St.Petersburg

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Getting a Russian visa is not the easiest thing. The trains between Finland and Russia haven't been running since Russia invaded Ukraine, there are some buses but who knows for how long they will run. Finland is considering completely closing the border with Russia. There used to be visa free cruises to St Petersburg from Sweden, Finland and Estonia but they are also not running.

And Russia is not what I would consider a safe destination at the moment.

US Passport holder? Don't go. State evacuated everyone, plus all that OFAC sanctions thing. https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information/russian-harmful-foreign-activities-sanctions

Once we can return it is a beautiful city but in the past traveling into Russia meant having travel visas well before your travel dates and we had to use travel companies to obtain the visas. We took a Baltics cruise and you could use the cruise lines excursions. we booked a small group tour for 16 people using a tour company based in StP. We had to fax over our passports weeks ahead of time.

I did a cruise into Russia and I got out visas, but I screwed mine up and mine was a one entry only and we were in St. Petersburg overnight. So we had to stay at a hotel in St. Petersburg so we could spend the second day in the city. it was beautiful, it was great but right now there’s no way as an American I would dare go there.

If you do go there, and you take anything like a laptop, and it disappears while they check it for security, do not under any circumstances turn it on again until you get it checked. One of my clients had to do business in Russia not too long after the start of the Ukraine war, his laptop disappeared at immigration for about 45 minutes. he did not turn it on again. when he got back to the states he took it to his IT department and it had definitely been tampered with They just destroyed it rather than risk it

It's somewhere I've always wanted to go but I've made my peace with the fact that I probably never will.

I would think it's not advisable?

Travel Advisory
September 5, 2023
Russia - Level 4: Do Not Travel

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/russia-travel-advisory.html

If you are an old school photographer and use a film camera...they can fog your exposed film when you go thru any Russian Security; even if you stay on a bus. Some have used a lead lined pouch but I don't know if it works.

I would concur with the above responses . Things were already dicey in 2014 so we shoehorned six weeks ( Moscow and St Petersburg ) while it was still possible . ( 2015 and 2017 ) Its quite a shame , the surfeit of art , music and history there is immeasurable . As an alternative , read this fine book about Russian culture , Its no substitute , but it will be a delightful experience - https://www.amazon.com/Suzanne-Massie-Firebird-Beauty-Russia/dp/B00HTK4W1M/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2MI7TRC03A3UH&keywords=land+of+the+firebird+suzanne+massie&qid=1700616281&s=books&sprefix=land+of+the+firebird%2Cstripbooks%2C71&sr=1-2

I’m with Allan on this one. I was scoping out the Transiberia Railway from east to west, with stops along the way over about 10 days, then one week in Moscow, one week in St Petersburg. But not now. Very likely never. And that’s sad.

Not only is it very hazardous, but it is not morally appropriate at this time to do ANYTHING to help the Russians. No one should give them a single penny. No one should consider trips to Russia at this time. Russia is very close to being in a conflict directly with the US.

Don't go to St Petersburg.