June 2018
We loved the tour and your beautiful city. Maria was terrific and VERY knowledgeable, always finding answers to our questions and we found Maxim to be very good driver.
We will recommend you and your company to others in future.
June 2018
We had two magical days in St. Petersburg. It is an incredible city. We didn’t miss a thing. The city is gorgeous and maintained so beautifully. There are sumptuous gardens and forests throughout the city. Everything is sparkling clean and manicured. The architecture is so stunning. We visited museums, palaces, The Church of The Spilled Blood and an awesome synagogue. The food we had was different and very tasty.
We had a terrific and knowledgable guide named Maria with a private driver. The highlight of our trip was dinner with a wonderful Russian family. Polina and her family invited us into their home and prepared a wonderful Russian dinner for us. We so enjoyed hearing about the life in Russia. We realized that the people and lifestyle are very similar to ours. They are friendly, affectionate and easy to be with. We really felt like family.
We fell in love with the city and the people. We hope to return again.
June 2018
WISH I COULD GIVE THIS 8 STARS! Maria met us at the dock, and was the perfect hostess to show us her country. She is extremely knowledgeable both of the history and landmarks but also of the art at the Hermitage. She took us to some out of the way, authentic places to eat, and was an excellent companion as well as a guide. Very tuned into our needs. When we wished to sit, she waited for us and changed some parts of the itinerary as we made some requests. We were told about her by fiends and would never hesitate to recommend her highly.We three spent 2 days with her and our excellent driver.
May 2018
Hi Polina and Maria,
Thank you so much for taking such good care of us. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to your beautiful city and also getting to know Maria!
Bob was very pleased with your lovely birthday gift!
Thank you again. We will be passing your services onto our friends and family who may wish to visit St Petersburg in the future.
Best regards
Wendy and Bob
April 2018
St Petersburg went extremely well. We could not have asked for more from Maria who was exceptional: in guiding, helping and facilitating all we enjoyed. She was patient, considerate/thoughtful and careful; she understood and anticipated all our needs and went well beyond what can be expected of anyone.
She was there proactively facilitating, in the hotels, at all the attractions. She used her experience to help us lose as little time as possible queuing, waiting, struggling with menus, bills, etc …
All members of our group said that she was the very best guide they have ever had in all their travels, and they are all well-travelled people. Please convey to her our deep appreciation. She was magnificent!
In terms of attractions, they were all interesting and appreciated. There is nothing we would have omitted.
The palaces were dazzling. Cathedrals stunning. Museums were excellent. Maria made them all come alive with her explanations (often patiently repeated, because we were not able to remember all the facts in one go). If there is one improvement to suggest it would be to allow much more time in the museums, eg. the Hermitage where we could have spent a full day.
The shows (ballet, folk show) were thoroughly enjoyable.
The cruise was very pleasant and a good way to spend an afternoon at a different pace (made more so by the champagne and chocolates you brought)
The itinerary for the last day in St Petersburg was very well scheduled, starting a bit later and ending with a short wait for the train at 2355 hrs. Maria saw us into the train.
Lastly I want to again repeat that we were very pleased to have worked with TourPetersburg for our trip, and with how you went out of your way to help facilitate our trip. A great experience!
Thanks,
Pauline Lee
March 2018
This was about our 8th trip to St Petersburg and we have always used Tourpetersburg as they have always given us 100% satisfaction. It was our 45th wedding anniversary so a special occasion. Our guide was Katya this time and she was as professional as Lena was last time, she spoke perfect English, was kind and extremely helpful. We visited the Faberge museum and it was wonderful to see so many examples of perfection. Polina always comes up with some new place for us to visit each trip and its worth asking her to recommend other things, other than the very obvious stunning palaces which should never be missed of course..
August 2017
We had a 2 day stop over in St Petersburg on our Baltic Cruise.
We contacted Maria at Tourpetersburg and received detailed options as to what she thought would suit our party of 4 adults and 6 teenagers.
We were met at the customs hall in the port by Anna and spent 2 days with her on our private minibus.
She took us to the most admired places in St Petersburg including the wonderful palace of Peterhof, the Hermitage, The Church of the Spilled Blood. But what made the 2 days for us were the local details, taking us on the underground, going to a soviet cafe, and listening to Anna’s intelligent, informed and generous information and explanations.
Anna made this trip extraordinary.
I would absolutely recommend Tourpetersburg.
August 2017
I’ll be honest. I was a bit apprehensive about touring Russia. Our cruise ship allowed us only one day to see the sights and I didn’t see how that was possible with a large tour group from our ship. A friend of a friend told us about the Tourpetersburg group. For a couple of months Polina worked with me to arrange everything that we wanted to see. She personalized the tour for our group of 6 people. She even got us our visas. The day of the tour, Maria met us right outside customs, even waiting an hour and a half for us when we were stuck both on our ship and at customs for unexplained reasons. But once we met Maria the fun began. She took us on a tour of St. Petersburg, for a fun ride on a hydrofoil to Petershof, a great lunch back in St. Petersburg, shopping, then an amazing tour of the Hermitage, including the famed Gold Room. We went to other sights as well. George was an excellent driver of our comfortable van. Everywhere we went we got to skip the lines, saving so much time. Maria was so kind and knowledgeable. I feel sorry for everyone else who did not get to go on this tour! I highly recommend Tourpetersburg!
August 2017
Our time in St. Petersburg was short, and we had lots on our list of places to see and do. Thankfully, this company allowed our group of 6 to pick and choose the sights and events that most interested us. The guide and driver both demonstrated exceptional ability to guide us in, through, and ahead of super crowded sights, which allowed us to make the most of our short time in their beautiful city. Choosing this company was one of the best decisions we made while on our trip this summer.
July 2017
We had two full days in St Petersburg as part of a cruise and arranged for private touring with Tourpetersburg for both days. We made arrangements by email with Maria, who answered all our questions quickly and efficiently. We wanted to see most, but not all, of the stops on the usual must-see tour of the city, but also wanted to add a stop of our own, which they were able to accommodate.
I had previously reviewed the shore excursions offered by the cruise line. While the cost for private tours was a little, but not much, more, we were able to customize our tour and have our own private guide and vehicle, so it was well worth it.
We are not people who usually take formal tours. When travelling, we mostly head into a city on our own and explore using local transport and our feet. To see anything in a short time in St Petersburg, however, a guided tour is a must. First, it eliminates the hassle of getting the Russian visa that is required for most visitors. Second, it fast tracks you through the jaw-droppingly long lines that are at all of the main sites. Third, it deals with transport to Peterhof & Catherines Palace, both of which are must sees. Fourth, it addresses the language difficulty… lots of signs are only in Russian, and in Cyrillic at that, making basic navigation and interactions like buying tickets, tricky.
Our guide Katia, and driver Anton, were both great. Katia, as a native, was extremely knowledgeable and answered all our dumb questions. And I feel that we have learned enough about the city and how it works to find our way on our own if we are ever fortunate enough to visit again.
July 2017
Saint Petersburg was the highlight of our Baltic Sea cruise and we were very fortunate to have as out tour guide Maria and driver George. They allowed our group of 12 to make maximum use of our limited time and to see the highlights of the city. The tour was well organized and Maria was an excellent guide. She was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and made sure we saw all the highlights of the city. Even when we were a bit tired she was able to get us going with her enthusiasm and smile.
We would highly recommend your tour to others.
July 2017
It was a pleasure to deal with Tour Petersburg! We were interested in different sites as this was our second trip to St Petersburg. Always prompt, Polina responded to our questions and provided excellent suggestions that only a very experienced tour operator could. Our most knowledgeable and congenial guide Elena was a pleasure to be with during our 2 day tour. Our driver Ruslan’s skill at getting us around should be mentioned as well. We would highly recommend this company and thank those mentioned for making our trip most memorable.
July 2017
First, I am somewhat remiss in posting late in that we were there about a month ago. But I cannot give TourPetersburg anything but the highest marks. Maria and Polina and her family and George – our driver were wonderful. The schedule I requested was not easy, but it definitely delivered. We have done three different visits to SP. Once, on our own in 1999. Second, with a group prior to TourPetersburg. I asked to see the special rooms in the Hermitage – the Diamond Room and the Gold Room. Only two groups go at one time at appointed times and with a smaller number of people. You have a private guide/curator. Having Maria allowed us for easily translation.
July 12 – We met Maria at 10:00 AM for our tour. We started at the University Embankment; visited the Egyptian Sphinxes (where she showed us how to “greet” them (they are from Napoleon’s time) – cover their ears and whisper in the cat’s ear. Then the Priviet, Rooslam, St. Isaac’s. By 10:40 AM we visited the Jewish Synagogue. Our tour group had driven by but not stopped. With TP, we had a local guide for an hour inside with Maria. It is the only such synagogue in SP.
Then Maria gave us snacks and water as we traveled to the Russian Ethnographic Museum. Back in the car by 1:00 PM, down to Smolny (nunnery) Monastery on Tapestry Road. Past the Fountain River (which fed the fountains of Peter the Great). Lunch was pirogi – cabbage, lingonberry. Back in the car and to Trinity Church beautiful. Then Catherine’s Garden (Catherine the Great II).
Visit the Art Nouveau gourmet shop. One of the most amazing stores I have been in the world. Later we peek into a private courtyard with a mural of the Colosseum. Then St. Michael’s Castle (Peter’s first palace).
We get to see a small bird built on the lower side of a river wall (our group had driven by). People try to drop a coin to land on it and get a wish. No luck for me.
Now the Faberge Museum. You can go by yourself. But having Maria to explain everything was worth everything. She got us in early for our appointment and made it easy to see everything. “Amazingly great” is what my notes show.
Then a special treat. But we were invited to dinner at Polina’s flat. We had dinner with the family – her husband, two daughters, and Maria and George. An apple drink, vodka, borscht, sour cream, herring salad (w/beets), veg salad (w&w/o mayo), herring, black bread, blinis with jam, honey, cream (made by Maria’s mother!) A wonderful learning and eating experience.
July 13 – 10:30 AM – Meet Masha (we found out at dinner that’s really her name, Maria is the name she uses for business). Uber to the Hermitage. We get priority entrance to the Hermitage and visit the Egyptian room and lots more (she is trying to show us things we haven’t seen) prior to our appointment. 12:15 PM, the Diamond Room – we felt very special. 1:20 PM the Gold Room. Both curator/guides wanted to keep us longer. Very nice.
July 14 – Meet Masha and go to a tour of the special Metro stations in SP. Then the Siege (of Leningrad) Museum.
All in two and a half days. Including transfer the first day from our group hotel to our new hotel and transfer to the airport the last day. Take note that George drove us to the airport and Masha came in. She was there as the security people decided to take my luggage apart – several times. Thank goodness she was there.
Cannot recommend them enough!
June 2017
Yesterday we took a private tour arranged by TourPetersburg and it was fantastic!
We discussed what we wanted with Polina who was terrific arranging a full day of sightseeing and she truly delivered a great experience. She even bought Russian sweets and sodas for us! Talk about professionalism and going the extra mile for the customer!!!
Our tour guide was Maria who was knowledgeable, personable, and a delight.
We cannot recommend them enough.
We left St. Petersburg wanting to return and have Polina and Maria arrange everything for us.
June 2017
My friends and I had a two day tour of St. Petersburg with Maria and our driver whose name I could not possibly spell. I cannot sing enough high praises for them or for Polina who helped plan our tour. They answered our many emails sent prior to our trip and sent an itinerary that included many of the St. Petersburg highlights.
It took forever to go through immigration from our cruise ship. Maria was patiently waiting for us through all the madness. The Mercedes van had snacks and drinks waiting for us. St.Petersburg is an amazing city. There were many sights to see and Maria was able to explain the history of Russia and the importance of each sight. We always felt like VIPs with no line waiting and personal service.
They were able to customize the things we wanted to do such as see a subway station and go to a restaurant and bars that locals would go to. We were constantly amazed and impressed. For the two days we were so much was packed in and ample time at each of our sights.
Send me a message if you have any questions. I cannot express how much I loved and enjoyed this tour.
June 2017
This was an absolutely amazing tour of beautiful St. Petersburg. Our tour guide Maria, our driver Yelisyeyi (Елисей) and owner Polina really know the city and the best way to show it off. My group of four adults arrived at 9 am via the Norwegian Getaway at the Port in St. Petersburg. After negotiating long lines at Russian customs we found Maria waiting and we were whisked away to explore and enjoy as much as we could during our two-day visit.
We created an a la cart tour that included sightseeing, restaurants, evening cocktails, the Hermitage museum, churches, tombs, coffee and much more. As a small group we easily moved through the city and sites. Maria is extremely knowledgeable, very well versed in Russian history and culture, excellent English, and well connected…Maria seemed to know everybody. Our driver knew every route and navigated the city effortlessly.
My favorite thing about the tour is I feel like I was really shown the history, culture and life of St. Petersburg. Our visit to a farmers market was a simple highlight that allowed us a glimpse everyday St. Petersburg life. I wish I had prepared more before my visit to educate myself on basic Russian history and modern Russian culture, I feel this would have improved my experience.
Our summer weather was beautiful and sunny. We walked and were on the move from 9am to 11pm then 8am to 5pm, so comfy shoes, sunscreen, camera, and cash or card for souvenir shopping. Overall this was a spectacular experience and the highlight of our visit to the Baltic Sea.
May 2017
Excellent tour with an excellent guide. Loved the impressionists section that you wouldn’t see on regular shore excursions and was lovely seeing the faberge eggs without the crowds. Would highly recommend this tour company.
October 2016
Can’t say enough wonderful things about our 2 days of touring in SPB. Maria took such good care of me on my 1st day and customized our 1/2 day so i could see exactly what I wanted. Elena took over on day 2 and we walked the city with my husband and also saw exactly what we wanted to see. The depth and breadth of knowledge about the history, the architecture, the artists and their work was so detailed and substantial. We were so impressed. Hope to get back someday for more!
October 2016
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to Ms Polina Kurshakova of Tour Petersburg for the excellent service provided to my group recently on our visit to St Petersburg in early October 2016 .
The itenary that was prepared was cleverly and delightfully planned in accordance to our expectations , and the service of the tour guide Ms Tatiana , was indeed very professional , competent and simply adorable . My group had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves .
Certainly a well organised company which i will have no hesitation to fully recommend to all who wishes to be well taken cared of whilst visiting St Petersburg .
My regards and congratulations to Polina and her Management , wishing her every success in her undertakings , and i will continue to give her my support with repeat businesses and referrals to all my group of friends , family and work colleagues visiting Russia in the near future .
Best Regards
Louis Tan
Head of Branch
Bina Puri Sdn Bhd
Moscow , Russia
( branch office of Bina Puri Holdings Group of Companies , Malaysia )
August 2016
Saint Petersburg was the highlight of our Baltic Sea cruise and we were very fortunate to have as out tour guide Maria and driver George. They allowed our group of 6 to make maximum use of our limited time and to see the sights we were really interested in. Maria was exceptionally knowledgeable about the city and very efficient in arranging for tickets so we didn’t spend a lot of time in lineups. We would highly recommend Tourpetersburg to anyone planning a trip to Russia.
August 2016
Hi Polina,
It was our pleasure to spend 3 days with Maria and Ruslan. We had a good time and found the schedule full and to our satisfaction. There was so much to see. One could easily spend 2 weeks in St. Petersburg and barely scratch the surface. We were happy to get the tour that we did and found both Maria and Ruslan to be excellent. We will certainly recommend you and your company to others wishing to go to St. Petersburg or other places in Russia as I understand that you also run tours in other cities.
If we ever return, we will be sure to connect with you again.
August 2016
Our three-day St.Petersburg visit exceeded expectations. I gave you a rather long list of sights that I wanted to see and you fit them in our schedule in an orderly and sensible way. As things worked out, there were no “hitches” or delays, and all the details were as we had agreed upon. Our guide and driver were courteous, helpful and well informed. And, just as important, they impressed us as being genuinely nice, trustworthy people whose company we enjoyed.
I would certainly recommend you and your company.
July 2016
It was a blessing that we found Polina `s company on the net so we can book our two days in St Petersburgh with her. The guide was extremely well-informed about all the sites we visited. Her historical and artistic knowledge were exactly what we were looking for. Travel in and out of the city was perfect and always in time and according to the schedule. Our driver was an additional asset (helped us to get to our show as well) and worked fantastic with our guide . The schedule included 2 full days and she was always flexible when we requested a diversion or wanted to spend more time at a location. Her choice of restaurants was excellent and the prices excelent for the quality of food and service. Our recommendation for anybody that want to visit St Petersburgh will be to get in contact with Polina because you will have the best service that you can ask for.
February 2016
Hello Polina and Maria. We would like to thank you for making our winter visit to your beautiful city perfect. You were both so attentive collecting us from our hotel to take us on so many trips. Steve loved the submarine and the Navel museum was quite amazing too. There was so much to see. The Political History Museum was so very interesting and the depth of your knowledge was fantastic. The Faberge museum was quite stunning not just the collection but the building itself is wondrous. We felt incredibly safe and cared for in your company. Nothing was too much trouble for either of you and you were kindness itself. You are 2 very professional young women who really know Saint Petersburg inside out and speak perfect English. We can’t thank you both enough for an amazing 2 weeks in your fantastic city. We loved being there in winter as it so much quieter and the snow made it magic too. We will be back and definitely use you as our guides for our next visit. Our best wishes for a busy and successful 2016
August 2015
Polina was our guide for 3 full and fabulous days. We worked with her in advance on what we wanted to see and she arranged everything perfectly and to fit our schedule. She was great to be with and extremely knowledgable ,and spoke very good English. ( She taught English ) . She arranged a driver but only where needed to keep costs in line. The car was very comfortable and well worth it. We never waited in lines and truly enjoyed our days with her. She was prompt,courteous ,sincere and looked after everything. I highly recommend her.
June 2015
On a 12-day cruise in the Baltic my favorite place was St.Petersburg, Russia. Our guide was Ms. Polina Kurshakova. She is the reason our 3-day St.Petersburg guided tour there was so perfect and our favorite port of call. I am so glad we did this St.Petersburg individual tour and did not pile on a bus with a lot of grumpy people. Excellent English, and she was always so concerned about how we were. She helped to plan our three days there. I did not know where to start. I have not stopped talking about her and St.Petersburg private tours she sets up. Our time there was too short. Polina, you are as pretty on the ouside as you are on the inside. I love your city-St Petersburg, Russia.
October 2014
I loved the custom made tours and the flexibility offered. Maria Kostina was gracious, polite, knowledgeable, and flexible. She understood that the main purpose of the tour, was not just to get information, but to enjoy the city and be able to wander around and change things as we went along. There were some restrictions due Holidays, days off, and Russian customs of buying tickets early, but these were all dealt with well. Most importantly, there was no RUSHING… I would highly recommend her as a tourist guide in this beautiful city…
September 2014
Our St.Petersburg guide was Maria and she made all places in Saint-Petersburg we visited so memorable. Excellent English and an outstanding knowledge of Russian and Art history. She organized everything, bypassed all the queues and made sure we saw all the important things without rushing and even arranged a trip to the local restaurants for lunch. Brilliant!!
August 2014
Maria, thank you again for your excellent private Hermitage, Peterhof and Amber Room tours during our visit to St Petersburg, Russia. August is the busiest time of the year but you were able to move us through the venues and the city with finesse usually at the head of the line. Your knowledge of the history and art of Russia made your St.Petersburg private tours very worthwhile. Your command of English was spot on and entertaining. Hugs from the eight of us.
August 2014
Maria was our St.Petersburg private guide for two days. The days were full, informative and fun. Maria ushered us around and made St.Petersburg trip VERY easy. We entered sites without waiting in lines – which were all VERY long – and she pre-arranged lunches. The days in Saint-Petersburg went from 07:45 to 17:30. We would highly recommend Maria as the best St.Petersburg travel guide. Thank you, Maria, for two great days.
July 2014
About a week before I left for my Baltic cruise to Saint-Petersburg, I was given Polina’s contact. I emailed her on a Friday night requesting to arrange a 3-day St.Petersburg tour package that mirrored the ship’s land tour for my party of 11. By Monday, she had arranged everything including our visas! On top of that, she did not even ask us for a deposit. The cost was less than half the price of the ship’s tour. The 3-day St.Petersburg private tour was simply fantastic! It included all St.Petersburg places to visit, Hermitage tour, Peterhof tour also. Our guide, Dasha was incredibly knowledgeable, very professional and engaging. She looked after the group extremely well. We have travelled extensively and this is the best private tour we had.
July 2014
We had a wonderful 2-day St.Petersburg private tour with Maria as our private guide, and were so glad to have a small group of four instead of 40, like most people on our cruise! This enabled us to dart around big groups, get into museums early, and no lines for the bathrooms! (Plus, Maria found us all the free bathrooms!) She was very knowledgeable, spoke great English, and was able to adjust the individual tour to our interests. We were able to see all St.Petersburg places to visit and do a LOT. This is an active tour, and we made the most of our time. Thank you, Maria! You are the best St.Petersburg private guide!
June 2014
Polina was our private guide for two fabulous days in Saint Petersburg. She was extremely helpful (and patient) in the planning process of our St.Petersburg tour package. We were celebrating our son’s birthday on our second day, and she made a lunch reservation and even ordered a birthday cake! We were able to see and do the things we absolutely wanted to in our two (short) days in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
