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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. 751 Art and decorative production of the Mariinsky Theatre
    Venues Hidden gem

    Art and decorative production of the Mariinsky Theatre

  2. 752 Tserkov' Petra Mitropolita
    Temples Hidden gem

    Tserkov' Petra Mitropolita

  3. 753 Gvardeyskiy Dvorik
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Gvardeyskiy Dvorik

  4. 754 Pamyatnik 300 Letiyu Sankt-Peterburga Ot Urala
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Pamyatnik 300 Letiyu Sankt-Peterburga Ot Urala

  5. 755 Pamyatnik Voinam Oktyabr'skoy Divizii Narodnogo Opolcheniya
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Pamyatnik Voinam Oktyabr'skoy Divizii Narodnogo Opolcheniya

  6. 756 Shlyapnyy Salon
    Museums Hidden gem

    Shlyapnyy Salon

  7. 757 Muzey Istorii Spb. Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta
    Museums Hidden gem

    Muzey Istorii Spb. Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta

  8. 758 Matisov Most
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Matisov Most

  9. 759 Stella Tkachenko ME
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Stella Tkachenko ME

  10. 760 Pamyatnik Geroyu Sovetskogo Soyuza Zoye Kosmodem'yanskoy
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Pamyatnik Geroyu Sovetskogo Soyuza Zoye Kosmodem'yanskoy

  11. 761 Grebnoy Most
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Grebnoy Most

  12. 762 Alyye Parusa
    Venues Hidden gem

    Alyye Parusa

  13. 763 House Z.N.Yusupovoy
    Historical places Hidden gem

    House Z.N.Yusupovoy

  14. 764 Muzey Proizvodstvennogo Ob"Yedineniya Arsenal Im. M. V. Frunze
    Museums Hidden gem

    Muzey Proizvodstvennogo Ob"Yedineniya Arsenal Im. M. V. Frunze

  15. 765 Pamyatnik V. I. Leninu
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Pamyatnik V. I. Leninu

  16. 766 Mineralogicheskiy Muzey Spbgu
    Museums Hidden gem

    Mineralogicheskiy Muzey Spbgu

  17. 767 Tuman Art Gallery
    Museums Hidden gem

    Tuman Art Gallery

  18. 768 Statuya Gerakla Farnezskogo
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Statuya Gerakla Farnezskogo

  19. 769 river Moika
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    river Moika

  20. 770 Art space "Tavriklend"
    Venues Hidden gem

    Art space "Tavriklend"

  21. 771 Pamyatnik Komitasu
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Pamyatnik Komitasu

  22. 772 Volkovskoye Lutheran Cemetery
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Volkovskoye Lutheran Cemetery

  23. 773 Pisatel'skiy Dom
    Museums Hidden gem

    Pisatel'skiy Dom

  24. 774 Stela with marks of floods
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Stela with marks of floods

  25. 775 The arrival of the church of Our Lady of Sorrows "Burning Bush"
    Temples Hidden gem

    The arrival of the church of Our Lady of Sorrows "Burning Bush"

  26. 776 Pamyatnik Fedoru Uglovu
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Pamyatnik Fedoru Uglovu

  27. 777 Aleksandr Matrosov Monument
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Aleksandr Matrosov Monument

  28. 778 Monument to Nikolai Nekrasov
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Monument to Nikolai Nekrasov

  29. 779 Kukhonnyy Korpus
    Museums Hidden gem

    Kukhonnyy Korpus

  30. 780 Admiralteyets
    Venues Hidden gem

    Admiralteyets

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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.