A city built over 42 islands, St. Petersburg is surrounded by water and interlaced with a complex web of rivers, canals and channels that seem to bind the city together, while also marking the borders of its different districts and neighborhoods. St. Petersburg's low-rise classical architecture means that great vistas of the city are often visible from the water, and therefore an essential part of any exploration of the city is to get out in a boat and cruise the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg.
In season, thousands of little boats cruise the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg's historic center day and night, while larger boats are among the best ways of visiting some of the city's top suburban attractions.
Ever more popular with visitors and locals, St. Petersburg's expanding fleet of party boats and floating restaurants offers a huge range of evening entertainment across the waters of the Neva Delta.
New river buses may prove to be the best way to beat St. Petersburg's downtown traffic problems. For now they are very popular with tourists, running three routes through the city to a fixed timetable. Since 2017 the Aquabus does not work!
