Win Your Wishlist ❤️ 🤑 Enter to winWin Your Wishlist ❤️ 🤑 Win $7,000 towards Viator experiences. Enter to win
Recent Searches
Clear
Close
Things to do in St. Petersburg

Things to do in  St Petersburg

Welcome to St Petersburg

Since being founded by Tsar Peter the Great and built on a desolate swamp, St. Petersburg—the former capital of the Russian Empire—has become a national symbol of historical heritage, vibrant cultural life, and sheer beauty. The city’s canals and grand architecture, drawn with bright colors and white light, show why so many of Russia’s famous artists and poets have sprung from the so-called Venice of the North. Taking a city tour with a local guide is a sure way to best explore the city’s highlights and deeply understand their history. Tours explore the magnificent Baroque-style Winter Palace (formerly home to Empress Catherine the Great, and now part of the State Hermitage Museum), the Peter and Paul Fortress on the Neva River, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Peterhof Palace, the Fabergé Museum, and more. You could spend years admiring the State Hermitage Museum’s astounding collection of fine art, comprised of works by everyone from Raphael to Rembrandt to Renoir—tackle its 2.7 million pieces on a guided tour. For even more culture, enjoy a Russian folk show at Nikolayevsky Palace. And you can’t miss the Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood, which—with its dramatic name and many towers—has become an emblem of this majestic Russian city.

Learn more

Top 15 attractions in St Petersburg

#1
Gatchina Palace

Gatchina Palace

star-00
Among stiff competition, the elegant Neo-classical crescent of Gatchina Palace is one of St. Petersburg’s loveliest palaces, built for Count Gregory Orlov, a favorite (read: lover?) of Catherine the Great, in 1782 by the maestro Antonio Rinaldi, who was responsible for many churches and Imperial palaces around the city. After Orlov’s death, Gatchina was home to four generations of the Romanov Tsars before being requisitioned by the state in 1917. All but destroyed in World War II, the doors of the palace only reopened when refurbishment started in 1985; it is so breathtakingly huge that restoration still goes on today.Today a visit to this most romantic of palaces encompasses a treasure trove of Romanov riches — what style these guys lived in — in a series of ever-more opulent rooms; the standout collections among the art, coins and armory being the moving black-and-white photographs charting the life of the Romanov family, more than 30,000 rare Russian books and priceless 16th-century Sèvres porcelain.The palace is surrounded by landscaped gardens that could take all day to explore. They are ornamented by winding pathways through birch trees, bridges hopping across to islands in the lakes, fountains, orangeries, aviaries and a variety of wood and stone follies — including the Priory Palace, which was given to the Romanovs by the Maltese Knights of St John in 1799 — as well as greenhouses nurturing tropical plants and botanical gardens neatly divided into parterres.More
#2
Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan (Kazansky Sobor)

Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan (Kazansky Sobor)

star-00
Completed in 1811 after ten years of construction, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan (Kazansky Sobor stands 203 feet (62 meters tall—a stunning example of Russian neoclassical architecture. The structure encircles a small square, and the interior is adorned with the works of some of the country's greatest artists and sculptors.More
#3
Nikolaevsky Palace

Nikolaevsky Palace

star-00
Nikolaevsky Palace is one of St. Petersburg’s lesser-known palaces, but its striking neoclassical facade and unique architectural features make it well worth a visit. The historic palace also plays host to the popularFeel Yourself Russian! show—a showcase of traditional Russian music and folk ballet.More
#4
The General Staff Building

The General Staff Building

star-00
With an imposing Neoclassical façade over 1,900 feet (580 meters) long, the Carlo Rossi–designed General Staff Building is one of St. Petersburg’s architectural highlights. The grand building, which is part of the enormous State Hermitage Museum complex, houses a large collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art works.More
#5
Russian Vodka Museum (Muzey Russkogo Natsional'nogo Napitka)

Russian Vodka Museum (Muzey Russkogo Natsional'nogo Napitka)

star-00
Fittingly for a drink that dates right back to the 12th century, the perfect place to sample Russian vodka is located in St Petersburg’s former military stables and is part of the Museum Quarter project to protect the historic buildings of the city center. Exhibitions at the Russian Vodka Museum (Muzey Russkogo Natsional'nogo Napitka) romp through the story of the spirit’s production and its cultural importance, detailing its rise in popularity and refinement from a drink for medieval peasants to the favorite tipple of the Russian aristocracy in the 19th century. Displays include shot glasses, an enormous collection of unusual vodka bottles, posters from previous advertising campaigns and ancient equipment used in distillation. All visits to the museum terminate with a tasting of several different flavored vodkas accompanied by Russian snacks known as zakuski – ‘little bites’ of caviar, salads, pickles, smoked meats or fish normally served with flatbread as hors d’oeuvres before dinner. Conveniently, the museum shares its home with a restaurant serving up specialty vodkas.More
#6
St. Petersburg Planetarium (Sankt-Peterburgskiy Planetariy)

St. Petersburg Planetarium (Sankt-Peterburgskiy Planetariy)

star-00
Spend a few hours at the St. Petersburg Planetarium (Sankt-Peterburgskiy Planetariy) and learn all about Russia’s long history of space exploration. Attend a talk or film screening, gaze through telescopes in the observatory, or visit the “star hall.”More
#7
Winter Palace of Peter the Great at the Hermitage

Winter Palace of Peter the Great at the Hermitage

star-00
While the magnificent Winter Palace is now home to the immense State Hermitage Museum, part of the original royal residence—known as the Winter Palace of Peter the Great (Peter I)—has been preserved, allowing visitors a glimpse of the emperor’s grand living quarters and personal items.More
#8
Admiralty Building

Admiralty Building

star-00
The Admiralty building is one of St. Petersburg's oldest structures. It was built by Peter the Great and originally served as a dockyard. It once housed the Admiralty Board, which was in charge of ship building and eventually became part of the ministry of the navy. Some sections were built in the 1700s while other additions were constructed in the 1800s.Unfortunately visitors today won't be able to see the building in its original state. Many of the statues were destroyed in 1860 when the Orthodox church declared them to be pagan. The building was also damaged during the blockade of Leningrad and was attacked by the Germans in World War II. The Admiralty building does still have lots of sculptures and reliefs to admire. There is also a 240 foot golden spire with its weather vane, a little ship, that sits on top of it and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. The original is in the Naval Museum, so the one you see here today is a replica. The building now houses the naval college.More
#9
Monument to Catherine II (Pamyatnik Ekaterina II)

Monument to Catherine II (Pamyatnik Ekaterina II)

star-00
Catherine the Great was loved by the people of Russia, and her reign is often referred to as the golden age of Russia. Alexander II wanted to honor the empress and had the Monument to Catherine II (Pamyatnik Ekaterina II) built. The sculpting began in 1862 and wasn't completed until 1873. The statue shows Catherine the Great wearing an ermine coat. She carries a laurel wreath in her left hand and a specter in her right hand. Around her neck she wears the order of St. Andrew.There are nine other statues towards the base of the monument, and they represent the sphere of influence of the Empress, including Prince Griogory Potemkin and Field Marshall Alexander Suvorov. The only other female statue aside from Catherine is Princess Catherine Dashkov who was the founder of the Russian Academy of Science. The statue of Catherine the Great was replaced by a statue of Lenin after the 1917 Revolution, but it was put back again after the end of the Soviet regime.More
#10
The State Museum of the Political History of Russia

The State Museum of the Political History of Russia

star-00
The State Museum of the Political History of Russia covers a lot of ground, with exhibitions featuring everything from the Russian Revolution to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the evolution of modern-day Russia. Each gallery offers a wealth of information, and multimedia and interactive displays bring history to life.More
#11
Grand Maket Russia

Grand Maket Russia

star-00
Grand Maket Russia, or Гранд Макет, is a private museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is a model museum, meaning that it represents collective images of Russia on a scale of 1:87. It is quite big, at 800 m², or 8611 square feet, making it the largest model museum in Russia and the second largest in the world. The museum opened on June 8 2012, in a two-story building built in 1953, at the initiative of St. Petersburg businessman, Sergey Morozov. It represents everyday life in Russia: from work, leisure, sports, study, military service, travel, and more. It also features different modes of transportation with movement, light and sound effects: from trains to cars, trucks, trams and buses. The display is interactive, and visitors can push buttons to activate different effects.More
#12
Peterhof State Museum-Reserve (Muzeya-Zapovednika Peterhof)

Peterhof State Museum-Reserve (Muzeya-Zapovednika Peterhof)

star-00
It’s easy to see why Peterhof Palace, a magnificent complex of palaces and gardens stretching along the St. Petersburg seafront, is called the Russian Versailles. Fronted by the opulent Grand Palace and displaying a rich variety of architectural styles, this UNESCO World Heritage Site—known officially as the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve (Muzeya-Zapovednika Peterhof)—is one of the city’s most visited attractions.More
#13
Dostoevsky Museum

Dostoevsky Museum

star-00
Officially known as the F.M. Dostoevsky Literary Memorial Museum, this museum celebrates the life of Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was opened in 1971 in the apartment where he lived first in 1846 and again from 1878 until his death in 1881. Notably, it is also where he penned his last novel, the Brothers Karamazov. The interior has been reconstructed based on recollections of Dostoevsky’s wife and friends and includes memorabilia donated by his grandson. A literary exhibit focuses on Dostoevsky’s life and work, while exhibit halls occasionally display contemporary art. The museum library holds about 24,000 volumes and museum collection also includes a large collection of graphic and applied art and a collection of photographs.Every November, the museum hosts a conference on Dostoevsky and World Culture. It also hosts bus and walking tours of St Petersburg focused on Dostoevsky’s works and the city.More
#14
Peter and Paul Fortress (Petropavlovskaya Krepost)

Peter and Paul Fortress (Petropavlovskaya Krepost)

star-00
The looming yellow cathedral tower and star-shaped fortifications of the Peter and Paul Fortress dominate St. Petersburg’s riverfront, rising up from the shores of Zayachy Island. Built by Peter the Great in 1703, the fortress boasts a long history, having served as a military base, royal burial site, and political prison.More
#15
St. Isaac’s Cathedral (Isaakievskiy Sobor)

St. Isaac’s Cathedral (Isaakievskiy Sobor)

star-00
Gold-domed St. Isaac’s Cathedral is one of St. Petersburg’s most recognizable, and most popular, attractions. The 19th-century Orthodox cathedral combines Renaissance, Neoclassical, and Baroque elements, so looks different from many other Russian churches. Rarely used for worship, it now contains an art museum.More
See more St Petersburg attractions
Win Your Wishlist!Want to win $7,000 towards your dream getaway? We thought you might. Just make a Viator Wishlist to enter.
Enter to win

Trip ideas

Top Parks and Gardens in St. Petersburg

Top Parks and Gardens in St. Petersburg

You’re never far from nature in St. Petersburg, one of Russia’s greenest cities. From the landscaped gardens of Peterhof to the urban greenery of Maritime Victory Park, these are our favorites.
See all St Petersburg articles

Itineraries for your St Petersburg trip

All about St Petersburg

When to visit

St. Petersburg fires on all cylinders winter and spring, when its weather hits the sweet spot of comfortably hot and dry. Outdoor events come thick and fast December through June, from holiday-season boat parades and the Firestone Grand Prix in March, to April’s Mainsail Art Festival, and Pride in June. Crowds thin when late summer brings muggy heat and a hurricane risk.

St Petersburg information

Number of Attractions

59

Number of Tours

0

Currency

RUB
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Q:
What are the top things to do in St Petersburg?
A:
Q:
What are the top things to do near St Petersburg?
A:
Check out things to do near St Petersburg:
Q:
What do I need to know before visiting St Petersburg?
A:

More Tours in St Petersburg

    Recommended for St Petersburg