St. Petersburg remains one of the most beautiful and cultural cities in Eastern Europe. While the international context has limited ways to hire tourist services from abroad, there are still safe and accessible ways to explore the city. Platforms like GetYourGuide, Viator, or Civitatis no longer operate in Russia, and many activities cannot be paid for with a foreign card.
However, it is still possible to book guided tours in St. Petersburg thanks to platforms that allow you to pay directly to the guide or through international payment systems. Here are the best current options to discover the city in a guided way.
1. Free Tours in St. Petersburg with GuruWalk (online booking, payment to the guide)
An excellent way to start getting to know St. Petersburg is through a free walking tour. The platform GuruWalk offers routes with local guides in various languages (Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, etc.), perfect for discovering the history and secrets of the city.
- How does it work?
You make the free online reservation and participate in the tour on the indicated day. At the end, you can leave a voluntary tip to the guide (usually between 5 and 20 euros per person). - Available themes:
- Historic center: Nevsky Prospekt, Kazan Cathedral, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
- Imperial tour of the palaces
- St. Petersburg under the stars
- Alternative tour of legends and mysteries
- Advantages:
- No need to pay in advance
- Ideal for getting a first impression of the city
2. Excursions and Tours with Sputnik8 (online booking, payment to the guide)
Sputnik8 is a very active platform in St. Petersburg, with a wide range of tours and guided activities in languages like English, Spanish, French, Italian, or Russian. Although it does not accept foreign cards, it allows you to book online in many of its activities and pay the amount in cash to the guide at the beginning of the tour.
- How does it work?
- You select the tour on their website
- You receive confirmation by email
- You pay in cash on the day of the tour
- Some recommended activities:
- Guided tour of the Hermitage
- Excursion to Peterhof or Pushkin
- Guided walk through the canals
- St. Petersburg by car with a private guide
- Advantages:
- Varied experiences inside and outside the city
- Professional local guides
3. Audio Guides with AllTours.App (no guides, online payment)
If you prefer to discover St. Petersburg at your own pace, you can use AllTours App, an international app with self-guided tours in various languages (Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, etc.), available for download and listen on your mobile.
- How does it work? You pay from abroad with a card or Google Pay/Apple Pay and access the tour from your phone.
- Some available routes:
- Historic center: from the Admiralty to St. Isaac’s Cathedral
- Monumental tour of the bridges and canals
- Hermitage audio guide
- Essential St. Petersburg in 1 day
- Advantages:
- You are not dependent on schedules
- You can repeat as many times as you want
4. Canal Cruises with Nevatrip (payment with foreign card or PayPal)
St. Petersburg, with its canals and the Neva River, offers one of the best ways to get to know the city from the water. The company Nevatrip allows you to book panoramic and restaurant cruises, accepting payment with a foreign card or PayPal.
- What does it offer?
- 1-2 hour cruises through the canals and the Neva
- Option of audio guide in English or Russian
- Climatized boats with a restaurant on board
- Reservations:
- From https://en.nevatrip.ru
- Payment with Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, or mobile wallets
- Advantages:
- Excellent way to see the city from another perspective
- Website in English and international payment system
Conclusion
Despite the restrictions, St. Petersburg still offers options to discover the city with guided services, accessible to travelers who do not have Russian cards. Whether on foot, by boat, or with audio guides, it is still possible to enjoy this historical gem safely and flexibly.
The most complete and up-to-date guide for traveling to Russia
If you found this article helpful, imagine having all the practical and updated information about visas, flights, trains, accommodation, payments, borders, and travel routes gathered in one place.
The Russiable Guide is available in an interactive web format —always updated whenever changes occur— and also as a downloadable PDF of over 1,000 pages to read offline or print.
GET THE GUIDE & START PLANNING
