There are some different ways to getting to know Saint Petersburg and this walking tour is designed to understand and feel the city like a citizen. You will be able to appreciate the wonderful places, squares and cathedrals while also having time for lunch. Be prepared to explroe the gems of the city.
On Nevsky Prospect, the city's main avenue filled with shops, restaurants, churches and majestic palaces, see the famous Gostiny Dvor, one of the oldest and most beloved shopping malls. Next, stop at the Armenian Church which belongs to the early classical period. Saint Petersburg's first citizens were foreigners and their influences can be found all around the city city center, on Nevsky Prospect and in churches dedicated to different religions.
At Kazan Cathedral, you will learn something new about Russian religion, the internal structure of the Russian Church. The Cathedral ressembles Vatican City's St. Peter’s Basilica and is St. Petersburg's main church. You will alsos see the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the best hotels in Petersburg, the harmonious Fine Arts Square surrounded by magnificent palaces that today serve as museums, theaters and concert halls.
Finally you will visit the Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood, which, at this son's request, sits on the assassination site of Russian Emperor Alexander II. Built in the neo-russian style with gilded and colored domes, the church's interior showcases a rich decoration of floor-to-ceiling mosaics.
Walking along small pedestrian streets to arrive at the heart of the city: Palace Square, which strongly influenced the country during the three Russian Revolutions.
The fascinating Hermitage Museum is situated here and is home to many sites like the Winter Palace, a true masterpiece of Russian baroque. The 600-ton Alexander Column stands in the center of the squoare, a reminder of Russia's victory over Napoleon. Here, you will take your lunch break.
Following lunch see a panorama of the main river Neva. On the opposite bank is Vasilievsky Island, site of the former city port, Stock Exchange building, palaces and museums as well as the Academy of Sciences and the University. More than five hectares in size, the square is famous for different celebrations and concerts.
Next, visit the Admiralty a ship building yard; the Bronze Horseman dedicated to Peter the Great and the majestic St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the third highest in the world, topped with a cupola gilded in 100 kg of gold with another 300 kg for interior decoration.You will appreciate one of the city's most harmonious areas: St. Isaac's Square, home to many landmarks such as Mariinsky Palace, the building of Senate and Sinod, a monument to Nicholas I. Then, get on the subway to visit the Peter and Paul Fortress. St. Petersburg's subway is one of the world's most beautiful and deepest, with impressive marble and mosaics decor.
The tour ends at Peter and Paul Fortress, a unique historical place built as a military fortress that eventually became a prison for political prisoners. Peter and Paul Cathedral, the tallest building in the city, is the burial place of the Romanov dynasty dating all the way back to Peter I, who founded the city.
Sites include:
- Monument to Catherine the Great
- Gostiny Dvor' one of the oldest shopping centers
- The Nevsky Prospect
- Famous Eliseev's shop
- Go inside the Armenian Church
- Square of Fine Arts
- Russian Museum
- The monument to Alexander Pushkin, famous Russian poet
- Book Palace
- Go inside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, the city's main cathedral
- Griboedov canal
- Go inside the the Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood
- River Mojka
- The Admiralty
- The Palace Square
- Winter Palace
- Alexander Column – General Staff Building
- Building of Senate and Synod
- Metro
- Peter-Paul’s Fortress
- Go inside Peter-Paul’s Cathedral ( inside)
Guided tour
