St. Petersburg tour: Deluxe vs Highlights tour with Faberge Museum?

We would really appreciate some advice. Our ship will be in St. Petersburg for 2 days. We really want to see the Faberge Museum but are unsure that we will have the stamina to do the Deluxe tour, and then do the Faberge Museum tour in the evening. Another option is doing the Highlights tour with the Faberge museum during the day; however, we will not see the Yusupov Palace or St. Isaac's Cathedral. For those of you who have seen the the palace and cathedral, would you consider these as "not to be missed?".

Thank you for your help.

We would really appreciate some advice. Our ship will be in St. Petersburg for 2 days. We really want to see the Faberge Museum but are unsure that we will have the stamina to do the Deluxe tour, and then do the Faberge Museum tour in the evening. Another option is doing the Highlights tour with the Faberge museum during the day; however, we will not see the Yusupov Palace or St. Isaac's Cathedral. For those of you who have seen the the palace and cathedral, would you consider these as "not to be missed?".

 

Thank you for your help.

Not sure what else is in the deluxe tour but I can tell you this: There is more to see in St. Petersburg than you can do in two days...if the Faberge exhibit (it's not separate from the Hermitage, it's one of the exhibits) is important to you do the daytime museum tour...it's a lot of walking but it's absolutely stunning and the eggs cap it off. A lot of this depends on what is included in the Deluxe tour....and how much of it is spent walking or riding. For instance we did a full day tour that included a bus ride through the city and then stops at Peter & Paul Fortress, which is definitely worth seeing but also has a lot of walking. We saw but did not go into St. Isaac's or Church of Spilled Blood, which I would have liked to have done and am doing in August when we do Scandinavia and Norway. Do research on line and pick out the things you are most interested in and make sure you get to see them. I don't mean to make it harder for you but the Catherine's Palace and Peterhof are also absolutely fabulous. If I had to choose one I'd go with Peterhof.

IMHO I would not consider St. Isaac's a not to be missed site for a first time in St. Petersburg.... I would consider Peter & Paul Fortress, Hermitage and Peterhof as not to be missed for your first visit. You'll just have to go back!!!!

Not sure what else is in the deluxe tour but I can tell you this: There is more to see in St. Petersburg than you can do in two days...if the Faberge exhibit (it's not separate from the Hermitage, it's one of the exhibits) is important to you do the daytime museum tour...it's a lot of walking but it's absolutely stunning and the eggs cap it off.

The Faberge Museum is, indeed, separate from the Hermitage. The collection is housed in Shuvalov Palace (on the Fontanka) & contains only Faberge items. It is a private museum and is not affiliated with the State Hermitage Museum.

We will be in Saint Petersburg in June and had the same issue as you. We haven't gone yet so cannot say if it is the right decision but we decided on Alla's tour that includes the Faberge Museum as it is something I'm extremely interested in. We, too, have to trade Yusapov and St. Isaac's [though I believe we stop outside of St. Isaac's for a "photo op"] for the Faberge but that is a trade I was okay with as most [if not all] of the other sights are the same. For me, the highlights of this city are the Hermitage, Peterhof, Church on Spilled Blood, Catherine's Palace and the Faberge Museum and our tour includes all of those. Yusapov and St. Isaac's would be nice extras but this itinerary [and I mean the whole Baltic itinerary] is already VERY heavy on palaces and churches so I don't mind skipping those two for the Faberge Museum which one can only see in Saint Petersburg. Beautiful palaces are everywhere [and several will already be included in SPB] but the Faberge eggs are a unique Russian treasure that I don't want to miss.

The Faberge Museum is, indeed, separate from the Hermitage. The collection is housed in Shuvalov Palace (on the Fontanka) & contains only Faberge items. It is a private museum and is not affiliated with the State Hermitage Museum.

I did not know that and I've been there twice...thank you for the update.

We will be in Saint Petersburg in June and had the same issue as you. We haven't gone yet so cannot say if it is the right decision but we decided on Alla's tour that includes the Faberge Museum as it is something I'm extremely interested in. We, too, have to trade Yusapov and St. Isaac's [though I believe we stop outside of St. Isaac's for a "photo op"] for the Faberge but that is a trade I was okay with as most [if not all] of the other sights are the same. For me, the highlights of this city are the Hermitage, Peterhof, Church on Spilled Blood, Catherine's Palace and the Faberge Museum and our tour includes all of those. Yusapov and St. Isaac's would be nice extras but this itinerary [and I mean the whole Baltic itinerary] is already VERY heavy on palaces and churches so I don't mind skipping those two for the Faberge Museum which one can only see in Saint Petersburg. Beautiful palaces are everywhere [and several will already be included in SPB] but the Faberge eggs are a unique Russian treasure that I don't want to miss.

I'm confused. When I was last in St. Petersburg we saw the eggs at the Hermitage Museums...I googled the Faberge museum and you're right it is a privately owned museum of Faberge's work. I'm not sure if they have any of his eggs there though, and the eggs are what I was interested in. I agree that the other places you mentioned are definitely "must see" if at all possible..especially Peterhof.....

Ok now I understand...the Faberge is a new museum that was not open the last time I was in St. Petersburg. Their collection is made up primarily of the former Forbes collection and other privately owned eggs, a couple of which were owned by Joan Rivers. The Forbes collection was on display several years ago in various museums throughout the U.S. such as NYC , which is where I saw them. (I realized that when I recognized the Lily of the Valley egg, one of his most beautiful. The eggs that are on display at the Hermitage stayed under the ownership of the Russian Government. I would still recommend the Hermitage because they have so much more, but if you are interested primarily in the eggs and other works of Faberge and don't have a lot of time to spend, then the Faberge museum is the one to go to. Their website says they have a two hour tour. Enjoy and I look forward to a review when you return. :)

Ok now I understand...the Faberge is a new museum that was not open the last time I was in St. Petersburg. Their collection is made up primarily of the former Forbes collection and other privately owned eggs, a couple of which were owned by Joan Rivers. The Forbes collection was on display several years ago in various museums throughout the U.S. such as NYC , which is where I saw them. (I realized that when I recognized the Lily of the Valley egg, one of his most beautiful. The eggs that are on display at the Hermitage stayed under the ownership of the Russian Government. I would still recommend the Hermitage because they have so much more, but if you are interested primarily in the eggs and other works of Faberge and don't have a lot of time to spend, then the Faberge museum is the one to go to. Their website says they have a two hour tour. Enjoy and I look forward to a review when you return. :)

Yes the 14 Forbes eggs [9 of which are Imperial eggs] are in the Faberge Museum which {I think} just opened in 2014. They also have a lot of other Faberge jewelry, cigarette cases. objets d'art, etc. When I checked the Hermitage website, they only list one egg in their possession now which is not an Imperial egg but rather the Rothschild Clock Egg that Putin gave them a couple years ago and it is not even on display at the moment. The Hermitage has hardly any Faberge items at all now. We will still visit the Hermitage [as will the OP I believe] as part of our tour but some tours go to Yusapov and St. Isaac's instead of the Faberge Musuem which, to me, are not as interesting.

I will be sure to write a review after my trip. :)

Yes the 14 Forbes eggs [9 of which are Imperial eggs] are in the Faberge Museum which {I think} just opened in 2014. They also have a lot of other Faberge jewelry, cigarette cases. objets d'art, etc. When I checked the Hermitage website, they only list one egg in their possession now which is not an Imperial egg but rather the Rothschild Clock Egg that Putin gave them a couple years ago and it is not even on display at the moment. The Hermitage has hardly any Faberge items at all now. We will still visit the Hermitage [as will the OP I believe] as part of our tour but some tours go to Yusapov and St. Isaac's instead of the Faberge Musuem which, to me, are not as interesting.

 

I will be sure to write a review after my trip. :)

I agree St. Isaac's and Yusopov would not be as interesting to me either. That's why we've booked that tour for our cruise port in St.P. in August.... we've already done everything else! I am shocked that the eggs are no longer at the Hermitage....there was a large three tiered case of them when we were there. If you're as interested in the eggs as I am, look for the book in the gift shop entitled "Faberge Eggs, Masterpieces from Czarist Russia"....it's was pricey but it's beautiful. (and probably available on Amazon.com!)

I agree St. Isaac's and Yusopov would not be as interesting to me either. That's why we've booked that tour for our cruise port in St.P. in August.... we've already done everything else! I am shocked that the eggs are no longer at the Hermitage....there was a large three tiered case of them when we were there. If you're as interested in the eggs as I am, look for the book in the gift shop entitled "Faberge Eggs, Masterpieces from Czarist Russia"....it's was pricey but it's beautiful. (and probably available on Amazon.com!)

OOOH thanks for the tip on the book!! I will look for it. The eggs are one of the highlights of this visit for me haha.

OOOH thanks for the tip on the book!! I will look for it. The eggs are one of the highlights of this visit for me haha.

Me too....did they come to Boston when they were on tour of US? Checked Amazon, they have it for $38....I don't know what I paid in Rubles because I used my Cap 1 card and it was almost 10 years ago.

Thank you everyone for your replies and advice. We have decided to go with the tour which includes the Faberge museum. I'm sure at the end of the day, we will be glad to get back on the ship and rest versus taking another tour.

:)

Me too....did they come to Boston when they were on tour of US? Checked Amazon, they have it for $38....I don't know what I paid in Rubles because I used my Cap 1 card and it was almost 10 years ago.

I don't recall if they made it to Boston but I didn't see them if they did. I've seen other stunning Faberge items [jewelry, etc.] at the Metropolitan Museum in NY but they didn't have eggs. :(

Thank you everyone for your replies and advice. We have decided to go with the tour which includes the Faberge museum. I'm sure at the end of the day, we will be glad to get back on the ship and rest versus taking another tour.

:)

Fabulous!! Please post your thoughts when you return.

...if you are interested primarily in the eggs and other works of Faberge and don't have a lot of time to spend, then the Faberge museum is the one to go to. Their website says they have a two hour tour. Enjoy and I look forward to a review when you return. :)

All the eggs are on display in a single room; I estimate that the audio guide for all the eggs runs about 1 hour. The remaining time on the tour is a description of the palace itself. (As with most audio guides, you can press additional numbers to learn more detail about specific topics.) Unless the situation has changed since 2015, there is no audio commentary for the many display cases of cigarette boxes, frames, etc. Our guide borrowed a thick pamphlet for those items. Every object has a number and this corresponds to numbered entries in the pamphlet. I believe each entry is about two-three lines long and contains factual information like dates and jewelry techniques, etc. I don't recall any stories about the non-egg objects, but the situation may have changed over time.

We also booked the tour with Alla that includes Faberge. We sail in September.

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We also booked this tour with Alla sailing in September will be good to know your thoughts on this tour

We sail 8/29 and booked all our tours with SPB.

As many have stated, it's just a personal preference.

I have been following and will continue to follow with interest.

with another company you miss Peter & Paul Fortress and Cathedral if you go to the faberge museum.

do you think thats worth it?