St. Petersburg--the 2-Day Sprint

One of the main tourist attractions of Russia is St. Petersburg. Coming to this part of Russia but not visiting Peter (as the natives call it) would be like going to France and skipping Paris or going to the UK but missing London.

We have now hosted visitors on at least 6 trips to Peter. Generally people have only a limited time, so we have managed to cram the highlights into 2 very full days. The oldest person to survive our Peter death-march was my Aunt Millie, 83 years young at the time. By the end of these two days, most sane people have lost all desire to ever again go inside a cathedral or a museum.

Transport
Opinions vary about the best way to get from Moscow to Peter. We have taken the night train to Peter and back only once. Upsides: Maximize touring time by traveling during the night when you would be sleeping anyway. Save on hotel costs for two nights. Downsides: What makes you think you will sleep on this train? Arriving in Peter at 6 am tired and sore is a tough way to start this grueling adventure. Our vote: the train is fun to do once, but we suggest the plane. Note--several Russian friends have suggested a high speed train that leaves Moscow in the afternoon. This is worth looking into.

We take a late afternoon flight to Peter and a late evening flight back to Moscow. We generally get a good nights sleep in Peter before starting on the 2-day tour.

Lodging
There are plenty of good hotels in Peter, but they tend to book quickly and are expensive during the peak tourist season. We stay in serviced apartments owned by Pulford Real Estate. They are generally located very close to the Hermitage, are pretty reasonably priced, and include some food in the fridge. For a fee, they will drive you to and from the airport. Book in advance; they also fill up in peak season. The head of the office in Peter is an American (at time of publication) which helps with communication when making arrangements.

The tour
Day 1: Morning:

Hermitage. We strongly recommend getting a guide--it makes a big difference here. If you do not arrange for a guide in advance, you will be out of luck. Sometimes guides will also take you to the front of the very long lines. This happened with us once when the first 50 people in line were a German tour group. On the whole, Germans do not look kindly upon cutting in line and I imagine that there were some threats of bodily harm in the German words they were yelling at us.
Focus on the Winter Palace area and if you are into art, on some of the art. You cannot see everything here, so you should work out with the guide what art you want to see. Personally, my favorite was the Impressionist collection and the Rembrandts. The museum opens at 10 and is closed on Mondays.

Afternoon:

Church on the Spilt Blood. This church was built on the site of the assassination of Tsar Alexander II. The entire inside of the church depicts the life of Christ in mosaics. This is my favorite cathedral in all of Russia. It does not take long to walk through it, but is a must see. We have been through with and without a guide. This one can be enjoyed either way, but a guide will tell you about the history and restoration (it was used as a warehouse during Communism and was shelled by German troops in WWII). There is a small souvenir market across the square from the entrance to the church

Lunch. Not far from the exit of the Church on the Spilt Blood on the side of the canal closest to the Neva River is a small cafe with decent cheap food and relatively fast service. We do not know the name; it has a yellow awning and an area that is semi-enclosed for dining. If you are standing at the exit of the church looking down the canal, it is on the right hand side maybe 75-100 yards.

Isaakovsky Sobor. This is the huge gold-domed church that dominates the very center of the city along the bank of the Neva river. If you climb up the stairs to the collonade (recommended), you have a great view of the city.

Bronze Horseman Statue. Just behind the Isaakovsky Sobor, toward the river. This is a statue dedicated to Peter the Great. We recommend reading Pushkin's poem of the same name before you see this. English versions are on the internet.

Evening:

Feel Yourself Russian. This is a folk-dancing and singing show that has never ceased to impress our guests. You should call in advance to reserve tickets and get there early to get a seat. They do 2 shows each evening. Rather pricey, but worth the money. It is a 20 minute walk from the Bronze Horseman in a restored palace at Ploshad Truda.

Dinner. There is a decent Chinese restaurant across the street from the theater. A bit pricey, but with good food and service.

Day 2: Morning

Peterhof. This is Peter the Great's summer palace, located on the Gulf of Finland. You can get there by train, car or Hydrofoil (boat). We strongly suggest the Hydrofoil; we have never tried any other way. You meet the boat and buy tickets at the dock on the Neva River, across the street from the Hermitage. We recommend you go early as the lines form later in the day and the park gets crowded.
We have never been inside the palace; the attraction here is the incredible fountains. Check to make sure the fountains are working; they only work in the summer. This trip takes several hours, so plan accordingly. It can get chilly on the gulf, so take umbrellas/jackets.

Afternoon:

Peter/Pavel Fortress. This is across the Neva from the Hermitage. This is also an outdoor place, with the exception of the church where many of the Tsars are buried. The entire family of the last Tsar, Nicholas II, is buried here. We have always taken a taxi here, which means it is not very convenient. If you need to skip something, this is a good candidate. We have skipped this with a few groups of guests when they were begging for mercy at the end of Day 2.

Evening: Travel back

Disclaimer--everyone has their favorite thing in Peter, so you should do your homework and see if there might be something else more interesting. We have also been to Catherine the Great's summer palace in Pushkin Tsarskoye Tselo) and it is impressive. The main attraction there is the Amber Room. Check times and availabilities of everything. Plan your trip to the minute detail before you go; do not leave anything to chance.