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VisitPetersburg
VisitPetersburg
visitpetersburg
About the destination
Committee for Tourism Development of Saint Petersburg.
Primary tourist destinations of the region
St. Petersburg is a unique tourist destination. Thanks to its location, history, architecture, historically famous residents, world-renowned works of literature, and the unique combination of the beauty of the surrounding nature, the city on the Neva can offer tourists the widest spectrum of impressions.
Today the city on the Neva positions itself as a travel hub, a point of entry into the Russian Federation, and the most tourist-oriented city in the country, open and waiting for large numbers of visitors.
However, cultural tourism is not the only kind of tourism St. Petersburg is a center of.
Currently, business tourism is regarded as a priority for development within St. Petersburg’s tourism sector. In 2019, the city saw an increase in the number of tourists who visited it for business purposes.
In 2017, the city was visited by 800,000 business tourists; in 2018, by 900,000; and in 2019, by over 1 million business tourists.
St. Petersburg increasingly often hosts large-scale world events and does so according to the highest standards.
In 2019, the number of convention and exhibition events taking place in the cultural capital of Russia increased by 10%.
For instance, the 23rd session of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly took place in the Northern Capital—a first for the city, which was visited by over 2,000 industry representatives from 138 countries.
To effectively attract international business events to St. Petersburg, an ambassador program has been active since 2018.
The city became the first to implement this program, which is unique to Russia. Thanks to the work of the ambassadors, six international business events attended by 6,750 delegates were brought to St. Petersburg in 2019.
A priority trend in the development of St. Petersburg’s hospitality industry is event tourism. The increase of the number of various types of events that attract tourists all year round has largely negated the seasonal factor.
Highly popular among tourists during the low season are such annual festivals as the “Christmas Star” Fire Festival, the Festival of Light “Wonder of Light”, the Icebreaker Festival and the St. Petersburg Restaurant Festival. For instance, performances of the theatres of fire and light during the “Christmas Star” Festival in January 2020 attracted 400,000 spectators. The 6th Icebreaker Festival in the waters of the Neva in 2020 was attended by over 50,000 spectators. The annual light show “Wonder of Light” is attended by up to 1 million people.
St. Petersburg became the first city in Russia to join the international program to ensure safe tourism — Safe Travels. As part of this initiative, hotels can receive a Safe Travels SPb sign which indicates safe and comfortable stay in St. Petersburg. This will inform tourists about the security measures taken in St. Petersburg during the pandemic.
From October 1, 2019, citizens of 53 foreign countries will be able to visit St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region with the electronic visa.
Citizens of foreign countries can visit St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region with the electronic visa through the air checkpoint “St. Petersburg (Pulkovo)”, car checkpoints “Ivangorod”, “Torfyanovka”, “Brusnichnoe”, “Svetogorsk”, pedestrian checkpoint “Ivangorod ”, as well as sea checkpoints “Vysotsk”, “Big Port of Saint Petersburg” (at the Marine Station) and “Passenger Port of Saint Petersburg”.
Transport accessibility of the region
The airport
Pulkovo Airport is the fourth busiest in Russia by number of passengers. It is located 23 kilometers away from the Palace Square, the city’s central square. The airport is served by shuttle buses (No. 39 and No. 39A) that connect it with the Moskovskaya subway station.
Since March 2014, all operations in Pulkovo Airport have been consolidated into a single terminal that serves domestic as well as international flights.
The airport’s infrastructure includes 88 check-in counters, 110 passport booths, 110 aprons, 7 baggage carousels, 37 gates, 75 airlines and approximately 165 destinations. The leading Russian airlines by passenger traffic at Pulkovo Airport are Rossiya Airlines, Pobeda, Aeroflot, S7 Airlines and Smartavia. The biggest international airlines are Belavia, Lufthansa, Uzbekistan Airways, Finnair and Emirates.
On 1 October 2019, Pulkovo Airport began serving international passengers arriving in St. Petersburg by electronic visas from 53 countries. Since 1 January 2020, foreign airlines can operate flights to Pulkovo according to Seventh Freedom of the Air from 30 European countries confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Transport.
Information may change; follow the news.
Flights to India
Air communication between St. Petersburg and Delhi
There is currently no direct air communication between St. Petersburg and Delhi (the capital of India). Flights connect through Istanbul. The travel time is 10 hours and 25 minutes.
Flights are operated by Turkish Airlines.
Rail transport
The city has five active passenger railway terminals connecting to various domestic and foreign destinations. The high-speed Allegro train runs between St. Petersburg and the capital of the neighboring country (Finland), while the high-speed Sapsan train runs between St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Bus service
To reach various Russian, European and CIS cities from St. Petersburg, you can take advantage of a well-developed network of bus routes. Companies such as Ecolines and Lux Express operate routes to international destinations. Recently bus service has been temporarily halted in Russia and the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Water transportation
Both marine and riverine tourism is well-developed in the city, with the following ports being open:
The Marine Façade Passenger Port of St. Petersburg: the first and only specialized passenger port in Northwest Russia, located in St. Petersburg on reclaimed alluvial territories of Vasilyevsky Island.
The Marine Façade Passenger Port of St. Petersburg is an active player in the global cruise market and participates in annual exhibitions and events of the associations it is a member of, viz. Sea Trade Ports Association, СLIA, Cruise Industry Association, Cruise Europe, and St. Petersburg Marine Tourism Enterprises Association. Passengers of cruise ships and ferries can stay in the country visa-free for up to 72 hours.
The Marine Station mooring complex was designed specifically for the reception and processing of cruise and ferry cargo/passenger vessels. The terminal possesses all the infrastructure necessary for the above.
Utkina Zavod Passenger River Port. From this port passengers can go on exciting riverboat cruises to Moscow, Petrozavodsk, Sortavala, the islands of Valaam and Kizhi and other interesting tourist destinations.
Primary tourism opportunities of the destination
- Cultural tourism
- Event tourism
- Medical tourism
- Culinary tourism
- Wellness tourism
- Pilgrimage tourism
- Children’s tourism
- Romantic tourism
- Wedding tourism
- Industrial tourism
- Agritourism
- Business tourism
- Military-patriotic tourism
- Marine, riverine and yachting tourism
Primary tourism opportunities during cold season
- Cultural tourism
- Event tourism
- Medical tourism
- Culinary tourism
- Wellness tourism
- Pilgrimage tourism
- Children’s tourism
- Romantic tourism
- Wedding tourism
- Industrial tourism
- Business tourism
- Military-patriotic tourism
Tour operators
Visit-Petersburg Representation Office in New Delhi (India)
906, 9th floor,
Prakashdeep Building,
7, Tolstoy Road, New Delhi 110001
prashant@salviatravelsindia.com
www.salviapromoters.com/saint-petersburg
Visit-Petersburg Representation Office in Mumbai (India)
prashant@salviatravelsindia.com
www.salviapromoters.com/saint-petersburg
Primary sightseeing destinations
The Winter Palace
The Winter Palace was the residence of the Russian Tsars for over 150 years. On display inside the palace are gala halls and apartments, collections of antiques from Eurasia and the East, collections of paintings, sculptures and decorative-applied artwork from Europe and the East.
Working hours: Tue, Thu, Sun 11 a.m. — 7 p.m; Wed, Fri, Sat 11 a.m. — 8 p.m.
Kazan Cathedral
One of St. Petersburg’s largest cathedrals, dedicated to the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Kazan and designed in the Empire style. It was constructed on Nevsky Prospect between 1801 and 1811 by architect Andrey Voronikhin following the orders of Emperor Paul, who wanted the cathedral modelled on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Working hours: Mon — Sat 9 a.m. — 7:45 p.m.; Sun 6:30 a.m. — 7:45 p.m.
The State Museum-Reserve of Tsarskoye Selo
An extraordinary monument of architecture and landscape art of XVIII — early XX centuries. The world-famous Amber Room is located here.
The founding date of Tsarskoye Selo is considered to be 24 June 1710, the day Peter the Great gifted a small estate to his future wife Catherine. Tsarskoye Selo served as the summer imperial residence for two centuries.
Working hours and admission costs: www.tzar.ru/visitors/workinhours
Saint Isaac’s Cathedral
Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is an outstanding example of late neoclassicism, already apparent in which are newer styles (Neo-Renaissance, Byzanthine style, eclecticism), a unique architectural construction and a dominance of high altitudes in the central part of the city.
Working hours: 10:30 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Non-working day: Wed.
The State Museum-Reserve of Peterhof
Peterhof is one of the most exquisite summer imperial residences.
Established in the early XVIII century by Peter the Great not far from the new Northern Capital of St. Petersburg, Peterhof was to be the most exquisite summer imperial residence. The grand opening took place in August 1723.
Working hours: the fountains have been turned off since 10/19/2020, admission to the parks is free.
Museum tickets available only on tickets.peterhofmuseum.ru
The State Museum-Reserve of Pavlovsk
The palace and park ensemble of Pavlovsk, built in the heyday of Russian classicism of late XVIII and early XIX centuries, is a cultural heritage monument under UNESCO protection.
Working hours: 7 a.m. — 7 p.m.
The State Russian Museum
The Russian museum is the largest museum of Russian art in the world, and a unique architectural and art complex.
The collection is showcased in buildings that are monuments of XVIII and XIX centuries’ architecture: the Mikhailovsky Palace, the Stroganov Palace, the Marble Palace and St. Michael’s Castle. Other locations assigned to the museum are the Mikhailovsky Garden, the Summer Palace of Peter the Great with the Summer Garden, and the cabin of Peter the Great.
The State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg
The State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg is one of the largest history museums in Russia.
The headquarters of the museum—the Peter and Paul Fortress—is a unique monument to the history, architecture and fortification art of ХVIII-ХХ centuries.
The Peter and Paul Cathedral is one of the symbols of St. Petersburg, and the resting place of the Imperial House of Romanov.
Tickets: www.spbmuseum.ru
The Fabergé Museum
The heart of the museum’s collection is a large number of masterworks created by the House of Fabergé. The most valuable of these are the nine Easter eggs created by Fabergé for the last two Russian Tsars.
The museum’s collection contains more than 4,000 items, making it the finest and most complete collection of Fabergé creations in the world.
Working hours: 10 a.m. — 8:45 p.m. daily.
The Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky theatre is one of the greatest opera and ballet theatres in Russia and the world.
The great Russian composers Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov have all written works for its stage, and it is the birthplace of the classic ballet of Marius Petipa, the calling card of Russian ballet.
Working hours: 11 a.m — 7 p.m. daily
The Alexandrinsky Theatre
The first professional dramatic Russian state theatre, and the oldest national theatre in Russia. The history of the troupe of the Alexandrinsky theatre dates back to Russia’s first dramatic Imperial troupe, founded in 1756 by decree of Elizabeth of Russia.
Working hours of the box office: 11 a.m. — 8 p.m. every day
The Russian Museum of Ethnography
The Russian Museum of Ethnography is dedicated to the simple and familiar things: the ways people worked, built and decorated their homes, relaxed, and brought up their children.
Each section of the museum boasts an inimitable look and a national flavour specific to the given people.
Working hours: Tue — Sun, from 11 a.m. till 7 p.m.
Shows: from 11 a.m. till 6 p.m. every half-hour
The Moika Palace
The Yusupov Palace on the Moika embankment is the former residence of five generations of the eminent and wealthy House of Yusupov. The exquisite interiors of gala halls are not its only attraction; the Yusupov Palace is the site of Grigori Rasputin’s murder.
Working hours: Friday — Wednesday, 10 a.m. — 7:30 p.m.
The Museum-Institute of the Roerichs
The St. Petersburg State Museum-Institute of the Roerichs is located on the Vasilyevsky Island, in the old estate of academic Mikhail Botkin that was frequently visited by Nicholas Roerich.
Today its collection contains approximately 15,000 exhibits, which include personal items, manuscripts, artwork, decorative and applied arts, archaeological finds and photographs.
Working hours: Wed 12 p.m. — 9 p.m; Thu 11 a.m. — 6 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m. — 8 p.m.; Sat-Sun 11 a.m. — 6 p.m.
The Naval Stavropegial Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Kronstadt
This spectacular construction is a unique monument to the heroism and bravery of Russian seamen. Inside the cathedral are memorial plaques with the names of those who gave their lives defending their homeland at sea.
The cathedral is open daily from 10 a.m. till 7 p.m.
The museum ship Aurora
The cruiser Aurora in St. Petersburg is a legendary war ship anchored by the Petrogradskaya embankment. The ship is manned by an active service crew of Russian Navy officers.
Working hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Non-working days: Mon, Tue
The Petrovskaya Aquatoria Scale Model Museum
All locations, including lost ones, reconstructed to fit their mid-18th century appearance. The reconstruction of architectural ensembles and landscapes is not the point of the project, but merely a set presenting the life of the city of Russian Tsars from Peter the Great to Catherine the Great.
Working hours: from 10 a.m. till 10 p.m. daily
Greeting
“Dear friends! I am happy to welcome all participants and visitors of the RUSSIAN EXPO DAYS online exhibition. I must note that St. Petersburg has a long tradition of studying the history, languages and culture of Eastern countries, including India. The number of visitors from that beautiful country has been actively increasing for the past several years, and St. Petersburg’s tourism sector has high hopes for it. We expect the number of Indian tourists to rise following the end of the pandemic, thanks among other things to the single electronic visas which will become available starting on 1 January 2021. Welcome to St. Petersburg!”
Partners
Business partner of St. Petersburg Tour Operator “Neva Seasons” Tour Operator “Neva Seasons” Learn more
Business partner of St. Petersburg TORUSSIA.TRAVEL TORUSSIA.TRAVEL Learn more
Business partner of St. Petersburg ART-TRAVEL ART-TRAVEL Learn more
Business partner of St. Petersburg BP travel Company LLC BP travel Company LLC Learn more
Business partner of St. Petersburg DMC Meteors Travel (Luxury Petersburg — incoming department) DMC Meteors Travel (Luxury Petersburg — incoming department) Learn more
Business partner of St. Petersburg Tari Tour SPb Tari Tour SPb Learn more
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