Small-Group Catherine Palace and Pavlovsk Palace Tour from St Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Rating: 
Trip Type: Cultural Tours
Duration: 6 hours
Discover two of Russia’s greatest imperial residences, Catherine Palace and Pavlovsk Palace, on this 6-hour tour from St Petersburg. Traveling by minivan or car, head for the town of Pushkin, formerly called Tsarskoye Selo, and visit Catherine Palace, the 18th-century Baroque summer residence of the Tsars. Tour its extravagant chambers, including the breathtaking amber-inlaid Amber Room, and then explore nearby Pavlovsk Palace, with its magnificent gardens and opulent rooms. Enjoy personal attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to six people.
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Discover two of Russia’s greatest imperial residences, Catherine Palace and Pavlovsk Palace, on this 6-hour tour from St Petersburg. Traveling by minivan or car, head for the town of Pushkin, formerly called Tsarskoye Selo, and visit Catherine Palace, the 18th-century Baroque summer residence of the Tsars. Tour its extravagant chambers, including the breathtaking amber-inlaid Amber Room, and then explore nearby Pavlovsk Palace, with its magnificent gardens and opulent rooms. Enjoy personal attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to six people.Start your small-group tour with a pickup from your central St Petersburg hotel. Hop into your air-conditioned minivan or car with your guide and head south to the nearby town of Pushkin, known as Tsarskoye Selo before it was renamed after Russia’s great poet in Soviet times.
On the way, hear how and why the Pushkin area was chosen as the site of Catherine Palace and other imperial and aristocratic residences during the 18th century.
When you arrive, behold the stunning 1,000-feet (325-meter) long Baroque blue, white and gold palace and its manicured gardens. Hear how the building was designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli and named after Peter the Great’s wife, Catherine I.
Take a guided tour of the interiors including the Great Hall, White Vestibule, Throne Room and other chambers. As you walk, hear tales of the empresses who lived here, and prepare yourself for the pièce de résistance: the Amber Room.
Ogle the amber mosaics of this spectacular room, once dubbed the ‘eighth wonder of the world,’ as your guide explains how they were recreated in 2003 after being lost in World War II. Listen to tales of the original amber panels and how they consisted of six tons (6,000 kilograms) of amber that covered an extraordinary 592 square feet (55 square meters).
Admire the gardens, if time and weather permit, and continue to the nearby Pavlovsk Palace. Used for a short time by Tsar Paul I, this neoclassical palace is often overlooked for its neighbour, but more than warrants a visit.
Inside, admire the classical decorative styles of rooms such as the Egyptian Vestibule and Italian Hall, and subject to time and the weather, take a stroll in the pavilion-dotted gardens.
Later, return to St Petersburg where your tour ends with a hotel drop-off.
Please note: The order of sightseeing as described above may be subject to change on the day of your tour.
On the way, hear how and why the Pushkin area was chosen as the site of Catherine Palace and other imperial and aristocratic residences during the 18th century.
When you arrive, behold the stunning 1,000-feet (325-meter) long Baroque blue, white and gold palace and its manicured gardens. Hear how the building was designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli and named after Peter the Great’s wife, Catherine I.
Take a guided tour of the interiors including the Great Hall, White Vestibule, Throne Room and other chambers. As you walk, hear tales of the empresses who lived here, and prepare yourself for the pièce de résistance: the Amber Room.
Ogle the amber mosaics of this spectacular room, once dubbed the ‘eighth wonder of the world,’ as your guide explains how they were recreated in 2003 after being lost in World War II. Listen to tales of the original amber panels and how they consisted of six tons (6,000 kilograms) of amber that covered an extraordinary 592 square feet (55 square meters).
Admire the gardens, if time and weather permit, and continue to the nearby Pavlovsk Palace. Used for a short time by Tsar Paul I, this neoclassical palace is often overlooked for its neighbour, but more than warrants a visit.
Inside, admire the classical decorative styles of rooms such as the Egyptian Vestibule and Italian Hall, and subject to time and the weather, take a stroll in the pavilion-dotted gardens.
Later, return to St Petersburg where your tour ends with a hotel drop-off.
Please note: The order of sightseeing as described above may be subject to change on the day of your tour.
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