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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.

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  1. 331 Kvartira Sem'i Benua Muzey
    Museums Known locally

    Kvartira Sem'i Benua Muzey

    The Benois Family Apartment Museum is a dedicated memorial space located in the historic 19th-century building on Vasily...

  2. 332 Ulitsa Dzhona Lennona
    Places of interest Known locally

    Ulitsa Dzhona Lennona

    Ulitsa Dzhona Lennona is a dedicated alleyway located within the courtyard of the Pushkinskaya 10 Art Center in St. Pete...

  3. 333 Teatr Pokoleniy
    Venues Known locally

    Teatr Pokoleniy

    Teatr Pokoleniy (Theater of Generations) is an independent contemporary theater located in St Petersburg on Kurlyandskay...

  4. 334 Стадион РЖД(Стадион Локомотив)
    Venues Known locally

    Стадион РЖД(Стадион Локомотив)

    RZD Stadium, locally known as Lokomotiv Stadium, is a functional sports facility located in the Frunzensky District of S...

  5. 335 Podvor'ye Valaamskogo Stavropigial'nogo Monastyrya
    Temples Known locally

    Podvor'ye Valaamskogo Stavropigial'nogo Monastyrya

    The Podvor'ye of the Valaam Monastery serves as the official St. Petersburg representative office for the Valaam Transfi...

  6. 336 Theater at the Narva Gate
    Venues Known locally

    Theater at the Narva Gate

    The Theater at the Narva Gate is a professional puppet and children's theater located in the Kirovsky District of St. Pe...

  7. 337 Dacha Gausval'd
    Historical places Known locally

    Dacha Gausval'd

    Dacha Gausval'd is a prominent wooden villa located on Kamenny Island, noted for its unique combination of timber-frame...

  8. 338 Князь-Владимирский сквер
    Parks Known locally

    Князь-Владимирский сквер

    Knyaz-Vladimirsky Square is a historic urban green space situated directly adjacent to the Knyaz-Vladimirsky Cathedral o...

  9. 339 Санкт-Петербургский Драматический театр им. Графини С.В.Паниной
    Venues Known locally

    Санкт-Петербургский Драматический театр им. Графини С.В.Паниной

    The Countess S.V. Panina Drama Theatre is housed in the historic People's House building, originally commissioned by Cou...

  10. 340 Muzey Sotsialisticheskogo Byta
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey Sotsialisticheskogo Byta

    The Museum of Socialist Everyday Life in St. Petersburg offers a tactile exploration of Soviet-era domestic culture and...

  11. 341 Urban Gaming Бампербол Арчери Таг Лазертаг
    Amusement parks Known locally

    Urban Gaming Бампербол Арчери Таг Лазертаг

    Urban Gaming is an indoor recreation facility in St. Petersburg specializing in active team-based games including bubble...

  12. 342 Pamyatnik Geroicheskomu Komsomolu
    Historical places Known locally

    Pamyatnik Geroicheskomu Komsomolu

    The Pamyatnik Geroicheskomu Komsomolu, or Monument to the Heroic Komsomol, is a modernist Soviet sculpture located in th...

  13. 343 Voronikhinskiy Skver
    Parks Known locally

    Voronikhinskiy Skver

    Voronikhinskiy Skver is a landscaped public garden situated directly in front of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg....

  14. 344 Big Krestovsky Bridge
    Places of interest Known locally

    Big Krestovsky Bridge

    The Big Krestovsky Bridge is a reinforced concrete bridge in St. Petersburg spanning the Malaya Nevka River and connecti...

  15. 345 3-Y Yelagin Most. Vkhod V Tspkio.
    Places of interest Known locally

    3-Y Yelagin Most. Vkhod V Tspkio.

    The 3-Y Yelagin Most serves as the northern pedestrian entrance to the Kirov Central Culture and Leisure Park (TsPKiO) o...

  16. 346 Dom Kol'tso
    Historical places Known locally

    Dom Kol'tso

    Dom Kol'tso, located at Fontanka River Embankment 92, is a distinctive residential building in St. Petersburg known for...

  17. 347 Monument to Anna Akhmatova
    Places of interest Known locally

    Monument to Anna Akhmatova

    The Monument to Anna Akhmatova is a bronze sculpture located on Shpalernaya Ulitsa, situated directly across from the Kr...

  18. 348 Yelagin Ostrov
    Parks Known locally

    Yelagin Ostrov

    Yelagin Ostrov serves as the cultural heart of the Kirov Central Park of Culture and Leisure, occupying the entirety of...

  19. 349 Mimigranty
    Venues Known locally

    Mimigranty

    Mimigranty is a professional theater located on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg, specializing in experimental perfo...

  20. 350 Smolensk orthodox cemetery
    Places of interest Known locally

    Smolensk orthodox cemetery

    Established in 1738 on Vasilevsky Island, the Smolensk Orthodox Cemetery is one of Saint Petersburg's oldest and most hi...

  21. 351 Muzey-Kvartira Vladimira Vladimirovicha Nabokova
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey-Kvartira Vladimira Vladimirovicha Nabokova

    The Vladimir Nabokov Museum is situated in the former townhouse where the acclaimed author was born in 1899 and lived un...

  22. 352 Kresty Prison
    Museums Known locally

    Kresty Prison

    Kresty Prison is a historic correctional facility located on the Arsenal'naya Embankment in St. Petersburg, characterize...

  23. 353 Memorial'nyy Muzey-Kvartira N. A. Nekrasova
    Museums Known locally

    Memorial'nyy Muzey-Kvartira N. A. Nekrasova

    The Memorial Museum-Apartment of N. A. Nekrasov preserves the living space where the famous Russian poet lived and worke...

  24. 354 Drama Theatre "Island"
    Venues Known locally

    Drama Theatre "Island"

    Drama Theatre Island is a professional chamber theater located in the historical Petrograd district of St. Petersburg. F...

  25. 355 Tserkov' Rozhdestva Ioanna Predtechi
    Temples Known locally

    Tserkov' Rozhdestva Ioanna Predtechi

    Tserkov' Rozhdestva Ioanna Predtechi, also known as the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, is a notable exa...

  26. 356 Illyuzium
    Museums Known locally

    Illyuzium

    Illyuzium is an interactive exhibition space located in St. Petersburg, Russia, focusing on optical illusions and percep...

  27. 357 Музей печати СПб
    Museums Known locally

    Музей печати СПб

    The Museum of Printing in St. Petersburg is dedicated to the history of journalism, publishing, and printing technology...

  28. 358 Pamyatnik Blokadnomu Tramvayu
    Historical places Known locally

    Pamyatnik Blokadnomu Tramvayu

    The Pamyatnik Blokadnomu Tramvayu (Blockade Tram Monument) on Prospekt Stachek in St Petersburg commemorates the vital r...

  29. 359 Karlsson haus
    Venues Known locally

    Karlsson haus

    Karlsson Haus is a specialized puppet theater in St. Petersburg dedicated primarily to children's performances and inter...

  30. 360 Konyushennaya Square
    Places of interest Known locally

    Konyushennaya Square

    Konyushennaya Square is a historic urban space in central St. Petersburg that once served as the primary site for the im...

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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.