Two Days in St. Petersburg, Russia – The Best Private Tour Itinerary
How can you see as much as possible in St. Petersburg, Russia in only two days? For me, the answer was a St Petersburg private tour.
I was really excited to visit St. Petersburg on a Baltic Sea Cruise with Windstar Cruises. Russia’s imperial capital evokes images of powerful tsars with colourful, and sometimes salacious, histories. Of grand music by the likes of Tchaikovsky, great literature such as Anna Karenina, and more art works in one place than you could possibly see in a year.
I wanted to see it all.
Of course, that’s not really possible in two days. That’s why I was happy to discover Insider Tour while reviewing options for St. Petersburg tours or navigating on our own.
With Insider Tour, we were able to customize the list of St. Petersburg sights for the tour. They took care of the paperwork, so that we could avoid the time-consuming and costly process of obtaining a visa. Cruise passengers are allowed to enter St. Petersburg without a formal visa as long as they take a tour with a licensed company and stay for less than 72 hours. A St Petersburg private tour turned out to be the best choice – – an easier process to get into Russia, a private guide and driver to save time getting around, and skip-the-line tickets for St. Petersburg attractions.
To see as much as possible, the schedule was jam-packed. Although we took some quick stops to enjoy some borscht and some blini, I would have liked a bit more time to try some other Russian food items.
Here is our two-day itinerary for visiting the top things to see in St. Petersburg, along with some of the fascinating tidbits we learned along the way.
Day 1 – Meeting our St Petersburg private tour guide
Our guide, Dmitry, and driver Valery, were waiting for us outside the passport control office at the St. Petersburg cruise port.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but Dmitry appeared to be part hipster and, based on his extensive knowledge, part Renaissance man. Plus, he had a voice that could narrate movie trailers.
“In a world where a Russian tsar decides to build a fabulous city on a swamp,” Demitry began. Okay, he didn’t say that exactly. But Dmitry did tell us about how St. Petersburg came to be. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great to solidify access to the Baltic Sea. Peter was also a travel buff and hired the best European architects to design neoclassical palaces and mansions to line the city’s canals. That’s why St. Petersburg is often referred to as the “Venice of the North”.
Our first stop was the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral, one of St. Petersburg’s largest cathedrals, dating to 1762. St. Nicholas is said to have performed many miracles for sailors. The cathedral’s beautiful baroque architecture has made it a celebrated monument in the city.
Address: Nikol’skaya Ploshchad’, 1/3, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 190068
The Catherine Palace
On our first day of the tour, the focus was on Russian royalty, starting with the Catherine Palace. It’s 30 kilometres south of St. Petersburg in Tsarkoye Selo (Tsar’s Village), which is part of the town of Pushkin.
It’s mostly associated with Catherine the Great, one of the most compelling tsars who was known as much for her affairs of state, as for her…affairs. The palace was actually named after Peter the Great’s wife, Catherine I. It was rebuilt in a flamboyant Rococo style by their daughter, Empress Elizabeth.
Catherine Palace is huge (325 metres long) and over 100 kilograms of gold were used to gild the facade and the statues along the roof.
German forces destroyed most of the palace during World War II, leaving only a hollow shell. It was reconstructed fairly recently, in 2003.
Address: Garden St, 7, Pushkin, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 196601
Highlights of the Catherine Palace
We toured through the glitz and glamour of the Palace, with accompanying description by Dmitry, but the highlights had to be the Great Hall and the Amber Room. The Great Hall, also referred to the “Light Gallery”, has large gilt-framed windows so that the light makes the mirrors and gold chandeliers sparkle. The entire ceiling is covered by a fresco called “The Triumph of Russia”. The Great Hall was used in the 18th century for balls, formal dinners and masquerades. Can you imagine a waltz around the hall?
The Amber Room is probably the most famous one in the Palace and, unfortunately, photos are not allowed there. The walls of the room are covered with gilded panels encrusted with amber. The Russian Royals used the room to entertain and impress foreign guests. The amber panels were dismantled by Nazi forces in World War II and have never been found. It took more than 25 years and a ton of amber to recreate the room as part of the palace’s reconstruction.
Colourful stories of Catherine the Great
Although she didn’t build the palace, Catherine the Great’s presence is everywhere here.
She was Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796, often called the Golden Age of the Russian Empire. She was actually from Germany and married as a teenager to Peter III, who became Russian emperor. But after six months on the throne, Catherine overthrew him with the help of a military officer (who was also her lover). Her husband was later killed – – which may have been her doing.
During her reign, Russians adopted western European culture. Indeed, Catherine the Great corresponded regularly with French philosophers like Voltaire, and she opened the Hermitage Museum to display her art collection.
Her accomplishments are often overshadowed by the legends of her scandalous personal life. Catherine took many lovers during her reign (some of them lived) and, as was the fashion in the aristocracy of the day, employed professional ticklers to help her relax after a tough day of ruling. (Who knew history could be so fascinating!)
Peterhof – The Versailles of the North
What made Peter I so great?
Peter the Great ruled in the late 17th century and is known for expanding and modernizing the country, as well as building St. Petersburg. An unusually tall man ( 6’8″), he was an autocrat who was merciless if anyone opposed him.
And he had a thing for fountains.
After visiting Versailles, in France, Peter decided to expand his summer home at Peterhof (30 kilometres west of St. Petersburg) and add a few fountains – 150 of them. It’s interesting to note that the fountains at Peterhof don’t use pumps. The system relies on gravity and a 22-kilometre long water system.
The “Grand Cascade” in front of the palace is the most popular, with tourists gathering at 11:00 a.m. to watch when the fountains are turned on. The gilded centre piece of the fountain shows Samson tearing the jaws of lion open, symbolizing Russia’s victory over Sweden at the time.
Peterhof address: Razvodnaya Ulitsa, 2, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Peter the Great was also a prankster.
Dmitry led us on a tour through the beautiful gardens at Peterhof – – an amazing creation given the northern climate. During our walk, we saw several trick fountains, such as “the Umbrella” which was built in 1796. When visitors walk under the top, water starts to flow, creating a dense water curtain all around them. Peter called these “squirting amusements”. There’s something about a dictator with a sense of humour.
It was a fantastic day visiting both palaces — a real advantage of St. Petersburg private tours. Most tours go to one or the other, and it wouldn’t be possible to get to the two palaces in one day using public transportation.
Day 2 – A city walk & souvenirs
Day 2 of our St. Petersburg sightseeing itinerary began with a stroll along the Neva River and a quick souvenir stop. Dmitry showed us a shop where the items are handcrafted locally.
The matryoshka nesting dolls looked a little different from the one I loved playing with as a kid. Here, they’re hand painted to depict traditional clothing from various parts of the country.
Of course, the Fabergé eggs on sale are all replicas. The original jeweled eggs were made in Saint Petersburg between 1885 and 1917 and there are only 50 of them. They were created as Easter presents for the Russian royals. You can see nine of the original eggs at the Fabergé Museum in Saint Petersburg, a stop that we weren’t able to fit into our schedule.
Other local souvenirs include Imperial Porcelain which has been made since 1774. The lovely signature pattern is called Cobalt net. Other popular items include amber jewellery and Raketa wristwatches, which are made near Peterhof.
Click on the images for more information and pricing on these Russian souvenirs.
The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
It would be tough to choose just one St. Petersburg must-see, but this cathedral (also known as the Church of the Resurrection) ranks high on the list.
What’s with the “bloody” name? The church was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. On the outside, it looks a lot like St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, but stands in stark contrast to the more classical architecture in St. Petersburg.
Like the other sites we visited, the church was heavily damaged in the war. It was reopened in 1997, after 27 years of restoration work. During the war, the church was used as a morgue and afterwards, it served as a warehouse for vegetables leading to the name, “Savior on Potatoes”.
Address:
The church interior is a sight to behold. It contains over 7500 square metres of mosaics – – more than any other church in the world, according to its restorers. I’ve never seen anything like it.
The intricately detailed mosaics show biblical scenes, some linking Alexander II’s murder with the crucifixion. Each picture is set off with a fine patterned border. The mosaics were originally designed by some of the most celebrated Russian artists of the day. It’s easy to see why it took 27 years to restore.
The Hermitage Museum
A visit to the State Hermitage Museum is one of the top things to do in St. Petersburg and a must on our tour itinerary. This is the second largest museum in the world and home to over 3 million pieces of art from all over the world, including works by da Vinci, Rembrandt and Michelangelo.
Visitors can go inside five of the six buildings that make up the entire museum, including the Winter Palace, which was the official residence for Russian monarchs from 1732 to 1917. To be honest, a visit of a few hours doesn’t do it justice, but Dmitry, who is also a licensed museum guide, deftly led us through the confusing rooms and corridors to see as much as we could.
Fun fact: I didn’t see any, but up to 50 cats are “employed” by the Hermitage to keep it free of rodents. Surplus cats are given away to good homes along with official “Hermitage cat” certifications.
Address: Palace Square, 2, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 190000
Hermitage highlights
The buildings themselves will leave you almost as awestruck as the artwork does.
This amazing staircase is your first view upon entering the Hermitage Museum. Built out of white marble with plenty of gold embellishment, it’s the only room in the Winter Palace that retains its original 18th century Baroque style befitting the Russian royals of the day.
The Leonardo da Vinci Room in the Old Hermitage contains two masterpieces by the Renaissance artist – the Benois Madonna (above left) and the Litta Madonna. The works focus on the emotions between the mother and child.
I was equally impressed by the Raphael Loggias (above right). This copy of the Gallery in the Papal Palace in Vatican City was commissioned by Catherine the Great in the late 1780s.
Palace Square
The Hermitage provides a great view onto Palace Square, an historic place in St. Petersburg. This is where Bolshevik militants stormed the Winter place in the 1917 revolution that ended the Romanov dynasty.
The Alexander Column in the square is something of an engineering marvel. It’s 47 metres (156 feet) high and weighs 600 tons, yet they had no cranes to construct it in the 1830s.
St. Isaac’s Cathedral
As mentioned, it wasn’t possible to do everything on the tour. We didn’t get a chance to go inside St. Isaac’s Cathedral, but we did stop outside in the square for a photo.
St. Isaac’s is the fourth largest cathedral in the world, which may have saved it during World War II. It’s believed that German forces used its dome as a reference point for sighting. The interior is lavishly decorated with precious stone and mosaics.
Two notable statues sit outside the cathedral – – The Monument to Nicholas I (above) and, behind the cathedral, the famous Bronze Horseman, a statue of Peter the Great.
Address: St Isaac’s Square, 4, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 190000
Panoramic views to close out our tour of St. Petersburg
After two days of jaw-dropping sights, Dmitry may had an unexpected surprise at the end of the tour. He took us to this rooftop dessert café for incredible views of the city. It’s a place you’d be hard-pressed to find on your own – – in a building with no sign on it and up four dark flights of stairs.
It showed us that St. Petersburg has a contemporary edge too. Here, we found locals sipping cappuccinos at high-top tables, with this stunning backdrop.
There’s no shortage of majestic places to see in St. Petersburg, but it was also special to get a glimpse of real life.
Pirogova ln, 18, St. Petersburg 190000
More Information:
Tour companies: Insider Tour, Windstar Cruises
Tourism Information: St. Petersburg City Guide, Visit Russia
Suggested Reading: DK Eyewitness Travel Guide St Petersburg, Lonely Planet St Petersburg (Travel Guide), Peter the Great: His Life and World, Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
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I don’t normally consider doing private tours but there is so much to take in in St Petersburg that this would most helpful. Even though I grew up in Paris and am used to visiting museums, I think the sheer amount of things to look at and understand would overwhelm me. Did you get a sense a what life is like in St Petersburg from your guide? I think that would be the bonus on top of getting all the history and art details.
I really like to do my own thing in cities, but with the Visa and time limitations, a private tour was the best option. And lucky for us, it was an excellent tour and guide, who was very open to discussing local life with us. He gave us a sense that the city is modernizing and improving economically, but still many bureaucratic hurdles to deal with. Thanks for reading Delphine!
Such an amazing looking city – and now I might actually have an excuse to go! I’ve been putting it off as I can’t face handling Russian visa system, but the fact that you don’t need one if you take a tour is VERY interesting. Thanks for that advice. Also loving the secret cafe recommendation.
Yes, as long as you are visiting on a cruise ship for less than 72 hours and use a licensed tour guide, you don’t need to apply for a formal Visa. I hope you get a chance to go! Thanks Helen.
I’ve heard of the Grand Cascade and will make sure to witness it in action when we go. The tour is full of royal elements, from palaces and museums and churches. Grandeur and lavishness all the way. A must for an architecture lover like me.
If you’re an architecture lover, you would love St. Petersburg. I’m so glad they’ve been able to restore much of the grandeur. Thanks Punita!
You have done all this in two days but was it rushed to see all this or is two days enough to get a good feel for the city. Not sure how big Saint Petersburg is but I have done Moscow I needed at least seven days to do all the things I wanted to see. 😀 However, as its so near to my second home of Riga, Latvia, I am planning to see family up there soon (never been to the city) so I am hoping I can fit a week in the deepest winter to visit the city. 🙂
I didn’t feel rushed, but I would have really liked to have spent more time at some of the locations, and to see a few more. A week would be wonderful. Given that I had only two days, it provided a great introduction to the city. The two palaces are outside the city so it really helped to have our own car and driver. Thanks for reading Danik!
Amazing! St. Petersburg is a great city rich in history, traditions and colours. I will visit it soon and take your suggestions. It is never easy to discover a city in short time and get involved in it. Your guide seems to be really complete.
Thanks! Our guide was excellent – – incredibly knowledgeable about the history, architecture and art in the city.
What an amazing city. I would love to visit but I would definitely want more than 2 days. The palaces look absolutely beautiful, especially the Winter Palace. It’s interesting that St Petersburg is like Venice, with palaces lining the canals. Great post.
Thank you Tania. Admittedly, two days is just enough to whet your appetite for more. There is so much to see in St. Petersburg.
I highly recommend Insider Tours. And for an art and history lover like me Dimitry was the perfect guide!
I fully agree. Dmitry was one of the best tour guides I’ve met. Thank you Null!
We only had a day (via ferry from Helsinki ) so we got to only half of these places. But we got to the Hermitage Museum, the Square, and The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood plus some shopping and a great lunch! Should go back to see the fabulous others!
Yes, you will have to spend more time there. And so will I! It’s such a fascinating place with so much to see. Thanks Carol!
After we visited Moscow a few years ago we always wanted to go back and visit St Petersburg. It looks like such a beautiful and incredible city to explore, we usually prefer doing things ourselves than a tour but at the same time in a city this size with only two days it does make sense.
I generally prefer doing my own thing too, but it was the best option in this case given we had only two days and the cost/time to obtain a visa. Plus we really learned a lot about the city from our excellent guide. Thanks for reading Nic.
Wow, this is one of the cities that I absolutely want to see. I think a private tour is just the right choice to discover a lot. The Peterhof I think is great. Reminds me of Sancoussi Palace in Potsdam. The buildings are really indescribable.
Thank you for the great insights into a super beautiful city.
Thanks Susanne! Visting St. Petersburg on this tour really was an incredible experience. It sounds like I will have to go to Potsdam too!
As a budget traveler, I’m not sure I’d go for a private tour. HOWEVER, I would absolutely use your post as a guide for what to see in St. Petersburg! Your photos are absolutely stunning and the city looks incredible. The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood blows my mind even from the photos; I can’t imagine how awesome it must be seeing in person. It’s no surprise it took almost three decades to restore!
Glad the post provided some inspiration! There are so many amazing sights in St. Petersburg, but I would have to put the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood at the top of the awesomeness. Thanks for reading Kevin.
Sensational post Cindy. Private tours do rock the most for many reasons. Intimacy is one. As is expert knowledge by guides. We did a private tour earlier this year in Oman. Special experience.
Thanks so much Ryan, Just as you say, our guide on this tour was excellent and was a very special experience.