Thinking of visiting St. Petersburg? This post will go over 11 of the top historic things to do in Saint Petersburg Russia!
Saint Petersburg Russia is probably one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been in.
In fact, I think it gives Paris a good run for its money. In some ways, Saint Petersburg beats out the “City of Light”.
There are 3 main reasons why I think Saint Petersburg is worthy of a visit.
First of all, it is by far the cultural capital of Russia. If you want to experience real culture (art, music, the opera) you NEED to come here. Trust me, you can’t experience anything like this in the states.
Second of all, St. Petersburg is actually cheaper than you would expect. Based on my cost of living report, you can live a great life here for $3,000 – $4,000 per month!
Third, Saint Petersburg has A TON of history. This was the former capital of Russia and there are hundreds (yes, hundreds) of museums, palaces, and other sites you can visit.
Here is my guide to the top 11 historic things to do in Saint Petersburg Russia.
And I also included a simple 7 day itinerary for those that want help planning their travels!
1. Walking At Night (one of the best things to do in Peter)
One of the best things to do in St. Petersburg is to walk at night (especially in the summer).
During the June months, the city experiences something called “White Nights.”
St. Petersburg is the northernmost city with a population of one million people.
During these days, the sun never quite sets. Sunset occurs at around 10 – 11 PM, but it never fully sets so you get the incredible dark blue skies after midnight.
And then the sun rises at around 3 AM. This makes it for a beautiful time to explore the city especially when the lights are all on.
I remember the night I first landed in St. Petersburg so clearly. I landed at around 11:00 PM because my flight got delayed about 8 hours or so (story for another time – but, thanks American Airlines!).
Anyways, I just checked into my Airbnb and decided to explore at night.
I was in awe of how beautiful the entire city was during the Winter Nights. It’s truly a sight you need to see for yourself.
Here are my favorite things to see at night in St. Petersburg:
- Kazan Cathedral
- The Winter Palace
- Nevsky Prospect
Walking on Nevsky Prospekt (one of the best things to do at night in the city)
Nevsky Prospekt is the main road in St. Petersburg. And it is one of the city’s top attractions.
It was named after Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the monastery which stands at the eastern end of the street – which in turn celebrates the Russian hero, Prince Saint Alexander Nevsky
You can find everything here from world class restaurants to gyms to malls to anything in between.
It’s fun to walk around this historic street at night. At night, you’ll find street performers and they’re pretty good!
You’ll find many people dancing and having a great time.
And at night, Nevsky Prospekt is beautiful because all of the buildings are lit up.
I remember when they shut down the street for the Scarlet Sails holiday when I went there.
It’s basically a big celebration for the end of the school year and they have fireworks over the Palace Bridge. It was an incredible experience!
2. Raising Of The Bridges
One thing that’s really cool when it comes to St. Petersburg is the raising of the bridges at night.
Seriously, this is one of the best sights to see in the city!
St. Petersburg is a city of rivers and bridges! In fact, it was basically a swamp before Peter the Great founded the city.
Anyways, the city is known as the Venice of Russia because of these rivers and bridges. In fact, the city has over 800 bridges!
During the night, the city raises certain of its bridges to allow ships to pass by. It’s an incredible sight to behold.
People gather from across the city to watch this spectacle. It’s incredible to watch all of the ships pass by during the night.
The city often changes the schedule for the raising of the bridges, but they generally occur between 1 AM and 2 AM
3. Kazan Cathedral
Russia has no shortages of amazing churches and cathedrals and other sights!
Kazan Cathedral is a must see if you’re going to be in the city.
The cathedral was modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It was built to be Russia’s main Orthodox church.
After the war of 1812 in which Napoleon of France was defeated, the church became a symbol of the Russian victory.
The cathedral is simply amazing (especially at night). At first glance, it looks more like an ancient Roman government building than a place of worship.
I love the columns of the cathedral. They are so majestic and beautiful.
The inside of the cathedral is breathtaking – there’s no other word to describe it. They have beautiful paintings and artwork inside that you can purchase.
The intricate artwork inside the cathedral is truly something to see for yourself.
4. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood – Famous historic sight!
This is one of the most famous landmarks for sightseeing in the city of St. Petersburg.
You could see the church’s majestic and colorful onion-shaped domes from miles away.
The church is famous as it marks the exact spot where Tsar Alexander II was mortally wounded in an assassination attempt.
He died in the Winter Palace shortly after the attack. His son, Tsar Nicholas II, dedicated the church to his father.
Inside the church, you can even see an altar (they called it a “canopy”) that marks the exact spot where Alexander II was mortally wounded.
I would have to say this is one of the more ornate churches in all of St. Petersburg (not that any of them are “ordinary” by any means).
I would say the highlight of the entire church would be the incredible piece of art near the back of the building.
I’m actually not sure what it is exactly. It looks like a pair of doors with steps leading up to it. It was off limits to tourists, so it was probably important!
There’s also a nice park right next to the church that I highly recommend checking out.
5. St. Isaac’s Cathedral
St. Isaac’s Cathedral was dedicated to St. Isaac, a patron saint of Peter the Great.
It took over 40 years to build and cost an estimated 1,000,000 gold rubles!
The Soviets turned the cathedral into a museum in the 1930’s so it hasn’t been used as a church in a long time.
Overall, I think this is one of the most fun churches to visit in St. Petersburg because you can go all the way up to the dome on top.
I would highly recommend buying tickets for both the dome and to go inside the museum in the cathedral. I believe the bundled cost was around 750 rubles ($12 – $13 bucks).
There are about 200 steps or so to get to the top of the dome, so get ready to work your butt off! But the views are worth it. This is one of the highest points in the city.
Now here’s an interesting fact about the cathedral! During the Siege of Leningrad, they painted the dome of the cathedral gray to avoid attracting attention from Nazi bombings.
6. Yusupov Palace
Yusupov Palace was one of my favorite things to do in Saint Petersburg Russia because it was very non-touristy.
Typically, you’ll only see locals here. And it is A LOT less busy than some of the other big attractions.
So if you want to see the beauty of Saint Petersburg without all the crowds, then come here!
Yusupov Palace home to one of Russia’s wealthiest and powerful noble families.
In fact, they were so wealthy, they lived almost as good as the Tsars!
The house is famous as the site where Rasputin was assassinated.
Rasputin was a mystic who befriended Tsar Nicholas II. However, he was widely unpopular and seen as a charlatan by some of the nobles of the Russian court.
After Nicholas left Piter to take control of Russia’s armies on the front of WWI, Rasputin was given tremendous influence of affairs in the city.
Anyways, the nobles lured Rasputin into the palace and attempted to poison him with food/wine.
However, the poison didn’t work and they shot him numerous times (including in the head) and dumped his body into the river.
A gruesome tale for sure…
The palace itself is incredible. The outside is colored a nice shade of yellow.
The inside has so many rooms – probably around 30 or so. They also have great English descriptions inside.
The rooms are incredible. I was surprised to learn that they even had a theater room inside the palace!
My favorite part was the billiards room. The table looked so fancy and incredible. It looked almost like a high end bar.
7. Peter and Paul Fortress
Peter and Paul Fortress is an incredible place to visit because it is the exact spot where Peter the Great founded the city in 1703!
The fortress is situated on a little island.
The fortress was built to ward off Swedish invaders. It was built in a star shape.
The fortress is free to visit, but if you’ll have to pay to visit the museums or cathedrals there.
My favorite part of the island was the cathedral (you can’t miss it).
46 members of the House of Romanov are interred here, including Peter the Great and Catherine the Great!
Yep, I even took a picture of Peter the Great’s tombstone!
There are two other things I would recommend doing on the island (other than walking around the beautiful grounds).
The first is checking out the Trubetskoy Bastion Prison. It was a prison that housed political prisoners and terrorists.
While the cells are bigger than I expected, let’s just say the accommodations are severely lacking!
8. Peterhof Palace (the “Russian Versailles”)
If there’s only one thing you can do in Saint Petersburg, I would say Peterhof needs to be at the top of your list.
It has been called the Russian Versailles because Peter the Great wanted to build something as grand of Versailles after he saw it in French court.
There are a few ways to get to Peterhof.
The first and cheapest option is to take the metro to Avtovo bus station then take the bus there – it’ll take about 1.5 hours. Total cost should be less than $3 bucks.
The second option is to take a Yandex (the Russian version of Uber) – which will cost around 800 – 900 rubles (less than $15 bucks).
But the best option (in my humble opinion) is to take the ferry to Peterhof. It’s about 45 minutes and costs 750 rubles for adults.
The ride is a little bumpy, but WELL worth it as you’ll get to see Saint Petersburg in a way you can’t from the ground.
Anyways, Peterhof is an amazing Russian Imperial palace.
It contains 3 main parts – the lower gardens, upper gardens, and then the palace itself (Grand Peterhof Palace) – and yes, there are some small museums and exhibits scattered across the park.
You’ll want to spend all day at Peterhof. Anyways I would say 4 – 5 hours in the lower gardens, 1 – 1.5 hours in Grand Peterhof Palace, and then an hour in the upper gardens is a day well spent!
In my opinion, the upper gardens isn’t as beautiful as the lower gardens.
The #1 thing you want to see at Peterhof is the Grand Cascade and Samson fountain. You can’t miss it!
9. Winter Palace – home of the Tsars
The Winter Palace was the primary residence of the Tsars in Imperial Russia.
And this is one of the highlights of the entire city by far.
It has since been converted into a museum, but some of the rooms are still kept *mostly* in their original state.
The museum is HUGE! You’ll probably need to spend 2 days there at least to see all of the exhibits in every room.
The Winter Palace has over 3 million artifacts and you’d have to walk 24 km JUST to see every room!
Anyways, lines (especially) in the summer can get REALLY long. Your best bet is to go in the afternoon when the tour crowds die down.
To get tickets, go to the automated vending machines and not the actual human ticket office.
I went at around 1 PM in the afternoon with this strategy and got in within 30 minutes. Not bad, right?
Anyways, there’s lots to see at the museum, so be ready to pick out what you want to see.
Here were my 3 favorite exhibits:
1. The peacock clock
2. Da Vinci’s Madonna Litta – it was surprisingly empty (relatively speaking) while I was there so I managed to take great picture!
3. Nicholas II’s, the last Tsar of Russia, private library (kept completely preserved)
10. Catherine Palace – An Imperial Sight!
Catherine Palace is about 40 minutes south of Saint Petersburg.
Since it wasn’t too far away, I decided to take a Yandex there. It cost around 650 rubles – not a bad price!
Catherine Palace was a summer home for the Tsars.
It was originally build for Catherine I, but has since been demolished and rebuilt several times.
When I went there, it was super crowded. But I made the big mistake of going there right when it opened.
Note: you have to pay to get into the park (150 rubles), but if you want to go inside the actual palace, you’ll have to pay 1,000 rubles
The wait time to get in to the Palace around noon was 5 hours! I decided to roam around the gardens first and then wait in line later at night (they have extended hours in the summer).
Honestly, I felt like the gardens were a lot more interesting than the palace. The gardens are vast and contain many different swamps, fountains, and bridges.
Don’t get me wrong, the palace wasn’t ugly. But I hated waiting in line behind hordes of Chinese tourists.
My favorite part of the palace was the Amber room. It is almost exclusively decorated with gold leaves and mirrors. And it is a restoration because the original room was looted by Nazis.
Anyways, they don’t allow you to take pictures in the Amber room, but I managed to sneak one in!
11. Mariinsky Theater – Top Sight To See!
Even if you’re not a big fan of the opera/ballet, you should check out Mariinsky Theater.
And no, I’m not talking about just visiting the place – I’m talking about going there for a show.
When I went there, the place was mostly filled with locals (families). So it was nice to get away from all the tourists.
Plus, when you book tickets, you will automatically get to choose your seat. This means the lines to get into the theater are super short and since seating is arranged, there won’t be a lot of pushing.
The Mariinsky Theater is a world renowned production. So if you get a chance to see a performance in person, it will be something to truly remember.
I decided to book tickets and had a blast. It was my first time at a big theater location like this.
I attended “The Firebird” it was a play without words, so you didn’t need to speak Russian to understand what was going on.
7 Day Itinerary of Saint Petersburg Russia – the best things to do!
I had the luxury of staying in Saint Petersburg for 3 weeks so I was able to see a lot of the sights.
To be honest, I still felt like I couldn’t quite see everything in the city. I mean there’s just so much to explore!
But I wanted to help give you guys a 7 day itinerary of Saint Petersburg to help your travels.
Here is my 7 day itinerary to see the best historic attractions in this amazing city!
Day 1
Morning – Go to Kazan Cathedral and walk on Nevsky Prospekt
Lunch – grab lunch at one of the many restaurants on Nevsky (many people speak English there)
Afternoon – Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Also, walk around the park next to the church.
Night – Grab dinner and then get some shut eye!
Day 2
Okay, this is going to be an all day excursion!
We’re going to Catherine Palace. It’s about 40 – 45 minutes from the city center.
Take a Yandex since it’s pretty cheap and much more convenient than taking the bus.
Catherine Palace is HUGE!
Here’s what I suggest. Spend the morning/afternoon walking around the gardens and then go to the palace about 1.5 – 2 hours before they close.
That way you can avoid most of the lines.
Day 3
Morning – visit Saint Isaac’s Cathedral and climb to the top of the dome!
There’s also a small park by the cathedral, so walk around there and enjoy the sights.
Lunch – grab a quick and cheap lunch by the Cathedral.
Afternoon – head on over to Yusupov Palace. It should be around a 15 minute walk.
Night – grab some dinner and then head on over to the palace square to walk around and listen to the local musicians (there is always someone playing!)
Day 4
Another all day excursion!
It’s time to check out Peterhof Palace!
Book the boat to Peterhof – it’s not that expensive and it’s the most stylish and fun way to get there.
You’ll want to spend all day at Peterhof.
I would say 4 – 5 hours in the lower gardens, 1 – 1.5 hours in Grand Peterhof Palace, and then an hour in the upper gardens is a day well spent!
They have food stalls throughout the lower gardens so you can grab lunch there.
Unfortunately, if you spend all day at the palace, you won’t be able to take the boat back (they stop running at around 4 PM).
So you’ll have to take the bus back or order a Yandex.
Day 5
Today is the Winter Palace day!
You’re going to want to spend all day there. It is HUGE – pretty much as big as the Louvre.
Pick up the map and decide on which sites you’ll want to see.
There’s a cafe to eat lunch in the museum or you can pack your own (which is recommended).
Day 6
Morning – take the metro to Peter and Paul Fortress. It’s a small island to the north of the city.
This should be an all day excursion as there are many museums, parks, and sights to see.
They even have a small beach over there!
I would say spend an hour going to the cathedral and then grab lunch on the island (they have several restaurants there).
After that, walk around the grounds and then check out the prison.
You can also pay (around 300 rubles) to walk on the top of the fortress (highly recommended!)
Night – Check out the Mariinsky Theater. You’ll want to book tickets week in advance.
Day 7
By now, you have seen most of the top sights in the city.
If you haven’t seen them all yet, I would use this day as a filler day.
But if you have been productive, here are a few other things to see:
- St. Michael’s Castle
- Russian State Museum
- Marble Palace
- StroganovPalace
Top Things To Do In Saint Petersburg Russia – Final Thoughts
Overall, there is SO much to do in Saint Petersburg Russia.
If you have the time, spend at least two weeks in this amazing city so you can take it slow and see all the sights.
There’s just so much culture and history in this amazing place.
Hopefully this historic things to do in Saint Petersburg Russia post helped you decide on what to see and inspired you to visit Russia!