Best Guides Group

[Freckles_51]

1 hour ago, LaPochCka said:

Freckles_51, I also noticed on several websites that they prefer clean bills - does it mean the marked bills won't be accepted for exchange? Good to know 🙂 

Thats what they say. I haven’t been there... yet 😉

[Fran2020]

20 hours ago, OlympicGirl said:

Hi Fran, 

I guess you are taking Best of the Best, right? Same as we do. We decided against any evening program, the tour agenda is tough enough. Maybe a dinner in a restaurant but that's it. 

Yes, exactly, Best of the Best. You might be right, but I am still in doubts )). I want to get max out of 2 days. On the other hand the tour already has everything I had in my wish list so maybe it is better just to take it easy and relax )).

[CrazyJess]

Best of the Best is their most popular itinerary. There is another one “Arts & History Grand Tour” which looks nice to me. It includes Faberge museum and IMHO it’s one of the most interesting museums in St. Petersburg. There are 4 places in St. Petersburg which impressed me most of all: the Hermitage museum, Catherine palace, Peterhof fountains and Faberge museum.

Jess

[Fran2020]

On 4/2/2020 at 9:04 PM, LaPochCka said:

Hi everyone! 

Did anyone know Best Guides have a page on Facebook? I was not aware of that until they sent us a link to the video they called Antivirus Sightseeing tour )))) 

@CrazyJess, do you recognize any of the girls on the picture? https://www.facebook.com/BestGuides.StPetersburg/

 If I am not mistaken you've been in StP a couple of times and used their services 

Cool. Very cool. I especially liked Part 5 with the Cathedral and Bronze Horseman. 👍

[Roger88]

I have been to many excursions both by myself and with my family and each and every time our guide was excellent professional who knew the subject and show around. I have a feeling that specifically for american tourists they find the best guides available cause we are the most demanding. I hear many bad guide reviews from other country citizens. 

[CrazyJess]

Hi everyone! I haven’t checked this forum for so many months! We had to postpone all our trips and it was a real stress for me. Very much hope we will be able to cruse in spring 2021!

Yes, that’s correct – I also got a mail from Best Guides with the link to the Facebook page. We all enjoyed their Antivirus Sightseeing tour. I very much hoped to see one of our St. Petersburg guides but – sorry!- I’m afraid not. It looks like they have plenty of guides…

We liked this part  … Russian Vodka part 😊 https://www.facebook.com/BestGuides.StPetersburg/videos/179033873137350/

Hi Nok977! Yes, I agree Arts and History tour could be better choice then Best of the Best. I love Faberge museum so much!

Jess 😊

 

[Fran2020]

On 7/31/2020 at 1:36 PM, CrazyJess said:

Hi everyone! I haven’t checked this forum for so many months! We had to postpone all our trips and it was a real stress for me. Very much hope we will be able to cruse in spring 2021!

 

Yes, that’s correct – I also got a mail from Best Guides with the link to the Facebook page. We all enjoyed their Antivirus Sightseeing tour. I very much hoped to see one of our St. Petersburg guides but – sorry!- I’m afraid not. It looks like they have plenty of guides…

 

We liked this part  … Russian Vodka part 😊 https://www.facebook.com/BestGuides.StPetersburg/videos/179033873137350/

 

Hi Nok977! Yes, I agree Arts and History tour could be better choice then Best of the Best. I love Faberge museum so much!

 

Jess 😊

 

Hi Jess, and welcome back! I was also away from forums for a while, as we are not yet set with the new agenda and new travel dates, but if all goes well it will be July 2021, so I am slightly restarting my search of a tour company and an appropriate program for stp. Thanks for your recommendations, I did not consider Arts & History at all. 

[Fran2020]

On 7/31/2020 at 1:36 PM, CrazyJess said:

Hi everyone! I haven’t checked this forum for so many months! We had to postpone all our trips and it was a real stress for me. Very much hope we will be able to cruse in spring 2021!

 

Yes, that’s correct – I also got a mail from Best Guides with the link to the Facebook page. We all enjoyed their Antivirus Sightseeing tour. I very much hoped to see one of our St. Petersburg guides but – sorry!- I’m afraid not. It looks like they have plenty of guides…

 

We liked this part  … Russian Vodka part 😊 https://www.facebook.com/BestGuides.StPetersburg/videos/179033873137350/

 

Hi Nok977! Yes, I agree Arts and History tour could be better choice then Best of the Best. I love Faberge museum so much!

 

Jess 😊

 

Jess, 

another question which just came to my mind - did you have a stop here  https://www.kupetzeliseevs.ru/en/ during your tour? I have not seen this building in any of the tour itinerary, neither from Best Guides nor other operators, but maybe it is included by default in a standard sightseeing. I am completely fascinated with this old-fashioned food store, so would appreciate your feedback - does it really look that great? 🙂 

[dogs4fun]

1 hour ago, Fran2020 said:

did you have a stop here  https://www.kupetzeliseevs.ru/en/ during your tour? I have not seen this building in any of the tour itinerary, neither from Best Guides nor other operators, but maybe it is included by default in a standard sightseeing. I am completely fascinated with this old-fashioned food store, so would appreciate your feedback - does it really look that great?

Yes, it really looks that great!! I have never seen Eliseyev Emporium included on a group tour but I am sure that you could visit on a private tour – it is definitely worth a visit IMHO. You will drive past it on most city tours & it is a very short walk (on Nevsky) from the Belmond Grand Hotel.

Eliseevsky (Eliseyev Emporium) is the store that I mentioned on the other thread -  where you can purchase fine caviar (as well as many other beautiful and tasty items). It is an historic food hall located at the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and Malaya Sadovaya Ulitsa. The building is a stunning example of Art Nouveau – don’t miss the window displays (seen from the store’s exterior). There is a small area in the main hall (pictured) where you can purchase a coffee, tea, etc., and a pastry – this is what we prefer to do when we are in the mood for a visit. Their pastries on display in the glass cases are unbelievable works of art. 

And, should you be visiting Moscow as well, there is also an Eliseevsky there. 

I've included photos of  the Eliseyev main halls in St. Pete and Moscow. I've also included a map of the Eliseyev location in Saint Petersburg - on Nevsky, right in the heart of the city. 

FYI: if you do an evening add-on, it would be easy to visit after the crowds have dispersed. 😎 First time we visited, via cruise ship, we had no visa. We had booked our evening add-on with Alla Tours - that was our first visit to Eliseyev. Most of the tour companies will offer evening add-ons so be sure to check the company with whom you book.

 

 

Eliseyev - Saint Petersburg

 

 

Eliseyev - Moscow

 

 

You can see how close Eliseyev is to the Grand Hotel - just a short stroll down Nevsky.

[Fran2020]

Thank you! Looks even better than I thought 🙂 Now I am sure I need to go there 🙂