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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. 481 Inter'yernyy Teatr
    Venues Hidden gem

    Inter'yernyy Teatr

    The Inter'yernyy Teatr (Interior Theater) is a specialized performing arts venue located on Nevsky Prospect in St. Peter...

  2. 482 Teatr-Studiya Sankt-Peterburgskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta
    Venues Hidden gem

    Teatr-Studiya Sankt-Peterburgskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta

    The Theatre-Studio of Saint Petersburg State University is an active student-run performing arts venue located at Nabere...

  3. 483 Памятник Императору Александру III
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Памятник Императору Александру III

    The Monument to Emperor Alexander III stands on Millionnaya Street in St Petersburg, relocated to the courtyard of the M...

  4. 484 Dom Kapustina
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Dom Kapustina

    Dom Kapustina is a historic residential building located along the Fontanka River Embankment in St Petersburg, Russia. B...

  5. 485 A.V.Suvorov statue
    Historical places Hidden gem

    A.V.Suvorov statue

    The A.V. Suvorov statue on Suvorovskaya Ploshchad in St. Petersburg honors Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov, one of Russi...

  6. 486 Stela "Leningrad"
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Stela "Leningrad"

    The Stela 'Leningrad' is a granite monument located in the Krasnoselsky District of St. Petersburg, officially designate...

  7. 487 Памятник Трубочисту
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Памятник Трубочисту

    The Chimneysweep Monument on Bolshaya Moskovskaya Ulitsa in St Petersburg depicts a traditional chimney sweep accompanie...

  8. 488 Grifony
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Grifony

    Grifony is a notable sculptural landmark featuring winged griffin statues located on the University Embankment in St Pet...

  9. 489 Glagol
    Venues Hidden gem

    Glagol

    Glagol is an independent cultural venue located at Ulitsa Kapitana Voronina 13 in St Petersburg, operating within a hist...

  10. 490 Nevskaya Panorama
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Nevskaya Panorama

    Nevskaya Panorama is an elevated walkway situated on the ramparts of the Naryshkin and Gosudarev bastions within the Pet...

  11. 491 Muzey Kvartira Rasputina.
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Muzey Kvartira Rasputina.

    Muzey Kvartira Rasputina is the authentic apartment where Grigori Rasputin lived from 1914 until his assassination in 19...

  12. 492 Muzey Voskovykh Figur
    Museums Hidden gem

    Muzey Voskovykh Figur

    Muzey Voskovykh Figur is a wax figure museum located inside the historic grounds of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St Pe...

  13. 493 Храм Благовещения Пресвятой Богородицы
    Temples Hidden gem

    Храм Благовещения Пресвятой Богородицы

    The Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Primorskiy Prospekt in St Petersburg is a historic Russian...

  14. 494 Monument to General Prince Petru Ivanovichu Bagrationu
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Monument to General Prince Petru Ivanovichu Bagrationu

    The monument honors General Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, a Georgian-born prince and key military leader in the Russ...

  15. 495 Botkin S.p.
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Botkin S.p.

    Botkin S.p. in St. Petersburg refers to the historic clinical hospital campus named after the prominent Russian physicia...

  16. 496 Park
    Parks Hidden gem

    Park

    This green space situated along Zagorodnyy Prospekt in St Petersburg offers a quiet urban retreat near the historic Vite...

  17. 497 Skver Imeni V. F. Margelova
    Parks Hidden gem

    Skver Imeni V. F. Margelova

    Skver Imeni V. F. Margelova is a public green space located in the Primorsky District of St. Petersburg along Savushkina...

  18. 498 Cannon Shooting at Noon
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Cannon Shooting at Noon

    The daily noon cannon firing at the Peter and Paul Fortress is a long-standing Saint Petersburg tradition occurring at t...

  19. 499 Дуб Петра I
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Дуб Петра I

    Dub Petra I is a historic oak tree located on Krestovsky Island in Saint Petersburg, reportedly planted by Peter the Gre...

  20. 500 Art-Prostranstvo "Bublik"
    Museums Hidden gem

    Art-Prostranstvo "Bublik"

    Art-Prostranstvo Bublik is a creative loft space located on Ligovsky Avenue in St Petersburg, situated within a historic...

  21. 501 Novodevichy Cemetery
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Novodevichy Cemetery

    Novodevichy Cemetery in St. Petersburg is a historic necropolis founded in 1848, originally established to serve the adj...

  22. 502 Shuvalovskiy Dvorets
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Shuvalovskiy Dvorets

    The Shuvalovskiy Dvorets, or Shuvalov Palace, on the Fontanka River Embankment in St Petersburg houses the private Faber...

  23. 503 Monument to Mikhail Lomonosov
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Monument to Mikhail Lomonosov

    The Monument to Mikhail Lomonosov in St Petersburg stands on Mendeleevskaya Line on Vasilievsky Island, honoring the fou...

  24. 504 Chastnyy Muzey Fonografov I Grammofonov V.i.deryabkina
    Museums Hidden gem

    Chastnyy Muzey Fonografov I Grammofonov V.i.deryabkina

    The Private Museum of Phonographs and Gramophones, established by collector Vladimir Deryabkin, showcases an extensive c...

  25. 505 Dom S Bashnyami
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Dom S Bashnyami

    Dom S Bashnyami, known as the House with Towers, is a prominent architectural landmark located on Bolshoy Prospekt in St...

  26. 506 Velikoknyazheskaya Usypal'nitsa
    Museums Hidden gem

    Velikoknyazheskaya Usypal'nitsa

    The Velikoknyazheskaya Usypal'nitsa, or Grand Ducal Burial Vault, serves as the final resting place for members of the R...

  27. 507 Tserkov' Trokh Svyatiteley Vselenskikh
    Temples Hidden gem

    Tserkov' Trokh Svyatiteley Vselenskikh

    The Church of the Three Ecumenical Hierarchs is a historic Orthodox place of worship located on Vasilyevsky Island in Sa...

  28. 508 Svyato-Isidorovskaya Tserkov'
    Temples Hidden gem

    Svyato-Isidorovskaya Tserkov'

    The Svyato-Isidorovskaya Tserkov' is a distinctive Neo-Byzantine Orthodox church located at the confluence of the Kryuko...

  29. 509 Памятник Д. А. Трезини
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Памятник Д. А. Трезини

    The Monument to Domenico Trezzini is a bronze sculpture located at Trezzini Square on Vasilievsky Island in St. Petersbu...

  30. 510 Дом Матюшина М.В.
    Museums Hidden gem

    Дом Матюшина М.В.

    The Matyushin House is a wooden historical building in St. Petersburg that serves as a branch of the Museum of St. Peter...

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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.