Where to go in St. Petersburg - 30 sights and tips from locals

• Hey! My name is Tatyana.
• For about 20 years I have been living in St. Petersburg and I consider it necessary to warn you that ...

... now there will be a large (but structured) and emotional (but interesting) text. There is no other way to write about Peter!

I am happy to tell you about all the main attractions of St. Petersburg. I will also mention cafes, coffee shops, bars, without which Peter is not Peter (as for me). And I’ll give my parents ideas on how to keep the children busy in the city.

Attractions of St. Petersburg

Our whole city is so metropolitan, intellectual and sublime - here, even on the fences, Brodsky and Dovlatov are often quoted. Therefore, I am preparing the appropriate program. But I will dilute it a little with something unofficial :)

Any tourist arriving in St. Petersburg always faces one single problem. Which is not about what to see in St. Petersburg, but about how to do it all in 3 days (the standard term of tourists).

The answer is - difficult ... But you can try.

• First, I advise you to mark all points on the map in your phone. I use google maps or maps.me.
• Secondly, work out the route. I will give an approximate one after listing the iconic places.
• Thirdly, decide if you need an excursion. All St. Petersburg travel agencies go to online orders. They also offer walks on limited number of people - for example, for a family or company. Look on the Tripster or Sputnik8 website marked "individual"!

So, I divided the attractions by topic. The first will go:

"FOR CONCERNERS OF CULTURE AND ART"

It is believed that all "beginners" should definitely visit the following places in St. Petersburg. But I’ll tell you a secret, Petersburgers themselves go there very often.

Hermitage

The Hermitage is the St. Petersburg attraction number 1 for tourists from all over the world! There are 5 main complexes: the Main Museum Complex, the General Staff Building, the Winter Palace, the Menshikov Palace and the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory. In winter, another iconic location is added to Palace Square - the main New Year tree of St. Petersburg (it is certainly very beautiful in the evening with illumination, but how many people gather ... so we looked during the day, and remained intact).

If you are in the mood for a thoughtful visit to the Hermitage - even a shortened program is difficult to complete in 1 day - out of all 5 I would choose the General Staff Building. Perhaps because I like paintings and paintings more.

Ticket prices:

• At the box office or online - 500-600 rubles for the entrance to one complex.
• Third Thursday of every month - free admission for children under 18 and students.

Metro station: "Admiralteyskaya".

Working hours: Tue, Thu, Sun - 11.00-19.00; Wed, Fri, Sat - 11.00-20.00. Monday is a day off.

The Russian Museum

Russian art in all its glory and volume. Just like the main museums of St. Petersburg, it consists of several complexes. The main ones are the Mikhailovsky Palace and the Benois Wing.

Personally, I like the Russian Museum more, although there are “only one picture”. I strongly advise you to get to the Kuindzhi hall. His canvases are a must-see!

Ticket prices:

• Now sold online - the main complexes for 300-400 rubles each. Students, pensioners and children from 17 years old - 150-200 rubles.
• Free admission is provided for children under 16 (inclusive), and on the 18th of each month - to everyone under the age of 18 (not valid at the moment).

Metro station: Gostiny Dvor, Nevsky Prospect.

Working hours: Mon. - 10.00-20.00; Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun - 10.00-18.00; NS. - 13.00-21.00. Closed Tuesday.

Peter-Pavel's Fortress

The heart of the whole city, from which St. Petersburg began its history. Located on Hare Island. There are 2 main objects here - the Peter and Paul Cathedral and the Grand Ducal Burial Vault, as well as museums. Plus, there are many different expositions and open museum funds that change quite often.

It's great if you find yourself in the fortress around 12 noon. Every day, exactly at noon, a cannon shot is heard from the Naryshkin Bastion (yes, loudly).

If you like unusual sights, pay attention to the monument to Peter I by Mikhail Shemyakin. It is located opposite the Tomb, you will definitely not pass by (be guided by the crowd of tourists, amicably sparkling with flashes of photographic equipment).

And another personal recommendation. I really like to be on the beach of the Peter and Paul Fortress in the evening (it is indicated on the map). From here you can see the Palace Embankment, St. Isaac's Cathedral, and the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island.

Ticket prices:

• The entrance to the fortress is free.
• Peter and Paul Cathedral and the Grand Duke's tomb - adults 550 rubles, students 300 rubles.
• Complex ticket (cathedral, tomb, museum and several exhibitions) - adults 750 rubles, students 400 rubles.
• Free access everywhere is for preschool children, as well as for children under 18 on the third Thursday of each month.
• You can visit the Peter and Paul Fortress as part of an inexpensive walking and bus tour.

Metro station: "Gorkovskaya".

Working hours: entrance to the territory of the fortress itself - 10.00-20.00. All objects work in much the same way, but Wednesday is a day off.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral

Isaac's Cathedral - grandiose and beautiful! In good weather, its dome is visible even from some points of the remote sleeping areas of the city. And until now it is a measure of height when building a historical center - you cannot build higher.

Cool photos can be taken in the clearing in front of the cathedral - although it is beautiful both from the back and from the side - and from the rooms of the most Instagram hotel in St. Petersburg 5 * Astoria (for this you have to check in for the night :)).

Ticket prices:

• Adult ticket to the cathedral - 350 rubles, children 7-18 years old, pensioners and students - 100 rubles.
• Complex ticket cathedral + colonnade - 550 rubles.
• On the third Thursday of each month, free access is allowed for everyone under the age of 18 - but only to the cathedral.

Metro station: "Admiralteyskaya".

Working hours: 10.30-18.00, the cathedral is closed on Wednesdays, the colonnade is open seven days a week.

Savior on Blood (Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ)

Bright and elegant, built on the site of the tragic event, now it attracts a huge number of tourists every day. And the first thing that a tourist makes at the Savior on Spilled Blood after a photo is to go online and look for why it is so similar to St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

Ticket prices:

• Adults - 350 rubles, children 7-18 years old, pensioners and students - 100 rubles.

Metro station: "Nevsky Prospect" (exit to the Griboyedov Canal).

Working hours: 10.30-18.00, Wednesday - day off.

Pay attention, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Savior on Spilled Blood are temples-museums, but services are held there too. Therefore, it is better to come in appropriate clothing, especially in the summer period.

Kazan Cathedral

One of the most beautiful places in the city and a monument of military glory. It is the cathedral of the St. Petersburg diocese. The sun suits him very much - and in typical St. Petersburg weather with a gloomy sky and low brightness, the Kazan Cathedral looks gloomy.

The entrance to the cathedral is free.

Metro station: Gostiny Dvor, Nevsky Prospect, Admiralteyskaya.

Working hours: daily from 9.00 to 19.45.

Mariinskii Opera House

Opera and ballet in grand style! Beauty and splendor, the imperial box in a historic building on Theater Square, the splendor of the New Stage ...

Theaters, of course, are not the sights of St. Petersburg where you can go for free, but it's worth it. I advise you to book tickets in advance, usually everything is sold out long before the performance.And be prepared to spend a decent amount. Although I have met the lucky ones who went to the Nutcracker at the Mariinsky on New Year's Eve and inexpensively! But they are rarely found in nature :)

Ticket prices: depend on the performance, stage and location. On average, the cost of a production at the Mariinsky Theater itself is from 600 rubles to 5000 rubles per person.

Metro station: the nearest stations "Sadovaya" / "Sennaya" / "Spasskaya" (interchange), from the metro by bus # 70 or # 71.

Alexandrinsky theater

Most often, they go to drama performances here. And not even all Petersburgers know that ballet is also staged in Alexandrinsky 😉

Ticket prices: the cost of tickets for ordinary performances is from 400 rubles to 8000 rubles; ballet - from 900 rubles to 15,000 rubles.

Metro station: Gostiny Dvor.

BDT

Bolshoi Drama Theater. Tovstonogov. They do not go here to the performance, but to the actors!

Ticket prices: depend on the cast. The cost of a performance with the participation of Alisa Freindlich or Oleg Basilashvili is 3000-6000 rubles, other productions - 500-1500 rubles.

Metro station: the nearest stations are Zvenigorodskaya / Pushkinskaya, Spasskaya / Sennaya / Sadovaya. From the metro, the easiest way to get to the theater is on foot.

Let's move on to the next block.

"FOR LOVERS OF HIKING"

The sights of St. Petersburg are not only architectural monuments and other monumental things. In the nearest suburbs of St. Petersburg (and in the center) there are many places where you can go for a walk. Palace parks, squares, gardens and orchards.

Peterhof

Peterhof is a huge complex consisting of several parks. The most famous of them are Upper, Lower (with fountains) and Alexandria. If you don't spare your legs, you can get around everything in 1 day.

They say that the best time to go to the famous fountains is in the summer. But, you know, we were in the fall - and did not regret it, golden leaves complement the golden luxury of the fountains. Although the second time I would not return to Peterhof. A typical tourist already has where to go around kilometers in St. Petersburg, but here you cross out the whole day, or even the next one - from fatigue.

Information for fans of exhibitions and all kinds of exhibits: Peterhof also has museums that are definitely worth seeing. I would recommend the Grand Cascade Grottoes, the Bath Building and the Museum of the Fountain Business. The Great Peterhof Palace - at your discretion, like all the other Monplaisirs with Hermitages (local) - they take a lot of time, it is better to take a walk.

Ticket prices:

• The Upper Park is closed for restoration until 2024. In the Lower Park and Alexandria from mid-October to the end of April, you can walk for free.
• In summer, admission to the Lower Park for citizens of the Russian Federation: adult ticket - 450 rubles, preferential (students, pensioners) - 250 rubles, children under 16 years old - free.
• The Great Peterhof Palace - 400 rubles for citizens of the Russian Federation, free for everyone under 16 years old.

How to get there:

- Most effective on Meteora (hovercraft). Such vessels run in summer every day from the Palace and Admiralteyskaya embankments to Peterhof itself (an adult one-way ticket from 750 rubles, children up to 12 years old - from 450 rubles).

If you arrive in Peterhof by water, be careful: you will not be able to see the Upper Park and the city of Peterhof itself with a round-trip ticket to Meteor. As soon as you go to the Upper Park, the ticket becomes invalid.

- Another option - from the metro stations "Baltiyskaya", "Avtovo", "Leninsky Prospekt", "Kirovsky Zavod" and "Prospect Veterans" there are buses and minibuses with large signs "Fountains".

- Another way (the most budgetary) is the train from the Baltiysky railway station (metro station "Baltiyskaya"). Destination station "New Peterhof". The cost is 60 rubles. And then on foot (about 3 km) or by city bus # 350, # 356 (50 rubles).

Working hours: entrance to the parks daily - 9.00-18.00 (Alexandria until 20.00). The fountains are open in summer from 10.00 to 19.00, and from 19 October to April they are closed.

Pushkin

It is also Tsarskoe Selo, the closest suburb of St. Petersburg with a rich history. Here, the parks are also all right: Ekaterininsky, Aleksandrovsky, Babolovsky ... The latter is a semi-abandoned forest park, so I will just limit myself to mentioning it.

Ticket prices:

• Ekaterininsky Park (from April to October) - 150 rubles for adults, students over 16 years old - 80 rubles, up to 16 years old - free.
• Pushkin Parks is the case when, choosing between paid and free, I will recommend the first option. Although Aleksandrovsky Park is also good.

How to get there:

- By minibus from the Moskovskaya and Kupchino metro stations. All buses are marked with signs "Palaces, Parks" or "Pushkin, Tsarskoe Selo".

- You can get from Vitebsky railway station to Pushkin by train, destination station "Tsarskoe Selo". Tickets - from 47 rubles. You can walk from the station to palaces and parks. The city itself is worth seeing.

- Or as part of a tour of three residences (Tsarskoe Selo, Pavlovsk and Gatchina).

Working hours: Catherine Park - 7.00-23.00 (summer), 7.00-21.00 (winter). Aleksandrovsky is open around the clock. Currently, it is being ennobled, park buildings and monuments are being restored. After all the work, it is planned to make the entrance paid and limit the time of the visit.

Summer garden

One of the main attractions of St. Petersburg, located in the very center of the city, you don't need to go anywhere (which in itself can be a big plus;)).

It is good to go to the Summer Garden between races on other attractions: you can relax in the shade on the benches, and at the same time you will not stop admiring the historical beauties, statues and fountains.

The entrance is free.

How to get there: the nearest metro station "Gostiny Dvor", from the stations "Nevsky Prospekt" and "Chernyshevskaya" you can walk to the garden in 15-20 minutes.

Working hours: summer period (May 1-September 30) - 10.00-22.00; winter (October 1-March 31) - 10.00-20.00. The day off is Tuesday.

Elagin island

You have no idea how much on Elagin Island - or, officially, in the Central Park of Culture and Leisure. Kirov - beautiful in autumn! When all the greens are colored bronze. In fact, this is one huge park with rare patches of museums and slightly more frequent cafes.

On the island, you can catch moments of silence, and therefore in autumn it is pleasant to rustle the foliage underfoot here. But in winter there is no peace of mind - a large public skating rink opens here (admission is free, and skates rental is 300 rubles), a compact artificial skating rink, and Finnish sledges and skis are available for rent.

Ticket prices:

• Free on weekdays, on weekends and state. holidays - 100 rubles for adults, for students - 30 rubles.

Metro stations: "Krestovsky Island" or "Staraya Derevnya", and then walk across the bridge.

Working hours: every day from 6.00 to 22.00.

Zelenogorsk

The once small Finnish town of Terijoki is now part of the Kurortny district of St. Petersburg. There are no large royal palaces or parks, but Zelenogorsk is filled with cute urban sculptures (for example, the knitting monument "Grandma's chair") and has its own beach on the Gulf of Finland.

You can get to the bay through the Zelenogorsk Park of Culture and Rest. At the same time, you can take a walk in the park and ride on the rides.

How to get there:

- Minibuses go to Zelenogorsk every day from the metro stations Ploshchad Lenina and Staraya Derevnya.

- From the station "Chernaya Rechka" you can take a direct bus number 211 (150 rubles).

- The train to Zelenogorsk runs from Finland Station (121 rubles).

In large parks, you can walk with a guided tour or on your own. I prefer the latter option more. The most beautiful time of the year for such walking trips is golden autumn, i.e. end of September — beginning of October (in September you can still catch it before the closing of the Peterhof fountains). The most economical - from late October to early April, during this period, admission is free. But Zelenogorsk is good at any time, even in winter!

"FOR CONNECTORS OF HISTORY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS"

If you came to St. Petersburg, for example, with your teenage son and do not know where to go because he doesn’t like anything (as it should be at this age), feel free to use the following selection.These sights of St. Petersburg will appeal to all, without exception, men from 9 to 99 years old. Verified by personal experience;)

Kronstadt

The city of military glory, saturated with sea romance to the last stone.

The main purpose of the trip to Kronstadt is the St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral on Anchor Square. A unique and very beautiful temple, whose sparkling dome is visible even from the shores of the bay in good weather.

I would also advise you to visit the forts of Kronstadt. This can be done independently (by car to Fort Constantine), and with a guided tour (for example, Totleben can only be reached by water).

In addition, there are many more interesting places, museums and historical sites in the city. As an option to travel to St. Petersburg - the first day you can devote to getting to know St. Petersburg himself, and on the second day you can go around, go around, climb Kronstadt.

Ticket prices:

• Fort Constantine - 150 rubles per person (children under 7 years old are free).
• A combined tour of Peterhof, Kronstadt and Fort Constantine for 1900 rubles per person is popular among tourists.

How to get there: fixed-route taxis from the metro stations "Chernaya Rechka" and "Prospect Prosveshcheniya"; bus number 101 from the metro station "Staraya Derevnya".

Cruiser Aurora"

Probably the most famous ship in our country. Now it is a museum that will be interesting for both adults and children.
Caution: here tourists are caught by Peter the First and Catherine the Second and persuaded to take paid photos.

Ticket prices:

• For citizens of the Russian Federation - 400 rubles for an adult, 200 rubles for a schoolchild, student or pensioner, children under 7 years old are free.
• Free admission for children under 18 and students on the first Sunday of every month.

Metro station: "Gorkovskaya"

Working hours: Wed-Sun from 11.00 to 18.00, days off - Monday and Tuesday.

Artillery museum

The museum is the same age as Petersburg. Its original version was created by Tsar Peter I himself back in 1703. Boys and their dads hang out here on the way to the museum. In the courtyard there is a collection of military equipment: tanks, self-propelled guns, and so on, which I do not understand at all ... And almost all this wealth can be climbed!

Ticket prices:

• Adults - 400 rubles, children under 18 and students - 200 rubles.
• Free access is allowed for children under 7 years old; for schoolchildren - the third Thursday of each month; all - 23.02, 9.05, 18.05.

Metro station: "Gorkovskaya".

Working hours: 11.00-18.00, closed on Monday, Tuesday and the last Thursday of each month.

Naval museum

From all sides, this museum is "one of ...": one of the largest in the world on this subject, one of the oldest in the city. At least for that, he is worth your attention.

Ticket prices:

• Adults - 400 rubles, students, schoolchildren and pensioners - 200 rubles.
• Free access is provided for children under 7 years old; for all - on the same dates as the Cruiser Aurora (above).

Metro station: “Admiralteyskaya” + trolleybuses # 5 and # 22 (to the stop “Naberezhnaya Kryukova Canal”); Sennaya / Sadovaya / Spasskaya + minibuses to the Ploshchad Truda stop.

Working hours: 10.00-18.00, day off - Tuesday.

"FOR THOSE WHO WANTS TO FALL IN LOVE IN THE CITY"

This is the most subjective selection of all ... Here I have collected places where you can go in St. Petersburg to feel like a local. All you need is to grab a guidebook, a city map, put on comfortable shoes and go to conquer St. Petersburg.

Small museums of St. Petersburg

There are hundreds of them in the city, most of them are not even known to my friends. But that doesn't make them less interesting.

• Yandex Museum - small, but interactive: there you can PHOTOGRAPH AND TOUCH everything.

And here, in addition to endless merch (T-shirts, sweatshirts and stickers with the Yandex logo), there is something to touch. For example, an Apple computer from 2002 - how beautiful and thin it is! In contrast, I recall a massive computer box that I had just twenty years ago. You can poke a real baby Blackberry, play Pacman and much more. I highly recommend it!
Cost: FREE, but I bet that you can't resist and at least take a popsocket from Yandex out of there :)

• Anna Akhmatova Museum - already an arched transition to it is impressive, all the walls are covered with poems of yet unrecognized poets.

Ticket price: 300 rubles.

• Coffee Museum (the first and so far the only one in Russia, for a minute).

The ticket price with a guided tour is 350 rubles, with a tasting and a guided tour - 1000 rubles.

• In the club-museum "Boiler room Kamchatka" you will understand that Choi is really alive! As well as his songs.

Admission is free, tickets are purchased only for evening concerts.
Ticket prices: adults - 450 rubles, children - 350 rubles.

• Subscription Editions - like the Hogwarts library in St. Petersburg. Yes, not a museum, but a private bookstore - but it drives you crazy with its fabulousness, glossy covers, the smell of printing ink and cinnamon rolls (there is also a coffee shop) and tall shelves, the tops of which can only be reached by stairs. Very Petersburg-style, come at least for a postcard!

Admission is free, of course.

Boat trip along the Neva, rivers and canals

To visit the city on the Neva and not ride along it is nonsense. Tourist boats cut the waters of rivers and canals from April to November, until navigation closes and the ice rises.

The berths are located along all the embankments, so you won't have to look for a long time. The price of the issue is different everywhere, it will depend on the size of the vessel, time of day (and time of year) and the route of the trip. If you are lazy to walk by yourself, ask and compare on the spot - just book a boat trip online, the cost is the same, within 650-700 rubles per person.

And the most romantic option is to ride along the Neva on a white night under the bridges!

Nevsky Avenue

Singer House on Nevsky Prospect

It is imperative to walk along Nevsky Prospekt (from the Moscow railway station to the Admiralty)! Stand on the Anichkov Bridge, turn into the pedestrian Malaya Sadovaya Street and look for sculptures of Elisha the cat and Vasilisa the cat, go to the House of Books and buy funny St. Petersburg postcards with smelt ...

Jazz Philharmonic

Petersburg Jazz Hall is a great option to spend a sincere evening. Both beginner jazzmen and eminent musicians play here.

Ticket prices: the average cost is 1000-1400 rubles (depending on the performers and the place in the hall).

Metro station: Zvenigorodskaya / Pushkinskaya.

Working hours: will depend on the timing of the concert or other event.

New Holland

An island-museum with a historical past, now it is a modern cultural space or an island without cars.

I'll start with something interesting: in winter, the city's most Instagrammed skating rink opens in New Holland (from 190 rubles for entry + skate rental for 390 rubles). Here he is in the photo. It is not easy to get there, the skiing time is divided into one hour sessions, and dealers are also operating. In the summer in Holland, they organize insta-picnics, read books on a blanket or catch the romance of the lights along the pond in the evenings.

The main location of the island is the so-called Bottle. The former prison building, round in shape with a courtyard in the middle, where instead of dungeons there are now cafes, shops and lecture halls. Despite the primitive - for some - activities from the second paragraph, you can hang out here all day: study exhibitions and installations, playgrounds for different ages, street food kiosks and restaurants. A museum, a branch of the Moscow Garage, is to appear soon.

The entrance is free.

Get there You can take trolleybus # 5 or # 22 from the Admiralteyskaya metro station (Ploshchad Truda stop).

Working hours: entrance to the island is daily, Monday-Thursday 9.00-22.00, Friday-Sunday 9.00-23.00.

St. Anne's Evangelical Lutheran Church

Annenkirche is a burnt-out church. She inspires, delights and at the same time terrifies. The fire broke out in the early 2000s, but the restoration did not take place (although in the plans). Be sure to have time to see it in its current form!

Note: in the basement there is a museum of the history of Lutheranism in Russia, on the second floor there is a cafe.

The entrance is free.

Metro station: "Chernyshevskaya".

Working hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 10.00-22.00, Thursday-Sunday 10.00-16.00, closed on Monday.

Sevkabel port

Cool place on Vasilievsky Island with views of the Gulf of Finland and the cable-stayed bridge. In summer it is great to see off the sunsets with a cardboard cup of coffee (or with your own mug, an eco-activist), and in winter - to skate on the ice rink, which is attractively called the Skating Rink by the Sea, and is not cheap for tourists: from 250 rubles per hour session + 350 rubles for rent.

Sevkabel is my favorite example, when an industrial zone (and earlier there was a cable plant) is being turned into an urban space in a loft style. They preserve the factory buildings made of dark red bricks, concrete, pipes and add elements of modernity: a comfortable embankment with wooden flooring, coffee shops and bars, cool objects like a large power generator. And how many exhibitions and events are held here ... everything is in the poster on the site!

The entrance is free.

How to get there: free bus # 1879 from the Primorskaya metro station.

Working hours: round the clock, establishments open from 10.00.

Greenhouse of the Tauride Garden

A kingdom of monsters, palms, cacti and thousands of pots and tubs. If these words do not cause awe in you, then perhaps you can pass by. But I highly recommend it to all growers and flower enthusiasts.

How else to lure you ... oh, here is growing an avocado from a bone (I bet you tried at home, but did not work?)! In general, the greenhouse is small. It is so pleasant to dive here in winter, from a bitter frost - which happens in St. Petersburg - to 30-degree humidity and the smell of raindrops on the grass. On the second floor, you can have a filter or cappuccino with a view of all this green, juicy variety. And if you take coffee, the entrance to the greenhouse is free.

Price: 80 rubles. Remember the coffee shop trick.

Metro station: "Chernyshevskaya".

Working hours: 11.00-21.00, closed on Monday.

Roofs of St. Petersburg

We took a rooftop tour in advance online here - we loved it!

Romantic, beautiful and a little extreme. It is for the latter quality that such entertainment in St. Petersburg was severely limited, and most excursions were banned. Only selected excursion agencies are allowed to drag tourists to the attics. But with this alignment, you will definitely get the best guide in your business!

Here is one of the most popular excursions (1400 reviews!): The center of St. Petersburg from the rooftop for 1100 rubles per person.

What to see in St. Petersburg in 3 days?

Now let's summarize. How to fit all of the above into 3 days?

Day 1: pedestrian acquaintance.

First option.

• Start your journey from Vosstaniya Square (Moskovsky Railway Station) and take a walk on Nevsky Prospect.
• On the way, go to Kazan Cathedral and Book House, take a short turn to Bolshaya Konyushennaya and have a coffee with donuts at the famous Puffy.
• On reaching to Palace Square, turn left and go to St. Isaac's Cathedral (you can walk to the embankment and turn there, so you don't miss Bronze Horseman).
• Climb the colonnade or simply enter the Cathedral. Further, if you wish, you can walk to the Naval Museum and go to New Holland, where you already have a thorough lunch and rest.

Second option.

• Go to the Peter and Paul Fortress.
• Go to The cathedral and Tomb, listen to the shot of the Peter and Paul cannon, take pictures with the numerous hares of the Hare Island and the Shemyakinsky Peter.
• Then you can go to the Artillery Museum.
• And then move to the opposite bank of the Neva across the Troitsky Bridge and go for a walk to the Summer Garden.
• After relaxing on the benches of the Garden, walk along the Champ de Mars and take a look in the Savior on Spilled Blood.
• And in the evening you can take a ride on boats on the Neva and open bridges.

Day 2: museum and theater.

I won't write much here: choose one or two large museums. They can take a lot of time. Then have lunch in a good place (Khacho and Puri restaurants are just one of those, about which below), and for the evening of that day, buy a ticket to the theater, ballet or jazz concert.

Day 3: devote it to trips to the suburbs, excursions or fun with children.

Well, if you are NOT armed with encyclopedic knowledge about the city or friends that are eager to drive you around the locations all day, a tour will help you better understand St. Petersburg.

Now, in 2021, these are no longer dull walks with tired aunts broadcasting like a textbook, but really interesting activities with local residents. The variety of excursions has also "tightened up", take a look:

• Tripster
• Sputnik8

Once I gave my husband for our joint date a tour of an apartment in an apartment building in St. Petersburg, where all the little things have been preserved from pre-revolutionary times! I highly recommend her.

Where to go in St. Petersburg? Cafes and bars

Having saturated your brain with spiritual food, it is worth taking care of the stomach. Moreover, there are so many cafes in St. Petersburg that it is just right to write a separate article on the topic of gastronomic tourism.

Let's start with the hipster and trendy places:

• Change - cafe for coffee and breakfasts all day, the menu is small and it is difficult to get lost in it (try the cheese cakes, which are cottage cheese here in the form of sixteen balls, 350 rubles). The shift is often included in the selection of the "best" establishments in St. Petersburg.
• Subzero - sushi, rolls, poke in a high restaurant style and at a reasonable price. For this quality of fish, taste and serving 500-700 rubles per serving - super. If you go in the afternoon, you can find a free table, but it's better to book for the evening.
• Harvest - prepare an amount of 2000-3000 rubles for two, a desire to try VEGETABLES in super unusual variations and go to Harvest - for cabbage with truffles (I insist!), Ravioli with duck (there is also meat) and potato cheesecake ... everything is delicious here.
• Bomu - a pretty ramen bar almost on Rubinstein's, if you haven't tried ramen - it's time to start, for the first time it's good here (350 rubles).
• Orangery - a pleasant coffee shop on the second floor of the Tavrichesky Garden Orangery with views of all the wealth of this very Orangery. The cost of a cup of cappuccino: 200 rubles. Oh yes, here is another favorite place to visit in St. Petersburg - the Tauride Garden and, in particular, the Orangery!
• Some more excellent coffee shops in St. Petersburg:
  - More Coffee on Marata Street (here you can sit with a laptop) and in Aleksandrovsky Park on Petrogradka (a coffee shop in a grotto!)
  - Penka in Ozerny lane
  - Mad Espresso Team
  - Verle Garden on Petrogradka
  - The famous micro-coffee house TChK on Petrogradka: you can't sit here, but there are almost legends about coffee
• Loft Space Floors - creativity, youth, hipsters. There is a good and inexpensive food court on the ground floor and access to the roof (150 rubles per person) with views of St. Petersburg and Ligovsky Prospekt.

Bakeries - well, where can we go without them? More than coffee, only buns are prepared in St. Petersburg!

• Bakeries Volchek - very cheap and delicious eclairs, shu cakes, honey cake, croissants and any pastries. They are located almost on every street, and you will notice them right away - they are proudly marked "Bakery No. ...".
• Boucher - primordially St. Petersburg scrap for bread and pastry with rolls. The showcase is constantly renewed, but one thing remains unchanged: monograms and croissants. After 21:00 15-20% discount on all baked goods, use it.
• Donuts on Bolshaya Konyushennaya, 25 - a true urban legend, the lush has existed in the same place since 1958. All the same donuts in oiled paper, a coffee drink from a huge aluminum tank and the Bear in the North candy. And it's incredibly delicious!

And now the establishments that I recommend to my friends who wandered into St. Petersburg with children or relatives:

• Eurasia and Tokyo-City - restaurants of both chains can be found in any area of ​​the city. Everywhere it is delicious, and prices are quite affordable, there is a children's menu and business lunches from 250 rubles. And there, and there, there are always promotions, discounts, offers of the day and the like ...

Eurasia is primarily Japanese and Uzbek cuisine.
Tokyo-City - a large selection of sushi and rolls, as well as European cuisine.

• Khacho and Puri - a restaurant of Georgian cuisine, if you want to arrange a romantic, belly party or just have a nice evening.Wah! I already envy those who come there;) The average price tag per person is 700-800 rubles.
• Marcellis - for parents traveling with children. First, all children love pasta (read pasta). Secondly, cooking shows and master classes for small ones are regularly held there.
• Italiani - helps out if an attack of hunger caught you in the middle of Nevsky Prospect. Pasta (300-500 rubles), a large pizza (460-600 rubles) and an unexpected chicken noodle soup (210 rubles).

Where to go with your child?

If the conversation about traveling with children has gone above, I will tell you where to go with a child in St. Petersburg. These will be mostly standard places like water parks, attractions, etc.

But! In fact, classic sights can also be made fun for children. It's not all the same to wander around zoos with them, giving up on adult interests. Here's what St. Petersburg has to offer for families:

• Oceanarium - while the only oceanarium in St. Petersburg will be of interest to children and adults of all ages. Every day there are events for visitors: demonstration feeding of local fauna, shows with sharks and seals.

Ticket prices: from September to May: adults - 750 rubles, schoolchildren and students - 550 rubles, children 5-6 years old - 300 rubles, for children under 4 years old - free. From June to August: adults - 800 rubles, schoolchildren and students - 600 rubles.

It is best to plan your trip to the aquarium so as to get to some show or feeding (you do not need to pay for them separately). The diet of marine life is detailed on the website.

• Planetarium No. 1 - the largest in the world, it is definitely worth going! The planetarium programs are designed for visitors of different ages, themed films are played on the dome in repeat mode all day, there is no need to schedule your visit at a specific time.

Ticket prices: adults - 450 rubles on weekdays, 550 rubles on weekends; children over 3 years old, schoolchildren, students - 400 rubles.

• Waterpark "Piterland" - water activities overlooking the Gulf of Finland.

Ticket prices: over 13 years old for 5 hours - 1500 rubles. Children (5-13 years old): 750 rubles. Children under 5 years old: free. During school holidays, tickets are sold at weekend prices.

• Amusement park "Divo-Ostrov" - well, where on vacation and without a swing-carousel? Moreover, according to numerous polls and ratings, our "Divo-Ostrov" is the best amusement park in the country.

Ticket prices: you can buy bracelets for the whole day: 2000 rubles.

• Railway Museum - a completely new (opened 2.5 years ago) interactive museum, where you can not only gaze, but also touch and climb inside. The kids will love it.

Ticket prices: adults - 300 rubles, schoolchildren, students - 100 rubles, children under 7 years old are free.

• "Republic of cats" / "Republic of cats" - the people of St. Petersburg have a special attitude to the mustachioed-striped people: they helped people during the blockade, and now they serve in the Hermitage. And those who have already reached the cat's pension are moving to permanent residence in their own Republic.

In fact, this is a cat-cafe, the first in Europe. It is also a cat museum and even a shelter where you can take a real Hermitage cat or his offspring. It has two branches.

Ticket prices: “Republic of Cats” issue “visas to enter the republic”: primary visa - 300-400 rubles on weekdays and 500 rubles on weekends and holidays (children under 3 years old are free). In the "Republic of Cats" entrance for donations (the recommended amount of a voluntary contribution is 300 rubles per hour). Entrance to cafes and souvenir shops both there and there is free.

The best excursions in St. Petersburg

Cultural rest in St. Petersburg is harmoniously complemented by an excursion. Choose yours in advance - and you can not be afraid to miss something "most important" and interesting. Popular services for booking excursions:

• Tripster - I really like the fact that now it focuses on individual excursions: just you, your family / company and a guide!
• Sputnik8

Tours around the city are divided into group or individual, adults or children, by car or by bus, banal and not so much. In general, there are a lot of them. Therefore, I made a table where I grouped everything and highlighted the most interesting and popular options.

The best excursions in St. Petersburg:

Our Tips

Tip # 1: walk more! Many attractions are located within walking distance from each other and from metro stations. Therefore, it is better to move between them on foot, rather than using public transport. First, get to know the city better. And secondly, save money on travel and, most importantly, time (since no one has canceled traffic jams in our city, even a dedicated lane does not really help).

Tip # 2: to travel by metro, purchase the Podorozhnik travel card. Design it like an electronic wallet. Thus, you will be able to decide for yourself how much to put on it for your trips (the fare with "Plantain" is lower). It also works in land-based municipal transport and in minibuses. In the latter, however, the full cost is removed.

Tip # 3: do not forget that carsharing from Yandex.Drive works in St. Petersburg. Download the app, enter the reftz5CP2 promo code and get a 50% discount on your first ride.

Tip # 4: Until July 2021, you can save a lot on a tour or hotel in St. Petersburg! Let me explain how: Rosturizm has once again become generous in cashback for trips to Russia. You book a tour or a hotel in St. Petersburg, pay with a Mir card - and after 5 days you get 20% rubles back to the card.

• Tours (flight + hotel) look at Travelata.
• And if you are traveling on your own, select the hotel on Onlinetours (be sure to tick the box "only hotel", because by default it is a tour search engine). Booking and Rumguru do not participate in the promotion, so we get out as much as we can :) To be fair, on Online Tours prices even without cashback are lower.

Price of a trip to St. Petersburg

Any travel budget (other than travel costs) consists of three main points:

• residence;
• food - if you have breakfast at home, have supper somewhere and catch up with rolls with specialty coffee, then 1500-2000 rubles a day for two comes out;
• excursions and sightseeing trips.

We have found out everything about bodily and spiritual food, you just have to choose the options you like. Let's deal with housing.

Where should you stay?

I am for complete independence! Therefore, on our trips, we always (well, almost always) stay in rented apartments or apartments. There are quite a few of them for rent in St. Petersburg - look for them on Airbnb or Sutochno.ru.

Of course, you can stay at the hotel:

• 4 * St. Petersburg - located opposite the cruiser "Aurora", on the very bank of the Neva.

Price for a double room: 10 500 rubles per night

• 4 * AZIMUT is a family hotel not far from the city center, on the embankment of the Fontanka River.

Price for a double room: 8000 rubles per night

• 2 * Friends is an extensive network of mini-hotels and hostels spread throughout the city to the delight of tourists. The most comfortable can be considered "Friends at the House of Books" (the very center of St. Petersburg, there is no "center"!) And "Friends on the Fontanka" (there are rooms in the apartments).

Price for a double room: 3500 rubles per night

You will find even more hotel options in our separate material - where to stay in St. Petersburg for a tourist?

Come to us in St. Petersburg in a good mood and you will see that it is beautiful at any time and in any weather. Despite its 50 shades of gray, which the locals have long learned to distinguish;)