Petersburg Guide
Basing on our considerable background in tourism as well as on our own travel experience, we offer a number of conventional tours, and also some features and events that you'll find interesting, unusual and unique for Russia and St. Petersburg.
Depending upon your preference, we can arrange separate tours to museums, special thematic tours or a comprehensive tour program for your entire stay.
Consider including the following in your St. Petersburg itinerary:
- PANORAMIC CITY TOUR by car (this tour will take 3-4 hours altogether), you'll see the most famous St. Petersburg sights such as St. Isaac's Cathedral, Bronze Horseman (monument to Peter the Great), the Admiralty, Spit of Vassilievsky Island with Rostral Columns, Peter and Paul Fortress, the Aurora cruiser, Smolny Convent complex, Nevsky prospect, Kazan Cathedral, Fine Arts square, Palace square and the Hermitage, Field of Mars, Church on the Blood, St.Nicholas Naval Cathedral, Theatre square and many more. You will have stops for picture taking and short walks in the most picturesque and famous venues.
Upon your wish, you can include the following in your city tour: a visit to an active local church, a visit to a local farmers' market, short ride by the local underground (metro), a walk through one of the downtown residential areas, shopping.
- inside VISITS to the following MUSEUMS can be included in your city tour or arranged separately:
ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL - the icon of St. Petersburg skyline, the 4th world's largest dome structure and the largest cathedral of Russia before the Revolution, capable to take in up to 14000 people, now it's an outstanding museum of religious art and culture. The colonnade of St. Isaac's provides bird's eye view of the city.
RESURRECTION CATHEDRAL or CHURCH ON THE SPILT BLOOD - built as a memorial church dedicated to Alexander II, the great reformer tsar, Church on the Blood is the world's largest museum of mosaics - 7000 sq.m. of amazing mosaic panels inside and outside.
Depending upon your preference, we can arrange separate tours to museums, special thematic tours or a comprehensive tour program for your entire stay.
Consider including the following in your St. Petersburg itinerary:
- PANORAMIC CITY TOUR by car (this tour will take 3-4 hours altogether), you'll see the most famous St. Petersburg sights such as St. Isaac's Cathedral, Bronze Horseman (monument to Peter the Great), the Admiralty, Spit of Vassilievsky Island with Rostral Columns, Peter and Paul Fortress, the Aurora cruiser, Smolny Convent complex, Nevsky prospect, Kazan Cathedral, Fine Arts square, Palace square and the Hermitage, Field of Mars, Church on the Blood, St.Nicholas Naval Cathedral, Theatre square and many more. You will have stops for picture taking and short walks in the most picturesque and famous venues.
Upon your wish, you can include the following in your city tour: a visit to an active local church, a visit to a local farmers' market, short ride by the local underground (metro), a walk through one of the downtown residential areas, shopping.
- inside VISITS to the following MUSEUMS can be included in your city tour or arranged separately:
ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL - the icon of St. Petersburg skyline, the 4th world's largest dome structure and the largest cathedral of Russia before the Revolution, capable to take in up to 14000 people, now it's an outstanding museum of religious art and culture. The colonnade of St. Isaac's provides bird's eye view of the city.
RESURRECTION CATHEDRAL or CHURCH ON THE SPILT BLOOD - built as a memorial church dedicated to Alexander II, the great reformer tsar, Church on the Blood is the world's largest museum of mosaics - 7000 sq.m. of amazing mosaic panels inside and outside.
PETER AND PAUL FORTRESS - this fortress, built to repel Swedish attacks, was the city's first construction. The perfect fortification structure, which has never been used as such, nowadays is the Museum of St. Petersburg History, offering a number of various permanent and temporary expositions. St. Apostles Peter and Paul Cathedral served as a burial vault for the Romanov Tsars starting from Peter the Great, the last ruling Romanovs - Nicholas II and Alexandra also rest in peace there. There's a separate exposition dedicated to the political prison once located in the bastions of the fortress.
YUSSOUPOV PALACE - once a nobleman's nest of the wealthiest Russian aristocratic family, the exquisite exposition of this museum offers an insight to life of the nobility in Old Russia. The palace also was the scene of murder of the Siberian peasant Gregory Rasputin, who was exercising too much influence over the royal family for Felix Yussoupov's liking. During the tour you will see both - the main exposition with reception and private rooms and the part of the palace where Felix and his entourage tried to poison and shoot Rasputin in the cellar in 1916.
- You can choose to have a WALKING + public transport TOUR of the city. Although the distance you'll cover is shorter, you will thoroughly enjoy walking through the streets of this amazingly beautiful Museum under the Open Sky, as St. Petersburg is often nicknamed.
YUSSOUPOV PALACE - once a nobleman's nest of the wealthiest Russian aristocratic family, the exquisite exposition of this museum offers an insight to life of the nobility in Old Russia. The palace also was the scene of murder of the Siberian peasant Gregory Rasputin, who was exercising too much influence over the royal family for Felix Yussoupov's liking. During the tour you will see both - the main exposition with reception and private rooms and the part of the palace where Felix and his entourage tried to poison and shoot Rasputin in the cellar in 1916.
- You can choose to have a WALKING + public transport TOUR of the city. Although the distance you'll cover is shorter, you will thoroughly enjoy walking through the streets of this amazingly beautiful Museum under the Open Sky, as St. Petersburg is often nicknamed.
- RIVER AND CANAL BOAT TOUR will offer you a completely different angle to view the city. St. Petersburg was designed and built to be looked at from water, and now this is the best way to get a good introduction to the city in the shortest possible time. We would especially recommend this tour to those who have but 1 or 2 days in St. Petersburg.
- THE STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM - the director of the Hermitage once said, "I can't say that the Hermitage is the number one museum in the world, but it's definitely not the second". And with over 3 mln works of art and treasures housed in five connected buildings along the Neva, the museum can't fail to impress. If works by Leonardo, Van Gogh or Rembrandt don't make you gasp, then the state rooms of the Winter palace will.
Upon your wish, we can arrange special tours to the Hermitage Treasury Galleries (Gold Rooms and Diamond Rooms).
- THE STATE RUSSIAN MUSEUM - with the world's largest collection of Russian art housed in the impressive Mikhailovsky Palace, this museum is definitely worth a visit. Its collection spans from 12-century icons to 20th-century masters like Chagall, Malevich and Kandinsky.
St. Petersburg has around 200 museums, and we can easily arrange tours for you to any of them upon your choice. We can compose special topical tours for you, for instance, Political history tours, or Military history tours focusing on the Siege of Leningrad, or tours providing an insight to the national character.
We can arrange Dinner in a Russian home or Russian troika rides as part of your "Get Russia-nized" tour
Upon your wish, we can arrange special tours to the Hermitage Treasury Galleries (Gold Rooms and Diamond Rooms).
- THE STATE RUSSIAN MUSEUM - with the world's largest collection of Russian art housed in the impressive Mikhailovsky Palace, this museum is definitely worth a visit. Its collection spans from 12-century icons to 20th-century masters like Chagall, Malevich and Kandinsky.
St. Petersburg has around 200 museums, and we can easily arrange tours for you to any of them upon your choice. We can compose special topical tours for you, for instance, Political history tours, or Military history tours focusing on the Siege of Leningrad, or tours providing an insight to the national character.
We can arrange Dinner in a Russian home or Russian troika rides as part of your "Get Russia-nized" tour
But your impression of St. Petersburg will not be complete without tours to the famous Imperial country residences.
- CATHERINE PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE in Tsarskoye Selo (town of Pushkin) is a very special visit to the baroque epoch of the Russian Empire. The true glory of the Palace is the AMBER ROOM - the most mysterious of the world's works of art. The exquisite room made of several tons of the golden tree resin - the lightest gem iexisting in nature - is often referred to as the "Eighth Wonder of the World".
- PETERHOF palace and park ensemble can be easily called on of the wonders of the world. Hundreds of water spurts in over 150 fountains and gilded statues surround the official residence meant for receptions and entertainment - Russia's answer to Versailles. There are 20 palaces and pavilions on the grounds of Peterhof complex, but it's the fountains that everyone comes to see.
- PAVLOVSK - subtle, romantic, relaxing and quiet, the small town hosts the fascinating Pavlovsk Palace, encompasses by a huge park. Tall trees, scattered streams and endless paths make for many a secluded spot. The enchanting Pavlovsk Palace, with its magnificent classical interior is a feast for eyes. This country residence of the Imperial family boasts beautiful architecture and captivating history. Certainly, not as great as Peterhof or Catherine Palace, but much less touristy, Pavlovsk is a great place to get away from the fuss and crowds.
- CATHERINE PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE in Tsarskoye Selo (town of Pushkin) is a very special visit to the baroque epoch of the Russian Empire. The true glory of the Palace is the AMBER ROOM - the most mysterious of the world's works of art. The exquisite room made of several tons of the golden tree resin - the lightest gem iexisting in nature - is often referred to as the "Eighth Wonder of the World".
- PETERHOF palace and park ensemble can be easily called on of the wonders of the world. Hundreds of water spurts in over 150 fountains and gilded statues surround the official residence meant for receptions and entertainment - Russia's answer to Versailles. There are 20 palaces and pavilions on the grounds of Peterhof complex, but it's the fountains that everyone comes to see.
- PAVLOVSK - subtle, romantic, relaxing and quiet, the small town hosts the fascinating Pavlovsk Palace, encompasses by a huge park. Tall trees, scattered streams and endless paths make for many a secluded spot. The enchanting Pavlovsk Palace, with its magnificent classical interior is a feast for eyes. This country residence of the Imperial family boasts beautiful architecture and captivating history. Certainly, not as great as Peterhof or Catherine Palace, but much less touristy, Pavlovsk is a great place to get away from the fuss and crowds.
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ior you can take our Jewish Heritage tour and get an introduction to the Jewish community in St. Petersburg
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To provide you an idea how you can combine the separate tours and museum visits into a consistent tour itinerary, you can check out our 1-, 2- and 3-days shore excursions for cruise passengers.
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