St Petersburg to Moscow by Train — Self-Launched Mini Adventure
4 days · Russia (St Petersburg & Moscow)
G Adventures charges £790
No-markup version: ~£240 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 4-day self-launched version of G Adventures' St Petersburg–Moscow rail mini-adventure. Do the Hermitage and city's hidden courtyards on foot, then ride the Sapsan high-speed train between Russia's two great cities, finishing with a DIY Moscow Metro art crawl. Everything here is bookable independently: museum tickets direct, the Sapsan on rzd.ru, and walking tours via GetYourGuide or free-tour operators. Costs are rough backpacker/mid-range estimates in GBP and exclude international flights and the Russian visa/Letter of Invitation (which is a significant extra cost and admin burden).
Day-by-day
Arrive St Petersburg — settle in and evening wander
St Petersburg
Arrive at Pulkovo Airport (LED) and take bus 39 or the airport express bus to Moskovskaya metro, then the metro into the centre (~£1.50 total) rather than a £25 taxi. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse near Nevsky Prospekt or Admiralteyskaya. Spend the late afternoon walking Nevsky Prospekt, Kazan Cathedral and the canals around the Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood. Book your Hermitage ticket online for tomorrow (timed entry, ~£13–15) and your Sapsan train ticket on rzd.ru for day 3 — booking ahead keeps the fare down to roughly £30–50 in second class.
🚌Airport bus 39 + metro (~£1.50); walking
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Nevsky Prospekt (~£15–20/night dorm or simple double)
- →Nevsky Prospekt walk
- →Kazan Cathedral
- →Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood (exterior/free)
- →Book Hermitage timed ticket online
- →Book Sapsan train ticket on rzd.ru
Hermitage + hidden courtyards walking tour
St Petersburg
Get to the Hermitage (Winter Palace) for opening to dodge the worst crowds — your pre-booked timed ticket covers the main museum complex and you can easily lose 3–4 hours among the Rembrandts and Matisses. In the afternoon join a small-group 'hidden gems' walking tour of St Petersburg's courtyards and backstreets (bookable on GetYourGuide/Klook from about £15–20) — or DIY it with a free walking tour and tip £5. Optional evening: St Isaac's Cathedral colonnade for the rooftop view (~£5) or a midnight canal boat tour in summer (~£10).
🚌Walking + metro (~£1)
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Nevsky Prospekt
- →Hermitage Museum (timed entry ~£13–15)
- →Hidden courtyards / backstreets walking tour (~£15–20)
- →Optional: St Isaac's Cathedral colonnade (~£5)
- →Optional: canal boat tour (~£10)
Morning city walk, then Sapsan high-speed train to Moscow
St Petersburg → Moscow
Start with a self-guided loop of the historic centre — Palace Square, the Bronze Horseman, Vasilyevsky Island's Strelka viewpoint and the Peter and Paul Fortress exterior. If time allows, a hydrofoil to Peterhof is a great half-day alternative (~£15–20 return) but only fit it in if you're on an afternoon train. Take the metro to Moskovsky Station and board the Sapsan to Moscow (roughly 3h45m, ~£30–50 second class if booked ahead). On arrival at Leningradsky Station, take the metro to your hostel near Kitay-Gorod or Tverskaya and grab dinner at a stolovaya (canteen) for £5–7.
🚌Metro (~£1) + Sapsan train (~£30–50)
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Kitay-Gorod / Tverskaya (~£18–25/night)
- →Palace Square & Bronze Horseman
- →Vasilyevsky Island Strelka viewpoint
- →Peter and Paul Fortress (exterior)
- →Sapsan high-speed train to Moscow (~£30–50)
Moscow Metro art crawl, Red Square and free afternoon
Moscow
Buy a 1-day or 60-trip metro pass and DIY the famous Metro art circuit: Komsomolskaya, Novoslobodskaya, Belorusskaya, Mayakovskaya, Ploshchad Revolyutsii and Kievskaya are the highlights — a self-guided version of the operator's guided metro walk costs pennies. Walk Red Square, St Basil's Cathedral exterior, GUM and Zaryadye Park. Afternoon options: Tretyakov Gallery (~£8), a Moskva River boat trip (~£6–10) or a Bolshoi/Mariinsky ballet ticket booked months ahead. Finish with a wander through Gorky Park or the Izmailovo Kremlin market for souvenirs.
🚌Metro (~£2 day pass); walking
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Kitay-Gorod / Tverskaya
- →Moscow Metro art circuit (self-guided, ~£2 metro day pass)
- →Red Square & St Basil's Cathedral exterior
- →GUM & Zaryadye Park
- →Optional: Tretyakov Gallery (~£8)
- →Optional: Moskva River boat trip (~£6–10)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£240 | £790 |
| Duration | 4 days | 4 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £550 per person (70%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£240
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does St Petersburg to Moscow by Train — Self-Launched Mini Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £240 per person for 4 days in Russia (St Petersburg & Moscow). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £790 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £240 — a saving of roughly £550 (70%) per person.
How long is the Russia (St Petersburg & Moscow) trip?+
This itinerary runs 4 days, covering 4 day-by-day stops through Russia (St Petersburg & Moscow).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, budget trip through Russia (St Petersburg & Moscow), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.