Activities in St Petersburg

From the very start on meeting Alexei in the morning and our guide Diana the service was exemplary. We had a simply fantastic 2 days in their company and it is difficult to know how we could have fitted more in. Diana was knowledgeable friendly and happy to amend the day to accommodate any of the groups needs. Our group tour consisted of 10 people from 3 different families, with a variety of interests but we found something for everyone. We arrived in St Petersburg on Brilliance of the Seas with Royal Carribean and despite the caution in their Royal Carribean's literature the visa-free process through border control was easy with just a passport, sea pass card (from the ship) and our maxibalt tour ticket. There was absolutely no problems - this had been our one concern prior to arrival but it absolutely wasn't an issue. Being in a small group was the best, as in busy museums such as the Hermitage we could use our "sneaking skills" as Diana put it to by pass any queues and maximise our use of the time available. During the two days we had lunch at two local restaurants (included in the tour price) where the service and welcome was on a par with Alexei and Diana's. Gift shopping whilst not imperative was made easier and cheaper by their knowledge of good shops off the beaten track where prices were much lower than the peak tourist areas, but quality was fantastic.

The tour we had included the Hermitage, Yusopov's palace, Catherines palace (inc the amber room), the fountains at Peterhof, St Peter and Paul's Fortress and Cathedral, a hydrofoil trip, a metro trip, plus my personal highlight "The Church of the Spilled Blood" which is an iconic building. Diana was always on the lookout for things to make our visit even more memorable - for example we had a short stop at one of the summer houses at Catherines Palace to listen to a 6 man choir sing a traditional Russian folk song which was unbelievably good and would have been missed by all the larger group tours.

My sister is going to St Petersburg next year and I have already told her there is no option but to contact Alexei!

The message is quite simple, if you go to St Petersburg, then you must go MaxiBalt!

My wife and I had an excellent two-day visit to St. Petersburg, thanks to Alexei and Maria. (Note for disclosure purposes: This was a private tour rather than one of the group itineraries. Our time was limited because we were on a cruise.) The proprietor (Alexei) listened to our priorities in advance, made great suggestions, and then drove or walked us around with insightful and enjoyable (but not overbearing) commentary. Alexei clearly loves his home city and conveyed that to us. The fact that he had spent a year as a grad student in the US made his remarks and responses all that much more meaningful. The only times Alexei did not stay with us was when he turned the job over to Maria for Catherine’s Palace on the first day and the Hermitage on the second. Maria’s tours were wonderful. She asked about our main interests before we walked into the Hermitage. We knew this could only be an introduction to the museum’s amazing holdings, so we had picked out our points of focus rather than follow someone else’s “top ten”. We wanted to spend our time on two of the major collections, combined with an architectural overview of the palace. Without knowing in advance about our interests, Maria quickly calculated the best walking paths including temporary shows that were in different wings from the permanent exhibits. The walking paths alone would have been worth the admission but there was much more. No matter what the painting, Maria had well-informed answers to our constant and unscripted questions. It was a memorable experience. After the Hermitage, we had a great time celebrating with Alexei and Maria over traditional dumplings. Until the next time!

We,a group of 7 people of friends and relatives, had an excellent two-day visit to St. Petersburg. We were on a cruise and instead of using the excursion arranged by Royal Caribbean, we booked our own from MaxiBaltTours. This was a private tour with a van and a driver. The owner Alexei gave us great suggestions in advance to choose the best way to see as much as possible the city within our limited time, yet everything run smoothly. The guide Elena was so nice and patient to help everybody. She was well prepared and spoke excellent English. She was very knowledgeable and well informed about the all historical events and the great art works. Thanks to Alexei and Elena, we experienced a most enjoyable and unforgettable tour in St. Petersburg.

Christina’s commentary was knowledgeable and informative. She actually got our tour into a couple of extra special little performances. Obviously she knew her way around and how to beat the lines. Very professional. Max greeted us prior to taking off on the first day and was there to greet us on the last day. He cares about the client’s experience. The driver was super. Highly recommend this company.

Tour guide Sylvia is very warm and passionate, professional as well, guiding us detaily thru majors sites of St Petersburg

Advantages: I do not need to wait for long queue. Knowledgeable, professional and friendly Guide and driver. Very good coverage. I have seen the best places in one day. Pick up from hotel and bringing me back was good for me. I liked that I would see only the specific best arts or spots but I need good pictures which I was not able to achieve so much. Wasted the first hour at 0900 going around I do not need to wait for the opening of Spilled Blood Church at 10. Should be 10 hours tour including the driving to and from but it was only more than 8 hours spent. I should have seen more inside Catherine Palace. I was not able to take better pictures due to fast forward because it was too rush. I have very few good pictures. However I should have told the Guide but I thought she would show me more but we went out earlier and did not see more inside the Catherine Palace which was the last destination. And I was returned to the wrong address because it has similar gate as my actual hotel.

But definitely, I am impressed with local guide. I recommend this type of tour.