Itinerary

Day 1 St. Petersburg

St Petersburg is known as a cultural center and for its elegant buildings, and is spread over 42 islands in the delta of the River Neva. In comparison to Moscow, which tended to be more Eastern in character, St Petersburg has always retained a European flavor and was intended as a ‘Window to the West’. It was built by Peter the Great in 1703 and remained the capital of Tsarist Russia for 200 years. Wide boulevards, tranquil canals, bridges and some of the best examples of tsarist architecture gave rise to the epithet the ‘Venice of the North’. The Palace Square and the Winter Palace (Hermitage Museum) are among the most popular attractions for enthusiasts of Russian history.

Avail of a private airport transfer in St Petersburg.

A welcome package with a small wooden doll, nice book on Russia, vouchers, a city map, train tickets (if relevant) and any other touristic information that you may find useful will be waiting for you upon your arrival at your first hotel on your trip.

We will provide you with a letter of Invitation for your Russian Visa. Once payment has been received, the letter along with other important documents will be sent to you.

Take a panoramic tour and get acquainted with the main architectural and historical monuments of St Petersburg, ride along its main streets and prospects, and enjoy its splendid parks and gardens. Drive along world famous "Nevsky Prospect" lined with marble palaces of Russian royalty and aristocracy, with most fashionable boutiques. View Monastery of Alexander Nevsky with its magnificent Trinity Cathedral and its cemetery where Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky and other world celebrities were buried. Visit St. Peter and St. Paul's fortress, view St. Isaac Cathedral with «The Bronze Horseman». Drive by Summer Garden with the oldest royal stone palace and breathtaking collection of Italian statues and sculpture set in a natural surrounding. Stop in the Field of Mars with the eternal flame lit in the centre of the monument to victims of revolutions and wars, at the Resurrection Cathedral on the Spilt Blood at its background, one of the most unusual monuments of Russian Orthodox. Drive through the Square of Arts which is a perfect classical ensemble of the city, enjoy an overwhelming beauty of the third largest square in the world, the Palace Square with the Alexander Column, the Triumphal Arch of the general Staff building, and the Winter Palace complex. Entrance fee to Peter and Paul's Fortress is included in the tour price.

Kensington Tours donates a portion of proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities.

Petro Palace (4*) is located in the very heart of St. Petersburg, just steps away from the Hermitage and St. Isaac’s Cathedral and surrounded by some of the city’s best restaurants and bars, vibrant cafes and most exciting theatre and nightlife. Each of the 194 rooms are stylishly furnished, comfortable and fully equipped with modern style amenities, as well as internet access. The hotel's elegant dining room offers Classic Russian cuisine in a friendly and atmosphere. Immerse yourself in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, all with the comfort and class of the Petro Palace Hotel.

Overnight at Petro Palace (4*).

Day 2 St. Petersburg

Enjoy a private guided 5hr tour of the Hermitage and admire the gems of the collection. During the tour you will see the State Rooms of the Winter Palace, a part of the collection of paintings of Old Masters and other exciting exhibits and works of art. Value the splendour of the Gala stair-way, Peter's Memorial Hall, the Armorial Hall, the Gallery of 1812 with its numerous portraits, the Pavilion Hall and its various amusements and other gala rooms. You are sure to enjoy the works of applied arts, precious items and paintings. The collection of Western European art, numbering over 600,000 items, is considered to be one of the finest in the world. It presents all the stages of the development of art from the Middle Ages to the present. Enjoy masterpieces by outstanding Western European artists, as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Giorgione, Titian, Michelangelo, Francisco de Goya, Renoir, Picasso and others. You will have an opportunity to see such world-famous masterpieces as works by Degas, Renoir, Pissarro, Van Gogh, Gauguin and others. Admire the richest collection of ancient and early medieval items, works of art from Ancient Greece and Rome, fabulous treasures of oriental culture and wonderful European art. (Entrance fee to Hermitage Museum is included in the tour price).

Overnight at Petro Palace (4*).

Day 3 St. Petersburg

Take a full day tour to Pushkin, originally named Tsarskoe Selo (Tsar's Village), famous for the marvelous Catherine Palace and park. The town, also known as Pushkin, in honour of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, was the main summer residence of the royal family. The collection of the palace includes a large number of precious works of art, such as furniture, porcelain, statues, canvases, including personal belongings of Russian emperors and members of their families. Visit one of the most remarkable interiors of Catherine Palace, the Amber Room. Your private guide will tell the story of the Catherine Palace's construction, and will get to know about the tragic moments in the palace's history, connected with the Nazi occupation during the World War II. Continue to Pavlovsk, site of the only fully-restored former imperial palace following the Nazi’s ravage. The palace-and-park ensemble was presented by the Russian empress Catherine the Great to her son Paul on the occasion of the birth of his first son, Alexander. The palace's Greek Hall is adorned with green Corinthian columns making the ballroom the most elegant interior of the Palace in Pavlovsk. The park of Pavlovsk is the largest park in Russia with ponds, valleys, waterfalls and various statues laid out at the end of the 18th century. Entrance fees are included in the tour price.

Overnight at Petro Palace (4*).

Day 4 St. Petersburg

Avail of a private airport transfer in St Petersburg.

Depart from St. Petersburg international airport - end of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.

More information from Kensington Tours:

• View trip on provider's website
  www.kensingtontours.com/tours/europe/russia/st-petersburg-ext…
• Company profile, experience, and history
• View all of their trips