A Quick Guide to St.Petersburg

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

St.Petersburg has so many nicknames; Venice of the North or the Russian Venice. With all the canals and rivers it's no wonder where that nickname came about. St.Petersburg is a vibrant city with both historic buildings and modern. It's got a bustling nightlife, a great art scene and more than enough palaces for you to explore.

Avtovo metro station

Population: around 6.2 million
Climate: Humid continental climate (hot or humid summers, long cold winters)

​Arrival/Getting Around

Pulkovo airport is the only airport in use in the city of St.Petersburg. It is located 17 km from the city centre. In St.Petersburg it is extremely easy and cheap to get to the city centre using public transportation. From the domestic terminal take bus 39 to Moskovskaya metro station. The bus only costs 40RUB ($0.83). From there you can take the metro to wherever you need to go. The metro here costs only 45RUB. From the international terminal, take bus 13. This will also drop you off at Moskovskaya Metro station. Ubers are also readily available and efficient. However it could cost you anywhere from 700-1000RUB.
*** Do not hail a cab, they will try to overcharge you!

Once you are in the city, busses and the metro are the best way to get around. However, you most likely won't need it because a lot of the attractions are within walking distance from each other. Although, if you would like to take the metro it costs 45RUB for 1 token. No matter how far you are going the metro will always be 45RUB!

Saint Michael's Castle, St. Petersburg

​What to See

St.Petersburg has a large amount of attractions. It is best to prioritize what you really want to see the most. If you have a long amount of time you could probably knock out a lot of places. The most popular places are; Hermitage Museum, Catherine Palace, Peterhof, Nevsky Avenue, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Kazan Cathedral, St.Issac's Cathedral, The Russian Museum and Mariinsky Theatre. St.Petersburg is known for having the most palaces in 

I found the attractions in St.Petersburg to be more expensive than in Moscow. So, here are some free or cheaper attractions. Yusupov Palace used to be one of the main residences of the wealthy Yusupov family in St.Petersburg. It is also the site where Rasputin was assinated! This palace has a beautiful theatre which hosts classical concert and theatre performances. This palace only costs 450RUB to visit! The Marble Palace is another beautiful palace that often gets overlooked. Located across from Neva River, The Marble Palace is quite unique as it has 32 kinds of marble and was the first Neo-classical palaces in St.Petersburg. Visiting only costs 250RUB. After the Marble Palace, head over to the most famous garden in St.Petersburg, Summer Garden. This garden was ordered by Peter the Great, so you know it is bound to be amazing. The garden has many sculptures, fountains and is quite a beautiful place! This is free of course!

Dinner at Marketplace

Where to Eat & Drink

St.Petersburg is known for their cuisine throughout Russia. This city has so many great restaurants and diverse foods. I found a lot of places serve cafeteria style where you walk around with a tray and pick up whatever you like. Some popular places to try are Marketplace,  Eliseevskiy Food Hall. If you are looking for a restaurant where you will be served check out Masha and Bear or Katyusha. These places have delicious traditional Russian Food as well as beer.

Must try Dishes:

• Beef Stroganoff- Beef strips in cream sauce with mushroom or tomatoes, either served with mashed potatoes, pasta or rice. It actually originated in St.Petersburg!
• Pancakes with caviar
• Borscht- Sour soup made with beetroot

​Where to Stay

While looking for places to stay in St.Petersburg, it actually surprised me how affordable most hotels were. A lot of them also included free breakfast, which is not as common now-a-days. I stayed in the Tsentralny District, which happens to be the most popular. This district is where you will find the majority of the attractions you visit, restaurants and the metro. If you are looking for hotels check out Novaya Isoriya, Viva La Hotel, Baby Lemonade or Hotel Imperial Art.

Another great district to stay in is Admiralteyskiy. This is the other area where you will find a lot of the attractions you visit. Mariinsky Theatre, St.Issac's Cathedral, Nicholas Palace and more. If you are looking for hotels check out Holiday Inn express, Station K43 or ReMarka.