Round trip transportation from your St. Petersburg Russia cruise ship terminal! Air conditioned, fully licensed and insured cruise shore excursion transportation! Bilingual professional private St. Petersburg sightseeing guide! Other languages speaking guides available, please check notes! Admission fees to Catherine Palace and all other sites visited included! Services of a licensed and insured l
ocal driver and transportation! All port fees, local taxes and the cost of blanket Russia tourism excursion visa included! Guests will visit: The Catherine Palace (Gardens, Picture Gallery, Green Dining Room and Great Hall)! Come with us and explore the magnificent beauty of Catherine's Palace on this half day private St. Petersburg sightseeing excursion with your personal private guide and transportation. No hassling with large cruise ship crowds, no worries about applying for a visa - we have everything covered and ready for you! The cruise line may tell that in order to get off of the cruise ship in St. Petersburg Russia that you will need to be on one of their ship sponsored cruise line shore excursions or apply for a Russian visa. This is not true with us...with our Electronic Shore Excursion Ticket and government sanctioned, private, cruise excursion guide you will be able to see the beauty of this great Russian city and Catherine's Palace in Pushkin the easy way. Once you place your St. Petersburg private cruise excursion booking with us, you will receive your Electronic Ticket and blanket visa and be provided with step-by-step instructions on how to clear immigration outside of your cruise ship at St. Petersburg cruise port and exactly where to meet your official private St. Petersburg sightseeing excursion guide. Your guide will be with you every step of the way so there are no worries about being stopped by the authorities. Your English speaking guide will keep you informed as you enjoy a scenic 1-hour drive through St. Petersburg on your way to famous Catherine's Palace. After taking a drive along the Moscow Prospect and Kiev Highway you will arrive in Pushkin, the former summer home of royalty. Located in Tsarskoye Selo, or 'Tsar's Village', this estate was presented by Peter the Great to his wife Catherine in 1710, and served as the Imperial family's summer residence until the time of the last tsar. Arriving at the breathtaking Catherine's Palace, the first striking feature that greets you is the palace's beautiful, 984-foot (300-metre) azure blue exterior. You will enter the palace and ascend the Great Staircase. There will also be a guided visit through the gilded Great Hall where the balls were held and the famous Green Dining Room. Catherine's Palace is full of opulence and grandeur with pieces of art, paintings from the grand masters, statues and much more. Depending on crowds and time, there also might be a chance to peak into the famous Amber Room. Following your Catherine's Palace visit, take a guided, 45-minute walk through the 1,400-acre (566-hectare) garden park that surrounds the Palace with mysterious arbors, pavilions, grottoes, and statues. There are many photo opportunities on the grounds. You will then return to your private excursion transportation and commence the one-hour return drive back to your St. Petersburg cruise ship terminal. Your blanket visa only covers you during your private St. Petersburg excursion. Please note that the transportation used will depend on your group size ranging from a luxury car to a minivan to a deluxe motor coach. Catherine's Palace is closed on Tuesdays. Guests must book a minimum of 72 hours before their excursion date. At the end of your booking, after you make the payment, you will be redirected to another page to fill out all the necessary passport information about each guest. Your booking cannot be started until we receive the complete information.
