Best Tours in Saint Petersburg

I recommend four full days in Saint Petersburg, or five if you enjoy lingering in museums. My travel guide Saint Petersburg rule is to leave one day unscheduled: when friends visit Saint Petersburg, I take them along the Karpovka embankment and into the quieter streets of the Petrograd Side. It’s a welcome change of pace after the grand avenues. Among my favorite things to do in Saint Petersburg is walking by the canals late in the evening, especially during the White Nights. If you only have two days, you’ll see the center, but you’ll miss the city’s slower rhythm.

When friends visit Saint Petersburg, I usually start around Vladimirskaya: Rubinstein Street is lively, but I prefer the smaller cafés tucked along nearby streets like Marata. On the Petrograd Side, I head toward Bolshoy Prospekt for bakeries and neighborhood restaurants, especially at lunchtime. If you’re exploring Vasilyevsky Island, the streets around the 6th and 7th Lines are good for a relaxed coffee stop. My travel guide Saint Petersburg advice is to choose an area and wander before picking a table. For me, finding a place that smells too good to pass is one of the best things to do in Saint Petersburg.

I recommend setting aside a day beyond central Saint Petersburg for Pavlovsk. I go for its wooded park, where the paths feel especially peaceful in autumn, and stop for tea near the station afterward. For a different mood, I take the train to Sestroretsk and walk along the Gulf of Finland, even when the wind is brisk. When friends ask what to see in Saint Petersburg beyond the usual sights, I suggest these easy escapes. They’re among my favorite attractions in Saint Petersburg’s wider area, and I prefer exploring them at my own pace rather than joining tours in Saint Petersburg.

Of all the things to do in Saint Petersburg as a couple, I’d choose an evening walk through Kolomna. I start by Nikolsky Cathedral, follow the Kryukov Canal, and cross its little bridges as the lights come on in the windows. Then I head toward New Holland for a drink in the courtyard. It feels more intimate than the busiest attractions in Saint Petersburg. Friends asking what to see in Saint Petersburg often expect me to suggest a grand palace, but I’d save this walk for two. I prefer its unhurried pace to tours in Saint Petersburg.

I use the metro for longer trips and walk once I reach a neighborhood. My travel guide Saint Petersburg tip is to check the station exits before heading up: at Nevsky Prospekt, the wrong exit can leave you on the opposite side of a busy avenue. When friends visit Saint Petersburg, I suggest taking a tram across Vasilyevsky Island if they want to watch the streets go by. Walking between stops is one of my favorite things to do in Saint Petersburg, but I check bridge-opening times before staying out late on the islands. It can save a long detour home.

I’d choose the streets around Nekrasova and Zhukovskogo for a night out in Saint Petersburg. I like starting with dinner on Nekrasova, then finding a small bar on a side street rather than committing to one noisy strip. Rubinstein Street is livelier, but this area gives me more room to wander and talk. When friends visit Saint Petersburg, my travel guide Saint Petersburg advice is to stay on the mainland if they plan to be out late: they won’t have to think about the bridges opening. It’s one of my favorite things to do in Saint Petersburg after dark.

I’d start with Kolomna, where I like walking beside the Kryukov Canal and stopping near Nikolsky Cathedral when its bells ring. On the Petrograd Side, the streets around Karpovka feel more residential; I go there for waterside walks and small cafés. Vasilyevsky Island is worth an afternoon too, especially the courtyards off its numbered Lines. These neighborhoods show me more of Saint Petersburg than its headline attractions in Saint Petersburg. When friends ask what to see in Saint Petersburg, I suggest wandering through one area at a time rather than rushing between stops on tours in Saint Petersburg.

When friends ask about things to do in Saint Petersburg, I suggest visiting the Hermitage, walking the canal embankments, and taking the hydrofoil to Peterhof in summer. These are popular for a reason, but I leave time between them. After the Hermitage, I like crossing to Vasilyevsky Island and sitting by the Neva rather than rushing to another museum. If you’re deciding what to see in Saint Petersburg, consider a ballet evening too; I check the performance schedule before booking anything else. Many tours in Saint Petersburg cover the main attractions in Saint Petersburg, but walking gives me a better feel for the city.