Back to map
A
St Petersburg
Russia

Things to do in St Petersburg

1,064 attractions · Russia

Photo: Виктория Стрижова, CC BY-SA 4.0

Northwestern Federal District, Russia · 59.937, 30.314

About St Petersburg

St. Petersburg serves as Russia's cultural capital, constructed on a network of islands and canals in the Neva River delta. The city is renowned for its imperial architecture, best represented by the expansive State Hermitage Museum and the adjacent Winter Palace. Visitors often congregate at Palace Square to witness the neoclassical design of the city center. Meanwhile, the Savior on the Spilled Blood offers a distinct contrast with its traditional Russian mosaic-clad domes, while the Peter and Paul Fortress stands as the city's original citadel.

Good to know

  1. 1

    The city's historical center and related monument groups are collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to the integration of Baroque and Neoclassical architecture.

  2. 2

    During the summer months, the city experiences the 'White Nights,' a phenomenon where the sun barely sets, resulting in continuous twilight.

  3. 3

    The city's transit system contains some of the deepest metro stations in the world, with several stations built over 80 meters below the surface.

  4. 4

    St. Petersburg was constructed on reclaimed marshland, requiring the driving of millions of wooden piles into the soft ground to support its heavy stone buildings.

  5. 5

    The city's canal system, often called the 'Venice of the North,' features over 300 bridges connecting its various islands and river banks.

Plan your visit to St Petersburg

Best time to visit

June to early July, to coincide with the White Nights and the most favorable temperatures for canal exploration.

How many days

4-5 days, providing enough time to explore the major museums and nearby palace complexes.

Getting around

The city features an extensive metro system supplemented by an dense network of trams, trolleybuses, and marshrutka minibuses.

Where to stay

Stay in the Admiralteysky or Tsentralny districts to be within walking distance of the primary imperial sites and major transit hubs.

Budget

Mid-range; while luxury accommodation is available, local dining and public transport options are generally accessible for various budgets.

Top things to do in St Petersburg

The 1,064 most popular places in St Petersburg.

Filtered by
  1. 301 Muzey Peterburgskogo Metropolitena
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey Peterburgskogo Metropolitena

    The Museum of the St. Petersburg Metro is located in the Vasileostrovsky district and chronicles the technical history a...

  2. 302 Voyenno-Meditsinskiy Muzey
    Museums Known locally

    Voyenno-Meditsinskiy Muzey

    The Military Medical Museum in St. Petersburg houses one of the world's most extensive collections dedicated to the hist...

  3. 303 Tsentral'nyy Nauchno-Issledovatel'skiy Geologorazvedochnyy Muzey Imeni Akademika F.n. Chernysheva
    Museums Known locally

    Tsentral'nyy Nauchno-Issledovatel'skiy Geologorazvedochnyy Muzey Imeni Akademika F.n. Chernysheva

    The F.N. Chernyshev Central Scientific Research Geological Museum is one of the world's oldest and largest geological in...

  4. 304 Tsentral'nyy Muzey Pochvovedeniya Im. V.v. Dokuchayeva
    Museums Known locally

    Tsentral'nyy Muzey Pochvovedeniya Im. V.v. Dokuchayeva

    The V.V. Dokuchaev Central Museum of Soil Science is one of the world's oldest and largest specialized soil museums, loc...

  5. 305 Monument To Sergei Mironovich Kirov
    Historical places Known locally

    Monument To Sergei Mironovich Kirov

    The Monument to Sergei Mironovich Kirov is a significant example of Soviet monumental sculpture located at the Kirov Squ...

  6. 306 Памятник крейсеру Киров
    Historical places Known locally

    Памятник крейсеру Киров

    The Kirov Cruiser Monument is a commemorative installation featuring the original 180mm main caliber gun turret salvaged...

  7. 307 Osobnyak.teatr
    Venues Known locally

    Osobnyak.teatr

    Osobnyak.teatr is an independent, non-repertory theater located in a historic mansion on Kamennoostrovsky Avenue in St....

  8. 308 Roman Catholic church of St. Stanislaus
    Temples Known locally

    Roman Catholic church of St. Stanislaus

    The Roman Catholic Church of St. Stanislaus is a historic neoclassical place of worship located in the Kolomna district...

  9. 309 Kirov Museum
    Museums Known locally

    Kirov Museum

    The Kirov Museum occupies the former apartment of Sergei Kirov, a high-ranking Bolshevik official who lived here from 19...

  10. 310 Музей искусства Санкт-Петербурга XX-XXI веков
    Museums Known locally

    Музей искусства Санкт-Петербурга XX-XXI веков

    The Museum of Art of St. Petersburg of the XX-XXI Centuries houses an extensive collection of over 3,000 artworks docume...

  11. 311 Sad Imeni 30-Letiya Oktyabrya
    Parks Known locally

    Sad Imeni 30-Letiya Oktyabrya

    Sad Imeni 30-Letiya Oktyabrya is a historic public park located in the Nevsky District of St. Petersburg. The name comme...

  12. 312 Gallery Kustanovich
    Museums Known locally

    Gallery Kustanovich

    Gallery Kustanovich is a private exhibition space dedicated to the works of contemporary Russian artist Dmitry Kustanovi...

  13. 313 Sampsoniyevskiy Sad
    Parks Known locally

    Sampsoniyevskiy Sad

    Sampsoniyevskiy Sad is a historical public garden situated in the Vyborgsky District of Saint Petersburg. The park serve...

  14. 314 Pionerskiy Garden
    Parks Known locally

    Pionerskiy Garden

    Pionerskiy Garden is a localized urban green space in the Vyborgsky District of St. Petersburg, situated at the intersec...

  15. 315 Inzhenernyy Zamok
    Historical places Known locally

    Inzhenernyy Zamok

    Inzhenernyy Zamok, also known as St. Michael's Castle, is a former royal residence commissioned by Emperor Paul I. The b...

  16. 316 Rekord, Dom Molodozhi
    Places of interest Known locally

    Rekord, Dom Molodozhi

    Rekord, Dom Molodozhi is a multi-functional youth center located in the historic Kolomna district of St. Petersburg. The...

  17. 317 Zdaniye Dvenadtsati Kollegiy
    Places of interest Known locally

    Zdaniye Dvenadtsati Kollegiy

    The Zdaniye Dvenadtsati Kollegiy, or Building of the Twelve Collegia, is an 18th-century architectural ensemble comprisi...

  18. 318 Moscow Triumphal Gate
    Places of interest Known locally

    Moscow Triumphal Gate

    The Moscow Triumphal Gate is a monumental neoclassical arch in St. Petersburg, erected between 1834 and 1838 to commemor...

  19. 319 Teatr Dozhdey
    Venues Known locally

    Teatr Dozhdey

    Teatr Dozhdey, or Rain Theater, is a professional independent theater located on the Fontanka River Embankment in St. Pe...

  20. 320 Scientific-research Museum of the Russian Academy of Arts
    Museums Known locally

    Scientific-research Museum of the Russian Academy of Arts

    The Scientific-research Museum of the Russian Academy of Arts is housed within the historic Imperial Academy of Arts bui...

  21. 321 Chess Yard
    Places of interest Known locally

    Chess Yard

    Chess Yard, located in the historic center of St. Petersburg at Zagorodnyy Prospekt 28, is a localized urban public spac...

  22. 322 Pamyatnik Sergeyu Dovlatovu
    Historical places Known locally

    Pamyatnik Sergeyu Dovlatovu

    The monument to Sergei Dovlatov on Rubinstein Street is a life-sized bronze sculpture depicting the celebrated Russian w...

  23. 323 Tserkov' Svyatogo Velikomuchenika I Tselitelya Panteleymona
    Temples Known locally

    Tserkov' Svyatogo Velikomuchenika I Tselitelya Panteleymona

    Tserkov' Svyatogo Velikomuchenika I Tselitelya Panteleymona, commonly known as the Panteleimon Church, is a distinctive...

  24. 324 Khram Svyatykh Pravednykh Simeona Bogopriimtsa I Anny Prorochitsy Goroda Sankt-Peterburga
    Temples Known locally

    Khram Svyatykh Pravednykh Simeona Bogopriimtsa I Anny Prorochitsy Goroda Sankt-Peterburga

    The Church of Saints Simeon and Anna is a prominent example of Petrine Baroque architecture, commissioned by Empress Ann...

  25. 325 City Area
    Places of interest Known locally

    City Area

    City Area, located on Mytninskaya Naberezhnaya in St. Petersburg, serves as a prominent waterfront promenade along the M...

  26. 326 Tolstoy House
    Historical places Known locally

    Tolstoy House

    Tolstoy House is a prominent early 20th-century apartment complex built between 1910 and 1912 by architect Fyodor Lidval...

  27. 327 Ushakov Bridge
    Places of interest Known locally

    Ushakov Bridge

    The Ushakov Bridge is a bascule bridge crossing the Bolshaya Nevka River, connecting Kamenny Island and Vyborgsky Distri...

  28. 328 Izumrudnyy Gorod
    Places of interest Known locally

    Izumrudnyy Gorod

    Izumrudnyy Gorod is a thematic children's playground located in the inner courtyard of a residential area in the histori...

  29. 329 Square Shevchenko
    Parks Known locally

    Square Shevchenko

    Square Shevchenko is a small urban green space located in the Petrogradsky District of St. Petersburg. The site features...

  30. 330 Pravoslavnaya Tserkov' Svyatoy Blazhennoy Ksenii Peterburgskoy
    Temples Known locally

    Pravoslavnaya Tserkov' Svyatoy Blazhennoy Ksenii Peterburgskoy

    The Church of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg on Lakhtinskaya Street is a distinctive religious site dedicated to one of the...

Explore by category

Jump straight to what you're into.

St Petersburg on the map

Top attractions plotted across the city.

Open full map
Open full map

Frequently asked

How many attractions are there in St Petersburg?

Aventuro lists 1,064 curated attractions in and around St Petersburg, sorted by popularity.

What's the top attraction in St Petersburg?

Palace Square is the most popular place to visit in St Petersburg right now.

What kind of attractions does St Petersburg have?

The largest category is museums, with 279 places to explore.

Which other cities are worth visiting nearby?

Travellers also explore Moscow, Kazan, Novosibirsk.