Want to visit the Solovetsky Islands, experience the northern nature, and visit the Solovetsky Monastery? Here’s some information from tourists who have already visited the Solovetsky Islands. You might find it useful.
This is a self-guided trip. Organizing a trip to Solovki is more difficult than, for example, flying to Moscow, Sochi, or Turkey. Perhaps it would be more convenient to seek assistance from a travel agency?
Itinerary: St. Petersburg – Kem – Rabocheostrovsk – Solovetsky Islands and back. June 2026.
Price and other information as of June 2026 may have changed.
The first stage is from St. Petersburg to Kem city
Train 012 St. Petersburg – Murmansk. The train departed from Ladozhsky Station at approximately 10:30 PM. Travel time to Kem is approximately 13 hours.
Ticket prices to Kem:
Tickets (second deck): Lower berth – 5,845 rubles, upper berth – 4,585 rubles.
There is a water cooler in the car. You can buy tea and coffee from the conductor. (A tea bag cost approximately 60-70 rubles.) You can ask the conductor for hot water (free), and bring your tea, coffee, or pastries with you. A thermal mug can be very useful.
June is the White Nights season in Karelia. Outside the window, you can see many beautiful sights: forests, lakes, swamps, and the beautiful train station in Medvezhyegorsk.
A night on a train can be very tiring if the air conditioning in the car doesn’t work and your neighbor snores all night. This is a personal experience.
The second stage – from Kem to the Solovetsky Islands
You can get to the Solovetsky Islands from Kem by boat or motorboat. The boat journey takes about two hours, while the boat journey takes about one hour.
Boats and motorboats do not depart directly from Kem, but from the piers in the village of Rabocheostrovsk.
You can get from the Kem train station to the pier in Rabocheostrovsk by taxi or bus.
Where is the bus stop? After leaving the station, look to the right. Proletarsky Prospekt begins there. (The hotel can be used as a landmark.) The bus stop is located on Proletarsky Prospekt in Kem, about a hundred meters from the intersection.
The St. Petersburg-Murmansk train arrives in Kem around noon. There were reports that the boat schedule is being adjusted to accommodate the train’s arrival time.
More details in the article.
The bus doesn’t quite reach the Pier; you need to walk a short distance, then turn right. (Taxis can take passengers closer.)
Boat tickets can be purchased at the administration building of the Pier tourist complex, but it’s best to book in advance. The ticket price was 3,000 rubles. (Check with your own hands.) Look for boat tickets on the websites of other companies.
You can access the piers (the sea) directly through the territory of the tourist complex. The landmark is the chapel on the shore. Boats depart to the right, and small boats depart from the piers slightly to the left.
Motor ship or boat?
You can get to the Solovetsky Islands by sea either by boat or by motorboat. Which is better? We decided to try both modes of transport: there by boat and back by motorboat. A motorboat ticket cost 3,000 rubles in June 2026.
The ship is large.
The speedboat is small, with a capacity of about 10 passengers.
The speedboat travels from Kem to Bolshoy Solovetsky Island in about two hours.
The speedboat is faster, reaching speeds of almost 50 km/h. The journey takes about an hour.
The speedboat travels smoothly and quietly, perhaps with a slight rocking motion.
The speedboat can be quite rough, bouncing on the waves and tossing passengers around if the sea is rough. If the sea is rough, the shaking can be harmful to people with spinal problems.
On the speedboat, you can go from the saloon to the deck and look at the sea and the islands.
On the speedboat, the skipper warned that leaving your seat is prohibited.
The speedboat is a calm and perhaps enjoyable trip.
The speedboat can add a thrill to the journey.
Entry to the ship is via a rather awkward gangway. Getting in and out of the boat may require some “athletic training.” Elderly people may find it difficult.
These are just personal impressions; you may have your own. The choice is yours.
Solovetsky Island
The Solovetsky Archipelago contains many islands, but tourists flock to Bolshoy Solovetsky Island. The tourist season typically runs from June to September.
The Solovetsky Monastery is the island’s main attraction and the center of the village. Is it worth visiting Solovki if you’re not interested in monasteries and if you don’t (perhaps not yet) consider yourself a believer? Probably yes. It’s not just a monastery, but also a historical landmark and a beautiful fortress. There are quite a lot of tourists here.
My personal observation: quite large groups of tourists sometimes stroll along the paths, the refectory is always crowded, but the church services are very few people. It’s safe to assume that the vast majority of tourists come to Solovki not for the monastery, but as ordinary tourists.
The Solovetsky Monastery is depicted on the 500-ruble banknote. Many tourists take photos at this point (the point from which the photo was taken) with the banknote in hand.
Tourists on the islands are also recommended to visit other attractions and sites. Some may be interested in nature, others in the history of the Gulag. Some might want to see beluga whales.
Perhaps all tourists go to Mys Labyrinthov. The distance from the Monastery to Mys Labyrinthov is approximately 1.2 kilometers.
Solovetsky Airport is located approximately 700 meters northwest of the monastery.
Almost all tourists purchase one or more excursions to the Solovetsky Islands. The excursion bureau is located approximately 200 meters from the Monastery Pier, on a hill.
In fact, it’s probably best not to try to see too much in a short time. It’s probably better (perhaps) to use this opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle. If you turn off your phone and internet, you can experience a true Solovetsky retreat. The air is clean and there’s no unnecessary noise.
Some personal impressions and observations.
There are several piers on the island. Monastery Pier is the closest to the center. Monastery Pier has two entrances, so don’t confuse them.
There are no paved sidewalks on the island: sand, gravel, and cobblestones. It’ll be difficult to drag a suitcase with wheels. But there are taxis! (Perhaps this will change by the time you arrive.)
Since most roads are unpaved, the wind sometimes kicks up a lot of dust in dry weather.
We haven’t seen anyone here wearing good boots, shoes, heels, etc.
Hiking boots and sturdy sneakers would be the most appropriate footwear. What’s the weather like on Solovki during the rains? We don’t know.
Wind! Yes, wind is common here. Moreover, the weather changes quickly. In strong winds, boat trips may be canceled.
Is sunscreen necessary on Solovki? Some kind of sunscreen for your face is a must. Many tourists have red, chapped faces and noses.
Rain. The weather forecast predicted rain, but it didn’t come. The forecast can’t keep up with weather changes.
Prices. Prices for most goods on Solovki are higher than on the mainland. Prices in the monastery refectory are higher than in cafeterias in Adler and St. Petersburg.
Mosquitoes. They say the mosquitoes on Solovki are particularly “vicious.” We hardly saw any mosquitoes. The wind must have driven them away.
There’s also an airport on Solovki. It’s located near the monastery.
Hotels are few and expensive. A good room with amenities (we’d rate it as a good 3-star hotel) cost us 12,000 rubles a night. (The season is short, so you need to make some money.)
There are bike rentals on the island. There are even several locations.
The return trip to St. Petersburg
The weather forecast predicted strong winds on the day we were scheduled to return to the mainland. This created a risk that the ship’s departures would be canceled due to a storm warning. What should we do in such a case? Have we already bought train tickets?
But everything went well. The ship departed on schedule. The entrance to the Monastery Pier was not from the monastery side, but from the Jung Museum (the western entrance).
When boarding the ship, organized tourists (tour groups) are the first to board.
Taxi drivers meet the ship at the pier in Kem. A taxi from the pier to the train station cost 800 rubles (per car). But you can take a regular bus for 50 rubles per person. (2026.)
Train 011. Ticket prices from Kem to St. Petersburg (first floor): Lower berth – 5629 rubles, upper berth – 4423 rubles.
The city of Kem
Maybe there’s no need to rush? You could stop in Kem for a day. There’s not much to do in Kem, but it’s a great way to unwind.
You can stroll along the main street to the Kem River. Unfortunately, we didn’t find any convenient embankments along the Kem River.
There’s a beautiful wooden church in Kem. It’s still in use. If you know of any interesting places to visit in Kem, please share them with us on our social media.