Catherine's Palace & Peterhof Palace & Gardens

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Two of St Petersburg's most spectacular palaces are the tent-poles of this full day's excursion, which begins when you meet your friendly guide at the pier.

Your guide will be on hand to point out any passing sights of interest as you head to your first major stop of the day, the ornate Catherine Palace.

Designed by Rastrelli, this Baroque masterpiece was built as a summer residence for Catherine I. Famed for its size and lavish interior, a gold dome crowns the palace's north end, the site of the chapel. A gallery of Greek and Roman heroic busts decorates a covered walkway. As well as viewing the White Vestibule, Grand Hall, Portrait Hall and Crimson Pilaster Room, you will also have time to enjoy some of the 1,400 acres of manicured gardens. You will also have the opportunity to visit the famous Amber room which was once considered to be "The Eighth Wonder of the World!"

Browse the palace's gift shop before driving to a local restaurant in Peterhof or Pushkin, where you will enjoy a tasty Russian lunch accompanied by traditional folk music.

Afterwards, you will head to the Peterhof Palace, which was built to rival Versailles and sits atop a hill overlooking the Gulf of Finland. Peter the Great drafted the layout for the awe-inspiring 300-acre park and supervised the design of the palace fountains. The Grand Cascade, the most famous fountain, features Samson prying open the lion's jaws, as water cascades around the centerpiece, down terraced steps.

Your guide will then take you on a tour of the interior of this magnificent building, which includes the stunning Throne Room, Portrait Room and White Dining Room, before heading back to the ship, after a short visit to the palace's gift shop.

Special Notes:

THIS TOUR IS NOT AVAILABLE TO PASSENGERS EMBARKING OR DISEMBARKING IN ST. PETERSBURG

Catherine Palace is closed on Tuesdays and the last Monday of the month, but will be open by special arrangement for tour participants.

Grand Palace in Peterhof is closed on Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month, but will be open by special arrangement for tour participants.

The fountains at Peterhof are subject to maintenance work without advance notice.

Camera and video fees are included in the tour. Restrictions on flash photography apply to certain rooms in the Catherine Palace and Peterhof Grand palace. Photography is not allowed in the Amber Room.

Protective overshoes are required inside the palaces; these will be provided.

Tour involves stair climbing and is not wheelchair friendly; Grand Palace in Peterhof do not have elevators.

Child Price:

12 & under reduced