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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.

Filtered by
  1. 781 Khram Voskreseniya Slovushchego
    Temples Hidden gem

    Khram Voskreseniya Slovushchego

  2. 782 Periodic Table of Mendeleev
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Periodic Table of Mendeleev

  3. 783 River St. Petersburg tram
    Museums Hidden gem

    River St. Petersburg tram

  4. 784 circus came
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    circus came

  5. 785 Synagogue "Shaarei Shalom"
    Temples Hidden gem

    Synagogue "Shaarei Shalom"

  6. 786 Klub Morskogo Korpusa Petra Velikogo
    Museums Hidden gem

    Klub Morskogo Korpusa Petra Velikogo

  7. 787 Sobstvennyy Dokhodnyy Dom A. F. Bubyrya
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Sobstvennyy Dokhodnyy Dom A. F. Bubyrya

  8. 788 Osobnyak Kolobovykh
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Osobnyak Kolobovykh

  9. 789 Dom F.m.dostoyevskogo
    Museums Hidden gem

    Dom F.m.dostoyevskogo

  10. 790 Obelisk Na Meste Pokusheniya Na Stolypina
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Obelisk Na Meste Pokusheniya Na Stolypina

  11. 791 Chasovnya Vo Imya Aleksandra Nevskogo
    Temples Hidden gem

    Chasovnya Vo Imya Aleksandra Nevskogo

  12. 792 Kolonny Slavy
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Kolonny Slavy

  13. 793 Pamyatnik Sobchaku
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Pamyatnik Sobchaku

  14. 794 Pamyatnaya Doska Letchiku Gubinu
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Pamyatnaya Doska Letchiku Gubinu

  15. 795 Palomnicheskaya Sluzhba Sreteniye
    Temples Hidden gem

    Palomnicheskaya Sluzhba Sreteniye

  16. 796 Muzey Voskovykh Figur
    Museums Hidden gem

    Muzey Voskovykh Figur

  17. 797 Svyatyye Blagovernyye Petr I Fevroniya Muromskiye
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Svyatyye Blagovernyye Petr I Fevroniya Muromskiye

  18. 798 Rusalochka
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Rusalochka

  19. 799 Osobnyak F. L. Mertensa
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Osobnyak F. L. Mertensa

  20. 800 Stoyanka "Badayevo"
    Parks Hidden gem

    Stoyanka "Badayevo"

  21. 801 S"Yezzhiy Dom Spasskoy Chasti
    Historical places Hidden gem

    S"Yezzhiy Dom Spasskoy Chasti

  22. 802 Sankt-Peterburgskiy Dramaticheskiy Teatr "Vizavi"
    Venues Hidden gem

    Sankt-Peterburgskiy Dramaticheskiy Teatr "Vizavi"

  23. 803 Chasovnya Nikolaya Chudotvortsa Na Nikol'skom Kladbishche
    Temples Hidden gem

    Chasovnya Nikolaya Chudotvortsa Na Nikol'skom Kladbishche

  24. 804 Krug
    Venues Hidden gem

    Krug

  25. 805 Trikster
    Museums Hidden gem

    Trikster

  26. 806 Ushinskij Monument
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Ushinskij Monument

  27. 807 Monument to Alexander Pushkin
    Historical places Hidden gem

    Monument to Alexander Pushkin

  28. 808 Muzey Istorii Voysk Voyennogo Okruga
    Museums Hidden gem

    Muzey Istorii Voysk Voyennogo Okruga

  29. 809 Smotrovaya Ploshchadka S Vidom Na Finskiy Zaliv
    Places of interest Hidden gem

    Smotrovaya Ploshchadka S Vidom Na Finskiy Zaliv

  30. 810 Takoy Teatr
    Venues Hidden gem

    Takoy Teatr

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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.