Travel advisory · RussiaGovernments advise against all travel to Russia.Advice depends on your passport. Read your own government's advice before you book.Official advice
- Chechnya · avoid all travel · Ireland, New Zealand
- Crimea · avoid all travel · Germany, New Zealand
- Dagestan · avoid all travel · Ireland, New Zealand
- Ingushetia · avoid all travel · Ireland, New Zealand
- Stavropol Krai (eastern and southern parts) · avoid all travel · Ireland, New Zealand
- Kabardino-Balkaria · avoid non-essential travel · Ireland, New Zealand
- Karachai-Cherkessia · avoid non-essential travel · Ireland, New Zealand
- North Ossetia · avoid non-essential travel · Ireland, New Zealand
Also named by one government: Belgorod (Ireland), Bryansk (Ireland), Donetsk (Germany), Kherson (Germany), Krasnodar (Ireland), Kursk (Ireland), Luhansk (Germany), Rostov (Ireland), Voronezh (Ireland), Zaporizhzhia (Germany)
| Government | Advice | Updated | Read the advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (FCDO) | Advises against all travel to Russia | – | Read the advice |
| United States (State Dept) | Level 4: Do Not Travel | Dec 29, 2025 | Read the advice |
| Canada (Global Affairs) | Avoid all travel | – | Read the advice |
| Germany (Auswärtiges Amt) | Vor Reisen in die Russische Föderation wird gewarnt (Reisewarnung) | Oct 21, 2026 | Read the advice |
| New Zealand (SafeTravel) | Do not travel to Russia | – | Read the advice |
| Ireland (Department of Foreign Affairs) | Do Not Travel | – | Read the advice |
| France (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs) | Formellement déconseillé : l'ensemble du territoire de la Russie | – | Read the advice |
Checked daily from the governments' published advice; last checked Nov 2, 2026. RoamLedger summarises official advice; it is not advice from any government.
St Petersburg
A northern port city of canals, imperial palaces and the Hermitage, where late-spring nights barely darken.
We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.
Saint Petersburg is Russia's second-largest city, on the Neva River where it meets the Gulf of Finland in the northwest of the country. Peter the Great founded it on 27 May 1703, and it is the former imperial capital. Its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with preserved Baroque and Neoclassical buildings along its canals. The Hermitage, in the Winter Palace on Palace Square, is one of the largest art museums in the world.
Travelers come for the palaces, the Russian Museum and the Mariinsky Theatre, home to the Mariinsky Ballet and opera. Late spring and summer have the longest days. From late May to mid-July, the White Nights mean the sky barely darkens. Winters are long, cold and grey, and sunny days are rare. Plan several days in the city, with a day each for Peterhof or Tsarskoye Selo if you want the palace parks.
St Petersburg in five
- Read the UK travel advice firstFCDO advises against all travel to Russia (advice updated 18 September 2026), including to St Petersburg, where terrorist attacks have happened in recent years. Insurance could be invalidated if you go.UK travel advice
- Use registered taxis onlyTaxis that look official can be unlicensed. Call one through a local taxi app or your hotel, and agree the fare or check the meter. Do not flag one down or share with strangers.
- Watch for street crimeFCDO says gangs in St Petersburg have targeted tourists for street crime, and theft is a risk around main railway stations and tourist areas.Street safety and taxis
- Expect a long way in and outFCDO says there are no direct flights from Russia to the UK, the Finland-Russia border is closed and Narva-Ivangorod is open to pedestrians only.Getting in and out
- Treat bootleg spirits as dangerousFCDO links recent methanol deaths to bootleg vodka sold in the Leningrad region. Methanol cannot be detected by taste or smell, and even small amounts can kill.
Things to do in St Petersburg
See all attractions in St Petersburg
Need to know
- Airport
- Pulkovo (LED), south of the city
- Getting there
- No direct UK flights; the Finnish border is closed
- Getting around
- Metro, registered taxis booked by app or hotel
- Security
- Airport-style checks at rail stations; passports shown on boarding
- Time zone
- UTC+3, same as Moscow, no daylight saving
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Snowy days
- Best
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuarySnow14 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh-3°Low-8°Cold, short daysJanuarySnow
Poor
- High
- -3°
- Low
- -8°
- Precipitation
- 51 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 3
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, short days
- FebruarySnow12 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh-2°Low-7°FrostFebruarySnow
Poor
- High
- -2°
- Low
- -7°
- Precipitation
- 45 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 3
- Days with storms
- 0
Frost
- MarchCloudy11 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh2°Low-4°ThawMarchCloudy
Poor
- High
- 2°
- Low
- -4°
- Precipitation
- 47 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 3
- Days with storms
- 0
Thaw
- AprilPartly cloudy11 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh8°Low0°Cool, dampAprilPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 8°
- Low
- 0°
- Precipitation
- 51 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, damp
- MayPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh14°Low6°Mild, greenMayPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 14°
- Low
- 6°
- Precipitation
- 47 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, green
- JuneRain12 rainy daysHigh20°Low12°White nightsJuneRain
Best
- High
- 20°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 74 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
White nights
- JulyRain16 rainy daysHigh22°Low14°WarmJulyRain
Best
- High
- 22°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 96 mm
- Rainy days
- 16
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm
- AugustRain15 rainy daysHigh21°Low13°Warm, showersAugustRain
Best
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 118 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, showers
- SeptemberRain12 rainy daysHigh16°Low10°Golden leavesSeptemberRain
Best
- High
- 16°
- Low
- 10°
- Precipitation
- 64 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Golden leaves
- OctoberRain14 rainy daysHigh9°Low4°Wet, grayOctoberRain
Mixed
- High
- 9°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 74 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Wet, gray
- NovemberRain13 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh3°Low0°Dark, dampNovemberRain
Poor
- High
- 3°
- Low
- 0°
- Precipitation
- 60 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 2
- Days with storms
- 0
Dark, damp
- DecemberSnow15 rainy days4 snowy daysHigh-1°Low-4°Snow, short daysDecemberSnow
Poor
- High
- -1°
- Low
- -4°
- Precipitation
- 57 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 4
- Days with storms
- 0
Snow, short days
Average daily high and low in St Petersburg, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in St Petersburg
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
5
- Feels like
- 3°
- Humidity
- 87%
- Wind
- 8 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 39%
St Petersburg
11:38 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today8°5°39%Monday: Drizzle. High 8°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 39%.
- Tue7°4°69%Tuesday: Drizzle. High 7°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 69%.
- Wed7°2°90%Wednesday: Drizzle. High 7°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 90%.
- Thu7°3°31%Thursday: Cloudy. High 7°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 31%.
- Fri5°1°9%Friday: Drizzle. High 5°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 9%.
- Sat7°4°24%Saturday: Drizzle. High 7°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 24%.
- Sun6°1°17%Sunday: Cloudy. High 6°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 17%.
Updated 11:18 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 80.62 RUB
Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Day trips by train
- PeterhofSouthern suburbsFountain cascades and parks in the southern suburbs.Read the guide
- Tsarskoye SeloCatherine Palace groundsHome to the Catherine Palace.Read the guide
- KronstadtKotlin Island, Gulf of Finland19th-century fortifications and naval monuments on Kotlin Island in the Gulf of Finland.Read the guide
Before you go to St Petersburg
Rules for St Petersburg, checked
- Use a registered taxi: call through a local taxi app or your hotel, and agree the fare or check the meter works before you get in.Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source
- Photography is illegal at military, secure or official sites, including airports, and there may be no warning signs.Checked Oct 4, 2026 · Source
Plan around St Petersburg
St Petersburg FAQ
Is St Petersburg safe for tourists right now?
The UK advises against all travel to Russia. FCDO adds that terrorist attacks have taken place in St Petersburg in recent years and that gangs there have targeted tourists for street crime.
Can you travel overland from Finland to St Petersburg?
FCDO says the border between Finland and Russia is closed. Estonia's Narva-Ivangorod crossing is closed to vehicles but open to pedestrians. Check each country's travel advice before relying on any crossing.
Are taxis in St Petersburg safe?
FCDO says British nationals have been victims of crime in unregistered taxis, and official-looking ones can be unlicensed. Order through a local taxi app or your hotel and agree the fare first.
What currency and cards work in St Petersburg?
Rubles in cash. FCDO says foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard cards do not work, and it is illegal to pay directly in foreign currency. Change dollars or euros at banks, hotels or exchange bureaus only.
Is it legal to photograph in St Petersburg?
Not everywhere. FCDO says photography is illegal at military, secure and official sites, including airports, often without signs. Filming political activity is also warned against.