St Petersburg Travel Guide - Activities

Boating: there are various options for seeing St Petersburg by boat. Companies including Albatross, the City Excursion Bureau and Alien Shipping all do sightseeing trips and many include an English-speaking guide. The best time to see the St Petersburg waterways is at night when the many bridges on the Neva river light up and swing open.

Eating out: whether you’re a blini fan or have a caviar addiction, St Petersburg offers just about any variety of cuisine, Russian or international, you may be looking for. Dinners by the waterfront make a particularly satisfying evening of good food and wine but there are also many backstreet, budget restaurants frequented by the locals to enjoy.

Shopping: as the third-largest city in Europe it is unsurprising that St Petersburg features some excellent shopping venues for those breaks from the sightseeing. Head to Passazh for a taste of the city’s high-end boutique shopping, followed by Gostiny Dvor for the oldest and most expensive shopping experience in St Petersburg. Once the credit card has been burnt out, stop off behind the Church of the Saviour for cheap and cheerful shopping at the Souvenir Market.