I love smartours and have gone on many trips. This trip to Russia was great but optional tours very overpriced and not good. I paid $100 dollars for the ballet in St. Petersburg Seat was terrible in a side box with limited view of the stage. I had to stand for the entire balllet as did a few others in my situation I paid quite a bit of money for a metro tour in Moscow. A ride on the metro is only a few dollars. This tour had us on the metro for less than one hour. We went to several stops very rushed with no time to enjoy the lovely art work. I should have ridden the metro on my own. I did it in St. Petersburg Trip on the river in St. Petersburg was fun and good