Visa Free St. Petersburg Tour by ferry "Princess Maria"

Thursday or Friday
15:30 - 18:30 - Embarkation the "Princess Maria" ferry in Helsinki (Makasiini terminal).
19:00 - Departure from Helsinki to Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Overnight on board of the ferry.

Friday or Saturday
09:30 - Arrival in St. Petersburg (Morskoy Fasad ferry terminal). Border and customs formalities.
~10:30 - Transfer by the ferry bus to Sokos Hotels and the city center.
Accommodation (check-in time 14:00).
13:00 - 17:00 - Pick-up by the guide at the hotel, walking tour to the Hermitage Museum.
Overnight at the hotel in Saint Petersburg.

Saturday or Sunday
Breakfast at the hotel.
Optional tour to Peterhof
10:00 - 14:00 - City walking tour.
Free evening.
Overnight at the hotel in Saint Petersburg.
(B)

Sunday or Monday
Breakfast at the hotel.
Optional tour to Pushkin Palace and Park
Pick-up by the ferry bus at the bus stop in the city center of St. Petersburg and at Sokos Hotels, transfer to the ferry terminal.
16:00 - 19:00 - Check-in and border and customs formalities.
19:00 - Departure by ferry "Princess Maria" from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, Finland.
Overnight on board of the ferry.
(B)

Monday or Tuesday
08:00 - Arrival in Helsinki (Makasiini terminal).

1. Accommodation in standard rooms at 4* hotel "Sokos Vasilyevsky".
Other hotels may be available. Please, request.
2. Roundtrip tickets Helsinki - St. Petersburg - Helsinki for the ferry "Princess Maria" (class B inside cabin for 2-4 persons);
3. Local English-speaking guide's service during the guided tours as per itinerary;
4. Group transfers as per itinerary;
5. Meals as per itinerary.

In accordance to the Russian laws, foreign tourists travelling on ferries may arrive to St. Petersburg without Russian visa and stay in Russia not more than 72 hours. This rule is valid for travelling by ferry from Helsinki to Saint Petersburg as well.

A passenger who enters Russia without a visa should have bookings of the roundtrip ferry travel Helsinki - Saint Petersburg - Helsinki, a group tour in St. Petersburg and hotel accommodation in St. Petersburg.

It works as follows.

- We book the roundtrip ferry cruise Helsinki - Saint Petersburg - Helsinki.
- We book a group shuttle bus transfer from the ferry terminal to the city centre of St. Petersburg.
It is called "CityBusTour" and works as a group tour in St. Petersburg. Booking of this service is obligatory. Upon arrival in St. Petersburg the buses collect the passengers and take to the city centre making stops at Sokos Vasilyevsky and Sokos Palace Bridge hotels and St. Isaac's Square. The return shuttle buses pick up the passengers at certain times at the same stops and take to the ferry terminal. The timetable and stops are subject to change, please, check them while on the ferry.
- We send you the ferry booking confirmation and upon check-in at the terminal in Helsinki you will get "Arrival Card" and "Departure Card" which are valid as your tickets for the mentioned "CityBusTour" transfers.
- We book a hotel in St. Petersburg for you and send our signed accommodation voucher which should be taken to the border control. Please, note that not all hotels in St. Petersburg accommodate and duly register visa free passengers.
- You will need to fill in the migration card and keep it until your exit from Russia. The migration cards are available at the reception desk of the ferry and in the ferry terminal.
- After you arrive in Saint Petersburg you leave the ferry and proceed to the border control. Please, make sure to take your passport, arrival and departure cards, the hotel voucher and the filled in migration card.
- After the border control and customs control you can proceed to the shuttle bus station for the bus to the centre of St. Petersburg. The buses stop near Sokos Hotels which is quite convenient for those who select these hotels. If you choose another St. Petersburg hotel we will discuss the best ways to get there additionally.
- Our guide will wait for you at your selected hotel at the agreed time to start your St. Petersburg tour.
- On the departure day you can take the shuttle bus to the ferry terminal.