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3-day, 2-night itinerary
Resting along the Baltic Sea with the Nevar River cutting through it, St. Petersburg is home to more than 5 million residents and almost as many significant locales to visit, as the city is Russia’s cultural heart and soul. Founded in the early 1700s, St. Petersburg served as the imperial capital for two centuries and remains one of the city’s most influential and significant cities.
Second in size to Moscow, St. Petersburg is the hub for all things arts and culture, including world-class opera and ballet at Mariinsky Theatre; stunning architecture of iconic sites Savior on the Spilled Blood Church and Winter Palace; and fortresses from long ago. Tour the imperial city with three days of sightseeing, immersed in the city’s captivating history and heritage.
Day 1 Tour the city
Day 2 Visit the Tsar’s former Pushkin residence, attend Russian ballet
Day 3 Canal cruise and palace tour
Tour St. Petersburg with a local expert, visiting the city’s many prominent sites, including Nevsky Prospect, Anichkov Bridge and Palace, the Fontanka and Moika Rivers, Kazan Cathedral, Admiralty, Winter Palace, Palace Square, General Headquarters Arch, Senate Square with the Bronze Horseman (monument to St. Petersburg’s founder, Peter the Great), Palace Bridge, monument to Nicholas the First and University Embankment’s historical buildings. Learn all about the St. Petersburg’s history and famous family, the Romanovs, with visits to
Head just outside the city to Tsarskoye Selo and visit Catherine’s Palace, a former Tsar’s summer residence, and tour through the Amber Room and Catherine’s Park. Venture to the Palace in Pavlovsk for an inside look at grand antiques and décor before touring the Russian Museum, boasting the world’s largest collection of Russian art. Finally, end the night back in the heart of the city with a Russian Ballet performance — an absolute must while in the city.
Hop on a canal cruise through St. Petersburg’s winding canal system — known as the Venice of the North for good reason — and take in the sights by boat. Hop off for a tour of Yusupov Palace, where Grigori Rasputin was murdered, while learning all about the high-profile crime and tragic Russian tale leading to his demise. Plan for some pictures by the Upper Garden of Peterhof, reminiscent of Versailles, and the stunning fountains in the Lower Park. While there tour the Tsars Bath House and enjoy the views of Kronshtadt, a gold-domed architectural wonder on an island in the near distance on the Gulf.
Head back to the city for your last night in St. Petersburg! Sleep will come easy after this three-day, whirlwind visit.
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