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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. 361 Muzey-Kvartira Sem'i Aktorov Samoylovykh
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey-Kvartira Sem'i Aktorov Samoylovykh

    The Samoylov Family Actors Museum Apartment is a memorial flat dedicated to the renowned theatrical dynasty that shaped...

  2. 362 Trogatel'nyy Zoopark
    Zoos Known locally

    Trogatel'nyy Zoopark

    Trogatel'nyy Zoopark in St. Petersburg is an interactive petting zoo designed specifically to allow direct physical cont...

  3. 363 "Poltory Komnaty" Muzey Iosifa Brodskogo
    Museums Known locally

    "Poltory Komnaty" Muzey Iosifa Brodskogo

    The 'Poltory Komnaty' (Room and a Half) Museum is the former communal apartment of Nobel Prize-winning poet Joseph Brods...

  4. 364 Kamennyy Most
    Places of interest Known locally

    Kamennyy Most

    Kamennyy Most, or Stone Bridge, is an 18th-century bridge crossing the Griboyedov Canal in St. Petersburg, notable for b...

  5. 365 Prikhod Uspeniya Presvyatoy Devy Marii
    Temples Known locally

    Prikhod Uspeniya Presvyatoy Devy Marii

    Prikhod Uspeniya Presvyatoy Devy Marii is a functioning Roman Catholic parish church located in the Admiralteysky Distri...

  6. 366 Dom Starukhi-Protsentshchitsy
    Historical places Known locally

    Dom Starukhi-Protsentshchitsy

    Dom Starukhi-Protsentshchitsy, or the House of the Old Woman Protsentshchitsy, is a literary landmark in St Petersburg a...

  7. 367 Ploshchad' Lomonosova
    Places of interest Known locally

    Ploshchad' Lomonosova

    Ploshchad' Lomonosova (Lomonosov Square) is a distinct architectural ensemble in St Petersburg, designed by the famed It...

  8. 368 Ораниенбаумский сад
    Parks Known locally

    Ораниенбаумский сад

    Oranienbaumsky Garden is a quiet urban green space situated on Petrogradsky Island in St. Petersburg. It serves as a loc...

  9. 369 Pamyatnik Vladimiru Mayakovskomu (Vladimir Mayakovsky Monument)
    Historical places Known locally

    Pamyatnik Vladimiru Mayakovskomu (Vladimir Mayakovsky Monument)

    The Vladimir Mayakovsky Monument stands in a small public square near the Liteyny Prospekt in St. Petersburg, commemorat...

  10. 370 Tayny Peterburga
    Venues Known locally

    Tayny Peterburga

    Tayny Peterburga (Secrets of Petersburg) is an interactive historical museum located on Nevsky Avenue in St Petersburg,...

  11. 371 Mediacenter of National Pushkin Museum
    Museums Known locally

    Mediacenter of National Pushkin Museum

    The Mediacenter of the National Pushkin Museum is a specialized cultural and educational branch located on the Fontanka...

  12. 372 Muzey-Kvartira I. I. Brodskogo
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey-Kvartira I. I. Brodskogo

    The I. I. Brodsky Apartment Museum is the former residence and workspace of Isaak Brodsky, a prominent Soviet realist pa...

  13. 373 Monument to Alexander Pushkin
    Historical places Known locally

    Monument to Alexander Pushkin

    The Monument to Alexander Pushkin is a bronze sculpture located at the center of Ploshchad' Iskusstv (Arts Square) in St...

  14. 374 Trubetskoy Bastion Prison
    Museums Known locally

    Trubetskoy Bastion Prison

    The Trubetskoy Bastion Prison is a specialized museum located within the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg that...

  15. 375 Tserkov' Svyatoy Velikomuchenitsy Yekateriny
    Temples Known locally

    Tserkov' Svyatoy Velikomuchenitsy Yekateriny

    The Church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine is a functioning Russian Orthodox church located on Kadetskaya Line on Vas...

  16. 376 Literatorskiye Mostki - Muzeynyy Nekropol'
    Museums Known locally

    Literatorskiye Mostki - Muzeynyy Nekropol'

    Literatorskiye Mostki, part of the Volkovo Cemetery, serves as a prominent necropolis for Russian intellectuals, scienti...

  17. 377 Tsar'-Plotnik
    Historical places Known locally

    Tsar'-Plotnik

    Tsar-Plotnik (Tsar the Carpenter) is a bronze monument on the Admiralty Embankment in St Petersburg commemorating Peter...

  18. 378 Museum of the History of Photography
    Museums Known locally

    Museum of the History of Photography

    The Museum of the History of Photography in St. Petersburg is a specialized institution dedicated to the evolution of ph...

  19. 379 Памятник Александру Невскому
    Historical places Known locally

    Памятник Александру Невскому

    The monument to Alexander Nevsky, unveiled in 2002, stands as the centerpiece of Alexander Nevsky Square in St. Petersbu...

  20. 380 Семейный парк Joki Joya
    Amusement parks Known locally

    Семейный парк Joki Joya

    Joki Joya on Morskaya Naberezhnaya is a large-scale indoor family activity park located in the western part of St. Peter...

  21. 381 Stadion "Moskovskiy"
    Venues Known locally

    Stadion "Moskovskiy"

    Stadion Moskovskiy is a historic sports complex located along Moskovskiy Prospekt in St Petersburg, operating under the...

  22. 382 Pamyatnik Peterburgskomu Fotografu
    Historical places Known locally

    Pamyatnik Peterburgskomu Fotografu

    The Pamyatnik Peterburgskomu Fotografu is a life-sized bronze sculpture located on Malaya Sadovaya Street in St. Petersb...

  23. 383 Begovelon
    Parks Known locally

    Begovelon

    Begovelon is an established neighborhood park located in the Frunzensky District of St. Petersburg. The site is primaril...

  24. 384 Sad Very Slutskoy
    Parks Known locally

    Sad Very Slutskoy

    Sad Very Slutskoy, also known as Vera Slutskaya Garden, is a public park located on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg...

  25. 385 Dmitrovskiy Skver
    Parks Known locally

    Dmitrovskiy Skver

    Dmitrovskiy Skver is a compact urban green space located along Stremyannaya Ulitsa in the Tsentralny District of St. Pet...

  26. 386 Stroganovskiy Sad
    Parks Known locally

    Stroganovskiy Sad

    Stroganovskiy Sad is a historical park located along the banks of the Bolshaya Nevka River in the Primorsky District of...

  27. 387 Chapel St. Saint Spyridon
    Temples Known locally

    Chapel St. Saint Spyridon

    The Chapel of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous is a small Orthodox religious structure located within the grounds of the St....

  28. 388 Novyy Planetariy
    Museums Known locally

    Novyy Planetariy

    Novyy Planetariy, also known as Planetarium 1, is located on the south bank of the Obvodny Canal in St Petersburg inside...

  29. 389 1-Y Zimniy Most
    Places of interest Known locally

    1-Y Zimniy Most

    The 1st Winter Bridge (1-y Zimniy Most) is a historic pedestrian bridge in St. Petersburg that spans the Winter Canal, c...

  30. 390 Pamyatnik Rastrelli
    Historical places Known locally

    Pamyatnik Rastrelli

    The Pamyatnik Rastrelli is a bronze monument dedicated to Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the preeminent architect responsible for...

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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.