Immersion in Saint Petersburg

Immersion in Saint Petersburg

Come discover the Venice of the North! Considered by some as the most beautiful city in the North, the ancient capital of the Tsars holds priceless treasures of architecture and culture.

During this tour you will discover the majestic imperial buildings, royal gardens and classical artistic masterpieces of St. Petersburg, but you will also be driven off the beaten path in places where you can feel the dynamism and the revolutionary spirit of this city in constant mutation.

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to the Venise of the North

Stop At: St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Northwestern District
ARRIVAL: If you arrive the same day by plane, send us your schedule and arrival reference. We will welcome you at the airport for transfer to the hotel (around 1 hour ride).

18:00 Meeting with the group
Rendez-vous at 6 p.m. in the lobby of the hotel. We’ll then head to the bar next door for a quick welcome orientation, and to get to know each other over a round of drinks before continuing to dinner down the street.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel Anastasia, Saint Petersburg

Day 2: Immersion Day

Stop At: Nevsky Prospekt, Nevsky Avenue, St. Petersburg 191025 Russia
Initiation to the Russian language
We will meet you at 9 am in the lobby of the hotel to accompany you to our language school where you will receive Russian language introductory courses. During 3 hours, certified teachers teach you the basics of the language (alphabet, usual formulas of courtesy, vocabulary and expressions) in order to acquire a certain level of autonomy that will help you to orientate yourself in the subway and in the city, solving practical questions (ask for the toilets, the prices, a train ticket, etc..) as well as getting in touch with the local population.

Soviet lunch (included): At lunchtime, we take you to the most typical and popular place the city has to offer: a Soviet canteen

Walking Tour (Nevsky Prospekt & Historical Center)
Nevsky Prospect is a must-see on your first day in the city. The avenue is 4.5-kilometer-long and stretches at the very heart of Saint Petersburg. A great number of churches, shops, palaces, and luxury hotels line the famous street. Some of the most beautiful buildings in St. Petersburg can be found here. In particular, our guide will take you to the three main churches of the city: the massive Kazan Cathedral, the St. Isaac's Cathedral - which is the largest orthodox basilica in the world - and the famous Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, probably Saint Petersburg’s most iconic sight which marks the spot where Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. We will also stop at the astonishing Elisseiev Grocery and the magnificent Singer House ("Dom Knigi" in Russian, which means “House of the Book”).

Duration: 6 hours

Stop At: St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Northwestern District
Cruise on the channels or traditional Russian bath
During the evening we will continue our immersion in the city by a boat cruise on the beautiful canals of the Venice of the North (May to September) or by a session of the traditional Russian bath: the Banya (from October to April).
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Hotel Anastasia, Saint Petersburg

Day 3: The splendour of the imperial capital

Stop At: The State Hermitage Museum, Palace Emb., 30-38, St. Petersburg 191055 Russia
The Winter Palace
We will meet you at 9 am in the lobby of the hotel to head to the Winter Palace of Empress Catherine the great for a guided visit of the fascinating State Hermitage Museum. This museum is not only one of the oldest (if not the oldest one) art museums in the world, it is also the second largest and one of the best. It was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of paintings from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. It has been open to the public since 1852.

Lunch (included): we will have a lunch in one of our favorite Art Café of the imperial capital.
Duration: 6 hours

Stop At: Faberge Museum, Fontanka River Embankment 21 Shuvalov Palace, St. Petersburg 191011 Russia
Discovering Saint Petersburg imperial splendor: Fabergé Museum & Yusupov Palace
After lunch, your guide will firstly lead you to a guided tour of the Fabergé Museum, a privately owned museum established in order to repatriate lost cultural valuables to Russia. The museum is located in the center of Saint Petersburg at Shuvalov Palace on the Fontanka River. The museum's collection contains more than 4,000 works of decorative applied and fine arts, including gold and silver items, paintings, porcelain and bronze. A highlight of the museum's collection is the group of nine Imperial famous Easter eggs created by Fabergé for the last two Russian Tsars.
The tour continues with a visit to the Music Museum and ends with a visit to the fabulous Yusupov Palace.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Hotel Anastasia, Saint Petersburg

Day 4: The Russian Versailles

Stop At: Grand Peterhof Palace, Razvodnaya St., 2, Peterhof, St. Petersburg 198516 Russia
Tsar Summer Palace
We’ll meet at 10:00 in your hotel and head to Peterhof Palace, one and a half hours drive away. This huge Palace was built by Tsar Peter the First to outshine Versailles. The construction of the residence, that was as beautiful and splendid as the best residences of European monarchy, including the French Versailles, commenced in 1714. This seaside paradise was built, as a grandiose triumphal memorial glorifying the grandeur of Russia, in conquering the much needed and desired access to the Baltic Sea, during the Great Northern War. From may to September you can also visit the Grand Cascade, an impressive set of fountains and sculptures.

Free time
After we returned to Saint Petersburg city center you will have some time to discover the city by yourself, to rest or to restore yourself while waiting for the evening classical music concert.


Duration: 6 hours

Stop At: Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, Pisareva st., 20 Entrance from Dekabristov Street, 37, St. Petersburg 190121 Russia
Classical Music Concert
In the evening, the Immersion team invites you to attend one of the greatest monuments of Russian culture: a concert of classical music. An art in which Russian musicians, composers and conductors have undoubtedly acquired their nobility. Prepare for an explosion of all your senses in front of the beauty of the place and the orchestra and the sublime mastery of the greatest Russian musicians.
Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Hotel Anastasia, Saint Petersburg

Day 5: The Tsar Village

Stop At: Pushkin, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Discovering the "Tsar’s Village"
Meet at 9:00 at your hotel for a departure to Tsarskoye Selo (meaning the "Tsar Village" in Russian). Once there, your guide will take you to the Pavlovsk Palace: Pavlovsk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is renowned for the splendor of its interiors housing many 18th century furniture, sculptures, and paintings, but also for the beauty of its English park.

Farewell Drink
On returning from Tsarskoye Selo, Immersion’s team will offer the group a farewell drink to conclude the trip and say goodbye to this amazing city … or rather see you soon!
For those who leave us, they will have the opportunity to experience St. Petersburg Nightlife, recognized for its vivacity and creativity. For the lucky others, we’ll head to the train station to get the night train that will conduct us to Petrozavodsk, the first step to an incredible weekend in Carelia.
Duration: 8 hours

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.