I have lived in St. Petersburg for two pleasant nostalgic years. I love the city and know it quite well. In this article I will tell you how to plan a trip to St. Petersburg, and at the end I will calculate the cost of a vacation for 3, 5, 7 and 10 days for two.
How much are the tickets
By plane. The flight from Moscow is very cheap - air tickets in both directions cost only 2,000 rubles. To fly to St. Petersburg from Krasnodar or Yekaterinburg costs from 5000 rubles, from Novosibirsk - from 7000 rubles. Look for tickets on Aviasales - it compares the prices of all airlines. Find out how to buy air tickets cheaper.
By train. A ticket to a reserved seat from Moscow costs from 1800 rubles one way. More expensive than a flight! On the other hand, the train is sometimes more convenient than the plane: there are not always cheap air tickets for the required dates, and even arriving directly to the center, which is convenient. View the cost of train tickets from your city by filling out the form below.
Tour prices
Tours sell out quickly - buy a few months before your trip. Prices for tours to St. Petersburg with a flight from Moscow in the summer of 2021 cost from RUB 40,000 for two (3 * hotel, 7 nights). From Yekaterinburg - from 50,000 rubles. We recommend looking for tours on the Travelata service - it will find the best deals among different tour operators.
How much does food cost
During a trip to St. Petersburg, you can eat on a budget. The main allies of the hungry traveler are inexpensive canteens (for example, Canteen # 1) and chain establishments such as "Teaspoon". We often ate there, because it is simply not cheaper to find - the bill is in the range of 150-300 rubles per person. The choice of dishes is large, everything is quite tasty. There are profitable business lunches. Find out where to eat inexpensively in St. Petersburg. Follow the link - addresses of inexpensive establishments and food prices.
We had a snack on the go in pies and pancakes: "Plyushkin House", "Pirogovy Dvorik", "F. Volchek's Bakery", etc. - from 150 rubles. I like most of all in the Volcheka bakery - incredibly tasty cakes and pastries, and in the evenings there are good discounts, even queues line up. I fell in love with their carrot cake!
You can eat inexpensive woks and rolls in Asian chain restaurants such as "Eurasia", and have a cup of coffee and cake in the confectioneries "Bushe", "Shokoladnitsa", "Coffee House".
Lunch or dinner in a good restaurant costs an average of 1000 rubles and more.
How much do the hotels cost
To save money on your trip to St. Petersburg, look for budget hotels. Prices in the summer of 2021 for a standard double room in a budget hotel start from 1300 rubles per day. Double rooms in hostels cost about the same, and a bed costs from 500 rubles. 3 * hotels are already in the range of 2000-4000 rubles. We recommend looking for hotels and hostels on Rumguru - the service finds the best price among different booking systems. Check out our selection of cheap hotels and hostels in St. Petersburg.
Do not delay your booking, because good options are sorted out quickly, especially in summer and New Years. By the way, in summer and on New Year's holidays, the prices for accommodation in St. Petersburg are the highest.
Prices for hotels in the center of St. Petersburg in the summer of 2021:
| A type | Summer price | Example |
| Bed in a hostel in the center | from 500 ₽ | Graffiti L |
| Double room in guesthouse / hostel | from 1300 ₽ | VeloHostel |
| Hotel 3 * | from 2000 ₽ | Nouvelle Europe |
| Hotel 4 * | from 5000 ₽ | Imperial-Art |
| Hotel 5 * | from 8000 ₽ | Gamma |
Apartments for rent
When you live in an apartment in another city, you feel at home. We are looking for cozy accommodation on Airbnb - there are many beautiful and inexpensive options.
Former rooms in communal apartments are inexpensive in the center - thanks to high ceilings, they turn into two-story studios. We just shot one in the Technological Institute area. Just read the reviews carefully before booking - it may turn out that there is no sound insulation or heating, and the apartment smells like sewage. Keep in mind that the hosts are ordinary people, not trained hotel staff, so they can behave unpredictably. Read our tips on how to safely rent an apartment in St. Petersburg.
The city has a huge selection of pretty apartments, but sometimes there are real gems. If you like non-standard housing, check out our selection of 10 unusual and beautiful apartments in St. Petersburg.
Prices for apartments in the center of St. Petersburg in the summer of 2021:
| A type | Summer price | Example |
| Room in the apartment | from 900 ₽ | View >> |
| Apartment for two | from 2 500 ₽ | View >> |
| Studio for 2 people near the Hermitage | from 4 000 ₽ | View >> |
| Attic with a view (up to 5 people) | from 6 000 ₽ | View >> |
Attraction prices
Quite a lot of money during a trip to St. Petersburg is spent on entertainment and sightseeing. I love going to St. Petersburg museums, but the prices are quite high there, so I try to get into free days. For example, a ticket to the immense Hermitage costs 400-600 rubles, but on the first Thursday of the month and December 7, admission is free. True, on free days there are endless queues! If you want to save some money, find out when the museums are free to enter.
A complex ticket for 1 day to the Russian Museum costs 550 rubles. There are many interesting things, but I went first of all because of Aivazovsky. And one of the most interesting museums for me is the Kunstkamera. I have been there twice and would love to visit again! The ticket costs 300 rubles.
It is very beautiful in Peterhof, I advise you to go there for a romantic walk or go with your family. A ticket to the park costs 450 rubles, and the entrance to the palaces must be paid separately. There is no point in going out of season - the fountains do not work. Read what to see in St. Petersburg in winter.
In general, there are many beautiful parks in St. Petersburg: free Summer Garden, Alexandria, inexpensive Pavlovsk - from 10 to 18 hours the entrance costs only 100 rubles, and after 18:00 it is free.
Climb the colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral - it's a classic. Many Chinese, very cold and windy, but beautiful, especially at sunset. The colonnade alone costs 200 rubles.
If you are traveling to St. Petersburg with children, visit the "Divo-Ostrov" - a bracelet ticket for the whole day costs 2500 rubles. Oceanarium in the shopping center "Neptune" - 550-750 rubles, and the water park "Piterland" - 1500-1900 rubles for adults and 890-990 rubles for children.
We always carefully plan a trip to St. Petersburg in advance: we think over the route, find out the cost of tickets and the opening hours of all the objects that we want to visit, and buy tickets online, because in the summer there are queues at the ticket office. We advise you to do the same.
If you are driving for the first time, do not try to cover everything at once, it is unrealistic. Better to see what interesting places there are in St. Petersburg and choose the best ones, and leave the rest for the next trip. Many interesting things can be seen outside of St. Petersburg. I lived in St. Petersburg for two years and then I saw not everything I wanted! For example, I never got to the Nabokov Museum. Visit the sights slowly, alternating with walks and entertainment. Just walking through the city center on white nights and opening bridges is already a wonderful adventure in itself, which I still remember fondly.
Excursion prices
There are many excellent author's excursions in St. Petersburg. We advise you to get to the rooftops - it's not only beautiful, but also romantic! And in general - an unusual experience. We have been on the roof several times and it is unforgettable. When we lived on Tekhnolozhka, we generally had a personal exit to the roof with a beautiful view. It's also great to take a boat ride through the canals or take a cruise and see the city from the water. Find out how to get to the rooftops of St. Petersburg.
Look for interesting author's excursions on the Tripster website. See what cool excursions there are in St. Petersburg:
Transport prices
The metro ticket costs 55 rubles, ground transport - 50 rubles. Sometimes the bus can wait for a very long time due to traffic jams - this site will save you, we used it often. There you can see in real time how far your bus or tram is traveling and when it will arrive.
Peter's travel tips
If you are going on an independent trip to St. Petersburg, take into account some of the nuances so as not to be disappointed with your vacation.
Good weather is during the white nights - the most romantic time, from about the end of May to mid-July. At night, the air is steamy and fragrant, and if it rains, then it is absolutely beauty. However, there are downsides - a lot of tourists and higher prices. I also really love the end of September, when the golden autumn is in full swing - at this time, Peter is especially good. In winter, it is more convenient to visit museums, exhibitions, concerts - there are fewer queues. Avoid school holidays, museums are not crowded at this time.
Even if the weather forecast is rosy, don't believe it, take an umbrella and some warm clothes. We look at the weather on the Internet for specific areas of the city - for example, on Vasilievsky Island, its own microclimate.
If you want to go out at night, check the bridging schedule.
Remember security - there are cases of fraud and theft.
Book hotels in advance. Look for the best deals on Rumguru and Airbnb.
How much does it cost to go to St. Petersburg
So, let's calculate the minimum cost of an independent trip to St. Petersburg from Moscow for two people for a period of 3, 5, 7 and 10 days. We will not count spending on attractions and entertainment, household expenses, delicacies - all this is individual. Let's count only the main expenses, which you can't do without.
What is the cost of:
- Air ticket in both directions - 4000 rubles for two.
- A budget hotel close to the center - about 1500 rubles per day for two.
- Three meals a day in inexpensive establishments - about 2000 rubles per day for two.
- Transport 3 times a day - about RUB 330 for two.
Total, this will be minimum cost of a trip to St. Petersburg for two in 2021:
| 3 days | 15 500 ₽ |
| 5 days | 23 000 ₽ |
| 7 days | 31 000 ₽ |
| 10 days | 42 000 ₽ |
How much did our trip to St. Petersburg for 6 nights for two cost:
| Price for two | |
| Apartment (5 nights) | 12 000 ₽ |
| Hotel (1 night) | 1 100 ₽ |
| Railway tickets Perm - St. Petersburg - Perm | 9 400 ₽ |
| Canteens and cafes | 4 900 ₽ |
| Products | 1 400 ₽ |
| Transport | 1 100 ₽ |
| sights | 1 300 ₽ |
| Total: | 31 200 ₽ |
Explanation: it took a little for the sights, because we lived in St. Petersburg for 2 years and have already visited a lot. On this trip we went to Isaac's colonnade, to the Russian Museum and watched Tarkovsky's film in Aurora. They went to the Hermitage for free on the first Thursday of the month.
