One-day all-inclusive tour with boat trip
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PRICE
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REQUEST
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This alternative ten-hour programme, suitable for cruise-ship passengers or any visitors with limited time in St. Petersburg, has the added bonus of an hour-long evening boat trip around the city’s central rivers and canals, one of the most popular sightseeing activities for summer visitors to St. Petersburg.
This intensive program includes nearly all of St. Petersburg's most famous visitor attractions, including the Hermitage and the suburban palaces at Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo. Guests will also have time to see St. Petersburg’s largest church – the grand Empire-style St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Itinerary
| 9:00am – 11:00am |
Visit to the State Hermitage Museum
One of the world’s very greatest museums of art and culture, the Hermitage has vast collections that can take days to explore. Two hours is, of course, only enough to scrape the surface, but its does allow visitors the chance to view the Winter Palace’s magnificently ornate state rooms as well as the highlights of the Western European art collection, including masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rubens, Rembrandt, Caravaggio and Poussin, to name but a few.
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| 11:00am – 11:30am |
Hydrofoil trip to Peterhof
Departing from the embankment in front of the Winter Palace, hydrofoil is the fastest and most spectacular way to travel to Peterhof, taking you across the Gulf of Finland directly to the pier in the Lower Park.
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| 11:30am – 12:30pm |
The parks at Peterhof
Peterhof was the first of the grand Imperial residences in St. Petersburg's suburbs, founded by Peter the Great and embellished by his descendants to create a magnificent baroque residential estate that rivals the finest in the world. This brief excursion takes in the highlights of the grand landscaped gardens, including the world-famous collection of ornamental fountains.
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| 12:30pm – 1:30pm |
Transfer to Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin)
After touring the park at Peterhof, the group is transferred by bus to the town of Pushkin and the palace and park at Tsarskoye Selo.
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| 1:30pm – 2:30pm | Traditional Russian lunch |
| 3:00pm – 4:00pm |
Tour of the Catherine Palace
Almost as famous as the Winter Palace, the grand rococo Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo was designed by the same architect, Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, for Empress Elizabeth, and expanded and adapted by Catherine the Great, who then used it as her main summer residence. Of particular note is the celebrated Amber Room, originally gifted to Peter the Great by King Frederick William I of Prussia.
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| 4:00pm – 5:00pm |
Return to St. Petersburg with tour of the metro
Returning to downtown St. Petersburg by bus, the group will break their journey to take a brief tour of the Saint Petersburg Metro. The deepest underground railway in the world, it is also one of the greatest urban developments of the Soviet era, famous for its beautiful marble-clad stations and dizzyingly long escalators.
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| 5:00pm – 6:00pm |
Visit to St. Isaac's Cathedral
The largest and by far the most magnificent church in St. Petersburg, St. Isaac’s Cathedral took over 40 years to build and decorate. Modeled partly on St. Peter’s in Rome, this grand Empire-style building clad in red and gray granite boasts spectacular interiors created using minerals and gems brought from throughout the Russian Empire.
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| 6:00pm – 7:00pm |
Canal tour
The final hour of the tour is spent touring the rivers and canals of the historic downtown, giving the group the opportunity to see St. Petersburg’s most famous landmarks from a different perspective, as well as discovering new picturesque corners of the city as the boat cruises under scores of ornate bridges and past rows of palaces on the granite-clad embankments.
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NB This itinerary is designed for summer visits (May to October) and may not be available on every day of the week, depending on visitor attraction opening schedules.
Itinerary and route details
Tour start point
By agreement, at client's hotel.
Tour finish point
By agreement, at client's hotel.
Length of tour
10 hours
Approximate schedule
| 9:00am – 11:00am | Visit to the State Hermitage Museum |
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| 11:00am – 11:30am | Hydrofoil trip to Peterhof |
| 11:30am – 12:30pm | The parks at Peterhof |
| 12:30pm – 1:30pm | Transfer to Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin) |
| 1:30pm – 2:30pm | Traditional Russian lunch |
| 3:00pm – 4:00pm | Tour of the Catherine Palace |
| 4:00pm – 5:00pm | Return to St. Petersburg with tour of the metro |
| 5:00pm – 6:00pm | Visit to St. Isaac's Cathedral |
| 6:00pm – 7:00pm | Canal tour |
Days on which tour is available
Daily except Monday and Wednesday.
Attractions visited during tour
- Hermitage Museum
- Peterhof
- Tsarskoye Selo
- St. Petersburg Metro
- St. Isaac's Cathedral
Extra options (free)
None
Extra options (paid)
Lunch in a traditional Russian restaurant
Languages tour is available in
English, Spanish, German, French.
Transport
Bus/minibus/car.
Breaks for meals/refreshments
Break for lunch is timetables.
Travelers
Who is the tour for?
Russian citizens, foreign tourists, cruise ship passengers.
Physical intensity of tour and health restrictions
The tour is by bus or car, but will require some walking and visits to attractions without wheelchair access. Not suitable for visitors with significant mobility impairment.
Minimum recommended age for children
14 years
Payment
Included in tour price
- Admissions tickets
- Guide services
Not included in tour price
- Lunch
Further information
Important information
This is an intensive tour that, apart from a break for lunch, will keep visitors moving and active for a full ten-hour day.
Main tour highlights
This tour takes visitors to the three most famous palaces in St. Petersburg – the Hermitage, Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo – as well as giving visitors the chance to explore the St. Petersburg city center by boat on an evening canal trip.
