- Private vehicle
- Cultural heritage
- Sightseeing
- Tailored tour
- Photo stops
- 3-4 hours
- Tour guide
St Petersburg City Tour
or as it is often called the St Petersburg Sightseeing is a great way to get acquainted with the city, its main sights, to plan places for visiting, to make photos against the iconic backgrounds and unforgettable panoramas. As a rule, it takes place by car or minivan and lasts 3-4 hours but can be combined with a walking around the central sites or inside visiting of the major museums such as the Hermitage, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Savior on Blood, the Peter and Paul Fortress, Faberge museum and others. Also, you may dine at a restaurant or cafe of St Petersburg (I will offer options in accordance with the preferred kitchen) increasing the city tour time, and drop into the best souvenir shops and shopping malls. For more information also check the list of my PRIVATE TOURS provided.
Below you will find the description of the main spots you’ll enjoy and a standard route with an approximate timeline of St Petersburg sightseeing. Just write your wishes and I will adjust them individually for you. In addition, we can supplement it with exporing the most beautiful metro stations and / or a boat trip along the rivers and canals of the city.
St Petersburg city tour implies that I will pick you up from your hotel or any other point by taxi or private car with a driver and we will move from one attraction to another along the planned route (we will discuss it in advance by email or messenger). On the way, you will learn about the history of the city, the main milestones of its development, about everything that you see from the window – interesting details of streets, houses and bridges. We will be stopping near the most significant landmarks to get to know them better and take some pictures.
Description
Palace Square situated in the heart of St Petersburg, it is the main square of the city, adored by its residents and guests. It’s one of the most beautiful architectural ensembles of the world. Best Russian architects worked on its creation. The name of the square comes from the Winter Palace, former imperial residence. The square was formed in the second half of the 18th — the first half of the 19th centuries. It’s 5,4 hectares in size and is surrounded by the cultural and historical monuments, such as Winter Palace, Guard Headquarters Building, General Staff Building with the Triumph Arch. In the centre of the square you can see the Alexander Column of 47,5 meters high. Nowadays Palace square is the centre of all public events and concerts, held in St Petersburg.
Spit of Vasilievsky Island (in Russian Strelka) is one of the oldest sights of Saint Petersburg. It was established in the times of Peter the Great as a business, educational and governmental centre of the city. Later became The architectural complex of the Spit is one of the most beautiful in Petersburg. Rostral Columns of 32 meters high and the Stock Exchange building are in the centre of the composition. Strelka represents a moderate foreland in the south-east part of Vasilievsky island, washed by Bolshaya and Malaya Neva. Great water area lets see a wonderful panorama.
Peter and Paul Fortress being one of the most interesting military, historic, and architectural monuments in the world, the Peter and Paul fortress attracts the attention of several hundred thousand tourists annually. Visiting the fortress gives one an opportunity to interact with the world the way it was 300 years ago, to visit a sight of antiquity in the middle of a metropolitan city. Taking a look at the main walls of the fortress, the cathedral and the administrative buildings, you get the chance to get acquainted with different examples of the architectural styles that existed from the beginning of the 18th century and until the beginning of the 20th century.
Senate Square is one of the oldest and well-recognized squares of St Petersburg. Senate Square started to form already in 1704, as a part of glacis next to the Admiralty which was initially planned not only as a shipyard, but also as a fortress. That’s why it was necessary to create free space around it. A monument to Peter the Great now well-known as Bronze Horseman was established in the middle of the squre in 1782. Since then the Square was called - Petrovskaya square. In 1829-1834, the Senate and Sinod Buildings in the style of late classicism were erected from the left end of the square. This is how it got its current name.
Isaac's Square is one of the most beautiful and majestic squares of Saint Petersburg. Its ensemble includes several buildings, but the main one is, of course, Isaac's Cathedral. Isaac square got its grand look in the second half of the 19th century when all the finishing works of the Cathedral were completed. The general idea to arrange the square that way belonged to the architect of Isaac’s Cathedral - Montferrand. In the centre of the square you’ll see the monument to Nicolas I installed in 1859. The western part of the square is locked by the Hotel Astoria, built to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Romanovs reign. At that time it was one of the best hotels in Europe.
What's include
During the City tour, you will see the most spectacular highlights of St. Petersburg
- Palace square
- Alexander's column
- Winter palace
- Former General staff building
- Nevsky prospect
- Admiralty
- Senate square
- Bronze horseman
- Isaac Cathedral
- Isaac square
- the Neva river embankments
- Palace bridge
- Peter and Paul fortress
- Spit of Vasilievsky island
- Rostral columns
- Peter's cabin (first house of Peter the Great in the city)
- Aurora cruiser
- Petersburg Mosque
- Trinity bridge
- Spilled blood church
- Field of Mars
- Engineers (Michaylovsky) castle
- Fontanka river
- St. Nicolas Naval Cathedral
- Seven bridges spot
- Grand Choral Synagogue
- Mariinsky theatre
- Yusupov palace
- Moika river
- Anichkov bridge
- Kazan cathedral
- Arts square
- Russian museum
- Stroganov palace
Variant of Timeline
Please keep in mind that it is possible to increase the duration of the tour by adding visits to the museums or reduce some part of the route by including ones. Just tell me your preferences.
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Meeting Point
I can pick you up from a hotel/a seaport or wherever you state/want. Be without luggage. We will move around by taxi or by private vehicle. Pick the suitable means of traveling in the tour brief. Any other conditions can be discussed in person, and I'll act according to your preferences.
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Part of the Tour
It will be held in the heart of St. Petersburg. The route passes through the Admiralty, Vasileostrovsky, Petrogradsky and Central districts. They are separated by the main waterway of the city, the majestic Neva river and its tributaries, and are connected by the famous drawbridges of St. Petersburg - Blagovnschensky, Dvortsovy and Troitsky. Due to this, to the guests ’view there are magnificent panoramas of the Winter Palace, the Rostral Columns and a small island fully occupied by Peter and Paul Fortress, the very one from which the history of our city, now an open-air museum, began. Time is customized up to your wish.
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Coffee Break
You may dine at a restaurant or cafe of your choice (I will offer options in accordance with the preferred kitchen).
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Rest of the Tour
This part of the route lies at some distance from the central attractions, about five km from the Palace Square. Here in the 19th century there was the so-called unfair Petersburg, now, however, on the scale of the whole territory of the city it is, of course, also its central part. Here we are waiting for the Mariinsky Theater Square, St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral, the Great Choral Synagogue, the Kryukov Canal with its famous site of seven bridges.
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Saying GoodBye
Drop you at the hotel/sea port or where you'll point out.
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TOUR REVIEWS
The whole process of booking the tour was very easy, with the date and time being agreed with Anna prior to booking. The tour was very interesting with Anna sharing information about the Metro system and also what we could expect to see when we went to see other places of interest. We learnt a lot about the history of St. Petersburg and Russia. The stations themselves were beautiful and I would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to see the amazing stations and learn about the history of the Metro.Read mоre Hide
My daughter and I have enjoyed a most wonderful 3 day visit to St Petersburg. We engaged the services of Anna for a 2 day private tour and we couldn’t have been happier. To start with she is friendly, warm and accomodating and her knowledge is outstanding. Anna also helped us with restaurant and retail recommendations all of which were spot on. As first timers to Russia we wanted to make the most of our time and thanks to Anna we accomplished more then we ever hoped to. I highly recommend using Anna if your are considering a private tour.Read mоre Hide
My wife and I were planning a cruise this summer that included 2 days in St. Petersburg. We had already been to St. Petersburg and visited the main sites and wanted something different. I selected Anna because of her great website and the chance to put together a private tour. Over several weeks we worked to put together a great 2 day tour at less than 1/2 the cost of our ship tour. Anna was going to purchase tickets for several sites so we would not have to wait in line, plus get government approval for our private tour, so I send the funds by paypal . Unfortunately with the corona virus, we decided to cancel our cruise. When I told Anna she was very understanding and refunded our funds the very day we let her know we were not coming. It was a pleasure to work with her and put together a private tour. Hopefully one day we will get to go and tour with her.Read mоre Hide
We could not have had better guidance around St Petersberg. Anna brought the history alive with her stories and her knowledge of the architecture, political history and Russian dynasty. We felt very safe and she was so helpful with getting tickets, timing of visits and taxis. We both feel we have learned so much about this beautiful and interesting city. Thank you Anna.
I highly recommend this tour. Anna showed me many metro stations and gave me insights into the significance of them, how they are decorated and why that is significant. She also took me to a couple of places that I wouldn't have been to if I had just stayed within the standard area of where you would go as a tourist of St Petersburg. A lovely afternoon
I connected with Anna sometime ago for our dream trip around Russia. Anna immediately assisted me with everything I needed going above and beyond her duties as a tour guide. I am travelling with two young children who are full of energy yet she was patient, kind & understanding. Her vast knowledge of the city was much more than expected. This type of knowledge comes with years of experience and passion for her city. By booking Anna will be the best decision you make with an unforgettable experience. Thank you once again Anna for impressive memories.Read mоre Hide
We arrived in St Petersburg on a cruise ship and Anna arranged a great 2 day trip of the city for us. She communicated with us in advance to agree what our tour would involve and all timings, and gave us useful advice. When we arrived, she was there on time to meet us and start our tour. It was an action packed couple of days and Anna was full of information about all the places we were visiting. We were whisked to the front of the queue at each place we went to so no standing in line! And on our final day she had us back exactly when she said she would do we were back on board on plenty of time for the ship leaving. For anyone visiting St Petersburg I would recommend Anna as your guide, she was excellent!Read mоre Hide
I spent a fantastic 2 days seeing the sights of beautiful St Petersburg with Anna as my private guide. The tour was very well organised and managed to cram in all the things I wanted to do in my short time there. There was no waiting in line to get into any of the attractions as Anna had pre booked the tickets and we were able to skip the long queues. She was very accommodating to fit in all the things I wanted to see in my time in St Petersburg including transport options. Anna was always on time with meeting me in the morning and including at midnight when we did the open bridges tour. It was a very informative 2 days and there was not a question I asked she was unable to answer. Her knowledge of the city and history of Russia is second to none and extremely impressive!! Anna is an absolute professional, very friendly and easy to communicate with. It was a pleasure to explore St Petersburg with someone who is passionate about their city and I recommend her services while visiting!!Read mоre Hide
We did an nice and flexible tour, according to my wishes. Anna impressed often by the great knowledge about Details of the history and art of her City SPB - and you can easily imagine, that she loved SPB.
Anna was extremely knowledgeable and informative. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the Metro. I couldn't have done it on my own. I would definitely recommend any tour that Anna does if this one was indicative of her ability to provide a wonderful experience.
We spent two fantastic days in St. Petersburg and had the great pleasure to have Anna as our private guide. She planned our visits to all fantastic places and arranged all tickets in advance. Somehow she always got us among the first in line. Anna has a great knowledge about history, buildings and all worth knowing about the city and the life in Russia. We can really recommend Anna if you want to explore St. Petersburg. Best regardsRead mоre Hide
Anna was a fabulous guide today. I really enjoyed how well the tour was planned and having a guide who has a genuine passion for the magnificent culture of St Petersburg. She was also understanding of my interest of having some of the tour in Russian though her English is excellent. I highly recommend her!
It was our pleasure and good fortune to spend time with you in your favorite city. We enjoyed all our conversations with you: historical, architectural, cultural, political and spiritual. Every year on the feast day of Epiphany I will be thinking of you and your sacramental rite of baptism in the Neva River! In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. We were so blessed to have you to guide us in St. Petersburg! I hope you and I can keep in touch a littleRead mоre Hide
Dear Anna, thank you so much for a wonderful time we have spent with you in St Petersburg... We really enjoyed, and had an excellent, joyful tours with you and so many amazing learnings you have shared with us! The whole organization, professional approach and especially positive energy during the days we spent with you were amazing!
Fantastic tour Anna, we cant wait to come again! Looks like we might be doing 2 trips to russia next year. So excited
Dear Anya, It was very pleasent to work with you for trips we recently done to Saint Petersburg. We are not getting proper response from guides for our trips but later we found you. We appreciate your work with professionality and accurate explanation of all places. I personally like to recommend you to other and for sure all future trips for our group, you are the only one we would like to walk at nevskiy. Thanks for making our trip memorable :-) Best of luck!! Regards Gorussia Holidays teamRead mоre Hide
She was excellent, patient and very knowledgeable. She took us to hermitage, Peter and Paul Fortress and Peterhof. We had a great time and she even took interest in the kids and showed them things that would interest then. If I travel back to St. Petersburg I would surely get in touch with her. Her service was affordable and extremely professional. Thanks for making our vacation in St. Petersburg pleasurable.
We got to St. Petersburg for a couple of days, wanted to watch something special from russian history. Our guide Ann suggested to get to Pushkin City. It was really fun!!! We heard lots of things! Amber room is something special! Ann thanks for interesting tour.
Will surely recommend your name to my family and friends who wish to visit st Petersburg.
Thanks so much again for today. You helped make my stay here more meaningful. You are very good at what you do!
Dear Anya, It was very pleasent to work with you for trips we recently done to Saint Petersburg. We are not getting proper response from guides for our trips but later we found you. We appreciate your work with professionality and accurate explanation of all places. I personally like to recommend you to other and for sure all future trips for our group, you are the only one we would like to walk at nevskiy. Thanks for making our trip memorable :-) Best of luck!! Regards Gorussia Holidays team
Will surely recommend your name to my family and friends who wish to visit st Petersburg.
Thanks so much again for today. You helped make my stay here more meaningful. You are very good at what you do!