Wondering what best to do in St. Petersburg... [Archive]

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Bruin Steve

August 14th, 2007, 06:17 PM

Okay, here's the scenario...

Next July, we are taking our second Baltic cruise...except for Riga, Latvia, all of the ports are "repeats" from our August 2001 cruise...

Last time, we did shore excursions through the ship: Hermitage, Peterhof, Yusopov, the Ballet on the "overnight", plus all of those assorted short stops at the Church of the Spilled Blood, St. Isaac's, Peter & Paul, the Aurora, etc.

Seems to all be pretty much "the standard"...

Of course, among what we missed is the Great Choral Synagogue, and, being Jewish, I'd sure like to have that "in the mix" this time...

Other than that, I'm not opposed to "repeat visits" to most of the main sites...

My thought is, rather than doing a cruise line excursion this time, it would be better to go with a smaller group (My "roll call" isn't all that active yet, it still being almost a year off)...Obviously, if we try to put together a "group" through the roll call, it's likely most people will want to see all the "standards"...So, it will be interesting to try to move an entire "group" into a slightly deviated grand tour...but worth a try?

I'm guessing that just a "private" tour will run into considerable money and a "group" will keep the costs more reasonable...

I guess the questions include:

Of the private companies most often discussed here (Red October, Denrus, Alla, etc.), who is most likely to put together the most flexible tour?

What sort of prices can we expect, approximately, depending on the size of the "group" (2? 4? 8? 15? 20?)? BTW, we have two days in St. Petersburg...

How about night time activities OTHER THAN the Ballet? How do the tour companies handle these (or do they?)?

What other sites might there be in St. Petersburg that I should really want to see--just in case we end up with a very small group of "repeat" visitors?

Thanks...

dbh62ark

August 14th, 2007, 06:44 PM

We did something similar on our 2nd visit to the Baltics. We wanted to tour with a private tour group to keep the costs reasonable, so we took the standard itinerary and then tweaked it. Two options that I really enjoyed that were not included in your list were the canal cruise and the tour of the subway stations that are like palaces and are just amazing. I was concerned that the canal boat tour might not be fulfilling considering all the history in St. Petersburg, but it turned out that just the opposite was true. This was a relaxing time that we all spent visiting with each other (we had 3 vans with separate drivers and guides for a total of 25 passengers) while admiring the beautiful buildings and other sites during the ride. And I would recommend a walk on the Nevsky Prospect. I didn't visit the synagogue but hear that it is amazing (like all the other churches there).

I will definitely go back to Peterhof to see the gardens on return visits to St. Petersburg (my niece was adopted from Russia, so we will be returning there in the future with her as she is only 8 years old now).

For the evening stop, we enjoyed the folk show at Pulkovskaya. It was very entertaining and lively (dancing, costumes, etc.). I've heard that this is the best folk show in town from the tour operators but also from a few others like the son of our friends who spent a semester studying in St. Petersburg. I haven't been to any other folk show to compare, so FYI.

I've toured with Red October Russia and Denrus. Both were good tours, but our Denrus tour was exceptional, so I highly recommend that company. Our last visit to St. Petes was in 2005, so I have those prices and our itinerary that I would be glad to send you if you want to e-mail me at dahillark @ yahoo.com.

Happy planning,
Donna

full_of_questions

August 14th, 2007, 08:13 PM

Donna, I would love your itinerary and price info.
My e-mail is e6134@yahoo.com.

Our group of ten will be going next August, and I will be in charge of everyones trips and excursions, so I can use all the help I can get.

Thank you!

amanda blake

August 14th, 2007, 08:42 PM

we did this trip two years ago and also did all the required sites...this time we are seeing the synogogue and doing a variety of different things...with red oct...just one very long day...the second day a half day with celebrity , a walking tour of the downtown....thats it...

but the first day a canal ride, a hydrofoil ride, markets, main street department stores...the synogogue and the peterhoff fountains are the first thing in the morning...

olga77

August 15th, 2007, 09:01 AM

What other sites might there be in St. Petersburg that I should really want to see--just in case we end up with a very small group of "repeat" visitors?

Thanks...

I would be considering canal boat tour (both Neva and canals), Catherine Palace in Pushkin (or Tsarskoe Selo). Just walking on Nevskiy prospect passing the buildings, crowds, shops, restaurants. Basically just get a feeling of the city. Also try Smolnenskiy Monastery and Alexander Nevskiy Lavra (sorry don't know this in English but if you'd mention this to your tour guide he/she will know). I would definitely consider a lunch at the smaller place rather than in the big restaurant. Are you staying in Petersburg overnight? If so you might want to go to opera (Kirovskiy) or operetta (Theater of Music comedy/Teatr myz-komedii) - very spectacular. It always amazes me! What else? If you really want to get a feeling of Russia (rather than St. Petersburg) go to the market (rinok or bazaar) - Kyznechniy (in the center, near Vladimirskaya subway station). You will find all the different fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, dairy products, etc.
Enjoy!

dbh62ark

August 15th, 2007, 11:00 AM

I would be considering . . . Catherine Palace in Pushkin (or Tsarskoe Selo) . . . Smolnenskiy Monastery . . .[/SIZE]Oh yes, definitely Catherine's Palace. I didn't catch the fact that it wasn't on Steve's original list. Just the sheer scope of that place is amazing, and we walked around a park in that area too. The monastery was a "surprise" stop on our Denrus tour, and we enjoyed that. I think all of the private tour operators try to add a site or two, and we also got to see a silver-domed cathedral that was in the process of restoration of the mosaics. It had been used as a skating rink for decades! I would like to see that again after it has been restored.

Donna

dbh62ark

August 15th, 2007, 11:01 AM

CJcruzer

August 15th, 2007, 11:26 AM

the Grand Choral Synagogue was fabulous - there's a "secret" to the entranceway - make sure your tour guide tells you....we were there with a group of 8, and there was another tour there and the leader of the group went up to the bimah and sang (not sure if he was a cantor)....other options are to go to Catherine's palace in Pushkin, but there is also another palace -Pavlovsk (in Pushkin also - is was Paul's palace)- which is supposed to be wonderful - more of a living palace than a reception/state palace.... http://www.alexanderpalace.org/pavlovsk/
It's more neo-classical in style rather than baroque.

The food market was interesting, try to do a ride on the subways - we were at three subway stations on our way out to Peterhof - they are amazing in themselves -chandeliers, marble, columns, etc - each one is different!!!

Also there is Menschnikov Palace , you could view different art sections of the Hermitage from what you do saw before - walk along Nevsky Prospekt - the Kazan Cathedral, Russian Art Museum, State Museum of Defense and the 900 day Siege of Leningrad, Alexander nevsky Monastery (at the end of Nevsky Prospekt)-
"For many visitors one of the major attractions is the monastery's graveyards, home to the final resting places of many of the great names of Russian culture. The Tikhvin Cemetery contains many of the most famous graves: In the far right-hand corner from the gate is an impressive bust of Tchaikovsky over his grave, while close by are Rubinshtein, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Glinka. Dostoevsky lies further back along the wall, towards the gate. The other main cemetery, the Lazarus Cemetery, is the resting place of several of the great architects who left their indelible mark on the city, including Starov, Quarenghi and Rossi."

On our tour we ate at Stolle Pies twice and at Count Stroganoff's - in the evening you can see a ballet, Folkloric show at either Nikolaevsky palace or at another venue....your tour guide can arrange the evening entertainment as well.......If you are going during White Nights, there's a late evening canal cruise when all the bridges are lifted....

We toured with Denrus (private custom tour for a group of 8) and we booked our folkloric show with them also - our guide accompanied us to the show and brought us back to the ship - we were docked downtown, so we just walked over one of the bridges back to our ship -

I'm sure any of the tour companies can give you alternate venues (as opposed to the first itinerary you saw)....and you can always research them yourself on the net to see if they interest you and your group...

Good luck!!

CJcruzer

sailaway5

August 15th, 2007, 01:45 PM

We visited St Petersburg 7/15/07 (2 days) and had a private tour with Den Rus which was fabulous. We went to the front of the lines on all of our excursions (we had a pretty intense itinerary). I "ditto" the suggestion of visiting Catherines Palace and gardens. The subway would also be something interesting to see. We especially enjoyed our lunches - one was in a small restaurant (excellent food). The most memorable experience was lunch with a Russian Family in their home (apartment type). The food was great. The friendliness and hospitality of the couple will never be forgotten. Although they could not speak english, the guide translated and there was a mutual understanding. There were six in our group. We had a van with seating for ten so we had plenty of room in the Van. The guide (Olga) was very flexible and would stop for photo's or make changes if requested. We would use Den Rus again if we ever had the opportunity. They will tailor your itinerary to your needs and quote accordingly. They were very easy to work with in getting private tour quotes for various numbers of people via the email.

Have fun planning your trip. I booked my Den Rus private tour 9 months early. I learned about all the different things to see from these boards which I really found valuable.

JACH77

August 15th, 2007, 03:31 PM

Donna

We are a group of 6 people and are planning a Baltic cruise in August 2008. Since you were there in 2005 could you email me the prices and itinerary of the tour company you used in St Petersburg. My email is JACH77@aol.com
Thanks
Jackie

BrendaJ

August 15th, 2007, 05:16 PM

Hi Steve

You're right - not a lot of activity on our roll call yet - I'm sure it will pick up. Since this will be our first time in St. Petersburg, we will likely do the standard sites - Hermitage, etc.

However, I fhave riends that went on a Russian Riverboat cruise and they thought the subway stations were fabulous. I've seen some photos - it definitely looks like something worth seeing.

Brenda

CJcruzer

August 15th, 2007, 05:26 PM

there is a site that shows all the St. Petersburg subway stations - we were told that they cannot be photographed - something to with "government" and "transportation"....if i come across the site again (not sure I bookmarked it) will post it here.

CJcruzer

I booked a custom tour with Denrus - about 9 months in advance...

nydolphin

August 15th, 2007, 06:06 PM

I think this is the site CJcruzer means;
http://www.saint-petersburg-apartments.com/en/metro/lines.html If you click on the stations 2 or 3 pictures come up for each one. I hope to see one in person next week as part of an Alla tour.

olga77

August 15th, 2007, 09:17 PM

Forgot to mention: Sphinxs, St. Isaac Cathedral, Rostral column on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Monument of Peter the Great, the Admiralty, Summer Gardens with lots of Sculptures (Gardens were laid out in 1704), Lion's Bridge and Bank Bridge over the Griboyedov canal, Monument of Catherine the Great in the garden near the Alexandrinsky Theater, St. Nicholos and Smolny Cathedrals. For the ones who are still not tired of palaces the one place you might want visit is a small town in suburbs about 30 minutes from the city called Gatchina. There is a nice park, the lake, and the the palace where Emperor Paul lived. It is just a lively small town that I like (I was also born there) away from the big city's crowd and traffic. I am sure I listed a lot but, of course, as with any cities, you can't see everything in 2 days. You need at least a week or two to explore everything and still find places that you never saw.

(http://www.multitran.ru/c/m.exe?t=197813_1_2)

CJcruzer

August 15th, 2007, 09:35 PM

found the site for pictures of the metro stations:

http://urbanrail.fotopic.net/c518260.html

Enjoy!!!

CJcruzer

cruisemom42

August 15th, 2007, 11:43 PM

We had the chance to go to Catherine's Palace for an evening entertainment that was wonderful. Got to sit in the grand salon and hear period music, and basically were treated like honored "guests" of the tsarina. Dinner was then served in a restaurant within walking (and viewing) distance of the palace.

This was an excursion offered by the cruise line and it was well worth it.

For our daytime tours, we went with Den Rus and I would certainly recommend them highly. In addition to the other suggestions, eating a more leisurely lunch in a traditional Russian restaurant (rather than rushing through the day) was something we enjoyed. We also considered visiting another museum (not the Hermitage) to see their collection of icons, but we didn't have time and had to cut it out of the itinerary.

jstducky

August 16th, 2007, 02:24 AM

Steve:

I too noticed that Catharine's Palace wasn't on your list. If you haven't been out there, you should definitely make the journey. If you've been to Versaille and liked it, Catharine's Palace is much better. It's large and grand and has some amazing artwork, gold work, parkay floors, all of it is amazing and the Amber room is a sight to behold.

As for prices, you are right, the larger the group the cheaper it will be for a private tour. Will you be taking your kids with you on this cruise? If so, then you can probably expect to pay $350-$400 per person for a group of just 4.

As for evening entertainment, I did my tour with Alla and she provided us with a list of evening entertainment available for the night we were in St. Pete along with prices for each option. When we chose an option, she purchased the tickets for us in advance, charged us the face value of the ticket, nothing more, provided the transportation to the venue and back to the pier after the show was over. I am assuming that any of the major tour companies can do the same for you.

dbh62ark

August 17th, 2007, 05:46 PM

TLCOhio

August 22nd, 2007, 09:30 PM

Donna, I would love your itinerary and price info.
My e-mail is TLCohio@aol.com

Planning for July 24-Aug. 4 cruise on Crystal with three days in St. Petersburg.

Thanks! Terry in Ohio

Glory7

August 22nd, 2007, 10:17 PM

GuideDiva

August 23rd, 2007, 01:56 AM

All of the attractions in St. Petersburg sound so wonderful it's difficult to choose. We're customizing an itinerary and have received suggestions based on our preferences from one of the tour companies. Have included most of the 'must-sees'. Have excluded the following, and would like anyone's opinion on whether these are 'must do's' -shopping & walking the Nevsky Prospekt; Church of the Spilled Blood vs. St. Isaac's Cathedral; is the Canal Tour worthwhile or are we better off trading for a land attraction? Any ideas or comments are welcome.

The canals of St Petersburg are an important part of our history and the culture in the early days of the city. Peter the Great founded the city in a river delta that was swampy and subject to flooding so the original channels were dug deepened and eventually lined with red granite, and many more channels were added, all of which became the transportation lifeline of the city. Gradually many of the canals were filled in to create the roads that took most of the traffic after the flooding was brought under control in the early 1800s, after the most destructive flood immortalized by Pushkins most famous poem "The Bronze Horseman". Today the city is still crisscrossed with canal dividing the city into 44 islands, requiring 500 bridges.
Travel by boat and barge was so much preferred to muddy roads that many of the grand homes and public buildings were build facing the canal instead of the road. To best seen the city as it looked in the 18th and 19th centuries, seeing it by canal boat is a must. If possible, at night is an excellent time to see the bridges and original buildings. The buildings and bridges lining canal course ways are almost fully restored to the plans of the original designers.

Be sure to tell your tour company your interests and hobbies because they will be able to create an itinerary that stresses elements of your interests. Most people arriving on cruise ships seem to want to do the same things so "standard tours" have been created that are pleasing but there are so many other options that are seldom mentioned. Fans of history or literature, science, or performance arts can have tours that include activities unavailable in almost any other city. An example for fans of the dance, visiting one of the world famous ballet schools in summer season would be a real treat. Railroad hobbyists would love the very nice Railway Museums and visit the central train stations and repair yards. Fashion admirers would love to visit some of the design houses here that are featured in the fashion magazines. Military historians would find dozens of specialty museums that are best of class in the world such as the Central Naval Museum or the Artillery Museum, both the largest of their type in the world. Stamp or radio fans would love to visit the largest collection of stamps and the laboratory of Prof. A.C. Popov, the inventor of radio, predating Marconi all housed in the Communications museum. Cooks might be interested in the Bread Museum.
At night, there are almost as many options. Most cruisers attend Folkloric shows but there is much much more like river cruises with dinner or music, evening unhurried shopping, concerts of classical, jazz or rock, opera, ballet, nice restaurants, night clubs, casinos, walking in a busy and lively city center in the night, exploring the inner city on foot or just sitting in an outdoor cafe and watch people.
These are just a few ideas.

dbh62ark

August 24th, 2007, 11:55 AM

Donna, I would love your itinerary and price info.
My e-mail is TLCohio@aol.com

Planning for July 24-Aug. 4 cruise on Crystal with three days in St. Petersburg.

Thanks! Terry in OhioYou have mail. :)

Have a great trip,
Donna

olga77

August 24th, 2007, 03:16 PM

Glory7

August 28th, 2007, 08:22 AM

I appreciate your insightful responses and will definitely take the information into consideration. It's so difficult to choose from what seem like so many wonderful experiences in such a short period of time.

trudzie

August 29th, 2007, 04:33 PM

Having done both the Church of the Spilled blood and St. Isaac's Cathedral, I would suggest seeing the Church of the Spilled blood as the interior mosaics are so beautiful. The Cathedral is I think the second largest in the world but I personally think seeing the exterior of St. Isaac's is enough if you only have time to do one interior. If you Google both sites for pictures, you'll get a good feel for each place.

LINGBER

September 8th, 2007, 10:24 PM

Donna, I would love your itinerary and price info. If you would please email me as well. tingber4@bellsouth.net

Thank you!

coo359a2

September 21st, 2007, 12:00 AM

Hi, Would appreciate any info on itinerary and pricing info you might have. Will be in St Petersburg next Sept on Crown Princess.
My email is cook6297@hotmail.com

Thanks
Tina

murphysmum

September 21st, 2007, 01:35 AM

Hello...

There are three very special museums not mentioned yet: The Russian Museum (not to be confused with the Hermitage), the Museum of Ethnography and the Museum of Religion. All three of these museums are so beautifully done that I'm not sure why they're not included on regular tours.

Yes, I would see the Catherine Palace and walk the grounds and we visited the Synagoge and it was well worth the visit.

Enjoy!

murphysmum;)

KESinMN

September 22nd, 2007, 10:22 AM

I will make a plug for few things.

I read a book by Susanne Massie entitle Pavlovsk that told about Paul's palace. It was VERY interesting especially when discussing it's history around WWII. It told how the workers protected the treasures and their dedication after the war to restoring it. So after reading the book, it was mindblowing to see it in person.

I would recommend Gatchina if you ever wonder what these palaces looked like after the war and Communists. There were sections of Gatchina that had not been restored yet. I believe it was also Gatchina that had a bedroom in the process of being restored. My guide said it was interesting for her to keep going back to see the progress on that room.

If you didn't see the Cottage Palace in Alexandria Park (next to Peterhof) I would also suggest that. Lovely, Neo-Gothic place that I thought showed a more private home then state residence.

I felt the two war memorials were ..........? I can't believe the trials the Russians endured with the siege. The Piskaryovskoye Memorial was mind numbing because of the sheer volume of dead. The Victory Memorial was interesting and there was a small museum on site that shows how much they had to eat, etc.

I really enjoyed the Nevsky Monastery cemeteries, I think the Communists renamed it something like the Museum of Urban Architecture. I also went for a walk on Yelagin Island and saw the really luxurious old and new mansions.

Kris

Kamloops50

September 22nd, 2007, 10:57 AM

PINEY10

November 16th, 2007, 01:13 PM

Where did you see this posting and which government are you talking about (Russia)?

JaneBP

November 17th, 2007, 09:57 AM

Are there any folk or flea markets or interesting shops to visit? I usually like to get to a drugstore and/or grocery store to get a bit of local flavor. I assume the days of bread lines and empty shelves are over.

I have three days and the first two will be with Alla and a private tour itinerary, because I have some mobility issues.

bethwendy

November 17th, 2007, 11:47 AM

Donna, Thank you for your offer of forwarding your St Petersburg itinerary & price. If you would please, email me as well @ btheisma@spt.com.

Thank you!

PINEY10

November 17th, 2007, 12:13 PM

Donna,

I would like to see your price and itinerary as well. jvb1128@yahoo.com

Thanks.

cruisemom42

November 17th, 2007, 12:24 PM

Just a WARNING to people going to Russia. This year the goverment requires

that people "NOT TAKING" tours arranged by the cruiseline

"MUST" get their own Visas in advance. They will no longer be avaiable

on arrival in the port. This was warning was posted in a number of

cruise brochures.

If this now changed would appreciate an update.:)

I don't believe this is anything new. It has been the case at least as far back as our 2005 Baltics cruise.

If you tour with the ship's excursion OR with one of the big operators (Den Rus, Red October, Alla for example), you will be covered. HOWEVER, you cannot venture out on your own without having obtained your visa in advance.

suzyluvs2cruise

November 19th, 2007, 01:15 AM

I don't believe this is anything new. It has been the case at least as far back as our 2005 Baltics cruise.

If you tour with the ship's excursion OR with one of the big operators (Den Rus, Red October, Alla for example), you will be covered. HOWEVER, you cannot venture out on your own without having obtained your visa in advance.

We are booked for Sept 2008 on a private tour in St Petersburg. The tour company is taking care of the visa requirement for us.

cruisemom42

November 19th, 2007, 10:17 AM

We are booked for Sept 2008 on a private tour in St Petersburg. The tour company is taking care of the visa requirement for us.

Yes, as I said above, the larger tour companies usually handle this.

For clarification, you should know that when you tour with a group like Den Rus or Red October, they are not actually obtaining an individual visa for you. I'm a little foggy on the details, since it has been a couple of years, but I believe you are covered under their blanket visa. This is why you HAVE to stay with your guide/group at all times.

Len3

November 19th, 2007, 11:35 AM

Eight of us have formed a group from our roll call and booked directly with "Alla." She has done everything that we requested and was very prompt with answering our questions, etc. She is obtaining our necesary documentation and we don't have to do anything but stay with her. No personal VISA is required by the Russian Government.

dbh62ark

November 20th, 2007, 02:43 PM

JaneBP, the market by the Church on the Spilled Blood is great. Your tour operator will help you to be on the lookout for pickpockets in that area. The grocery store on the Nevsky Prospect might be of interest to you, but I’m sure your tour operator will know of others that may be of interest to you.

Bethwendy and Piney10, I sent messages to you regarding itinerary.

Regarding the visa issue, I can understand that it can be confusing. The cruise lines have been sending the same misinformation (which is basically a lack of information) for at least 5 years. The cruise line will advise you that you must take their excursions or obtain an individual visa to tour independently. The cruise lines fail to advise their passengers of the third option, which is to take a tour with a licensed tour operator providing a group visa for independent tour groups. The group visas are provided only for passengers entering Russia for a period of less than 72 hours, and as noted by others, you must stay with your private tour guide at all times (the tour guide is legally responsible for you). The laws have not changed, and the cruise line tricks haven’t changed either. :) Denrus, Red October, and Alla offer group visas. There are some other companies listed on these boards that also provide group visas, but I don’t have a complete list. Your tour operator will verify that you do or do not need a visa to use their services. I highly recommend a private tour (we have used Red October Russia and Denrus and highly recommend Denrus) to maximize your time in St. Petersburg.

Donna