5 h

Lunch

About this activity

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: The National Congress Palace (Constantine Palace), Beryozovaya Alley, 3, Strelna, St. Petersburg 198515 Russia

After pickup from your hotel in St Petersburg, your guide will take you to the Constantine Palace, located in Strelna settlement. The former summer residence of Russian tsars is a masterpiece of Russian architecture of the 18th century, and lies on the beautiful south coast of Gulf of Finland, near St. Petersburg.

In 1716, during Peter the Great’s trip abroad, the already famous architect Jean-Baptiste Leblond was introduced to the Russian tsar. In the autumn of the same year the architect arrived in St. Petersburg and started working on the Strelna palace project. After his death Bartolomeo Rastrelli finished this work. In 1831 the palace came into the possession of Grand Duke Constantine Nikolaevich, son of Emperor Nicholas I. At that time the palace acquired the name of Constantine.

In 1990, the Palace and park complex were placed under the protection of UNESCO. For the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg Constantine Palace was restored and received a new status – the state complex “The Palace of Congresses.” It is now considered the Presidential Residence in St. Petersburg and has had comparisons made of it with the White House in America.

The 32nd G8 summit was held on 15–17 July 2006 in Constantine Palace. This was the first time Russia served as host nation for a G8 summit. The summit brought together many famous leaders: Romano Prodi, Angela Merkel, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Vladimir Putin, George W. Bush, Junichiro Koizumi, Stephen Harper, Matti Vanhanen and José Manuel Barroso.

Nowadays, the Constantin Palace is a baroque masterpiece with decadent interiors, and this tour will take you to the depths of it. You’ll roam ballrooms and halls encased with marble walls and priceless artworks. Peek inside the private quarters of the Russian President, including the Boudoir of the First Lady and the picture gallery.

The theme of this 2-hour excursion includes the history of the establishment and construction of the park and palace estate from the epoch of Peter the Great. Learn about the palace’s eminent owners, their life and manners, the modern life of the estate and some lesser known stories.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Sankt-Peterburgskoye Shosse, 58А, Strelna, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia, 198515

After this tour, you will have a traditional Russian 3-course lunch in a local restaurant.

After the lunch, return to your private vehicle for the journey back to St Petersburg. Your day finishes with a drop-off at your hotel.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Read more Show less

Included

Professional guide
Private tour
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Lunch - 3-course lunch
Entry/Admission - The National Congress Palace (Constantine Palace)
Entry/Admission - Strelna

Not included

Gratuities

Additional

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
As it is an acting Official Residence, the Administration of the President may need to cancel the tour in case of unplanned Presidential and Government meetings or other events. In the event of this, you will have the option of doing the tour on an alternative date or a full refund
This tour as a shore excursion: additional payment US$ 100 for blanket visa and round-trip private transfer cruise ship - tour attractions - cruise ship (US$ 100 for all the travelers, not per person). Minimum 2 travelers required. Details needed for blanket visa: passport name, number, date of birth and country for all the passengers. Please send them shortly after the booking. Booking should be made at least 7 days before the ship arrival date.
Not wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Features

Cultural

90%

Tourism

85%

Collections This experience is part of these collections