shore tours in Russia

[csun12321]

We used Alla tours in July this year for our family of 6 trip (age ranging from 12 to 78). They are simply wonderful. Though short, we had a great time in St Petersburg and Berlin by using their services. They also arranged transportation and night tour with very reasonable pricing per our special request since we had separately purchased tickets to Mariinsky. By the way, their tour guides are wonderful too, especially we enjoyed Valentina's friendliness and knowledgeable introduction of many areas. We definitely would recommend them.

Edited December 5, 2015 by csun12321

[TERRIER1]

We used Alla 2 day Comfort Tour in July on our Baltic cruise and I can't say enough of their excellent service. They were quick to respond to all inquiries, flexible and our guide Marina incredibly knowledgeable. Our driver was also great. We had 8 in our group and lunch was in very nice restaurants. We saw all the sights and highlights. Alla was great.

[JGaleCPA]

My wife and I recently came back from St. Petersburg using a 2-day Alla private tour. Our Guide was DARIA and our Driver VIKTOR. The 'splurge' for the private tour aspect is easily the best vacation dollar ever. We had near private and immediate access to the Hermitage, Catherine's palace etc. Alla (With our specialist ANNA) tailored our trip to our wants (Two lunches, STOLLE's was great), no canal boat, later start, etc. Can't say enough about it.

[CBRClient]

One of the best tours we have ever experienced. The guide was well informed, and did not bombard us with too much information. We visited all the most visited places in St Petersburg but with small crowds.

 

We were not rushed or pressed for time, and went away with much useful information - my wife complied a set of notes and I completed them as part of our trip diary. It was most comprehensive but not overly so.

 

The tours was well balanced, and well organised. I am impressed with their customer service and so much different to that we saw in cold war movies about Russia in the Soviet era.

[ttuser]

We cannot thank Alla Tours enough for making a most memorable experience for us on our 3 day tour of St Petersburg. Alla and Anya were nothing but helpful and informative from start to finish in helping us to organize & tailor our private 6 people tour. The price for our private 3 full day tour was less expensive than cruise ships big buses shore excursions. We were worried about going through the customs & legality of our tours without Russian visas. Everything went very well, we just showed our Alla tours tickets & our passports to the Russian immigration staff & they let us go on our tours. Our tour guide Elena was very knowledgeable, very well spoken & helpful in answering our questions & adjusting the time table to our needs. As we were a private 6 people group Elena was able to get us through to the most sites, avoiding big buses & cruise crowds as much as possible. Our minivan driver Anton was very nice & helpful. He was always able to stop the van right near the entrance to the most sites & was a phone call away for a quick pick up. Wish Alla tours have shore excursions in other parts of the world, would use them anytime again and again

[everstone]

We booked a two-day St. Petersburg tour through Alla Tours. Our two days in St. Petersburg was amazing. Alla Tours has much smaller groups than what is offered by Princess and is almost half the price.

 

 

The pre-booking communication was timely and excellent. Meeting our Tour Guide Oxana was very easy as we exited the Immigration desk – this initially, was a concern for us. Oxana speaks very good English and answered all of questions regarding life in St. Petersburg and Russia in general.

 

We originally booked a second tour our in Warnemuende (Berlin) however, we were informed at 4:30 the day before our tour was to begin than high winds forced us to switch ports. Alla Tours was very good about cancelling our booked tour without penalty – again, amazing customer service.

Alla Tours understands truly great customer service. I would highly recommend them to anyone visiting St. Petersburg.

[garyinsydney]

We used Alla Tours in August 2015.

I found the communications in organising the trip outstanding and a good indication of what we could expect from the tour.

 

We had a private tour for three people, including my elderly mother.

The guide was excellent.

She presented everything in an informative and interesting way and did not just bombard us with facts and figures.

She was very conscious of my mother's needs, as was the driver.

 

I cannot recommend Alla Tours highly enough.

They were recommended to us by two groups of friends who travelled in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

I am grateful to them for their recommendation.

[Kitwesty]

We used Alla Tours during a two day visit to St Petersburg in August. They were excellent in every aspect of what they offered. The guide was exceptionally knowledgeable, the tour bus held only 10 passengers so there was no rushing or excessive waiting, the itineraries covered everything you needed to see in a short visit and everything was so punctual that there was never any danger of being late back to the ship. First class and highly recommended alternative to ships tours.

[bictongirl]

We used Alla Tours for a two day tour in St Petersburg and also the Gdansk tour in Poland.

They were one of the best companies I have dealt with. The communication was excellent. My son had accident the week before we left , so we had to amend our tour at last notice, Alla were so helpful and accommadating. The trip was a nice small group, well organised and the guides knowledge and English was exceptional. Some of the sites were very busy, but it was August when we went. However, they got the tickets quickly and very efficiaently steered us through the crowds and queues.

I would highly recommend them.

[postna]

Great tour company. They we're recommended by my brother who had used them on an earlier cruise. I used them for a 2 day private tour of St. Petersburg in 2015. I'm handicapped so it made it easier. Half the price of the cruise excursions. We had our own van, driver and tour director so we could do anything we wanted. My brother took their group tours in a few different cities. They met us right at the terminal. I highly recommed their tours. Very friendly and knowledgable.

[kkonopka1]

Do not hesitate to book tours with Alla Tours. My wife, two sons, mom and dad, and I used them for about half of our excursions during our recent Princess Baltic Cruise in August 2015 and we were thrilled with them. Alla's tour guides were bright, cheerful, knowledgeable and fun. In each city (including 2 days in St. Petersburg) we felt we visited all the important sites and had exactly the experience Alla Tours describes on their web site. We had no issues with passport control in Russia (just remember to follow the directions from Alla precisely). In each city, the Alla tour guide will take very good care of you. In comparison to the tours we took directly through Princess, the Alla tours were always smaller groups, better itineraries, lower cost, and overall a more enjoyable experience.

Edited December 9, 2015 by kkonopka1

[Duncruisin]

February 20 2014

 

Has anyone used Alla tours for a 2 day group shore excursion in St Petersburg before please and are they a good company to use ?

 

Yes we used them and strangely enough a group of 8 had 4 people on return visits who had asked for Alexis the guide - he took us where water would not go so slick and passionate about his job and St Petersburg in General.

We did every thing it said "in the itinerary and more beside.

Comfortable clean mini bus, on time we are part of the Grey brigade, travelling the world now for fun - with out a lie this is the best 3 days excision we have had any where on the Planet and that is from an old Cynic who used to fly around for a living! We tried to book again but I think these people are the bench mark as such some attacks have been made by competitors to block them out - do not fall for it they were great

[Pugdog007]

I've done this cruise twice and used DenRus the first time and Alla the second time. ALLA was the best and I highly recommend! Elena was our guide and went above and beyond for us. DenRus was good, Alla was excellent! Both are good companies and I enjoyed both tours!

[carmatcar1]

We used Alla Tours in St. Petersburg and Berlin this past summer and loved both tours. We did the 2 day tour in St. Petersburg (totally worth it) and the one day in Berlin. Our tour guides were phenomenal, particularly in St. Pete. Just wish the Alla tour guides in Berlin would use the same system as they did in St. Pete: the tour guide provides headsets for each person and talks to them from her mouthpiece. No headsets were provided in Berlin and it was hard to hear the female guide who was trying to talk over all the other louder guides from a bunch of other tour companies. Highly recommend Alla Tours!:)

[miles38]

We did the Grand Tour of St Petersburg in September of this year with Alla tours and would highly recommend them. We chose Alla tours because the information they offered pre-cruise was prompt and thorough and this same level of attention to detail was carried out throughout our 2 days with them. After our ship set sail the itinerary was changed which meant we were in St Petersburg on different days from those scheduled. Alla tours arranged new visas and ensured that everything went ahead as arranged.

[Furflies]

The four of us who cruised together in august 2015, all agree that our three days spent with Alla Tours in St petersburg was the highlight of our 12 day cruise. From the initial communication with the booking contact to the final good bye to our amazing guide and capable driver, the experience was exceptional.

[pdx13]

19/42 posts from single digit folks. I'm sure Alla is a very reputable company, but I guess I am just the skeptical sort when relying on comments in any forum environment.

[Blue_Nautica]

We were a group of 10 people on the Serenade to Baltic and booked the 3 days St Petersburg tour with Alla Tours this summer. From the initial contact to the final minute drop off at the cruise port, Alla Tours handled everything smoothly and flawlessly. There was no doubt that Alla Tours exceeded all our expectations!

 

The 3 days itinerary was fully packed. Our tour guide Elena and driver Yuri were very efficient to make sure we had sufficient time at each site and we never felt rushed. Elena was very professional and had incredible knowledge about arts, Russian culture and Russian history and her commentary was in depth, informative and very educational. The lunches were included and we enjoyed tasting the traditional Russian food at at the local Russian restaurants.

 

We also booked two evening programs with Alla, one to see the Imperial Faberge eggs at the Faberge Museum and the other one to watch the "Swan Lake" Ballet Show in Alexandrinsky Theater. Both were wonderful programs and we had a great time.

 

Alla Tours provides excellent services, great itinerary and top-notch tour guides and drivers such as Elena and Yuri. Highly recommend Alla Tours to anyone who plans to visit St Petersburg.

[GradUT]

19/42 posts from single digit folks. I'm sure Alla is a very reputable company, but I guess I am just the skeptical sort when relying on comments in any forum environment.

 

Or you could look at it as 15/42 posts from 3-, 4- and 5-digit folks.

[pdx13]

Or you could look at it as 15/42 posts from 3-, 4- and 5-digit folks.

 

I would be very reluctant to put much faith in reviews based on posts from single and double digit contributors.

[dogs4fun]

I would be very reluctant to put much faith in reviews based on posts from single and double digit contributors.

I, too, would be very reluctant to put my faith in reviews if this particular thread was my only source from which to garner recommendations. Fortunately, in addition to many other Baltic review threads on Cruise Critic, one can also check the reviews on Tripadvisor (which, I believe, owns Cruise Critic).

SPB, ALLA, and TJ are rated the top 3 Baltic tour companies on TripAdvisor (in addition to the 3 cited, there are several other tour providers whose clients have been very satisfied by the quality of their shore excursions - most are frequently mentioned on these boards). I believe that Alla & SPB each have approximately 2000+ reviews on the TripAdvisor site with TJ trailing with approximately 900+ - some from very experienced travelers and some not. When I booked my first Baltic cruise (5 years ago), I used a combination of reviews from both Cruise Critic and Tripadvisor. I also emailed past clients and asked questions before booking. Based on my research in 2011, I booked with Alla and was very pleased. I now have a Russian visa & have returned to Russia each subsequent year. I have utilized Alla for at least one tour during each of these visits wherein DIY travel to the site would be a hassle (Novgorod, for example).

It is quite common for new members to post on Cruise Critic about their experiences with a particular tour company - especially independent tour companies in the Baltic region (most notably, those companies headquartered in St. Petersburg).

For example, check-out the following thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2254459

There are 25 posts extolling the virtues of TJ tours. 21/25 are from single or double digit contributors. :)

[Maitaimama]

We toured St. Pete in July 2014 with Alla Tours. It was worth every penny. Our guide & driver were very professional & well-informed. All our email communications with Alla were very professional & we were kept very well informed & had explicit instructions about where to meet, etc. Our tours (2 days) were on time & we returned to ship on time. We saw everything we wanted to see (and could not have seen much of anything had we gone on ship-provided excursions) & it was fabulous - the highlight of our trip. The restaurants that were chosen for us for lunch stops were very nice & the food very good. Our van seated 8, but we were 6 in our group. Large windows, very comfy. We even got to ride the Russian subway--not to be missed if you have the opportunity - amazing. No complaints from us -- would highly recommend Alla Tours to anyone.

[scgomg]

We (H&W) arranged 3 full days with Alla in St. Petersburg in August, 2015. The car was excellent, the driver was terrific and the guide was superb. Intelligent, knowledgeable, thoughtful, fluent English and a lovely personality.

 

When one factors in the visa cost paid by the tour company and the comparable cost of a ship's tour ---with lots of people to swarm around with---it isn't even expensive. The early admission to sites is an invaluable asset.

 

Alla was amazingly responsive to emails. We were able to plan----and modify---our itinery well before leaving Florida. We have employed private driver/guides in Vietnam, Thailand and several European countries over the past 8 years. Never had anything but positive experiences. That said, Alla was the BEST of them all. Highly recommend.

[pdx13]

I, too, would be very reluctant to put my faith in reviews if this particular thread was my only source from which to garner recommendations. Fortunately, in addition to many other Baltic review threads on Cruise Critic, one can also check the reviews on Tripadvisor (which, I believe, owns Cruise Critic).

SPB, ALLA, and TJ are rated the top 3 Baltic tour companies on TripAdvisor (in addition to the 3 cited, there are several other tour providers whose clients have been very satisfied by the quality of their shore excursions - most are frequently mentioned on these boards). I believe that Alla & SPB each have approximately 2000+ reviews on the TripAdvisor site with TJ trailing with approximately 900+ - some from very experienced travelers and some not. When I booked my first Baltic cruise (5 years ago), I used a combination of reviews from both Cruise Critic and Tripadvisor. I also emailed past clients and asked questions before booking. Based on my research in 2011, I booked with Alla and was very pleased. I now have a Russian visa & have returned to Russia each subsequent year. I have utilized Alla for at least one tour during each of these visits wherein DIY travel to the site would be a hassle (Novgorod, for example).

It is quite common for new members to post on Cruise Critic about their experiences with a particular tour company - especially independent tour companies in the Baltic region (most notably, those companies headquartered in St. Petersburg).

For example, check-out the following thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2254459

There are 25 posts extolling the virtues of TJ tours. 21/25 are from single or double digit contributors. :)

 

 

I agree completely with all of this. Just curious as to why these SB tour companies seem to have streaks of single and low double digit reviews here more so than other subjects from what I can tell.

[koleesky]

We used Alla Tours for almost all our excursions when on the Norwegian Star Baltic Cruise this past August 2015. Our family of four included my legally blind 88 year old father, my sister, my then 18 year old nephew, and myself. I can only sing their praises! They were prompt, communicated effectively, included small group buses, organized and comfortable - not rushed tours. We had fabulous guides who spoke excellent English as well as were well educated and current on their areas. Our guide in Tallin, Estonia actually had her PhD. The guides were professional and personable. Highly recommend. Heard stories about other competitive tour groups which were not at all satisfactory with many disappointments and/or paid significantly more for much abbreviated tours and large numbers of participants. Alla was accommodating, supportive, and flexible with all participants all the while not sacrificing quality. Definitely would give them 5 stars in all categories.