St. Petersburg Shore Excursions

[jgsatgka]

We are cruising on the Silhouette to the Baltic in May 2017. We are planning our shore excursions in St. Petersburg. The website description is not very comprehensive so we are asking: do all of the shore excursions to the Hermitage include the Winter Palace? We have only found 1 of the descriptions of the many Hermitage excursions that explicitly mention the Winter Palace.

[bengaltiger1]

We used SPB Tours in July and it included the Winter Palace. Check for the Hermitage Museum. They were fabulous as a tour company. We did the three days tour. Others used Alla and TJ and all got great reviews.

 

 

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[Happy Cruiser 6143]

We are cruising on the Silhouette to the Baltic in May 2017. We are planning our shore excursions in St. Petersburg. The website description is not very comprehensive so we are asking: do all of the shore excursions to the Hermitage include the Winter Palace? We have only found 1 of the descriptions of the many Hermitage excursions that explicitly mention the Winter Palace.

 

Do a private tour. Contact the tour company and tell them exactly what you want to see. There are many reputable companies doing tours there. A small group is the only way to go. Our tour provider (Alla) also got us tickets to the ballet (not the one all the tourists go to).

 

[steamboats]

The Hermitage consists of various buildings. The main building is the Winter Palace ;)! So all tours going to the Hermitage do include the Winter Palace.

 

steamboats

[loeb]

We also used SPB tours in both St. Petersburg and Berlin several years ago. They were great, at many of the sites we went through a side door to gain entrance so we didn't have to wait in line or used an entrance that allowed us to go against the flow of tourist.

[workstocruise]

We also used SPB tours in St Petersburg and Berlin on our 2013 Baltic cruise with Celebrity. They were very easy to work with and our guide was great and our group consisted of only 14 people. Check on your roll call, that's how I booked our tour.

[upwarduk]

Another SPB participant. Our guide Luba taught the other guides during the winter. Their web site explains where they go in detail.

They contacted us a month before we sailed with instructions and tour tickets which you need to print out. This acts as your visa, so you need to have it with you when you disembark, along with your passport.

[DJromebound]

Can't beat Alla

 

 

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[Mr. Click]

Heard lots of good things about SPB and Alla but we used TJ Travel and they were great too. Smaller private tours are much better than the bus loads put together by the ship.

[pitufina73]

just got back from copenhagen yesterday and had an amazing trip to the baltic countries with regal princess, i used Alla tours and was excellent! our tour guide Alexandra gave us a complete highlight package for the 2 days that we were there. we were a small group maybe 14 ppl? cant remember, we did the summer and winter palace, hermitage, peterhof palace, two boat rides, one ride on the deepest metro station in the city, rasputin house i cant remember the name of the palace, st isaac cathedral and the famous spilled blood church, it was a very complete highlight tour, if i ever go back i use Alla again!

and i forgot to add that lunch was included, one day she brought us lunch, pastries and fruits, the second day she took us to a restaurant in the city, very fancy and included wine also!

[visibilityunlimited]

My wife and I are booked on the cruise departing Amsterdam May 19. We're planning on using Alla in St. Petersburg. Our good friends used this company in 2015 and they gave glowing reviews for itinerary, size of group, tour guide knowledge and food while on the tour(s).

[Jack Staff]

We used ALLA tours and could not fault them. The pre-tour contact via their web site was excellent and the tour guide (we were allocated Mariana) was superb.

 

Only smallish groups (we were 14 people) and early entry to sites where possible.

[easyboy]

We used SPB Tours and were satisfied.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

Also check out DenRuss (not sure about the spelling here).

[SPacificbound]

We had an overnight in St Petersburg and booked a private tour for both days with SPB Tours. We had a driver and a guide and were able to see so much since it was just the two of them and us. Highly recommend.

[redwell]

We are going to start Peters burg next year on celebrity we are there for 3 days but I think the three day tours will be too much for my husband..so we thought of doing a one day trip and we don't know if we could go shopping.none of the trips seem to give any shopping time. Also the second day we are there is a Sunday so I don't know if anything would be open. Any advice please

[upwarduk]

We are going to start Peters burg next year on celebrity we are there for 3 days but I think the three day tours will be too much for my husband..so we thought of doing a one day trip and we don't know if we could go shopping.none of the trips seem to give any shopping time. Also the second day we are there is a Sunday so I don't know if anything would be open. Any advice please

 

Unless you have a tour ticket, you won't be allowed off the ship without a visa. There is a large area just after you have gone through customs, which is aimed at souvenirs.

We did the 2 day De Luxe tour with SPB last year ( we wanted to get the best from 2 days at a cost of $600 for 2 people which worked out at £90 per person per day) We were taken to souvenir shops on 2 occasions( these also provided toilet & coffee stops) Some of the churches had souvenir stalls, but you have to pay in roubles. We used American $/ € and the tour guides were happy to take either as tips.

Why don't you go on the previously mentioned Tour Operators web sites and choose half day tours- there is one to the ballet in the evening, which we opted out of, as I felt 2 full days were quite sufficient. The only venue that I found exhausting was the Hermitage.

I think there is also a half day tour to the Faberge ( sp?) Museum.

Edited September 2, 2016 by upwarduk

[trivia addict]

Definitely book a private tour for St Petersburg. You will see so much more than a ship tour, and I agree, Alla Tours can't be beat!

They will give choices for small group tours, or let you customize your own tour for a private tour.

We used them for a tour this past July while on a Royal cruise. Four of us chose to do a private tour and the cost was not much more than a cruise tour.

We contacted Alla 6 months before the cruise and worked with them to do a two day private tour including an optional night time river cruise with caviar and vodka!

We had a private guide and driver with a beautiful van. We had early entry into all buildings, all entry fees were included, hydrofoil transportation from Catherine's Palace, and our van always met us by the doorways.

From the time we started planning with them to the end of the second day, everything ran smoothly, and in the end, we felt that we had not missed a single important site in St Petersburg! ( Unlike our other traveling companions who opted for the ship tours!)

FYI make sure that whatever tour you take, you see the INSIDE of Church of The Spilled Blood and St Issacs Cathedral..our shipmates missed these magnificent interiors.

[TeeRick]

Another vote for Alla Tours. They were excellent!

[crusingnut]

We also did a 2 day tour with SPB-tours. They will arrange the tour according to your needs. We had a fantastic guide & driver. To this day it is one of the best tours we have taken. Highly recommend them.

[jgsatgka]

Thank you to everyone for responding. It seems that the overwhelming choice is a private tour. To provide a comparison does anyone know the size of the groups that the Cruise Line puts together?

[upwarduk]

We also did a 2 day tour with SPB- . To this day it is one of the best tours we have taken. Highly recommend them.

 

I second that!

 

We first went to St Petersburg in 2002 and all we saw was the outside of buildings, when they were being renovated for a tri- centenary.

Since then the government have become tourist friendly and most signs are now in English as well as Russian.

Edited September 2, 2016 by upwarduk

[scubacruiserx2]

Thank you to everyone for responding. It seems that the overwhelming choice is a private tour. To provide a comparison does anyone know the size of the groups that the Cruise Line puts together?

 

The large buses hold about 36 -40 and here's some prices

 

 

 

 

We paid $ 860 for 3 people and 3 full days in a Mercedes van with driver and our guide shown here . And we went wherever we wanted to .

 

 

 

[easyboy]

Thank you to everyone for responding. It seems that the overwhelming choice is a private tour. To provide a comparison does anyone know the size of the groups that the Cruise Line puts together?

Usually 40

[Banjo]

Can't beat Alla

 

 

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We used Alla back in 2011 for the 2 whole day tour of Saint Petersburg. I thought they were great. We had a small group of just 8 in our van. The guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating. Also the driver really knew how to negotiate Saint Petersburg crazy traffic.