How Many Days to Spend in Moscow and St. Petersburg? Tips for Planning Your Trip

If you’re planning a trip to Russia, you’re probably wondering how many days you need to see the highlights of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Both cities have a ton to offer, but if you’re short on time, you’ll need to prioritize. Here are some tips based on my own experience.

This is step 1 of my guide to planning a trip to Russia in 10 steps, where you’ll find everything else in order.

How Many Days in Moscow?

Moscow is a huge, vibrant city with a unique mix of Soviet history, imperial architecture, and brutalist modernity. For a first-time visit, you’ll want at least 3 full days. That gives you time to explore:

• Red Square, the Kremlin, and St. Basil’s Cathedral
• The Moscow Metro (yes, it’s worth visiting on its own)
• Kitay-Gorod district and Zaryadye Park
• Arbat Street and a museum or two (like the Pushkin or the Museum of Cosmonautics)
• And if you’ve got time, Novodevichy Monastery or the viewpoints near Moscow State University.

With 4 or 5 days, you can take things slower and even go on a day trip—like to Sergiyev Posad Monastery or Bunker-42. Anything less than 2 days in Moscow will feel rushed and incomplete.

How Many Days in St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg is more compact and easy to explore on foot or by public transport. It has a more European and romantic vibe—perfect for taking your time. I’d recommend at least 4 full days, especially in summer when you can enjoy the White Nights. Must-sees include:

• The Hermitage and Palace Square
• The historic center with Nevsky Prospekt, Kazan Cathedral, and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
• A boat ride along the canals or the Neva River
• Peterhof or Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo) Palaces
• An afternoon on New Holland Island or wandering Dostoyevsky’s old neighborhood

If you can stay for 5 days, even better. There’s so much more to discover in St. Petersburg: hidden museums, cozy cafés, ballet performances, or even a quick getaway to Vyborg.

What If I Have Just One Week?

In one week, you can definitely see both cities—you’ll just need to plan your time and transport carefully. A classic option is:

• 3 days in Moscow (arrive, see the highlights, then take the overnight Red Arrow train to St. Petersburg)
• 4 days in St. Petersburg (enjoy the final stretch of your trip and fly out from there)

Or the other way around. The high-speed Sapsan train connects the two in about 4 hours, so daytime travel is also an option if you prefer staying in hotels.

My Final Tip

If you can only visit one, choose based on your style:

• Into imperial vibes, canals, and palaces? Go for St. Petersburg.
• Prefer monumental sights, Soviet history, and urban life? Pick Moscow.

But if you can visit both—do it! Ideally, spend about 10 days, with 5 days in each city. Russia is vast, but these two cities will give you a great first impression of its culture, history, and contrasts.