SPB tours, Best Guides, Alla etc… any difference

[mocrimlaw]

We are booked on a trip to Moscow in August, with Anastasia Tours - it's a private tour for just the 2 of us on the middle day of the 3 day cruise stop there on Oceania. It will be a high speed train ride of almost 4 hours each way, but I have upgraded us to business class for not much more money, which means we get a hot meal each way so that should help with the time and also not having to stop for food in Moscow except lunch. Be aware that most of the ships stopping for 3 days are either unaware or don't care that the middle day is a Thursday, and the Kremlin, which is the main attraction in Moscow, is closed on Thursdays. I searched really hard for a cruise that had the 3 days in SPB with the middle day NOT on a Thursday, and the Oceania cruise starting in Stockholm on August 18th was one of the only ones I found. We really want to see Moscow so I picked that cruise.

[sandrang]

Do you mean 2 days in St. Petersburg and one day in Moscow (you will be on a cruise ship, I assume)? If so, many on this forum have done this (although usually not with Guide Guru although I suspect that they are a perfectly reputable company - just haven't heard much about them on these boards) - it must be done on the middle day of a 3 day port visit in St. Petersburg. Just be aware that the Moscow trip makes for a very long day because you are usually not back onboard your ship until very late (11:30pm to midnight). Hopefully some that have visited Moscow this way will chime-in with their comments.

Personally, I have used Alla Tours (http://alla-tour.com/tours/) - they are fantastic and they offer this same package - 2 days in St. Petersburg and 1 day Moscow (it's called the Two Capitals Tour).

 

Unfortunately we only have 2 days in St. Petersburg so I am wondering if it is feasible to do a one day in Moscow and the other day in St. Petersburg. Its seems a pity not to see Kremlin, Red Square etc since we are going there from NZ and not likely to do a trip back. Yes the trip will end around 12am and starts again at 8am the next day.

[dogs4fun]

We are booked on a trip to Moscow in August, with Anastasia Tours - it's a private tour for just the 2 of us on the middle day of the 3 day cruise stop there on Oceania. It will be a high speed train ride of almost 4 hours each way, but I have upgraded us to business class for not much more money, which means we get a hot meal each way so that should help with the time and also not having to stop for food in Moscow except lunch. Be aware that most of the ships stopping for 3 days are either unaware or don't care that the middle day is a Thursday, and the Kremlin, which is the main attraction in Moscow, is closed on Thursdays. I searched really hard for a cruise that had the 3 days in SPB with the middle day NOT on a Thursday, and the Oceania cruise starting in Stockholm on August 18th was one of the only ones I found. We really want to see Moscow so I picked that cruise.

I found the Kremlin spectacular - particularly the Armoury & the Diamond Fund. Are you absolutely tied to your cruise dates and/or Oceania?

I found some other Baltic cruises with the middle day not a Thursday:

Celebrity Eclipse - St. Petersburg - May 27-29 (middle day is a Sunday)

Celebrity Silhouette - St. Petersburg - May 27-29 (middle day is a Sunday)

Celebrity Eclipse - St. Petersburg - July 9-11 (middle day is a Monday)

Azamara Journey - St. Petersburg - August 8-10 (middle day is a Wednesday)

Azamara Journey - St. Petersburg - August 26-28 (middle day is a Sunday)

 

If you are firmly committed to your cruise date, fear not - there are other worthwhile things to see in Moscow besides the Kremlin and since your time there is limited, you will need to choose what you really want to see. Hope that your tour program/guide has included some of the following:

Red Square is very interesting - I loved the interior of St. Basils (the exterior is pretty cool too - its the iconic onion domed cathedral we see in many Moscow shots). Gum department store (upscale) is worth a walk through (and Tsum is across the street). You can also view the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, visit Lenin's Tomb and Kazan Cathedral.

Tretyakov Gallery

Bolshoi Theatre - although you won't have time for a performance, you can alway take in a backstage tour.

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Don't miss the Moscow metro - its stations are even more elaborate than the St. Pete stations.

Arbat street

Tverskaya street -(Eliseevsky Emporium is amazing & the art decor interior is gorgeous - there is also one in St. Petersburg on Nevsky - you can read about the Moscow one here: http://www.moscow-russia-insiders-guide.com/eliseevsky-store-in-moscow.html)

Tsarytsino Open Air Museum

Izmailovo Kremlin - for something really far out :D

Ah, so much to see ... so little time.

[dogs4fun]

Unfortunately we only have 2 days in St. Petersburg so I am wondering if it is feasible to do a one day in Moscow and the other day in St. Petersburg. Its seems a pity not to see Kremlin, Red Square etc since we are going there from NZ and not likely to do a trip back. Yes the trip will end around 12am and starts again at 8am the next day.

Ah, that is a pity & sorry that I misunderstood. In the case of a 2 day stay in St. Peterburg, I definitely would not recommend a trip to Moscow. There is so, so much to see in just St. Petersburg that 3 days (let alone one or two days) would give you only a taste. IMHO, St. Petersburg is so much more beautiful than Moscow - it has incredibly gorgeous Russian Baroque palaces, lovely canals, and was the home of the Tzars from Peter the Great down through the last, Nicholas. I think you would be cheating yourself to attempt to do both St. Pete and Moscow in only 2 days but that is just my opinion (in fact, I think it crazy to do Moscow even on a 3 day port visit - again, JMHO). Years ago, I found that by attempting to see/do too much in a short amount of time, I was on sensory overload and seldom remembered much of what I had seen/done. However, everyone is different. So, if you have tons of energy and simply must do an introductory run through of both cities then, by all means, go for it.

[pr0pel]

Sorry if this is answered but other than St. Petersburg, all the touring companies have tours in the other capitals and most have very similar descriptions for almost the same price. They can't all possibly employ people in these other ports. Do all these companies use a single agency in each port as contractors or how does it work? Does it make sense to book with one company vs another, especially in the other ports like Helsinki, Stockholm, Tallinn, etc.

[ToniF]

Hi Jess sorry for the late response

 

SPB is offering this evening option of Tour like Local - see below their description

Go Out Like a Local information $60.00

The Go Out Like a Local tour begins with a vehicle pickup at around 7:00pm at the port, where you will meet your evening tour guide. During this tour you'll get to drink three unique varieties of Russian Vodka, do some shopping, see the city of St. Petersburg in the beautiful evening twilight, and enjoy a canal boat ride on a private boat. Non-alcoholic beverages are also available as well as some light snacks.

 

We opted to do the Vodka museum instead. Visit Museum have vodka tasting after. Reserved at the restaurant attached at the museum, have Russian dinner (we are paying for the dinner) then go city driving after. $45.00. We thought after a long day trekking most of St. Petersburg, having a Russian dinner will energize us!

 

Hello, we are doing the 2 day deluxe SPB tour in September and I am now considering whether to do the optional evening Go out like a local. I really would like to get my hands on some 'quality' matryoshka (nesting dolls), but am not sure if I will get the chance either during the 2 day tour or the optional evening tour. Were there many quality shop with this product available during your tours?

[Pet Nit Noy]

Hello, we are doing the 2 day deluxe SPB tour in September and I am now considering whether to do the optional evening Go out like a local. I really would like to get my hands on some 'quality' matryoshka (nesting dolls), but am not sure if I will get the chance either during the 2 day tour or the optional evening tour. Were there many quality shop with this product available during your tours?

 

There's a web site named The Golden Cockerel that features Russian crafts including matryoshka dolls. This company has a connection with artists in St. Petersburg. Reading the site, it appears the St Petersburg-made dolls are for sale through the web site only with no retail presence in St Petersburg itself, but a direct inquiry might turn up a different answer. At the least, this US company may represent a fall-back position if you discover you don't have time to shop for top quality on your scheduled tours.

 

Will you be the only participants in your SPB tour? If so, you can definitely arrange with your guide to include a stop at a high end matryoshka shop. If your group is small enough or arranged through your roll call, perhaps you can ask SPB/your touring partners to visit a souvenir stop that includes dolls in a wider range of price/quality than the typical one on the tour.

 

http://www.goldencockerel.com/

[ToniF]

There's a web site named The Golden Cockerel that features Russian crafts including matryoshka dolls. This company has a connection with artists in St. Petersburg. Reading the site, it appears the St Petersburg-made dolls are for sale through the web site only with no retail presence in St Petersburg itself, but a direct inquiry might turn up a different answer. At the least, this US company may represent a fall-back position if you discover you don't have time to shop for top quality on your scheduled tours.

 

Will you be the only participants in your SPB tour? If so, you can definitely arrange with your guide to include a stop at a high end matryoshka shop. If your group is small enough or arranged through your roll call, perhaps you can ask SPB/your touring partners to visit a souvenir stop that includes dolls in a wider range of price/quality than the typical one on the tour.

 

http://www.goldencockerel.com/

 

Hello, thanks so much for this information, I will definitely keep this in mind if I dont manage to find something while on tour. We will be on a group tour with other people but I will ask the guide about this as it is my preference to buy when on a trip as a good memento.

[NewWestwardbound]

I presume your friends had Russian visas, DennStann?

 

I don't believe a visa is needed for such a trip from a cruise ship in St Petersburg.

[Pet Nit Noy]

I presume your friends had Russian visas, DennStann?

 

Here is a link to what I think is the clearest explanation of visa-free visits to St Petersburg via cruise ship.

 

DennStan has omitted a couple of pertinent details (e.g. Did the cruise originate/terminate in St. Petersburg?) but assuming the requirements explained on the web site were met, no visas would have been needed.

 

http://www.saint-petersburg.com/russian-visa/for-cruise-ship-passengers/

[Pushka]

I don't believe a visa is needed for such a trip from a cruise ship in St Petersburg.

 

The flew in by plane so a Visa in advance is required. All passengers need a kind of visa for Russia but only those completely on their own will need to get one. themselves for a shorex. SPB and other licensed agencies or the ship will provide the required paperwork that allows you to disembark.

[Brandy14]

Hello, thanks so much for this information, I will definitely keep this in mind if I dont manage to find something while on tour. We will be on a group tour with other people but I will ask the guide about this as it is my preference to buy when on a trip as a good memento.

 

 

If you have a souvenir stop planned on your tour my guess is that it will be the same or similar to the one we went to. I too was on the lookout for a very nice set and buying them anywhere but Russia seems odd. I told my guide what I was looking for and she made sure to point them out and tell me the differences. The ones I purchased were hand painted with a lot of detail but also the most expensive. I knew that the really nice ones can run hundreds of dollars in price. Once I saw the ones I purchased I could easily tell the difference in some of the others that were lower quality and less expensive. They have them in every price range so just ask your guide and I'm sure they can help you find exactly what you are looking for.

 

 

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[rebusrockeress]

We too used TJ travel on our stay in May (P&O Aurora) - Anna was our tour guide in the day (with another Anna driving!) and Alex in the evening. They were all brilliant - great sense of humour, wonderful local and historical knowledge and an interest in our countries too - we were just 6. 2 English (us); 2 Australians; 2 Malaysians. Could not be more enthusiastic about this company. They even allowed us the evening tour (Russian Experience) with just the two of us. We liked their particular itinerary and others had recommended them too, so i have hesitation in recommending them

[goldenpuppy]

Recently traveled to the British Isles and booked thru Viator for many tours.

This Sept will cruise with Viking Sky on the Viking Homelands cruise. While reading most have used private companies located in St Petersburg and other ports rather then Viator, why? Are they just the middle men??

[wheezedr]

Recently traveled to the British Isles and booked thru Viator for many tours.

This Sept will cruise with Viking Sky on the Viking Homelands cruise. While reading most have used private companies located in St Petersburg and other ports rather then Viator, why? Are they just the middle men??

Because Viator is simply a booking agent, not a tour company and most of us would prefer to book directly with the tour operator.

[angeleyes27]

While it is true that it is usually better to book direct with the tour company, I have used Viator in certain places because I know they will stand behind the booking and in ports, they guarantee to get to the port in time so in some places, that is worthwhile

 

 

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[angeleyes27]

In St Petersburg, we booked SPB, by the way. They were great!

 

 

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[Got2Cruise]

While it is true that it is usually better to book direct with the tour company, I have used Viator in certain places because I know they will stand behind the booking and in ports, they guarantee to get to the port in time so in some places, that is worthwhile

 

 

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I’ve used Viator and if you click on you can actually see the name of the provider. I’ve never used them for cruises though. One thing I learned is try to get discounts from Viator. Get on their email list. They often give 10% discount codes.

For Russia, I’d want to stick with the tried and true used by CC members.

[Pushka]

SPB tours where whom we used last year.

[tartanexile81]

We chose SPB because they did a tour in SPB at night and my husband didn’t want to do the ballet. Our guide for the 2 days was outstanding, the tour fantastic and the icing on the cake was being able to walk around in our own in the city at night

 

 

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