Time crunch

[Iwannabeatraveler]

Have only one day in St. Petersburg... how can we feasibly cram in?

Waffling with doing a Visa, not sure if needed for private customized tour. Would like to see Church on the Spilled Blood, get a blini, see some of the national treasures without too much Museum time, a little shopping, maybe visit a market ...

[John Bull]

You will not need a visa if you take either a shared tour or a private tour with one of the many authorised local tour operators mentioned I n this forum

[kaisatsu]

How long is your day? If you'll be there past dinner, I would definitely recommend a visa or private tour that will allow you to stay out instead of having to head back to the ship.

 

I would recommend checking out your Roll Call and finding out if there are others who would be interested in organizing a private tour through one of the independent tour companies. We had a one-day call in St.Petersburg, and with a group of around 8 of us, it wasn't much more expensive than the visa would have been, and we were able to see/do quite a lot in our one day.

[dogs4fun]

Have only one day in St. Petersburg... how can we feasibly cram in?

Waffling with doing a Visa, not sure if needed for private customized tour. Would like to see Church on the Spilled Blood, get a blini, see some of the national treasures without too much Museum time, a little shopping, maybe visit a market ...

A visa is not needed if you book through a licensed tour company (we used Alla Tours and our tour was excellent - there is a one day tour that covers most of the main sights in one day - http://alla-tour.com/). I do have a Russian visa because I have visited several times for upwards of 2 weeks at a time - however, my first visit was via cruise ship & I did not have a visa (my Alla Tour ticket + passport allowed me to clear Russian immigration in the cruise terminal). For your purposes (one day only), I don't think that a visa would be worth the cost and hassle.

The Hermitage is a must see (the former winter Palace of the Tsars) and houses a world class collection of art and artifacts.

The Church on Spilled Blood is absolutely beautiful. Another must see IMHO.

Also, Peterhof (similar to Versailles) is gorgeous and the Catherine Palace (with restored Amber room) is magnificent - both are must see venues (both Peterhof and Catherine Palace are located in the suburbs and transportation is needed to both sights - a private or group tour would include the transportation).

I would also recommend a visit to Peter & Paul Fortress (including the Cathedral) if time permits (most probably, you would not have time to visit if you opt for the other sights I have recommended above. You will have to choose).

When you say that you don't want too much museum time, note that Hermitage, Catherine Palace, Peterhof, Church on Spilled Blood, etc., are all museums. Since your time at each site is limited, I don't think that too much time is spent in museums.

Regarding markets in St. Petersburg, the best known, located in the city center is Kuznechny Market. I did not find it particularly impressive (I've been there a couple of times) and not nearly as enjoyeable at the markets that I have visited in other countries (Italy, Spain, Holland, France) - it is a covered market. There is also the Sennoy Market (fruits, vegetables, meats) in the city center (near the Sennaya/Sadovaya metro station). It is one of the oldest markets in St. Pete & used to be a hay market back in the day. There is also the Udelnaya Flea Market (located outside the Udelnaya train station). There are other markets as well - the Yunona Market is one of the largest (sells a wide array of stuff from household appliances & tech stuff to cheap clothing); Maltsevsky Market (frequented by locals - fruits, veggies, meats - not very interesting IMHO); Polyustrovsky Market (produce & sundries but also sells pets & a garden center); Vasileostrovsky Market (Vasilevsky Island - produce, meat, fish, poultry, sundries - not very interesting IMHO); Torzhkovsky Market(not in the city center - north of the center - location: 20, Torzhkovskaya Ulitsa) - frequented by locals - largest agricultural market in St. Pete (produce, seasonal items, locally caught fish, meats).

Shopping - most of the shops in the city center are open until 10:00 pm (unfortunately, your ship will most likely depart well before this time). The tours offered do allow some time for souvenir shopping but if you want more than than, you would need a private tour.

[Iwannabeatraveler]

Thanks all. We have from 0800 until about 11pm. Roll call was a bust ( Disney Magic June 11 sailing from Copenhagen). Appreciate the input. Checked a couple companies that only offer private tours if doing 2 days. Wish we were because there is so much to see! I will keep looking at recommended companies since I more clearly understand you CAN do a private tour company without extra Visa.