Entering Russia is easy whether you are on a cruise or in an organized group. If you go ashore with an organized shore excursion or a licensed guide, you only need to bring your passport. It does not have to be a ship sponsored excursion, but you will need to obtain documentation in advance by email from any local guide you use to tour. (The cruise ship will return your passport to you for the duration of your stay in St. Petersburg and claim it before you sail.)
However, if you want to do an independent tour of St. Petersburg, you will need a visa. Obtaining your Russian visa is not difficult, but it can take several weeks of pre-cruise planning. If you know you want to take a tour on your own, check with your travel agent or cruise line to arrange a visa. This cannot be done after sailing and is quite expensive, so if you are on an ocean ship with St. Petersburg as a port of call, it is probably best to use a shore excursion or an organized local tour guide.
Saint Petersburg Weather
St. Petersburg’s weather can be brutal in the winter, but summer brings temperatures into the 70s and 80s. Since the city is at roughly the same latitude as Oslo, Stockholm, and Helsinki, it has a wonderfully long schedule from May to September. It’s also as far north as Alaska!
Saint Petersburg coin
The Russian ruble (RUB) is the local currency. Banks and exchange offices are open Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm for those who wish to exchange currency. Major credit cards are widely accepted, and ATMs are becoming more and more common. Souvenir shops accept dollars, as do all street vendors. However, restaurants and other stores require the use of rubles. We use a credit card for larger purchases.
Saint Petersburg language
Russian is the official language of St. Petersburg, but English is widely spoken. The Russian language uses the Cyrillic alphabet, but many signs in tourist areas feature Russian and English.
Shopping in Saint Petersburg
Most stores are open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the shops along Nevsky Prospect, a main shopping street, can stay open until approximately 8:00 p.m. cruise ships that we docked have numerous souvenir shops, and even some with jewelry and crafts. (Some small cruise ships may sail further up the Neva River and dock at another dock – make sure if you tour independently you know where your ship is docked.)
Shopping kiosks are found throughout the city, with a large market across the street from the Church of Spilled Blood. Pickpockets frequent tourist areas, so watch your bags and cameras. Street vendors are abundant at all tourist sites. The price of books and souvenirs is much better when you get on the bus to leave a place than when you first arrive!
Must-see places in St. Petersburg
Most cruises spend two or three days in St. Petersburg, but there is still not enough time to see everything. An organized boat tour or tour guide is your best option to see as much as possible efficiently. A tour of St. Petersburg on one of the many canal boats combined with a bus tour is a good way to get an overview of the city. Most people want to visit one of the most famous museums in the world, the Hermitage. Other important sites to see in the city include the Yusopov Palace, the Peter and Paul Fortress, and the Fabrege Museum.
The day trips to Catherine Palace and Peterhof are very interesting and worth the bus trip. You can also see some of the Russian fields.