St. Petersburg

Hi Andrea...

I'm going to take a leap here and assume you are on a 2 day cruise?

I have done a Baltic 3 times and hired Red October for each one and been VERY VERY pleased.

If you would like to see our photos, a review of our Baltic Cruise and our itinerary for St. Petersburg ...

Feel free to check out our personal travel journal.

At ourpassportstamps.com then go into the photos and where we've been sections.

There is no advertising and we don't track you..it's just our personal journal and blog.

Also, if you haven't been over to Cruisecritic.com I HIGHLY recommend this website, it is a wealth of information.

If you have any questions let me know!

I just went last May and I would definitely recommend going to Peterhof. It is a little outside the city and you'll have to take the metro then a bus (a mini-van sort of bus) to get there but it is worth it! Look it up beforehand and if you don't know how to read or speak russian learn a few phrases because there isn't anything in english (that I found) that tells you how to get here. You'll need to read the metro sign and stops. Also try to get to the Hermitage - it is magnificent! And take a cruise down the river to see the bridges... there is a great company right by Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood (which is a must-see!). You might want to look up a cruise that has a tour in english though... we took the tour that was in russian and we were very lost. Have fun and try some KVAS which is sold on the street by metro stations and comes in barrels and plastic cups... it is an experience.

An unexpected surprise for me was the Russian Museum. While the collection at the Hermitage is mostly international, the art at the Russian Museum features styles and subject matter that you won't see anywhere outside of Russia.

Make sure you get yourself a nice bowl of borstch!

Oh yes, and as the other poster mentioned, try the Kvas. I can only describe it as similar to dark beer (with almost no alcohol) with sweetener and other flavors added. It's better than it sounds, and does grow on you.

well, now that we are on food and drink

Nothing like have authentic beef stroganoff while in St. Petersburg!

Thanks so much for the great advice. Yes, this will be a 2-day visit while on a cruise... I know, fast and furious. We're a group of 4 that decided to bypass the ship's excursion with a busload of people and find a private guide. Appreciate the tips for borscht and the beer... we love trying local/regional foods.