Why SPB-Tours is the best choice

At SPB-Tours, we believe we can offer you the best service for your travel experience. Here are some reasons why:

1. SPB Tours is #1 on Trip Advisor in St. Petersburg in 2012. Our past clients, some of who have since become friends, will vouch for our quality and professionalism. One of our reviewers writes: “If this company is an example of the new Russia their future is assured.” Have a look at our TripAdvisor page.

2. SPB-Tours is #1 among private tour operators in St. Petersburg at the “Marine Facade” Passenger Port, having served over 7,000 passengers from May through September 2012, according to the port's official statistics. SPB-Tours has a strong reputation and relationship with the port authorities. Our St. Petersburg office is located at Terminal #1 at the "Marine Facade" in St. Petersburg.

3. Viktoria Rother, the manager and owner of SPB-Tours, has over 25 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry and knows the business inside and out. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, she has extensive knowledge of the city. Her years of work as a tour guide and tutor at the St. Petersburg State University (Management Department) and subsequent foundation and operation of SPB-Tours has taught her how to provide a high quality and satisfying experience for her guests. Since 2006 SPB-Tours has served thousands of satisfied travelers, and we look forward to continuing that trend for years to come.

4. SPB-Tours is a founding member of the Cruise Industry Association in St. Petersburg, and Viktoria is on the board of directors. Therefore, we are established, invested, and educated in all aspects of the tourism industry in the city Viktoria calls home.

5. SPB-Tours is a tight-knit, family-run company with offices in St. Petersburg and Berlin. We are doing the work that we love, and you can see it in our attention to detail. We see each interested guest as a PERSON, not a profit. With SPB-Tours you get the care you’d expect from visiting your own family, because that's what we are. It is the ONLY company in the Baltic region which has two official offices: in St. Petersburg and in Berlin. We provide services first-hand, without going through the third parties, at these two important destinations. Viktoria runs the company’s office in St. Petersburg, while her husband, Steffen, runs the Berlin office. Our dedicated staff includes a number of native English-, German-, and Russian-speakers, to ensure the clearest correspondence without risk of miscommunication. While our team and company is very international, we operate under standard Western and American business practices that you would expect.

6. “This company has a human face”, said a 2012 client about SPB-Tours. We have more goals and concerns than just regular business. Our philanthropy initiative dates back to 2010. Since then we have been donating $1 per guest to Orphanage No. 40 in St. Petersburg. This is home to approximately 55 disabled children from 3 to 7 years old, all of whom have problems with their vision. With donations so far, SPB-Tours has supplied necessary medication for the children, office supplies (including a new laptop), two visits to the dolphinarium and one to the circus for all the kids and staff. We are so grateful to all of our past clients who have allowed us the opportunity to give back!

7. SPB-Tours is famous for our creativity and innovative ideas. We are the first tour operator in the Baltic to begin offering a fixed price package tour of the "Baltic Pearls" in multiple ports of call. We have been providing and polishing this package since 2009. Our head start has given us an edge with more experience and improvements in our services every season. We stand firm behind our itineraries at each port of call and the best price guarantee: we can give you the best package for the most affordable prices.

In our exclusive Baltic Pearls Package, we provide and include sit down lunches on EVERY tour day in St. Petersburg: the local cuisine is an integral piece of your cultural experience in Russia. Additionally, you can enjoy a relaxing break to reflect on what you've seen while preparing for the next museum. The first tour day is one hour longer for this reason, as well.

Our newest innovation is the ability to design your own Baltic Pearls package by choosing any combination cities in addition to St. Petersburg with Berlin, Stockholm, Helsinki, and/or Tallinn. You can book in just two, or all five!

8. SPB-Tours has guaranteed group tour departures with guaranteed flat-rates, and customizable private tours. Whatever your interests, group size, mobility, and budget is, we have a tour that fits your needs! Most large cruise ships qualify for our group tours with flat-rate prices. This means that whether or not the group fills up, everyone qualifies for our unbeatably low prices! Even better: we will fill the groups for you. It's a worry-free booking. We also offer discounts to those willing to help us assemble the groups via CruiseCritic.com roll calls! Email us for details.

9. SPB-Tours has the resources to cover extremely large numbers of groups on any given day. Our busiest tour day to date had our team handling over 500 guests in over 45 different groups in St. Petersburg. We may be a small, family-run company, but that doesn't mean we are limited to small numbers!

10. SPB-Tours uses a simplified booking process. You can book with us, right here, without leaving the website! Your payment is not due until the morning of the second day of 2- or 3-day tours, or the first day 1-day tours.

11. The entire SPB-Tours team is like an extended family, from the office staff to the guides and drivers. SPB-Tours is lucky to have a wonderful and highly professional staff. Many of the guides and drivers have known one another for years. All our guides are highly professional, knowledgable, and flexible with years of experience. They all hold university degrees and speak excellent English. Our guides are passionate about sharing the history and their love for the cities they guide in. The tours are not just an occasional side-job to them, they are a priority and a joy. Viktoria ensures that this is the case: the SPB-Tours founder and director is a guide herself with over 25 years of experience. She knows how much of the tour depends upon an excellent guide.  As a result, we know our guides very well and only hire the best.

12. Our dedicated drivers are delighted to work for SPB-Tours. They are not hired out from some enormous company that randomly assigns vehicles to employees; they are actually the owners of their vans. Each of our drivers are of excellent character. Because of this, we have developed real relationships with repeat drivers who are truly invested in the services they provide. "The client is the king" is their motto. They are very helpful, caring, professional, and polite. Some of our drivers even speak English, which is very seldom in Russia. Most of them are non-smokers and none will smoke in your presence. They bring their guests as close to the museums' entrances and attractions as possible. All of our fully-insured Mercedes vans and small buses are air-conditioned, comfortable, and clean. We will always try to get you a vehicle with a few extra seats for your comfort.

13. SPB-Tours has direct, professional relationships with all the museums in St. Petersburg. Thanks to our continuing success and professional guides, Viktoria has developed and maintained personal connections in many important places in this city. These open lines of communication allow us to plan for the best possible scheduling and opportunities to get our guests the best sight-seeing experiences. Early admission to the Hermitage is included in all the itineraries for the conveniences of our customers.

14. SPB-Tours doesn’t cut corners. We consider everything you need to have a pleasant and comfortable experience, down to the smallest details. For inclement weather, we have umbrellas and ponchos. For your enrichment, we have flyers which include a map and useful information about the cities in Berlin and St. Petersburg. We also provide at least one bottle of water on all of our vehicle tours. In Berlin, during a 12 hour tour, we offer three bottles of water. For large groups (10+) in St. Petersburg, we have ear-phone systems, as well.

15. SPB-Tours constantly strives to improve. We are distributing Feedback Questionnaires in all ports of call. Viktoria, SPB-Tours founder and manager, personally greets you in the morning and bids you farewell at the dock in St. Petersburg, Russia. Steffen, Viktoria's husband, does the same in Berlin. To SPB-Tours, our duty is not fulfilled when we receive payment from you. Our job is only complete when you are leaving the city with delightful memories of your SPB-Tours experience.