Do not hesitate to give us a call. We’ll be happy to answer your questions. We are also ready to adapt the tour to your specific needs.
The second largest city in Russia has more to offer than just the Hermitage Museum and the Mariinsky Theater. It is one of the biggest cultural centers in the world, a city with an exceptionally rich history, traditions and a promising future.
Almost all basic trends in the world and Russian architecture of the 18th-20th centuries are found in Saint Petersburg. The city has played a vital role in both Russian and European history. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, it was the capital of the Russian Empire for two centuries.
The city is usually called « the Venice of the North » or « Russia’s Window on the West ». Having quite a rich history, today it is a large industrial, transport, scientific and cultural centre of Russia with a population of 5 million people.
Saint Petersburg is one of the largest centers of world tourism. It is ranked alongside Paris and Rome as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Transfer from port.
During the city tour of Saint Petersburg you will see the most emblematic places of the historical center of the city: the Nevsky Prospect – the main street of the city, the Saint Isaac’s Cathedral of and the Kazan Cathedral, the Palace Square and the Winter Palace, the Admiralty, the Summer Garden, the cruiser Aurora, etc.
During this tour, you will also visit the Peter and Paul Fortress – the first building of the city. Its construction started on May 27, 1703 – this day is actually considered the date of the city foundation. You will discover the history of the city, the Romanov royal dynasty and more. Besides being of great historic value, the Fortress is a sacred cultural temple of Russia, as the Peter and Paul Cathedral (located inside the Fortress) serves as the burial-vault for all Russian emperors from Peter the Great to Nicholas II.
Lunch at the local restaurant.
The Hermitage is one of the most important museums in the world. The collections of the museum, created by order of Empress Catherine II the Great in 1764, are divided into 6 sections and occupy almost 400 rooms. The museum contains more than 3 million showpieces, dated from prehistoric to modern times. Here you will admire the masterpieces of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, El Greco, and many others.
Boat trip. During this trip, you will discover the majestic beauty of Saint Petersburg that is often called “the Northern Venice” – due to its rivers, canals, exquisitely decorated bridges and embankments. Grand palaces, together with grandeur of the Neva river, symbolize the greatness of the Russian Empire and its true spirit.
Transfer to the port.
Transfer to Peterhof.
Peterhof is perhaps the most famous and spectacular imperial residence of Saint Petersburg. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, the Palace was built by Peter the Great initially as a resting place on the way to the Imperial naval base at Kronstadt. But the Tsar was quick to recognize the attractiveness of the area and masterminded a vast estate intended to rival the famous gardens of Versailles. The Grand Palace, with its fascinating and elaborate interiors, sits on top of a high seashore ridge overlooking the vast Lower Gardens. This enormous park is adorned with numerous statues and pavilions, and boasts the world’s largest system of fountains, which has earned the title of the “Russian Versailles”.
Lunch at the local restaurant.
Visit to Tsarskoye Selo (also known as Pushkin) – one of St. Petersburg’s numerous imperial estates. Located just 25 kilometers south of the city, the estate boasts a large landscape park and the magnificent blue, white and gold Catherine Palace. Named after its creator, Empress Catherine, the second wife of Peter the Great. The Palace also boasts a unique Amber Room – its priceless amber panels were stolen by Nazi troops during the Second World War, but have been painstakingly recreated by Russian craftsmen.
Transfer to port.
Transfer to the city.
Visit to the Yusupov Palace (also known as the Moika Palace). Located on the banks of the Moika River, a long yellow building of the Palace was once the residence of the wealthy and respected princely Yusupov family and also the site of Grigori Rasputin’s murder in the early morning of December 17, 1916. His death proved to be an almost greater mystery than his life had been. During the excursion, you will not only learn a lot about those tragic events, but also discover the peaceful daily life of one of the wealthiest noble families of Russia. The Palace, which dates back to the 18th century, was designed and decorated by the best architects and artists of the time.
Lunch at the local restaurant.
The Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is one of the most interesting monuments of the Russian architecture of the 19th century, it was originally the city’s main church and the largest cathedral in Russia. It is covered with grey marble, and its columns were made of solid pieces of red granite, specially designed in order to make the building look even more magnificent. The interior of the Cathedral is distinguished from any other Russian cathedral – it is a real masterpiece of fine art, adorned with incredibly detailed mosaic icons, paintings and columns, made of malachite and lazurite.
The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated on March 1, 1881. Constructed between 1883 and 1907, the church was designed in a spirit of 16th and 17th century Russian architecture, inspired particularly by the Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. The interior of the church – a memorial to the late Emperor Alexander II – was decorated with marble and several thousand square yards of mosaic.
Transfer to the port.
*Please, take note that we reserve the right to change the order of visits.
Do not hesitate to give us a call. We’ll be happy to answer your questions. We are also ready to adapt the tour to your specific needs.
+7 (812) 403-00-83
amparus@amparus.ru
Level 1 (easy)
Cruise