Top places to visit in St. Petersburg

• State Hermitage Museum

  Museum · 4.8 rating · about 4 h · entry ₽800 (≈ ₹910)

  The world's largest art museum — 3 million objects in the Winter Palace and four adjoining buildings, including the finest Impressionist collection outside Paris and Leonardo's Benois Madonna.

• Peterhof Palace & Fountains

  Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 5 h · entry ₽1,500 (≈ ₹1,710)

  Peter the Great's 'Russian Versailles' — a UNESCO World Heritage coastal palace with 64 fountains fed entirely by natural springs, including the Grand Cascade and the Samson Fountain.

• Nevsky Prospekt

  Cultural · 4.7 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate

  St Petersburg's great boulevard — a 4.5km sweep of Baroque and Neoclassical palaces, churches, luxury shops and literary cafés that has been the city's spine since 1712.

• Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

  church · 4.8 rating · about 1.5 h · entry ₽600 (≈ ₹680), Adult RUB 600; closed Wednesday

  The extraordinary 1907 Russian Revival church built on the exact spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881 — its interior is covered in 7,000m² of intricate mosaics.

• Catherine Palace (Tsarskoe Selo)

  Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 4 h · entry ₽1,200 (≈ ₹1,370)

  The stunning turquoise-and-gold Baroque palace of Tsarskoe Selo, 25km south of the city — with the restored Amber Room (destroyed in WWII, rebuilt from scratch) and enormous park.

• Peter and Paul Fortress

  Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 2 h · entry ₽500 (≈ ₹570)

  The founding structure of St Petersburg (1703), with the gilded spire of the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul — the burial place of every Russian tsar from Peter the Great to Nicholas II.

• St. Isaac's Cathedral

  church · 4.7 rating · about 1.5 h · entry ₽350 (≈ ₹400)

  St Petersburg's dominant landmark — a 101m gilded dome cathedral completed in 1858 after 40 years of construction, with 100-kilogram gold-plated columns and a panoramic colonnade.

• Palace Square (Dvortsovaya Ploshchad)

  Cultural · 4.7 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate

  St Petersburg's grandest square — the stage for the 1917 Revolution and October siege, centred on the 47.5m Alexander Column, the tallest single-piece column in the world.

• Peterhof Lower Park (fountains walk)

  Nature · 4.8 rating · about 3 h · entry ₽700 (≈ ₹800)

  The Lower Park of Peterhof alone — 64 fountains fed entirely by natural spring pressure over 5km of waterfront between the Grand Palace and the Gulf of Finland.

• Kazan Cathedral

  church · 4.7 rating · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate

  The 1811 Russian Orthodox cathedral modelled on St Peter's in Rome, with a colonnade of 96 columns, the tomb of Field Marshal Kutuzov and Napoleon's captured battle flags.

• Bronze Horseman (Falconet Statue)

  Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 0.3 h · check the fee at the gate

  The 1782 equestrian statue of Peter the Great on Senate Square — Russia's most famous monument, immortalised in Pushkin's poem, rearing above the 1,625-tonne Thunder Stone.

• St. Petersburg White Nights Festival

  Cultural · 4.9 rating · check the fee at the gate

  The legendary cultural phenomenon of June–July when St Petersburg's northern latitude produces 24-hour twilight, transforming the city into a month-long open-air festival.

Things to do

• Hermitage Museum Tour Museum · 4 h · from RUB 1,700 per person
• Peterhof Palace & Gardens Museum · 5 h · from RUB 2,700 per person
• Catherines Palace & Amber Room Museum · 5 h · from RUB 2,900 per person
• Church of the Spilled Blood Heritage · 1.3 h · from RUB 850 per person
• Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Show · 3 h · from RUB 6,000 per person
• Neva River Cruise Boat · 1.5 h · from RUB 1,500 per person
• White Nights Boat Tour Boat · 3 h · from RUB 2,700 per person
• Yusupov Palace & Rasputin Museum · 2 h · from RUB 1,500 per person

Day trips and tours

• Peterhof Grand Palace & Fountains Day Trip 5 h · from RUB 4,500
• Catherine Palace & Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo) 5 h · from RUB 5,000
• St. Petersburg City Highlights Tour 7 h · from RUB 3,500
• Kronstadt Naval Fortress Day Trip 6 h · from RUB 3,800

Where to stay in St. Petersburg

• Nevsky Prospekt & Historic Centre about RUB 9,000 per night

  The main artery of St. Petersburg, walkable to nearly every major sight, lined with shops, cafes and palaces. Best base for first-time visitors.

• Admiralteysky & Palace Square about RUB 14,000 per night

  Imperial heart around the Winter Palace and St Isaac's Cathedral; grand architecture and the Neva embankment.

• Vasilyevsky Island about RUB 7,000 per night

  Historic university quarter with grid streets, the Spit (Strelka) and museums; calmer, residential feel with good value.

• Petrogradsky about RUB 6,500 per night

  Leafy Style-Moderne district around Peter and Paul Fortress, with the Petrogradskaya nightlife strip and good metro links.

Hotels

• Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace 5-star · INR 22,000 to INR 85,000 per night
• Hotel Astoria St Petersburg 5-star · INR 10,000 to INR 22,000 per night
• Belmond Grand Hotel Europe 5-star · INR 22,000 to INR 85,000 per night
• Kempinski Hotel Moika 22 5-star · INR 9,500 to INR 22,000 per night
• Hotel Lotte St Petersburg 5-star · INR 8,000 to INR 18,000 per night
• Hotel Trezzini Palace 5-star · INR 5,500 to INR 12,000 per night

Where to eat

• Marketplace european, russian, brasserie · about RUB 1,200 per person
• Volkonsky french, bakery, brunch · about RUB 1,800 per person
• Pyshechnaya russian, traditional, bakery · about RUB 200 per person
• Cafe Singer european, russian, cafe · about RUB 2,200 per person
• Schastye european, russian, brasserie · about RUB 2,200 per person
• Restoran russian, modern, traditional · about RUB 3,500 per person
• Park Giuseppe italian, traditional · about RUB 3,500 per person
• Mansarda european, russian, modern · about RUB 5,500 per person

Getting to St. Petersburg

Airport: St. Petersburg (LED)

Getting around

• Bus
• Metro
• Walking

Safety and scams to avoid

• Fake Hermitage skip-the-line tickets

  Palace Square and approaches to the Winter Palace

  Touts and unofficial "guides" sell overpriced or fake skip-the-line tickets and tours near the entrance, claiming the official queue is hours long.

  How to avoid it: Buy only from the official Hermitage website or the on-site automated machines; the official queue moves faster than touts claim.

• Pickpockets on Nevsky Prospekt and the metro

  Nevsky Prospekt, Gostiny Dvor metro, crowded trams

  Teams work crowded pavements, escalators and packed metro cars, bumping you or creating a distraction while an accomplice lifts a wallet or phone.

  How to avoid it: Carry valuables in a front pocket or zipped bag; stay alert on packed escalators and at busy crossings.

• Taxi overcharging at Pulkovo airport and tourist spots

  Pulkovo Airport arrivals, taxi ranks near major sights

  Unmarked drivers quote inflated flat fares (often 2-4x) to tourists, especially from the airport, or run no meter.

  How to avoid it: Use the Yandex Go app for a fixed in-app fare instead of hailing drivers who approach you in the terminal.

• Friendly "let me show you" street scams

  Embankments, around the Bronze Horseman and Spilled Blood

  A stranger offers to take your photo or show a "special" viewpoint, then demands a tip or walks off with the phone/camera.

  How to avoid it: Politely decline unsolicited help; hand your phone only to people you trust.

• Currency exchange and ATM tricks

  Small exchange kiosks off Nevsky Prospekt

  Kiosks advertise a great headline rate but apply hidden commissions or short-change you; some skimming reported at standalone ATMs.

  How to avoid it: Exchange at banks (Sberbank, VTB) or use ATMs inside bank branches; count cash before leaving the window.

More in Russia

• Moscow
• Sochi
• Kazan
• Yekaterinburg
• Vladivostok
• Nizhny Novgorod

Frequently asked questions about St. Petersburg

What are the top-rated places to visit in St. Petersburg?

The highest-rated places in our St. Petersburg guide are St. Petersburg White Nights Festival, State Hermitage Museum, Peterhof Palace & Fountains, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Catherine Palace (Tsarskoe Selo).

Where should I stay in St. Petersburg?

Our guide covers these areas to stay in St. Petersburg: Nevsky Prospekt & Historic Centre, Admiralteysky & Palace Square, Vasilyevsky Island, Petrogradsky.

How do I get around St. Petersburg?

Ways to get around St. Petersburg covered in our guide: City bus, Metro, Walking.

What scams should I watch out for in St. Petersburg?

Scams reported to us for St. Petersburg include Fake Hermitage skip-the-line tickets; Pickpockets on Nevsky Prospekt and the metro; Taxi overcharging at Pulkovo airport and tourist spots. Each is explained in the guide, with how to avoid it.

Which airport is nearest to St. Petersburg?

The nearest airport to St. Petersburg has the code LED.