Things To Do In St. Petersburg Russia
St. Petersburg in Russia is a city that will surprise you with it’s European charm, fascinating history, and charming palaces. You could easily spend a week or more here exploring this beautiful city, since there are so many things to do in St. Petersburg!
Here is a list of things we loved doing during our visit to St. Petersburg :
table of contents
Savior on the spilled blood
This candy colored cathedral, built by Alexander III to honor his father who was assassinated, took 24 years to build due to it’s complex architecture. It was also crowdfunded in a way, since a large part of the building budget was made up of donations from the general public.
The first thing you’ll notice about this cathedral are the zany and fun colored domes! Five of them are covered in enameled copper plating while the other four are covered in gold plated copper.
While the exterior is quite amazing, it’s totally worth going inside with a guide to check out the gorgeous interior as well! Inside, you’ll see so many colorful mosaics and decorations made with semi precious stones.
Some fun facts about Savior on the Spilled Blood:
Many people think that St. Basils Cathedral in Moscow was built by the same architect, but they were in fact different!
This stunning cathedral wasn’t always used for religion. In World War II it was used as a vegetable warehouse, earning it the nickname ‘Savior on the Potatoes’. After the war, it was used as storage space for the Mikhailovsky Theatre. It wasn’t until 1997 that it reopened to the public, after a long restoration.
They also call it the indestructible cathedral because after many tries to demolish it, the cathedral never went down. For example, right before World War II, it was going to be destroyed but all the explosive experts were sent to the front line instead. Several German bombs were dropped on the cathedral, never exploded, and were found later during renovations.
Nearest Metro Stop:
Nevsky Prospect
Hours:
Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, except Wednesdays.
Entrance fee:
250 rubles or book with a private tour guide
State Hermitage Museum (Winter Palace)
One of the main landmarks of Saint Petersburg, Russia, the Winter Palace is part of the State Hermitage Museum and should be at the top of your list of things to do here.
One of the most famous sights is the opulent stairway entrance. You’ll really feel like a Romanov Tzar when you ascend these steps! Also, if you want to get the staircase alone, make sure to book a tour that lets you skip the line in the morning.
I didn’t know just how big the State Hermitage Museum was! There were literally endless rooms of artwork, sculptures, historical collections, and beautiful ornate furniture. On top of it all, each room had such intricate architecture and decoration.
With our special entrance tour that we did with Viking Cruises, we were able to enter the museum about 30 minutes before the general public. After about an hour, it did start to get pretty crowded, so it was nice to have the museum to ourselves for the first hour! In my opinion, definitely worth booking a private tour for this!
Fun fact: there is an army of about 50 cats that work within the walls of the Hermitage catching rats, mice, and other vermin that love to chew on valuable paintings! There’s even a special holiday for animals on April 1.
Entrance fee:
300 rubles or book a private tour guide
Hours:
* Tuesday: 10.30 a.m — 6.30 p.m.
* Wednesday: 10.30 a.m. — 9 p.m.
* Thursday: 10.30 a.m — 6 p.m.
* Friday: 10.30 am. — 9 p.m.
* Saturday and Sunday: 10.30 a.m — 6.30 p.m
Nevsky Prospekt
The heartbeat and main avenue of St. Petersburg, Nevsky Prospekt is a perfect place to stroll around while taking in all the sights and sounds of the city.
I was surprised at how ‘Parisian’ the whole street felt!
Some of the highlights of Nevsky Prospekt include The Singer Building (Dom Knigi), Eliseyev Emporium, Aurora Cinema, and watching the boats float under the Anichkov Bridge.
Eliseyev Emporium
On Nevsky Prospekt, there is a lovely food emporium full of enchanting decor and Russian delicacies.
Once you’re inside, you’ll find a giant sitting area with a large pineapple overhead, colorful Art Deco everywhere, and a live piano player filling the area with beautiful music.
In the past, this was a place for high society to gather and sample foods from all over the world.
Nowadays, it’s a bit of a museum and place to soak in all the history.
There is definitely a wide selection of caviar and other Russian delicacies to choose from, if you desire.
Peterhof
The ‘Versailles of Russia’, Peterhof is a UNESCO World Heritage site about 30 kilometers west of St. Petersburg.
It was home to the Russian Tzars until the great revolution of 1917 and then was destroyed by German troops in World War II. After the war ended, restoration began, and continues to this day.
The main building you’ll want to check out is the Grand Palace, which was the former summer residence of the Russian Tzars.
After the Grand Palace, you’ll want to see the fountain system which is known for it’s beauty, complexity, and size.
The upper part is free to visit while the lower park needs a ticket and has a large collection of fountains and waterfalls.
Make sure to get a spot at the upper part of the fountain before the great show at 11 am, which involves up to 64 different synchronized fountains and 200 bronze statues.
How to get here:
Metro and bus:
* *From Avtovo metro station*: Minibuses 224, 300, 424 and 424-A. Buses: 200 and 210.
* *From Leninskiy Prospekt metro station*: Minibuses 103 (K-224) and 420.
* *From Prospekt Veteranov metro station*: Minibuses 343y and 639-б.
* *In Baltiyskiy train station*, you can also pick the commuter train to *New Peterhof*station and there are several buses that will take you in 10 minutes: buses number 344, 348, 350, 351, 352, 355 and 356).
You can also take use a ride share app such as Yandex Taxi or Gett. I found Gett to be cheaper and more reliable in Saint Petersburg.
Entrance Fee:
Grand Palace: 1000 rubles
Lower Park: 700 rubles
Recommended:
You’re better off joining a private tour that will pick you up from your hotel in St. Petersburg, give you a skip-the-line ticket, and have a tour guide that speaks your language.
Either way, since Peterhof gets very crowded, it’s best to buy your ticket in advance. You can buy your tickets from the Peterhof online ticket site - but as with most Russian sites - the process is quite confusing.
Chesme Church
A bit off the radar, but totally worth checking out - this pastel pretty church resembles a beautifully decorated wedding cake!
The origins of the church come from 1770 when the Russian fleet defeated the Turkish navy and Catherine II commissioned construction. She also visited this church many times.
It is one of the few churches that has remained intact through the many periods of religious revolution and wartime bombing.
The easiest way to get here is via ride share (Gett or Yandex Taxi) or with an official taxi.
Saint Petersburg Mosque
Open since 1913, this colorful and intricately designed mosque takes its design cues from the mosques in Uzbekistan. At one time, it was the largest mosque in Europe outside of Turkey!
You can still visit the mosque, but you’ll need to arrange a tour with the mosque in advance.
Otherwise, the exterior is quite spectacular and worth the trip!
How to get here:
Take the metro stop to Gorkovskaya and walk 5 mins.
Vintage Camera Shop PhotoLubitel
If you’re in the market for vintage cameras, Russia is home to a fantastic vintage camera scene.
One of the best places in St. Petersburg to shop for them is PhotoLubitel, right off of Nevsky Prospekt.
They have a wide selection of Russian, British, American, German, and Japanese vintage film cameras, as well as modern digital cameras.
We visited a couple times to narrow down which ones we wanted and decided on a vintage Kodak swiveling camera. Such a beautiful piece of history!
Another cool part of this camera shop is that they were constantly busy with customers bringing in their old cameras for repair - it’s nice to know they aren’t just a showroom!
Saint Petersburg Metro
Avtovo Metro
Like Moscow, some of the St Petersburg Metro stations look like absolute underground palaces.
Two of my favorites are the Avtovo, pictured above, and Kirovsky Zavod stations.
The only cost would be the price of the metro ticket, which is pretty cheap!
If you want to get a shot of the metros without any people, go very early in the morning or late at night.
Catherine Palace
Yet another one of Russia’s iconic palaces and UNESCO World Heritage site - Catherine Palace is full of opulent rooms and decorations. The stucco facade and statues on the roof alone are covered in a staggering 100 kilos of gold!
Some of the highlights are the main ballroom and the famous Amber Room.
Fun facts:
The palace was looted by German troops during World War II. They dismantled and brought the Amber Room piece by piece to Königsberg Castle to be displayed. But near the end of the war, the transported Amber Room mysteriously disappeared, never to be found again.
Today’s Amber Room is a meticulous crafted duplicate with support from both German and Russian artists.
How to get here:
Private Tour:
The easiest way is booking a private tour to take you here from St. Petersburg.
Car:
Use Gett, Yandex Taxi, or a regular taxi. Gett is the cheapest option. Y
Metro + Bus:
Get to the Moskovskaya Metro Station and then catch the minibus (martshrutka) K-342 or K-545 to the palace.
Get to the Kupchino Metro station and then take the minibus K-286, K-342 or K-545 to the palace.
Train + bus:
From Vitebsky train station, buy the ticket to Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo) suburban train station.
From Pushkin train station catch the bus (number 371 or 382) or the minibus (marshrutka K-371, K-377 and K-38) to Catherine’s Palace
Tickets:
You can buy tickets online from the Tsarskoye Selo site.
An easier option would be to book a tour which includes transportation to/from, skip the line ticket, and tour guide.
Hours vary during winter and summer months, so it’s best to check the schedule online.
Mariinsky Theater
Ballet and Dance is one of the hallmarks of Russian culture, so a visit to the famous Mariinksy Theater is definitely in order if you’re in St Petersburg.
Opened in 1783 by Catherine the Great, the Mariinksy ballet troupe today is regarded as the best opera and ballet theater in all of Russia. ’Swan Lake’ is the most famous performance done here and has been staged here for over 120 years.
St. Isaac’s Cathedral
View of St Isaacs Cathedral from our room at Hotel Astoria
An important example of Russian neoclassical architecture - St. Isaac’s cathedral is centrally located and easy to visit in combination with the Hermitage Museum or during a walk on Nevsky Prospekt.
The luxurious interior is decorated with over 100 kilograms of gold and contains over 400 pieces of artwork.
It also has one of the largest domes in the world and is the second tallest Orthodox Church in the world at 101.5 meters high!
The Colonnade of the Cathedral, located in the dome, has amazing views of St. Petersburg and is worth the extra ticket fee.
Tickets:
Entrance fees are 350 rubles and an extra 200 rubles to go to the top of the Colonnade. To avoid the lines, it’s advised to buy tickets online from their website.
You can also book yourself a private tour which includes a skip-the-line ticket, the Colonnade, and a guide.
Hours:
Open daily from 10:30 am to 6 pm
