The Hermitage

The premier city attraction is the Hermitage Museum. For many traveling to Russia it is the main destination and even the reason for the tour. As the director of the Hermitage once put it “I can not say that the Hermitage is a number one museum in the world but I know that it is certainly not number two.” And with over 3 million works of art exhibited in five connecting palaces the museum can’t fail to impress. If works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Rembrandt or Leonardo da Vinci don’t make you gasp then the interiors of the Winter Palace will.

The five buildings that make up the museum include the opulent Winter palace, which was built by Peter the Great's daughter (Elizabeth) and has undergone major renovations that have left it sparkling. Walk up an imposing baroque marble staircase and marvel at all the gold leaf, and check out the several heavily decorated rooms including a throne room.

Your guide will tell you how the art collecting began with Catherine the Great (although what she collected could only be viewed by royal eyes and invited guests). Today's art collection is in chronological order. You will start with names familiar everyone and not just the art lovers - Botticelli, Leonardo (DaVinci), Raffael, Michelangleo. Next you move on to the Spanish collection (Valazquez, Goya, El Greco to name a few).

The Hermitage's Rembrandt collection is the second biggest after Amsterdam, and among the paintings is The Danae, which may or may not actually be by Rembrandt, but has a place in history for being slashed and burned with acid in 1985 by a madman. It took 12 years to restore the work.

Delightful is the museum's famous Impressionist collection, put together by collectors in Moscow but then declared bourgeois by Stalin -- the collection sat in warehouses until the end of World War II, when it was divided up between the Hermitage and Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow.
There are Renoirs, Van Goghs, Cezannes and Gauguins in room after room, followed by a lot of Matisse and some Picasso too.

It can take a complete day to see the highlights, but investigating every corner in each of the five linked buildings could take years.

Includes
- Guide
- Entrance to the Hermitage
- Hotel pick-up

Excludes
- Meals and drinks (unless specified)
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses

Please Note
- Guests are recommended to wear comfortable walking shoes.
- Kindly contact us to confirm if pick-up from your hotel is available.

Your Confirmation Voucher includes full information (e.g. local telephone numbers) about the Local Operator. To ensure your peace of mind, we select only the most experienced and reliable operators in each destination.

You can book in 3 easy steps!
1. Select date and number of persons. You will be redirected to the Shopping Cart Page.
2. On the Shopping Cart Page, continue shopping or check out.
3. Enter basic travel, name, and payment information in the Check-out Form.

Upon booking, you will receive a voucher by email containing all details about the tour. You can check the status of your booking at anytime.

After you book
Please print the electronic voucher sent to you. It contains the operator's complete contact details and local telephone numbers. Give the voucher to the operator on the day of the activity.

What if I need to change or cancel my booking?
That's ok. We will try to be as flexible as possible. But you must inform us by email of the change or cancellation as soon as possible. The appropriate amount will be credited back to your credit card account. Contact our Customer Service for help with changes or cancellations. Or read our Cancellation Policy.