My wife, Merrilyn, and I used the services of two excellent guides during a cruise ship stop in St. Petersburg, Russia, in September ’11. Both spoke very good English and were efficient, knowledgeable and personable.
Marina S. Wilson Private Tours (Office 23, 5th Floor, Nevsky Pr., St. Petersburg 198116, Russia; phone +7 812 313 1941 or 313 1726) offered a customized 2-day tour for $350 per person (9 a.m.-5 p.m. both days). The price included a car, driver/guide and admission fees.
She is a licensed guide and will take care of the Russian visa requirements applicable to short-term (e.g., cruise ship) visitors. She accepts credit cards and does not require a deposit.
Marina met us right outside of passport control at the dock. She settled the charges with my credit card, introduced us to our driver/guide and away we went for two wonderful days of touring.
The driver/guide Marina hired was Sergey Shishkin (phone +7 911 243 25 03), who has his own guide service. He is a professional photographer and helped us many times with our cameras. A graduate of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory, he also is an accomplished baritone and entertained us with his group’s CD on the car stereo.
Sergey has a great sense of humor, knew the shortcuts (there was no standing in long lines at the Hermitage) and was a delight.
We asked him to take us to authentic Russian restaurants for lunch both days; they were excellent. We bought him his lunch and, at the end, tipped him $80. We thought it an excellent value.
WES LINGREN
Bellevue, WA
ITN e-mailed Sergey Shishkin at nevskyst@gmail.ru and asked about his services. He replied, “Not including meals, a 10 a.m.-6 p.m. city tour for four people costs $300 plus admissions to museums. Additional people pay $70 each. I can provide transport from the airport or railway station for $50. I use a Mercedes or Ford when driving. Also, my a cappella group, The Nevsky Singers, can organize private concerts of Russian music. We perform Russian church music, classical pieces, folk songs and romantic songs.
