DAY 1: ST.PETERSBURG
Meeting on arrival at the airport by our representative, transfer to the hotel and check-in. Dinner in the hotel.
Day 2: ST.PETERSBURG
Breakfast
10:00 Morning devoted to a sightseeing tour. The
excursion will be devoted to the age of Peter the Great. We will visit the three isles in the Neva River delta wherefrom St. Petersburg started its existence...
The Hares’ Island: Excursion to the Peter and Paul Fortress founded in 1703 on the spot chosen by Peter the Great. The date of its foundation, 16 (27) May 1703 marked the city’s birthday.
The City Isle is often called Petrograd side as it is here that first colonies of craftsmen and merchants appeared in the beginning of the 18th century. It is in this district that we can see the house of Peter the Great built during three days next to the construction site of the Peter and Paul Fortress.
The Vasilevsky island - the largest of all the isles (there are 42 of them all in all) is situated between the Grand Neva, the Small Neva and the sea. The largest number of constructions of the beginning of the 18th century is situated on this isle.
13:00 Lunch at leisure
14:00 Afternoon devoted to the excursion to the Hermitage museum:
The Hermitage museum is doubtlessly one of the most beautiful museums of Europe due to the splendour of its buildings and to its richest collections; its complete visit would require a month’s stay, but its collection of Rembrandt, Matisse, Rubens and Picasso is enough for half a day’s tour.
19:00 Dinner in the hotel
DAY 3: ST.PETERSBURG
Breakfast
10:00 Morning devoted to an excursion to the Palace of Pavlovsk, the castle of Paul 1st, the son of Catherine the Great. Pavlovsk was given by Catherine II to her son who made it his residence; it was also home for formal receptions in honour of foreign monarchs. Much destroyed during the war, it is now completely restored. You will appreciate the fine decoration of its parlours, the elegance and the harmony of its colours, fire-places made of Carrara marbles.
13:00 Lunch at leisure
Afternoon at leisure.
Optional: An evening in Petrodvorets (15 May – 15 October)
Located 29 km west of St. Petersburg, called Versailles on the Sea, this former royal residence on the shore of the Gulf of Finland is a succession of descending parks on a surface of almost 1000 hectares, the parks surrounding numerous palaces, among which the “Grand Palace” completely reconstructed by Rastrelli.
15:00 Departure by hydrofoil
16:00 Arrival to Petrodvorets and a walk in the left-hand part of the Lower Garden: the Grand Canal, the My Pleasure Palace (exterior), the Chessboard Cascade, “the Umbrella”, the Roman Fountains, the Grand Cascade
17:00 Excursion to the Grand Palace
18:00 Continuation of the walk in the Lower Garden, its right-hand part with the Marly Palace (exterior) and the Hermitage Pavilion
19:30 Optional: Dinner in the “Palace Restaurant”
21:30 Return to the hotel
Optional: dinner in the hotel
DAY 4: ST.PETERSBURG
Breakfast
Transfer to the airport and end of our services