We used Leena (aka Elena) for a 2.5 day tour of St Petersburg in July. She is probably the best guide we have used anywhere. I am not going to tell you all the things we did; just read all the other reviews and they are not exaggerating, Red Sun tours is that good.
I will tell you that one day of our tour was on Russian Navy day. Scores of naval vessels paraded through the river Neva viewed by President Putin and a million of his closest St Petersburg friends. Leena and her driver Igor, not only got us to all of our planned activities without much delay, but also we were able to view some of the naval action as well. Leena makes you feel like part of the family and knows any thing you need to know about Russian history, culture and daily life. BTW, her English is flawless.

  Our 2 day adventure with Elena showing us the highlights of the beautiful and historical city of St. Petersburg was an amazing experience. Her friendliness, knowledge and humour made this an unforgettable 2 days. Without a doubt, the best tour we have ever done anywhere in the world. Highly recommended.

  We used Leena (aka Elena) for a 2.5 day tour of St Petersburg in July. She is probably the best guide we have used anywhere. I am not going to tell you all the things we did; just read all the other reviews and they are not exaggerating, Red Sun tours is that good.
I will tell you that one day of our tour was on Russian Navy day. Scores of naval vessels paraded through the river Neva viewed by President Putin and a million of his closest St Petersburg friends. Leena and her driver Igor, not only got us to all of our planned activities without much delay, but also we were able to view some of the naval action as well. Leena makes you feel like part of the family and knows any thing you need to know about Russian history, culture and daily life. BTW, her English is flawless.

  My wife, daughter, son-in-law, and 3 granddaughters. My daughter had booked the 2 day tour with Elena Semenova and it was flawless! We saw all of the major highlights including a ride on the metro, taking a ride on an escalator down to the farthest underground I had ever been. It was breath taking. We had Elena for both days of the tour and she was amazing! Since it was summer time most of the venues had long lines but Elena miraculously managed to get us around the lines and into the venues. We had an inexpensive lunch both days and ate wonderful Russian food. The driver of our private van always was there waiting for us as we got ready to go to the next venue.
We had booked the private tour, rather then taking an arranged tour that the cruise we were on offered and it was well worth it. The required visa was arranged by Red Sun and was part of our tour cost/ticket.
All of us, my wife and I who are in our 70's, down to our youngest granddaughter who is 10, really enjoyed the 2 day tour and were almost a little sad when we had to return to the ship at the end of day 2.
Thank you Elena and Red Sun Tours for an outstanding 2 day visit to St. Petersburg! More

  We cannot praise Red Sun highly enough and wholeheartedly recommend them for anyone visiting St Petersburg. Initial nerves about what to expect were immediately put to rest by Elena and we had a fantastic couple of days in this beautiful city made all the better for her company, knowledge and sense of fun. Seriously, what Elena does not know about St Petersburg history is just not worth knowing. So much attention to detail, making sure everything was at our pace and tweaking the tour as she got to know what we would like. The Church of the Spilled Blood, Metro, Peterhof, Hermitage Museum, Faberge Museum and a canal trip were all amazing as well as stunning architecture everywhere you looked. I even got to try caviar for the first time ever! A genuine 5 star review; I have been recommending St Petersburg to everyone since returning from holiday and will definitely return one day but only with Red Sun Tours. ❤

  We cannot praise Red Sun highly enough and wholeheartedly recommend them for anyone visiting St Petersburg. Initial nerves about what to expect were immediately put to rest by Elena and we had a fantastic couple of days in this beautiful city made all the better for her company, knowledge and sense of fun. Seriously, what Elena does not know about St Petersburg history is just not worth knowing. So much attention to detail, making sure everything was at our pace and tweaking the tour as she got to know what we would like. The Church of the Spilled Blood, Metro, Peterhof, Hermitage Museum, Faberge Museum and a canal trip were all amazing as well as stunning architecture everywhere you looked. I even got to try caviar for the first time ever! A genuine 5 star review; I have been recommending St Petersburg to everyone since returning from holiday and will definitely return one day but only with Red Sun Tours. More

  This review is the most delightful review I have ever done. It was like being invited to St Petersburg by a friend or family member and being shown around for two days . Elena’s knowledge as tour guide was so good it didn’t feel like a tour, it was like a friend telling and showing you all the places with such enthusiasm. Elena was passionate about her culture and Russia, it was a joy to be there for the Two days .The places we visited were The State Hermitage Museum , church of spilled blood , the Metro, Faberge Museum , Peterhof Palace and a Boat tour on the second day.
It was our Anniversary so as a gift Elena laid on some Champagne for us and our friends, we also went to Elena’s and her husband Igor, for a lovely lunch and of course Vodka. A fantastic and memorable couple of days of which we will fondly remember forever. Red Sun Tours are our Recommended company to use . More

  Back in St. Petersburg again on a cruise, we wished to pay tribute to the great Russian artists who have enriched the world culture, and the Russian art lovers who established strong ties with western European art. We read about Red Sun Tours in a cruisers' forum, and contacted Elena Semenova, looking to arrange a 1-day private tour. She proved extremely courteous and helpful from the start. In no time at all we were given the schedule for the day, along with the instructions for our visa and papers. Red Sun made the bureaucratic side of our tour extremely simple, all we had to do was meet our guide Larisa, who welcomed us at the cruise terminal with Elena, and enjoy the tour. Our driver, Sergej, was excellent and very skilled in navigating St. Petersburg's heavy Friday afternoon traffic, and our car was a very comfortable luxury sedan. Larisa offered a wealth of information about the history of both ordinary people and prominent citizens of this great city, giving us a detailed picture of Russian life. Our tour included a visit to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, one of Russia's most important religious centres, where we could visit the tombs of such greats as P. I. Tchaikowski, F. Dostoevski, M. Glinka, N. Rimski-Korsakov, and many others. We then visited the Impressionist Collection of the Hermitage Museum (which is housed in a different building to the Old Hermitage, and usually not included... Back in St. Petersburg again on a cruise, we wished to pay tribute to the great Russian artists who have enriched the world culture, and the Russian art lovers who established strong ties with western European art. We read about Red Sun Tours in a cruisers' forum, and contacted Elena Semenova, looking to arrange a 1-day private tour. She proved extremely courteous and helpful from the start. In no time at all we were given the schedule for the day, along with the instructions for our visa and papers. Red Sun made the bureaucratic side of our tour extremely simple, all we had to do was meet our guide Larisa, who welcomed us at the cruise terminal with Elena, and enjoy the tour. Our driver, Sergej, was excellent and very skilled in navigating St. Petersburg's heavy Friday afternoon traffic, and our car was a very comfortable luxury sedan. Larisa offered a wealth of information about the history of both ordinary people and prominent citizens of this great city, giving us a detailed picture of Russian life. Our tour included a visit to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, one of Russia's most important religious centres, where we could visit the tombs of such greats as P. I. Tchaikowski, F. Dostoevski, M. Glinka, N. Rimski-Korsakov, and many others. We then visited the Impressionist Collection of the Hermitage Museum (which is housed in a different building to the Old Hermitage, and usually not included in the standard tours). Larisa suggested Stolle Pie for our lunch stop, and it proved a very good choice, as we could sample a number of excellent fillings in a light and tasty dough. Our last stop was at Alexander Pushkin Museum, the house where the great poet died after being wounded in a duel, and a very moving experience it was! Larisa and Sergei also tried as much as possible to accommodate our final request, as we were a bit ahead of schedule, but the traffic was just overwhelming. It was a pleasure seeing St. Petersburg in the company of such gracious and well-informed hosts. I had actually hoped to form a group for this tour, as costs and budget are not a negligible detail during a cruise; this was our first private tour (2 people), and the rate was reasonable. Red Sun proved very competitive also in this respect, and the added touch for us was our guide's warm and friendly approach: it was like having a friend show you around their city. Thanks again, and many congratulations to Elena and her staff: Red Sun is brilliant, and we'll be sure to recommend it to anyone wishing to visit St. Petersburg. More

  From the day we inquire regarding St.Petersburg tours until the day of our tour Red Sun Tours has done nothing but of Help. We came thru a cruise tour and when the day of embarkment to Russia we chose to be with RedSunTours...
It was a busy day for St.Petersburg when we arrived. There was a marathon in the city central that day hence a lot of roads were close. The smart and pretty Anastacia”Ana” wants us to fully enjoy the day so she thought of taking the subways (which we actually enjoyed). She is full of enthusiasm and energy. We were surprised and amazed about the history of St.Petersburg. Her knowledge of the places is superb.
Our driver was decent man whom despite of the closed roads and traffic he manages to follow us on the spots that we went to.
We did a lot of walking, yes (like we are part of the marathon) but nonetheless we enjoyed the tour.
And Ana was a great tour guide and ofcourse in taking our pictures. :)
Every penny is worth it with Red Sun Tours - St.Petersburg.
Thanks a lot. More

  Amazing! The highlight of our Baltic cruise. Excellent, charming and knowledgeable guide. NO QUEUES. No queuing for tickets. Relaxing and enjoyable as everything taken care is by Elena, including all tickets and VISA.

Ignore the warnings of your greedy cruise company and BOOK DIRECT with RED SUN TOURS. BOOK the BEST.

Elena even took superb photos too!