Dancing Bear Tours
Dancing Bear Tours
5
City ToursCultural ToursHistorical & Heritage ToursSightseeing ToursPrivate Tours
00:00 - 23:59
Monday
00:00 - 23:59
Tuesday
00:00 - 23:59
Wednesday
00:00 - 23:59
Thursday
00:00 - 23:59
Friday
00:00 - 23:59
Saturday
00:00 - 23:59
Sunday
00:00 - 23:59
Full view
About
- Private and Small Group Tours (2 to 12 people) - St Petersburg Tours for land passengers - St Petersburg shore excursions for cruise ship passengers - Baltic tours for cruise ship passengers including Tallinn, Stockholm, and Helsinki. Save time and money by letting us be your guide for all your ports of call. Tell us about your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and preferences and will create an unforgettable tour customized especially for YOU. We focus on the featured attractions as well as art and architecture, Russian & Soviet history, WWII events, Jewish Heritage, shopping and experiencing local Russian cuisine, learning about famous Russian Vodka, Faberge Eggs, and Russian spy stories. We know how to surprise first time visitors and those who fell in love with St Petersburg and decided to come back again to our beautiful city. Cruise passengers wishing "to see everything" during 2 short days can join our small mini-groups (up to 8-12 people) or create their own customized tour. We are an officially registered tour company (cruise passengers do not need a VISA to experience our shore excursions) and demand no deposits upfront. "Your Tour, Your Way, with Dancing Bear Tours!"
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5.0
442 reviews
Excellent
431
Very good
9
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Sinda
7 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
We are a family of four with one teenager and 8 year old. Julia suggested and customised a tour especially for us given the ages of the children and all our preferences. We did a 2 day private tour and it was excellent. Our guide Elena was very knowledgeable, personable and made our 2 days very enjoyable. We had an active tour and covered a great deal of the sites in St Petersburg in the 2 days without feeling the strain. A definite must do with Julia and the Dancing Bears Tours. You will not regret it. Highly recommend them.
Written 7 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear SinJP, it was my true pleasure to meet you and your family. Many thanks for your high appreciation of our efforts to make your visit to St Petersburg so memorable.
BR ,
Written 8 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Frank B
Mountain View, CA9 contributions
Oct 2012 • Couples
My wife and I booked a cruise on Oceanic through the Baltic, on which a three day stay in St. Petersburg was the high point and the reason for booking the cruise. After doing some modest Internet research, we chose Dancing Bear Tours as the guide, largely on the basis of reviews on Trip Advisor.
This was an EXTREMELY good choice, with one caveat I will mention at the end of the review. Julia and her husband (driver and silent partner) were cooperative and flexible with respect to itinerary for the three day visit. We were traveling with another couple who had been to St. Petersburg before. Discussions of what exactly we would do and when took place over several weeks by email. In the end, Julia was able to accommodate all requests, including obtaining tickets for myself and my wife for the ballet at the Marinsky (formerly the Kirov) theater - an experience not to be missed, if at all possible.
Julia herself is a personable, open woman with impeccable English (don't know about other languages), encyclopedic knowledge of her city, and enormous pride in its beauty and history. She is not hesitant to share her experiences in the old Soviet Union and compare social conditions to modern Russia, a subject that is quite interesting to touring Westerners. She is capable of providing information in detail about the churches and palaces of the city, and also functioning as a docent at the Hermitage, essential for any guide.
From this, the caveat. My wife and I are information junkies, for whom a guide like Julia is unimprovable. The other couple, however, felt they were being overwhelmed and could have done with slightly less information flow, and that is certainly a valid perspective. If you want to see St. Petersburg with a guide who provides you with detailed background of everything you are seeing, Dancing Bear is your choice. If your style is to lay back, take in the sights, and connect the dots later on your own, this tour may be a bit too intense for you.
Finally, a word about the city. St. Petersburg is one of the great cities of the world, striking in its sheer beauty and the depth of its history. The time and money spent on this cruise was worth every penny. I also feel privileged to have explored the city, even in a short visit, with a guide as knowledgable and enthusiastic as Julia (Dancing Bear Tours.)
This was an EXTREMELY good choice, with one caveat I will mention at the end of the review. Julia and her husband (driver and silent partner) were cooperative and flexible with respect to itinerary for the three day visit. We were traveling with another couple who had been to St. Petersburg before. Discussions of what exactly we would do and when took place over several weeks by email. In the end, Julia was able to accommodate all requests, including obtaining tickets for myself and my wife for the ballet at the Marinsky (formerly the Kirov) theater - an experience not to be missed, if at all possible.
Julia herself is a personable, open woman with impeccable English (don't know about other languages), encyclopedic knowledge of her city, and enormous pride in its beauty and history. She is not hesitant to share her experiences in the old Soviet Union and compare social conditions to modern Russia, a subject that is quite interesting to touring Westerners. She is capable of providing information in detail about the churches and palaces of the city, and also functioning as a docent at the Hermitage, essential for any guide.
From this, the caveat. My wife and I are information junkies, for whom a guide like Julia is unimprovable. The other couple, however, felt they were being overwhelmed and could have done with slightly less information flow, and that is certainly a valid perspective. If you want to see St. Petersburg with a guide who provides you with detailed background of everything you are seeing, Dancing Bear is your choice. If your style is to lay back, take in the sights, and connect the dots later on your own, this tour may be a bit too intense for you.
Finally, a word about the city. St. Petersburg is one of the great cities of the world, striking in its sheer beauty and the depth of its history. The time and money spent on this cruise was worth every penny. I also feel privileged to have explored the city, even in a short visit, with a guide as knowledgable and enthusiastic as Julia (Dancing Bear Tours.)
Written 19 January 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RSLL2013
Whitstable, UK12 contributions
Dec 2012 • Couples
My wife and I booked a 2 day tour of St Petersburg just after Xmas.
We can not praise Julia (+her husband) more highly.
We decided to extend and add a 3rd day - which really in hindsight I'd recommend as the right length.
From start to finish very impressed. A very bespoke tailored tour based on interests - which for us - was most about variety. Seeing the famous sites, get to learn more about the history and culture as well as a chance to see everyday life.
St Petersburg really is a beautiful and majestic city and looking back, within the timeframe, not only was this a very efficient way of seeing everything - having a car to get us around - but a way of really bringing it all to life.
Julia has a very in depth and diverse knowledge and we learnt so much, ranging from Russian History (The Romanof dynasty) to World War II and present day as well alot about the arts from our tour around The Hermitage or St Catherines Palace and the story of Rasputin in Yusapof Palace
We really enjoyed Julia's 'fluid' approach and willingness to not only tell us what she knows but discuss and answer the many questions we had.
We were very sad the time ended, hope to stay in touch and would highly recommend anyone coming to St Petersburg and interested in learning more and making the most of their trip contacting Julia
We can not praise Julia (+her husband) more highly.
We decided to extend and add a 3rd day - which really in hindsight I'd recommend as the right length.
From start to finish very impressed. A very bespoke tailored tour based on interests - which for us - was most about variety. Seeing the famous sites, get to learn more about the history and culture as well as a chance to see everyday life.
St Petersburg really is a beautiful and majestic city and looking back, within the timeframe, not only was this a very efficient way of seeing everything - having a car to get us around - but a way of really bringing it all to life.
Julia has a very in depth and diverse knowledge and we learnt so much, ranging from Russian History (The Romanof dynasty) to World War II and present day as well alot about the arts from our tour around The Hermitage or St Catherines Palace and the story of Rasputin in Yusapof Palace
We really enjoyed Julia's 'fluid' approach and willingness to not only tell us what she knows but discuss and answer the many questions we had.
We were very sad the time ended, hope to stay in touch and would highly recommend anyone coming to St Petersburg and interested in learning more and making the most of their trip contacting Julia
Written 11 January 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melissa B
Alexandria, VA47 contributions
Feb 2014 • Couples
Julia was so phenomenal. My husband and I hired Dancing Bear tours for a two-day private tour of St. Petersburg in February 2014. Julia was seriously the best tour guide I have ever had out of all of my travels to 30+ countries. She spoke clearly and audibly, and she was very easy to understand. (One of our Moscow tour guides spoke with such a strong accent that it was difficult to understand). But above all, she was an absolute wealth of information. I learned so much about St. Petersburg in our time there thanks to Julia!
We visited St. Petersburg in February, after stays in Sochi during the Olympics and then Moscow. It was actually quite difficult to find tour companies that were operating in St. Petersburg in February. It seems that many of them only operate during cruise ship season of May-September. But, I was so happy to find Dancing Bear tours. Be sure to request Julia! You can tell she is so passionate about history and art and teaching. It is one thing to have a knowledgeable tour guide, but it is just so much better to have someone who is genuinely excited about their work like Julia!
Although I was initially shocked by the price estimates (it seemed quite expensive for two people for a two day tour), I later found Dancing Bear’s price to be similar to other tour companies in St. Petersburg. After the tour, I realized that the it had been worth every penny! Plus, it included all our admission fees.
We visited St. Petersburg in February, after stays in Sochi during the Olympics and then Moscow. It was actually quite difficult to find tour companies that were operating in St. Petersburg in February. It seems that many of them only operate during cruise ship season of May-September. But, I was so happy to find Dancing Bear tours. Be sure to request Julia! You can tell she is so passionate about history and art and teaching. It is one thing to have a knowledgeable tour guide, but it is just so much better to have someone who is genuinely excited about their work like Julia!
Although I was initially shocked by the price estimates (it seemed quite expensive for two people for a two day tour), I later found Dancing Bear’s price to be similar to other tour companies in St. Petersburg. After the tour, I realized that the it had been worth every penny! Plus, it included all our admission fees.
Written 20 March 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason L
2 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
We chose the active 2 day tour with a night at the ballet. This afforded us the opportunity to see more of this amazing city and culture than we possibly could have hoped for. Our tour guide and driver were amazing. Our guide, while not Julia herself, spoke perfect English and flawlessly transitioned from talking about the history of the city to the artwork in the Hermitage and back. Her knowledge of the various destinations was amazing. And she kept us entertained the entire trip including personal stories about life in St. Petersburg. She even allowed for a slight detour to Starbucks so we could get St. Petersburg collector's mugs (it took some convincing since our timeline was so tight but we really appreciated her flexibility).
Overall, we can't recommend this tour enough. It was incredible. Below is the schedule we had.
8:00am your ship’s arrival to SPb
8:30am Meeting by the ship
City tour in St Petersburg We start excursion with a short visit to St Nicholas Cathedral .
9:30(10)- 12:30 pm Inside guided Tour of Hermitage Museum( early hours )No
impressionists – just more time in the Hermitage itself
12:30-1 pm By hydrofoil to Petergof
1-2pm Petergof Lower park
2-2:30pm lunch – in some non touristy place
2:30-4 pm Driving back to the city with visit of metro stations
4-4:30 pm inside guided tour of Church on the Spilt Blood
5-6 pm guided tour of St Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Fortress
6:30-6:45 pm Leaving you in the lobby of Mariinsky 2
7-10:55pm “Sleeping Beauty” at the Mariinsky Theatre
11:30pm return back to the ship
Day 2
8:30am Meeting by the ship. Second part of the city tour, including visit of farmers market.
10-11 pm Travel to Tsar’s Village.
11-12:30 pm Inside guided tour of Catherine Palace with Amber Room
12:45—1:30pm lunch :Traditional Russian Cuisine 3 course lunch
1:30-2:30pm driving back to the city
2:30-3:00 pm St Isaac cathedral
3:30--4:30pm guided Tour of Yusupov palace
5 pm Return to the ship
Overall, we can't recommend this tour enough. It was incredible. Below is the schedule we had.
8:00am your ship’s arrival to SPb
8:30am Meeting by the ship
City tour in St Petersburg We start excursion with a short visit to St Nicholas Cathedral .
9:30(10)- 12:30 pm Inside guided Tour of Hermitage Museum( early hours )No
impressionists – just more time in the Hermitage itself
12:30-1 pm By hydrofoil to Petergof
1-2pm Petergof Lower park
2-2:30pm lunch – in some non touristy place
2:30-4 pm Driving back to the city with visit of metro stations
4-4:30 pm inside guided tour of Church on the Spilt Blood
5-6 pm guided tour of St Peter and Paul Cathedral in the Fortress
6:30-6:45 pm Leaving you in the lobby of Mariinsky 2
7-10:55pm “Sleeping Beauty” at the Mariinsky Theatre
11:30pm return back to the ship
Day 2
8:30am Meeting by the ship. Second part of the city tour, including visit of farmers market.
10-11 pm Travel to Tsar’s Village.
11-12:30 pm Inside guided tour of Catherine Palace with Amber Room
12:45—1:30pm lunch :Traditional Russian Cuisine 3 course lunch
1:30-2:30pm driving back to the city
2:30-3:00 pm St Isaac cathedral
3:30--4:30pm guided Tour of Yusupov palace
5 pm Return to the ship
Written 29 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Planestrainsnautos
Saint Louis, MO201 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
Based on the reviews here, I booked owner Julia more than a year out from our cruise, which just ended. I did so to be sure to get her as the guide for the 6 of us during our 3 days in St Pete. Dancing Bears seemed to be the only tour company where I could be assured of knowing who would be guiding us, which is important to me. A good guide, especially for 3 days, can make all the difference between a great experience and an average or lousy one.
However, several months before the cruise left, Julia informed me that due to a lot of cruise ships in port during our stay, she would be too busy monitoring her various guides to do any guiding herself. She offered us another guide, also named Julia, so we dubbed her "Julia 2".
We really didn't have a choice, and I was very disappointed. But evidently this company's business has expanded considerably since the time I booked (June 2013) because at that time there were scant reviews here mentioning any guides at Dancing Bear other than the owner herself.
The disappointment was compounded when, early in the tour, we ran into owner Julia (who we knew because she met us as we came off the cruise ship and introduced us to Julia 2) giving a tour to 2 people.......
Oh well, my consternation was all for naught. Julia 2 was wonderful. It was a pleasure getting to know her (and the driver). Her English was excellent, as was her knowledge of all things Russian. She freely shared her experiences and observations of Russian life, and our group learned much as she answered one question after another. She has a terrific, easy going personality, never gets rattled. Very friendly and caring. I'd guess she is in her mid 30s. All 6 of us agreed that she was simply wonderful.
So if you book owner Julia, but end up with Julia 2, don't be discouraged. Not at all. And from the reviews here about Dancing Bear's other guides, who I believe are all on a contract basis, owner Julia knows how to pick them because they all get rave reviews. That's pretty darn impressive.
Dancing Bear offers a couple of evening options. We did 2 of them: dinner with a Russian family and seeing Swan Lake.
The dinner was one of the highlights of the entire cruise. Julia 2 accompanied us and acted as a translator. The couple hosting the dinner were in their 70s and were friends of owner Julia. It was fascinating spending time in their relatively tiny Khrushchev era apartment. The wife prepared a fabulous meal, which included Vodka shots for those interested, and we got additional insights into Soviet life and culture and how all that changed in 1991. The couple were positively charming and inviting. I'd highly recommend the expense associated with this opportunity, one which others on our cruise ship were jealous of.
Swan Lake was fine. My wife and I had never been to a ballet before, and while the Hermitage Theatre was very nice, and the music was beautiful, I guess we just aren't ballet fans. We're one and done with that genre. But when in Rome......
All in all, I wholeheartedly recommend Dancing Bear.
However, several months before the cruise left, Julia informed me that due to a lot of cruise ships in port during our stay, she would be too busy monitoring her various guides to do any guiding herself. She offered us another guide, also named Julia, so we dubbed her "Julia 2".
We really didn't have a choice, and I was very disappointed. But evidently this company's business has expanded considerably since the time I booked (June 2013) because at that time there were scant reviews here mentioning any guides at Dancing Bear other than the owner herself.
The disappointment was compounded when, early in the tour, we ran into owner Julia (who we knew because she met us as we came off the cruise ship and introduced us to Julia 2) giving a tour to 2 people.......
Oh well, my consternation was all for naught. Julia 2 was wonderful. It was a pleasure getting to know her (and the driver). Her English was excellent, as was her knowledge of all things Russian. She freely shared her experiences and observations of Russian life, and our group learned much as she answered one question after another. She has a terrific, easy going personality, never gets rattled. Very friendly and caring. I'd guess she is in her mid 30s. All 6 of us agreed that she was simply wonderful.
So if you book owner Julia, but end up with Julia 2, don't be discouraged. Not at all. And from the reviews here about Dancing Bear's other guides, who I believe are all on a contract basis, owner Julia knows how to pick them because they all get rave reviews. That's pretty darn impressive.
Dancing Bear offers a couple of evening options. We did 2 of them: dinner with a Russian family and seeing Swan Lake.
The dinner was one of the highlights of the entire cruise. Julia 2 accompanied us and acted as a translator. The couple hosting the dinner were in their 70s and were friends of owner Julia. It was fascinating spending time in their relatively tiny Khrushchev era apartment. The wife prepared a fabulous meal, which included Vodka shots for those interested, and we got additional insights into Soviet life and culture and how all that changed in 1991. The couple were positively charming and inviting. I'd highly recommend the expense associated with this opportunity, one which others on our cruise ship were jealous of.
Swan Lake was fine. My wife and I had never been to a ballet before, and while the Hermitage Theatre was very nice, and the music was beautiful, I guess we just aren't ballet fans. We're one and done with that genre. But when in Rome......
All in all, I wholeheartedly recommend Dancing Bear.
Written 6 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ted_and_Elle
White, GA16 contributions
Jun 2014 • Couples
I joined this tour advertised on our cruise meetup because we'd get to tour with a small group of 9 while paying about what the larger tour groups do. The tour organizer specifically requested some intensive art-centered touring, more than I felt Julia would recommend to the average group. That resulted in some rushed jogs through some of the finest art on display in St. Petersburg. Our tour included a canal tour in the city and was supposed to have a hydrofoil ride to Peterhof which was canceled due to low water. The rest of the transport was by 15-passenger bus.
If you picture a Russian woman born during the Soviet Era, you can probably hear Julia's accent in your head already. She was pleasant to listen to and easy to understand. Hearing her even in crowded areas was a breeze due to the receivers with earphones we wore. They were so comfortable I frequently forgot I had anything on my ear. Oddly though Julia generally expected us to be in touching distance with our eyes locked on her or she seemed offended. If we started a conversation during one of her frequent cell phone calls, she expected all talking to cease as soon as she was ready to resume her tour. If she felt someone wasn't paying enough attention, she had no qualms about stopping the narration to walk over and squeeze the person's shoulder while calling them a chatterbox. It was like getting disciplined in grade school.
The reason Julia wanted our attention is she wanted to display her PhD-level knowledge of the art and history that practically overflows St. Petersburg. No matter what the location or the piece, she was able to recite its history and characteristics flawlessly. The woman knows a lot and is rightfully proud of her city. She's also brutally honest about the exorbitant sums spent to restore czarist palaces while people were standing in line for basic needs in the Soviet era.
The tour mirrored the overall feel of the cruise: too little time in a lot of different places. I think all of us would have enjoyed spending 2 days in just one museum with Julia explaining every piece in every room, but that would have made us miss so many other things. Instead, we nibbled at the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, Peter and Paul Cathedral, Peterhof, the gaudy Amber Room of Catherine's Palace, etc, checking off lots of locations in the little depth time allowed.
Some minor things that were different from her pre-cruise instructions: the light snack on day 1 accepted credit cards, meaning there was no need to withdraw rubles. Also, there didn't seem to be any particular scrutiny given to the bills for those who paid in cash, and there was no additional credit card fee for our group.
A funny anecdote I have to mention because I'm not writing a separate review for this: on day 2 we stopped for pancakes (crepes, really) before touring Peterhof. Julia said the men usually liked the royal pancake while appearing to point to a picture with strawberries and other items. When I asked what the royal pancake included, she said "you can see it includes meat and vegetables." I couldn't see because I was looking at the wrong picture. The royal pancake turned out to be a sort-of big mac in a crepe, complete with special sauce!
Our tour was definitely intense, and I feel like our group didn't quite meet Julia's expectations for stamina. We couldn't recommend her expertise more, but perhaps paring down the tour to allow more depth would be preferable if you negotiate a tour with her.
If you picture a Russian woman born during the Soviet Era, you can probably hear Julia's accent in your head already. She was pleasant to listen to and easy to understand. Hearing her even in crowded areas was a breeze due to the receivers with earphones we wore. They were so comfortable I frequently forgot I had anything on my ear. Oddly though Julia generally expected us to be in touching distance with our eyes locked on her or she seemed offended. If we started a conversation during one of her frequent cell phone calls, she expected all talking to cease as soon as she was ready to resume her tour. If she felt someone wasn't paying enough attention, she had no qualms about stopping the narration to walk over and squeeze the person's shoulder while calling them a chatterbox. It was like getting disciplined in grade school.
The reason Julia wanted our attention is she wanted to display her PhD-level knowledge of the art and history that practically overflows St. Petersburg. No matter what the location or the piece, she was able to recite its history and characteristics flawlessly. The woman knows a lot and is rightfully proud of her city. She's also brutally honest about the exorbitant sums spent to restore czarist palaces while people were standing in line for basic needs in the Soviet era.
The tour mirrored the overall feel of the cruise: too little time in a lot of different places. I think all of us would have enjoyed spending 2 days in just one museum with Julia explaining every piece in every room, but that would have made us miss so many other things. Instead, we nibbled at the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, Peter and Paul Cathedral, Peterhof, the gaudy Amber Room of Catherine's Palace, etc, checking off lots of locations in the little depth time allowed.
Some minor things that were different from her pre-cruise instructions: the light snack on day 1 accepted credit cards, meaning there was no need to withdraw rubles. Also, there didn't seem to be any particular scrutiny given to the bills for those who paid in cash, and there was no additional credit card fee for our group.
A funny anecdote I have to mention because I'm not writing a separate review for this: on day 2 we stopped for pancakes (crepes, really) before touring Peterhof. Julia said the men usually liked the royal pancake while appearing to point to a picture with strawberries and other items. When I asked what the royal pancake included, she said "you can see it includes meat and vegetables." I couldn't see because I was looking at the wrong picture. The royal pancake turned out to be a sort-of big mac in a crepe, complete with special sauce!
Our tour was definitely intense, and I feel like our group didn't quite meet Julia's expectations for stamina. We couldn't recommend her expertise more, but perhaps paring down the tour to allow more depth would be preferable if you negotiate a tour with her.
Written 7 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shamr0cks4
Birkenhead, New Zealand11 contributions
Dec 2015
We had a fabulous 2 day tour of beautiful St Petersburg and saw more than we could have wished for. Julia was amazing right from the first email and as we had opted for a private tour, she set about planning an itinerary for us that covered everything we wanted and still worked for the middle of winter. She was great to deal with, emailed quickly, made suggestions and just made it all so easy. Kate our guide met us at our hotel each day and was a lot of fun and so knowledgeable. We had 2 teenagers in tow and she managed to keep it informative for us and read the situation to keep it moving for them also when needed. She was very patient and so good at what she does. It was so nice to just show up and have someone else do all the driving and thinking to get us round everywhere. We would highly recommend Dancing Bears Tours to anyone thinking of visiting St Petersburg, they do a very impressive job.
Written 14 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
beechmk
Newburyport, MA33 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
Julia arranged an ideal trip for our interest - sites of the Bolsevik Revolution. The highlights were a private tour of historic areas of the Somnly Institute (from whence Lenin launched the Rvolution, and now of office of the mayor) and the rooms of the Winter Palace/Hermitage where the Provisional Government had its last meeting and were arrested by th Bolshviks.
Helen, our tour guide, was personable, and more importantly, fully conversant with the history, and the art and architecture of St. Petersburg in 1917 and now. The tour is more expensive than its competitors, but well worth the price.
Helen, our tour guide, was personable, and more importantly, fully conversant with the history, and the art and architecture of St. Petersburg in 1917 and now. The tour is more expensive than its competitors, but well worth the price.
Written 29 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pam B
Clutton461 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
We were very fortunate to have Julia as our guide, with "Vladimir the Great" as our driver, for our 5 days in St Petersburg. Julia arranged everything to perfection and included all the things on our wish list over the time. The visit was action packed and we would not have been able to see so much without their organisation and transport in and around this city packed with treasures. Julia added so much to each and every place we visited with her extensive knowledge of the city and the Arts not to mention the complex history of the whole area. We will certainly ask Julia to accompany us on our next visit to this exceptional city.
Written 7 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mariam Ayman
Cairo, Egypt
Hi regarding the "Private 2 day shore excursion in St Petersburg-5 top museums and a boat ride" can we extend the tour to walk around and do some shopping for a couple of hours instead of returning to the port at 16:30? Noting that we don't have a Russian visa
Written 25 July 2019
Hi Mariam, please get in touch with us via our site
Written 25 July 2019
Hi, My husband and I are traveling to St Petersburg arriving on June 17 early and leaving on June 19 at night. I would like to know if you could arrange for two or three days of guided tours. Could you do it for both of us or are the only group tours?. I would like to see obviously the main points in St. Petersburg, the Hermitage Museum, St Peter and St Paul Fortress, Peterhoff palace, etc.. thanks!
Written 3 May 2018
Dear Monica, thanks for your request . We are ready to asnwer all your questions by email
i
regards ,
Julia P.Ivanushkina
Written 4 May 2018
Hi Julia
We will be in your beautiful city around new year. We are so excited.
We will be in St Petersburg for 4 days.
What tour would you suggest for 2 Australians?
Is the ballet in at that time of year?
Are the Christmas markets still open?
Thank you
Written 28 January 2018
Hi Lisa, thanks for your request . We have so many things to offer that it would be better if you send us e-mail so we could discuss details. I do believe you are speaking about December 2018
Please find our e-mail on our site .
warm regards,
Julia P.Ivanushkina
Written 29 January 2018
Two of us are coming from a meeting in Helsinki and would like to do a 1-day comprehensive tour on September 23. We get into St. Petersburg on 22 at 14:27 but don[t think that we can do much on that day. What would you suggest and how much would it cost. We don't mind joining up with other like-minded persons.
Thanks in advance. YH
Written 7 August 2016
Dear YH, please get in touch with us via e-mail -we have a lot to offer even if you spend one day in our city
Written 8 August 2016
How do you get your tour ticket on the ship so you can get past immigration to meet your guide?
Written 26 July 2016
Hello garehotep and
thanks for your question.We e-mail tour tickets to our guests as well as disembarcation instruction ; tour ticket is based on your passport info , name of your ship and days you are in SPb
Written 27 July 2016
HI. We have booked a private two day tour of St Petersburg with Dancing Bear Tours. Celebrity Eclipse. Aug 20/21 2016.
We would welcome a couple to share with us and share the costs. 280$ p.p.
Written 8 July 2016
Peter, there were 4 in our group. The cost per person was the same regardless of the number when you book a private tour. Well worth the money. Ask for Elena if you go-she is excellent.
Written 18 July 2016
Do you have an email address for Dancing Bears/ I cannot get to their website. Thanks.
Written 29 June 2016
Hi Peter, trip advisor initially didn't allow me to insert the email address as I guess it's recognised as a website and it's not allowed. If you just remove the space before the "com" from the email I pasted above then you'll get the correct email address. Julia should get back to you very quickly. Let me know in case you need any further info. Cheers, Carlotta
Written 30 June 2016
Hi Dancing Bear Tours,
We are a group of 4 and will have 2 days in St Petersburgh in May 2016 and are wondering if it would be possible to see the following attractions within this time frame or should we delete a couple of attractions? We are arriving by cruise ship
At this stage, we don't think we are interested in museum entrances and internal tours of palaces, we like scenic and photo opportunities
Definitely want to see: Peterhof Palace and gardens
Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood
Winter Palace and Hermitage
Canal Cruise
Peter and Paul Fortress
Chesme Church
Maybe a less detail stop at these : Summer Palace
Vasil Island
Russian Cruiser Aurora
Catherine Palace ? Time permitting
And in the evening a ballet performance with a city lights return drive
Thank you
Written 29 August 2015
Dear friends, thanks for your request. We can easily arrange a tour for you which includes all the sites you have listed and even more; as for the ballet performance with city lights return drive - information will be known closer to the day of your arrival to St Petersburg; for more details please get in touch with us via e-mail.
warm regards,
Julia P. Ivanushkina
Written 30 August 2015
Can you please tell me what the Must See, Must Do tour encompasses and the cost for this. Thank you. We will be in St Petersburg on 13 June for three days but would only wish to do a two day tour .
Regards, Cheryl
Written 16 January 2015
Dear Cheryl, thanks for your question. Our Must See Must Do group tour includes early admission to the Hermitage , guided tours of Catherine palace with Amber room , Petergof Lower Park with fountains, The church of our Saviour on the Spilt Blood , Peter and Paul Cathedral at flat price $255 p/p ( maximum 5 people); we arrange it only for the passnegers from cruise ships spending 2 days in our city . For you we have private two day tours, private 3 day tours , you can aslo join our 3 day group tour .Please e-mail us and we provide you more detailed information with
regards,
Julia,
Dancing Bear Tours owner
Written 17 January 2015
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