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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. 241 Безликие иммерсивное шоу
    Venues Known locally

    Безликие иммерсивное шоу

    Bezlikie (The Faceless) is an immersive theater performance located in a historic mansion on the Palace Embankment in St...

  2. 242 Yegipetskiy Dom
    Places of interest Known locally

    Yegipetskiy Dom

    Yegipetskiy Dom, or the Egyptian House, is a notable residential building constructed in 1913 by architect Mikhail Sonin...

  3. 243 Prikhod Materi Bozhiyey Lurdskoy Rimsko-Katolicheskoy Tserkvi V Sankt-Peterburge
    Temples Known locally

    Prikhod Materi Bozhiyey Lurdskoy Rimsko-Katolicheskoy Tserkvi V Sankt-Peterburge

    The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Saint Petersburg is a prominent Roman Catholic parish designed in the Northern Mode...

  4. 244 Admiralty Fountain
    Places of interest Known locally

    Admiralty Fountain

    The Admiralty Fountain is situated in the Alexander Garden, directly fronting the gilded spire of the Admiralty building...

  5. 245 Minizoopark Imeni Cheburashki
    Zoos Known locally

    Minizoopark Imeni Cheburashki

    Minizoopark Imeni Cheburashki is a small-scale petting zoo located within the Primorsky Victory Park on Krestovsky Islan...

  6. 246 Krestovsky Island
    Natural attractions Known locally

    Krestovsky Island

    Krestovsky Island is a sprawling parkland located in the Neva delta that serves as a primary hub for professional sports...

  7. 247 Hygiene Museum
    Museums Known locally

    Hygiene Museum

    The Hygiene Museum in St. Petersburg is housed within the historic Shuvalov Mansion on Italyanskaya Street. Originally f...

  8. 248 Muzey Illyuziy
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey Illyuziy

    Muzey Illyuziy is an interactive optical illusion museum located on Bol'shaya Morskaya Ulitsa in St. Petersburg. The exh...

  9. 249 Staro-Manezhnyy Sad
    Parks Known locally

    Staro-Manezhnyy Sad

    Staro-Manezhnyy Sad is a compact, urban green space located in the historic center of St. Petersburg adjacent to the Man...

  10. 250 The relics of St. Ioanna Kronshtadtskogo
    Temples Known locally

    The relics of St. Ioanna Kronshtadtskogo

    The relics of St. Ioanna Kronshtadtskogo are housed within the Ioannovsky Convent, located on the embankment of the Karp...

  11. 251 Park Dekabristov
    Parks Known locally

    Park Dekabristov

    Park Dekabristov is a memorial green space located on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg, dedicated to the participant...

  12. 252 Культурный центр ГУ МВД по Санкт-Петербургу и Ленинградской области
    Places of interest Known locally

    Культурный центр ГУ МВД по Санкт-Петербургу и Ленинградской области

    The Cultural Center of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Reg...

  13. 253 Ploshchadka Skorokhod
    Places of interest Known locally

    Ploshchadka Skorokhod

    Ploshchadka Skorokhod is an independent contemporary art and performance space located within the historic Skorokhod fac...

  14. 254 Lego museum Polegon
    Museums Known locally

    Lego museum Polegon

    Lego museum Polegon is a specialized exhibition space located on Zagorodnyy Prospekt in St Petersburg, Russia. The museu...

  15. 255 Museum of Theatre and Music
    Museums Known locally

    Museum of Theatre and Music

    The Saint Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music is housed within the historic former Directorate of the Imperial...

  16. 256 Pravoslavnyy Dramaticheskiy Teatr Strannik
    Venues Known locally

    Pravoslavnyy Dramaticheskiy Teatr Strannik

    Pravoslavnyy Dramaticheskiy Teatr Strannik is an independent theater company in St. Petersburg operating under the missi...

  17. 257 Sampsoniyevskiy Sobor
    Temples Known locally

    Sampsoniyevskiy Sobor

    Sampsoniyevskiy Sobor is a historic Russian Orthodox cathedral in St. Petersburg, commissioned by Peter the Great to com...

  18. 258 Памятник Коту и Кошке
    Places of interest Known locally

    Памятник Коту и Кошке

    The Elisha and Vasilisa cat monuments are two bronze sculptures located on the pedestals of buildings along Malaya Sadov...

  19. 259 Dom Vverkh Dnom
    Amusement parks Known locally

    Dom Vverkh Dnom

    Dom Vverkh Dnom, or the Upside Down House, is an interactive illusion attraction located on Nevsky Prospect in Saint Pet...

  20. 260 Joki Joya
    Amusement parks Known locally

    Joki Joya

    Joki Joya at Piterland is a large-scale indoor active leisure park located within the Piterland shopping and entertainme...

  21. 261 Dk Kirova
    Places of interest Known locally

    Dk Kirova

    DK Kirova, also known as the Palace of Culture named after S.M. Kirov, is a prominent example of constructivist architec...

  22. 262 Выставочный центр Санкт-Петербургского союза художников
    Museums Known locally

    Выставочный центр Санкт-Петербургского союза художников

    The Exhibition Center of the Saint Petersburg Union of Artists is located on Bolshaya Morskaya Ulitsa in a historic buil...

  23. 263 Narvskaya Zastava
    Museums Known locally

    Narvskaya Zastava

    Narvskaya Zastava is a municipal museum in St. Petersburg dedicated to the history of the Narva district and the industr...

  24. 264 Monument to the victims of political repressions
    Historical places Known locally

    Monument to the victims of political repressions

    The Monument to the Victims of Political Repressions, also known as the Sphinxes of St. Petersburg, stands on the Voskre...

  25. 265 Небольшой драматический театр
    Venues Known locally

    Небольшой драматический театр

    Nebolshoy Dramaticheskiy Teatr, founded by Lev Erenburg in 1999, is an acclaimed St. Petersburg theater known for its em...

  26. 266 Muzey-Kvartira A. A. Bloka
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey-Kvartira A. A. Bloka

    The A. A. Blok Museum-Apartment is the only state museum in Russia dedicated to the life and work of the Silver Age poet...

  27. 267 Pamyatnik Ostapu Benderu
    Places of interest Known locally

    Pamyatnik Ostapu Benderu

    The bronze monument of Ostap Bender, the iconic conman from Ilf and Petrov’s satirical novels, stands at the entrance of...

  28. 268 The House of Julian Bak
    Historical places Known locally

    The House of Julian Bak

    The House of Julian Bak, located on Kirochnaya Ulitsa in St. Petersburg, is a prime example of the Northern Art Nouveau...

  29. 269 St Petersburg Puppet Museum
    Museums Known locally

    St Petersburg Puppet Museum

    The St Petersburg Puppet Museum is one of the few museums in the world dedicated to the history and artistry of puppetry...

  30. 270 Muzey Khleba
    Museums Known locally

    Muzey Khleba

    The Museum of Bread in St. Petersburg explores the cultural and historical significance of bread production in Russia fr...

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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.