5 days and 4 nights
Explore St. Petersburg - Russia's most romantic and culturally important city. Our tour will leave you with unforgettable memories of one of Russia's most interesting and important city. The greatest museums, monuments are located in this city. Start discovering Russia in splendid 'Northern Venice' considered by many to be the most beautiful city in Europe. Saint-Petersburg was the Tsarist capital of the Russian empire for more than two hundred years, until the capital was moved back to Moscow in 1918.
Arrival in St. Peteraburg, our representative will meet you at the airport. Arrival transfer without guide. Accommodation at your hotel.
St. Petersburg is the former capital of Imperial Russia, home of the Tsars and one of the world's most beautiful and romantic cities. St. Petersburg was founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703 on the banks of the Neva River and the Gulf of Finland. The city has seen its share of historical events including the Decembrist revolt, the palace coup and murder of Tsar Pavel, the intrigues of Catherine the Great, the assassination Tsar Alexander II, the influence of Rasputin on the Russian royal family, the Revolution of 1905 and the October Revolution of 1917 which brought the communists to power. During WWII, the city then known as Leningrad, went through a harrowing two and a half year blockade and siege by the Nazi invaders resulting in the deaths of over 1 million of its citizens. Today, St. Petersburg is Russia's second largest city with a population of over 5 million. It is also known as the center of Russian art, culture and literature - former citizens included Pushkin and Dostoevsky just to name a few. The entire city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is full of beautiful palaces and monuments including the Winter Palace. The city is also known as the Venice of the North because of its location on various islands in the Neva River and its many canals and bridges. St. Petersburg is home to the world famous Hermitage Museum which contains one of the world's largest collections of art including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Matisse, Picasso as well as many other old masters and impressionists. We are sure that you will find St. Petersburg one of the most if not the most fascinating places you have ever visited. Welcome to this most beautiful and mysterious of cities.
09:45 City sightseeing tour with visit to Peter and Paul Fortress.
The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of Saint Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great in 1703. The fortress contains several notable buildings clustered around the Peter and Paul Cathedral, which has a 123 meter bell-tower and a gilded angel-topped cupola. The cathedral is the burial place of the Russian emperors from Peter the Great to Alexander the Third. The sandy beaches underneath the fortress walls are among the most popular in St. Petersburg.
09:30 meet guide for visit to the Hermitage Museum (10:30-13:00)
The Winter Palace, one of the buildings of the Hermitage Museum is one of the most wonderful palaces in North Eastern Europe and today is one the world's finest museums. The museum consists of five historical buildings including the Winter Palace - the residence of the Russian Tsars. The museum contains over 3 million pieces of art with dates ranging from high antiquity to the present day. Among the Hermitage's treasures are artworks by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens as well as many others. We will spend 3 hours at the museum, however, to view the collection in its entirety would take almost 15 years, spending 8 hours a day in the museum and taking one minute to examine each exhibit.
09:30 Meet guide for out-of-town excursion to Peterhof (Petrodvorets).
Peterhof (Petrodvorets) is a jewel of Russian art, a town of parks, palaces and fountains. In the past, it was used as an exquisite summer residence by the Russian Tsars. You will visit the Grand Palace - the largest and the most famous palace of the residence which was often used for gala receptions. After this you will proceed to the Lower Park (Nizhny Park) which is a genuine masterpiece of landscape design. The park is adorned with more than 150 fountains and 4 monumental cascades. There are several small palaces and pavilions on the park’s territory, such as the Monplaisir, Catherine´s Block, Marli, Hermitage, the Bath Block and many more. If you are ready for a walk, you will also enjoy a magnificent view of the Gulf of Finland
Important: during the low season (October - April) you will visit Pushkin (Catherine Palace) as a substitute.
After breakfast - departure transfer to the airport (no guide)
ATTENTION! The order of sightseeing visits may change depending on each museum’s availability and public events.
Prices include:
- hotel accommodation: Radisson Sonya; St Petersburg hotel deluxe room for departures: May 21; June 2, 9, 16 and 30
- tickets to all museums,
- transportation to museums and for excursions,
- transfers on arrival and departure
- English-speaking guide service on excursions,
- breakfasts at hotel,
- visa invitation - the document necessary for obtaining a Russian visa when applying for one at the local Russian Consulate in your country. PLEASE NOTE: your passport should be valid for no less than 6 months after the planned departure from Russia and it should have at least 2 blank pages. The process of applying for visa may take a long time and we recommend that you start in 3 months before your trip. In case you are booking the trip last minute, we recommend that you check with the Russian Consulate in your country whether you have enough time for visa application process. In case you have to cancel your trip because of visa issues standard cancellation policy will be applied.
* except dates of Juridical and Economy Forum. Attention! We leave the right to substitute the hotel with an alternative.
Prices do not include:
- Optional services
- Theater tickets
- Visa processing costs. For US, UK and Canadian citizens, our company offers Full Visa Support. This is where you send us your passport and other documentation and we obtain the Russian visa for you.
- International airfare. Our Russian tours are offered as land only where you arrange your own airfare and we meet you at the airport and handle everything else.
- Travel insurance. We highly recommend to purchase travel insurance before embarking on your trip to Russia. It’s always good to have extra protection while traveling far from home. Click here to learn more.
Payment policy:
To book a tour, 30% deposit is required at the moment of booking. The trip must be fully paid 21 days before departure.
Cancellation policy:
35 days before the tour starting date and more: 10% of the tour price per person
20 days and less before the tour starting date: 50% of the tour price per person
10 days and less before the tour starting date: 75% of the tour price per person
2 days before the tour starting date or no-show: 100% of the tour price per person
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