# Catherine Palace, St Petersburg

> Catherine Palace is the blue-and-white imperial palace of Tsarskoye Selo, in the town of Pushkin 25 km south of St Petersburg — home of the Amber Room. Foreigners pay 2,200 ₽, which includes Catherine Park. It opens 10:00–18:00 (last tickets 16:45) and is closed on Tuesdays. Plan half a day including travel, a full day with the park and Pavlovsk.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/catherine-palace

- City: [St Petersburg](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg), Russia
- YesGo score: 37/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 3 h
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Ticket for foreign visitors: 2,200 ₽ adults, 700 ₽ children 7–14; includes Catherine Park
- Russian and EAEU citizens, Russian tax residents: 1,200 ₽, concessions 650 ₽, children 7–14 400 ₽
- Under 7: Free, any nationality
- Hours: 10:00–18:00; ticket desk until 16:45, last entry 17:00
- Closed: Tuesdays; also the last Monday of the month, November–March
- Online tickets: Timed slots, on sale 7 days ahead; tickets carry your name — bring your original passport
- Same-day tickets: Unsold slots only, at the box office by the Lyceum arch; max 5 per person
- Catherine Park alone: Free from 19 October; in summer 400 ₽, free 7:00–9:00 and after 19:00; under-14s always free
- Audio guide: 350 ₽, deposit: ID or 1,000 ₽
- “Two Palaces” ticket: Nov–Mar, Fri–Sun, entry 10:00–14:00: Catherine + Alexander palaces, 2,900 ₽ for foreigners
- Address: Sadovaya ulitsa 7, Pushkin
- Photos in the Amber Room: Usually not allowed; not stated in the published rules
- Payment: Foreign Visa and Mastercard don’t work in Russia — bring roubles in cash
- Coordinates: 59.71600, 30.39556
- Facts checked: 29.10.2026

## Key facts

- **Amber Room** — recreated by 2003; the original was looted in 1941 and has never been found (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Amber Room” and “Catherine Palace”)
- **325 m** — length of the palace after Rastrelli’s rebuild (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Catherine Palace”; official Tsarskoye Selo museum website, “Architects”)
- **1752–1756** — Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli rebuilt the palace for Empress Elizabeth (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Catherine Palace”; official Tsarskoye Selo museum website)
- **1717** — work began on the first stone palace for Catherine I, who gave it its name (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Catherine Palace”)
- **1716** — the King of Prussia gave the amber panels to Peter the Great (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Amber Room”)
- **55+ m²** — of panels and over 6 tonnes of amber in the original room (source: English Wikipedia, “Amber Room”)
- **1811** — the Lyceum opened in a palace wing; Pushkin studied there until 1817 (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Tsarskoye Selo” and “Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum”)
- **1837** — Russia’s first railway opened — to Tsarskoye Selo (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Tsarskoye Selo”; English Wikipedia, “Tsarskoye Selo Railway”)
- **1941–1944** — German occupation: the palace was left a burnt-out shell (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Catherine Palace” and “Tsarskoye Selo”)
- **No. 540** — part of the UNESCO site “Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments”, 1990 (source: UNESCO World Heritage List; English Wikipedia)

> **Closed on Tuesdays — and tickets go on sale only 7 days ahead** The palace shuts every Tuesday, and from November to March on the last Monday of the month too. Entry is by timed slot; online sales open 7 days before your date and slots are limited. You can turn up without a ticket, but the box office only sells what is left for that day — on summer weekends that is often nothing.

## Catherine Palace tickets and prices for foreigners

**Foreign visitors pay 2,200 ₽**, children aged 7–14 pay 700 ₽, under-7s go free. Russian and EAEU citizens and Russian tax residents pay 1,200 ₽. Every palace ticket includes entry to Catherine Park, so you don’t buy the park separately.

Tickets are sold only on the museum’s official website and at its box offices — the museum says it doesn’t work with resellers. Online sales run in timed slots and open 7 days ahead. Tickets carry your name, and staff check them against your **original passport**, so don’t leave it at the hotel.

Payment is the catch: **Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad have not worked in Russia since March 2022**, so you usually can’t pay online with a foreign card. Bring roubles in cash for the box office, or book a tour that includes tickets. A private guide also gets you a proper story of the Amber Room instead of a rushed walk-through.

Inside, you can go on your own or rent the audio guide for 350 ₽ (deposit: ID or 1,000 ₽). From November to March, on Friday to Sunday, a “Two Palaces” ticket adds the Alexander Palace for 2,900 ₽ in total, with entry between 10:00 and 14:00.

## How to get to Catherine Palace from St Petersburg

1. From Palace Square, walk about 7 minutes to **Admiralteyskaya** metro (purple line 5) and ride two stops to **Zvenigorodskaya**. Vitebsky railway station is right at the exit, next to Pushkinskaya (red line 1).
2. At Vitebsky station take a suburban train (elektrichka) to **Tsarskoye Selo** station in Pushkin — about 30 minutes. Trains towards Pavlovsk, Vyritsa and Oredezh stop there; buy the ticket at the suburban ticket desk.
3. Faster option: catch the same train at **Kupchino** platform, next to Kupchino metro (blue line 2) — 11–15 minutes to Tsarskoye Selo.
4. From Tsarskoye Selo station it’s a 25–30-minute walk to the palace, or take bus 370, 376, 378 or 382 to the “Sadovaya ulitsa – Ekaterininsky dvorets” stop.
5. No-train option: from **Moskovskaya** metro (line 2) take bus 299 to the same stop; from Kupchino, buses 186 and 342 go there too.
6. By taxi it’s the most comfortable way, roughly an hour from the centre depending on traffic. Public entry is by the Lyceum arch, not the gilded front gates.

## Opening hours of the palace and park

**The palace is open 10:00–18:00.** The ticket desk closes at 16:45 and the last entry is at 17:00. It is closed every **Tuesday**, and from November to March also on the last Monday of each month for cleaning. The official site also lists “16:45” as a closing time — that is the box office, not the halls.

Catherine Park opens daily 7:00–21:00 from 1 September to 23 April, and until 22:00 from 24 April to 17 October. From 19 October entry is free. In summer the park costs 400 ₽, but it’s free before 9:00 and after 19:00, and always free for under-14s. There are five entrances, including one by the Lyceum arch and one on Triangular Square.

The gilded Golden Gates on the parade ground side are used only by pre-booked tour groups. Independent visitors queue at the Lyceum arch.

## Is Catherine Palace worth visiting?

Yes, if interiors are your thing. It is the most lavish palace around St Petersburg, and the Amber Room exists nowhere else. Almost everything you see was rebuilt after the war, which is part of the story: restorers recreated whole halls from photos and fragments.

The honest downsides: the route through the palace is short and busy, photos are usually not allowed in the Amber Room, and weekend slots sell out. If you have only two days in the city, see the [Hermitage](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/hermitage) and the centre first. In summer, [Peterhof](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/peterhof) and its fountains beat it as a day trip; from October to April, Catherine Palace wins, because its highlights are indoors and the park is free.

## What to see inside: the Amber Room and the state rooms

- **The Amber Room** — the reason most people come. The Prussian king gave the panels to Peter the Great in 1716; German troops took them to Königsberg in 1941 and they vanished. Today’s room is a reconstruction begun in 1979 and finished in 2003.
- **The Great Hall** — Rastrelli’s ballroom across the full width of the palace, with windows on both sides, mirrors and gilded carving.
- **The State Staircase** and the **Cavaliers’ Dining Room** — the start of the route, already heavy with gold.
- **The White State Dining Room** and the **Crimson and Green Pilaster Rooms** — part of the long enfilade, all doors aligned in one line.
- **The Picture Hall** — walls covered frame-to-frame with 17th- and 18th-century paintings.
- **The Portrait Hall**, the **Chinese Drawing Room of Alexander I** and the **Stasov Staircase** — the 19th-century end of the visit.
- Separate tickets: the Palace Church and the apartments of Paul I (route 3), and the “Catherine II. Personal Space” exhibition in the Zubov Wing (route 4).

## Tsarskoye Selo beyond the palace

- **Catherine Park** — the Great Pond, the Hermitage and Admiralty pavilions, the Cameron Gallery, the Chesme Column, the Marble Bridge and the “Girl with a Pitcher” fountain.
- **The Lyceum**, in the wing across the street — Pushkin’s school, now a separate museum with its own tickets.
- **The Alexander Palace** — the last home of Nicholas II and his family, about 10 minutes’ walk through the park; it closes on Wednesdays instead.
- **Alexander Park** — free, quieter and wilder, with the Arsenal and the Chinese Village.
- [Pavlovsk](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/pavlovsk-palace) next door — Paul I’s palace in a huge landscape park, easy to add on the same day.

> **House rules: no coats, umbrellas or big bags** Coats and umbrellas go to the cloakroom, bags can’t be bigger than 35 × 25 × 15 cm, and you’ll be given shoe covers. Photos are allowed without flash or selfie sticks; phone calls in the halls are not. No food or water bottles inside. Strollers only the museum’s own.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] It isn’t Tuesday (or the last Monday of a winter month)
- [ ] Timed ticket booked — sales open 7 days ahead
- [ ] Original passport — tickets are in your name
- [ ] Roubles in cash — foreign cards don’t work in Russia
- [ ] At the box office by 16:45 if you have no ticket
- [ ] Small bag only
- [ ] Suburban train from Vitebsky station or Kupchino checked
- [ ] Comfortable shoes — the park is big

## Catherine Palace vs Peterhof vs Pavlovsk

|  | Catherine Palace | Peterhof | Pavlovsk |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Best for | Palace interiors and the Amber Room | Fountains and the Grand Cascade | Paul I’s palace and a landscape park |
| Where | Pushkin, ≈ 25 km south | ≈ 30 km west, on the Gulf | Next to Pushkin |
| Foreigner ticket | 2,200 ₽, park included | Lower Park 2,000–2,500 ₽, palace extra | Own tickets |
| Best season | All year; park free in winter | May to early autumn, fountain season | Summer and golden autumn |
| From the centre | Train from Vitebsky station or bus | Train, bus, hydrofoil in summer | Train from Vitebsky station |

Tsarskoye Selo and Pavlovsk sit on the same railway line, so pair them in one day. Peterhof is in the opposite direction and needs its own day.

## St Petersburg palaces compared

Every palace in and around St Petersburg rated by YesGo.

- [State Hermitage Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/hermitage) — YesGo score 76/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · 500–1,200 ₽
- [Mikhailovsky Castle](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/mikhailovsky-castle) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 700 ₽
- [Peterhof](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/peterhof) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 4 h · Lower Park from 2,000 ₽ for foreign visitors
- [Yusupov Palace on the Moika](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/yusupov-palace) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · from 950 ₽
- [State Russian Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/russian-museum) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · from 700 ₽
- [Catherine Palace](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/catherine-palace) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · 2,200 ₽ for foreign visitors
- [Fabergé Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/faberge-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 700 ₽
- [Yelagin Island](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/yelagin-island) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free weekdays, 200 ₽ at weekends
- [Oranienbaum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/oranienbaum) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Park 1,100 ₽, palace 1,800 ₽
- [Pavlovsk Palace and Park](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/pavlovsk-palace) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Palace 800 ₽, park 300 ₽

## Tsarskoye Selo and Pavlovsk in a day

Morning slot at Catherine Palace and a walk in the park, then one stop on the suburban train to Pavlovsk station, and back to town for an evening on Nevsky Prospekt.

1. [Catherine Palace](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/catherine-palace) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · 2,200 ₽ for foreign visitors
2. [Pavlovsk Palace and Park](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/pavlovsk-palace) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Palace 800 ₽, park 300 ₽
3. [Nevsky Prospekt](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/nevsky-prospect) — YesGo score 65/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free

> **The best view of the facade is from the Great Pond** To see the whole facade at once, walk down from the palace into Catherine Park towards the Great Pond and turn round. In autumn and winter it’s nearly empty — and from 19 October the park is free.

## Good to know

Tsarskoye Selo (“the Tsar’s Village”), Detskoye Selo and Pushkin are the same place under different names. In Russian the palace is Yekaterininsky Dvorets — useful for taxis and signs. Don’t mix it up with the Catherine Palace in Lefortovo, Moscow, which is a military academy closed to tourists.

## Tips

- Book the 10:00 slot — the Amber Room is at its quietest first thing.
- Weekend slots go fast: check exactly 7 days ahead, in the morning.
- Half a day: palace → down to the Great Pond → Cameron Gallery from outside → the Lyceum across the street.
- Full day: add the Alexander Palace and park, or neighbouring Pavlovsk.
- Kupchino platform beats Vitebsky station for speed — same train, half the ride.
- The spring water by the Arsenal and the “Girl with a Pitcher” fountain isn’t fit to drink — carry your own bottle (but not into the halls).
- If you only manage one palace outside the city in winter, make it this one.

## Questions

### How much is a ticket to Catherine Palace for foreigners?

2,200 ₽ for adults and 700 ₽ for children aged 7–14; under-7s are free. The ticket includes Catherine Park. Russian and EAEU citizens pay 1,200 ₽.

### Is Catherine Palace open on Tuesday?

No. Tuesday is the day off, and from November to March the palace also closes on the last Monday of each month.

### What are Catherine Palace opening hours?

10:00–18:00. The ticket desk closes at 16:45 and the last entry to the halls is at 17:00.

### How do I get to Catherine Palace by train?

Take a suburban train from Vitebsky station (metro Pushkinskaya or Zvenigorodskaya) to Tsarskoye Selo station — about 30 minutes — then walk 25–30 minutes or take bus 370, 376, 378 or 382.

### Do I need to book Catherine Palace tickets in advance?

Yes, ideally. Entry is by timed slot, online sales open 7 days ahead and tickets are limited. Same-day tickets are sold only if slots are left.

### Can I pay with a foreign card?

Usually not: Visa and Mastercard issued abroad have not worked in Russia since March 2022. Bring roubles in cash or book a tour that includes tickets.

### Is the Amber Room original?

No — it’s a reconstruction completed in 2003. The original panels were taken to Königsberg in 1941 and their fate is unknown.

### How long do you need at Catherine Palace?

About an hour for the palace route, three hours with the park, half a day including the trip from the city. Add Pavlovsk or the Alexander Palace for a full day.

### Can you take photos inside Catherine Palace?

Yes, without flash and without a selfie stick. The Amber Room is the usual exception — staff normally stop photography there, though the published rules don’t say so.

### Catherine Palace or Peterhof — which is better?

In summer, Peterhof for its fountains; from October to April, Catherine Palace, because its best part is indoors. If you love interiors, choose Catherine Palace in any season.

## How we checked

Prices, hours, closures, timed entry, rules, park entrances and transport come from the official museum-reserve website. The palace page shows both “10:00–18:00” and a “16:45” end time; the same page explains that 16:45 is when the box office closes and last entry is 17:00, so we show both. The free park entry “from 19 October” has no end date on the site; the paid season appears to start on 24 April, when the summer hours begin. Sources disagree on the distance: the museum says 25 km, English Wikipedia 30 km, Russian Wikipedia 22.6 km by rail — we use the museum’s figure. Rastrelli’s rebuild starts in 1752 per Russian Wikipedia and the museum site, 1751 per English Wikipedia; the post-war restoration start is given as 1947 or 1957, so we give no single year. Train times come from two travel guides. The photo ban in the Amber Room is long-standing museum practice but isn’t spelled out in the published rules, and card acceptance at the box office isn’t stated — both are marked as verifying where they appear. The walk from Palace Square, taxi time and the length of the palace route are our estimates. Peterhof prices are from our Peterhof page, checked the same day.

## Sources

- Official website of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Reserve: opening hours and prices, Catherine Palace, Catherine Park, visitor rules, directions, FAQ, homepage notices, 29.10.2026
- Official website of the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Reserve: “Architects — Rastrelli”
- English and Russian Wikipedia: Catherine Palace, Tsarskoye Selo, Amber Room, Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum; Wikidata Q2854543
- UNESCO World Heritage List: Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments, No. 540, 1990
- Tripster and Travelto guides: getting from St Petersburg to Tsarskoye Selo, 2026
- Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022

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