Tour "Imperial Splendours of Saint-Petersburg" was exclusively created for the well-travelled art lovers. Staying in St. Petersburg for 6 nights during the priod of White Nights (June-July) in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

2. DAY 1
£40
8.00pm-9.30pm
Welcome Drinks & Boat Cruise
The first magnificent impression of neo-classical architecture
of Saint-Petersburg at the height of White Nights season you
will experience during a boat tour of the grand Neva river and
historical canals with breathtaking vistas and a view of over 50
bridges dating back to 17 - 18 hundreeds and enjoy a welcoming
shot of vodka or a glass of champagne.

3. DAY 2 9.30am-4.00pm
half+half = £20+£55
2.00pm - 4.00pm
Invention of Russian Style & Russian Heritage
Architectural Highlights: Baroque to Art Nouveau is a city
tour of the history of Saint-Petersburg with a special attention to
the architectural splendour.
From the earliest examples of Russian Baroque style like the Ca-
thedral of SS.Peter and Paul which we will visit and see the buri-
als of all the Tsars (starting with the founder of Saint-Petersburg
Peter I and concluding with the recently found remains of the
last Emperor of Russia Nicolas II and his family) to the modern
period of Art Nouveau style as in the case of the Singer Sawing
Machines building (today a well known bookstore).
12.30pm-2.00pm Lunch/Coffee break
Free time for lunch in the city centre around Nevsky prospect.
Meeting point: Arts Square.
The State Russian Museum has the
largest collection of Russian Art in
the world: medieval Russian icons
up to modern and contemporary art
(Chagall, Malevich, Kandinsky). At
the State Russian Museum we will
take a special exit and walk into the
former princely park - Mikhailovsky
Garden. 5 minutes walk to the en-
trance of the Cathedral of the Resur-
rection of Christ commonly known
as Spilled Blood church.
TheSpilledBloodChurch was
built between 1883 and 1907
as a memorial dedicated to Al-
exander II who had abolished
the system of serfdom and had
brought equality to the nation
in 1861 only to be assassinated
by terrorists twenty years later.
It became famous all around
the world for its unique archi-
tectural style and magnificent
mosaics.
9.30am-12.30pm Architectural Highlights:
Baroque to Art Nouveau

4. DAY 3 9.00am - 4.00pm
full day = £135
9.00am – 10.00am
About 24 miles drive to Tsarskoe Selo
(-Royal Village, a.k.a. town Pushkin).
10.00am – 11.30am
Tour of Catherine’s Palace and Catherine’s Garden.
Catherine’s Palace and Garden were the favourite Summer resi-
dence of Tsars and Tsarinas where many glorious receptions
took place. The palace was designed by Francesco Bartolomeo
Rastrelli (French-born Russian-Italian architect) in the middle of
the 18th century. It is the finest example of Late Baroque style in
Europe. The Eight Wonder of the world is the unofficial name of
the Amber Room that is a part of the tour to Catherine’s Palace.
11.30am – 12.00pm
Visit to the Amber Room Workshop.
Amber Room Workshop is the official studio that was respon-
sible for the complete reconstruction of the world famous
Amber Room of Catherine’s Palace. Today it continues working
on maintenance of the Amber Room and it also makes modern
replica of the 18th century masterpieces for diplomatic gifts.
Summer Palaces of Tsars and Tsarinas
& The Eight Wonder of the World

5. 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Tour of Paul’s Palace
Palace of Emperor Paul I is a masterpiece of great renown. It was
designed by a Scottish architect Charles Cameron in neo-Palladian
style in the second half of the 18th century for Emperor Paul I, the
only son of Catherine II. Paul’s Palace is the most well preserved
among the former imperial residences in Russia.
*Check the book by Suzanne Massie*
3.00pm – 4.00pm
About 28 miles drive from Pavlovsk back to hotel.
12.30pm – 2.00pm
Lunch break
Possible choice of lunch (not included/a la carte)
The restaurant BIP is located in the old and recently restored
fortification of Emperor Paul I. It is well known for its exquisite
Russian cuisine.
12.00pm – 12.25pm
About 5 miles drive to Pavlovsk.
Advance booking required.
DAY 3 continue

6. DAY 4 9.30am - 4.00pm
half (Faberge&Yusoupoff) + half (option 1 or 2) = £70+£55
Twilight of Russian Empire
09.30am – 11.00am
Tour of Fabérgé Museum
Fabérgé Museum is the first significant private collection of Rus-
sian Jewellery available to public. It was opened in St.Petersburg
at the palace of a noble familiy that was restored to its former
glory in 2014. It houses the fabulous Fabérgé Imperial Easter
Eggs (including the former Malcolm Forbes collection), numer-
ous examples of Russian enamel works, silverware, object d’art
and paintings.
11.45 – 1.45pm
Tour of Yusoupoff Palace
Yusoupoff Palace is the only one out of 300 palaces of Saint-Pe-
tersburg that is included in the UNSECO catalogue of the best
private mansions of Europe.Fully intact interiors give an idea of
a private life of a Russian noble family before the Revolution of
1917. The basement of the palace is also notable as a historical
murder site of the infamous Rasputin.
The tour will take you through the basement of the palace, the
grand interiors of the the ground floor and the 1st floor includ-
ing the private boudoirs (usually not accessible) of Princess Yu-
soupoffa.
11.00am – 11.30am
Coffee Break
Option of visiting a traditional Russian bakery cafe.

7. “Money is the honey of humanity.”
“When reason fails, devils helps.”
“... I am convinced there are lots of people in Petersburg who talk
to themselves as they walk. This is a town of crazy people. ... There
are few places where there are so many gloomy, strong and queer
influences on the soul of man as in Petersburg.”
Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky
Perhaps no city and writer are as tied together as Dostoevsky
and St. Petersburg.
During the tour we are going to explore the middle class area of
Hay-market square where most of the heroes of Dostoevsky’s
novels lived. We will visit the Museum Apartment of Dosto-
evsky where his wrote his greatest novel “Karamazov Brothers”.
1.45pm – 4.00pm
Saint-Petersburg Through
The Eye of Dostoevsky.
DAY 4 Continue: Option 1
We will drive to the cemetery of Alexander-Nevsky monastery
(one of the 4 largest & most sacred Russian monasteries) where
he is buried along with other famous Russians: Tchaikovsky,
Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov...
Optional:
Lunch at the well-known family-restaurant “Idiot” named after
the iconic novel “Idiot” by Dostoevsky.
Transfer to the hotel.

8. Jewish Saint-Petersburg
Jewish city tour with the specialist tracing history of
Jewish community in Russia from the foundation of
St.Petersburg through the Revolution to our days. The
tour includes a detailed visit to the Grand Choral Syna-
gogue.
St.Petersburg Synagogue is the second largest synagogue
after Budapest in all of Europe.
One of the most celebrated Russian poets of the Silver
Age, Osip Mandelshtam (of Jewish origin), describes the
beauty of the Grand Choral Synagogue as a “lavish, out-
standish seductress”.
Possible option after the tour:
Light meal at the kosher restaurant of the Synagogue.
3.30pm – 4.00pm
Transfer to the hotel.
2.00pm – 3.30pm
Jewish St.Petersburg
Grand Choral Synagogue
DAY 4 Continue: Option 2

9. THE DAY AT THE STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM
DAY 5 10.15am - 4.00pm
half+half = £80+£30
The Hermitage museum has the largest collection of fine arts
in Russia and is one of the two largest in the world. The main
complex of the Hermitage museum occupies 5 interconnected
buildings including the former official state residence of the roy-
al family – The Winter Palace.
10.15am – 10.30am
Drive to the Hermitage museum
10.30am – 12.00pm
Tour of the Highlights
In the Tour of the Highlights we will walk through all of the his-
torical buildings and discover the imperial state rooms and the
world famous collection of fine arts:
Da Vinci, Raffaello, Michelangelo, Titian, Caravaggio, Canaletto,
Canova, Goya, Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck, Watteau, Frago-
nard, Claude, Poussin and others.
12.00pm-12.15pm
Coffee break at the museum
12.15pm – 2.00pm
Royal Jewels & Scythian Gold
Royal Jewels and Scythian Gold tour includes specially arranged
private visit to the jewellery vaults of the museum also known as
Gold & Diamond Treasure Rooms (guided by one of the cura-
tors of the Hermitage museum). *Please note that there are ad-
ditional security regulations*

10. 2.00pm – 2.30pm
Short lunch break in the neighbourhood
2.30pm – 4.00pm
20-21 Century Art at the Hermitage Museum
& Limited Edition Luxury Publishing House Visit
General Staff building is across the square from the Winter palace
(main museum complex) and it is the latest addition to the museum.
The restoration and the reconstruction were finished in 2014 as part
of the 250 anniversary of the museum’s celebrations. The tour of the
building includes early collections of Impressionists and Avantgarde
artists: Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso and others.
DAY 5 continue

11. DAY 6 9.40am - 4.30pm
full day = £160
9.40am – 10.00am
Drive to the pier in the city centre.
10.00am – 10.40am
Hydrofoil from St.Petersburg to Peterhof.
11.30am – 12.10pm
Tour of the Fountains Gardens
Peterhof Gardens are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage
Place. The Lower Gardens known as Fountains Gardens were
designed during the reign of Peter I in the early 18th century
and became immediately famous all over Europe for the miracu-
lously high and numerous fountains. The ingenious system of
fountains was driven by pressure from a difference in elevation
that today is still just the same it was in the time of Peter I (no
pumps, no electricity).
PETERHOF:
Imperial Summer residence on the shore of the Gulf of Finland
in 25 miles from St.Petersburg.
10.40am – 11.30
Tour of Monplaisir Palace, The Royal Baths&Kitchen
Monplaisir Palace was built in the early 18th century and it was
the favourite palace of Peter I. Today it stands as the only struc-
ture in Peterhof that survived the Nazi occupation relatively
well preserved.
PICNIC AT LEISURE IN RUSSIAN VERSAILLES

12. 12.10pm - 1.30pm
Tour Of Alexandria And The Cottage Palace
We will walk through the 18th century Lower Gardens to
the 19th century landscape park Alexandria.
In the first half of the 19th century when the Lower Gardens of
Peterhof became too highly visited by the courtiers and the gen-
eral public, the royal family sought a safe heaven at a close dis-
tance in Alexandria (park was named after Alexandra Fedoro-
vna, wife of Nicholas I).
We will do the tour of the rarely visited Cottage Palace that was
designed in a neo-Gothic style of English manner as a coun-
tryside estate. In 1829 the Cottage Palace became a permanent
summer residence of the Tsar’s family.
1.30pm – 2.00pm
Drive to Oranienbaum
2.00pm – 2.30pm
Picnic in the park of Oranienbaum
2.30pm – 3.15pm
Tour of the Chinese Palace
The Chinese Palace has been described as the unique example of
Rococo art in Russia and one of the most exquisite monuments
of Rococo style in Europe. It was built between 1762 and 1768
by Antonio Rinaldi with the help of some of the great craftsmen
and artists of the day including Giovanni Tiepolo. Miraculously
it survived WW II and the Nazi occupation intact. The name de-
rives from four rooms in ‘Chinoiserie’ style that was very much
admired at the time in Europe. The Chinese palace was also the
first commission of Catherine the Great as Tsarina.
3.15pm – 4.30pm
Drive to the hotel.
ORANIENBAUM is a historical complex of parks and palaces
on the southern coast of the Finnish gulf near Peterhof.
DAY 6 continue

13. THE MARIINSKY THEATRE
THE BEST CLASSICAL BALLET IN THE WORLD
Mariinsky Theatre is the most famous theatre of classical ballet and
opera in the world.
Since Mariinsky theatre opened in 1860, it became the preeminent
music theatre of Europe where many of the stage masterpieces of
Russian composers (Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Glinka, Rimsky-Kor-
sakov, Prokofiev and Shostakovich) received their premieres.
Through most of the Soviet era, it was known as the Kirov Theatre.
Today, the Mariinsky Theatre is home to the Mariinsky Ballet, Mari-
insky Opera and Mariinsky Orchestra.
The full schedule of the Summer repertoire is not yet advertised.
As soon as it becomes available we will secure a number of tickets
(approxiametly ~ £150-200 per ticket somewhere central with a
clear view).
Ask for more information in early March.
OPTIONAL: ANY EVENING

14. 6 days program + free time on the 7th day of departure.
All prices are calculated per person in a group of 15.
+10% service charge.
For 12 or less bookings the price will be re-calculated.
Full package = £680.
*Most of the tours for children under 18 are half price.
Ask for details.
The majority of the tours are refundable except the ones which
are pre-payed by the company, i.e. theatre tickets (not included
in the package; booked on demand) and some of the museums.
All of the excursions are private organised tours.
Fluent English speaking guide will always be present.
When required the guide will also do the job of the interpreter.
We will have a private van throughout the program.
We will walk without a car inside museums and parks.
Only breakfast is included.
Direct return flight tickets booked in advance for high-season start
about £350-400.
For private
Accommodation for 6 nights per room:
Four Seasons Lions Palace (5*)
22-28 June:
Premium Twin/Double - from 2450 pounds incl. breakfast.
05-11 July:
Premium Twin/Double - from 1900 pounds incl. breakfast.
Taleon Imperial Hotel (5* Leading Small Hotels of the World and
Virtuoso associations)
22-28 June:
Classic Twin/Double - from 1650 pounds inc. breakfast (pre-
paid 900 pounds non-refundable).
05-11 July:
Classic Twin/Double - from 1450 pounds inc. breakfast (pre-
paid 900 pounds non-refundable).
Angleterre (historical 4* hotel, part of usually more well known
5* Astoria hotel)
22-28 June:
Executive Twin Room - from 1050 pounds inc. breakfast.
05-11 July:
Executive Twin Room - from 950 pounds inc. breakfast.
PushkaInn (Small private hotel in the heart of Saint-Peterburg)
05-11 July:
Standard Twin/Double Room - 800 pounds inc. breakfast.

15. IMPERIAL SPLENDOURS
ST. PETERSBURG
How to get in touch:
E-mail:
imperialstpetersburg@gmail.com