St Petersburg from the water is a separate genre. Electric boats for 4–8 passengers can be hired without a licence or boating experience on the Fontanka, Moyka and the Krukov Canal. Season runs May through October; some operators close for the year in November.

🚤 Where to hire

Three main piers: Fontanka at the Mikhailovsky Castle, Moyka at the Field of Mars, Krukov at the Mariinsky. Operators include Peter the Great, Petro-Prokat and Venice SPb. Electric boats run from 2,500 ₽/hour for 4–6 passengers.

🗺 Routes

Classic: Fontanka → Krukov → Moyka → back. Two hours. You pass the Sheremetev, Yusupov, Mariinsky and New Holland.

Peter and Paul route: the Neva from the Hermitage to the fortress. A stronger boat is required; book via GetBoat.

⚠ What to know

Bridge raises run 01:00–05:00; boats do not pass. Rules: no alcohol at the helm, life jackets mandatory.

🚕 Getting there

To the Fontanka — Gostiny Dvor or Chernyshevskaya metro. After a late sail, RideClu.

🛏 Where to stay

Apartments on the Fontanka are bookable on Tutkakdoma.

If this is your first time in St Petersburg, bear two things in mind. Distances between the main sights are short, but autumn daylight is brief and rain arrives on no schedule. Plan your route around the lit half of the day, allow half an hour of buffer between stops, and bring a thermos and gloves for the evening. Carry a thermos of tea, an offline map and a charger; mobile internet in the centre is steady but can drop along the embankments.

On the ground, walking is easiest between adjacent blocks, with short taxi hops when it gets dark or wet. If you are travelling as a group or with children, arrange the evening transfer back to your flat ahead of time — late-night fares spike. Flats in the centre go fast at weekends: book a week ahead for Nevsky, the Petrograd Side or Vasilievsky.

St Petersburg rewards half-day visits rather than one long marathon. Pick a theme — a single museum, a district, a walk — and give it time. After the active part, a warm cafe, a bookshop or a swimming pool is as much part of the ritual as the sights themselves, especially in November.

Verified on 22 October 2026.

Cover photo: Vyacheslav Bukharov, CC BY-SA 4.0, Викисклад