St. Petersburg intensive

Arrival to St Petersburg.

Meeting at the airport and a warm welcome from a guide speaking your language.

Transfer to the hotel, route info on the way.

Hotel drop-off. Evening at leisure.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Meeting with a guide speaking your language at the reception.

Set out for a 3-hour bus city tour visiting the main landmarks and making photo stops. Panoramic tour is a great opportunity to observe the majestic appearance of St. Petersburg and get acquainted with the main city sights: the Hermitage, the magnificent church in the Empire style Kazan Cathedral; the largest church of the city and one of the biggest domed churches in the world -St Isaac's Cathedral; the Church of the Savior on Blood, a gorgeous monument in the old Russian style which marks the spot of Alexander II's assassination;  the splendid Admiralty, one of the city's most conspicuous landmarks; the Peter and Paul Fortress, the spit of the Vasilievsky island, the former Bourse building, two great Rostral Columns, the famous cruiser Aurora, which has recently come back to its current position after restoration. Enjoy a ride along the most prominent street – Nevsky prospect, see the field of Mars, visit the main city squares - the Senate Square, Kazan Square, Palace Square, St Isaac’s Square, the Bronze Horseman what not. Our guide will tell you lots of exciting facts and curious legends about the city. Definitely you’ll have stops on the route to make photos and admire the views. The guide will be pleased to answer your questions about the city.

Lunch in a restaurant

An excursion to the Peter and Paul Fortress, formerly a political prison, now a museum which occupies a dominant position in the center of the city. The Peter and Paul Cathedral is the finishing highlight of the day, is the oldest church in St. Petersburg, and also the second-tallest building in the city (after the television tower). It is intimately linked to both the history of the city and to the Romanov dynasty, as it is home to the graves of nearly all the rulers of Russia since Peter the Great. Before coming back to the hotel enjoy a nice walk on Vasilievsky Island along Universitetskaya embankment. You’ll see the Neva and a fantastic panorama of the Winter Palace, the Admiralty, St Isaac’s Cathedral and other palaces located along the Neva, The bank was lined with granite, it features an ensemble of Petrine Baroque buildings of the early 18th century, including the Kunstkamera, Twelve Collegia, Menshikov Palace, as well as the neoclassical building of the Academy of Arts.

Hotel drop-off. Evening at leisure.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Meeting with a guide at the reception.

Departure to an excursion to the Hermitage.

St Petersburg has been known as a city of palaces and the most illustrious of imperial palaces is the baroque Winter Palace, a huge building with dazzlingly luxurious interiors, now housing the Hermitage Museum.  It is the most popular visitor attraction, and one of the world's largest and most prestigious museums, a must-see for all first-time travelers to the city. There are several buildings near the Winter Palace – the Small Hermitage, the Great (old) Hermitage, the New Hermitage, the Hermitage theatre and the General Staff building.

Today you are going to visit the Winter Palace and the General Staff building.

For 150 years the Winter Palace served as an imperial residence. In November 1917, after the October Revolution, it was declared a museum. With over 3 million items in its collection and new-comers can only hope to get a brief taste of the riches on offer here. One estimate has it that you would need eleven years to view each exhibit on display for just one minute. Our experienced guide will help you to spend less time and manage to catch the main highlights and learn the most significant facts.

Lunch in a restaurant.

Our next point is the Saint Isaac's Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great, who had been born on the feast day of that saint. The gilded dome of the cathedral dominates the city skyline and can be seen even far out into the Gulf of Finland. Dimensions of the building are impressive even if you admire it from a distance, and standing close by makes the sight breathtaking. After gazing the exterior and interior of the cathedral get prepared to mount 262 steps of the spiral staircase to attend the Colonnade Viewing Platform which provides a fantastic bird's-eye view of the city. It is well worth climbing up to view the panorama of the city and checks yourselves how well you recognize the buildings of the historical centre.

Once you have enjoyed the view from the height of the colonnade, get downstairs to continue our trip in a cruise boat along the canals of St Petersburg.

Many cities are built beside rivers or by the sea, only some can boast of integrating them completely into city’s infrastructure, like St Petersburg. Water in St Petersburg is as much part of the city as roads, squares and buildings.  There are about hundred tributaries and canals with a total length of 300 kilometers and over 800 bridges crossing them. In the city centre, St. Petersburg's famous granite embankments are home to many of the city's grandest buildings, and boat trips along the historic rivers and canals are an essential part of any sightseeing itinerary. You’ll set out for a trip in one of canals, observe the greatest palaces and houses from water and finally reach the Neva in all its grandeur. Our guide tells lots of facts on the way.

After a boat trip you can either stay in the city centre and dine in one of numerous cafes and restaurants or choose hotel drop off.

Evening at leisure.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Meeting with a guide at the reception.

This day we are going to spend in the suburbs of the city. St Petersburg is surrounded by imperial residences, some of which are inscribed in the World Heritage list. These include: Peterhof, with the Grand Peterhof Palace and glorious fountain cascades; Tsarskoe Selo, with the baroque Catherine Palace and the neoclassical Alexander Palace; and others. We set our sights on Pushkin and Peterhof.

Departure to Pushkin.  Tsarskoe Selo is undoubtedly the richest and most varies in terms of architecture and historical interest.  We’ll attend palace-and-park ensemble including the Amber Room and have a nice walk in the park.

The compositional centre of the ensemble is the Catherine Palace – a splendid example of Russian Baroque. Visitors are marvelled by the luxurious décor of the Great Hall and the Golden Enfilade of state rooms that includes the world-famous Amber Room now returned to life. Today, as we enter the palace, we can sense the spirit of the times of Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine II and admire unique works of fine and applied art. 

Lunch in a restaurant.

Our next point is Petehof (Petrodvorets) which is located in 40 km from Pushkin on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. The palace and park at Peterhof are often referred to as "the Russian Versailles. We visit the Lower and Upper parks and the cascades; see The Samson Fountain depicting the Greek hero tearing apart the mouth of a lion, and of course, the greatest fountain at Peterhof is the Grand Cascade. You will learn how the fountains operate without pumps, what tricks loved Peter the Great and even try them yourselves.

The Lower Park (the Lower Gardens) is the centerpiece of the whole Peterhof ensemble. Its area stretches from the Great Palace to the Gulf of Finland. The fountains ensemble of the Lower Park is one of the largest in the world and includes about two hundred fountains. Most of them were constructed under Peter the Great. Numerous fountains and pavilions are scattered all over the park. The largest fountain with the statue of Samson symbolizes Peter’s victory over the Swedes.

The Upper Park (the Upper Gardens) is the area that separates the Great Palace from the St. Petersburg-bound highway. The paths of the upper park are decorated with ponds, fountains, statues and arbors.

Departure to St Petersburg.

Hotel drop-off. Evening at leisure.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Meeting with a guide at the reception.

Departure to the Yusupov Palace.

 This Palace Ensemble, widely known in Europe, once belonged to a princely family.  Today, this grandeur building (one of the most prominent architectural gems of the Russian "Northern capital") hosts government and diplomatic meetings, international conferences and symposia. The names of many Russian public officials, leaders of St. Petersburg and heads of foreign states are recorded in the Yusupov Palace Guest Book; and you are invited to join them too!

The history of the Palace and estate dates back to Peter the Great's epoch, the time of foundation of the Russian "Northern capital." Today the Yusupov Palace is one of the few surviving aristocratic mansions of St. Petersburg featuring authentic State rooms, Art Gallery halls, a miniature Home Theater and the Yusupovs family luxurious Living quarters that radiate warmth and charm of their former owners even today. The Palace also went down in Russian history as the place where Grigory Rasputin, a Siberian peasant, mystical spiritual mentor and friend of the family of Emperor Nicholas II was assassinated in the Living quarters of the young Prince Felix Yusupov. Today these rooms house a display of historic pictures and documents. During an excursion you will attend the rooms as well.

Lunch in a restaurant.

Free time in the city centre.

You can devote evening to watching a ballet in one of St Petersburg theaters and night to see the drawbridges ceremony. During the summer months when the river isn't frozen, the bridges across the Neva open at night to allow ships to pass up and down the river. Bridges open from May to late October according to a special schedule. 

Breakfast at the hotel.

Meeting with a guide at the reception.

Departure for a pedestrian excursion to the city centre. We start our walk from the impressive Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. The cathedral was inspired by the Basilica of St. Peter's in Rome and was intended to be the country's main Orthodox Church. The interior of the cathedral is no less impressive. 56 columns of pink Finnish granite with gilded decorative elements are located inside the temple. Pay attention to the floor of the temple. It is made using different grades of marble, which create the original pattern on the floor.

 Our next stop is the church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, also known as the Church of Savior on the Spilled Blood, as it marks the spot where Alexander II was fatally wounded in an assassination attempt in1881. The church stands in the very place where a bomb was thrown into his carriage by a young man who opposed the Tsar's reforms.

The Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood attracts people with its five onion-domes exuberantly decorated and covered with jeweler's enamel. The highlight of both the interior and exterior of the Cathedral are its mosaic collection with a total area of 23130 square feet, it is one of the largest mosaic collections in Europe.

We continue our way along the Moyka embankment to the Summer garden and stop at a miniature masterpiece statute of Chizhik Pyzhik and learn how it helps people; observe the Mikhailovsky Castle and finally reach the Summer Garden.  It was founded in 1704 by order of Peter the Great, who was personally involved in planning the garden, and is laid out according to strict geometrical principles. The Summer Garden is home to marble statues acquired from Europe especially for Russia's new capital, and also to rare flowers and plants, as well as fountains. It was a traditional location for courtly life outside the palace, and balls were held here by the nobility, who also enjoyed simply taking the air in the Garden.

To the left from the garden is located another city sight – the Field of Mars, its history dates back to the time of origin of St Petersburg.

Lunch in a restaurant.

Free time at the city centre.

Evening at leisure.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Check-out.

Meeting with a guide at the reception and transfer to the airport.