SPB Highlights Tour or TJ Travel Standard Tour?

Hi all,

Traveling to St. Petersburg in July on the Serenade of the Seas. Wondering if anyone has done either the SPB Highlights Tour or TJ Travel Standard Tour? I know both tour companies get rave reviews so I think I can't go wrong with either one. Just wondering about these particular tours?

Thanks,

CG

We used Alla for our tour last July, so I have no dog in this fight. I have just taken a look at the itineraries for SPB and TJ. As you noted, they are basically the same. However, you will see that SPB provides more time in the Hermitage, the Church on Spilled Blood and Catherine's Palace than does TJ. TJ uses the time saved on visiting these sites for shopping, particularly on the 2nd day.

I think it just depends on your interests and what you'd rather do--spend time in museums and churches or go walking around and shopping. (Only yours is the right answer.)

I, too, used Alla Tours (who also receives rave reviews) on my multiple trips to St. Petersburg & Moscow and have not used either TJ or SPB. That said, after reviewing itineraries from both companies, I agree with GradUT's assessment and your choice will depend on whether you prefer more time at the museums or more time to shop.

Just a note ... Neither of these tours (the Standard with TJ nor the Highlights with Spb) includes any lunches. You will be on 2 long days of touring ... you may wish to reconsider booking one of the tours that include lunches because you actually save time by booking a tour that includes your lunches - the lunches are set menu and pre-ordered by the company and are quite good (at least they were good in the case of Alla and I assume it would be the same with either TJ or Spb). A lunch break will also afford you some time to relax during each busy day of touring the sights in Saint Petersburg.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback. I appreciate the responders who looked at the 2 tours I'm looking at and provided the feedback. I missed the Nevsky shopping aspect when I first looked at TJ Tours itinerary. I think that's what it really comes down to - time on Nevsky Prospekt or more time at the other sites. I'm going to start a thread to ask about Nevsky Prospekt - did a search and couldn't really find anything specific about it.

Once again - many, many thanks for the feedback.

CG

We did the three day highlights tour with TJ Travel and were totally satisfied. Guide, (Elena) and driver (Anthony) were fabulous and coordinated things very well - traffic in SP can be a nightmare and mess with schedules and timing. TJ was very good at doing workarounds and making sure we saw everything without stress. There were 12 in tour group (bus accommodated 18 so lots of room) with made touring great. While other posts mention that lunch is not included, in fact, lunch was included and was a highlight, as local small restaurants were chosen, with a set menu (accommodated allergies and vegetarians), with local food choices. Guide was very knowledgeable about all tour sights and English was impeccable. Tour was exhausting but excellent value.

This might be moot for the original poster, but perhaps others will benefit from my comments. My wife and I signed up for the TJ Travel two-day Faberge Tour. Unfortunately, the weather was so bad in SPB that the ships that were supposed to leave couldn't, so our ship was stuck outside the city for one of our two days. Thus, our two-day tour became a one-day tour. My point is that TJ Travel handled this like champs. We ended up being able to cover about 75% of the original itinerary; the only thing we couldn't do was go out to the suburbs, so we missed the Peterhof Gardens and the Catherine Palace (Amber Room). Our guide Victoria was amazing. Our "standard" group had about 15 people in it, so I never felt like we lost in a cattle drive. And the Faberge Museum was absolutely fabulous - I highly recommend visiting. As far as crowds go, yes, The Hermitage is crowded, but since we got there before the official opening we were able to walk in without any wait, which makes a big difference (and don't use the cloak rooms - that will take up 45 minutes just getting your bag). The cherry on top was that TJ cut the price in half for us (one day instead of two), even though we covered much more than half of the sights.

It was obviously a long day, but definitely the highlight of the cruise. That's because of the city, of course, but also because of TJ.

When planning our 10 day cruise of ports on the Baltic Sea, I engaged TJ Travel, via their website (which I found easy to use & their response was always within 24 hours), to provide guides and drivers/cars for St. Petersburg (the company's headquarters), Tallinn, Stockholm, and Helsinki. All of the guides provided by the company were from the respective city, extremely knowledgeable and able to communicate well in English. I highly recommend. TJ Travel as a small company able to provide personal and high quality guides and drivers.

We used TJ at St Pete 2 weeks ago, our experience:

-Travel in small Van, our group has 10 cruisers

-Runs with military precisions, arrive at Hermitage, they already have a person stand in line for us, our small group just cut in, saved 1/2 the line up time (Friends on SPD tour had to start at the end of the line). Went to town, and they have paid scouts at street corners holding parking/unloading space for us. Arrive at lunch, sat down and lunch is served before my seat was warmed up! Very well organised.

-The guide has perfect guide-sense, rearrange the tour itinerary on tour day to avoid peak crowd time.

-Yes, we did have to go to 2 shops. First one is mostly for toilet break, 2nd one to their office to pay the tour fee in cash or CC (no need to pay up front!!). It was brief and no pressure.

-We need to pay for our lunch the 2nd day, 2 pieces of meat pies (delicious) and coffee, US$10 !!

-Mention Cruisecritic member and you get 10% off.

-We are happy with the tour, however, one lady mentioned to TJ office she felt rushed at the end at Hermitage (because the museum close at 6), The manager refunded US$20 to everyone on the bus. A very nice gesture.

Overall impression, well run, personal services, a fair operator, excellent local knowledge around the city.

What could be better? Skip the public market. Add the inside of St Issac Church, and canal cruise at Spill blood (the best outside view is from the tour boat)

We signed up with TJ Travel mainly because they have the smallest maximum group size - 12 vs. 16 in other groups. I checked the itineraries of Alla, SPB and TJ, and all covered the same basic sights, but TJ also included the boat back from the Summer palace, which was fun and saved time. Our guide, Anna, was excellent, and kept us moving, which I appreciated. When Peterhof Palace changed opening times due to a special event, Anna rearranged things and got us box lunches to eat in the van rather than go to a restaurant. The box lunches were the best of the 3 days of meals. Be aware that there is a lot of traffic in SPB so a lot of time is spent travelling place to place. Our van had free wifi. From start to finish I felt TJ really delivered.

You won't go wrong with either one, it'll just depend on which one manages to meet more of your personal preferences.

I don't recall the group tours doing a lot of walking on Nevsky Prospekt...I didn't do much of it in 2 visits except for the SPB Go Out Like A Local evening tour. even then it would be nice to have more time. If I go back again someday it will be a private tour that will concentrate on that since I've seen the highlights already.

Last one was a private tour and we wanted to stop for lunches so that was arranged. It was included the first day and we paid for it the second day, but for the second day we also chose where we wanted to go.

We used TJ Travel in SPB a couple weeks ago for a private 2 person, 2 day tour that we customized. It was outstanding both days. The driver and guide were excellent.

We have taken many private tours over the years at different ports, and I can say that TJ Travel was one of the best.

We recently did a cruise aboard Norwegian Star touring the Baltics for late August 2016. I selected TJ Tours after reading numerous reviews over many websites. I am pleased to report that TJ Tours did not disappoint.

By way of introduction, my girlfriend and I have cruised the Mediterranean twice both 12 days. I have taken other organized tours as well as done some of Rick Steves' do it yourself itineraries.

On this cruise it was easy to decide on one tour company for all 5 cities after reading reviews and reaching out to TJ. I did have questions and they were very responsive any time I reached out. Excellent customer service.

Our 1st stop was a tour of Berlin. We were met at the docks with a full size motorcoach which was clean and comfortable. We made 1 stop to Berlin and 1 stop back as the ride is about 3 hours on the autobahn in each direction. With the halfway stop, the drive was not too bad! Besides, it was fun being on the autobahn for the 1st time.

Boris was our guide in Berlin. Originally an American citizen, his enthusiasm and knowledge is incredible. Boris made Berlin enjoyable with his personable nature. We saw many attractions some of which were Kaiser's palace, Checkpoint Charlie, World War II Luftwaffe Building, Holocaust Memorial, Famous Chocolate Museum/store- "Fassbender & Rausch," Berlin Wall, US Embassy, etc.

We had lunch in a wonderful Bavarian/type restaurant beer hall, "Lemke Berlin." Food was excellent as well as the beer! Some of our fellow cruisers had the traditional German sausage.

Our next stop was Tallinn, Estonia. Trinn was our guide. She is a native Estonian and was informative and delightful in every way. This is more of a walking tour with a bus meeting you at the pier and then taking you to the old town Tallinn.

Old town Tallinn is like going back in time during medieval days. Narrow streets and beautiful views. Saw one of the oldest apothecary's in the world, "Raeapteek" dating back to 1422. Still in business!

We were on our own for lunch and found a delightful restaurant on the street, "Kuldse Notsu Korts," Estonian Country Restaurant. We sat at a table outside and had a fabulous meal of exotic cheese and homemade cherry beer!

Our next stop was for 2 days in St. Petersburg, Russia. Our guide for 2 days was a charming and very informative Nina. She was the perfect host and knowledge in Russian history was unbelieveable.

Our 1st day we traveled along the river Neva in a Mercedes Sprinter. Took a ride on a hydrofoil boat to one of the Tsar's mansions Petrodvorets with the incredible fountains, park and churches.

Lunch consisted of a traditional Russian food and beverages. Typical old style traditional Russian restaurant with cranberry and horseradish vodka shots being served. "Xaeohnkob'B" Traktir served chicken with cranberry sauce and cooked vegetables.

After lunch we went to Pushkin Catherine Palace & museum with famous Amber room which was restored, Russian subway stop "Pushkinskaya" with statue of Pushkin, Church of the Savior on Blood and final resting place of the Tsar family at Peter & Paul Fortress. A lot of sightseeing for 1 day.

The following day we again met Nina and proceeded to do a canal tour on a canal boat. Saw the battleship Aurora which started the October revolution in 1917! Visited the Palace Square, Hermitage Museum, St. Isaac's Cathedral and Usupov Palace where there is an underground room where Rasputin was reportedly murdered. At the Usupov Palace we were treated to an improtu show with some traditional Russian singers in the Palace's private theater! All in all so much to see in two days!

In the afternoon, we visited TJ Travel headquarters and gift shop. Met with the owner, Tatiana Churikova. Very accomodating and a pleasure to deal with. I liked the fact that I was not asked for any money on any of the previous tours and had paid for all 5 tours the 2nd day in St. Petersburg. Mentioned we were cruise critic members and received an additional 5% discount. Gift shop was excellent with a free "shot" bar.

Had lunch at a spectacular Russian restaurant "Graf-in." More modern and chic. Enjoyed the food immensely. The appetizer of traditional beet soup was excellent. Incidentally, the two lunches in Russia are included with the tours!

Our next stop was Helsinki, Finland. Maria was our guide. Saw the US Embassy and Embassy Row, Senate Square, Mannerheim statue in Kluuvi, Art Museum with modern statues, Sibeliuksenpuisto, Temppeliaukio Church, and daily life of Helsinki. This was the only day it was slightly cold, overcast and sprinkled off and on.

Our final tour was Stockholm, Sweden. Our guide was Lilly and our driver was Tomas. Very friendly and knowledgeable. The day we visited, Vice President Joe Biden was visiting Stockholm! The traffic was monumental for security reasons, however no one was blowing their horns in their cars! Very patient people. Tomas our bus driver was adept at getting us around despite the massive traffic jams!

Among other sites, saw the Stadshuset museum, Vasamuseet museum, Royal Castle and visited Gamla Stan area with its quaint shops and eateries. All in all a very beautiful city and would like to revisit again.

The bottom line is TJ Tours does a fabulous job of making sure you are well informed, comfortable and have a great visit. All guides spoke excellent english and were well understood. Would highly recommend this company going to any of these countries or doing a "Baltic" cruise. When compared to what the cruise lines charge, you will save at least 50% or more.:cool:

OP - We took a fairly extensive two day TJ tour last year and I'd recommend them without hesitation.

However, the choice of tour you take should ultimately be the one that ticks the most right boxes for yourself. All the major tour companies that are mentioned here and over on Trip Advisor offer various flavours of Vanillaish tours to suit most tastes and budgets (and for a fraction of the price of those offered by your cruise) and in far smaller groups.

Which ever tour you take of St. Petersburg you won't go far wrong - enjoy all this fantastic city has to offer.

We recently did a cruise aboard Norwegian Star touring the Baltics for late August 2016. I selected TJ Tours after reading numerous reviews over many websites. I am pleased to report that TJ Tours did not disappoint.

 

 

 

By way of introduction, my girlfriend and I have cruised the Mediterranean twice both 12 days. I have taken other organized tours as well as done some of Rick Steves' do it yourself itineraries.

 

 

 

On this cruise it was easy to decide on one tour company for all 5 cities after reading reviews and reaching out to TJ. I did have questions and they were very responsive any time I reached out. Excellent customer service.

 

 

 

Our 1st stop was a tour of Berlin. We were met at the docks with a full size motorcoach which was clean and comfortable. We made 1 stop to Berlin and 1 stop back as the ride is about 3 hours on the autobahn in each direction. With the halfway stop, the drive was not too bad! Besides, it was fun being on the autobahn for the 1st time.

 

 

 

Boris was our guide in Berlin. Originally an American citizen, his enthusiasm and knowledge is incredible. Boris made Berlin enjoyable with his personable nature. We saw many attractions some of which were Kaiser's palace, Checkpoint Charlie, World War II Luftwaffe Building, Holocaust Memorial, Famous Chocolate Museum/store- "Fassbender & Rausch," Berlin Wall, US Embassy, etc.

 

 

 

We had lunch in a wonderful Bavarian/type restaurant beer hall, "Lemke Berlin." Food was excellent as well as the beer! Some of our fellow cruisers had the traditional German sausage.

 

 

 

Our next stop was Tallinn, Estonia. Trinn was our guide. She is a native Estonian and was informative and delightful in every way. This is more of a walking tour with a bus meeting you at the pier and then taking you to the old town Tallinn.

 

 

 

Old town Tallinn is like going back in time during medieval days. Narrow streets and beautiful views. Saw one of the oldest apothecary's in the world, "Raeapteek" dating back to 1422. Still in business!

 

 

 

We were on our own for lunch and found a delightful restaurant on the street, "Kuldse Notsu Korts," Estonian Country Restaurant. We sat at a table outside and had a fabulous meal of exotic cheese and homemade cherry beer!

 

 

 

Our next stop was for 2 days in St. Petersburg, Russia. Our guide for 2 days was a charming and very informative Nina. She was the perfect host and knowledge in Russian history was unbelieveable.

 

 

 

Our 1st day we traveled along the river Neva in a Mercedes Sprinter. Took a ride on a hydrofoil boat to one of the Tsar's mansions Petrodvorets with the incredible fountains, park and churches.

 

 

 

Lunch consisted of a traditional Russian food and beverages. Typical old style traditional Russian restaurant with cranberry and horseradish vodka shots being served. "Xaeohnkob'B" Traktir served chicken with cranberry sauce and cooked vegetables.

 

 

 

After lunch we went to Pushkin Catherine Palace & museum with famous Amber room which was restored, Russian subway stop "Pushkinskaya" with statue of Pushkin, Church of the Savior on Blood and final resting place of the Tsar family at Peter & Paul Fortress. A lot of sightseeing for 1 day.

 

 

 

The following day we again met Nina and proceeded to do a canal tour on a canal boat. Saw the battleship Aurora which started the October revolution in 1917! Visited the Palace Square, Hermitage Museum, St. Isaac's Cathedral and Usupov Palace where there is an underground room where Rasputin was reportedly murdered. At the Usupov Palace we were treated to an improtu show with some traditional Russian singers in the Palace's private theater! All in all so much to see in two days!

 

 

 

In the afternoon, we visited TJ Travel headquarters and gift shop. Met with the owner, Tatiana Churikova. Very accomodating and a pleasure to deal with. I liked the fact that I was not asked for any money on any of the previous tours and had paid for all 5 tours the 2nd day in St. Petersburg. Mentioned we were cruise critic members and received an additional 5% discount. Gift shop was excellent with a free "shot" bar.

 

 

 

Had lunch at a spectacular Russian restaurant "Graf-in." More modern and chic. Enjoyed the food immensely. The appetizer of traditional beet soup was excellent. Incidentally, the two lunches in Russia are included with the tours!

 

 

 

Our next stop was Helsinki, Finland. Maria was our guide. Saw the US Embassy and Embassy Row, Senate Square, Mannerheim statue in Kluuvi, Art Museum with modern statues, Sibeliuksenpuisto, Temppeliaukio Church, and daily life of Helsinki. This was the only day it was slightly cold, overcast and sprinkled off and on.

 

 

 

Our final tour was Stockholm, Sweden. Our guide was Lilly and our driver was Tomas. Very friendly and knowledgeable. The day we visited, Vice President Joe Biden was visiting Stockholm! The traffic was monumental for security reasons, however no one was blowing their horns in their cars! Very patient people. Tomas our bus driver was adept at getting us around despite the massive traffic jams!

 

 

 

Among other sites, saw the Stadshuset museum, Vasamuseet museum, Royal Castle and visited Gamla Stan area with its quaint shops and eateries. All in all a very beautiful city and would like to revisit again.

 

 

 

The bottom line is TJ Tours does a fabulous job of making sure you are well informed, comfortable and have a great visit. All guides spoke excellent english and were well understood. Would highly recommend this company going to any of these countries or doing a "Baltic" cruise. When compared to what the cruise lines charge, you will save at least 50% or more.:cool:

Did you feel the Tallinn and Helsinki days were "worth it"? We were thinking of doing three ports with them, but wonder if the 5-port option would make sense? We had planned to DIY Tallinn and Helsinki. Thanks!

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Certainly can do both on your own. TJ provides transport from dock to city. In the case of Helsinki, 3 hours tour. Mostly driving and sightseeing with stops getting on and off bus to see attractions. As I remember, wasn't too expensive. Reasoning to do all 5 was that I probably will never be back to most of those cities and wanted to see as much as possible with a professional guide. Old Tallinn after getting from docks to city is mostly a walking tour. Bottom line it was more convenient to do TJ vs diy. I hope this helps. PS. Trina in Tallin was a great guide.

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Autocorrect: Trinn in Tallinn.

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I have to give a thumbs up to TJ Tours. We did a 3 day tour of SPB with them at the end of July and it was fantastic value. It included all lunches, water on the van, free high speed wifi in the van, admissions, transport costs etc. The only money we needed was if we wanted to buy any trinkets on our travels. One of the highlights for me was the canal boat ride, it's amazing to see the buildings from the water and it's a good hour or more ride.

If anyone is interested, I created a spreadsheet a few months ago comparing the main tour operators - what you see, what it costs etc. I don't know if the prices of the tours have changed since I created it but it may be helpful. Here's the link:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lKoxWHgYW5VdM3c0QjUAS_6WOSUVmfK4FuftEa6X3ss

Regards, Mim

We can also give thumbs up to TJ Tours, with whom we did 3 excursions (2 days plus the ballet in the evening) this past August. Our guide, driver, and beautiful new mini-bus where all near perfect.

Hank

Hi all,

Traveling to St. Petersburg in July on the Serenade of the Seas. Wondering if anyone has done either the SPB Highlights Tour or TJ Travel Standard Tour? I know both tour companies get rave reviews so I think I can't go wrong with either one. Just wondering about these particular tours?

 

Thanks,

CG

What does each company say about lunch? This can vary from an order-your-own meal at a sit down restaurant to eating a pre-ordered meal at a sit down restaurant to a grabbing a Russian pie and scooting.

If the itineraries seems the same -- and others have pointed out more shopping time for one of the tours -- lunch might be a decider.

Another factor: What is the maximum size of the group you'll be touring with? Does one company win over another on that detail?

What does each company say about lunch? This can vary from an order-your-own meal at a sit down restaurant to eating a pre-ordered meal at a sit down restaurant to a grabbing a Russian pie and scooting.

 

If the itineraries seems the same -- and others have pointed out more shopping time for one of the tours -- lunch might be a decider.

 

Another factor: What is the maximum size of the group you'll be touring with? Does one company win over another on that detail?

Keep in mind that if you book a private excursion you have the ability to design your own itinerary (in conjunction with your tour company). We had two full days (and an evening) with the TJ folks and our group of 10. The first day's itinerary included lunch at a local restaurant...which had a fixed menu. The 2nd day we left lunch "open" and our guide took us all down town to Nevsky Prospect (the main street) where we stolled along a pedestrian area lines with quite a few cafes and restaurants. Because the group visa requirements are that we must stick together as a group (with our licensed guide) our group eventually chose a cafe on this street where we all had lunch. The group broke up into multiple tables (as we pleased) and ordered (and paid) for our own lunches.

As to group sizes, it simply depends on what you want. We know one group of 3 (father and 2 daughers) that simply hired TJ for their own private tour (a group of 3). We simply joined a random group (booked direct with TJ) which could have varied from 2 - 20 ( we had 10). You could also get together with a few folks on the CC Roll Call and arrange your own group (and itinerary). When we told TJ that we wanted to go to the ballet (Swan Lake) they arranged the tickets (Row 9) and round trip transportation. When we left the port for the theater we were a group of 2 (DW and myself) and our driver. When we returned from the theater we were a group of 5....because we were joined by the 3 folks who had been doing their own TJ tour.

Hank

Thanks Mim - this spreadsheet was really helpful and will make this decision so much easier. I appreciate you sharing it.

(From Mim, not me :))

If anyone is interested, I created a spreadsheet a few months ago comparing the main tour operators - what you see, what it costs etc. I don't know if the prices of the tours have changed since I created it but it may be helpful. Here's the link:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lKoxWHgYW5VdM3c0QjUAS_6WOSUVmfK4FuftEa6X3ss

Regards, Mim

Yes, thanks Mim, very much for sharing the spreadsheet - very helpful!

Elisa

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We just booked with TJ Tours for our September cruise on the Getaway for SPB, Berlin and Stockholm/Nynashamn! Thanks again to all for their insight and assistance!

Now that we're booked, the cruise doesn't seem as far away [emoji5]

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Mim, thank you that's great information.

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Did you feel that this tour was worth the substitution of the other choices?

We saw a traveling exhibit at our Art Museum a few years ago.........

thanks for thoughts