Explore Russia Visa-Free by Ferry from Helsinki: St. Petersburg - 5 days (VF-02)

We’ll depart Helsinki bound for St. Petersburg onboard the comfortable Princess Anastasia ferry.

Our driver will meet you in the arrivals area of the port with a Go Russia sign board and you’ll transfer to the hotel. From there you’ll take a guided city tour of St Petersburg and pay a visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress. Occupying a commanding position on tiny Hare Island, the fortress was built by Peter the Great in 1703 to protect the land near the River Neva from attacks from Sweden. However, it didn’t see combat until 1917. Recently this fortress prison has had many of its buildings converted into museums and features a splendid cathedral containing the tombs of the Romanov monarchs.

In the morning we will visit the Catherine Palace, another of Royal St Petersburg’s architectural masterpieces, located 25km south of the city at Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin). It’s a delightful baroque building designed by the Italian Bartolomeo Rastrelli and inside you’ll be wowed by the fabulously decadent Amber Room and its sumptuous interior decor.

Perhaps the most famous of St Petersburg’s many historic sights, the Hermitage is the focus for today’s tour. Once the home of the Russian Tsars and now a world-class art museum, this spectacular building would be a draw for its architecture even without the three million works of art that form its extensive collection. Dating from the Stone Age to the 20th century, there are paintings, sculptures, icons, coins and jewellery waiting to be admired, from just about every famous name you could imagine.

After Hermitage we will enjoy a trip along St. Petersburg canals (during navigation period). The looming silhouettes of the bridges, the grandeur of the waterways, the granite embankments with their various piers and slipways, the 18th and 19th century palaces and parks on the banks of the Neva and the canals, architectural landmarks in the form of the domes and spires of churches and cathedrals, visible from a long way off - all this contributes to the unique appearance of the "Venice of the North", one of the world's most beautiful cities.

Back at the hotel in St Petersburg, our driver will meet you with a Go Russia sign, ready to take you to the port where the Princess Anastasia ferry will be waiting to take you back to the Finnish capital.

Upon request we can arrange tours and accommodation in Helsinki, please enquire.