St. Petersburg
Departures & Prices
Airport
Departing
Time
Returning
Time
Cost
Availability
Heathrow
09 Jul 17
09:20
15 Jul 17
17:25
£1715
Sold out
Heathrow
10 Sep 17
09:20
16 Sep 17
17:25
£1715
6 spaces left
What's Included
Return direct scheduled flights
Six nights in your own spacious room
All evening meals (with some dinners out locally) and one lunch
Water, tea/coffee with all evening meals
Russian Champagne included with all evening meals
Porterage
Personal audio guiding system
Hosted welcome drinks reception with Russian canapés
Farewell champagne dinner
Executive coach throughout
Exclusive services of a One Traveller Tour Manager and local guide/historian
Excursions as follows:
Guided city tour, Peter & Paul Fortress
Church on the Spilled Blood
Fabergé Museum
Menshikov Palace
State Hermitage Museum
Pushkin Palace (Catherine's Palace including the world famous Amber room)
Peter the Great's Summer Palace and fountains (Peterhof)
St. Petersburg underground
Evening Cossack show
Champagne cruise on the River Neva
Not Included
Optional Excursions:
St. Isaac’s Cathedral and Yusupov Palace
Mariinsky ballet/opera performance - schedule is announced six weeks prior to departure: £136
Holiday Insurance:
You need to arrange your own but we can help). For more information, please see our suggested
insurance services.
Visa:
You will need to complete the visa form we will send with your holiday confirmation; we will then issue you
with an official visa form and letter of invitation that you will need to take to the Russian visa application
centre either in London, Edinburgh, Manchester or Dublin and lodge your visa application in person where
your fingerprints will be scanned. The Russians operate this system very efficiently and the process only
takes a short amount of time. The locations are very central so easy to combine with a day out in the
great UK or Scottish capitals.
We will apply to the Russian authorities on your behalf in the following four easy steps:
STEP ONE: complete the visa form which we will send you with your holiday confirmation and return it to
us in the pre-paid envelope provided.
STEP TWO: approximately six weeks before departure we will issue you with an official visa form and
letter of invitation.
STEP THREE: you will need to attend the Russian visa application centre either in London, Manchester,
Edinburgh or Dublin for a fingerprint scan on a day convenient to you no later than 21 days prior to
travelling.
STEP FOUR: your passport will be returned by secure courier direct from the Russian visa application
centre within 21 days.
The cost for a Russian visa is approximately £119 (paid direct on the day of application). Should you wish
to apply for your own visa, you will require certain documents that we have to obtain from overseas and
an administration charge of £25 will apply.
Itinerary
Key:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Drink
Afternoon Tea
Longer walks and steps may be involved on this day
1 Fly to St Petersburg
Meet your One Traveller representative at the main airport and fly to
St Petersburg. Transfer to your hotel for a six-night stay. After time to
freshen up, a short orientation of the area close to your centrally
located hotel, as well as a ride on the city’s grand underground
system.
Evening: welcome drinks in the hotel bar overlooking the city (with
Russian canapés) followed by dinner.
2 Peter & Paul Fortress – Church on the Spilled Blood
Morning: your city tour by coach will take in all the highlights of St
Petersburg including the Peter & Paul Fortress, situated on its own
island in the River Neva and housing the burial crypt of the Romanov
royal family.
Afternoon: an included light lunch followed by entrance into The
Church on the Spilled Blood constructed on the spot where Tsar
Alexander II was assassinated and built in his memory.
Evening: dinner in the heart of the city followed by a thrilling Russian
Cossack show.
3 Palais Menshikov & The Fabergé Museum
Morning: the Palais Menshikov was once the grandest house in the
city before the building of Pedrovorets and today houses a splendid
collection of Russian art of the late 17th and 18th centuries.
Afternoon: a guided tour through the world’s largest collection of
works by Fabergé in the Shuvalov Palace (a short stroll from your
hotel!).
Evening: dinner in the hotel.
4 State Hermitage Museum
Morning: guided tour of the State Hermitage Museum with its
elaborate interiors and lavish art and architecture.
Afternoon: free to enjoy The Hermitage further, or to relax.
Evening: dinner followed by the opportunity to attend a magnificent
performance at the Mariinsky theatre (pre-bookable).
5 Palaces; Catherine’s and Pavlovsk
Morning: Catherine’s Palace, including the breathtaking world-famous
Amber Room.
Afternoon: explore the wonderful Pavlovsk Palace with its splendid
gardens.
Evening: dinner in the heart of the city.
6 Peter the Great’s Summer Palace
Morning: today we visit Peter the Great’s Summer Palace and park
(interiors and garden), The ‘Russian Versailles’.
Afternoon: more time to absorb the grandeur and scope of this
majestic estate, including the truly spectacular Grand Cascade.
Evening: farewell dinner followed by an included champagne cruise
on the River Neva with the city’s distinct architecture as an exquisite
backdrop for some wonderful photos.
7 Free day then Return to the UK
Either a free day or you can join our optional excursion.
Morning: The vast St Isaac’s Cathedral and its impressive interior.
Afternoon: the stunning and mysterious Yusupov Palace (where you
will learn the theories behind Rasputin’s demise).
Late afternoon: return flight to London Heathrow.
Included excursions
Guided city tour, Peter & Paul Fortress
St. Petersburg, Petrograd, Leningrad and now, again, St. Petersburg, the city’s succession of names
mirrors Russia’s turbulent history. A half day guided sightseeing coach tour with an official guide to see
the best of this city. St Petersburg was planned to perfection by Peter the Great; it is full to the brim of
Palaces and monuments and there are many colourful stories that your official guide will be able to tell
you.
State Hermitage Museum
One of the world’s great art museums, embracing everything from the Dutch and Italian masters to
Impressionism and Cubism, ancient Scythian gold-work to Koyoto woodcuts. As it’s partly housed in the
Winter Palace, you will also get to see the opulent state rooms with their magnificent furnishings. This is a
half day tour with a local guide to see the highlights of the museum. If you would like more time in the
Hermitage then the afternoon can be spent at leisure here (time permitting). There is also a cafe where
you can get refreshments.
Peter the Great's Summer Palace and fountains
Often referred to as the Russian Versailles this Palace embodies nearly 300 years of Tsarist growth. This
Palace was built after Peter’s victory in the Northern War against Sweden. The interiors and the grounds
are both equally impressive. After a tour of the Palace you will have time to stroll through the grounds to
admire the water fountains; on a clear day the Gulf of Finland can be seen.
Church on the Spilled Blood
This marvelous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated
in March 1881.
Evening Cossack show
No trip to Russia is complete without seeing a traditional Cossack show. On this evening we will take you
to the Nikolaevsky Palace where you will be entertained in Russian fashion. During the colourful show,
you will hear folk songs - romantic, and full of life, watch sparkling dances from different provinces of
Russia, - and learn that some items - such as saws, wooden spoons, and other traditional household
appliances, - can also be used as musical instruments. The show consists of two parts (45 minutes each)
and lasts for 1 hour 50 minutes including a break, during which you will be offered some canapés with red
caviar, cheese, ham, and also some fruit, champagne, red wine, vodka, juice and mineral water.
Palais Menshikov
Once the grandest house in the city, the Palais Menshikov boasts a collection of Russian art from the late
17th and 18th centuries. Your Russian guide will thrill you as you make your way round the collection.
St. Petersburg metro system
No trip to St. Petersburg is complete without a ride on the underground to see some of the intricately
decorated stations.
Russian Museum
The Russian Museum is a treasure-house of art. A guided tour through to see the most famous pieces of
Russian art. Famous for its galleries, its applied and decorative art collections are vast.
Champagne cruise on the River Neva
One Travellers are welcomed on board for unforgettable cruise down the Neva river with its fascinating
embankments, beautiful facades overlooking the river and numerous bridges that are drawn apart in
summer.
Catherine’s Palace and Pavlosk Palace
This is a full day trip involving guided tours of 2 of the most famous palaces in St. Petersburg. The
Catherine Palace and Pavlovsk Palace were the Rococo summer residences of the Russian Tsars,
located in the town of Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), 25 km south-east of St. Petersburg. The Catherine’s
Palace is the jewel of Russian baroque - We take you inside the Amber Room (which is considered to be
one of the world's wonders), the Ball Room (where Elton John gave a piano concert recently), the Picture
Gallery and the Crimson Room. A stroll in the grounds after makes for a great start to the day. After a
break for lunch we will continue to Pavlovsk Palace designed by Scottish architect Charles Cameron. We
will have a guided tour to see the interiors and time will be given for the exteriors as around the palace is
a huge park with numerous temples, colonnades, bridges, and statues.
Optional excursions
St. Isaac’s Cathedral and Yusupov Palace
This is a half day trip in the centre of St. Petersburg to see two very important and impressive landmarks.
Starting at the Cathedral where the dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral dominates the skyline of St. Petersburg
and its gilded cupola can be seen glistening from all over the city. The church itself is an architectural
marvel. Built to be the main church of the Russian Empire it was decorated in the most elaborate way
possible. The cathedral can accommodate 14,000 worshipers. From the Cathedral we will move across to
the Yusupov’s palace where we will hear the story of Rasputin's murder. On a quiet stretch of the Moika
River stands a long yellow building, which was once the residence of the wealthy and respected Yusupov
family and which saw one of the most dramatic episodes in Russia's history - In 1916 a group of the city's
noble elite conspired to kill the one man who they felt threatened the stability of an already war-torn
Russian Empire, Grigory Rasputin. Rasputin was murdered at the Yusupov Palace on the night of
December 16-17 1916, and his death proved to be an almost greater mystery than his life had been.
Pre-Bookable Mariinski ballet/opera performance
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in
1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage
masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov 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, Mariinsky Opera and Mariinsky Orchestra.
Pre-Bookable Mikhailovsky Theatre ballet/opera performance
The Mikhailovsky Theatre is one of Russia's oldest opera and ballet houses. It was founded in 1833 and
is situated in a historical building on the Arts Square in St. Petersburg. It is named after Grand Duke
Michael Pavlovich of Russia. The theatre retains the age-old traditions of the Russian musical theatre
with renewed ceremonial decoration of the hall. Please note this is available on our September 10th
departure only.
Hotels
St Petersburg: Hotel Dostoevsky
The Hotel Dostoevsky is a four-star hotel located in the very heart of
the city. Just five minutes stroll away is the Nevsky Prospekt (the main
street) where you will find The Hermitage, Kazan Cathedral and the
Church on the Spilled Blood. The hotel’s bar on the 7th floor offers a
fabulous city panorama.
The guest rooms are well-furnished, with, telephone, safe, television
with satellite reception, WiFi, and refrigerator.