Hermitage Museum
One of the world's great art museums, housed partly in the green-and-white Winter Palace. Its enormous collection spans ancient artefacts to Impressionism, and the gilded halls are a sight themselves.
Saint Petersburg
Peterhof's fountains lie close to this city of canals, which has imperial palaces, summer white nights and the Hermitage Museum.
Attractive locations
Saint Isaac's Cathedral
A grand cathedral with a gold dome, marble columns and mosaic-covered interior. Visitors can climb the colonnade for wide views over the city's rooftops.
Church of the Savior on Blood
A colourful church with onion domes beside a canal, built where Tsar Alexander II was fatally wounded. Its walls inside are covered in detailed mosaics.
Peter and Paul Cathedral
The burial church of most Russian emperors, set inside the Peter and Paul Fortress on the Neva. Its slim gilded spire is a symbol of the city.
Peterhof Palace and Park
A former imperial estate on the Gulf of Finland, known for its gilded fountains, the Grand Cascade and landscaped gardens. It is reached by road or by hydrofoil from the city.
Russian Museum
A museum of Russian art from medieval icons to the 20th century, set in a neoclassical palace near the centre. It complements the Hermitage with a focus on homegrown artists.
Kazan Cathedral
A cathedral on Nevsky Prospect with a sweeping curved colonnade modelled on St. Peter's in Rome. Inside, visitors can see icons and a quiet nave.
Nevsky Prospect
The city's main avenue, lined with historic buildings, shops, cafes and bridges over canals. Walking it from end to end passes many of the key landmarks.
Palace Square
A huge open square between the Winter Palace and the curving General Staff Building, with the Alexander Column at its centre. It has long been the stage for the city's major events.
Bronze Horseman
The statue of Peter the Great on a rearing horse, standing on a huge block of granite in Senate Square. It looks out toward the Neva River and is one of the city's best-known monuments.
Catherine Palace
A large blue-and-white baroque palace at Tsarskoye Selo, south of the city, built for Russian rulers. Its gilded halls include a restored Amber Room, set in landscaped parkland.
Summer Garden
A formal park laid out in the early 1700s beside the Fontanka and Neva, with tree-lined alleys and marble statues. It is a quiet place to walk near the city centre.
Airports
Pulkovo Airport LED
It is about 17 km in a straight line from Saint Petersburg.
Getting around
Metro and surface transport
The tourism website describes the transport system as metro, buses, trolleybuses and trams. Metro ticket windows sell tickets in advance, while surface transport sells none on board and takes no cash. It also lists sightseeing double-decker buses that run hop-on, hop-off; tickets come from the city's tourist information centre. UK advice says Mastercard and Visa cards issued outside Russia will not work at Russian shops or ATMs.
- Source: St Petersburg tourism website (visit-petersburg.ru): city information, in Chinese (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Russia, entry requirements (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Podorozhnik card and passes
Visitors who will ride the metro, buses, trolleybuses or trams often are pointed to the Podorozhnik transport card by the tourism website; load it beforehand and tap to ride. Card fares are lower than single tickets, and a transfer within 60 minutes earns a discount on surface transport, though not on the metro. The site also lists a 90-minute unified ticket and multi-day metro passes, so check current options before travelling. UK advice says Mastercard and Visa cards issued outside Russia will not work at Russian shops or ATMs.
- Source: St Petersburg tourism website (visit-petersburg.ru): city information, in Chinese (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Russia, entry requirements (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Scams and safe taxis
Ordering taxis by app
Street-hailed taxis are discouraged by the tourism website because of unclear pricing, possible overcharging and safety risks. Instead it suggests installing a local ride-hailing app beforehand, naming Yandex Go, City-Mobil and Taxovichkof, and ordering through it so the price is clear. UK advice likewise recommends a registered taxi app or a taxi called by your hotel, and says Mastercard and Visa cards issued outside Russia will not work in Russia. UK and Canadian advice both advise against all travel to Russia.
- Source: St Petersburg tourism website (visit-petersburg.ru): city information, in Chinese (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Russia, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Russia, entry requirements (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Russia (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Street crime and impostor police
Gangs in St Petersburg have targeted tourists for street crime, says UK advice, whose general crime guidance includes not leaving bags unattended and not walking around alone late at night. Canadian advice singles out people posing as police as a particular concern in the city; request credentials and suggest going to the nearest police station.
- Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Russia, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Russia (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan-9.1 °C49 mm
- Feb-8.4 °C41 mm
- Mar-3.5 °C43 mm
- Apr3.7 °C52 mm
- May10.8 °C69 mm
- Jun15.0 °C90 mm
- Jul18.3 °C98 mm
- Aug16.5 °C98 mm
- Sep11.6 °C63 mm
- Oct4.5 °C73 mm
- Nov-1.4 °C66 mm
- Dec-6.0 °C58 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Mar. Wettest months: Jun, Jul, Aug.
Costs
Prices here are about 35% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
festival
White Nights and Scarlet Sails
Darkness is nearly absent, and the Scarlet Sails show takes place over the Neva river.
Who can help
Emergency
112 for all emergencies. Police 102. Ambulance 103. Fire 101.
ngo
Russian Red Cross Society
Helps with: Russia's national Red Cross society. Its programmes include first aid training, restoring family links and tracing, disaster relief, and a migration desk. Reception is open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 19:00.
Who qualifies: People in Russia who need its first aid, family tracing, disaster relief or migrant support services.
Phone: +7 (499) 126-75-71
Email: mail@redcross.ru
Address: Cheremushkinsky Proezd 5, Moscow
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Russia
Helps with: The UN migration agency. Its Moscow office has worked in Russia since 1992 on migration management, crisis response and cooperation with partners. Contact is through its office and online form.
Who qualifies: Migrants and migration partners in Russia. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +7 495 660 77 82
Address: 4 Stasovoy Street, 119071 Moscow
local government
Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief (EMERCOM)
Helps with: Russia's national ministry for emergencies and disaster response. Its site lists the fire and rescue number 101 and an information helpline, and offers psychological aid and registration of tourist groups.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Russia needing fire, rescue or disaster help; tourist groups can use its registration service.
Phone: 101
Address: 1 Vatutina Street, Fili-Davydkovo, Moscow 121357
local government
Single emergency number 112 (Moscow city portal)
Helps with: Russia's single emergency number, listed on the Moscow city portal. The page also lists separate numbers for fire 101, police 102, ambulance 103 and gas 104. Calls to 911 are forwarded to 112.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Russia, including from mobile phones; the page says it works without an inserted SIM card.
Phone: 112
embassy
Finding your embassy or consulate in Russia (Moscow city portal)
Helps with: For emergencies, lost passports or detention, contact your own country's embassy or consulate. This Moscow city portal page explains what they do and says the Foreign Ministry website lists the missions in Moscow.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.
local government
St. Petersburg Tourist Information Bureau
Helps with: The city's tourist information bureau. It runs information centres around Saint Petersburg and takes questions by phone, email and an online form. No separate tourist hotline is listed on its site.
Who qualifies: Anyone visiting Saint Petersburg or planning a trip there.
Phone: +7 (812) 242-39-06
Email: office@ispb.info
Address: 14/52 Sadovaya Street, Saint Petersburg
local government
Tourist information centre, Pulkovo Airport (arrivals hall)
Helps with: One of the bureau's information centres, in the arrivals hall at Pulkovo Airport between Exit 1 and Exit 2. The site lists daily opening hours of 10:00 to 19:00.
Who qualifies: Anyone arriving in Saint Petersburg through Pulkovo Airport.
Address: 41 Pulkovo Highway, Arrivals Hall, Saint Petersburg