How to get to Peterhof from St. Petersburg city centre or the airport: a detailed instruction

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Hi guys, in this post, I would love to share with you my detailed instruction on how to get to Peterhof from St. Petersburg city centre. I know that getting around Russia can be quite frustrating, especially if you don’t speak the language. As a person, who was born and lived in St. Petersburg for 22 years, I really like helping my fellow travellers out, especially when it comes to travelling to Russia.

Saint Petersburg is definitely the most beautiful city in Russia and one of the prettiest cities in Europe. Lavish imperial palaces, amazing museums, ballet and affordable prices (as well an easy way to visit the city without having to get the Russian visa) make St. Petersburg also a very desirable tourist destination.

Read my post about where to see opera and ballet in St. Petersburg >>>

Some of the best landmarks like Peterhof are located outside the city centre, so it’s not very obvious how to get there, especially if you don’t speak the language. Let’s talk about all the different ways to get to Peterhof Palace and Fountains from St. Petersburg city centre and St. Petersburg airport!

Please note that the fountains in Peterhof work only from the end of April (each year the date is different, but it’s roughly the 27-29th of April) until the mid-October.

Best museums in St. Petersburg, Russia

How to get to Peterhof from St. Petersburg city centre or Pulkovo Airport

Let’s talk about getting to Peterhof from Saint Petersburg city centre first. I will rank the ways from the easiest to the most complicated and time-consuming.

The easiest way to travel to Peterhof: Buy a tour to Peterhof

The easiest and the most painless way is definitely to buy a quick tour to Peterhof. You can either get this tour online or you can get it in one of the tour stalls near the Gostiny Dvor (the main downside – they are rarely in English there opposed to the tours bought online).

There are plenty of tours to Peterhof that you can book online, however, I would recommend either this affordable private tour with a guide (check the prices and availability here).

Benefits: no communication needed, all the tickets will be sorted for you and you won’t need to queue for tickets (during the high season it might take an hour or so).

Downsides: your bus could get stuck in the traffic jam, you can’t really explore the park and the palace on your own and you can’t leave earlier or stay longer (well, if it’s a private tour, you can).

Read my post about the best bars in St. Petersburg than locals love >>>

How to get to Peterhof

Take a speed boat to Peterhof from the city centre

Not many people are aware of the fact that you can actually take a speed boat from St. Petersburg to Peterhof. The cost is 850 Rub (900-950 at the pier) for a one-way ride and 1600 for a return one and the journey time is about 45 minutes.

You can take the speed boat to Peterhof any time from 10:30 (11:00) until 14:30 (they depart every hour). The return boat goes from 14:30 to 18:30 every hour as well. I took this boat 4-5 times and it was the absolute fastest way to get to Peterhof. However, I prefer going to Peterhof by public transport and going back by the speed boat. You can buy the tickets online or in the ticket booths located at the pier. During peak times, the speed boats get sold out quickly, so I recommend buying tickets online. If you buy tickets online, you need to head to the different pier – Central Pier (near the Palace bridge) on Admiralteyskaya emb., 2.

The shuttle boat pier to Peterhof is located at the Palace Pier (Dvortsovaya embankment 36 – right in front of the back side of the Hermitage museum. Here’s the exact location on the map.

In Peterhof, you will arrive straight to the pier that is right at the entrance to the park, so a perfect location again.

Benefits: the fastest way to get to Peterhof.
Downsides: a bit pricey, especially if you’re backpacking.

Read my local’s guide to St. Petersburg here to find out everything about the tips, things you need to know before going, weather and more >>>

Peterhof from St. Petersburg city centre

Take a taxi to Peterhof

Taking a taxi from St. Petersburg city centre to Peterhof is actually not a bad idea at all. Make sure to download the Yandex Taxi or Gett app and only get a taxi that has a fixed price for your ride. A taxi ride from the city centre would cost you around 900 or 1000-1200 rubles, which is really affordable for an hour-long ride.

Benefits: travel with comfort, get it any time you feel like going to Peterhof. A great and affordable way to get to Peterhof for a family.

Downsides: you need the internet to ask for the taxi and you need to download one of these apps. I wouldn’t trust catching a random taxi on the road, so please only ask for taxis though Gett or Yandex taxi apps! Uber was bought by Yandex taxi in Russia, so most probably, the app won’t work anymore.

Read my post about 15 best museums to visit in St. Petersburg for any taste >>>

Moscow or St. Petersburg

Take public transport to Peterhof Palace and Park

Okay, the last and the most affordable way to get to Peterhof from Saint Petersburg city centre is by public transport. It’s not really as complicated as it seems. From wherever you’re staying get to the Avtovo metro station in the South of the Red metro line. The one-way token costs 45 rub. Avtovo is also one of the most beautiful metro stations in the entire city.

Gorgeous metro stations in St. Petersburg, Russia. Find the list here >>>

Exit the metro in Avtovo and cross the road through the underground passageway. On the other side, there will be a bunch of minibuses that say Peterhof (sometimes in English as well) or Петергоф, Фонтаны in Russian. If it’s easier for you, the minibus numbers that go to Peterhof are the following: 424, 300, 224. There’s also a regular bus 200 that goes to Peterhof, however, it takes longer, as it stops at every stop, while the minibuses stop at the request only.

Tell the driver that you’re going to Peterhof (just say Peterhof – you can pronounce it Pye-tyer-gof and pay your fare (usually about 70 rub). The drive takes about 35-40 min depending on the traffic and you will be brought to the bus stop right in front of the entry to Peterhof state museum.

The return ride is exactly the same.

How to get to Peterhof

Benefits: really the cheapest way to get to Peterhof. You’ll spend around 120 rub one way. You’ll see the most beautiful metro station in the city as well. You can go and leave whenever you want.
Downsides: some people find it complicated.

There are a couple of other ways to get to Peterhof, e.g. a minibus from Baltiyskaya metro station or a minibus from Prospekt Veteranov station. You can also take a train from the Baltiyskaya railway station, but that’s the worst way to get to Peterhof, as you will have to walk for 20 minutes to the entrance to the State Museum (Palace and Park) and well, it’s not easy to understand, where on Earth do you need to go, so better leave it for the locals.

Saint Petersburg to Peterhof

Now let’s talk about getting to Peterhof from St. Petersburg airport

If you’re planning to travel to Peterhof from St. Petersburg airport, there are two simple ways.

Take a taxi

Download the app Gett or Yandex Taxi (Pulkovo airport has free WiFi) and ask for a taxi to Peterhof. It would take around an hour and will cost you about 900-1000 Rub. DON’T take unauthorised taxis from the airport as they can easily inflate the prices.

Peterhof getting there

Curious how expensive is Russia and St. Petersburg? Read my post about the prices in Russia here >>>

Go by public transport

From the airport, take a public bus to Moskovskaya metro station. From there, take a bus 30 to Leninsky Prospekt and then hop on a minibus 103 to Peterhof.

What to see in Peterhof?

If you’re wondering, what to see in Peterhof and whether it’s worth the hassle to travel there, I must assure you, that it’s worth it, however, if you only visit it from the end of April to end of September, when the fountains are on.

The palace is absolutely stunning, it’s very luxurious and lavish, so I definitely recommend going inside. The park with the fountains is huge and you need a map to see the highlights and the most famous fountains that are a must in Peterhof.

Okay, hopefully, now it’s more clear for you how to get to Peterhof from St. Petersburg. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

Also interested in visiting Moscow, but now sure how? Don’t worry, in this post, you will find all the information! >>>

2 thoughts on “How to get to Peterhof from St. Petersburg city centre or the airport: a detailed instruction”

  1. Hey Liza,
    You have brought out the beauty of all that Russia has to offer in a lucid manner making it easier for me to plan my trip to SPB. Thanks a ton for the precise information . We are heading there in Sep 22. Ps do let us know if these blogs are recent or a few years old.

    Regards

    Reply
    • Hi, I hope your trip goes well! These blogs are a couple years old, however, not much has changed since then, maybe the museum entrance price is a little higher and that’s it!

      Reply

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