NIKA TOUR - SHORE EXCURSIONS in St. Petersburg

Cathedral of St. George - Veliky Novgorod

St. George's Monastery - Veliky Novgorod

LORD VELIKY NOVGOROD / FDT3

Veliky Novgorod (Novgorod the Great) is one of Russia's oldest cities that preserved many remarkable historical and architectural monuments that date from the 10th to the 17th centuries and are now famous around the world. The city is conveniently located on a major higway that connects St. Petersburg ( 180 km ) and Moscow. The road to Lord Veliky Novgorod takes about 3 hours and passes along the small villages with wooden houses, beautiful fields, forests and small rivers that is a typical view of the North-West Russia.
An introduction to the city starts with a look at the walls of the Kremlin ( it is also sometimes called Detinets ). The first mention of the construction of the stone Kremlin is given in the annals of 1044. The tour continues on the central square with the Monument of the Millennium Russia. It is shaped like a bell and was erected in 1862 to commemorate of Russian history. Then visit the Cathedral of St. Sophia ( 1045 - 1050 ), located opposite the central square - is the main cathedral of Medieval Novgorod Republic with remarkable examples of architectural, pictorial, decorative and applied arts.

As in the time of old, a tour itinerary leads across the Kremlin to a pedestrian bridge that connects the St. Sophia Side of the city to the Trade Side (Merchant Quarter). The origanal center of the quarter was Yaroslav Court - it is know that public meetings were held here. Walking tour of Yaroslav's Court and sightseeing from the outside including the oldest building on its territory St. Nicholas Cathedral (1113 ). Journey through the ancient Russian land continues sightseeing St. George's Monastery ( 1119 ) - is one of Russia's oldest religions centers. The monastery was built as a fortress - an outpost on the southern borders of the city. The journey there takes about 15-20 minutes by vehicle. Visit at the magnificent Cathedral of St. George which is one of the greatest treasures of the Russian medieval architecture.
The next remarkable object sightseeing tour is the Open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture "Vitoslavlitsy" which is located 5 minutes walk from St. George's Monastery. The ancient wooden structures have been relocated here from all over the Novgorod region. Here in the picturesque area of 30 hectares located peasant houses, mills, church buildings. The most ancient monument of architecture is the Church of the Nativity which more than 400 years. Here, after the end of sightseeing Novgorod a lunch in a traditional Russian restaurant "Yurievskoe Podvorie".
Approximate duration - 12 hours

Cathedral of St. Sophia (1045 - 1050) - Veliky Novgorod

the natural pressure of water is pumped from storage basins are located in the Upper Garden of Peterhof. Then take a hydrofoil boat back to the city and a visit to Hermitage Museum. Approximate duration - 8 hours

IMPERIAL PALACES / FDT1

The tour begins with a trip to the historical town of Pushkin - formerly Tsarskoe Selo, or the czar' village. Then visit the Catherine Palace with the famous Amber Room and a short walk through the beautiful park in English style in the direction of Alexander Palace, which since 1904 was the permanent residence of Emperor Nicholas II. From here the family of the last Emperor of Russia was exiled by the Bolshevik government in Tobolsk in the early morning August 1, 1917. Return to St. Petersburg and a sightseeing tour with a visits to the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul and the Cathedral of Our Savior on Spilled Blood.
Approximate duration - 8 hours

Grand Palace and the Grand Cascade at Peterhof

RUSSIAN VERSAILLES / FDT2

Travel to Peterhof or capital of fountains, founded by Russian Tsar Peter the Great, begins with a road running along the Southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. Then visit to the Grand Palace and a walking tour by the Lower Park with its unique fountain structures operating without pumping stations, but on the principle of communicating vessels and

FULL DAY TOURS

NORTHEN VENICE / HDT3

The tour lasts 5 hours (morning or afternoon) and includes - City sights / Peter-and-Paul Fortress with a visit to the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul / Hermitage Museum / boat trip along rivers and canals of St. Petersburg / Yusupov Palace - interiors of the palace that belonged to one of the richest families of Imperial Russia and the exposition "The murder of Grigory Rasputin".

MAGNIFICENT St. PETERSBURG / HDT4

The tour lasts 5 hours (morning or afternoon) and includes - sights of St. Petersburg / Peter-and-Paul Fortress with a visit to the Cathedral of St. Peter-and-St. Paul / Hermitage Museum / the Kazan Cathedral and the Cathedral of Our Savior on Spilled Blood.

St. Petersburg was founded by Russian emperor Peter The Great on May, 27th, 1703 as the new capital of Russia and its sea gate.
In the autumn of the same year the first trade ship arrived in the city, and in 2009 it was already visited by 340 cruise ships from different countries.
Since then the number of cruise ships was growing every year.

Cruise ship passengers can currently visit Russia on visa-free scheme provided the stop in the port of call doesn't exceed 72 hours and tourists stay overnight on board the cruise ship.
RUSSIAN TOURIST VISA - FREE FOR NIKA TOUR PARTICIPANTS
Russian tourist visa is not required for guests of any nationality participating in tours organized by NIKA TOUR. All guests going ashore (even guests on shore excursions) must provide a photocopy of their passport details

* Lunch at local restaurant is not included - upon request

WHITE NIGHTS - BRIDGES and EMBANKMENTS of St. Petersburg / HDT5

The White Nights are an unusual phenomenon, lasting roughly from the second half of May until the second half of August. Sights of St. Petersburg especially beautiful this time of year in the ghostly light of the Midnight Sun.
The tour starts at 23.30 and lasts for 2.5 hours. The main route of the tour goes along the main waterway of the city - the River Neva with its drawbridges in the navigation period, stringent granite embankments and magnificent architectural ensembles of St. Petersburg. During the tour included a short stops at one of the best vantage points - on the Spit of Vasilevsky Island and the Senate Square for a panoramic views of the city.

Our company specializes in arranging private shore excursions in St. Petersburg for individual travelers and groups

HALF DAY TOURS

CLASSIC St. PETERSBURG / HDT2

The tour lasts 4 hours (morning or afternoon) and includes - sights of St. Petersburg - Peter-and-Paul Fortress with a visit to the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul / Hermitage Museum / the St. Isaac's Cathedral.
It also includes a visit of two Metro stations with a short train ride.

In all of the above tours include private vehicles (car, van or bus), a licensed guides speaking English and other major European languages and entrance fees to museums and parks

PERL of the BALTIC SEA / HDT1

The tour lasts 4 hours (morning or afternoon) and includes - sights of St. Petersburg / Peter-and-Paul Fortress with a visit to the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul / Hermitage Museum / the Cathedral of Our Savior on Spilled Blood.

page with foto and personal information) to the Russian Immigration Officials. In this case guests will need to present a valid passport and the NIKA TOUR voucher to the Russian Immigration Officer as they disembark the ship. Please note that without a visa, the time ashore is limited to the period of the excursion and you are not allowed to leave the ship outside of the tour hours without a Russian Tourist Visa. Guests who wish to explore Russia on their own or want to sightsee after NIKA TOURs' shore excursion hours have to obtain an individual Russian Tourist Visa before leaving home.