PRIVATE: ST. PETERSBURG CLASSIC 2 DAY SHORE EXCURSION
PRIVATE: ST. PETERSBURG CLASSIC 2 DAY SHORE EXCURSION
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ShoreTrips says...
Using our knowledge and personal experience, we have executed the perfect two-day adventure, allowing you to see and hear it all without a hitch. Our guides are the best and their narration will fascinate you. We have facilitated early entrance and admissions to help you glide past the incredible lines that form in the high season.
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
An early pickup at the ship will bring you into St. Petersburg for an introductory tour of the city. You can expect to see the most beautiful, historical sites in St. Petersburg, with photo stops along the way. Your English-speaking guide is well-acquainted with his/her native city and will prove to be an excellent escort as you see Nevsky Prospekt; the National Library; Kazan Cathedral; the Square of Arts, including the Russian Museum, the Ethnographical Museum, and Michael's Castle; The Admiralty; Theatre Square with the famous Mariinsky Theatre; and St. Nicholas Cathedral.
If you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the brides and grooms dressed in full regalia and lined up at the government building for their weddings, as marriages take place all day long, almost every day.
Next, you'll travel to Peterhof for a guided visit at the Upper and Lower Gardens at Fountain Park. It is here that we will share some options for a quick and reasonably priced lunch with enough time to rest your feet and perhaps ask some questions about daily life in Russia.
Following lunch, you'll travel to Pushkin City for a guided tour of Catherine Palace including the opulent Amber Room.
En route back to the city, a stop will be made to see one of St. Petersburg's incredibly beautiful subway stations along with a visit to a farmers market.
You'll be returned to your cruise ship or optional evening program (theatre/folk show/boat trip) after an amazing day of discovery.
Day 2
The familiar face of your guide will again greet you at the ship and begin your immersion into the city.
Today, your city tour continues with views of St Nicholas Cathedral, the Spit of the Basil Island Michael’s Castle, Summer Gardens of Peter the Great, The State St Petersburg University, Academy of Fine Arts, The Russian Academy of Sciences Ancient Egyptian Sphinxes, and the Monument of Peter the Great, Admiralty. Additionally, you will receive a guided tour of the fabulous Hermitage Museum focusing on the Winter Palace Staterooms, Italian High Renaissance art, Rembrandt's paintings, and the collection of Dutch and Flemish masters. Afterward, visit one of the city's most stirring monuments, the Church on the Spilt Blood.
After lunch and a break, stroll along Nevsky Prospect, St. Petersburg's main street and center for shopping, sightseeing, and dining.
The last event of the day is a guided tour inside the massive, indescribably beautiful St. Isaac's Cathedral.
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.
If you wish to add an evening activity, such as a theatre performance, a folkloric show, a boat trip, or even a typical Russian dinner experience, we can arrange that per your request at extra cost.
- This Tour Includes:
- Round trip transportation from the cruise ship pier
- English-speaking driver and guide in A/C vehicle
- Blanket visa
- Standard admission to all museums listed in the itinerary
- Permit for photo and/or video use in palaces and museums
- You will take an inside, guided tour of:
- St. Nicholas Cathedral--monument of Russian naval glory
- Fountain Park--also known as "the Russian Versailles"
- Tsars Village--filled with lavish, imperial palaces
- Catherine Palace--home of the legendary Amber Room
- Hermitage Museum--one of the largest museums of art and culture in the world
- Church on the Spilt Blood--a marvelous Russian-style church
- St Isaac's Cathedral
- You will drive by/see the outside of:
- Nevsky Prospekt--main street filled with cathedrals and boutiques
- National Library
- Kazan Cathedral
- Square of Arts
- Russian Museum
- Ethnographical Museum
- Michael's Castle
- The Admiralty
- Theater Square-Mariinksky Theatre
- Summer Garden and Log Cabin of Peter the Great
- 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)
- 8:30 AM (16 hrs) 8:30am-5pm on day 1. 7:30am-4:30pm on day 2.
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 upon 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 that is 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.
• Please note: There is a special departure time and itinerary for NCL Getaway passengers. Please contact ShoreTrips for details.
• This tour includes standard admission to all museums listed in the itinerary, guide's services for 2 days, driver's services for 2 days, car or minivan (Mercedes), permit for photo and/or video use in palaces and museums, and all port fees.
• 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 TOUR TICKET ON A LAPTOP OR DESKTOP 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 tour ticket requires you to travel only with a guide.
• SHORETRIPS WILL SEND YOUR TOUR TICKET AFTER THE BOOKING IS CONFIRMED. THIS IS A DIFFERENT DOCUMENT THAN YOUR PRE-PAID VOUCHER, AND YOU MUST HAVE A PRINTOUT OF YOUR TOUR TICKET BEFORE YOU DEPART. If you cancel your trip after your tour ticket has been issued, a $75 per person fee will be charged.
• Please note: When necessary, we will adjust your itinerary in response to museum closings. You will visit all of the sites listed in the tour description.
• 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.
• If you wish to add an evening activity, such as a theater performance, a folkloric show, a boat trip, or even a typical Russian dinner experience, please choose one from the add-on options.
• If you arrive late for the tour, you will need to be transferred to meet your group. By the time you meet up with them, you will most likely have missed a portion of the tour.
• 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.