The tour will start at your hotel where your guide and driver will pick you up. Get comfortable in an air-conditioned vehicle during the 45-minute drive to Peterhof Imperial Residence. Snap some photos and listen to your guide's commentary on the way. Explore the Grand Palace at Peterhof, using the early admission ticket to skip long lines (available only May-September). Visit the imperial palaces and gardens of Peterhof, founded in 1710 as the country residence of the Russian tsars. Get a better appreciation for life in Russia before the revolution on a small group tour of the buildings and park. Enter the Grand Place, designed as the centerpiece of Peter the Great's personal Versailles complex. Marvel at the lavish interiors, and learn how they had to be almost entirely reconstructed after World War II. Visit the Lower Garden, which retains its appearance of the mid-18th century and gaze out over the Gulf of Finland. In the middle of the park you’ll see the largest cascade, and one of the most exquisite in Europe. The Upper Garden with the oldest Neptune fountain in the middle is another gem of Peterhof. The fountain’s fascinating history can be traced back to the 17th century when it was produced in Germany. Drive back to St. Petersburg and get dropped off at your hotel/at the city center at the end of the tour.