This museum is huge. I found the map difficult to follow so just wandered around the rooms. Don't sit on the window sills or you will be chased off by stern attendants. There are places where you can sit and rest. There is a ticket machine just inside the entrance which will save you waiting in a long queue. There is also a queue for these but not very long. You can pay by credit/bank card.Wear comfy shoes. Don't expect to see everything

I would like to say that this place is unique in the world, pure of arts and a trip into the Russian culture. My tips is go with time!! and have an official guide because there are few informations in English inside the museum. Buy your tickets online, don't waste your time making huge lines.

Hermitage is the world's biggest museum, a must-see if you visit St. Petersbug. 4-5 hours is an absolute minimum visit to plan and you will not be able to even walk though all exhibition halls in that short time. In case you are into paintings, plan a full day. Book tickets in advance via the internet. May save you sometime waiting in the

The splendor, age and devotion of collected exhibits is amazing by itself. Every, of probably hundreds of rooms, have their own curator that knows everything about every detail. Seeing in person pictures of Rembrandt, Bosch, Van Dyke and number of other masters, in glory of that building, is indeed stuck into your mind for the rest of your life.

Avoid the crowds. The tour groups come first thing in the morning. We purchased two days passes. The second day we waited til after 1 PM to arrive at museum. No waiting to get inside and plenty of quite time through out the museum to enjoy. Hermitage is open till 9 PM on Wednesday and Friday.

I have been to many world class museums but I was still shocked by the vast collection here. Our English tour guide was supper. She spent 3 hours walk us through key collections and offered many tips based on her rich knowledge. We were deeply impressed.