PRIVATE: ST. PETERSBURG CLASSIC WITH JEWISH HIGHLIGHTS THREE DAY SHORE EXCURSION PACKAGE
PRIVATE: ST. PETERSBURG CLASSIC WITH JEWISH HIGHLIGHTS THREE DAY SHORE EXCURSION PACKAGE
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ShoreTrips says...
Three days in St. Petersburg will allow you to see those historic spots that are musts, but you will also have the time to see some of the lesser-known places that really give you a sense of St. Petersburg's past and its cultural achievements. We have created a balance so that you will enjoy a great mix of worthwhile sights.
This excursion is a non-visa tour for cruise ship passengers. According to Russian Federation law, visas are not required for shore excursions if you book through companies that are officially licensed and authorized by the Russian government to receive foreign cruise passengers and to operate inside St. Petersburg port areas. We will supply you with the tour ticket, which is called a blanket visa or booking confirmation, and you will pass the customs/immigration offices.
Day 1
The Jewish portion of your tour may be done on any of the three days. Your guide will suggest which day would be best based on what is happening in the city. Your tour begins in the old district of Kolomna, which was the center of Jewish life in the 19th century. It was here that the Great Choral Synagogue was built and, amazingly, functioned continuously throughout WWII. The second largest synagogue in Europe, it contains a main hall for Sabbath services, rooms for the rabbi and cantor, a lovely wedding hall, a meeting hall for community members, a library, and a mikva in the basement. Next to the main building is a small synagogue for daily services. Outside, there is a stunning feature: a lifesize photograph of the Jerusalem Wailing Wall that has been transferred to fabric and hangs on a long brick wall.
Next to the synagogue is a restaurant and shop with kosher food, as well as beautiful Russian-made souvenirs. The St. Petersburg Conservatory, founded by Anton Rubinstein in the 19th century, claims many outstanding Jewish graduates such as Heinrich Veniavski, Leopold Auer, Yasha Heifetz, Yefrem Cimbalist, and Misha Elman, to mention just a few.
Downtown St. Petersburg also has some historical sights associated with the first Jews of the 18th century. You will see the ornate palaces of the Ginzburgs and the Polyakovs--the two powerful dynasties of Jewish bankers and industrialists. Nevsky Prospect, the city’s central shopping street, boasts the Vavelberg Bank building constructed for the Vavelberg family, the wealthiest bankers of Poland, along with other famous structures.
During this tour you will learn a lot about Jewish organizations, of which there are 40 in this city. One of them is the well known Hesed Avraam, the Jewish Cultural Center, which features a range of activities, including social programs, medical care, a foreign language club, a handicrafts club, and more. Your guide may not be Jewish, but will have connections to the Jewish community.
This portion of your day will take up to three hours, depending on your interests. Some of the cultural aspects of Jewish St. Petersburg will overlap with the regular introduction to the city. You will work with your guide to arrange to see those attractions that are of most interest to you. The order in which you will do them will be different than below.
Your next stop today is the colorful Yusupov Palace, a lush home with spectacular interiors and the location of the assassination of the infamous Rasputin. You'll also see St. Issac's Cathedral before returning to your cruise ship, unless you have booked an optional theater performance, folkloric show, boat trip, or even a typical Russian dinner experience for the evening with ShoreTrips.
Day 2
The familiar face of your guide will greet you again today as you begin your morning with a ride to Peterhof. We will begin with a visit to the glorious Fountain Park, which is often called the Russian Versailles.
Lunch will follow and your guide will suggest a spot that will be quick and typical, as well as fairly priced. From here, you'll travel to Pavlovsk Palace. This 18th-century Russian Imperial Neo-classical residence was built by the order of Catherine the Great for her son, Grand Duke Paul. You'll enjoy both the beautiful interiors and the interesting stories this palace holds.
At the end of the day, you will return to your cruise ship or participate in an evening activity prearranged by ShoreTrips.
Day 3
By now, you will feel that it is your good friend meeting you at the cruise ship pier. Today, you will spend your time in the city, starting with a tour of the Hermitage Museum, one of the largest museums of art and culture in the world. We will also visit the Jewish section at the Russian Museum of Ethnography, which will give you a comprehensive insight into the life of Jewish people on the territory of Russia.
Lunch can be leisurely if you wish, or perhaps you'll want to choose something again that is quick and see something that caught your eye. Your guide will bring you to a launch site after lunch and you'll take a tour on the canals and rivers, where you will see breathtaking palaces and buildings from the water side.
A late afternoon return to your ship will find you satisfied that your time was wisely spent, as well as wondering when you might be able to return to this city of energy and magic.
- This Tour Includes:
- Round trip transportation from the cruise ship pier
- English-speaking driver and guid
- Blanket visa
- Standard admission to all museums listed in the itinerary
- Visit/see:
- Kolomna
- Great Choral Synagogue
- Restaurant and shop with kosher food
- St. Petersburg Conservatory
- Ginzburg and the Polyakov palaces
- Vavelberg Bank
- Hesed Avraam
- Yusupov Palace
- St. Issac's Cathedral
- Peterhof
- Fountain Park
- Pawlovsk Palace
- Hermitage Museum
- Nevsky Prospekt
- Jewish Cultural Center
- Jewish section at the Russian Museum of Ethnography
- Extra fee options:
- Gold Room--guided tour of this world famous exhibit within the Hermitage Museum
- Diamond Room--guided tour of Russia’s most spectacular collection of rare jewels
- Faberge Museum--guided tour of the museum that was once open only to the world’s richest and most famous
- Additional Languages Available
- Arabic
- French
- German
- Italian
- Japanese($)
- Korean
- Mandarin($)
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Spanish
- *Possible upcharge at checkout for languages denoted with ($) symbol.
Days of Operation
Departures (local time)
- 9:00 AM (20 hrs) 9am start on Days 1 & 3, 9:30am start on Day 2. Return by 4pm on Day 1, 4:30 on Day 2, 3pm on Day 3
Transfer / Meeting Instructions
No Taxi Required Specific pick up or taxi instructions will appear on your voucher after you purchase your trip.Special Instructions
• This excursion is a non-visa tour for cruise ship passengers. According to Russian Federation law, visas are not required for shore excursions if you book through companies that are officially licensed and authorized by the Russian government to receive foreign cruise passengers and to operate inside St. Petersburg port areas. We will supply you with the tour ticket, called a blanket visa or booking confirmation, which you will pass to the customs/immigration offices. Due to the length of time needed to acquire these tour tickets, we ask that you please MAKE YOUR BOOKING NO LESS THAN 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE DAY YOU LEAVE HOME. Thank you.
• We will need the following information at the time of booking: Each passenger's full name as it appears in their passport; Citizenship; Date of birth; Passport number; Passport issue date; Passport expiration date; Arrival date into St. Petersburg; Departure date from St. Petersburg.
• Any information forwarded to Shoretrips necessary to obtain a visa must be exact. We will pass on a $10 processing fee if corrections are necessary after we receive the visa. This is a per person fee, charged for each visa that requires changes.
• This includes standard admission to all museums in the program, guide's services for 3 days, driver's services for 3 days, car or minivan (Mercedes), all port fees.
• Though we have included admissions, there is often an optional charge for photo and/or video use in palaces and museums. It is a nominal fee and must be paid upon entry. The Jewish community centers also expects a donation for all who choose to enter it. A $20.00 minimal per person donation is expected. Since some opt to donate more, this cost is NOT included in your tour cost.
• Cost of food and beverage is not included. Suggestions will be supplied by your guide for lunch that will be quick and typical.
• Gratuity is not included. We suggest a 10% gratuity to your guide and 5% to your driver.
Restrictions
• PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU OPEN YOUR RUSSIAN TOURIST TICKETS ON A LAPTOP OR REGULAR COMPUTER AS MOST SMART PHONES OR TABLETS DO NOT SUPPORT PDF FORMAT AND YOU WILL SEE THEM BLANK.
• You are not able to move around St. Petersburg alone. Your blanket visa requires you to travel only with a guide.
• SHORETRIPS WILL SEND YOUR BLANKET VISA AFTER THE BOOKING IS CONFIRMED. THIS IS A DIFFERENT DOCUMENT THAN YOUR PRE-PAID VOUCHER, AND YOU MUST HAVE A PRINTOUT OF YOUR TRAVEL TICKET/BLANKET VISA BEFORE YOU DEPART. If you cancel your trip after the travel tickets have been issued, a $75 per person fee will be charged.
• Museums in St. Petersburg have different days of closing. In the event that one scheduled for your tour is unavailable during your visit, we will reverse the itinerary or substitute another sight if necessary.
• If you wish to add an evening activity, such as a theater performance, a folkloic show, a boat trip, or a typical Russian dinner experience, please choose from one of the add-on options.
• The Treasure Gallery, has 2 sections. The first, called the Gold Rooms has works from Eurasia, the Black Sea Littoral in antiquity, and the Orient. It consists of around 1,500 works made from gold and dating from the 7th century B.C. to the 19th century A.D. The main idea of the second section, which is called the Diamond Rooms, is to show the development of the jeweler's craft over the course of mankind's many centuries of history from the third millennium B.C. to the start of the 20th century. THE DURATION OF EACH OPTIONAL ADD ON IS 1 HOUR. THIS MEANS THAT IF YOU BOOK THE GOLD ROOM OR THE DIAMOND ROOM, YOU WILL SPEND LESS TIME AT THE HERMITAGE MUSEUM SEEING PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES, ETC.
• If you would like to visit the Gold or Diamond Room, please book it during check out. Please note that it is the same price if there is one person in your party or 8 people, as it is a charter rate, not per person. If you are unsure of how to book it please contact ShoreTrips. This extra fee is charged by the museum for a pre-arranged visit.
• RESERVATIONS FOR THE GOLD ROOM AND/OR DIAMOND ROOM IN THE HERMITAGE MUST be booked by the 15th of the month PREVIOUS to your visit. No reservations will be accepted after that date.
• If you would like to include the Faberge Museum into the tour, please note the additional cost. This portion of the tour is non-refundable and will mean that you will have less time in other sites. The cost is per group, not per person, and must be booked in advance. If you would prefer to add this after your normally scheduled tour time, please contact ShoreTrips for pricing.
• ShoreTrips and our partners do our best to ensure that every stop described is available for your visit. There are times when a site or building is closed at the last moment with little to no warning. We assume that those in charge make those decisions based on external information and for the visitors’ safety and we apologize when this causes inconvenience and disappointment.
• Guests with pacemakers might be asked to show a pacemaker ID card for security purposes at the entrances to museums. Please bring your card along if applicable.