Question about private St. Petersburg tours tours

[CLEMM]

I see that Alla is recommended quite often, but do they only do 2 day tours. I was hoping to maybe do the Moscow thing on day one and then arrange a private tour for day 2. Can a one day tour be arranged with someone reputable, or will they limit themselves to 2 day tours?

[Mary Ellen]

If you check our her web site, you'll see the variety of tours Alla offers. They are 1-3 days and can be customized.

[MercedMike]

All of the tour companies frequently mentioned on these boards will make any sort of private arrangement you need. Alla, Denrus, and Red October will customize as you want. Email them.

[Bob7]

I see that Alla is recommended quite often, but do they only do 2 day tours. I was hoping to maybe do the Moscow thing on day one and then arrange a private tour for day 2. Can a one day tour be arranged with someone reputable, or will they limit themselves to 2 day tours?

Yes they do one day tours. Dasha was our guide from Alla Tours, degree in fine arts, and explained everything we were seeing, wonderful information. The best sight has to be the Hermitage, but make sure you pay for early entrance, puts you a half hour ahead of the crowds, which are huge. And coming back from Peterhof to St. Pete's, ask for the 30 min hydrofoil boat, the road traffic is bad then and can take a couple hours. If your family has any kind of student cards take them, expired, not your own, whatever, they aren't checked for accuracy, and your guide gets a pretty big discount for all the cards she/he can produce at the ticket kiosks and will appreciate it. Guides have a special line at the ticket booths, no waiting, and the regular lines are huge. The line outside the Hermitage was about a hundred yards long. Same at Catherine's Palace. Special entrance for private tour groups.

-Bob

[bananavan]

If your family has any kind of student cards take them, expired, not your own, whatever, they aren't checked for accuracy, and your guide gets a pretty big discount for all the cards she/he can produce at the ticket kiosks and will appreciate it. Guides have a special line at the ticket booths, no waiting, and the regular lines are huge. Bob

 

Do I understand correctly that if I can rustle up any old student IDs the guide will be able to get a discount on our entry into various venues? She will then keep the difference. I have no problem with this idea if it helps the guide. Thanks. We will be with Alla on September 11. I cannot wait.

[Bob7]

Do I understand correctly that if I can rustle up any old student IDs the guide will be able to get a discount on our entry into various venues? She will then keep the difference. I have no problem with this idea if it helps the guide. Thanks. We will be with Alla on September 11. I cannot wait.

Yes. We had a teen on our tour and Dasha asked if he had student ID with him, which he did, and she said it would give her a break on the ticket price. I asked if my years old student ID would work and she said yes, but I didn't have it. I don't know if she kept the difference or passed it back to Alla, didn't matter to us, just glad we could help. Even Russians love a bargain.

Dasha is moving up to do specialty tours, and only does ship tours if the ship is there on the weekend.

 

She was a terrific guide, knew the background to every painting and work of art in the Hermitage and palace, and the order to do the rooms to make the best use of time, how to stay ahead of the crowds, war history, political history, current economics in the cities such as real estate. And many tidbits, such as the only US built building in St. Petersburg is the Singer Sewing building, alerted us to see it on the way by, an interesting combo of Russian and US architecture. St. Petes dock area is industrial and ugly and grimey, huge shipyard, you have to get into town to see the sights.

-Bob