Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood and the Russian Museum Walking Tour

Walking at a leisurely pace, stride down the elegant streets of the city as your guide regales you with tales about its history, culture and unique artistic and architectural heritage. 
Stop first outside the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood – an incredibly ornate church topped with a flurry of multi-colored, onion-shaped domes — and learn how this extravagant edifice contrasts greatly with St Petersburg’s otherwise restrained architecture.

Hear how the church took its design cue from St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, and after snapping photos of the façade, explore the astonishing interior with your guide. 
Following a spell of neglect, the inside of the cathedral took longer to restore than it did to actually build. Inspect the intricate detailing to understand why the meticulous restoration took so long, and note the tiny mosaics on the walls and the richly gilded marble floors.

As you walk around, hear about Tsar Alexander II who was assassinated on the site of the cathedral in 1881, and view the canopy that marks the exact place of his murder. 
Next, continue to another of St Petersburg’s cultural showpieces — the incredible Russian Museum that’s home to a stunning collection of more than 400,000 pieces of art dating back to the 10th century.

Go inside with your guide and enjoy a tour of the main building, the Mikhailovsky Palace. Walk through the beautiful halls and admire a captivating cross-section of art of almost every type and era, including paintings and sculptures, and striking Russian avant-garde works. 
Your tour concludes inside the Russian Museum, leaving you free to continue admiring the exhibits on your own if you wish.