Walk in St Petersburg after tour?

So, I understand that I cannot get off the ship in St. Petersburg without purchasing a tour from a licensed tour provider or a shore excursion. That's fine.

When the tour is over, must I immediately return with my group and we all get checked back in one by one?

Is it possible to walk about on one's own for a few minutes after a tour?

I don't want to do anything to mess up my group or my tour operator, but I am chafing a bit at being escorted every moment. Does anyone know how this works? Thank you.

Last I heard. The visa states you must be with your tour at all times. If you get your own visa, then you can wonder around. If the visa was requested by the ship or by a tour operator, then you are under their care.

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Last I heard. The visa states you must be with your tour at all times. If you get your own visa, then you can wonder around. If the visa was requested by the ship or by a tour operator, then you are under their care.

 

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The cost for a US citizen for a visa (non-tour) is around $200/person, so that would be quite an expensive walk. Some of the tour descriptions I saw specifically talk about time to walk and shop, ride subway, etc.

The tour will drop you off at the port. There's not much to see in walking around, but there are some shopping kiosks.

Interesting post! Always wondering if things have changed. Even the last time we were there, we couldn't walk around alone ....

We also asked our tour guide after. We were advised against.

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You pretty much have to stay with your tour group the entire time. However, on our Alla Grand Tour, we had a photo stop in a park for about 20-30 minutes where we were free to walk around without our guide. At the end of the day, you are taken back to the port where you can meander and shop at the various kiosks--not a bad place for souvenirs--but that's it.

However, it's not as bad as you probably think it is because you are so busy on these tours--lots to see and do in SPB!

Thanks to everyone for the helpful replies. It sounds a bit less restrictive than I feared, but I won't break away from a group.

I'd especially like to get night time photos of the city. Does the cruise ship terminal have good views of the city or is it in an industrial area? Thanks again.

You will return to port with your tour group. The visa free rule requires that you stay with your tour company/guide when off the ship. I suppose that you could hang around the terminal and not immediately go through immigration upon returning to port but there really is nothing much to do at the port terminal - it is located quite some distance from the city center. You can procure a Russian tourist visa but it will be quite expensive - mine was $300+ as I don't live in one of the cities with a Russian consulate and had to pay the extra fee to have it done via mail.

You can also book an activity/tour after your day tour ends - there are options that would give you some time to wander about if you desire, shop, visit a pub or have dinner in a local cafe, etc.

Unfortunately, you cannot see the city center from where your ship docks. Your ship will dock on Vasilevsky Island (Marine Facade) at the mouth of the Neva - you can check on Google Maps to see how far it is from the city center. If you wish to take some night photos of the city, you will need to book an evening tour.

You will return to port with your tour group. The visa free rule requires that you stay with your tour company/guide when off the ship. I suppose that you could hang around the terminal and not immediately go through immigration upon returning to port but there really is nothing much to do at the port terminal - it is located quite some distance from the city center. You can procure a Russian tourist visa but it will be quite expensive - mine was $300+ as I don't live in one of the cities with a Russian consulate and had to pay the extra fee to have it done via mail.

You can also book an activity/tour after your day tour ends - there are options that would give you some time to wander about if you desire, shop, visit a pub or have dinner in a local cafe, etc.

Unfortunately, you cannot see the city center from where your ship docks. Your ship will dock on Vasilevsky Island (Marine Facade) at the mouth of the Neva - you can check on Google Maps to see how far it is from the city center. If you wish to take some night photos of the city, you will need to book an evening tour.

Thanks for taking the time to share such useful information. I can see that I need to make some adjustments in my planning.

Not sure what time of the year you are going, or what kind of night pictures you want, but be aware in June and July it never gets totally dark because of the city's northern location. In fact they have a period called "white nights" when they don't even turn on the street lights because the sun never goes far enough below the horizon.

Yup. First time I visited Estonia for business in the summer I was awoken by sunlight and thought I had missed my wake up. Turned out it was 3:30 am.

As for the original topic, I asked Alla Tours an don the two day grand tour there's a "little" time built in for exploring within reason. But that's the costs for not having to secure your own visa.

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So, I understand that I cannot get off the ship in St. Petersburg without purchasing a tour from a licensed tour provider or a shore excursion. That's fine.

When the tour is over, must I immediately return with my group and we all get checked back in one by one?

Is it possible to walk about on one's own for a few minutes after a tour?

I don't want to do anything to mess up my group or my tour operator, but I am chafing a bit at being escorted every moment. Does anyone know how this works? Thank you.

Different tour providers have different policies. Some might let your wander on your own for a limited period in places like a shopping street or in the Hermitage. Since a bit of independence is important to you, that should be one of the questions you ask of the tour providers you contact.

Dining out in the city or attending a ballet is another way to achieve a small amount of relative independence. You would be dropped at your restaurant and/or theater, dine or attend the performance on your own, and rendezvous with your driver at the end of the evening. You would be returned to the port.

Different tour providers have different policies. Some might let your wander on your own for a limited period in places like a shopping street or in the Hermitage. Since a bit of independence is important to you, that should be one of the questions you ask of the tour providers you contact.

 

Dining out in the city or attending a ballet is another way to achieve a small amount of relative independence. You would be dropped at your restaurant and/or theater, dine or attend the performance on your own, and rendezvous with your driver at the end of the evening. You would be returned to the port.

Yep.

The rules are the same for all tour operators, but they each have their own interpretations of those rules.

For instance some (incl Alla) will take you to Nevsky Prospekt (main shopping street), where you arrange to meet back up a half-hour later. And in places like the Hermitage you're not tied to your guide with apron strings - the guide's wireless earphones mean you don't lose touch and the guide doesn't feel neglected. .

For the ballet folk go back to the ship after the day tour, but for the folk show there wasn't enough time for that, so between the day tour and the evening folk show we were dropped at a bar near the theatre & collected from there an hour later - but we were required not to wander away. We were walked to the theatre, seen in, and left to our own devices. A driver was waiting for us outside at the end of the show. The one thing we regret was not asking if we could have a brief night-time tour of the city before returning to the ship - that would certainly be within the rules.

We are independent types but, as GradUT also found out, we didn't feel restricted - in fact it was a boon to have a knowledgeable guide in such an interesting and different country.

JB :)

Does the cruise ship terminal have good views of the city or is it in an industrial area? Thanks again.

Here's a link to a web site with two photographs of the Marine Facade St Petersburg. Click on the arrows to toggle between the two photographs.

http://www.visit-petersburg.ru/en/transport/194205/

Here's another link to a map of St Petersburg showing the location of the Marine Facade. It's on a peninsula at the left of the area. A few of the must-see destinations are shown on the right. This map confirms what you've already seen in the above photographs. The Marine Facade is surrounded by a large area with nothing of interest. (My recollection is of a large parking area more than an industrial scene.) In the distance, I could see lots of what I'll call Soviet-era apartment buildings.

http://portspb.ru/en/about/info_about_port

You will return to port with your tour group. The visa free rule requires that you stay with your tour company/guide when off the ship. I suppose that you could hang around the terminal and not immediately go through immigration upon returning to port but there really is nothing much to do at the port terminal - it is located quite some distance from the city center. You can procure a Russian tourist visa but it will be quite expensive - mine was $300+ as I don't live in one of the cities with a Russian consulate and had to pay the extra fee to have it done via mail.

 

You can also book an activity/tour after your day tour ends - there are options that would give you some time to wander about if you desire, shop, visit a pub or have dinner in a local cafe, etc.

Unfortunately, you cannot see the city center from where your ship docks. Your ship will dock on Vasilevsky Island (Marine Facade) at the mouth of the Neva - you can check on Google Maps to see how far it is from the city center. If you wish to take some night photos of the city, you will need to book an evening tour.

Yep.

The rules are the same for all tour operators, but they each have their own interpretations of those rules.

For instance some (incl Alla) will take you to Nevsky Prospekt (main shopping street), where you arrange to meet back up a half-hour later. And in places like the Hermitage you're not tied to your guide with apron strings - the guide's wireless earphones mean you don't lose touch and the guide doesn't feel neglected. .

 

For the ballet folk go back to the ship after the day tour, but for the folk show there wasn't enough time for that, so between the day tour and the evening folk show we were dropped at a bar near the theatre & collected from there an hour later - but we were required not to wander away. We were walked to the theatre, seen in, and left to our own devices. A driver was waiting for us outside at the end of the show. The one thing we regret was not asking if we could have a brief night-time tour of the city before returning to the ship - that would certainly be within the rules.

 

We are independent types but, as GradUT also found out, we didn't feel restricted - in fact it was a boon to have a knowledgeable guide in such an interesting and different country.

 

JB :)

Oh that is a great idea; to have an evening tour and ask to have some time afterward for a walk and photos. Thank you.

We have visited St Petersburg twice. The first time we toured with SPB Tours. The second time, we did a half-day ship's tour which was just a 'St Petersburg on your own'. We were dropped off with a map and had two or three hours on our own. We had a good wander around taking photos, went in a couple of shops, had pies and drinks in the Stolle pie shop. So check your ship's excursions if you want free time.

We have visited St Petersburg twice. The first time we toured with SPB Tours. The second time, we did a half-day ship's tour which was just a 'St Petersburg on your own'. We were dropped off with a map and had two or three hours on our own. We had a good wander around taking photos, went in a couple of shops, had pies and drinks in the Stolle pie shop. So check your ship's excursions if you want free time.

In all the years I've participated on this board, I've never heard of an excursion in St Petersburg that offered the kind of freedom you've described under the tour ticket/visa free/blanket-visa system*. It certainly contradicts every Russian web site -- city sites and tour company sites -- that explains the visa regulations for visiting St. Petersburg.

So inquiring minds want to know a bit more information. What cruise line? What year? Was the ship an ocean-going ship or a river cruise or a large yacht like Le Ponant? Did you get an individual visa because the cruise ship was calling at a Russian port in addition to St. Petersburg? Do you have any insight into the St Petersburg company that ran the excursion for the cruise line?

Call me bewildered!

* I really wish all the tour companies could agree on the name each one uses to describe the no-individual-visa-required entry to St. Petersburg. I'm sure there's an official name as far as the government is concerned.

In all the years I've participated on this board, I've never heard of an excursion in St Petersburg that offered the kind of freedom you've described under the tour ticket/visa free/blanket-visa system*. It certainly contradicts every Russian web site -- city sites and tour company sites -- that explains the visa regulations for visiting St. Petersburg.

 

So inquiring minds want to know a bit more information. What cruise line? What year? Was the ship an ocean-going ship or a river cruise or a large yacht like Le Ponant? Did you get an individual visa because the cruise ship was calling at a Russian port in addition to St. Petersburg? Do you have any insight into the St Petersburg company that ran the excursion for the cruise line?

 

Call me bewildered!

 

* I really wish all the tour companies could agree on the name each one uses to describe the no-individual-visa-required entry to St. Petersburg. I'm sure there's an official name as far as the government is concerned.

It was about two years or so ago, on the ocean cruise ship Marco Polo, with Cruise & Maritime cruise line. We did not get an individual visa, it was just the usual arrangement. No idea which tour company as it was a cruise line excursion. They didn't call it 'on your own', it may have been 'shopping' or something like that, but it actually was the same as the 'Rome on your own' sort of ones.

I just had a look at their website and the cruise line is still offering the tour. They call it 'Nevsky Prospekt' and as I thought it is two and a half hours free time, no guided tour. Just a transfer from the ship and a map.

When i visited St. Petersburg 2014 on our Baltic cruise the cruise line (AIDA cruises) also offered an 8-hour excoursion which included a small and short bus tour to some of the attractions,a short stop at a church(you could go inside and also onto the top with nice views) and then a 4 hours free time period where you could explore the city on your own.We were alittle bit surprised,cause thats not what we expected due to the strict russian laws,but it worked without problems.

Stop the press! This is exactly the type of thing I am looking for. How do we find out the name of the tour operator that these 2 cruise lines used? I would still book an organized tour for the first day, but I would love this type of independence for part of the second day.

Excellent work you sleuths you!

Yep.

The rules are the same for all tour operators, but they each have their own interpretations of those rules.

For instance some (incl Alla) will take you to Nevsky Prospekt (main shopping street), where you arrange to meet back up a half-hour later. And in places like the Hermitage you're not tied to your guide with apron strings - the guide's wireless earphones mean you don't lose touch and the guide doesn't feel neglected. .

 

For the ballet folk go back to the ship after the day tour, but for the folk show there wasn't enough time for that, so between the day tour and the evening folk show we were dropped at a bar near the theatre & collected from there an hour later - but we were required not to wander

away. We were walked to the theatre, seen in, and left to our own devices. A driver was waiting for us outside at the end of the show. The one thing we regret was not asking if we could have a brief night-time tour of the city before returning to the ship - that would certainly be within the rules.

 

We are independent types but, as GradUT also found out, we didn't feel restricted - in fact it was a boon to have a knowledgeable guide in such an interesting and different country.

 

JB :)

How was the Folklore show? Do you recommend it?

How was the Folklore show? Do you recommend it?

Depends on your tastes.

If ballet is your scene, the folk show probably won't be.

It's geared solely to tourists.

We rated it highly - but then we're tourists.;).

Some folk consider it a bit cheesy, and I guess I kinda agree about some bits. Like dragging (willing) audience members onto the stage. Cheesy but fun.

Good musicians, singers, dancers - all very polished & professional. Wide variety, including Cossack dancing etc, all very well-performed. Some humour, both subtle & side-splitting.

You can see clips by dialling it into YouTube.

The venue is quirky. A former palace, a little run-down. Decayed decadence, reminds me of Havana. It's held in a large room, not a purpose-built auditorium, on the first (American, second) floor & approached by an imposing staircase . The "stage" is merely a raised floor & the audience sits on dining-type chairs. No allocated seating, if you're early get a seat near the front - but not the front row if you don't want to risk public humiliation :D

Don't rely on the champagne & canapés to satisfy hunger pangs, it's an intermission free-for-all.

So you can perhaps see why I said it "depends on your tastes".

If you dig deeper you'll find other enthusiastic folk like us praising it highly, and others (who had expected a cultural evening) seriously unimpressed. I doubt you'll find anyone without an opinion at one extreme or the other.

BTW, back to the thread subject. I too have heard of folk being given lots of free time on-tour. Like MH & Mary that surprised me, but yes it happens. Only heard of it with some (not all) ships' tours, & not with private tours.

JB :)

Depends on your tastes.

If ballet is your scene, the folk show probably won't be.

It's geared solely to tourists.

We rated it highly - but then we're tourists.;).

 

Some folk consider it a bit cheesy, and I guess I kinda agree about some bits. Like dragging (willing) audience members onto the stage. Cheesy but fun.

Good musicians, singers, dancers - all very polished & professional. Wide variety, including Cossack dancing etc, all very well-performed. Some humour, both subtle & side-splitting.

You can see clips by dialling it into YouTube.

The venue is quirky. A former palace, a little run-down. Decayed decadence, reminds me of

 

Havana. It's held in a large room, not a purpose-built auditorium, on the first (American, second) floor & approached by an imposing staircase . The "stage" is merely a raised floor & the audience sits on dining-type chairs. No allocated seating, if you're early get a seat near the front - but not the front row if you don't want to risk public humiliation :D

Don't rely on the champagne & canapés to satisfy hunger pangs, it's an intermission free-for-all.

 

So you can perhaps see why I said it "depends on your tastes".

If you dig deeper you'll find other enthusiastic folk like us praising it highly, and others (who had expected a cultural evening) seriously unimpressed. I doubt you'll find anyone without an opinion at one extreme or the other.

 

BTW, back to the thread subject. I too have heard of folk being given lots of free time on-tour. Like MH & Mary that surprised me, but yes it happens. Only heard of it with some (not all) ships' tours, & not with private tours.

 

JB :)

Thank you for such thorough description of the folklore show. I'm concerned about being too tired after a full day tour--we are 60 and 70 in ages. I'm quite sure we would fall asleep in the ballet even if it's wonderful. Did you see the Faberge museum? Considering 2 day tours which include it or St. Isaac's Church and Yusovov Palace.