08:30 AM Passenger Port of St. Petersburg
30 minutes
Korablestroiteley str., 32
The tour guide and the driver will meet you at the ship terminal after coming through the customs. Taking the comfortable car you will start your tour.
09:00 AM St. Peterburg city center
11 hours
During the tour you will see all the major highlights of St Petersburg, such as St Isaac's square with St Isaac's cathedral, the bronze Horseman monument to Peter the Great, the statues of Sphinx, the buildings of the first university of St Petersburg, the first museum of Russia- the so-called Kunstkamera, the Spit of Vasilievsky (Basil ) island with Rostral columns ( monuments to the glory of the Russian Navy), St Peter and Paul's fortress - the birthplace of St Petersburg; probably the most famous St Petersburg cathedral- the Church of the Savior on spilled blood, the largest square in Europe-the Palace square, the main prospect of the city- the Nevsky prospect; the main Orthodox cathedral of St Petersburg now – the Kazan cathedral; you will enjoy the incredible panorama of the Neva river, see amazing bridges across the city's numerous waterways...You will make stops driving around the city center and take lots of pictures of St Petersburg must-sees and hidden gems.
11:00 AM The State Hermitage Museum
2 hours
2 Palace Sq.
Even if you only have just a day in St Petersburg, and even if you are not a huge fan of museums, we highly recommend you to visit one of the world’s largest art galleries, as it offers a great variety of masterpieces and curiosities to explore and admire.
The Hermitage is Russia's most visited museum. Its collection spans from the Stone age up to the XX century and totally numbers over 3 million pieces of art. The museum is so big, that it might take you few days just to walk through its interiors not to mention exploring any of the art pieces. Being accompanied by our tour guide, who is a museum-licensed professional, you will visit the most exquisite rooms and interiors of its 5 buildings.
As we always book tickets in advance, you will be able to easily skip the lines. Our tour guide will take you directly to the major highlights of the Hermitage providing you with her/his brilliant commentaries.
You will start from the Winter Palace, the former official residence of the Russian Tsars. You will wander through the staterooms of the main winter residence of the Romanovs, enjoy the interiors decorated in the original baroque style as well as in the late classical style, you will learn about major events in the life of the Russian empire, see the portraits of tsars and tsarinas who once ruled Russia.
The museum is a complex of interconnected buildings, and, therefore, once you get into the Winter Palace, you will move from one part of the museum to another, without even realizing it. After visiting the elaborate rooms of the Winter Palace, you will proceed to the Small Hermitage and see probably the museum's most splendid interior -the famous Peacock Clock.
Your tour guide will bring you to the buildings of the Old and the New Hermitage where you will explore one of the largest collections of Western- European art in the world. Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Sandro Boticelli, Rubens, Van Dyck, and many others... No matter how many art galleries you have already been to, the Hermitage collection will definitely impress you.
01:20 PM Neva River
40 minutes
After a 2-hour tour of the Hermitage, you will head to Peterhof, also known as "Russian Versailles’. It is a small town located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, which had been founded by Emperor Peter the Great. To get to Peterhof you will take a hydrofoil right from the pier of the Neva river, next to the Winter Palace.
On the way to the summer residence of the Russian Tsars, you will pass by the historical buildings located on the banks of the Neva river; you will see the Marine façade and enjoy the views of St Petersburg modern architecture, such as a 462-meter skyscraper Lahkta center (the would-be headquarters of Gazprom company) and the Gazprom Arena (the new soccer stadium), and have some time to relax and get ready for the next overwhelming sight.
02:00 PM Peterhof
2 hours
2 Razvodnaya St.
When reaching Peterhof you will walk from the pier to the Lower park. The tour guide will show the most amazing fountains and cascades of the so-called “Capital of Fountains”. Together you will explore the favorite tricky fountains of Peter the Great, you will see the tiny pavilions scattered all over the Lower park of Peterhof, you will see the oldest statues brought from Italy, and, above all, the most gorgeous fountain in the world – the Grand cascade. If time allows, you will also visit the Grand Palace of Peterhof.
Walking from the Lower Park to the car you will see the other famous garden of Peterhof- the Upper Garden, which acts as a public park. Wandering through both parks will give you a full picture of the grandeur and beauty of the imperial summer residences of the XVIII-XIX centuries in Russia.
You will meet your driver by the Upper Garden of Peterhof and drive to the port. It usually takes about 1 hour. The tour guide will accompany you until you get back to the ship.
04:30 PM Peterhof road
1 hour
On the way to the city, you will pass by two residences which once belonged to the Imperial family. You will learn about the most difficult period of Russian history – the WWII time and how badly the outskirts and the city (especially the outskirts) were damaged during the war…
Just before getting to the port, you will take the new road overlooking the city. You will be enjoying the highlights of the city from the brand-new bridge connecting the mainland to the biggest island of the city.
What a perfect end to your first wonderful day in St Petersburg!
