the end! We continue northward and will drive many exciting off-road trails along the northern sea in the coming days. We bid farewell to Russia and cross the border back to Finland. One last highlight in Rovaniemi awaits, where we will visit the Arctic Centre. Our journey is slowly but surely coming to an end; those who wish can spend a few more days traveling through Scandinavia on their own, or return to Travemünde, or take the ferry back to Germany.

Ferry ride back to Germany and return journey.