touring the hermitage

[kgoodman16]

Is it possible to tour the Hermitage without a guide?  We've been there before on a guided tour and had very limited time to view the Impressionist paintings as the tours tend to emphasize other areas of the museum. 

[Brantjudith]

I'm not sure of the Hermitage's policies but in a number of similar establishments, it's allowed. You could try to reach out to your contacts from your first trip to be sure of their current position on touring by yourself.

[kitkat343]

We had a completely private tour for just our family and they let us focus on just the art we wanted - I wanted Renaissance art, and my husband wanted the Impressionists, and after an hour my 3 year old wanted a piece of cake at the internet cafe.  Everyone got to see what they wanted, and everyone was happy.

[dogs4fun]

On 3/3/2019 at 1:25 PM, kgoodman16 said:

Is it possible to tour the Hermitage without a guide?  We've been there before on a guided tour and had very limited time to view the Impressionist paintings as the tours tend to emphasize other areas of the museum. 

Of course you can tour the Hermitage without a guide - will you have a Russian visa or do you not require one?

The Impressionist Collection is no longer housed in the Hermitage - it is housed in the General Staff Building (located across from the Winter Palace/Hermitage, across Palace Square).

[napoxoguk]

On 3/6/2019 at 4:34 PM, cansas.piligrim said:

Another opportunity to have you own itinerary is a Russian visa.

A brief reminder - they have changed their visa fees last week; any visa (including the 3-yr one) is now $160. If you live near one of their consulate centers - it actually becomes a viable option (if you don't, there will be mailing fees, and the total cost of the visa will still be around $280-$300).

[dogs4fun]

1 hour ago, napoxoguk said:

A brief reminder - they have changed their visa fees last week; any visa (including the 3-yr one) is now $160. If you live near one of their consulate centers - it actually becomes a viable option (if you don't, there will be mailing fees, and the total cost of the visa will still be around $280-$300).

Yes, the visa is expensive - especially if you use the mail option. Mine cost over $300 including the fedex fees