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. 421 Leshtukov Most
    Places of interest Known locally

    Leshtukov Most

    Leshtukov Bridge is a single-span cast-iron pedestrian bridge crossing the Fontanka River in St. Petersburg. It connects...

  2. 422 Muzey Farfora I Shakhmat
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey Farfora I Shakhmat

    The Muzey Farfora I Shakhmat is a specialized private museum in St. Petersburg dedicated to the intersection of porcelai...

  3. 423 Sankt-Peterburgskiy Gorodskoy Teatr
    Venues Known locally

    Sankt-Peterburgskiy Gorodskoy Teatr

    The Saint Petersburg City Theater (Sankt-Peterburgskiy Gorodskoy Teatr) is located at Liteyniy Avenue 46 in the historic...

  4. 424 Dvor Lyubimykh Mul'tfil'mov
    Museums Known locally

    Dvor Lyubimykh Mul'tfil'mov

    The Dvor Lyubimykh Mul'tfil'mov, or 'Courtyard of Favorite Cartoons,' is a hidden public art space located in a resident...

  5. 425 Kolobov House
    Places of interest Known locally

    Kolobov House

    Kolobov House is a prominent historical apartment building located on Ulitsa Lenina in St Petersburg, Russia. Constructe...

  6. 426 Sankt-Peterburgskiy Gornyy Muzey
    Museums Known locally

    Sankt-Peterburgskiy Gornyy Muzey

    The St. Petersburg Mining Museum is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious museums dedicated to mineralogy, mini...

  7. 427 Muzey-Kvartira Alliluyevykh
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey-Kvartira Alliluyevykh

    The Muzey-Kvartira Alliluyevykh is a historic apartment museum located on the sixth floor of a residential building on 1...

  8. 428 Доходный дом купца М. Н. Полежаева 1915 г.
    Historical places Known locally

    Доходный дом купца М. Н. Полежаева 1915 г.

    The Polezhaev Apartment House is a prominent example of Neoclassical architecture in St. Petersburg, constructed in 1915...

  9. 429 Fontan U Kazanskogo Sobora
    Parks Known locally

    Fontan U Kazanskogo Sobora

    The Fountain at Kazan Cathedral is an architectural landmark situated in the heart of St Petersburg on Kazan Square. Des...

  10. 430 Pamyatnik Moryakam Podvodnikam
    Historical places Known locally

    Pamyatnik Moryakam Podvodnikam

    The Pamyatnik Moryakam Podvodnikam is a solemn memorial monument in St Petersburg dedicated to Soviet submariners who lo...

  11. 431 The garden of the Winter Palace
    Parks Known locally

    The garden of the Winter Palace

    The Winter Palace Garden, also known as the Palace Square Garden or the Alexander Garden area fronting the Hermitage, se...

  12. 432 Культурно-исторический центр "Дом Романовых"
    Museums Known locally

    Культурно-исторический центр "Дом Романовых"

    The Cultural and Historical Center House of Romanovs operates as a specialized venue for historical education, concert p...

  13. 433 Pozharno-Tekhnicheskaya Vystavka Im. B.i.konchayeva
    Museums Known locally

    Pozharno-Tekhnicheskaya Vystavka Im. B.i.konchayeva

    The Fire-Technical Exhibition Named After B.I. Konchayev is a specialized museum in St. Petersburg run by the Ministry o...

  14. 434 Portret Kharmsa
    Places of interest Known locally

    Portret Kharmsa

    Portret Kharmsa is a prominent street art mural located in St. Petersburg, depicting the Soviet absurdist poet Daniil Kh...

  15. 435 Bashnya Grifonov
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Bashnya Grifonov

    Bashnya Grifonov, or the Griffon Tower, is a brick structure located in a residential courtyard on Vasilievsky Island. T...

  16. 436 Tikhvin Cemetery
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Tikhvin Cemetery

    Tikhvin Cemetery, located within the Alexander Nevsky Monastery complex, serves as a necropolis for Russia's most promin...

  17. 437 Kruglyy Rynok
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Kruglyy Rynok

    Kruglyy Rynok, or the Round Market, is a historic circular commercial building located at 3 Moika River Embankment in St...

  18. 438 Pamyatnik Minonostsu "Steregushchiy"
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Pamyatnik Minonostsu "Steregushchiy"

    The Monument to the Destroyer Steregushchiy is a dramatic memorial in St. Petersburg dedicated to the heroic crew of the...

  19. 439 Smolenskoye Lyuteranskoye Kladbishche
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Smolenskoye Lyuteranskoye Kladbishche

    Smolenskoye Lutheran Cemetery is the oldest non-Orthodox cemetery in St Petersburg, established on Dekabristov Island in...

  20. 440 Gosudarstvennyy Muzey Istorii Sankt-Peterburga
    Museums Hidden gem

    Gosudarstvennyy Muzey Istorii Sankt-Peterburga

    The State Museum of History of St. Petersburg is anchored within the historic Peter and Paul Fortress on Zayachy Island....

  21. 441 Botnyy dom
    Museums Hidden gem

    Botnyy dom

    The Botnyy Dom (Boat House) is a neoclassical structure located within the Peter and Paul Fortress, built specifically t...

  22. 442 Khram-Chasovnya Svyatoy Troitsy
    Temples Hidden gem

    Khram-Chasovnya Svyatoy Troitsy

    The Church-Chapel of the Holy Trinity (Khram-Chasovnya Svyatoy Troitsy) on Petrovskaya Embankment is a striking Russian...

  23. 443 Pamyatnyy Znak O.f.berggol'ts
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Pamyatnyy Znak O.f.berggol'ts

    The Pamyatnyy Znak O.f.berggol'ts is a commemorative stele dedicated to the Soviet poet Olga Bergholz, located along the...

  24. 444 Monument to Zhambyl Zhabayev
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Monument to Zhambyl Zhabayev

    The Monument to Zhambyl Zhabayev honors the renowned Kazakh folk poet and akyn, situated in the quiet Dzhambul Pereulok...

  25. 445 Anna Nova Gallery, галерея современного искусства
    Museums Hidden gem

    Anna Nova Gallery, галерея современного искусства

    Anna Nova Gallery is a premier private gallery in St. Petersburg dedicated to contemporary art and experimental creative...

  26. 446 Khram Spasa Nerukotvornogo Obraza
    Temples Hidden gem

    Khram Spasa Nerukotvornogo Obraza

    The Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands on Konyushennaya Square in St Petersburg is deeply tied to the final hours of...

  27. 447 State Museum of Urban Sculpture
    Museums Hidden gem

    State Museum of Urban Sculpture

    The State Museum of Urban Sculpture is the only museum in Russia dedicated exclusively to urban monumental art. Located...

  28. 448 Muzey-Kvartira Yelizarovykh
    Museums Hidden gem

    Muzey-Kvartira Yelizarovykh

    The Yelizarov Memorial Museum is a historic apartment museum situated in Petrogradsky District, St Petersburg. It preser...

  29. 449 Monument to Marshal Zhukov
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Monument to Marshal Zhukov

    The Monument to Marshal Zhukov in St. Petersburg is a bronze equestrian statue honoring Georgy Zhukov, the most decorate...

  30. 450 Big Funny
    Amusement parks Hidden gem

    Big Funny

    Big Funny is an indoor entertainment complex located at Bol'shaya Morskaya Ulitsa, 1 in St Petersburg, Russia. It featur...

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.