Meet your guide, who will be on foot, at your St. Petersburg hotel, and begin your private tour. Let your guide know if there’s anything you want to see more of: your tour is private, so the itinerary is customizable.
Then, walk and use public transport to reach your first stop, the 1960s-built Gorkovskaya Metro station. Admire the station’s spaceship-like design, and learn why it’s named after late Russian writer Maxim Gorky.
Next, meander through the Park of Miniatures to see its scaled-down sculptures of landmarks such as the Hermitage and Church on Spilled Blood.
Continue to the Peter and Paul Fortress, the city’s first building. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, this massive complex has been used as a military base, prison, and royal burial site through the centuries.
Watch the traditional firing of cannon from the Naryshkin Bastion at noon, and then enter via the Peter’s Gate to admire the elegant Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Petersburg’s oldest church, and the fort’s main building.
See the bell tower’s 18th-century Dutch and Russian bells — the world’s highest number of bells in one location — and view the gold-needle spire, with its flying angel and cross. Together with the needle, the figurine makes the church the tallest of St. Petersburg’s historical buildings.
Explore the ornate interior, and see the tombs of the Romanov tsars, including that of Peter the Great and Nicholas II, as your guide shares tales of the royal dynasty.
Next, head to Vasilievsky Island, another landmark. Stand at the Strelka in sight of the two Rastral Columns, and soak in the stunning city panoramas from here.
Finally, walk and use public transport with your guide on your way back to your hotel, where your tour ends. Alternatively, you can upgrade your tour to include a visit to Vasilievsky Island (Basil Island).
