Hourly cost of private guide’s services depends on many factors such as the season, language, program duration etc. Now the price of 1-hour guide’s service varies from 25 USD to 35 USD. Hourly cost of driver’s services also depends on the season and program duration, as well as the size of the car and varies between 20 USD per hour to 30 USD per hour.
Once we come up with the program, I immediately send you the total program cost, as long as every program includes the price of tickets and port fees in case of cruise programs.
Lunches in St Petersburg are usually 20 USD per person – and it will be very delicate fancy food in a nice restaurant.
In the Internet you will find cheap offers and promises “best price guaranteed”. But be careful. If the price is too low, it means that the company does not pay the staff and hires students who don’t mind training for free. Believe me, real professionals never work for the lowest salary. It takes years to learn history, art and languages, moreover, this process never stops for professionals. If the guide has all these qualities, he/she will never offer incredibly cheap price. If you are seeking real memories about your trip to Russia and personal attitude, you can get this all only with a creative educated person for whom the job is not just daily routine but creativity. It is only up to you what you choose!
I sometimes get a question “Is it possible to get around in St Petersburg without a car?” I can say yes, it is possible but it is not easy. Our city is huge and distances between sights are also quite big. For example, Peterhof or Pavlovsk are about 35 km from the city and subway does not go this far. But without a car you can walk in the downtown. So everything is up to you!