3-day St.Petersburg and Jewish heritage
Tour snapshot:
Duration
29 hours
VISA FREE
Transportation
No hidden cost
Private guide
Skip-the-line tickets
The tour is all yours
You will spend 3 unforgettable days with us amid art, culture, history and delicious food.
St.Petersburg famous architectural ensembles and most beautiful buildings by Jewish architects, amazing Grand Choral Synagogue and Russian Empire major cathedrals, history of St.Petersburg and history and culture of Jews in Russia, famous Jewish families and their contribution to the development of the country is only part of this 3-day Jewish tour.
The first day will start with an excellent and complete introductory tour, that also includes old Jewish district Kolomna and Grand Choral Synagogue visit. Built in the late 19th century in Moorish style Grand Choral Synagogue is famous for its unique acoustic. The words whispered at one end can be clearly heard at another end of the hall. You will have a unique possibility to check it by yourself. The guide will show you beautiful buildings, created by prominent Jewish architects in the end of the 19th century.
Afterwards, you will discover three major cathedrals of the city, that are absolutely different and unique. An interesting exhibition of the ethnographical museum will show you details about the history and culture of Jews in Russia.
The second day will be dedicated to summer imperial residences. You will have a very pleasant walk in one of the most beautiful parks with fountains in Peterhof and then you will visit Catherine Palace and dive into luxurious interiors full of gold and treasuries. No doubt, Amber room is one of the palace treasuries.
The third day of the itinerary will be relaxing one. By the private upscale boat, you will enjoy the view of St.Petersburg from the water, charming canals and impressive Neva river. The boat will take you directly to the Hermitage museum, which consists of five buildings and comprises about 3 mln items. The guide will help you not to get lost among the treasuries and show you all the highlights.
In the evening we will be happy to arrange something special for you, like night boat tour with a spectacular view over open drawbridges, delicious typical dinner, Vodka museum visit, ballet or opera in one of 4 imperial theatres, music concert in palace or traditional folk show.
Saint-Petersburg city tour
| 08.30 | meeting with guide at cruise terminal |
| 08.30 – 09.30 |
transfer to Peterhof |
| 11.30 – 12.30 |
inside visit to the Peterhof Imperial Grand Palace and Fountain Park* |
| 11.30 – 12.30 |
return transfer to the city |
| 12.30 – 13.30 |
Russian traditional lunch (optional, cost is not included) |
| 13.30 – 16.00 |
inside visit to the Hermitage |
| 16.00 – 18.00 |
city tour with the Savior on Spilled Blood Cathedral and the Peter and Paul fortress inside visits |
| 18.30 |
back onboard the cruise ship |
| 08.30 | meeting with guide at cruise terminal |
| 08.30 – 09.30 |
transfer to Peterhof |
| 11.30 – 12.30 |
inside visit to the Peterhof Imperial Grand Palace and Fountain Park* |
| 11.30 – 12.30 |
return transfer to the city |
| 12.30 – 13.30 |
Russian traditional lunch (optional, cost is not included) |
| 13.30 – 16.00 |
inside visit to the Hermitage |
| 16.00 – 18.00 |
city tour with the Savior on Spilled Blood Cathedral and the Peter and Paul fortress inside visits |
| 18.30 |
back onboard the cruise ship |
| 08.30 | meeting with guide at cruise terminal |
| 08.30 – 09.30 |
transfer to Peterhof |
| 11.30 – 12.30 |
inside visit to the Peterhof Imperial Grand Palace and Fountain Park* |
| 11.30 – 12.30 |
return transfer to the city |
| 12.30 – 13.30 |
Russian traditional lunch (optional, cost is not included) |
| 13.30 – 16.00 |
inside visit to the Hermitage |
| 16.00 – 18.00 |
city tour with the Savior on Spilled Blood Cathedral and the Peter and Paul fortress inside visits |
| 18.30 |
back onboard the cruise ship |
Tour overview:
Important information:
Please note the visit to the Hermitage does not include the collection of impressionists and post-impressionists which moved to the new General Staff building. You can request it additionally when booking the tour.
Children/Students receive a discount of 25 eur for the tour. Students must have a valid ISIC Card – Please, let us know about students and children in your group in advance so that we can reserve the right tickets for them.
The order of museum visits may change depending on availability of entrance tickets, museums days-off, traffic situation in the city.
The tour is private with your personal guide and driver. There will no be other people joining your tour.
The tour is driving. We use licensed drivers with cars (up to 2 people), minivans (3 – 7 people) and Mercedes Sprinters (8 – 19 people).
Tipping your guide and driver is not obligatory, but appreciated.
Guided visits:
Russian Jews exhibition in the St. Petersburg Museum of Ethnography
“The History and Culture of the Jews of Russia” exhibition in the Museum of Ethnography appeared as a first step to the full-value museum of the Jewish culture in St. Petersburg. You will definitely enjoy the collection which consists of more than 2500 items, including utensils, costumes, home decor items, amulets and charms, decoration of the Torah storages and unique photos.
Grand Choral Synagogue
Visit the second largest synagogue in Europe. Built in 1893 The Grand Choral Synagogue of St. Petersburg has been always operating and never closed. You will be amazed by the beauty of this magnificent building, designed in Moorish style and beautiful interiors.
Catherine’s Palace with Amber Room
Designed in the style of Russian Baroque, it took more than 100 kilograms of pure gold to gild facades of Catherine Palace.
The Amber room is the gem of the Palace. It was a subject of pride of every Russian tsar – from Peter I to Nicholas II. No one ever tried to repeat the mosaic of the Amber room due to its expensiveness, fragility and high time cost.
Peterhof Fountain Park
In XVII-XIX centuries Peterhof was the main ceremonial residence of Russian tsars, which hosted important events and celebrations, receptions, balls and masquerades. It’s a famous ensemble of fountains classed as a World Heritage Site, where the Grand Cascade comprises 64 different fountains, and over 200 bronze statues, bas-reliefs, and other decorations. At the centre stands Rastrelli’s spectacular statue of Samson wrestling the jaws of a lion.
Hermitage Museum (Winter Palace)
Dive into splendid halls full of treasuries of the one of the best museums in the world. Hermitage is really unique place, it is imperial residence, revolution site and great museum and all in one place. Everyone will find something interesting for himself. Your expert guide will get the right direction according to your preferences. Marvel at masters like Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Titian and others while you spend three hours exploring this former royal residence.
Church of our Saviour on the Spilled Blood
Colourful onion domes of this church will definitely catch your eye. This majestic church represents Russia’s largest exhibition of mosaics (over 7,000 sq.m.). It includes the Italian coloured marble, Ural and Altai semiprecious stones and mosaic collections of Russian heraldry. The church was constructed on the spot where in 1881 a fatal attack on the emperor Alexander II had been made.
Peter and Paul Fortress
The birthplace of the city it was the first structure to be built in St. Petersburg and it never served for defence. Instead, it has had a rich history as a military base, a home of government departments, the burial ground of the Russian Imperial family, the site of groundbreaking scientific experiments, and a forbidding jail that held some of Russia’s most prominent political prisoners.
Private guided boat tour through canals and Neva river
Nothing captures the majesty of St. Petersburg quite like breezing along the Neva River and charming canals, which offers an endless parade of breathtaking monuments. We provide classy upscale private boat open or with panorama roof and terrace, depending on weather conditions.
Optional visits:
Faberge museum visit
Located in the Shuvalov Palace, this museum with stunning interiors represents a private collection of Faberge jewelry items, including nine of the world-famous Faberge Imperial Easter eggs.
General Staff Building with Impressionists and Post-Impressionist collection
The works of the Impressionists (Monet, Renoir, Degas, Sisley, Pissarro) and post impressionists (Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Cézanne) are widely presented in the Hermitage (General Staff building).
Please, send us requests for shore excursions at least 4-5 days prior to your ship’s arrival to St. Petersburg. Otherwise, there is not enough time to issue travel documents for you required for passing passport control.
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St.Petesburg highlights and history of the Jews in Russia
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Marvel the the second biggest synagogue in Europe
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Discover famous jewish architects
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Enjoy the beauty of tzar’s summer residences
Kazan Cathedral
The Cathedral looks fascinating due to its monumentality on the outside and the amazing beauty inside. The Kazan Cathedral was built and named in honor of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God, which Is placed inside the temple and is considered to be one of the most revered icons in Russia. So the queue of people wishing to touch the shrine is a common thing here. Read more
Best viewing points in St. Petersburg
When you are a regular traveler, it is difficult to explore one of the most beautiful cities in the world — Saint-Petersburg — in a short period of time. A great opportunity to literally look over the whole city look is to visit one of the viewing points of the Northern Capital. The panoramic terraces of cathedrals, museums, restaurants and hotels will allow you to combine a walk and a tour, arrange a romantic date and make great photos. Read more
The mystery of the Mikhailovsky castle
The Mikhailovsky (or the Engineer’s) castle became infamous immediately after the death of Emperor Paul I, who was strangled in his bedroom in the castle. And no wonder the palce gained bad reputation, since Palace coups and the Emperor’s murder were not a common thing for Russian Empire after all. Read more