Stand on Palace Square at dusk in June and the sky never quite goes dark; the Winter Palace facade glows against a pale blue that lasts past midnight. That half-light, the White Nights, is when Saint Petersburg feels least like anywhere else, and it is the reason many travellers time their visit to early summer.
The city suits people who like to walk. The historic centre is dense with palaces, canals and cathedrals, and the greatest concentration of sights lies inside the Obvodny Canal, along the south embankment of Vasilievsky Island, and in the southern half of Petrogradsky Island. It also suits art lovers, theatre-goers and anyone willing to give a full day to a suburban palace.
This guide covers the main sights in the centre and on the Petrograd Side, the suburban palaces worth the trip out, and a one-day plan that strings the best of them together. The historic centre and its related monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so expect to spend most of your time on foot.
Top things to do in Saint Petersburg
1. Winter Palace and the Hermitage Museum
The Winter Palace on Palace Square was the winter residence of the Romanov Tsars and the centre of the Russian Imperial government. It now houses the Hermitage Museum, one of the largest art museums in the world. Even if you do not care about art, wandering the enormous palace itself is extremely rewarding.
It sits right by the Admiralty and the Bronze Horseman, so you can combine the visit with a walk along the embankment afterwards.
2. Church on the Spilled Blood
The nineteenth-century Church on the Spilled Blood is another internationally recognised icon of the city, with a spectacular setting on the Griboedov Canal near the Mikhailovsky Garden. Its interior is filled, literally filled, with mosaics.
Pair it with a stroll along the canal banks, which are lined with palaces.
3. Peter and Paul Fortress
The fortress on the Petrograd Side is easily one of the city's top three attractions. Visit it for its history as the final resting place of the Romanov Tsars and for its role as a prison for high-profile political prisoners under their rule.
It lies across the Neva from the centre, so plan it as part of a Petrograd Side day rather than squeezing it between central sights.
4. Nevsky Prospekt and Gostiny Dvor
Nevsky Prospekt is Saint Petersburg's main grand avenue, lined with shops, theatres and another realm of palaces and cathedrals. The historic mall of Gostiny Dvor is on it.
Walk it as a route rather than a single stop, and use it to link the Kazan Cathedral and the Square of the Arts.
5. Kazan Cathedral
The massive Kazan Cathedral stands on Nevsky Prospekt. It is functioning, which makes it easier to visit than the other big cathedrals: no lines and no entrance fees.
Step in while you are walking the avenue, then continue to the Square of the Arts just off Nevsky.
6. Russian Museum
The Russian Museum is on the Square of the Arts, just off Nevsky Prospekt. It is described as an absolute can't-miss for art lovers.
Combine it with the Kazan Cathedral and Nevsky Prospekt, all within the same neighbourhood.
7. Saint Isaac's Cathedral
Mammoth Saint Isaac's Cathedral is another obvious sightseeing destination, and its balcony gives impressive views over the city.
It is close to the centre's canal banks, so it fits naturally into a walking day.
8. Mariinsky Theater
The Mariinsky Theater is one of the world's most beautiful performance venues. Check it out even if you cannot see an opera or ballet performance.
No trip to Saint Petersburg is complete without seeing an opera or ballet. Tickets are sold on each theatre's website, at each theatre's box office, and at city kiosks and shops called Teatralnaya Kassa. Blocks of tickets sometimes sell out at the kiosks while seats remain at the theatre, or the other way round, so check both if you have your heart set on a particular performance.
9. Strelka of Vasilievsky Island and the Rostral Columns
Take a taxi over to the Strelka for the views by the Rostral Columns, across the street from the Old Stock Exchange, which houses the Naval Museum.
Then take another ride along University Embankment before heading back across the river.
10. Kunstkamera
The Kunstkamera is a museum of ethnology on Vasilievsky Island, home to Peter the Great's bizarre collection of oddities. It is described as weird and wonderful.
Stop there along the way while touring the Neva embankment, which is filled with great museums and grand buildings.
11. Naval Museum
The Naval Museum is housed in the Old Stock Exchange on Vasilievsky Island, across the street from the Rostral Columns. It is described as surely one of the best of its kind.
Visit it in the same trip as the Strelka views and the Kunstkamera.
12. Tsarskoye Selo palaces at Pushkin
The suburban palaces complicate any attempt to see the city's highlights in a short time, but the Tsarskoye Selo palaces at Pushkin are among the magnificent suburban palaces at Peterhof, Pushkin, Lomonosov, Strelna and Pavlovsk. Skipping them is compared to going to Paris and skipping Versailles.
Give this a full day of its own rather than trying to fold it into a central sightseeing day.
13. Bolshoi Palace at Peterhof
The Bolshoi Palace at Peterhof is the other suburban palace that visitors should not miss, alongside the Tsarskoye Selo palaces at Pushkin.
Like Pushkin, it deserves a dedicated day. Of the suburban palaces, the Pavlovsk Palace would be the least unforgivable to miss, but go if you have the time.
14. Channel tours and riverbus trips
Strolling the palace-lined banks of the Moika, the Fontanka and the Griboedov Canal in the historic centre is a must. In the summer months you can also enjoy the architecture from the water by joining one of the popular channel tours, which are expensive.
For a cheaper option, take a riverbus along the Neva: a tiny boat zooming along the river on several routes integrated into the public transport system.
15. Museum of the Defense and Blockade of Leningrad
This museum is small but powerfully heartrending, and it is one of the many sights in the centre beyond the headline attractions.
Pair it with the other central sights on the same walking day, such as the Summer Gardens and Mars Field.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start on Palace Square at the Winter Palace, and give the Hermitage Museum the first hours of the day. Step outside to see the Admiralty and the Bronze Horseman while you are there.
Afternoon: Walk down Nevsky Prospekt, stopping at the Kazan Cathedral and the historic mall of Gostiny Dvor. Turn off Nevsky to the Square of the Arts for the Russian Museum, then continue to the Church on the Spilled Blood on the Griboedov Canal near the Mikhailovsky Garden. If time allows, add Saint Isaac's Cathedral and its balcony views.
Evening: Cross the Neva to the Peter and Paul Fortress on the Petrograd Side, then finish with an opera or ballet at the Mariinsky Theater if you can get tickets. Check both the Teatralnaya Kassa kiosks and the theatre box office, since availability differs between them.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see the White Nights?
The city is nicknamed "The City of the White Nights" because of a natural phenomenon that arises from its closeness to the polar region and ensures that in summer the night skies do not get completely dark for a month. Plan a summer visit if the half-light is what you are coming for.
How do I buy tickets for opera and ballet?
Tickets are sold on each theatre's website, at each theatre's box office, and throughout the city at kiosks and shops called Teatralnaya Kassa. Blocks of tickets sometimes sell out at the kiosks while seats remain at the theatre, or the reverse, so it is worth checking both places if you have your heart set on a particular performance.
Can I take children to a performance?
It is possible to take not-so-small children into some performances if you take a private box, although you will need to ask when you buy your tickets.
Should I see the suburban palaces or stay in the centre?
The suburban palaces at Peterhof, Pushkin, Lomonosov, Strelna and Pavlovsk are magnificent, and visitors who skip both the Tsarskoye Selo palaces at Pushkin and the Bolshoi Palace at Peterhof are missing something comparable to Versailles. If you have the time, go; the Pavlovsk Palace would be the least unforgivable to miss.
Decide how many days you can give to the centre and how many to the palaces outside it, then start mapping your route along the canals and the Neva.