~ HALF A DAY SHORE TOURS ~

TOURS

Prices starting from

 ~ Panoramic St.Petersburg + Peter & Paul Fortress, cathedral

Duration - 4 hours

Your journey will start with a transfer to St.Petersburg city center. Driving through the area, your guide will give you a brief introduction to the history of St.Petersburg. Once in the city center, you will stop at the Spit of Vasilievsky island to enjoy the magnificent view of the Neva River and Rostral Columns which in the past served as lighthouses and guided the ships through the busy port of St.Petersburg. From Strelka opens a marvelous panoramic view of the Winter Palace (Hermitage), the Admiralty, shining gilded dome of St.Isaac's cathedral, and Peter & Paul fortress which you will tour next. The coach will take you to the smallest island - Islands of Hares - where Peter & Paul fortress is situated. You will walk on the fortress grounds and learn the story of Saint Petersburg foundation. The tour continues to Peter & Paul cathedral, where Romanov monarchs are buried. Inside the cathedral you will see tombs of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Elizabeth, Alexander II etc. In 1998 remains of the last Russian tsar Nickolas II and his family were brought to the cathedral.

You will next reboard your coach and drive along the Neva embankment to Cruiser Aurora which came into modern history as a battleship that signaled start of Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917 and New Communist Era in this country. Your coach drives from the Petrograd side with Art Nouveau architecture to XVIII century Petersburg. Your route will take you past the central part of the city. Attractions seen during the drive may include the Nevsky prospect, Square of Arts, the Spilled Blood Church, Alexandrinsky theatre, St.Isaac's square, Winter Palace, Bronze Horseman, Fine Arts Academy etc.

~ Experience Russian Life! (Metro trip, Food Market, visit a modern hypermarket)

Duration - 3 hours

This tour will allow you to experience the life of today's Russia. First thing will be a metro trip. St.Petersburg Subway is famous for its cleanliness, efficiency and beautiful underground architecture. Moreover, it is the deepest in the world at the average depth of stations. The deepest station (Plozhad Lenina) lies 180 ft under the ground. You will leave metro and drive to the nearest  Food market where you will enjoy variety of food products and have some shopping experience. You will next drive to the popular local hypermarket to see where modern Russians shop. The coach will next take you through the city center back to the port.

~ Panoramic St.Petersburg + Canal trip

Duration - 4 hours

Your comfortable coach will take you from the port area to the central part of St.Petersburg where you will have a comprehensive city sightseeing tour including photo stops in the picturesque areas such as Spit of Vasiliesky island with Rostral Columns, Palace Square (Hermitage), St.Isaac's Square, Square of Arts, Church of Savior-on-the-Spilled- Blood, etc. This tour will allow you to admire the city both from the window of your coach and from the water perspective during a relaxing canal tour. During this fascinating journey through the rivers and canals, you will pass under numerous bridges with intricate wrought-iron railings, admire the exteriors of the many former noble mansions and palaces and feel the atmosphere of old Petersburg. The boat tour lasts about 1,5 hours. After city tour, the coach will safely return you to the ship.

~ Panoramic St.Petersburg + 3 Cathedrals

Duration - 4 hours

This tour is special as it focuses on religious life of St.Petersburg. Besides touring the must-see sights such as the Winter Palace, Palace Square, Neva river embankment, Field of Mars, Decembrists' Square with Bronze Horseman, Strelka, Peter & Paul Fortress, you will visit inside active Orthodox Kazan cathedral named after a "miracle-making" icon of Our Lady of Kazan. The cathedral is located in Nevsky prospect and reminds of St.Peter's cathedral in Rome for its same stately view and elegant proportions of the Colonnade. Kazan cathedral was closed during Communist period and was opened only after dissolution of the Soviet Union.

You will next continue your city tour with a visit to St.Isaac's cathedral which is currently a museum where religious services are only held at Christmas, Easter and important religious occasions. It is one of the world's largest cathedrals capable of accommodating 10 000 worshippers. You will admire the breath-taking interiors richly decorated with different kinds of marble, malachite and semi-precious stones, impressive mosaics of iconstand, shining brass ornaments.

You will next board your coach and proceed to the Church of Savior-on-the-Spilled-Blood, the only old Russian-style church in the European St.Petersburg. The church was built on the spot of Alexander II assassination in 1881. Spilled Blood church is unique for its several thousand square yards of mosaics. After this informative tour, you will return to your ship.

~ Peterhof fountains

Duration - 4 hours

In the morning your coach will take you to Peterhof which lies on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, 22 miles west of St.Petersburg. Your journey to Peterhof will last about 1 hour each way. During this time you will pass through the residential and suburban areas of St.Petersburg and see apartment houses of the local people. Upon arrival, you will leave your coach at the parking lot and walk to Peterhof Fountain Park to admire the numerous fountains and gilded statues of the main cascades.  You will see the Grand Cascade with the largest fountain of Samson Rending the Jaws of a Lion. Besides the Grand Cascade, you will explore other beautiful parts of Lower Park: see major Peterhof fountain cascades: Golden Hill or Chessboard, experience trick fountains that shoot at unpredictable intervals and soak passers-by. Anywhere you go, you admire grand marine landscapes, shady green alleys, sparkling jets of fountains, perfection of park sculpture and architecture.

~ Treasures of the Hermitage Museum

Duration - 3 hours 30 min.

This tour gives you an unique opportunity to explore the riches of the Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world.  You will enter the museum without line through a special entrance for organized groups (reserved entrance). Your tour inside the Hermitage will last about 2-2,5 hours. During this time you will visit several buildings of the Hermitage museum: the Winter Palace, Little Hermitage, New and Old Hermitage. Your tour guide will take you through the State Rooms, Gala Suite of Apartments, Malachite Room, Gold Sitting Room of the Winter Palace. You will then explore the treasures of the Western European art collection featuring Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, Michelangelo, Rembrandt,  Rubens, Van Dyck and others. You will have a chance to view the rich collection of French Impressionists including Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso which is the largest outside France. Video and photo are allowed inside. Flash light should be switched off in the art halls. At the end of your visit, you will view Palace Square and return to the port.

~ Catherine's palace (in Pushkin)

Duration - 4 hours

~ Panoramic St.Petersburg + Catherine's palace (Pushkin)

~ Panoramic St.Petersburg + Peterhof

~ Panoramic St.Petersburg + Yusupovs' Palace

~ Night of Russian Ballet

Duration - 4 hours

~ Night at a Russian or Georgian Restaurant

Duration - 4 hours

~ Russian Folkloric Evening Show

Duration - 4 hours

~ FULL DAY SHORE TOURS ~

~ Panoramic St.Petersburg + Peterhof

Duration - 8 hours

Lunch included

~ Panoramic St.Petersburg + Catherine's palace (Pushkin)

Duration - 8 hours

Lunch included

~ Panoramic St.Petersburg + Hermitage museum

Duration - 7 hours

Lunch included

~ Peterhof + Hermitage museum

Duration - 8 hours

Lunch included

~ Catherine's palace (in Pushkin) + Peterhof

Duration - 8 hours

~ Catherine's palace (in Pushkin) + Hermitage museum

Duration - 8 hours

Lunch included