2 days in St Petersburg: a day-by-day itinerary
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- 5 of 10 free; 5 paid — see “Cost”
- Duration
- 2 days, 9:30 to 17:49 each day
- Start and finish
- Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood → New Holland Island
- On foot
- ≈ 1 h 18 min in total
- Transport
- none — all on foot
- Lunch
- around 12:37
- With kids
- fine: short walks
- Best time
- Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday: everything in the plan is open.
Day-by-day plan
Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.
Day 1 · St Petersburg09:30–17:49 · 6 places · 8 h 20 min
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
· 45 min · 700 ₽, under 7 free
- 12 min on foot
Kazan Cathedral
· 30 min · Free
- 10 min on foot
Nevsky Prospekt
· 1 h 30 min · Free
- Lunch · 1 h
- 5 min on foot
Palace Square
· 30 min · Free
- 4 min on foot
State Hermitage Museum
· 3 h · 500–1,200 ₽
- 13 min on foot
Bronze Horseman
· 20 min · Free
Day 2 · St Petersburg09:30–16:04 · 4 places · 6 h 30 min
Kunstkamera
· 1 h 30 min · 500 ₽
- 15 min on foot
St Isaac's Cathedral
· 1 h · 700 ₽, colonnade 700 ₽
- Lunch · 1 h
- 11 min on foot
Yusupov Palace on the Moika
· 1 h 30 min · From 950 ₽
- 8 min on foot
New Holland Island
· 1 h · Free
Add nearby
Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.
What the route costs
5 of 10 are free; 5 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.
| 1 | Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood | 75 | 45 min | 700 ₽, under 7 free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | State Hermitage Museum | 76 | 3 h | 500–1,200 ₽ |
| 7 | Kunstkamera | 50 | 1 h 30 min | 500 ₽ |
| 8 | St Isaac's Cathedral | 69 | 1 h | 700 ₽, colonnade 700 ₽ |
| 9 | Yusupov Palace on the Moika | 47 | 1 h 30 min | from 950 ₽ |
| Other 5 places | 4 h | Free | ||
| Total | 11 h 40 min | 5 of 10 free |
Tips for each stop
Day 1
- 1
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Start at the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood: more than 7,000 m² of mosaics inside, 700 ₽. Opens at 10:00, closed on Wednesdays.
- 2
Kazan Cathedral. A working cathedral with a colonnade on Nevsky and Kutuzov's tomb — free, half an hour is enough.
- 3
Nevsky Prospekt. The best stretch runs from Palace Square to the Anichkov Bridge: the Singer House, Gostiny Dvor. A handy place for lunch.
- 4
Palace Square. The Alexander Column, the Winter Palace and the General Staff arch — half an hour before the Hermitage.
- 5
State Hermitage Museum. The main visit of the day — about three hours. 1,200 ₽ by day, 700 ₽ after 16:00; free under 14. Closed on Mondays.
- 6
Bronze Horseman. End day one at the Bronze Horseman on Senate Square — free, at any hour, with the Neva embankment next to it.
Day 2
- 7
Kunstkamera. Russia's first museum, now the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography: 500 ₽, from 10:00. Closed on Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month.
- 8
St Isaac's Cathedral. The cathedral is 700 ₽, the colonnade with its city view another 700 ₽. Closed on Wednesdays; open in the evening in summer.
- 9
Yusupov Palace on the Moika. State rooms and a private theatre: from 950 ₽. Entry from 21 Dekabristov Street; last session at 18:00.
- 10
New Holland Island. An island park in former warehouses: lawns and cafés, free, open until 22:00 (Fri–Sun until 23:00).
Who this route is for
- A weekend in St Petersburg
- A first trip, the highlights without the suburbs
- On foot, no car
- Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo are in the 4- and 5-day itineraries
- Monday — the Hermitage and the Kunstkamera are closed
Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday: everything in the plan is open.
How to spend 2 days in St Petersburg
Day one is the grand centre from the Saviour on Spilled Blood to the Bronze Horseman, with the Hermitage after lunch. Day two is on the other side of the Admiralty: the Kunstkamera across the Palace Bridge, St Isaac's, the Moika and New Holland.
The YesGo planner works out the order and lunch. Both days are on foot, 4–15 minutes between stops.
St Isaac's colonnade
The colonnade has its own ticket — also 700 ₽ — and shows the whole centre. From May to September the cathedral and the colonnade are also open in the evening, until 21:30, so the climb can move to sunset.
Where to stay for 2 days
In the centre — between Nevsky and the Moika, or by St Isaac's Square. Both days then start 10–15 minutes' walk away, and you do not need to cross raised bridges at night.
How to do it right
- The Hermitage and the Kunstkamera are closed on Mondays; the Saviour on Spilled Blood and St Isaac's on Wednesdays.
- The Hermitage is cheaper after 16:00 — 700 ₽.
- The Yusupov Palace entrance is at 21 Dekabristov Street only.
- In the navigation season the bridges open at night — if you stay across the river, be back before 1:00.
- Russia uses the rouble (₽). Bank cards issued abroad usually do not work in Russia — plan how you will pay before the trip; for the metro, buy a Troika card at the ticket office.
Questions
Is 2 days in St Petersburg enough?
For the historic centre, yes. The fortress and the suburban palaces need more days.
What to see in St Petersburg in 2 days?
Day one: the Saviour on Spilled Blood, Kazan Cathedral, Nevsky, Palace Square, the Hermitage, the Bronze Horseman. Day two: the Kunstkamera, St Isaac's, the Yusupov Palace, New Holland.
How much is St Isaac's colonnade?
700 ₽, on top of the 700 ₽ cathedral ticket.
How much is the Kunstkamera?
500 ₽; closed on Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month.
How much is the Yusupov Palace?
From 950 ₽; last session at 18:00.
Is New Holland free?
Yes, open until 22:00 (Fri–Sun until 23:00).
Which days are best?
Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday.
Where to stay?
Between Nevsky and the Moika, or by St Isaac's Square.
Is it good with kids?
Yes: the Hermitage is free under 14, and New Holland has lawns and playgrounds.
How do I pay in Russia?
Russia uses the rouble (₽). Bank cards issued abroad usually do not work in Russia — plan how you will pay before the trip; for the metro, buy a Troika card at the ticket office.
Sources and fact-check
- Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
- State Hermitage Museum: hours, tickets, sessions
- Peterhof State Museum-Reserve: Lower Park, Grand Palace, Oranienbaum — hours and prices
- Tsarskoye Selo and Pavlovsk State Museum-Reserves: hours and tickets
- Museum of the History of St Petersburg: Peter and Paul Fortress
- St Petersburg Metro; suburban trains from the Baltiysky and Vitebsky stations
