The Tours

DAY 1    8.00AM-6.00PM

08.00 am Meet at the ship

08.00-10.00 am City sightseeing tour. Subway ride

10.00-11.00 am Drive to Peterhof 

11.00-12.30 pm Walk in the Peterhof Lower fountain park and the Upper gardens

12.30-01.00 pm Lunch at a local place (optional)

01.00-02.00 pm Drive to the Tsars’ Village (summer residence)

02.00-04.00 pm A visit to the Catherine's Palace with the Amber room and a walk in the park

04.00-06.00 pm Drive back to the city. Shopping opportunities 

06.00 pm  Return to the ship or optional evening activities, for example ballet, folklore show or a canal boat ride

DAY  2        9.00AM-5.00PM

09.00 am Meet at the ship

09.30-10.30 am A visit to Peter and Paul's fortress and cathedral

11.00-12.15 pm A visit to the Yusupovs' Palace

12.30-01.15 pm Lunch: traditional Russian meal (optional)

01.30-03.30 pm The Hermitage museum

03.45-04.15 pm Excursion in the Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood

05.00 pm Return to the ship

GERMANY/Berlin Classical tour (12 hr)

7:00am – Pick-up at the ship in Warnemuende

10:00am – Arrival in Berlin / Meet your guide

10:00am to 12:30pm – City sightseeing of (West) Berlin, including the Charlottenburg Palace, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Ku’damm, the Tiergarten and Victory Column, the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the site of the Hitler Bunker, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial)

12:30pm to 1:30pm – Optional lunch (German meal with a great German beer, if desired)

1:30pm to 4:00pm – City sightseeing of (East) Berlin, including Potsdamer Platz, the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmentmarkt, Unter den Linden, Bebelplatz (Book Burning Memorial, Humboldt University, State Opera House), Neue Wache Memorial, Museum Island, and Alexanderplatz (TV Tower and Red Town Hall)

4:00pm – Departure to Warnemuende

7:00pm – Arrival in Warnemuende / Return to the ship

NOTE – Times and locations may vary depending on several factors, including when your ship arrivals and leaves, as well as interests of the groups and traffic in Berlin. Also, there is often time at the end of the day for something extra, such as a bit of time for shopping or one museum, as described below.  Please let your guide know what you might be interested in doing.  

ESTONIA/Tallinn walking tour (3 hr) 10.00 am - 01.00 pm

   This tour is a good compromise for those who do not want to stay on the ship and who do not want to walk in Tallinn on his own. You'll be accompanied by a knowlegable and professional English-speaking guide who will be glad to share his or her knowledge of the history and of the every-day life of Tallinn with you. She/he will also give you tips on where to buy great souvenirs, where to eat after the tour ends if you wish to try local food, and will point out the way back to the ship.

   You will meet your guide at 10.00 am before walking from the pier to the gate of the Old Town (15 minute walk). Old Tallinn is neatly divided into two districts: Lower Town and Upper Town (also known as Toompea or Cathedral Hill). During the sightseeing tour of Lower Town you will see the Great Costal Gate, St. Olaf Church, and many merchant houses. You will see and learn about the fortifying walls and towers that surround the city and which in the 16th century made Tallinn's defense system one of the best and most powerful in Northern Europe. You will also get a glimpse at and photo opportunity of the Church of the Holy Spirit (built in 1316). The next part of the tour will take you to the Toompea (the Upper Town), where from its hills you will enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the Lower Town, its towers and steeples, and picturesque red-tiled roofs. You will stroll through the narrow cobble-stoned lanes to the Dome Church, also known as St. Mary's Cathedral. It is one of the oldest churches in Estonia - originally built 780 years ago (brief optional visit at 1 EUR/person). You will have a brief visit inside of the impressive Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky, built in the style of churches in 17th century Moscow and whose interior is full of mosaics. Finally you will descend to visit the Town Hall Square, back in Lower Town, the central intersection of the town's network of cobble-stoned streets and alleys, and have a glimpse at the impressive Gothic Town Hall, completed in 1404. The tour will end on Viru Street by the Viru Gates. Now you have about 4 hours on your own to spend in the old town. If you wish to return to the ship immediately, please let your guide know about your needs and he/she will point out the way back to the ship. 

Notes: This tour involves a lot of walking. Comfortable shoes are highly recommended. Please note that the itinerary is approximate. Some inside visits may not be possible due to privately-booked special events.

FINLAND/Panoramic Helsinki Tour with a vehicle (3 hr)  10.00 am - 01.00 pm

Experience by vehicle a panoramic glimpse of Helsinki, "the White City of the North." You will begin by heading to the city center, passing the Uspenski Cathedral on the way, for a photo-stop at Senate Square, where one can see the elegant Lutheran Church, and the interesting mix of East, West, and simply Finnish influences pervading the city. You will drive down Mannerheim Street, the main boulevard of the city, passing the City Hall, Parliament House, and Finlandia Hall, the convention center designed by famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Continuing on you will see the Olympic Stadium, used for the 1952 Olympic games and the Opera House.  You will stop at Sibelius Park for a unique photo opportunity of the monument of 527 steel pipes honoring the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, before continuing on to the famous Rock Church, a one-of-a-kind modern-day structure build entirely into bedrock and quarried stone. Finally head to Central Station - the heart of Helsinki - where the tour will end. You will have the option to stay in the city for dinner or shopping or to return to the ship.