Bucket list experience:
The second-largest art museum in the world, a visit to the State Hermitage is the ultimate must-do in St. Petersburg – a jaw-dropping, overwhelming exploration of human history, spread across six historic buildings on the shores of the Neva river.
Whatever your interest – Egyptian antiquities, French Renaissance Art, Russian military history – it is represented here, on a scale few other museums in the world can match.
Founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great as a court museum, the original Hermitage was built as a private gallery for the Empress’ vast art collection, adjoining the Winter Palace. Eighty years later, the Hermitage was reconstructed under Nicolas I and opened to the public in 1852. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the imperial collections became public property.
Locals (misleadingly) refer to the Hermitage as the ‘Winter Palace’, but this is just one in the complex of five buildings, which display more than three million items – still a fraction of the Hermitage’s full collection. One ticket gives you access to all five buildings, each of which houses very different parts of the collection.
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Destination Guide >The Hermitage is so vast it’s impossible to see everything – and it’s best to not even try; if you stood in front of every exhibit for 1 minute it would take ten years to see everything (without eating or sleeping)!
Private guided tours by one of the city’s excellent English-speaking guides are strongly recommended. Guides are adept at navigating the museum’s many floors and galleries, and will ensure you see the main highlights. If you’re interested in more than just the ‘main highlights’, before you go, check out the museum’s very useful Trip Planner which helps you create an itinerary in advance – and plan what you want to see. Tours range from three-hour to full day. There are also packages combining a ticket and downloadable audio tour.
If you want to visit the Treasure Galleries, including the Gold Room, you need to book on a guided tour that includes it, or buy a ticket from a vending machine in the courtyard on arrival. Be warned, queues to the cash desks are always long, because Russian citizens get reduced-price tickets if they buy in person.
If the State Hermitage is a priority for you on a visit to St. Petersburg, consider visiting in winter when the crowds thin out.
In high season, take advantage of the museum’s late openings on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays until 8pm and visit the museum in the early evening. Some tours offer early access to the museum, before the crowds arrive. The museum is closed on Mondays.
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia
Separate to the main Hermitage complex, an individual ticket is needed for entry. It’s home to an exceptional collection of French Impressionist paintings, with works by Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Cezanne and Degas. The building also houses 19th- and 20th-century European art, including works by Picasso, Matisse and Kandinsky.
Best for ages: 18+ | £10
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia
Once the private theatre of the imperial family, the theatre is open in the day, with classic ballets in the evening, although tickets are much pricier than other theatres in the city.
Best for ages: 18+ | £10
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia
This part of the museum showcases works by Italian Renaissance painters including Titian and Giorgione, as well as two paintings attributed to Leonardo da Vinci: the Benois Madonna and the Litta Madonna – considered two of the museum’s greatest highlights.
Best for ages: 18+ | £5
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia
One of the two big draws here is the ‘Knight’s Hall’, home to three, full-sized, armour-clad horses and their warriors, surrounded by exhibits of arms and armour from the 15th to 17th Centuries. The second is the collection of Dutch Golden Age and Flemish Baroque art, with large collections of works by Van Dyk, Rubens and Rembrandt.
The Classical Antiquities rooms on the ground floor house the extraordinary Kolyan Vase: a 2.5m-high vase made from jasper quartz, and weighing over 19 tonnes.
Best for ages: 13+ | £10
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[0.3 miles]
Enjoy 5-star luxury accommodation just steps from the Hermitage, with incomparable views of the city’s major landmarks.
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St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[0.4 miles]
Cosy, classic but affordable accommodation in a historic hotel, located just moments from the Hermitage.
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St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia[0.5 miles]
Enjoy the convenience of a central location, in-room amenities, and friendly staff at a very affordable price.
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St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[0.7 miles]
A hip design hotel opposite St Isaac’s Cathedral, with a basement spa and rooftop bar and restaurant that’s one of the city’s premier party spots.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Northwestern Region, Russia
On the shores of the Baltic, Russia’s dazzling cultural capital is a treasure trove of art, music, literature, and history.
Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia[0.8 miles]
Dominating the city’s skyline, St Isaacs is magnificently decorated with Orthodox icons and frescoes, and offers panoramic views from the alfresco colonnade.
Best for ages: 18+ | £3
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[0.8 miles]
One of the city’s only traditional Russian churches, built on the spot of the assassination of Tsar Alexander II 1881, it is also the most beautiful, with jaw-dropping gold-leaf interiors.
Best for ages: 14+ | £5
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia[1 miles]
Discover St. Petersburg’s spectacular architecture from the water, with a slow-paced cruise through the city’s rivers, waterways and canals.
Best for ages: 4+ | £7 | 1-2 hours
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[1 miles]
Russia’s rich tradition of visual arts is celebrated in the network of buildings and gardens of the State Russian Museum, housing 400,000 exhibits dating back to the 10th century.
Best for ages: 18+ | £5
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[0.5 miles]
Founded by Peter the Great to house his collection of physical oddities and preserved ‘freaks’, this museum has a ghoulish lure; not for the faint-hearted, or children.
Best for ages: 16+ | £6
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[0.5 miles]
St. Petersburg’s oldest eatery is a favourite of Russia’s famous writers and an excellent place to sample traditional Russian food.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
St. Petersburg , Northwestern Region, Russia[0.8 miles]
One of the city’s oldest and most famous apartment blocks, home to scores of Russian Scientists since 1708; the facade of the building has nearly 30 memorial plaques honoring its past residents. You can g inside and visit the house-museum of its most famous resident, the great physiologist Ivan Pavlov.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
St. Petersburg, Northwestern Region, Russia[1.1 miles]
The burial place of Russia’s Romanov tsars from Peter the Great to Nicholas II, the Cathedral was the first landmark to be built in the city, and is thus the oldest – dating back to 1733.
Best for ages: 18+ | £7
Round-ups that include this experience
Multiple countries
From New York to London, Paris to Berlin, here’s our round-up of the must-see art galleries and museums around the world that should be on everyone’s travel bucket list.
