St Petes & the Baltics - 5 days
FROM USD $1,199
VISA FREE RUSSIA TOUR! Travelling by ferry, combine the finest cities of Russia, Estonia and Finland in an exciting 5 day tour. Visit St Petersburg - City of the Tsars, with its fine arts and museums, exquisite palaces and historic fortresses. Then discover Baltic beauty Tallin, the charming maritime capital of Estonia, before heading to Finland’s capital Helsinki, our last port of call, with its 450 years of history, stunning neo classical architecture, wonderful museums, markets and gardens.
No visa required for Russia! St Pete’s & the Baltics Visa Free Russia Tour means you do not need to procure a Russian visa due to the fact that ferry passengers can visit St Petersburg visa-free provided that their stay does not exceed 72 hours and they have sightseeing arrangements.
Day 1: Tallinn
Welcome to Tallinn and the start of your 5 day holiday. Sparkling with kaleidoscopic history, culture and architecture, Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, the Northernmost and smallest Baltic states, hugs the Gulf of Finland. Upon arriving to your hotel the afternoon and evening are free for you to explore the city. Overnight - Tallinn
Day 2: Tallinn Old Town Tour
Tallinn - St Petersburg. Steeped in Maritime tradition, Tallinn is a walker-friendly city and offers an enchanting mix of church spires, medieval turrets and cobblestone streets in its World-Heritage listed Old Town. On your guided walking tour today you'll discover the old town, where you'll stroll along the fascinating narrow streets and alleyways, which give away to medieval towers, churches and shop fronts that were once the preserve of wealthy merchants. Touring continues to the upper part of the Old Town known as Toompea, where you'll see Toompea Castle, the impressive Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with its lofty church spires, built at the end of the 19th century as part of a general wave of Russificaton in the Russian Baltic provinces and the austere Lutheran Dome Church, a burial place for those of wealth and nobility. The interiors of both churches are filled with colourful are mosaics and delicately carved icons.
After free time this afternoon you'll board the Princess Anastasia ferry bound for St Petersburg, Russia. Overnight - Princess Anastasia Ferry (B)
St Petes & the Baltics - 5 days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!
Day 3: The Hermitage, St Pete's
Wake up this morning to the sights of St Petersburg - city of the Tsars. Upon arrival you'll be met by your tour guide and set off on a sightseeing tour of the city. A visit will be made to Admiralty End and the Bronze Horseman as well as to Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral - once used as a political prison - containing the likes of Dostoevsky and Lenin’s older brother, Alexander.
Later you'll embark on a guided tour of the stunning Winter Palace (which was home to the Tsars for almost two centuries), to view the world famous Hermitage collection - one of the world's largest art collections. The collection offers a broad range of exhibits including Asian and European art, Pre historic art and the awe inspiring treasury collection. There are also countless works from the Masters such as Van Gogh, Picasso and Matisse. Overnight - St Petersburg (B)
Later you'll embark on a guided tour of the stunning Winter Palace (which was home to the Tsars for almost two centuries), to view the world famous Hermitage collection - one of the world's largest art collections. The collection offers a broad range of exhibits including Asian and European art, Pre historic art and the awe inspiring treasury collection. There are also countless works from the Masters such as Van Gogh, Picasso and Matisse. Overnight - St Petersburg (B)
Day 4: Free Time St Pete's
St Petersburg - Helsinki. Today there is time for you to independently explore the city or take in a little more culture and history by purchasing our pukka pass. Touring will include, dependent upon opening hours and availability, either a visit to the gardens of Peter the Great’s palatial Peterhof which overlooks the Gulf of Finland (in summer) or a visit to Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo in winter (or Pavlosk Palace if Catherine Palace is closed). We then stop for lunch at where we can enjoy a hearty meal at a restaurant overlooking the Griboyedov Canal. After lunch we continue with a guided tour of the interior of The Church on Spilled Blood with time to shop in the souvenir market located alongside the church.
Early this evening you'll need to make your way to St Pete's ferry port to board the Princess Maria Ferry bound for Helsinki, Finland. Overnight - Princess Maria Ferry (B)
Day 5: Helsinki!
Arriving to Helsinki this morning (at approx 8:30), after disembarkation and immigration your tour comes to an end. Helsinki, resting on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, a branch of the Baltic Sea, is both historic and modern. In contrast to the city’s 450 years of history, historic architecture and unique Finnish design, the beauty of the city blends seamlessly with high-tech achievements. It is here where old traditions mix with the latest contemporary trends.
Helsinki’s rhythm is laid back yet at the same time refreshingly active in terms of both the number and quality of restaurants and nightclubs as well as things to see and do. In Helsinki, everything is nearby, it’s a pocket-sized metropolis easily explored on foot. Today you could opt to visit the Helsinki Cathedral with its rich architecture designed by Carl Ludvig Engel in neoclassical style, Suomenlinna Fortress with its old cannon and submarines, market stores and arty stalls - or perhaps have a coffee at Market Square followed by a scoop of ice cream at Esplanade park.
Helsinki’s rhythm is laid back yet at the same time refreshingly active in terms of both the number and quality of restaurants and nightclubs as well as things to see and do. In Helsinki, everything is nearby, it’s a pocket-sized metropolis easily explored on foot. Today you could opt to visit the Helsinki Cathedral with its rich architecture designed by Carl Ludvig Engel in neoclassical style, Suomenlinna Fortress with its old cannon and submarines, market stores and arty stalls - or perhaps have a coffee at Market Square followed by a scoop of ice cream at Esplanade park.
The Ferry
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This tour includes two overnight journeys on board a ferry travelling from Tallinn to St Petersburg and from St Petersburg to Helsinki. On the ferry we reserve comfortable single sex, 4 berth, air conditioned cabins, equipped with an en suite bathroom and freshly laundered bed linen. You will share a cabin with either fellow On The Go travellers or members of the general public. If you are travelling with someone of the opposite sex and want to share a cabin, you will need to upgrade to a two berth cabin, please refer to the pricing page for more information.
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Tour Details
- Starts in: Tallinn / Ends in: Helsinki
- Departs: May - Oct
- No local payment required
- Breakfast:3, Lunch: 0, Dinner: 0
- Hotel Rating: 3 star
- Tour Guide: Yes - for included sightseeing
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