CHEAPEST possible Saint Petersburg excursion under Visa Free Rule

[ucfchuck]

Would it be impossible to do a comprehensive one day tour for 100$ pp or less, or two day tour for less than $150? Personally, I would like to just explore all the city has to offer independently, but I presume that would be impossible. Any advice or feedback on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

Explorer on a budget

[GradUT]

You aren't going to find "cut-rate" tours in St. Petersburg. The tour companies all offer similar tours at similar prices and those are, as you have found, more than you listed.

 

I will say that our 2-day tour with Alla was worth every dollar--one of the best tours I've ever had anywhere! (And I read similar comments about all the tour companies.)

 

But, if you truly cannot afford $140 for a full-day tour, SPB offers a half-day "Panoramic Tour" where you ride around in a tour bus and see the sights that way (except for a tour inside the Church on Spilled Blood). The cost of this tour is $69.

[pattymo]

Unless you have a visa, exploring on your own is not possible...I know TJ's and SPB offer a less intense 2 day tour for $180 pp incl 1 lunch( less one church and palace and no canal ride is the difference between the fuller and the less intense tours ...you have to mention CC to get this rate

[Sauer-kraut]

Hook up with a small group on your roll call -- you will come out cheaper that way. Good luck!

[plan09]

Fellow Buckeye- glad you found cruise Critic. These folks are more experienced with shore excursions than trip advisor

Safe travels

 

 

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[ucfchuck]

Thank you for your thoughts: $140 for a full day tour, or $180 for two days? Now were talking. I'll also look at the roll call option, but both of those are significantly cheaper than the ship's options, and likely see more in the process as well. Even the $69 is enticing, if the $140 option doesn't hit Spilled Blood. Another thought: One of the things that it said for the ferries was that if you had a hotel reservation, you were good to go. Could we just book a one night stay at a hotel somewhere, and not even necessarily stay there (though we very well might, as I'm sure there are some great hotels in town, and that would be unique/cheaper than taking a tour), and use that as our card to wander about the city for a day or two? JW. I see that a lot of things seem to vary based on whether you are coming in on a ferry or a cruise, and so I wasn't sure.

 

Edit: In brief looks at some of these Visa Free Excursions, so far I haven't seen anything under 200 PP. Could you perhaps send links? Would greatly appreciate.

[GradUT]

Pattymo said you had to mention Cruise Critic with SPB and TJ's to get the $180 rate for the basic 2-day tours. The basic tour on SPB (Highlights Tour) is priced at $210 on their website. The basic tour on TJ (Standard Excursion) is also priced at $210.

[whimsy7]

the basic 2 day tour on TJ is US$210 per person.

if you can organise a group of 10+ from your cruise, everyone will get a 5 % discount.

[Pet Nit Noy]

... Another thought: One of the things that it said for the ferries was that if you had a hotel reservation, you were good to go. Could we just book a one night stay at a hotel somewhere, and not even necessarily stay there (though we very well might, as I'm sure there are some great hotels in town, and that would be unique/cheaper than taking a tour), and use that as our card to wander about the city for a day or two? JW.

 

Here are the four requirements to qualify for a visa free visit to St Petersburg:

o arrive and depart by ocean going cruise ship

o visit less than 72 hours

o sleep on the ship

o remain with a licensed tour guide throughout time on shore (limited exceptions like seeing an evening ballet)

 

The minute you book a hotel, you no longer qualify for a visa free visit and you would have to go to the expense and hassle of getting a full Russian visa. That involves visa costs and considerable hassle to handle on your own. Using a visa service reduces some of the hassle, but increases the cost.

 

As others have said, your best solution would be to join a group via roll call and book directly with a licensed tour company that offers an appealing standard tour.

[ucfchuck]

Those both sound pretty good. What about the $140 tour you were mentioning though? Where all does it cover in the course of that day? If it hits 2 of 3 of Hermitage, a castle and Spilled Blood, I may just stay on the ship on 2nd day in town.

[John Bull]

Another thought: One of the things that it said for the ferries was that if you had a hotel reservation, you were good to go. Could we just book a one night stay at a hotel somewhere, and not even necessarily stay there .

 

 

Yes, those arriving by ferry can also visit visa-free.

But the terms are different.

A cruise ship passenger must overnite on the ship, and would not have the appropriate paperwork to present to either immigration staff (they need to see a tour ticket, not a hotel reservation) or hotel reception.

Nice try, but very definitely no cigar.

 

It's not my right to spend other people's money, but St Petersburg is the crown in any Baltic cruise and about $100 difference between a good two day tour and a cheapskate tour is a tiny tiny fraction of your total vacation costs. Over-economising is something you're likely to regret for the rest of your life.

 

JB :)

[Canuker]

[quote name=

remain with a licensed tour guide throughout time on shore (limited exceptions like seeing an evening ballet)

[/quote]

 

Poster Pet Nit Noy lists an interesting condition, re the evening ballet.

 

Does this mean that, after the guided tour for the day, we can peel off to see the ballet in the evening (tickets in hand), unescorted, and then, I suppose, make our own way back to the ship afterwards?

 

Or am I stretching things too far?

I'd be grateful for anyone's on-the-ground experience.

[Pet Nit Noy]

Does this mean that, after the guided tour for the day, we can peel off to see the ballet in the evening (tickets in hand), unescorted, and then, I suppose, make our own way back to the ship afterwards? Or am I stretching things too far? I'd be grateful for anyone's on-the-ground experience.

 

Sorry to burst your bubble. You'll be without your guide for the duration of the ballet performance. That's it. No "make your way tickets in hand." No "make [your] own way back to the ship afterwards". A driver will provide your transportation and his presence will keep everything legit with regard to the visa-free requirements.

[John Bull]

Sorry to burst your bubble. You'll be without your guide for the duration of the ballet performance. That's it. No "make your way tickets in hand." No "make [your] own way back to the ship afterwards". A driver will provide your transportation and his presence will keep everything legit with regard to the visa-free requirements.

 

That's also broadly how it was with our evening at the folklore show.

Dropped at a bar at the end of our day tour.

Guide collected us from there about ah hour later, walked us to the venue & got us inside, then left.

At the end of the show a car & driver were waiting to return us to the ship.

 

Still no cigar ;p

 

JB :)

[kitkat343]

Does this mean that, after the guided tour for the day, we can peel off to see the ballet in the evening (tickets in hand), unescorted, and then, I suppose, make our own way back to the ship afterwards?

 

The ticket your tour company emails you will have your name and the exact times that you are allowed off the ship. Russian officials will not let you off the ship unless your documentation states that you are allowed off the ship during that time. It is possible that your tour company will write you a visa waiver for the entire time you are in port since some people decide at the last minute to add an evening tour, but it would be against immigration law for you to wander around Russia without your tour guide unless you get an independent visa. Once you clear the Russian customs, they don't check to see if you are meeting your guide, but if anything happens and you are injured or have your passports stolen I don't think either the Russian officials or the US Embassy is going to have much patience with your decision to break Russian law.

[suspaul]

Having been in SP about 6 months back kitkat343 is correct. We did a 2 day, quite intensive and worth every dollar tour with Alla Tours. We were provided with a 'ticket' that had to be shown with our passports went we left the ship each day. I wouldn't want to fool around with Russian officials but that's just my opinion. If you want to see SP on your own you definitely need to have a visa.

 

 

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[Starlaker]

SP is one of the places where you don't want to do it on the cheap. There is so much to see and you will regret it if you are there and don't take advantage of the opportunity. A group tour with one of the tour companies would probably be your most economical alternative. The ship tours are more expensive and you don't see as much. We and another couple toured with Red October and it was worth every penny. The driver dropped us with our guide at the door, we had early admission, no lines, and he was waiting at the door when we left each site. We are going back next year and will go with them again and plan our itinerary to go back to those places we want to spend more time at and go to the places we missed last time.

[dogs4fun]

Personally, I would like to just explore all the city has to offer independently, but I presume that would be impossible. Any advice or feedback on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

Explorer on a budget

 

 

If your desire is to explore independently, it is certainly possible. You need only apply for a Russian visa. I have a Russian visa and although the visa application is a pain, it is not that difficult to obtain a visa. Usually, it just makes more sense to book with an independent tour company when you are only in the city for a short time via cruise ship.

[suspaul]

Not to mention the cost of a Russian visa for such a short stay, it will probably cost more than doing an intensive 2 day small group tour. Whichever route you go, you're in for an outstanding visit.

 

 

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[tidygirl]

Check with Best Guides they were a little cheaper for us, have good reviews and will adjust the itinerary a little for us.

[ucfchuck]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. So, it sounds like an independent tour company is our best option. I will look to see if there is one that is especially promising!

 

Edit: Specific question for Lovetotrrravel: The $199 2 day tours with either Best Guides/Insider Tours looks like winners as well as the abbreviated 2 day tour with SPB that is apparently 180 if you mention CC. Now, I will ask this though. It says Y/N for Spilt Blood. Does that mean that you might not go there, or that you have the option to not go there? Just curious.

 

Last, I would also be curious, since most people are talking about a two day tour, if there are any comprehensive one day tours offered (like 8-9 hours) independently, that can be had for like $120 or so. Granted, Two Days may still be very worth it, but I want to know just in case we decide to just relax on ship on the second day in town. Thanks.

Edited March 9, 2017 by ucfchuck

[ucfchuck]

Actually, I apologize for that last question. A brief perusal of SPB's website revealed a one day option like the one I had mentioned

[Canuker]

I'm obliged for all the 'caveat emptor' postings here, about being a cruise passenger in SP.

Points taken.

 

After a good deal of comparison work, and the views expressed above, we have settled on:

1. A 2-day tour with Maxibalt Tours (including lunch both days). Total tour time: 20 hours.

2. We have purchased our own tickets to the ballet (Mid-summer Night's Dream at the Mariinsky) in the evening of day 1, remaining with M T in town after the tour ends.

3. M T driver takes us back to the ship after the performance.

 

Total cost, for 2 people, US$654. Not the cheapest in town, but we feel it represents both quality and good value. The whole shebang works out to US$13.63 per person per hour. Nice.

Our ship, by comparison, wants US$786 for a boiled-down, mass-market equivalent of this, featuring Swan Lake.

 

We are happy with our choice - the research paid off, for this once-in-a-lifetime visit to SP.

Looking forward to it.

 

Thanks for everyone's input.

[Pet Nit Noy]

After a good deal of comparison work, and the views expressed above, we have settled on:

1. A 2-day tour with Maxibalt Tours (including lunch both days). Total tour time: 20 hours.

2. We have purchased our own tickets to the ballet (Mid-summer Night's Dream at the Mariinsky) in the evening of day 1, remaining with M T in town after the tour ends.

3. M T driver takes us back to the ship after the performance.

 

Total cost, for 2 people, US$654. Not the cheapest in town, but we feel it represents both quality and good value.

 

Maxibalt Tours is not a name that typically gets mentioned on this board, but the Trip Advisor info seems reassuring. Since there are certainly other posters/lurkers interested in the criteria and activities you used to select this company, your experience with Maxibalt would be a big addition to the shared knowledge here. Please ease consider posting a detailed review to the board after the cruise. Happy travels!

[Bostonjetset]

I'm obliged for all the 'caveat emptor' postings here, about being a cruise passenger in SP.

Points taken.

 

After a good deal of comparison work, and the views expressed above, we have settled on:

1. A 2-day tour with Maxibalt Tours (including lunch both days). Total tour time: 20 hours.

2. We have purchased our own tickets to the ballet (Mid-summer Night's Dream at the Mariinsky) in the evening of day 1, remaining with M T in town after the tour ends.

3. M T driver takes us back to the ship after the performance.

 

Total cost, for 2 people, US$654. Not the cheapest in town, but we feel it represents both quality and good value. The whole shebang works out to US$13.63 per person per hour. Nice.

Our ship, by comparison, wants US$786 for a boiled-down, mass-market equivalent of this, featuring Swan Lake.

 

We are happy with our choice - the research paid off, for this once-in-a-lifetime visit to SP.

Looking forward to it.

 

Thanks for everyone's input.

 

Sounds like you made a great plan for your time in SPB! :D

 

I don't mean to hijack the thread from the OP but you mentioned you purchased ballet tix yourself. May I ask how you went about this? We plan to book our 2-day tour with Alla but their ballet option is pricey at $100pp and they don't list which ballet/theatre. The HAL ballet excursion is a little less but it got TERRIBLE reviews [hotel auditorium instead of beautiful theatre, 4th-rate dancers, etc] so we nixed that idea. Alla said they will do an evening transfer-only option to a ballet of our choice for $45pp if we book tix ourselves but the websites for booking tix are not very user friendly. I figure the price will be a little less but even if it works out to the same we will at least be able to book a ballet and theatre of our choice. We would actually prefer Swan Lake over MSND as it is a quintessentially Russian ballet but you got the Mariinsky which is the premiere venue in the city so you did well! We would also be happy with the Alexandrinsky, the Mikhailovsky, or the Hermitage Theatre.