Private Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral Tour - with Friendly Local Guide

Private Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral Tour - with Friendly Local Guide

This private tour is a perfect way to explore the historical side of St Petersburg and get more familiar with the Russian history and history of St Petersburg, the history of Russian royal family and the Peter and Paul Fortress which is known to be the first structure to be built in the city. Discover Peter and Paul Cathedral and Grand Ducal burail chapel and Trubetskoy Bastion prison.

Listen to your expert guide's stories about the place which used to be a military base, then a government site, the burial place of the imperial family and ended up as a jail that held some of Russia's most prominent political prisoners. It is also a center of the city’s urban traditions, including daily firing of the cannon at noon. In Summer time the site turns into an ongoing party where everyone is invited.

Enjoy the historic atmosphere and panoramic views of the most artistic city of Russia.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: St. Petersburg Metro, St. Petersburg Russia

Timing is flexible and you can start the tour any time you prefer. This tour can be customized to make it a unique experience for you. Your private local guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and discuss the tour itinerary with you at the beginning of the tour.

Highlights:
• Explore the oldest building in St Petersburg;
• Enjoy the various thematic exhibitions on the tour;
• See the first triumphal monument of St. Petersburg and the main entrance to the fortress – Peter’s Gate;
• Be awed by the largest number of bells in one place the world;
• Take in the views of the highest cathedral in Russia and the tallest building in the historical part of the city;
• See the local gem – Strelka on Vasilievsky Island, first mentioned in 1500;
• Admire the symbol of St Petersburg – the 3.2-meter Angel of Peter and Paul Cathedral.

10am - Meet your guide in the hotel lobby and begin your private walking tour.

10.30am - The first destination will be a Gorkovskaya Metro station, which looks like a spaceship and is named after the world-famous writer, Maxim Gorky.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Grand Maket Russia, Tsvetochnaya St., 16, St. Petersburg 196084 Russia

11.00am - Then continue the tour to the Park of Miniatures. This is one of the first public parks in the city, opened in 1845. The architectural complex is an open air exhibition and includes the most famous historical ensembles of St. Petersburg, made of bronze on a scale of 1:33: Kazan Cathedral and St. Isaac's Cathedral, Savior on Spilled Blood, Palace Square, and other iconic landmarks in miniature.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Peter and Paul Fortress, Petropavlovskaya Fortress, 3, St. Petersburg 197022 Russia

12.00pm After that head to Peter and Paul Fortress. You may be lucky to see the traditional firing of the cannon and deepen your knowledge of the famous Romanov Dynasty and the city’s historical past. Since the 1730s there was a tradition to celebrate the noon by firing a cannon shot from the Naryshkin bastion.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Peter and Paul Cathedral, Sobornaya Sq., 1 Petropavlovskaya Fortress, St. Petersburg 197046 Russia

The bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral features a unique set of bells - Dutch and Russian. 31 out of the 103 bells located on four levels are dated 1757 year.Thanks to the Romanov Fund and the Belgian royal family, the carillon came out to be the heaviest bell weighing more than three tons.

Being the highest cathedral in Russia and is the tallest building in the historical part of the city, the Peter and Paul Cathedral is also the burial vault of the Romanovs.

1pm - Finish the tour at Peter and Paul fortress to explore the landmark in more detail, or get to some place in central St Petersburg.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Memorial Sign Strelka Of Vasilievskiy Island, Birzhevaya Square, St. Petersburg 199034 Russia

If you extend the tour to 5 hours, you will also explore Vasilievsky Island with its Strelka and Rastral Columns, which is an extremely popular site among locals and tourists. The Vasilievsky Island (Basil Island) was first mentioned in 1500 when it used to be a fishermen island.

Duration: 1 hour