White Nights in St Petersburg

Introduction 3

What could be more romantic than a walk along the banks of the citys rivers and canals in almost broad daylight, no matter what the time of day? No other major European city can rival this experience nor the atmosphere on the streets of St. Petersburg during the summer months - lively, friendly, romantic and bustling with people throughout the night as well as the day! Our most comprehensive St. Petersburg small group tour includes all major sites, visits to the Hermitage Museum (including General Staff Building), Pushkin (Catherine Palace & Amber Room), Peterhof, Peter-and-Paul Fortress, St. Isaacs Cathedral and much more. Max group size is 8 people.

Day 1. Arrival in St. Petersburg, Hermitage Museum, Boat trip In and around St Petersburg Arrival in St. Petersburg On arrival in St. Petersburg you will be met by our friendly representative who will escort you by car or mini bus to your hotel. Your St. Petersburg tour begins right away as on the way to the hotel, you will have the opportunity to get your first glimpse of this truly unique and beautiful city. After settling in at the hotel, you can sit down to a short lunch (optional), to prepare you for the guided tour of the State Hermitage Museum. The museum consists of five historical buildings including the Winter Palace - the residence of the Russian Tsars. The museum contains over 3 million pieces of art with dates ranging from high antiquity to the present day. Among the Hermitages treasures are artworks by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens as well as many others. We will spend 3 hours at the museum, however, to view the collection in its entirety would take almost 15 years, spending 8 hours a day in the museum and taking one minute to examine each exhibit. Then we will take a boat trip along the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg. There is no better way to see this city than by boat – breathtaking views of the famous bridges will amaze you with their beauty and scale. On this tour, see the city’s main attractions from the water: Anichkov Bridge, St. Michael’s Castle, Sheremetyev Palace, Field of Mars, A. S. Pushkin’s house, the Artillery Museum, and much more! For the longest part of its history, St. Petersburg has been the capital of the Russian Empire. All the Russian Emperors lived here, and therefore all the biggest architectural ensembles, luxurious palaces, exquisite gardens, parks and monumental cathedrals are all here as well – the city is rightly called marvelous!

Day 2. Panoramic City Tour. After breakfast gets carried away by the city where every street is filled with history and every building narrates about the past. During this tour, your guide and driver will take you to the most picturesque areas of St. Petersburg where you will be able to make multiple photo stops at your request, while engaging you in entertaining and informative discussion about the citys history and present-day life. This tour is a great start to your trip and the best way to get acquainted with all of the citys major highlights. Our professional guide will take you down Nevsky Prospect, St. Petersburgs most famous and vibrant thoroughfare. There you will see some of the citys most interesting architectural monuments including the Kazan Cathedral and the Winter Palace. You will then proceed to Vasilevsky Island - the area of the city that Peter the Great originally planned to be the city center. This island juts out into the Gulf of Finland - reminding you of St. Petersburgs close proximity to the sea and maritime history. The tour will include a visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress - a symbol of St. Petersburg and also the oldest building in the city. While there, you will visit Peter and Paul Cathedral, the burial place of the Russian Tsars from Peter the Great onward. Next we will toward to another famous Church, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, a truly unforgettable sanctuary that reminds many of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. And we will finish the tour with a visit Saint Isaacs Cathedral - is an outstanding monument of Russian architecture of the 19th century and one of the greatest dome constructions in the world, smaller in size only in comparison with the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rome, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence.

Day 3. Excursions to the summer residences of the Tsars: Pushkin and Peterhof In and around Pushkin, Peterhof After breakfast you will visit Petrodvorets (Peterhof), which is around 32 km. away from St. Petersburg. One of St. Petersburgs most famous and popular visitor attractions, the palace and park at Peterhof (also known as Petrodvorets) are often referred to as "the Russian Versailles", although many visitors conclude that the comparison does a disservice to the grandeur and scope of this majestic estate. Guided tour will introduce you to the former imperial summer residence Tsarskoe Selo. During the tour you will enjoy Catherine’s Palace, a Baroque building, considered one of the world’s architectural masterpieces, and the royal church with its gilded cupolas. You will have a guided tour around lavish rooms of the palace, including the Grand Hall, decorated with gilded wood carving and mirrors, the Picture Gallery with 130 painting by West European artists, dining rooms with wonderful porcelain dinner services and the Study of Alexander I. And, of course, you will admire the magnificent Amber Room faced with natural amber of different colors (that was newly opened in May 2003 after 25 years of reconstruction).

Day 4. Hotel check out Breakfast at the hotel Transfer to airport or railway station Say goodbye to St. Petersburg, the Venice of the North and one of the most interesting and colorful cities in the world. We hope to welcome you back to Russia sometime in the future. Do Svidaniya or until we meet again!