Tzar Village with Catherine Palace Tour

Join our Catherine Palace tour in Tsar’s Village, including a visit to the legendary Amber Room.

Catherine Palace is a former summer residence of the Russian royal family and one of the finest examples of the country’s imperial heritage. It was rebuilt in the 18th century for Empress Elizabeth, who treated it with special affection and named it after her mother, Catherine.

The palace stands in Tsar’s Village (Tsarskoye Selo), the imperial family’s summer estate for two centuries and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about 25 km south of St. Petersburg. The surrounding town was renamed Pushkin in 1937 in honour of the poet Alexander Pushkin, who studied at the Imperial Lyceum here. Wrapped around the palace is Catherine Park — a landscaped blend of French, English and Italian garden design, dotted with elegant pavilions and centred on the Great Pond.

Itinerary

• Meet your guide at your hotel and travel to Tsar’s Village (Pushkin), about 25 km south of the city.
• Wander through Catherine Park, the landscaped grounds that surround the palace.
• Tour Catherine Palace itself — halls glittering with gold, mirrors and semi-precious stones — culminating in the breathtaking Amber Room, lined floor to ceiling with Baltic amber.
• Return to St. Petersburg.

What’s included

• Catherine Palace and Park admission tickets
• Professional licensed guide
• Transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off

What’s not included

• Food and drinks
• Gratuities

Good to know

• Start time is flexible and confirmed when you book. In the high season (May–September) it’s often adjusted to fit the palace’s limited pre-booked admissions.
• From 1 May to 31 October, available every day except Tuesday.
• From 1 November to 30 April, available every day except Tuesday and the last Monday of the month.
• Offered in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian and Russian.
• Please share your hotel address when booking so we can arrange transport.
• Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Catherine Palace is wheelchair accessible.

You may also like

• Visit the Hermitage Museum, one of the world’s most famous art galleries.
• Wander the fountain-filled gardens of Peterhof.
• Discover Russia’s famed jewellery collection at the Fabergé Museum.