2018 Stockholm - Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Tallinn-Stockholm

Embark St. Peter Line ferry in Stockholm at 17:30 (5:30pm). Dinner and overnight onboard. (D)

Breakfast onboard. Arrive in Helsinki at 11:30am. Spend all day on your own in Helsinki or meet your guide at the ferry terminal and continue on a sightseeing tour of Helsinki and Porvoo (optional). You need to be back at the sea terminal around 17:30 (5:30pm) for boarding. Departure to St. Petersburg at 19:00 (7:00pm). Dinner and overnight onboard (B, D)

9:00 Arrival in St. Petersburg

Breakfast onboard. Arrival in St. Petersburg at 9:00 am. Disembark and go through passport control procedure. Your guide will meet you outside the customs.

Your visa-free St. Petersburg tour starts with a city sighgtseeing including the center with Nevsky Prospect, Admiralty Building, Kazan Cathedral, Strelka with Rosstral Columns, Canal Griboyedova, Fontanka, the Palace Square with Winter Palace, Summer Gardens, St. Isaac Cathedral, Spilled Blood Church and other remarkable landmarks. The tour includes visits to Spilled Blood Church, Peter-and-Paul Fortress and Faberge Museum.

Peter-and-Paul Fortress was built in 1704 to defend the city from naval attacks, however it never served its primary purpose. Instead, its historical mission turned out to be rather gruesome: thousands of workers died while building the fortress, many political prisoners, including Peter's own son Alexi were kept and tortured in its cells. The tombs of the Romanov family are also in its Cathedral.

The stunning Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. The construction of the church was almost entirely funded by the Imperial family and thousands of private donors. Both the interior and exterior of the church are decorated with incredibly detailed mosaics, designed and created by the most prominent Russian artists of the day 

Famous Faberge Museum at the Shuvalov Palace with the biggest collection of Faberge works including famous Easter eggs.

After a delicious Russian cuisine meal at the local restaurant, you will get to the hotel around 17:00 (5:00 pm). Time to rest or explore on your own. Overnight in St. Petersburg. (B, D)

* total tour time is 7 hours. Start and end times might vary depending on how fast you go through passport control procedure

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we drive to Peterhof, through the suburbs and summer houses (dachas) of the local people. In Peterhof, we will visit the Upper and Lower Park with fountains, dominated by a spectacular Grand Cascade. The Grand Cascade with its gilded statues is the centerpiece of the park. Stroll around and learn about the unique pumpless fountain system, enjoy "trick fountains" invented by Peter the Great to entertain his guests, walk along the Gulf of Finland' with its beautiful sea views and St. Petersburg panorama.

Another visit today is to the Hermitage Museum. We will spend several hours in the main building where you will see old European masters including Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, Michelangelo, Rubens, Titian, and Rembrandt, etc.**

* Peterhof fountains are closed approx. from the end of September to mid-May. We will visit Yusupov Palace with Gregory Raspitin cellars instead. 

In the morning we drive to Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo) to visit the famous Catherine Palace with its legendary Amber Room. Designed by the Italian architect Rastrelli, it is one of the top St. Petersburg landmarks. The town itself is a charming suburb named after the greatest Russian poet, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. 

Our visa-free cruise to St. Petersburg comes to an end. Some free time before heading back to the ferry terminal. Check-in and boarding atarts at 17:00 (5:00pm). Departure is at 19:00 (7:00 pm). Dinner and overnight onboard (B, D)

From 7:00am to 8:30am there will be a short stop in Helsinki.  Your next stop is Tallinn where you arrive at 12:30pm. Optional Old town tour with guide. Your guide will meet you at the terminal. Explore Tallinn on a guided walking tour of old town - an example of Gothic architecture in the Baltic and Nordic countries. The tour includes Toompea Castle fortifications, the Dome Church (13th century), the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky (19th century), Town Hall Square (15th century), St. Catherine's Passage, where artists of St. Catherine guild present their work, St.Olaf’s Church. Free afternoon. Return to the seaport on time to depart at 18:30 (6:30pm) to Stockholm. Overnight onboard (B, D) 

Arrive in Stockholm at 9:30am. (B)