A Day in St. Petersburg for 500 Rubles: Ideas for Active Leisure

Let’s start with the most action-packed ways to spend a day in St. Petersburg. We’ve put together a few sample itineraries for different parts of the city – each one includes a place to eat, a museum to visit (with student discounts), and a scenic spot to explore. You can follow one of these ready-made routes or use them as inspiration to build your own!

• Around Lomonosova campus: 

climb the bell tower of Vladimirsky Cathedral (200 rubles for students) 

+ gorge on pyshki at Dva Gusya –  just as good as the ones on Konyushennaya, but without the queues (20 rubles for one pyshka, five for 100 rubles) 

+ drop by the Fyodor Dostoevsky Museum (200 rubles for students) 

+ take a stroll along the Fontanka River (free) 

= 500 rubles sharp!

• Around Chernyshevskaya metro station: 

chill in Tauride Garden (free) 

+ explore modern art at Myth Gallery (100 rubles for students) 

+ have lunch at Kolobok canteen (around 180 rubles for a main dish) 

+ visit the Tauride Garden Greenhouse (200 rubles) 

+ admire Smolny Cathedral (free) 

= 480 rubles!

• Vasilyevsky Island: 

explore the Gorny Institute metro station (free) 

+ walk around Sevkabel Port (free) 

+ grab a burrito at Bros Burritos (340 rubles) and a drink (100 rubles) 

+ catch a modern art exhibition at Artmuza (free) 

+ take tram 6 or 40 to Petrogradskiy District for views from Tuchkov Bridge (free or 51 rubles with a Podorozhnik transport card) 

= 490 rubles!

• Kolomna: 

make a wish at Semimostye (free) 

+ visit the Museum of St. Petersburg Art of 20th-21st centuries (100 rubles for students) 

+ enjoy specialty coffee and dessert at RID (380 rubles) 

+ watch a movie at New Holland Island (free, schedule is available from July) 

= 480 rubles!

Read more: 

Where To Enjoy Art in St. Petersburg on a Dime 

Top Free Outdoor Summer Spaces in St. Petersburg

Gastronomic adventure

It’s true, 500 rubles won’t get you a dinner at a fancy café these days. But there’s still hope! If you’re looking for a proper meal (not just snacks or baked goods) on your budget-friendly day, check out the spots listed below. To keep things in a day-trip format, here’s our recipe: choose a place to eat, then follow one of our walking guides to explore the neighborhood after your meal!

• Koreana Light is a Korean food chain that offers healthy, veggie-packed dishes. The portions are generous, so you definitely won’t leave hungry. For around 429 rubles, you can enjoy a full meal like bibimbap or noodles with a drink. Bonus: after 9 PM, they offer a 20% discount.

• Bros Buritos – a Mexican spot serving hearty burritos starting at just 330 rubles. They're expanding quickly, with their seventh location recently opened on Vasilyevsky Island.

• Takoyaki is a cafe for fans of both Japanese cuisine and anime culture. Most items are under 500 rubles, including curry, noodles, and onigiri rice balls.

• This one might be in the “hear me out” category, but monastery canteens are actually great places to eat on a budget. They offer wholesome meals at reasonable prices: for 500 rubles, you can get a full lunch with a salad, a soup, and a main dish. Plus, they’re located near beautiful religious sites! My personal favorites are at the Novodevichy Monastery and the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Read more: 

Unexplored St. Petersburg: Kolomna

Explore St. Petersburg Like a Local: Vasilyevsky Island

Unexplored St. Petersburg: Peski   

Suburbs 

During the academic year, you can get a 50% discount for suburban train as a student – just make sure to have your student ID on hand. But even in summer, when discounts might not apply, you're not limited to city borders. Suburban trains and buses to nearby destinations are still budget-friendly, and some routes even accept your student travel card. Here are three summer getaways that keep your spending around 500 rubles:

• Explore Kronstadt, a town of Russian naval glory. Take a bus 101 or 101Э from Begovaya metro station. The ride will either be covered by your travel card or cost 102 rubles with a Podorozhnik card (round trip). Start your visit in the historic center: feast your eyes on and go inside the Naval Cathedral, stroll through the local Summer Garden and Obvodny Canal. When hunger strikes, grab a bite at Dodo Pizza (a dodster for around 250 rubles) or Vlavashe (classic shawarma for 335 rubles). After lunch, walk it off at Ostrov Fortov, a scenic waterfront park with free entry.

• On a sunny day, take a trip to Komarovo to relax by the Gulf of Finland. For 201 rubles, a suburban train will take you from Finlyandskiy Railway Station to the destination and back. On the spot, the choice is yours: you can lay on a beach, follow an eco-trail, or wander around historic dachas. You won’t go hungry, either: stop by their legendary Selsky Pub, where two potato chebureki will cost you around 300 rubles. With a hearty lunch and the tickets, in total, you’ll be only 1 ruble over budget!

• Get lost in the greens of Pavlovsk! A round-trip ticket from Baltiyskiy Railway Station will cost you 120 rubles. As you exit the station, swing by Volchek Bakery for some baked goods, two pies will cost you around 130 rubles. Then head to Pavlovsk Park, where student tickets are just 250 rubles. Spend the afternoon getting lost in nature and enjoy one the grand park.