St. Petersburg tours

It's been many years since my two tours in Russia, so others will have to tell you about specific tours and what they cover. But I recommend you ask yourself "Do I enjoy [fill in the blank]?" Many tours will take you to activities like the ballet just because it is "the Russian thing to do," but if you aren't really into ballet, it might not hold your attention.

My saddest memory of Russia (back in the early 90s) was an image of ballet-loving Russians trying to scrounge up a ticket to the ballet, while inside the theatre was filled with Western tourists, exhausted from a long day of site seeing, asleep in their seats.

Took the cruise and three tours. The tours are worth the cost just to avoid the hassle of getting a Russian visa. You need a Russian visa if you get off the ship on your own and not with an "authorized" tour. The visa must be obtained before you leave the States.

There is much of the old regime mentality involved with the tours, but they are by far the most efficent way to see the sights you want to see. We went to the folklore show instead of the ballet and were happy with our choice. We also took the Hermitage tour and the one that takes the subway. The subway part of the "walking" tour (maybe 10 minutes of walking!) was worth the whole trip.

Some day I might tell you about our toilet-at-the-market experience. That place will never be the same!

Have a great time!

"Has anyone gone to the Russian ballet". I suppose you mean the Mariinsky ballet company (there's also a less prestigous company that operates out of the Musorgsky theater). I didn't see a ballet, but I saw an opera. One of the most opulent theaters in all of Europe, I would say.

I couldn't comment on your two day tour, because I don't know what's on it- I assume the Hermitage, St. Isaac's, Peter and Paul fortress, On Spilled Blood, Peterhof etc.

One note- I would give slight preference to seeing the Russian Museum over the Hermitage. Yes, the Hermitage is an amazing building with a huge collection... but most of the art on display isn't much different from any number of collections you can see elsewhere on the continent. Only much bigger. The Russian museum, however, features works and subject matter you will see nowhere else outside of Russia. Plus, it's smaller, more managable and better organized than the Hermitage.

People who love the ballet will love the Russian ballet, but in May, on our Baltic cruise, the first line ballet company was off touring America, so the second line was all that was available, and from the feedback we got from other passengers (we did not go), they enjoyed it fine.

This thread mirrors another one elsewhere on this site and you might take a read of that one with additional commentary that might prove useful in your decision about the tours.

http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/35685/tours-in-st-petersburg.html

One word of advice though, on disembarkation at the St. Petersburg dock. It is new and so far away from town, you feel completely isolated, so to just wander off requires a taxi just to get anywhere. They are building an absolutely humongous harbor there that will dwarf any other port for cruise ships.

One other thing. It took around 1 and 1/2 hours to get through the Russian customs the first morning we arrived and left the ship. It was freezing out (it even snowed later - this was this past May) and the line snaked outside the customs building and veeeerrrryyyy slowly moved forward. Russian customs people are non-smiling individuals who are all business and don't, exactly make your first impression of Russia a welcoming one. This was not the case once you get past them.