Avoid the main lines at the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg to see its best-known artworks on this 3-hour tour. With an art-loving guide, gain fast-track entry, and from May to September, get the privilege of early access, beginning your tour in a crowd-free environment.

Meet your art-expert guide in Palace Square in central St Petersburg, and stroll to the nearby State Hermitage Museum, housed in the lavish Winter Palace.

Along the way, hear how the Hermitage was established by Catherine the Great in 1764, when the empress purchased 255 precious artworks, the seeds of the museum’s now spectacular collection. In 1852, the Hermitage opened to the public, and is now one of the world’s biggest museums, with more than three million items.

Entrance lines can be long, so your skip-the-line ticket lets you bypass the wait lines and enjoy fast-track admission to the museum, alongside your guide. If you’re visiting between May and September, your ticket entitles you to early access to the museum, so you can head inside with your guide before the general public, and start exploring the displays in a crowd-free atmosphere.

Once inside, drink in the gilded chambers and hear how the museum extends across five buildings, including the Winter Palace, the home of Russia’s Tsars from 1760 onward.

Your 3-hour tour ends when your guide departs. Then, either take your leave of the Hermitage or continue to explore its treasures independently — your ticket gives you all-day access to the museum.

Please note: While your skip-the-line ticket gives you early access to the Hermitage from May to September, the privilege is subject to the museum’s official approval.