Saint Petersburg is easily Russia’s most popular tourist city, with classic architecture and old world charm that is hard to find in Moscow. The Hermitage Museum itself is an enormous draw and a must-see for art lovers.
| Population | 4,600,000 |
| Area | 4,600,000 |
| Timezone | UTC+3 |
| Currency | Russian ruble |
| Airports | Pulkovo Airport (LED) |
Hotels come in all price ranges, with the cheaper places often being of lower standards than European travelers are used to. There are now quite a few hostels in Saint Petersburg, and the private rooms in those could be a good call for budget travelers.
With such a short period of nice weather each year, it’s no surprise the Saint Petersburg hotels all have their high season running from around May through September. If you come during the cold months you can usually get a great deal, especially at some of the upper-range hotels.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 4.75 - 12.86 |
| 9.84 - 23.74 |
| 9.89 - 37.59 |
| 22.95 - 68.94 |
| 55.81 - 98.07 |
Capital Hotel Doubles from €24/night | |
Our pick: The best cheap and central 3-star hotel in St. Petersburg |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 3.56 - 8.11 |
Plosaty Hostel Beds from €6/night | |
Our pick: The best cheap and central hostel in St. Petersburg |
| Location | Description | Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hermitage Museum | One of the world's largest and finest museums is the city's biggest draw. Buy online for US$17.95 to skip the queue. | adults students | 7.91 0.00 |
| Ethnographic Museum | Focusing on ethnic costumes and traditions, this museum offers a solid cultural experience. | adults student | 2.47 0.99 |
| Russian Museum | A large collection of exclusively Russian art. | adults students | 15.83 7.91 |
Food and drinks are relatively cheap as long as you focus on local places, especially fast food places, rather than restaurants in hotels and those with English-language menus out front.
| Food Type | Description | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Budget breakfast | If your hotel doesn't include breakfast then you'll have many cheap options in the area. | 3.56 - 6.92 |
| Budget lunch | There are plenty of chain restaurants and casual places where local specialties are very reasonable. | 5.44 - 7.91 |
| Budget dinner | Assuming you want to go to a sit-down place you can still find very affordable meals if you look around. | 6.92 - 11.87 |
| Beer (pint) | You'll find plenty of pubs in this big-drinking city, and prices for the local lagers will depend on where you end up. | 2.37 - 3.26 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Taxi from airport to city center | 11.87 - 14.84 |
| Airport minibus to city center | 0.36 |
| Bus then metro from airport to city | 0.28 |
| 3km taxi ride in St. Petersburg | 1.98 - 2.97 |
| Metro ride in St. Petersburg | 0.45 |
| Tram or bus ride in St. Petersburg | 0.40 |
| Month | High F | Low F | Precip (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26 | 16 | 1.6 |
| February | 26 | 16 | 1.2 |
| March | 35 | 24 | 1.4 |
| April | 47 | 34 | 1.3 |
| May | 60 | 44 | 1.5 |
| June | 68 | 53 | 2.5 |
| July | 72 | 58 | 3.1 |
| August | 68 | 55 | 3.0 |
| September | 58 | 47 | 2.6 |
| October | 47 | 38 | 2.6 |
| November | 35 | 28 | 2.2 |
| December | 29 | 21 | 1.9 |
St. Petersburg has milder weather than one might think considering its latitude, but still most people only find it pleasant from May through September, and winters can be downright miserable. Summers do tend to be pleasant, and while it does get humid, the temperatures usually don’t get high enough to make it felt much.
| 21 Mar | 6:58am | 7:15pm |
| 21 Jun | 4:35am | 11:25pm |
| 21 Sep | 7:40am | 8:02pm |
| 21 Dec | 9:59am | 3:53pm |