St. Petersburg remains one of the most impressive cities in Russia, but booking guided tours from abroad has become much harder since 2022. Western platforms like GetYourGuide, Viator and Civitatis no longer operate in Russia, and the old AllTours.app has stopped offering tours in the country.
The good news is that there are still reliable alternatives for booking guided tours, free walking tours, Neva river cruises and food experiences in St. Petersburg, even if you only have a Western card. In this guide I explain the four platforms I use and recommend: Sputnik8 (the largest selection of tours, with many payable in cash to the guide), GuruWalk (free tours in Spanish, English and German), Nevatrip (cruises with international payment), and EatWith (food experiences with foreign card payment). If you’re visiting other cities too, there’s a summary of platforms and payment options for the whole of Russia in guided tours in Russia.
This is step 5 of my guide to planning a trip to Russia in 10 steps, where you’ll find everything else in order.
1. Sputnik8: the largest tour catalogue in St. Petersburg (pay the guide on arrival)
Sputnik8 is the leading Russian platform for booking tours, excursions and experiences in St. Petersburg. It currently offers more than 60 tours in the city, with local guides who speak English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and, of course, Russian.
The main drawback is that it does not accept foreign cards as an online payment method. However, there’s a trick I often use: many of its tours are tagged “No prepayment”, which means you can book your spot online for free and pay the guide in cash at the start of the tour. It’s the most convenient way to lock in tours before traveling without needing a Russian card.
These are the types of tours you’ll find in their St. Petersburg catalogue:
- Hermitage and imperial palaces: guided tours of the Hermitage in small groups or as a private experience, with admission included; walks through the Winter Palace and the main halls; and family-friendly options for children.
- Day trips to the imperial residences: Peterhof and its fountains, Tsarskoye Selo with the Amber Room at Catherine Palace, Pavlovsk and Pushkin.
- Boat trips and rentals: private cruises on the Neva and the canals, boat rentals with or without captain, night trips to watch the drawbridges open, and excursions out to the Gulf of Finland.
- Themed tours: Dostoevsky’s footsteps through the writer’s corners of the city, the palatial Leningrad metro stations, Soviet constructivist architecture, the “Viva la revolución!” tour on Lenin’s legacy, or the “death triangle” of the assassinated emperors.
- Excursion to Kronstadt: the naval fortress city in the Gulf of Finland, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Different experiences: Russian cooking classes, vintage shop tours in the historic center, a session at a traditional banya, vodka tasting, hiring a personal photographer for a day, or photo walks through the most Instagrammable corners of the city.
You can browse the full St. Petersburg catalogue on Sputnik8 and filter by category, language and payment option (always look for the “No prepayment” filter if you don’t have a Russian card).
2. GuruWalk: free walking tours in Spanish, English and German
If you’re traveling on a tight budget or simply want a first taste of the city, free walking tours are the best option. GuruWalk is the largest international free tour platform in the world, and in St. Petersburg it works with local guides offering routes in several languages.
It works very simply: you pick the date, time and language; you book online for free without a card; and at the end of the tour you leave whatever tip you think is fair (usually between 10 and 20 euros per person).
There are currently two regular free tours available in St. Petersburg through GuruWalk:
- Free tour of the historic center of St. Petersburg (3 hours, mainly in Spanish): a full walk along Nevsky Prospekt, Kazan Cathedral, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, the Admiralty and Palace Square.
- Free tour of the hidden courtyards and back streets of St. Petersburg (2 hours, mainly in Spanish): an alternative walk through the hidden inner courtyards of the historic center, perfect if you already know the main landmarks and want to discover a less touristy side of the city.
During the high season (May to September), tours in English and occasionally in German are also available. You can check all available routes on GuruWalk St. Petersburg.
3. Nevatrip: Neva river and canal cruises with international payment
St. Petersburg is the “Venice of the North”, and one of the must-do experiences is exploring the city from the water. Nevatrip is the most reliable local company for booking cruises, and the great advantage for us is that it accepts foreign Visa and Mastercard directly on its website, with no need for cash payment or VPN.
The site is available in English at en.nevatrip.ru and lets you book online with instant email confirmation. These are the types of cruises they offer:
- Classic river and canal cruise (1h 45min): the most popular route, going through the central canals, with hourly departures on weekends and a café-bar on board.
- Night drawbridges opening cruise (1h 30min – 2h): the city’s most iconic experience, from May to November. You’ll see four bridges raise live from the water on the Neva.
- Dinner cruise with live piano (2h 15min): a romantic route along the Neva and the Gulf of Finland aboard the boat-restaurant Astra, with dinner and live piano music.
- Night dinner cruise with live music (2h 45min): combines dinner with the bridge opening on one of the longest night routes.
- Hydrofoil to Peterhof (45 minutes): the fastest way to reach the palace of fountains from the city center.
- Hydrofoil to Kronstadt (1h – 1h 30min one way): a trip to the fortress city across the Gulf of Finland, with a visit to the Island of Forts park.
- Cruise on the Neva and the Gulf of Finland (1h 45min): a sea route with a panoramic deck, on-board audio guide and restaurant.
- Yacht tour on the Gulf of Finland (3 hours): sailing in small groups of up to 6 people; you can bring your own food and drinks.
Important: cruises run from April to October. Outside the season, the city offers alternatives like visits to the Hermitage, bus tours, or the indoor attractions of the historic center.
4. EatWith: food experiences with local hosts (international payment)
EatWith is an international platform for food experiences that connects travelers with local hosts in their own homes or in private spaces. It operates in dozens of countries around the world and, most importantly for us, it still operates in Russia with international payment: they accept foreign Visa and Mastercard, Google Pay and Apple Pay.
It’s a very different way to discover Russian culture: dinners in private homes, tea ceremonies, cooking workshops, brunches with canal views, or guided tours of local markets. There are currently 8 active experiences in St. Petersburg:
- Authentic Russian family dinner: a traditional dinner at the home of a local host, with homemade Russian dishes (soup, pelmeni, main course and dessert) and relaxed conversation around the table.
- Tea time Russian style: discover Russian tea culture, with samovar, homemade pastries, traditional jams and the explanation of the ritual.
- Caucasus dinner with an international touch: specialties from Caucasian cuisine (khachapuri, khinkali, kharcho soup) prepared by a host who blends tradition and modernity.
- Tea ceremony and meditation: a calm, contemplative experience focused on the tea ritual and mindfulness, in an intimate setting.
- Supper club in a St. Petersburg living room: a communal dinner in a private home in the city center, with a tasting menu and an intimate small-group atmosphere.
- Brunch in a house on the water: a late breakfast in a home overlooking one of the city’s canals, with sweet and savory homemade dishes.
- St. Petersburg food market tour: a guided walk through local markets with tastings of caviar, cured meats, Russian cheeses and seasonal products.
- Russian cooking class: a hands-on workshop to learn how to prepare classic dishes like borscht, pelmeni or blini with a local cook, with a final tasting of what you’ve cooked.
You can browse all the experiences available on EatWith St. Petersburg.
Which platform should you choose
To make it clear which option suits you best in each situation:
- You want the widest range of guided tours: Sputnik8, always choosing tours marked as No prepayment so you can pay the guide in cash.
- You’re on a tight budget or looking for a first taste of the city: GuruWalk, with free tours in Spanish, English and German.
- You want to see St. Petersburg from the water and pay directly with your card: Nevatrip, with Visa, Mastercard or PayPal.
- You’re interested in food and meeting local Russians: EatWith, with international payment including Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do platforms like Civitatis, GetYourGuide or Viator work in St. Petersburg?
No. Civitatis, GetYourGuide and Viator withdrew their entire offer from Russia in 2022 and, as of today, it is no longer possible to book any tour in St. Petersburg through these platforms. AllTours.app no longer works either, as it redirects to a website without any Russian activities.
Can I book tours in St. Petersburg if I only have a Western card?
Yes, with some nuances depending on the platform. Nevatrip accepts foreign Visa and Mastercard directly from its website. EatWith supports international cards, Google Pay and Apple Pay. GuruWalk is free with a tip to the guide (no card needed). Sputnik8 does not accept foreign cards online, but many of its tours let you book without prepayment and pay the guide in cash at the start of the tour.
Do I need a VPN to access Sputnik8, GuruWalk, Nevatrip or EatWith?
No. None of the four platforms require a VPN to access or book from any EU or Western country. The websites are perfectly accessible with no restrictions.
Which platform should I use if I don’t speak Russian?
All four platforms work in English. Sputnik8 offers many tours specifically with English-speaking local guides. GuruWalk has English versions of its free tours, especially during the high season. Nevatrip provides an on-board audio guide in English on most of its cruises. And on EatWith most hosts speak English with their guests.
Are there free walking tours in St. Petersburg available in English?
Yes, although availability is more limited than in Spanish. GuruWalk has two regular free tours mainly offered in Spanish year-round, with English (and occasionally German) versions during the high season (May to September). Sputnik8 also offers paid walking tours with English-speaking local guides available year-round.
