Highlights: Overview City Tour
Highlights: Canal Cruise
Highlights: Tzarskoe Selo
Highlights: Catherine's Palace
Highlights: Amber Room
Highlights: Catherine's Park
Highlights: Peterhof Parks & Fountains
Highlights: Tsar's Bathhouse
Highlights: Metro Ride
Highlights: Hermitage
Highlights: Savior on the Spilled Blood
Highlights: Folklore Show
Highlights: Peter and Paul Fortress
Tour Duration: 14 h
Category: 1 day Tours
Category: Shore Excursions St.Petersburg
8:00
Your private fully licensed guide and professional driver of a comfortable air conditioned vehicle will greet you the lobby of your hotel.
You'll be taken for a CITY OVERVIEW TOUR. You will be able to see and take pictures of the most famous and beautiful sights of St. Petersburg center, get acquainted with the history of the city and the Romanov family.
PRIVATE CANAL CRUISE along rivers and canals of the Venice of the North
Then set off for a JOURNEY TO PUSHKIN (TZARSKOE SELO) - one of St. Petersburg's suburbs within an hour drive from the city center. You will visit former Tsars' summer residence – Catherine's Palaceincluding the famous Amber Room - the 8th "wonder" of the World and Catherine's Park with its many beautiful pavilions, sculptures and ponds.
13:00-13:30Lunch (optional)*
PETERHOF TOUR - Another summer residence of Russian emperors. You will see the Upper Garden which resembles Versailles in its planning and, of course, the Lower Park with its incomparable Fountains.
On the way back to St. Petersburg you will have a chance to see the "not so touristy" St. Petersburg and to have a short METRO TRIP the interiors recall palaces not subways.
HERMITAGE EXCURSION – Includes the 4 buildings of this ensemble: the Winter Palace, the small Hermitage, the New Hermitage, and the Old Hermitage..
Enjoy the beauty of SAVIOR ON THE SPILT BLOOD CATHEDRAL, which startles visitors with its mighty size, multicolored "onion" domes, magnitude of its decor. The interior has the largest surface in the world covered with mosaics created to depict religious subjects.
! FOLKLORE SHOW “Feel Yourself Russian”: Russian dances, songs, tricks, traditional Russian instruments (balalaika, gusli, playing on wooden spoons, or on saws) and much more. Russian Buffet is included: snacks, caviar and champagne.
22:00
Return to the ship
*LUNCH OPTIONS
Depending upon your preferences you have complete flexibility as to dining choices. We are able to offer bistro, cafe, or restaurant style dining along the route or you may order meals at recommended restaurants. For travel groups larger than 8 people we recommend ordering pre-arranged lunches at recommended restaurants in advance (a time-saver). All meals are served at the time of guest's arrival (a traditional Russian 3 - course lunch will cost you about $15 USD pp)
**EVENING ACTIVITIES:
After the first day's tour you may return to the ship or attend the theater either to hear an opera or to watch a ballet (from $80 - $150 USD pp depending upon theater, performance and seat location). We will reserve the best tickets in advance for you for a very memorable cultural experience. You can visit the famous Mariinsky (former Kirov), Hermitage, Mikhailovsky, Alexandrinksy, Palace Theaters. If you choose to hear and see something that is connected with Russian folklore, there are folklore shows at your disposal with Russian dances, song, tricks, traditional Russian instruments (balalaika, gusli, playing on wooden spoons, or on saws) and much more ($60-80pp). Or simply enjoy a dinner at a good, not so touristy Russian restaurant. A 2 way transfer will cost 1-6 people $90, 7-12 people $140, 13 -18 people $190
***GRATUITY:
Nobody will force you to tip in Russia, it's completely up to you. If your guide and driver exceed your expectations you can tip them according to western standards 10-20% shared between the guide and the driver (approximately 3-7% to the driver and 7-14% to the guide, USD, EURO or RUB in cash)
SHOPPING:
Your guide can assist you in your purchase of Russian souvenirs for your relatives and friends such as shawls, objects made of malachite and lapis-lazuli, 'Matroyshka' dolls, painted wooden ecology-friendly toys for kids, watches with revolutionary or Soviet symbols, fur, crystal, gold, icons, stamps with pictures of the Russian Imperial Family, caviar, vodka and much more. We know the stores where the prices are lowest and the selections larger than usual. We want you to get the high quality you desire at a fair price.
HYDROFOIL:
Upon your request made in advance, we can add a hydrofoil ride to/from Peterhof. Please be informed that some people consider St.Petersburg hydrofoils to be too noisy and crowded. Due to local navigation safety standards, they may not be available on very windy days.
EARLY ADMISSION:
We can arrange for "early admission" which allow you to enter the museums earlier than the official opening hours or "special opening" which allows you to visit the museum when it is typically closed. However, please do not expect to be the only visitors there. It is not a reservation made by one company for one group of tourists. That's how some tour providers will present it. Sometimes the museum is more crowded during "early admission" hours than after it's officially open for public. Usually museum occupancy depends on the number of cruise ships in the port on any given day. In other words that depends on your luck. Even though we won't be able to avoid all the crowds inside the sights (most of the city must sees are crowded from May to September) please do not be concerned, we will be able to take you inside avoiding long lines.