2-Day St Petersburg Small Group Tour. July 2016
"We would like to thank Ludmila, our tour guide and our driver Vladimir for our morning tour of St Petersburg. Ludmila was extremely obliging and very informative of such a beautiful city. We especially enjoyed the architecture and wonderful scenery of the cathedrals, churches and the canals. Our group would return to St Petersburg as we enjoyed our stay."
Bill, Kathleen and Perry Drakopoulos. Ara and Tara Sahagian. XI Lin Shen and Amy Yeomans. AUSTRALIA, SEPTEMBER, 2013. Bill@aquadining.com.au
My wife and I have recently returned from a Baltic cruise which included an overnight stop in St. Petersburg. We have been twice before and have always taken the ship's tours mainly because the cruise lines tell you that unless you do you are unable to leave the ship without a visa. However, this is untrue and we decided on this occasion to take a private tour. I found extremely good reviews of Ludmila tours on trip advisor and sent her an e-mail telling her what we would like to see and asking for a quote. Her reply was immediate and all our questions answered speedily.
The departure from the ship and through immigration could not have been easier and we were met by Anna in the terminal hall. She escorted us to the car and introduced us to her driver Igor. I have nothing but praise for the way Anna and Igor conducted the tour. The car was always parked close to the Museums we wanted to visit so that we did not have far to walk which was important for me as I have difficulty walking. Apart from Anna's expert knowledge of St.Petersburg which meant she was able to answer any questions we had and tell us in detail about the history of everything we saw, she was an extremely pleasant young lady and we got on well together.
The tour was conducted at our pace and consideration given to our needs i.e. comfort stops and meals. We were taken to a local Russian restaurant having told Anna what we wished to have for lunch and there was no difficulty over payment which she arranged. She seemed to have a way of avoiding the crowds and we often found ourselves with uninterrupted views of any attractions in front of the usual crowded tours of 30 or so people. And of course the one to one conversation is far more conducive to a pleasant tour than trying to hear a guide at the back of a group of people. If you can afford this sort of tour ( bear in mind less than many people's bar bills ) why would you not do it? I have no hesitation in recommending Ludmila tours and ask for Anna. If we visit St. Petersburg again we will certainly do so.
David & Maureen Moseley, Portsmouth, United Kingdom. davidmose@virginmedia.com
We are back in Illinois after 30 plus days away and are happy to share our thoughts about the services provided by Ludmila Tours,
For the last forty plus years I have worked with customers in various capacities in many parts of the United States. From a business owner, regional sales management and a nation-wide corporate trainer, creating solutions for customers has been my primary responsibility. The better the solution you provide the greater the success ratio. With this in mind, the reason we selected your company to host our visit to St. Petersburg, was the prompt and candid response to the solutions we were looking for.
We started to St. Petersburg two years ago when our adventure was interrupted for nine days in a Tallinn, Estonia hospital. The opportunity to visit your beautiful city was finalized for this fall and we started looking for the solutions we needed including a quality tour guide with driver. We searched the web for tour guides and found Ludmila Tours to be the first responder to our inquiry offering the type of services we desired. The ensuing communications were very comfortable including a complete description of the services provided and several useful references from the United States. We checked three of the references and their replies were very positive. Having used private guides in Egypt, Scotland, England, Israel, Jordan and Italy, we knew we had found the correct tour company.
Anna Glushkoff met us at the designated time and location with excellent vehicles and drivers and we were off on an exciting three day adventure. She immediately opened the dialogue to find our specific interests, our activity level and adapted the schedule to fit our needs. Anna, the “walking encyclopedia”, did a very articulate and wonderful job with all aspects of our visit. There were two highlights that stood out as being above and beyond the normal call of duty. First was the wonderful dinner we shared at a special restaurant where we were able to meet her son and husband. Second was the opportunity to speak to the St. Petersburg University School of Economics and Finance class of over forty students and three members of the faculty. Lorraine and I had a great time sharing information about life in the USA. The resulting question and answer session extended our class time to over one and one half hours. Questions continued in the hallway after the class for several minutes. What a wonderful diplomatic experience.
How would I rate Ludmila Tours and services we experienced. PERFECT. We will be happy to have you host our next visit to St. Petersburg and furthermore, endorse your company and Anna to our friends, local travel agent and anyone wishing a reference. We appreciated your services and wish you continued success.
Taylor Steinberg, Illinois, US tsteinberg@knapheide.com
We had the pleasure of meeting with and using the services of Ludmila on our last trip to St. Petersburg. What a lovely lady! She is so knowledgeable, gentle and accommodating. With years of experience in travel and other professions, she has a sophisticated and worldly point of view which she is willing to share and which make her tours so interesting informative. Her years of experience make her ready to deal with any problem that may arise. One day when we were with her, after having spent most of the day enjoying ourselves greatly, I developed a bad sinus headache. She was so kind and compassionate. She made arrangements to get me medication, get me to my lodging and made me feel well taken care of. I will never forget her concern. We are pleased to recommend her heartily and have no hesitation in doing so. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Thank you, Nancy & John,
UT USA
Dear Ludmila: We are home already, returning from Saint Petersburg and from Stockholm. We had a great time with you in SP. Hope seeing you again, either in Israel and/or in SP. Will certainly recommend you to our friends. Regards from Beiders too. Thank you very much and best of luck and prosperity.
Valentina & Abraham,
Israel, klepfish@zahav.net.il
We were college friends traveling together and knew we were in good company the moment we met Luda. She was our tour guide for 7+ days during our vacation in St. Petersburg. Each day she and our driver promptly picked us up at our apartment and we were off for a day of exploring and wonder!
We saw all the major historic buildings / museums / palaces of St. Petersburg and surrounding countryside. Luda had a wealth of information regarding each venue we visited. She was a walking encyclopedia or Wikipedia-like source! Our tours were greatly enhanced by her vast knowledge of each site. Luda had preferential treatment at sites for procuring entrance tickets; we waited in no lines. We shared lunches together everyday and continued our discussions / education into Russian history, culture, and art. At the end of each day we were returned to our apartment front door to await the next day's adventure.
Luda was a total delight. She made everyday we had a fabulous experience that we will long remember!
Susan, CA USA
St. Petersburg is a wonderful city full of history, beauty and charm. There are many places to visit in the City and the surrounding areas. We have visited the area twice in the last four years and encourage you to explore the city and the countryside. This is a place in the world that must be seen.
Each time we traveled to the area, we have had Liuda guide us to all the great sites. She is extremely knowledgeable, professional, and personable. Also, she is a great person to be with - honest and friendly.
We recommend and endorse Ludmila Tours. From our experience, we believe that Ludmila Tours can provide an itinerary unique to you. They are the local experts that can provide you an experience that will give you insight into the people, places, history, and culture of one of the most notable locations you can visit.
While there are several significant places to visit in the City, the countryside is also filled with adventures to enjoy. From Catherine's Palace to Peterhof and more, you should not miss these unique and historical treasures. Ludmila Tours provides the best arrangement for your enjoyment of Saint Petersburg and the surrounding areas.
If you wish to talk with us, please contact Luda and we will to happy to converse with you personally or by email.
Garth and Darleen Treude
Scottsdale, AZ USA
We were extremely pleased with Ludmila's assistance in every respect. The guides she arranged for us in St. Petersburg and Moscow were deeply knowledgeable in Russian history, completely fluent in English, extremely welcoming and pleasant companions. We would not hesitate to recommend their services.
Williamson Family, FL
Our tour of St. Petersburg was absolutely fabulous. Thanks for all of your help, Ludmila. Our custom van tour was everything we had hoped and more!!!
The Hellmans & The Johansens
My husband and I took a 3 day private tour of St. Petersburg with Ludmila Tours on September 1-3, 2011. Our tour was absolutely fabulous, unforgettable and exceeded our expectations. Our driver Sergey was very good, always ready to help. Anna our tour guide was outstanding. She was extremely knowledgeable, moved us through the various sites to avoid crowding and generally took great care of us. We were very happy to experience Russian cuisine both days. Our tour couldn't have been any better!
Karen & Bill Parker, Canada
We had two full day tours of St. Petersburg while on a Princess Baltic cruise 2011. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, her English was excellent. The tour was 2 day Moderate, we had 12 people in a comfortable van, our driver was very helpful and professional. We saw all of the major sites of St. Petersburg and had an excellent lunch on both days. We highly recommend Ludmila Tours for the quality, value and price when touring St. Petersburg. Michael Stain, USA Ludmila arranged our 3 day shore tours that were outstanding. Me and my husband were able to see everything we asked for. Elena was our guide. She was so knowledgeable, your could ask her any question and she knew the answer, she was an encyclopedia of information, simply fantastic! She was very well coordinated, her English was fluent and she made sure that we saw much more than many of our fellow cruisers who had taken the ship tour . I would highly recommend Ludmila Tours!
Susan Todd, CA, USA
We want to thank Ludmila for her preparedness and extra care throughout our 7 day stay in Russia in July 2011. We were most grateful for the very knowledgeable personal guides for both Moscow and St. Petersburg. Our visit was amazing, thanks to the efficiency, professionalism, and reliability of Ludmila Tours!
Torres Family
Luda,
We returned last night from our Baltic Sea cruise. It was a long trip, but worth the effort. St. Petersburg was the highlight of our trip and we wanted to thank you again for making our tour so informative and pleasant.
Take care.
Regards,
Michael Azeez, USA
Two fantastic days in St. Petersburg! Private tour, air-conditioned van, driver Roman , guide Inna were absolutely superb. Ludmila Tours appears to be a great company offering a quality product. I would definitely recommend a private tour in St. Petersburg with them. We did not think it would be possible to avoid so many lines, and see much more in the same time than if you take a ship bus tour. I can't say enough about our excellent experience.
Greg
Our group of 16 people enjoyed our 2 day tour of St. Petersburg. Katya, our tour guide, was very friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. We learned a lot about Russian history, art and culture. That short stay in St. Petersburg was the highlight of our cruise. St. Petersburg is certainly worth a second visit!
Helen Bergman, USA
My sister and I spent 4 days in St Petersburg. After extensive research on the net we chose Ludmila Tours. It was the best decision we made. Ludmila tailored a tour to suit our interests. Our guide Inna was fantastic. Anything seemed possible when touring with Inna. Our driver Vlad was excellent always on time .We can't praise Ludmila highly enough.
Nancy Hong
We had two full day tours of St. Petersburg while on a Princess Baltic cruise 2011. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, her English was excellent. The tour was 2 day Moderate, we had 12 people in a comfortable van, our driver was very helpful and professional. We saw all of the major sites of St. Petersburg and had an excellent lunch on both days. We highly recommend Ludmila Tours for the quality, value and price when touring St. Petersburg.
Michael Stain, USA
Ludmila arranged our 3 day shore tours that were outstanding. Me and my husband were able to see everything we asked for. Elena was our guide. She was so knowledgeable, your could ask her any question and she knew the answer, she was an encyclopedia of information, simply fantastic! She was very well coordinated, her English was fluent and she made sure that we saw much more than many of our fellow cruisers who had taken the ship tour. I would highly recommend Ludmila Tours!
Susan Todd, CA, USA
Dear Ludmila,
Thank you very much, all your arrangements worked out perfectly. Our guide Olga and driver Roman could not have been more helpful and pleasant. St.Petersburg is an amazing city! We can not recommend your company highly enough!
Bendeich Party, Australia