St. Petersburg - Moscow Three Day Shore Excursion

private tour

St. Petersburg Tour: Day 1

You will be met at the ship by your personal tour guide and driver. You will be given the driving "overview" tour of the city. During the city tour, your driver will stop for photo making and to give you the opportunity to take short walks in the most picturesque and famous places of St. Petersburg. During the first hour you will visit the sites you will see from the outside only. Since many of the larger venues open later, this is the best use of your time. During the driving tour, you will be able to familiarize yourself with beautiful St. Petersburg, the "Venice of the North".

 

09:30 St. Petersburg tours are very exciting and as the objects of our inside visits begin to open their doors we make our first stop for the day. It is the Yusupov Palace. We visit this grand palace on the bank of Moika Canal which is very unobtrusive from the outside. It was built in 1770, during the reign of Catherine the Great.

The Yusupov family, although not officially part of the royal family, were among the wealthiest Russians of the time. They desired to have a city palace worthy of their status and fitting for Royal visits. This Palace meets and exceeds those requirements. You'll see the beautiful marble staircase, the grand ballroom and the magnificent concert hall.

For many the most interesting aspect of the Yusupov Palace is that it was the site of the murder of Gregori Rasputin. Rasputin was using his influence over the Empress Alexandra to appoint ministers of the government in return for bribes. Felix Yusupov felt that Rasputin's influence was hastening the fall of his influential friend. Therefore Felix and others lured Rasputin to the Yusupov Palace where poison, gunshots and beatings combined to kill Rasputin.

For a more interesting discussion on theYusupov Palace follow this link.

 

Next on your tour is the spectacular Catherine Palace. This palace was built and named for Catherine I, wife of Peterthe Great. The Catherine Palace was enhanced by daughter, Elizabeth I. Later the palace was enhanced again by Catherine II (the Great).

The Catherine Palace is home of the world famous "Amber Room". The Amber Room has only been available for viewing in the last few years after the government spent many years of painstaking reconstruction. It is assumed that the original version of this amazing room was stolen by the Nazis during World War II.

 

 

As a final treat of the day you board your private powerboat for a tour of the city from her many canals.

18:00 Return to the ship

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Moscow Tour Day 2

Today, you will be met at the ship for your transfer to the St. Petersburg airport for a 09:30 departure to Moscow

 

Your driver will meet you at the Moscow airport and drive you to Red Square where you will rendesvouz with you private Moscow tour guide.

The first stop today is the famous Moscow Kremlin .

We refer to it as the Moscow Kremlin since, as you may have discovered, there are many Kremlins (fortresses) in the country.You saw Kremlins in the Golden Ring of Russia for example.

The Moscow Kremlin is the seat of Government of the Russian Federation. In addition to the Presidential Palace, there are many other sites within the walls of the Kremlin.

Some of these sites require additional tickets which are provided in this private one-day tour of the Kremlin and Red Square.

After you have visited the Cathedral of the Assumption, where the czars were crowned, you will visit the Kremlin Armoury Museum.

The Kremlin Armory is one of those Kremlin sites which require a separate entranceticket.(Included in your tour). Inside you will see an array of amazing artifacts, mostly related to the period of the Czars. This museum houses:

• examples of the famous Faberge eggs
• gowns worn by the Empresses of Russia
  • including the amazing coronation gown of Empress Catherine II (Great)
• thousands of priceless artifacts from the estates of the czars.

After lunch, you will visit St. Basil's Cathedral which was built in the 16th century by Czar Ivan IV ( also known as "The Terrible"). It is located in Red Square, next to the Kremlin.

 

You will tour St. Basil's Cathedral to better appreciate both the exterior and interior of this amazing structure.

Before you finish the day you will walk around Red Square, see:

• the outside of Lenin's Tomb
  • the inside can be seen but advance tickets are not available and the wait in line can be very long
• the Gum Department store
• many of the nearby sites including:
  • the Russian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

You can return to St. Petersburg by airplane or train but we suggest that it is easier to go by high-speed train.

Either form of transport is included in the price of your tour.

For those wishing "Business Class" transport, it is several times the price of coach air travel and twice the price of coach train fare.

This Private Moscow tour can operate any day except Thursday which is the day the Kremlin is closed. We can tour Moscow on Thursday with meaningful visits and an outside visit to Red Square.

 

 

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St. Petersburg Tour Day 3

We will meet you at the ship at 09:00.

Our first major visit is to Peterhof, considered by many to be the "Crown Jewel" of sights in all of Russia. Built by Peter the I, the palace is magnificent by itself, but combined with the gardens and the fountains, it truly is a wonder. Today, the Peterhof fountain ensemble consists of over 150 fountains and four cascades. The piping system occupies 54km. Much of the system remains in place as planned by Peter the Great. All of these fountains generate power naturally, from downhill momentum. There are nopumps on any of the fountains.

Each year hundreds of thousands of tourists, from all over the world, visit this "capital of fountains" to enjoy the unforgettable miracle of Peterhof. This park is breathtaking. The Palace at Versailles was the inspiration for Peterhof and Peter the Great was determined to make this palace even grander.

 

14:00 For some, today's stops are the true reason to visit St. Petersburg. The Hermitage and the Winter Palace are the sites of many infamous moments in Russian history. The precocious behavior of Catherine the Great, the death of Alexander II, the Sunday Massacre, and the speeches of Lenin to the citizens after the successful Revolution, all occurred just outside, on the balcony, or within the walls of these Russian landmarks.

You will have an opportunity to see the massive art collection belonging to Catherine the Great which is now housed in the Hermitage .

Just outside the Hermitage , in the middle of the square, you will see the monument to Alexander I honoring his defeat of the mighty Napoleon. (Did you know that following the defeat of Napoleon in Russia, Alexander I led his victorious troops all the way to Paris?)

 

Optional Evening Events:

As the center of culture in Russia, you should consider attending one of the many evening events.

They include:

• Ballet — St. Petersburg has many ballet venues. On any given evening it is common to have 3 or 4 different performances from which to choose.
• Russian Folk Show in the Nickolaevsky Palace.
• Dinner in a Russian Home — This is always a favorite of our clients. The hosts are personal acquaintances who strive to give clients an opportunity to see a "native Russian" side of St. Petersburg.

Russian Folk Show

Enjoy this lively folk show in the beautiful downtown palace. Some shows are known for being less that professional. This is not one of them. You will be buying the CDs !

We include the extra time for your driver to return you to the ship after the performance.

If there is not a FYR performance on the date of your visit, there will be a refund.

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Russian Visas

Regarding the need for a Russian Visa for Cruise Ship Passengers: If you book your excursion with us, we take care of everything. We need your passport details (not the passport) and you will be provided with the "Visa Free" documentation needed to disembark in St. Petersburg. Other visitors to St. Petersburg will need a tourist visa. www.RussianTourGuide.com can help you with all aspects of your visit to Russia including the visa.

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RussianTourGuide.Com is pleased to collaborate with numerous travel agents around the world.

If you would like our tour but prefer to work with your local agent, ask your local agent to contact us. We will be happy to collaborate with your local agent to make your travel planning "seamless"!

Contingency Planning: Working with an experienced tour company can offer unexpected benefits. Your guide has much experience with almost all situations which arise with tourists and can probably craft a solution for any contingency. Your guide also has phone access to support from our staff in the USA. If needed, she can contact us to assist you. While you travel in Russia we can facilitate services such as:

• Cash advance (for example in the case of a lost or stolen credit card).
• Foreign exchange.
• Provide Russian phones for your use while visiting.
• Medical facilities with English speaking physicians in St. Petersburg.

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www.russiantourguide.com
108 May Apple Way
Landrum, S.C. 29356 USA
+1 864 906 0481

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