First Time in St. Petersburg

Description:

Planning a first trip to St. Petersburg can be difficult, only because there are so many landmarks, museums, restaurants, and other amazing sights to see that it is hard to choose between them all. Most of the best places to visit are within walking distance of the city centre, and the walks from place to place themselves are incredible with so many historic buildings and canals all over the city.

Author: JennyMM


Day 1 - St. Petersburg


The Pushka Inn is just a block north of the historic part of town, in an older but beautifully renovated building, and offers excellent service and a cozy feel. Start out with a visit to the Church of Spilled Blood, covered inside and out with mosaics, a must-see in St. Petersburg, and the Marinskii Palace, which is the site of the local assembly but also retains much of its historic architecture and decorations. Begin your exploration of St. Petersburg's restaurants with a trip to Staraia Tamozhnia for impressive Russian cuisine.


1

Khram "Spasa na Krovi" (Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood)

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Location:

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Naberezhnaia Kanala Gribeodova, 2b
Embankment of the Griboyedov Canal
190011 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 315 1636


2

Mariinskii Dvorets (Marinskii Palace)

Location:

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Isaakievskaia Ploshchad'
190000 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 576 6094


3

Staraia Tamozhnia

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Location:

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Tamozhennyi pereulok, 1
Old Custom's House
199034 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

7 812 327 8980


4

Pushka Inn

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Location:

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14 MOIKA RIVER EMBANKMENT
191186 St. Petersburg, RU

Phone:

7 812 312 0913 / 7 812 312 0957


Day 2 - St. Petersburg


The Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic exhibits the stories and artifacts of Russian and Soviet polar exploration. Grab a quick blini for lunch at Teremok and head across the Neva to explore the Peter and Paul Fortress, which contains the Cathedral, the Bell Tower, the Mint, and museums, and was the first structure built in St. Petersburg. Have an early dinner at Caviar Bar, and then take an evening cruise down the Neva River, underneath the many drawbridges that rise and fall at night to allow boat traffic to pass through. Some evening cruises have live jazz bands certain days of the week.


1

Muzei Arktiki i Antarktiki (Museum of the Arctic & Antarctic)

Location:

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Marata ulitsa, 24a
191040 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 571 2549


2

Teremok

Location:

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Vladimirsky Pr. 5
Metro Vladimirskaya or Dostoevskaya
St. Petersburg, Russia


3

Petropavlovskaia Krepost' (Peter and Paul Fortress)

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Location:

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Petropavlovskaia Krepost' 3
197046 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 576 6094


4

Neva River

Location:

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Center of town
191 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 576 6094


Day 3 - St. Petersburg


In the morning, go to the Museum of Ethnography for a fascinating history of the peoples of Siberia, eastern Europe, and central Asia. Have a great casual Russian lunch at Na Zdorov'e. Spend the afternoon on Yelagin island, which has the Yelagin Palace and is entirely covered with the leisurely Central Park of Culture and Rest, and previously was reserved as a vacation spot for the elite only. Make sure to catch St. Petersburg's famed ballet performances at either the Mariinksi or the Mikhailovski Theatres. If you choose the Mariinski, have dinner at Backstage, the attached theater-themed restaurant with great food. Stop by James Cook Pub for a drink and a snack after the show.


1

Etnograficheskii Muzei (Museum of Ethnography)

Location:

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Inzhenernaia Ulitsa 4/1
St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 576 6094


2

Na Zdorov'e

Location:

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Bolshoi Prospekt, 13/4
St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

7 812 232 4039


3

Elaginskii Dvorets (Yelagin Palace)

Location:

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4, Yelagin island
197000 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

Phone:

+7 812 239 0141


4

Tsentralny Park Kulturi i Otdykha, Central Park of Culture and Rest

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Location:

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Elagin Ostrov, 4
197110 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

Phone:

+7 812 430 09 11


5

Mariinskii Theatre

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Location:

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1 Teatralnaya Square
190000 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 326 4141


6

James Cook Pub and Cafe

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Location:

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Shvedskii Pereulok, 2
191186 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

7 812 312 3200/ 7 812 571 1151


Day 4 - St. Petersburg


The Renaissance Saint Petersburg hotel is also perfectly located for walking around town, but is just south of the city centre and offers another perspective on the city. Try to get a room on the 7th or 8th floor, with a view of St. Isaac's. The hotel also provides a pass to get into the Hermitage and bypass the line, which definitely comes in handy. Take a morning to see at least some of the many masterpieces the museum has in store, as well as the Winter Palace and Pavilion Hall. For lunch, Troitskii Most has fresh and delicious soups, salads, and sandwiches. Head west back to the city center, and walk around the city centre. Visit the St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Kazan cathedral, the Bronze Horseman, the Alexander Column, and the Admiralty. Walk north a few blocks to explore the Fields of Mars and the Summer Gardens. Have a delightful dinner at Orient Express, which has the feel of a luxury dining train car. The ambience and great food with an Eastern influence definitely make this worth a stop. Catch some live music at the premiere jazz club in St. Petersburg, JFC.


1

Ermitazh (Hermitage, The)

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Location:

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Dvortsovaya Ploshchad, 2
Dvortsovaya Square
190000 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

Phone:

+7 812 710 9625/ +7 812 710 9079


2

Zimnyi Dvorets (Winter Palace)

Location:

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Dvortsovaia naberezhnaia, 34
(entrance to Hermitage museum)
191186 St. Petersburg, Russia


3

Troitskii Most

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Location:

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Malaia Posadskaia Ulitsa, 9/2
St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

7 812 326 6693


4

Isaakievskii Sobor (St. Isaac's Cathedral)

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Location:

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Isaakievskaia Ploshchad', 4
Isaakevskaya Ploshchad
190000 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 315 9732


5

Letnyi Sad (Summer Gardens)

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Letnii Sad
Entrance from Kutuzov Embankment (Naberezhnya Kutuzova) or Panteleimon Bridge (Panteleimonovsky Most)
191186 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 314 0374


6

Mednyi Sadnik (The Bronze Horseman)

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Location:

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Ploschad Dekabristov
190 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 576 6094


7

Aleksandrovskaia Kolonna (Alexander Column)

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Location:

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Dvortsovaia Ploshchad'
St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

Phone:

+7 812 576 7123(Tourist Information)


8

Kazanskii Sobor (Kazan Cathedral)

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Location:

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Kazanskaia Ploshchad, 2
Nevsky Prospekt
191186 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 314 5856/ +7 812 318 4528


9

Marsovo Pole (Fields of Mars, The)

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Location:

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Dvortsovaya Emb. and Sadovaya Ul
190000 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 576 6094


10

Orient Express

Location:

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Ulitsa Marata, 21
19000 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

7 812 325 8729


11

Concerts at JFC Jazz Club

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Location:

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Shpalernaia Ulitsa, 33
191123 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

Phone:

+7 812 272 9850


12

Renaissance Saint Petersburg Hotel

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Location:

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Pochtamtskaya Str 4
190000 St. Petersburg, RU

Phone:

7 12 3804000


Day 5 - St. Petersburg


In the morning, visit the Kuntzkammer, St. Petersburg's first museum, which is full of artifacts collected first by Peter and then later by scores of international travelers, and don't miss the Globe museum, the world's first planetarium. Lunch is casual at Zoom, a popular literary cafe. You can't forgo a walk down Nevskii Prospekt, past the palaces, canals, and tons of shops and cafes. Stop in Kuznechy Market to taste the incredible array of spices and honeys for sale. The Botanical Garden is one of the largest and oldest botanical gardens in Europe, and there are over two dozen greenhouses as well as outdoor gardens to walk through. For an early dinner, Restoran is a perfect combination of historic and modern Russia, from the decor and ambiance to the food, which is classical Russian with a contemporary twist. And it's good. If you still have some energy, try one of the cocktails at the artsy, Dostoyevsky-inspired bohemian Idiot, such as the "Crime and Punishment".


1

Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology

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Location:

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Universitetskaia Naberezhnaia, 3
199034 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 328 0712/ +7 812 328 1412


2

Zoom

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Location:

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22 Gorokhovaya Ulitsa
191186 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

7 812 972 1805


3

Nevskii Prospekt

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Location:

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Nevsky Prospekt
St. Petersburg, Russian Federation


4

Kuznechny Market

Location:

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Kuznechny Per. 3
Metro Dostoevskaya or Vladimirskaya
191002 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 312 4161


5

Botanicheskii Sad (Botanical Garden)

Location:

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Ulitsa Professora Popova 2
197376 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

Phone:

+7 812 234 1764


6

Restoran

Location:

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Tamozhennyi pereulok, 2
St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

7 812 327 8979


7

Kafe Idiot

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Location:

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Naberezhnaia Moiki 82
190 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 315 1675


Day 6 - St. Petersburg


Take the train or the hydrofoil out to the Peterhof for the day, to view the incredible palace, buildings, fountains, gardens, and more at "Russia's Versailles". Finish your St. Petersburg dining experience with the unreal seafood at the upscale Taleon Club, one of St. Petersburg best restaurants.


1

Peterhof

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Location:

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Razvodnaya Ulitsa, 2
Peterhof
198516 St. Petersburg, Russia

Phone:

+7 812 420 0073/ +7 812 450 7425


2

Taleon Club

Location:

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Moika River Emb 59
Taleon Imperial Hotel
191186 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

Phone:

7 812 315 7645


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