Below are some sample tour programs for 1-3 days in St Petersburg meant for air and rail travellers. If you are on a cruise or are coming to St Petersburg by ferry, please check “shore excursions “ and “ferry” sections. The real program will depend on the dates of your stay and the season as days are significantly shorter in winter. Also Peterhof fountains function only from May to early October. Please contact me at stpetetrip@gmail.com to calculate prices for your party.
Of course, programs can be changed according to your wishes and interests.
One day in St Petersburg sample program
Of course, only one day in St Petersburg is not enough for such city and you’ll only be able to see the most important things. If you are visiting in late spring or summer when the day is still long I recommend you to start early – even though the museums are closed till 10:00-11:00 you’ll have time for a short walk in the city center and will take pictures of some important sights on the way.
Guiding costs per day (8 hours):
– 7000 rub per group of up to 4 people
– Museum tickets for tourists and transportation costs are payed extra (public transport is the cheapest option)
One day in St Petersburg?
- Take a walk in the city center, this way you’ll see such important sights as the Kazan cathedral, Savior on Spilt Blood church, Russian museum, St Isaac’s cathedral and many smaller interesting places
- Spend about 3 hours in the Hermitage, the largest museum in Russia. You’ll see the magnificent interiors of the Winter palace, the former residence of Russian tsars, as well as masterpieces of European art.
- Visit Peter and Paul fortress, as it is the birth place of our city. Go inside Peter and Paul cathedral – this is the place where the majority of Russian tsars from Peter the Great to Nicholas II were buried. The prison of Peter and Paul fortress was the main political prison of the country, “the Russian Bastille”.
Two days in St Petersburg sample program
Day 1:
- Walk in the city center with visit to the Savior on Spilled blood church
- Hermitage museum
Day 2:
- Half-day trip to a former imperial summer residence of you choice, in Tsarskoe Selo or Peterhof. Catherine palace in Tsarskoe Selo is famous for its stunning interiors and especially the reconstructed Amber room, while Peterhof is a magnificent park with dozens of fountains and also a baroque palace. If the weather is fine, my personal choice would be Peterhof. Important notice: during the high tourist season, from May to September, the palaces in Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof have limited entrance hours for “independent” visitors without guide. To tell you the truth, it’s almost impossible to get there on your own. Also the famous fountains in Peterhof generally function only from early May till end of September/early October, the exact dates depend on weather and may change every year.
- When you return to St Petersburg, if you have time ( suburban residences are beautiful, so they are hard to leave) visit the Peter and Paul fortress as it’s the birth place of our city.
Three days in St Petersburg sample program
Day 1:
- Walk in the city center with visit to the Savior on Spilled blood church
- Hermitage museum
Day 2:
- A half-day trip to Tsarskoe Selo (Catherine palace, if you are interested in history – consider including Alexander palace- former home of the last Russian tsars)
- Peter and Paul fortress
Day 3:
- Half-day trip to Peterhof fountain park (the palace can be included upon agreement)
- It’s possible to see some beautiful metro stations of the first line on the way back
- visit to St Isaac’s cathedral in St Petersburg
- Petersburgtrip – Private Tours rated “excellent” by travelers