Russia 2019 Day 11-2: St. Petersburg River Cruise

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Russia 2019 Day 11-2: St. Petersburg River Cruise

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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures

Russia 2019 Day 11-2: St. Petersburg River Cruise

Russia 2019 Day 11-2: 19th May (Sunday)

Small Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg & the Golden Ring Cities).

Day 11-2 River Boat Route: Tchaikovsky House>walk>Palace Pier>Koryshka Boat>Rostral Columns>Peter & Paul Fortress>Trinity Bridge>Cruiser Aurora>Kantemirovsky Bridge>Lazarevsky Bridge>Gazprom Arena>Vantovyy Bridge>Betankura Bridge>Exchange Bridge>Palace Pier>walk>Kazan-Mangal>Tchaikovsky House.

This is page 12 of a 15-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page
< D11-1: St. Petersburg Cycling | Go to Other Days | D12: Folklore Show >

Route recommendations: Here are some tips on travelling to and around Russia:

1. Traffic Directions!

Driving in Russia is left-hand drive, and driving is on the right-hand side of the road. Do look to the correct side when crossing roads.

Speed limits are between 60 km/h within urban areas, 110 km/h along expressways, and 120 km/h on highways.

2. Getting to & around Russia.

Since Russia's "special military operation" into Ukraine, accessibility to Russia by air has been limited. But several airlines (including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Turkish Airlines) still operate flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

We flew return with Thai Airways from Kuala_Lumpur (KLIA) to Moscow (Domodedovo Airport) with short transits at Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport). Presently, Thai Airways still flies from Bangkok to Moscow but now lands at Vnukovo Airport.

We booked hotels, train tickets, and several meals via the internet. Ground arrangements (and airport transfers) in Moscow were made through Alexander of Angel Tour, who can be contacted through WhatsApp at this phone number: +7926-435-86-87.

Ground arrangements (and train station transfers) in St. Petersburg were made through Tanya (contact no.: +7921-923-12-27), a local agent in St. Petersburg.

Travelling around the cities was in a 16-seater van. Travelling between Moscow and St. Petersburg was by the Red Arrow Sleeper Train and the Sapsan High Speed Train. Within Moscow, we got around using the Moscow Metro.

For out-of-pocket spending, we exchanged some Russian Rubles before leaving. We also brought along our Big Pay debit cards, as these can be used to withdraw Russian Rubles at ATMs. Debit and credit cards can also be used, but many smaller shops or market stalls only accept cash transactions. Click here for exchange rates to Rubles (presently 1MYR = 18.67 RUR, i.e. Russian Rubles).

3. Immigration & Customs Requirements

Tourists entering Russia will need a tourist visa, which can only be obtained via a TOURIST CONFIRMATION VOUCHER issued by a Russian travel agency or a Russian hotel that has the license to invite foreign tourists. This can be done through a local travel agency affiliated with a Russian travel agency to obtain this invitation letter. The following is a list of countries that are visa-exempt to enter Russia.

For Malaysians, leaving and returning to Malaysia, getting through immigration is easier now. Just install and register MyBorderPass, and getting through will be a breeze. A QR code will be generated; have this scanned, and you're through.

4. Places & Things of Interest

The route follows the Neva River Cruise on the Koryshka Boat operated by Astra Marine St. Petersburg Boat Tours for 500 rubles per pax. It starts from the Palace Pier with Lions (Львы Дворцовой пристани) (GPS: 59.93990, 30.30880) and goes along the Neva River, Bolshaya Neva, and Reka Malaya Nevka. There were many scenic and interesting places along the way, but one should not miss the following (Note: click on GPS coordinates for directional map to respective places):

- Admiralty Building (Главное адмиралтейство) (GPS: 59.93751, 30.30856).
- Palace Pier with Lions (Львы Дворцовой пристани) (GPS: 59.93990, 30.30880).
- Kunstkamera Museum (Кунсткамера) (GPS: 59.94155, 30.30479).
- Zoological Museum (Зоологический музей) (GPS: 59.94237, 30.30545).
- Palace Bridge (Дворцовый мост) (GPS: 59.94113, 30.30816).
- Rostral Columns (Ростральная колонна) (GPS: 59.94310, 30.30686).
- Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange (Здание Биржи) (GPS: 59.94347, 30.30459)..
- Zayachy (Hare) Island (Заячий остров) (GPS: 59.95000, 30.31450).
- Peter & Paul Fortress (Петропавловская крепость) (GPS: 59.95000, 30.31667).
- Trinity Bridge (Тро́ицкий мост) (Website Link) (GPS: 59.94863, 30.32736).
- Frigate Blagodat (Фрегат Благодат) (website) (GPS: 59.95166, 30.32815).
- Cruiser Aurora (Аврора (крейсер)) (GPS: 59.95540, 30.33783).
- Sampsonievsky Bridge (Сампсониевский мост) (GPS: 59.95799, 30.33753).
- Grenadier Bridge (Гренадерский мост) (GPS: 59.96792, 30.33432).
- Kantemirovsky Bridge (Кантемировский мост) (GPS: 59.97844, 30.32185).
- Kamennoostrovsky Bridge (Каменноостровский мост) (GPS: 59.97715, 30.30158).
- Big Krestovsky Bridge (Большой Крестовский мост) (GPS: 59.96707, 30.28023).
- Lazarevsky Bridge (Лазаревский мост) (GPS: 59.96508, 30.27375).
- Bolshoy Petrovsky Bridge (Большой Петровский мост) (GPS: 59.96497, 30.25494).
- Gazprom Arena (Krestovsky Stadium) (Газпром Арена) (GPS: 59.97272, 30.22140).
- Vantovyy Bridge (Bolshoy Obukhovsky Bridge) (Большой Обуховский мост) (GPS: 59.96577, 30.21634).
- Betankura (Betancourt) Bridge (Мост Бетанкура) (GPS: 59.95668, 30.26498).
- Tuchkov Bridge (Тучков мост) (GPS: 59.94831, 30.28438).
- Birzhevoy (Exchange) Bridge (Биржевой мост) (GPS: 59.94643, 30.3033).

5. Food

a. Breakfast

Inclusive Russian & Western Breakfast buffet at Tchaikovsky House (Дом Чайковского) (GPS: 59.93567, 30.31245).

b. Lunch

  Oldham Pub & Steak House (Website Link) (GPS: 59.93256, 30.31506):
  Russian draft beer (Ukranian Chernihivske Beer), Solyanka (Russian mixed meat soup), Duck Leg Confit with stewed Cabbage and baked potatoes. c. Evening Light Dinner:
  Snacks on the Koryshka Boat of the Neva River Cruise: Smoked Pork Ribs, Deep-fried Smelt fish, Mojito & ice cream.
d. Late Dinner

Georgian & Uzbek Food at Kazan-Mangal (Website Link) (GPS: 59.93549, 30.31185):
Uzbek Achichukl Shakarob Tomato Salad, Uzbek Lamb Kabob Shashlik, Russian Blini Pancake, Uzbek Plov Rice, Georgian Grilled Sea Bass, Georgian Chashushuli Beef Stew, and Tashkent Chai Spiced Fruit Tea.

6. Accommodations

Third of four nights at Tchaikovsky House (Дом Чайковского) (GPS: 59.93567, 30.31245) in St. Petersburg.

7. Communicating with Each Other

When travelling in a group, it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest. Back then, it was not easy to buy Russian Sim cards, and our Moscow guide got the Beeline physical SIM cards (with 14 days unlimited data) at 700 RUR (MYR 37.50) for us before we arrived.

Even now, it is not easy to purchase a SIM card. However, it is possible to buy Russian Sim cards online; just be aware of the restrictions posted earlier.

8. Communicating with Locals

At hotels and tourist spots, locals speak fairly good English. In the smaller towns, most locals speak only Russian. As such, it helps to know some basic Russian.

9. Dressing

When entering churches and monasteries, it is advisable to wear long pants, especially for women. Ladies will also have to wear headscarves or veils. Caps and hats should be taken off when in churches and monasteries.

10. Weather

Daytime and nighttime temperatures in St. Petersburg were 18°C and 9°C, respectively.

A useful weather forecast site for Russia is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.

11. Navigation

I used MapMyRide to track our routes and stops. Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.

___________________________________________________________________________

PRELUDE

The day earlier Tanya, our local guide, took us on a walking tour today of St. Petersburg, covering several key attractions in the city centre, including parks, canals and stately museum buildings.

This morning I joined a guided cycling tour that took me to many off-the-beaten-track places. Later, I rejoined my traveling companions for a river cruise.
___________________________________________________________________________

DAY 11-2: ST. PETERSBURG RIVER CRUISE

Distance: 18.70km.

(Click here for Google route map link)

Many of the posts below are linked to my Facebook postings during the trip and are embedded here with some comments. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read more details. If you can't see the posts, please log out of your Facebook first.)

On the walk back after the morning's Cycling Tour, I noticed how beautiful and clean the canals of St. Petersburg are. These canals are a traffic lifeline for the city, with many ferries plying regular routes to transport locals. In winter, along with the Neva River, they freeze over to form one huge skating rink!

On the way to the pier, we walked past the Admiralty Building, it was originally designed as a fortified shipyard in 1704 which was later surrounded by five bastions protected by a moat.
The Admiralty's spire topped by a golden weather-vane in the shape of a small sail warship (Korablik) is one of Saint Petersburg's most conspicuous landmarks, underscoring the importance Peter the Great placed on Russia's navy in the city. The Admiralty was the Russian Navy headquarters until 1917, and now serves as a naval college.

6:30pm - At the Palace Pier with Lions we boarded the Koryshka Boat to start our river cruise. It is operated by Astra Marine St. Petersburg Boat Tours for 500 rubles per pax.

And we are off, sailing on the Neva River.
Despite its modest length of 74 kilometres, it is the sixth-largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge (after the Volga, the Danube, the Pechora, the Northern Dvina, and the Rhine).

It is the site of many major historical events, including the Battle of the Neva in 1240, the founding of St. Petersburg in 1703, and the Siege of Leningrad by the German Army (Wehrmacht) during World War II.

Map showing the cruise route.

And this is some crazy guy on board the cruise.

Inside the boat, there are several cozy dining tables for small groups and a couple of big ones for large groups. From the menu, one can order dinner and dine while listening to smooth music.

We opted to sit on the roof deck, with a better view.

Some landmarks that we sailed past, the Zoological Museum.
Devoted to zoology, this is one of the ten largest natural history museums in the world and is part of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

One of the Rostral Columns, and behind it the Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange.
The Rostral Columns: St. Petersburg's main port was once located at the point where the Neva River splits in two - the Bolshaya Neva, and the Reka Malaya Nevka. During the planning of Birzhevaya Ploshchad in 1810, the decision was taken to install two beacons indicating the two channels. Its architect, Jean-Francois Thomas de Thomon, decided to build the towers in the style of Roman rostral columns - victory columns on which the prows ("rostra") of captured enemy ships were mounted. At the base of these columns sit statues of four allegorical figures supposed to represent four of Russia's major rivers - the Volga and Dnieper at the northern column, and the Neva and Volkhov at the southern column. The massive 32-meter-high Doric columns are decorated with sculptures of naiads, sea creatures, and anchors. The large bowls at the top of the columns were installed as beacons, and now, on holidays such as the City Anniversary, Victory Day, and New Year, the columns are topped with seven-meter-high tongues of flame.

The Old Stock Exchange: This elegant neoclassical building faces the Neva River from the eastern tip of Vasilyevsky Island like an ancient Greek temple and, with the two Rostral Columns flanking it, forms one of the most celebrated vistas in the city. Designed by De Thomon , it was completed in 1810, with facades feature 44 Doric columns on a high red granite stylobate. Above the main portico is a statue of "Neptune with two rivers - the Neva and the Volkhov".

The stately, blueish-green and white Kunstkamera Museum, which houses the Russian Academy of Science's Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. Although best known for its "grotesques," the museum houses nearly 2,000,000 items, including materials from various non-Russian countries.

We sailed past a hydrofoil speedboat; this must be the Meteor Hydrofoil Boat Ride, which we took after visits to the Palaces of St. Petersburg. We rode it from the Peterhof Boat Jetty through the Gulf of Finland back to Admiralteyskaya Embankment Boat Pier at the Neva River.
Overhead, a helicopter buzzed past us, reminding me of the many great helicopters of Russia, I had been intrigued by them after seeing the awesome Mil Mi-24 Hind Helicopter in the Rambo movies.

Sailing past the Peter & Paul Fortress, its 122.5 m bell tower, topped by a gilded angel-topped cupola-spire, makes it a distinct and easily recognisable building. It is named after the central cathedral built inside it, which was consecrated in honor of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Other buildings within the fortress include the still-functioning Saint Petersburg Mint.

Above, the modern glass-top tour boat contrasted against these medieval buildings built in 1703.

Other sights along the way were the Frigate Blagodat, a large-scale historical reconstruction of a three-deck battleship of the late 18th century. The restaurant complex within it was built and decorated in the style of Peter the Great's traditions, when the emperor held grandiose events on military frigates.

The Cruiser Aurora, one of three Pallada-class cruisers, built in St. Petersburg for service in the Pacific Ocean. All three ships of this class served during the Russo-Japanese War. Aurora survived the Battle of Tsushima and was interned under US protection in the Philippines, and eventually returned to the Baltic Fleet. The Aurora is most famous for her actions during the October Revolution, where she reportedly fired the shot that signaled the beginning of the attack on the Winter Palace.

A Flying Dutchman Replica (Letuchiy Gollandets).
The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port and doomed to sail the sea forever. In ocean lore, the sight of this phantom ship functions as a portent of doom.

Other than old ships, a lot of water activities going on.
A speedboat heading into one of the many canals of St. Petersburg.
While another cruise boat looks like a mock-up Paddle steamer.

And the girls added to the beautiful scenery!

Approaching one of the bridges and then going below it.

The cruise is renowned for sailing past many of the bridges of St. Petersburg, the city has more than 342 bridges over canals and rivers of various sizes, styles, and constructions, built at different periods. Some are small pedestrian bridges, such as Bank and Lion bridges; while others are huge transport arteries, such as the almost one-kilometer-long Alexander Nevsky Bridge.
Most of the bridges are old, but seen above is a newer cantilever cable-stayed bridge.

Also, there are several drawbridges, of which nine drawbridges that are raised every night.
During the summer months (May to late October), when the river isn't frozen, the bridges across the Neva open at night to allow ships to pass up and down the river. Bridges open from May to late October according to a special schedule, i.e., from 2 a.m. to approximately 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. Those interested can attend this Drawbridges Night Boat Tour at 1,690 roubles (20USD) per pax. It starts at 1:00 am and lasts for one and a half to two hours. Passengers board at either the Dvortsovaya Embankment, 18 (pier №4) (GPS: 59.94170, 30.31494) or the Palace Pier with Lions (GPS: 59.93990, 30.30880).

Palace Drawbridge opening video by New China TV.

As we sailed along, we noticed the locals enjoying the river too.
Some were racing along on their speedboats or jet skis. Some were raising the sails of their small sailboats, and others were sailing along in their luxurious superyachts.

And on land were restaurants sticking out into the river for better views, and hot air balloons used for advertising.

OR just relaxing in their cute, old houseboats.

All these sat in contrast to new office towers and tall radio telecommunication towers.

8:00pm - We reached the turnaround point of our cruise, Gazprom Arena (Krestovsky Stadium). Officially, it is the Krestovsky Stadium but is called the Gazprom Arena for sponsorship reasons after Gazprom, a Russian state-owned multinational energy corporation headquartered in the Lakhta Center in St. Petersburg.

And on board we had a light dinner of:
Smoked Pork Ribs, Deep-fried Smelt fish, Mojito & ice cream. I liked the Smelt Fish, but they did not have much roe, unlike the Japanese Shishamo.

The beautiful sunset with a warm glow whetted our appetite!

9:15pm - Our cruise ended, and we happily disembarked under the watchful eyes of the lions at the Palace Pier.

..... and are safely on land in St. Petersburg!

10:00pm - The light dinner on the cruise did not fill our tummies ... OR perhaps we were just greedy for more local food. So, off we went to the nearby Kazan-Mangal for a Georgian & Uzbek dinner of:

Uzbek Lamb Kabob Shashlik, Russian Blini Pancake, Uzbek Plov Rice .....

..... and Uzbek Achichukl Shakarob Tomato Salad, Georgian Grilled Sea Bass, Georgian Chashushuli Beef Stew and .....

..... Tashkent Chai Spiced Fruit Tea.
Russia is a huge country, and one can savour food from its former Soviet states, like these from the Caucasian and Central Asia regions.
This is the first time we are trying Georgian and Uzbek fare; little did we know that we would have more opportunities in the future during a 2024 tour of Georgia & Armenia, and a 2026 tour of Central Asia.