Few cities on earth pack a punch quite as St Pete’s does. Peter the Great’s Window to the West is spectacular and must not be missed on your trip to Russia. St Petersburg is the most European city in Russia and offers fantastic things to see and do at a fraction of the cost of that in Western Europe.
St Petersburg is the cultural capital of Russia, and culture lovers will have their pick of things to see and do. Like most other places we visit, we really enjoy the highlights such as the Hermitage (could it be the best museum in Europe?) or cathedrals. Still, for us, the highlight of St Petersburg was simply wandering around aimlessly in this stunning city.
We also visited Moscow after St Petersburg, and they are two very different cities. I just loved Moscow, while Jin preferred St Petersburg. Having to choose between Moscow or St Petersburg is unreasonable. We suggest you visit both if time allows. If not, then perhaps flip a coin!
St Petersburg is definitely one of the greatest cities on earth for art and history, so cultural vultures won’t have to look far for things to see or do in Russia’s Window to the West. While it is Russia’s most European city, it is undeniably Russian.
After spending four fantastic summer days in St Petersburg, we want to share our best things to do in the city. Our city guide to St Petersburg will show you a very unique place to stay, things to see and do, how to get around and where to eat in this smashing city.
Impressions of St. Petersburg (and Russia in general)
- It is incredibly clean. Like Germany on steroids.
- People are warm and friendly. Although they (almost) never smile, Russians are kind and will go out of their way to help.
- Visiting St Petersburg is very affordable and excellent value for money.
- We felt safe wherever we went.
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Where to Stay in St Petersburg
Our stunning Airbnb loft apartment in Petrogradskaya was the perfect home for our stay in St Petersburg. Located on the top floor of a typical Russian building, this spacious apartment oozes charm, and you’ll live like a trendy Peterburger while in the city. The large open space, which is the living room/bedroom/kitchen, is loft living at its best.
The nearest metro station is Gorgovskaya, less than 10 minutes’ walk away. The Hermitage is only one metro stop away.
Large windows make this loft apartment bright, and it overlooks LENFILM, the oldest film studio in Russia. This loft is incredibly atmospheric and will add immense value to your St. Petersburg experience.
A modern, 24-hour supermarket is next to the building where you can stock up on everything you need. Just down the street is the Sytny Market (farmer’s market), where you can shop for fantastic organic produce. The Sytni Market was founded in 1711 and is the oldest market in the city.
The ladies at the Sytny market have mean faces and golden teeth, but they are as sweet as the fruit that they sell, and they’ll let you taste before you buy. We bought delicious flat peaches from Uzbekistan and a tub of caviar for a truly Russian breakfast at our apartment.
Things to do in St Petersburg, Russia
See the Masterpieces at the Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage is an art lover’s wet dream! The staggering art collection is housed inside the Winter Palace, a work of art itself. Masterpieces aside, the interior of the Hermitage is an overload of gold and opulence. The Hermitage is one of the best things to do in Russia, so DO NOT MISS IT.
The art collection in the Hermitage is the legacy of Catherine the Great. If you haven’t done so already, we suggest you watch the Hulu TV series The Great. This historical comedy is about the rise of Catherine the Great and her vision to bring art to the people of Russia.
The collection of over 3 million art pieces is spread over 400 rooms in five interlinked buildings. It is the world’s second-largest art museum and will take you years to fully explore and appreciate the masterpieces, so do set aside the better part of a day to enjoy it. Or even better, plan to visit the museum over a few consecutive days.
Highlights of the Hermitage include a very handsome collection of impressionist and postmodern art (Picasso, Matisse, Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Kandinsky and the like) housed in the General Staff Building. The General Staff Building is located across the square from the Winter Palace and has a separate entrance.
The collection inside the Winter Palace is mainly dedicated to classical art, and the highlight here for us was the astonishing collection of Rembrandts and Flemish art. Other highlights include works by Titian, Da Vinci and Michelangelo, among others.
The Hermitage is one of the best art museums in the world and one of the top things to do in St Petersburg. Needless to say, queues to get in can get ridiculously long in summer. Avoid the lines by buying your ticket online in advance.
Tips for Visiting the Hermitage
If you can’t/don’t want to buy a ticket online, buy your ticket at the General Staff Building. You’re guaranteed a short queue or even no line at all.
See the collection in the General Staff Building before walking across the square to the Winter Palace. Walk past the long lines, wave your ticket and walk right in 🙂
If you need the skip-the-line ticket and don’t want a guided tour but still need some help or information, you can opt for the popular ticket and host service. Your host will deliver your tickets to your meeting point and answer some questions. Then, you are free to walk into the Hermitage and explore independently.
Anyone with just the slightest interest in either art or history is sure to enjoy the Hermitage. Do set aside the best part of the day to truly enjoy it. True culture vultures might want to consider a second visit due to the sheer amount of art, the architecture’s opulence and the Hermitage’s vast size.
New Hermitage
The New Hermitage is just around the corner from Palace Square, and it is actually connected to the Winter Palace. It’s worth the short detour to come and admire the iconic architecture of the entrance to the New Hermitage.
Ten massive granite Atlantes statues support the roof of the portico and make for a nice photo stop before or after visiting the Hermitage. Note that entry into the Hermitage is not possible here.
Ride the St Petersburg Metro
Like elsewhere in Russia, the St Petersburg Metro is not only very convenient to get around on, but admiring the extravagant stations is also one of the best things to do in the city. A subway tour of the St Petersburg Metro is a must when in the city.
Getting around St Petersburg by metro is cheap, convenient and easy to navigate. A ride on one of these rickety subway cars is a blast straight out of the Soviet era and should not be missed.
Forget about drab underground stations that’ll put you into a depression. The metro in St Petersburg is also known as the Palaces of the People, and the ornate stations come complete with chandeliers, marble fittings, statues and beautiful tiles.
Some of the best metro stations in St Petersburg are Avtovo, Pushkinskaya, Sportivnaya, and Narvskaya.
Gold & Great Views from St Isaac’s Cathedral
St Isaac’s Cathedral is the largest Orthodox church in the world, and its golden dome dominates the city skyline. Only a small section of the cathedral still functions as a church as it’s been turned into a museum.
The scale of it all is truly impressive, as is the interior’s mind-blowing opulence. The dome itself has 400 kg of gold. You are sure to be impressed by the immense scale and beauty of the frescoes, mosaics and icons.
The interior is an overload of art, mosaics and frescoes on a scale only Russia can pull off. After seeing the lavish interior, take the 300 steps up to the colonnade for the best panoramic view over St Petersburg.
After visiting St Isaac’s cathedral, take a quick look and a snap at the Bronze Horseman. This equestrian statue of Peter the Great is an iconic symbol of St Petersburg.
Proceed towards the Neva River and take a stroll along the Admiralty Embankment. The embankment runs along the most historic part of St Petersburg and the architecture and sculptures along the way are just fantastic.
Appreciate the Simplicity of Kazan Cathedral
Just like St Isaac’s, the Kazan cathedral is majestic and grand. However, the Kazan cathedral still functions as a church, and worshipers flock here to pay their respects to the icon of Our Lady of Kazan.
The beauty of the Kazan cathedral for us lies in its simplicity, combined with its grand scale. Looking up at the monochromatic frescoes inside the lofty dome is surreal. The crescent shape and design of the cathedral were inspired by the St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
Entrance to the Kazan cathedral is free. Please remember that this is still a functioning church, so please be respectful when taking pictures.
Admire the Splendid Peterhof Gardens & Fountains
Peterhof, or Summer Palace’s spectacular formal gardens and fountains, is one of Russia’s most famous tourist attractions. Don’t miss visiting this St Petersburg highlight while you are in the city.
Peterhof came to be after Peter the Great had visited Versailles in France. He decided that Russia needed its own version of Versailles and went ahead and tried to outdo the French. The result is an architectural marvel consisting of several gardens and fountains surrounding the palace. Today, Peterhof is the largest collection of fountains in the world.
The highlight of Peterhof is, without a doubt, the Grand Cascade. This Baroque masterpiece in gold and water is a sight to behold. The centrepiece of the Grand Cascade features a golden statue of Samson ripping apart the lion’s jaws. The Samson fountain symbolizes Russia’s victory over Sweden.
Good looks aside, the fountains are remarkable since they work without any pumps. The water is supplied by natural springs and the difference in elevation between the Upper and Lower Gardens creates the pressure that makes the fountains work.
The formal gardens are a delight to explore. Walking from one flawlessly manicured garden to the next, you’ll discover hedge mazes, more fountains, quiet hideaways and views of the Grand Peterhof Palace.
Note that the fountains operate from May until early October.
How to get to Peterhof
Peterhof is about 30 km outside St Petersburg and makes for an unmissable half-day trip from the city.
Marshrutka (minibuses) leave regularly from several places. We recommend catching a minibus from Avtovo metro station. Avtovo metro station is one of the most beautiful in St Petersburg, so you can get two birds with one stone by leaving from here.
Minibuses K-224, K-300, K-424 leave every 10-20 minutes from outside Avtovo metro station. Look out for the Петерго́ф signs on the minibuses. The drive takes about an hour and costs RUB 80.
You can also go from St Petersburg to Peterhof by hydrofoil. Getting to Peterhof by hydrofoil is more expensive than taking the minibus, but is faster (about 30 minutes) and perhaps more relaxing.
Hydrofoils depart at least hourly depending on the day, season and weather conditions. You can catch the hydrofoils at Dvortsovaya Pier (near the Hermitage Museum) or from Senatskaya Pier (near the Bronze Horsemen).
Time travel back to the USSR at the House of the Soviets
Almost all visitors to Russia want to see some of its past Soviet glory. For a blast from the USSR Soviet past, take the metro to Moskovskiy Prospect. When you exit the metro station at Moskovskiy Prospect, you’ll be greeted by some of the best Soviet relics in all of Russia.
The House of the Soviets is a spectacular, grey monstrosity from 1936. Intended initially as city administration offices, the seven-storey monolithic was completed just before the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War and served as a regional command post for the Soviet army. After the war, it served as a research institute, primarily for military electronics.
Today, the place definitely has a deserted feel to it, but it’s still well-kept. We were the only people around when we visited. The fine friezes running around the top of the building feature very soviet-looking workers being strong and soviet and the such. It also sports an impressive Soviet crest.
The giant Lenin statue in front of the building makes for some good selfies!
We are unsure if the House of the Soviets is open to visitors. Unless you are a Soviet-o-phile, a look from the outside will be more than enough.
See St Petersburg from a Canal Cruise
St Petersburg is also known as the Venice of the North, and after exploring the city on foot, it’s time to jump on board a boat and see the city form a canal cruise.
Seeing the majestic architecture as you cruise along the Neva River and smaller canals gives you a different perspective of the city. It’s possibly the most relaxing thing to do in St Petersburg while getting some lovely city views.
Make sure you are taking a cruise that also goes into the small canals and not just down the Neva River as you get closer to the buildings.
Feeling more adventurous? Kayak tours on the canals are also available.
Goggle at the St Petersburg Mosque
We found the St Petersburg’s mosque on the Petrograd side of the city by chance as we walked back to our apartment one night. It seems it teleported from Uzbekistan and landed a short walk from the Peter and Paul Fortress.
The mosque is the biggest in Europe and is worth the short detour if you’re in the area and looking for something unique to see in St Petersburg.
Simply stroll Around Without a Plan
One of the best things for us to do anywhere is to simply walk around without a plan. Discovering things you weren’t looking for is sometimes the best thing to happen. Jumping on one of the trams and simply riding through obscure neighbourhoods was also very enjoyable.
A good starting point is Nevsky Prospect, which is the city’s main shopping street. After seeing the famous buildings such as the Singer Building, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood and the Kazan Cathedral on Nevsky Prospect, take any side street and see where it takes you.
There is some really nice architecture around the Anichkov Bridge on Nevsky. This bridge is also a popular spot where canal cruises to depart from.
Petrogradskaya, across the river, is also great for simply strolling around. The area around the Peter and Paul Fortress is another good spot to walk around aimlessly. From here, you also get a nice view towards the Hermitage behind the Neva River. There is a beach here on the Neva where locals come on a sunny day or to take a dip after work.
White Nights in St Petersburg
The best time to visit St Petersburg is during the White Nights, which peaks mid-June until early July. During the White Nights, the city rarely sleeps as it never really gets dark.
Visiting St Petersburg during the White Nights allows for long hours of sightseeing during the day and parties and festivals during the night (which is still day). The atmosphere in the city during this time is just fantastic. Often, the day and night become so indistinguishable that the city doesn’t bother with switching on the street lights.
I remember walking next to the Neva River at the Peter and Paul fortress, looking across the water towards the Hermitage while people were swimming in the river AFTER MIDNIGHT in the everlasting blue hour. It was utterly surreal and magical.
One downside of visiting during the White Nights is that we didn’t realize how much we were walking since your internal clock will be buggered. Still walking at 10:30 pm and not having had supper because the sun hasn’t set yet? Blame the White Lights of St Petersburg!
Perhaps the best way to see the White Nights in St Petersburg would be to take a midnight cruise to the canals and see the drawbridges open.
Where to Eat in St Petersburg
Few will sing the praise of Russian cuisine. We are one of those few people. We found the food in Russia absolutely delicious, down-to-earth and cheap. Just like good food should be. Just like anywhere else, eating was one of the best things we did in St Petersburg, and it helped us get to know Russia a little better.
Teremok (Russian: Теремок)
While the rest of the world has McDonald’s, Subway and Burger King, Russia has Teremok, and there is no better introduction to Russian comfort food. The Russian fast-food chain will have you coming back for its cheap and tasty blinis (filled crepes), hearty borscht and yummy pelmeni (dumplings) with sour cream and berries.
Some branches we went to were typical fast food joints, while we found a few in Moscow, which was much rather a bistro. The food and friendly service remained the sam,e though.
The staff was friendly and patient while I put my elementary Cyrillic reading skills to the test when ordering. After a good laugh from all in earshot, the staff produced an English menu, so do ask for that.
Pyshechnaya
Another remnant from St Pete’s soviet past is this doughnut cafe just off Nevsky Prospect. The name Pyshechnaya simply means doughnut shop. The name itself is not displayed at all. Instead, look for the word пышки (pyshki), which means DONUTS. The cafe selling pyshki is called a pyshechnaya.
This pyshechnaya hasn’t changed much since the Soviet days, yet it’s still very popular with locals. This is evident from the often long lines outside (just like in the Soviet days). When you finally get to the front of the line, you don’t have much choice (just like in the Soviet days). You can only choose a combination of tea, instant coffee or pyshki.
The soft, golden fried pyshki, dusted with powdered sugar, makes a perfect snack at any time of day. It’s conveniently located just off Nevsky and near the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Pyshechnaya is an unmissable stop while sightseeing in St Petersburg.
Also, keep an eye out for the resident ginger cat, Ryzhik.
Mamalyga (МаmaLыga)
Russians have always had a soft spot for Georgian food. Despite the breaking up of the Soviet Union and souring diplomatic ties between Russia and Georgia, Georgian food remains as popular as ever before. And it’s not hard to understand why. Georgian food is absolutely delicious and one of our favourite cuisines (a wine).
Mamalyga’s convenient location just behind the Kazan cathedral makes it easy to find and is an excellent spot for lunch between sightseeing or dinner at the end of the day.
The food here is as good as in Tbilisi, so much so that we came here twice. For those unfamiliar with Georgian cuisine, we recommend getting some khinkali (dumplings), Adjarian khachapuri (cheese bread), grilled eggplant rolls, and some nice smokey grilled shashlik.
And did you know that Georgia has been making wine since the beginning of time? The food, wine and atmosphere at Mamalyga are not to be missed. We suspect that our trip to the Caucasus the next year probably resulted from having a meal at this Georgian restaurant in St Petersburg.
How many days in St Petersburg?
How long is a piece of string? Many people visit St Petersburg as a shore excursion, as the city is a popular stop on the Baltic/Stockholm/Helsinki cruise itinerary. They would rush through the Hermitage or Peterhof gardens before making it back for dinner with the captain. While many like this concept, we urge you to spend as much time here as possible.
We spent 5 days and 4 nights in St Petersburg, and it was just the right amount of time. Do not spend less than 3 nights. With 4 nights in the city, we could enjoy all the sights without rushing and exploring some of the lesser-known areas.
How to Travel From St Petersburg to Moscow by Train
Combining St Petersburg and Moscow make for an excellent Russian itinerary for first-time visitors.
While you can fly between the two cities in one and a half hours, travelling by train between St Petersburg and Moscow is a wonderful experience. Several fast trains (Sapsan) travel between the two cities in three to four hours.
For us, the best train from St Petersburg to Moscow is the Krasnaya Strela (Красная стрела), or Red Arrow. The Red Arrow is the flagship overnight sleeper train between St Petersburg and Moscow and offers the most comfortable service of all the overnight trains.
The Red Arrow departs from St Petersburg every night at 23:55 and arrives in Moscow at 07:55 the following day. Before arrival in Moscow, the conductor will come around the compartments, taking orders for breakfast (pancakes/oats and coffee/tea), which is included in the price of the train ticket.
Travelling on the Red Arrow between St Petersburg and Moscow is a fantastic and memorable experience that beats flying any day of the week.
Whether you are taking the Sapsan or the sleeper train, book your train tickets directly here, up to 30 days in advance.
Best things to do in St Petersburg map
And that’s how you do St Petersburg! We are sure you will love this great city as much as we did. Let us know if you have any questions and, as always, we will try our best to help.