Information for cruise passengers. Peter's Walking Tours, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Information for cruise passengers

Tourists arriving to St. Petersburg by sea cruise ship are subject to special border and disembarkation regulations, as compared to people arriving to Russia by other means of transport (including those travelling within Russia on a river cruise - you shouldn't need to worry!). The whole business is rather confusing, and as a result many people give up the idea of independent shore excursions, opting instead for expensive standard group tours.

We are currently working on the logistics of the whole thing, and will post full information and a booking sheet here in a few days. We should be able to accommodate most requests for guided tours and excursions.

In the meantime, please direct your inquiries to us at info@peterswalk.com

Share your experiences with fellow cruise passengers on our forum: http://www.peterswalk.com/forum/?id=4 .

Where does my ship dock in St Petersburg, and how does that affect my stay?

There are currently four possible locations around town where sea cruise ships may be docked, with varied degree of accessibility to/from the city centre. They are:

1. The English Embankment
2. The Lieutenant Shmidt Embankment
3.The Main Sea Passenger Terminal
4. The Industrial Port, berths 32 and 33.

The first one is best - it is walking distance from the city centre, in a beautiful setting among historical buildings. Alas, the berth is too small for all but the smallest cruise ships.
The Lieutenant Shmidt Embankment is not much worse, right across the river from #1, great views and a short taxi ride to anywhere central.
The Main Passenger Terminal is farther away, but once you've cleared through immigration there are taxis ready to take you to town, and there is a public bus stop nearby if you feel ready to tackle the public transit network with no signs but in Russian.
The Industrial Port is the tricky one, located around 7-8 km from the city centre, its territory off-limits to all except cruise passengers and crew, plus a handful of 'insider' taxis and travel agencies' authorised vehicles.