This option is ideal for those wishing to shop for souvenirs and other exciting Russian merchandise and to experience the daily life of Russians in St. Petersburg along Nevsky Prospect, St. Petersburg's principal street.

You will first transfer to a store specializing in quality Russian souvenirs located at the very center of the city - at the Arts' square, close to the Grand Hotel Europe (St. Petersburg's most prestigious hotel) with its gift shops, ATM and money exchange facilities. At the souvenir store you can browse for those traditional and specialty items from Russia. English-speaking staff will be able to assist you. They accept US dollars and major credit cards, so no worries about needing rubles at this location. Restrooms and refreshments are available. Having finished your shopping at the store you can drop your purchases at your vehicle which will be parked at all time at the Arts square.

Then, walk to the fascinating flea market just behind the Spilled Blood Cathedral. Vast arrays of Russian souvenirs are available and bargaining is in order here. Most of the vendors speak sufficient English and US dollars are widely accepted.

After your time at the flea market, you will take a walk to Nevsky Prospect and the Gostiny Dvor - one of the oldest shopping centers in St. Petersburg. It was first constructed back in the 18th century. You may find wholesale and retail food and household goods of over 40,000 brands here. You will see many Russians making purchases in this central department store. After shopping, your vehicle will take you and all your treasures, back to the ship.

Note that all of our tours in St. Petersburg are operated by authorized guides, and you therefore do not need to secure an independent visa in order to participate in this tour. However, in order to book this tour, you must provide us with full names, dates of birth, nationality, and passport numbers for each tour participant so that our guides can secure the proper tour visas on your behalf. Note also that, if you wish to explore St. Petersburg on your own while not accompanied by one of our guides, you will need to secure an independent visa.

Please be aware that cruise lines occasionally mislead passengers by telling them that they are not allowed to disembark the ship in St. Petersburg unless they are on an excursion purchased through the cruise line. In addition, the cruise lines also sometimes tell passengers that they cannot disembark the ship until the passengers on the cruise lines' excursions have done so first. This is incorrect, and you are free to exit the ship as soon as passengers start to disembark because Russian law states that a cruise ship cannot hold passengers onboard against their will as long as they have the proper documents. In order to clear immigration, you will need to bring along: 1) Your passport; 2) A photocopy of the picture page of your passport; and 3) A copy of your tour tickets. We will provide you with your tour tickets as part of the documents we e-mail to you after you make a tour booking.