Signature journey · St. Petersburg
Premium journey “Art de Vivre”
- 7 days / 6 nights
- Groups of 10-35 guests
- Winter season
St. Petersburg at a premium pace: the Hermitage after hours and the Peacock Clock coming to life, the Vladimir Palace and coffee in a historic hotel lobby, a candlelit evening in a 19th-century mansion, Oranienbaum, the Amber Room and a private Russian banya.
Price on request: we quote for your group size, dates and hotel category.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in St. Petersburg
- Meet your guide in the arrivals hall at Pulkovo Airport or the railway station
- Transfer to the hotel (1h)
- Check-in: standard time after 14:00
- Lunch or dinner of local or European cuisine at the hotel, depending on arrival time
Day 2
The Vladimir Palace and the evening Hermitage with the Peacock Clock
- Meet your guide in the hotel lobby at 13:00, lunch on your own beforehand
- Short guided tour en route to the Vladimir Palace, a luxury palazzo that would make the Hermitage envious (0.5h)
- The Vladimir Palace: the Rotunda Library, marble staircases, drawing rooms, sculptures and chandeliers (1.5h)
- Coffee break amid the magnificent lobby of a historic hotel, ordered to taste and paid on the spot (1h)
- The ceremonial life of the Winter Palace and masterpieces of the Hermitage (1.5h)
- The visit ends in the hall of the Peacock Clock: to the chiming of bells, the legendary mechanism comes to life
Approximate duration: 7.5h
Day 3
The Yusupov Palace and an evening in a 19th-century mansion
- Meet your guide in the hotel lobby
- Guided tour en route to the Yusupov Palace (1h)
- The Yusupov Palace: state rooms, the Prince's private apartments and the enigmatic Rasputin (2h)
- Lunch of ethnic cuisine (1h)
- In the evening, meet your guide in the hotel lobby for a sophisticated evening in a 19th-century mansion: an intimate stage, dancing and live candlelight music (3h)
Approximate duration: 5.5h, plus the evening programme, about 5h
Day 4
Oranienbaum and its Grand Palace
- Meet your guide in the hotel lobby
- Guided tour en route to Oranienbaum, a jewel of the St. Petersburg suburbs (1h)
- Oranienbaum and its Grand Palace, the ceremonial residence of the state's premier dignitary and a symbol of Russia's triumph (1.5h)
- Lunch of local or European cuisine (1h)
Approximate duration: 6.5h
Day 5
The Amber Room in Tsarskoye Selo and a private Russian banya
- Meet your guide in the hotel lobby
- Guided tour en route to Tsarskoye Selo, the royal residence of the 18th century (1h)
- The Catherine Palace with the famous Amber Room (1.5h)
- Lunch of local or European cuisine (1h)
- In the evening, meet your guide in the hotel lobby for a private Russian banya with traditional rituals: gentle steam, herbal infusions, personalised treatments and the sounds of ethnic instruments (4h)
Approximate duration: 5h, plus the evening programme, about 6h
Day 6
“The History of the Palaces” tour and a bird's-eye view from the Colonnade
- Meet your guide in the hotel lobby
- City centre tour “The History of St. Petersburg's Palaces” (2h)
- Lunch of ethnic cuisine (1h)
- The Colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral, a bird's-eye view over the city (1h)
- St. Isaac's Cathedral, a symbol of the city in gold, stone and monolithic columns (1h)
Approximate duration: 6.5h
Day 7
Departure or onward journey
- Check-out: standard time till 12:00
- Transfer with your guide to Pulkovo Airport or the railway station (1h)
- Departure flight or train to another destination in Russia
Included
- Meet-and-greet and see-off at the airport or railway station, porter service
- Transport throughout: a minibus for groups up to 19, a coach for larger groups
- Licensed English-speaking guide every day, a second guide for larger groups in museums
- Admissions: the Vladimir, Yusupov and Catherine Palaces and Oranienbaum, the evening Hermitage with the Peacock Clock, St. Isaac's Cathedral and Colonnade, the 19th-century mansion evening and the private banya
- Lunches as per programme
- Headphones for excursions
- 4* or 5* hotel in the city centre with breakfast
- Passport registration and tourist tax
Optional extras
- Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood: mosaics, granite and marble, domes in coloured enamel (1h)
- The Fabergé Museum and the legendary jeweller's creations (1h)
- Russian Museum, Mikhailovsky Palace and Benois Wing: the world's largest collection of Russian fine art (1.5h)
- Grand Maket Rossiya show museum: a giant model of the country with moving trains and day turning to night (1h)
- The Pavlovsk Palace, an imperial residence with luxurious 18th-century living interiors (1.5h)
- Peterhof's Alexandria Park and the Cottage Palace, an English-style villa of the Imperial family (1.5h)
- Aristocratic breakfast between 13:00 and 15:30: a culinary journey through time where every detail, from tableware to ambience, speaks of refinement (1h)
- Classical ballet, Russia's diamond on the international stage (2.5h)
- Dinner with a variety show at a “Russian Fairy Tale” style restaurant (1.5h)
- Carriage ride (1h)
- Souvenirs: a mini matryoshka doll or a Khokhloma spoon
- Extra transfers and additional transport hours
Good to know
- Lunches include a three-course menu, dessert and a drink. Ethnic cuisine on request: Indian, Chinese, Halal, Turkish.
- The first and last days are arranged around your arrival and departure times.
- Museums have weekly days off, so the order of days is adjusted to your dates.
- Optional services extend the guide's and transport working time or replace a visit in the programme.
- The evening Hermitage with the Peacock Clock runs on Fridays only, so the order of days is built around it.