Visiting Peterhof
If you only have time to make one trip out of St. Petersburg during your stay, then it should be Peterhof, the greatest of all the city's suburban estates. While the best time to visit Peterhof is of course the summer season, when all the varied buildings in the park are open to visitors and the famous fountains are in operation (early May to early October), this is also the time when Peterhof is most crowded, with long queues for some of the major attractions, and for transport back to the city.
There are various transport options to get to Peterhof from central St. Petersburg. Electric trains run from Baltiskiy Station to Noviy Peterhof, and take around 45 minutes. The station is about 20 minutes' walk from the gates to the Upper Garden across Proletarskiy Park, or there are several buses. Alternatively, marshrutka minibuses run from in front of Baltiskiy Station directly to the park gates in Peterhof. There are also marshrutkas from Avtovo (K-424) and from Leninskiy Prospekt (K-242) Metro Stations. The drive from the city should take a little under one hour.
Probably the best way to visit Peterhof is to take a hydrofoil across the Gulf of Finland to the jetty at the end of the Marine Canal. Two companies run regular hydrofoil services through the summer months from the Hermitage jetty, and Admiralteyskaya Naberezhnaya.
| Address: | 2, Razvodnaya Ulitsa, Peterhof (town) |
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| Phone: | +7 (812) 450-5287 |
| Website: | http://eng.peterhofmuseum.ru/index.php?lang=eng |
| Admission: | Combined tickets are offered. For example: Lower Park + two pavilions/museums in the park: RUB 1000.00 |
| Ticket purchase online: | http://tickets.peterhofmuseum.ru/en |
Lower Park with Fountains
As well as Peterhof's celebrated fountains, the Lower Park contains the numerous elegant buildings constructed for Peter the Great along the shores of the Gulf of Finland.
| Open: | Daily, 9 am to 8 pm. Last admission at 7:30 pm. Fountains operate from 10 am to 6 pm (Saturday and Sunday till 7 pm). |
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| Admission: | Summer: RUB 500.00. Students and children: RUB 250.00. Winter: free. Photo (without tripod) is allowed. |
| Accessibility note: | Fully wheelchair accessible |
Upper Garden
Surrounding the Grand Palace, Peterhof's Upper Garden is an immaculately laid out formal garden dating from the reign of Empress Elizabeth.
| Open: | Daily, 9 am to 8 pm. |
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| Admission: | Free |
| Accessibility note: | Fully wheelchair accessible |
Grand Palace
This elegant baroque palace is the centre of the Peterhof estate, boasting regal facades and stunningly ornate interiors.
| Open: | Daily, except Mondays, 10:30 am to 7 pm. Last admission is at 5:45 pm. Thursday: 10:30 am to 9 pm. Last admission is at 8 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 600.00. Students: RUB 300.00. Audio-guide: RUB 500.00. Photo and video not allowed. |
| Accessibility note: | Partial wheelchair access is available. Free wheelchair rental is available. |
Church Wing (building)
Recently opened after decades of restoration, the house church of Peterhof's Grand Palace once again boasts Bartolomeo Rastrelli's richly gilded interiors.
| Open: | Daily, except Mondays, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 400.00. Students and children: RUB 200.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Fully wheelchair accessible |
Special Collections (Jewelry Collection)
Housed in lavishly decorated chambers that once accommodated visiting royalty, this collection of Imperial jewels includes numerous pieces by Faberge.
| Open: | Daily, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 500.00. Students and children: RUB 250.00. Audio-guide: RUB 150.00. Photo not allowed. |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Grottos of Grand Cascade
Providing the chance to see the mechanisms powering Peterhof's most famous fountains, the grottos are also richly decorated with marble and gilded statuary.
| Open: | May 28 to October 9: Daily, 11 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5:30 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 300.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Monplaisir
The private residence of Peter the Great at Peterhof, Monplaisir confirms the Tsar's excellent taste, with a variety of beautiful and unusual interiors.
| Open: | May 23 to October 9: Open daily, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 400.00. Audio-guide: RUB 150.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Catherine Wing (building)
Built for Empress Elizabeth, this pretty smaller residence next to Monplaisir is somewhat inconspicuous, but is used to display the extraordinary Russian Dinner Service.
| Open: | May 28 to October 9: Daily, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 400.00. Students and children: RUB 200.00. Photo not allowed. |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Bath Wing (building)
Developed and adapted over the reigns of several Emperors and Empresses, Peterhof's baths give an unusual glimpse into the intimate daily life of the Imperial family.
| Open: | Daily, except Wednesdays, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 400.00. Students and children: RUB 200.00. Photo not allowed. |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Aviaries of the Lower Park (Voliere)
It should be no surprise that even the birds at Peterhof live in unusual luxury, and these two pavilions - one housing Russian songbirds, one parrots - have beautifully painted ceilings.
| Open: | May 28 to October 9: Open daily, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5:30 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 250.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Hermitage
Dating from the Petrine era, this small pavilion was designed to allow the Tsar to dine in privacy with his guests, ensured with an unusual system of pulleys.
| Open: | Daily, except Tuesdays, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 250.00. Audio-guide: RUB 150.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Marly
This pretty baroque mansion was designed as a retreat for Peter the Great, and is now used to display many of his personal effects.
| Open: | Daily, except Mondays, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 250.00. Audio-guide: RUB 150.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Benois Family Museum
The Benois family, emigres to St. Petersburg after the French Revolution, produced generation after generation of artists, architects and designers, celebrated in this museum.
| Open: | Daily, except Mondays, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 250.00. Photo not allowed. |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Museum of Private Collections
This museum was opened in 2003 to house collections gifted to Peterhof by private collectors, including porcelain and avant-garde art.
| Open: | Daily, except Mondays, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 250.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Museum of Playing Cards
A collection charting the history of card games, with beautiful examples from all over the world, as well as other luxurious games and accessories.
| Open: | Daily, except Mondays, 10:30 am to 5 pm. Last admission is at 4 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 250.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Museum of Imperial Yachts
A small pavilion with a collection of models, photographs, and accessories charting the yachting traditions of the Imperial family as begun by the keen sailor Peter the Great.
| Open: | May 28 to October 9: Open daily, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 250.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Tsarina's Pavilion and Olga's Pavilion
Commissioned by Nicholas I for his wife and daughter, these two pavilions on islands in the Kolonistsky Park have recently been opened to visitors.
| Open: | May 28 to October 9: Open daily, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 4:45 pm. Pavilions can only be visited with organized group booked in advance. |
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| Admission: | Pavilions: RUB 550.00. Gardens on Tsaritsyn and Olgin islands: RUB 100.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Fully wheelchair accessible |
Alexandria Park
Landscaped for Nicholas I's wife, this rambling park around the cottage palace is a far cry from the elegant splendor of the main park at Peterhof.
| Open: | Daily, 9 am to 10 pm. |
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| Admission: | Daily, 9 am to 5 pm: RUB 200.00. 5 pm to 10 pm: Free |
| Accessibility note: | Fully wheelchair accessible |
Cottage Palace
Built to satisfy Empress Alexandra's desire for simplicity and peace, this pretty villa shows a more private side of the Imperial family.
| Open: | May 28 to October 9: daily, except Mondays, 10 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. October 10 to May 27: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Last admission is at 4 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 400.00. Students and children: RUB 200.00. Photo and video not allowed. |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Gothic Capella (Chapel)
This tiny church in the grounds of Nicholas I's Cottage Palace was the private chapel of the Imperial family and has an unusual neo-gothic design.
| Open: | Daily, except Mondays, 10 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 250.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Fully wheelchair accessible |
Farmers' Palace
Once a simple rustic pavilion, this building in Peterhof's Alexandra Park gradually grew to become a sizeable villa for the family of the future Alexander II.
| Open: | May 28 to October 9: Daily, except Mondays, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. October 10 to May 27: Saturday, Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Last admission is at 4 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 500.00. Students and children: RUB 250.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Palace Telegraph Station
Built on the orders Nicholas I, this station connected Peterhof with Kronshtadt and the Winter Palace while the Imperial family had a monopoly on the telegraph in Russia.
| Open: | May 28 to October 9: Daily, except Mondays, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. October 10 to May 27: Saturday, Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Last admission is at 4 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 250.00. Students and children: RUB 150.00 |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
Palace of Peter the Great in Strelna
The oldest of St. Petersburg's Imperial suburban residences, this simple wooden palace has a collection of Peter the Great's personal belongings.
| Open: | 27 April to 14 October: daily, except Mondays, 10:30 am to 6 pm. Last admission is at 5 pm. 15 October to 31 December: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, 10:30 am to 5 pm. Last admission is at 4 pm. 1 January to 26 April: Saturday, Sunday, 10:30 am to 5 pm. Last admission is at 4 pm. |
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| Admission: | RUB 250.00. Students and children: RUB 150.00. Photo and video not allowed. |
| Accessibility note: | Wheelchair not accessible |
