Homelands Cruise guided tour(s)

[philw1776]

I haven't been able to see the prices for the Viking tours yet to compare. The Alla Grand Tour does look quite good, but I do have a couple reservations. The schedule looks very full for the two days. Was it exhausting?

 

My other concern is that the Alla tours include a rather short stop at the Hermitage, either 2.5 or 3 hours. The Viking excursion to the Hermitage is 4.5 hours (with travel time I assume), and that extra time is important to us. However, that doesn't help us if that excursion is all sold out by the time we can sign up.

 

We used TJ Tours and got in early. Watched ship tour groups like Viking waiting in massive lines for entry as we were inside touring. Between the to and from bus time on Viking and the line waiting, you will not have much extra time with Viking.

Even better, once inside small tour groups led by an experienced guide (our TJ Tours guide was a PhD student who worked at the Hermitage) can maneuver adroitly to avoid the huge bus tour groups crowding an exhibit and get your small group close up. Our guide worked with other private tour guides to orchestrate an efficient tour for 12.

[lackcreativity]

We used TJ Tours and got in early. Watched ship tour groups like Viking waiting in massive lines for entry as we were inside touring. Between the to and from bus time on Viking and the line waiting, you will not have much extra time with Viking.

Even better, once inside small tour groups led by an experienced guide (our TJ Tours guide was a PhD student who worked at the Hermitage) can maneuver adroitly to avoid the huge bus tour groups crowding an exhibit and get your small group close up. Our guide worked with other private tour guides to orchestrate an efficient tour for 12.

 

Thanks for that information. I have discovered on the Alla site that for ships in port for three days, as we will be on the Russia and the Baltic Sea, guests are generally only able to sign up for the three day tour. That version has a longer visit to the Hermitage, plus a stop to the General Staff building where the impressionist collection is housed. This is sounding better all the time.