Visa FREE One day tour to Novgorod The Great
Description
During our one day tour to Novgorod form St. Peterbsurg you will visit the magnificent Kremlin, the Byzantine Cathedral of St. Sophia, the oldest church in Russia. Explore the functioning Yuriev Monastery and a museum of Wooden architecture Vitoslavlitsy.
Itenerary
08.30 – 09.00. Meet with your guide. Departure for Novgorod (190 km from St. Petersburg)
Arrival to Novgorod. Full day of sightseeing.
Excursion to the Kremlin of Novgorod
Excursion to the Yaroslav’s Court, Ancient Market.
Lunch at the local restaurant
Visit to Open-Air Museum of Wooden Architecture Vitoslavlitsy.
Excursion to the Yuriev Monastery
21:00 – 22:00 Arrival to the ship
Have questions? Please, you are welcome to contact us at info@np-tours.com to make your inquiry. We will reply to your email no later than 12 hours.
- BEST PRICE GUARANTEE
- MINI-GROUP
- NO CREDIT CARD FEES & NO DEPOSIT
- NO VISA REQUIRED
- NO HIDDEN COSTS
- NO CANCELLATION FEE
Do I need a Russian visa if I travel on a cruise ship? No, but you need get the Tour Ticket. More information about: NO VISA REQUIRED FOR CRUISE PASSENGERS
According to the Russian Federation Government Decree #532 of 28th, August 2003, cruise passengers arriving onboard the cruise ship and staying in the country for less than 72 hours (accommodation provided onboard), do not need a Russian visa, if they are given service by the official Tour Operator.
North Palmyra Tours is a licensed, registered tour operator by the Ministry of Culture of Russia's Federal Agency for Tourism. Our registration number is РТО 019610. By clicking the link you can see our official listing on the Ministry of Culture's website (in Russian). If you are booking shore excursions with us, we take care of your visa for Russia for the duration of your ship’s stay.
For easy disembarkation you need to do these steps:
1. Send a tour request. For cruise travelers we recommend you to make your reservation no later than two weeks prior to the start of your tour
2. Get our booking confirmation
3. We send you the tourticket (Voucher, blanket visa) after receiving your passport data from you. All of your private information is submitted through our secure servers to protect your identity information. We require the following information to complete your Tour Tickets: passport names, passport number, date of birth, citizenship.
4. Receive a “Tour Ticket” and print it out. It is be on each passenger, including children.
5. When in Saint-Petersburg, show your Tour Ticket, passport and passport copy to the customs officer, receive your SHORE PASS.
6. The guide and driver will meet you at the pier holding sign with your name.
! Put your passports and Tour tickets safely away. These are very important documents and you need them again for leaving the ship.
History of the Velikiy Novgorod
Established in 859 by a Viking Prince Rurik, Novgorod was a thriving trading community and a model city that set the proud traditions of self-government when princes were hired and fired by an assembly of citizens. We can say that in some way the history of Russia started here. It is here that Vikings founded their first settlements on the famous way “from the Vikings to the Greek”: from Scandinavian countries to Byzantium. It was the embryo of Russian state. Later, in the 12th century, this town, one of the largest of the time, became called “Our Lord Novgorod the Great”. Until 1478, when Novgorod became part of the State of Moscow and hence, lost its independence, the town was a republic on its own, governed by a council of respectable citizens. Novgorod was also an important centre of Christian religion.
Founded in 1044, the Kremlin of Novgorod (the Detinets) is one of the most ancient kremlins which exist in Russia. You will see the St. Sophia Cathedral, the first stone cathedral in Russia, was built by prince Yaroslav the Wise a whole century before Our Lady of Paris, in 1045. In the southern gallery eminent novgorodians are buried: princes, bishops and governors. It is in this square, in front of this cathedral, that the “Veche” (the Parliament of Novgorod) gathered to elect the archbishop, declare wars or peace. The legend says that the dove decorating the dome of the cathedral is the symbol of Novgorod. The day when the dove flies away, the city will be destroyed. It used to be a real live dove that became petrified at the sight of the bloody massacre initiated by Ivan the Terrible in 1570.
In the area of the Yaroslav’s Court were located many monuments from the 12th to the 18th centuries. There, side by side stands the prince’s church (the 12th century) and the merchants’ churches, which were used not only as house of prayer, but also as storehouse. The Gate Tower, as well as the arcade, are a unique example of civil architecture, and were built at the time of Peter the Great.
