slothis · English

Peterhof Summer Palace on a Budget: Upper Park

2016-10-09 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

I've decided to leave this city for a while. It's been a great place to stay with cheap accommodation and food, but I've pretty much explored the whole city now, so it's time to move on. If I could telecommute, it would be a wonderful place to live for a month or two. Unfortunately, as someone whose savings are just draining away day by day, I need to keep moving. Today, I plan to visit the Summer Palace in Peterhof (actually pronounced "Pyetergof") during the day, come back, and catch an overnight bus to Tallinn.

I kept staring at my guidebook trying to figure out how to get there, but I couldn't find a good answer. Taking the high-speed boat called the Peterhof Express gets you there in under 30 minutes, but it costs 1,100 RUB round trip. That's enough to cover two days of living expenses for me, so it's way too steep. On the other hand, taking the bus is only 120 RUB round trip, but the route is pretty complicated. After agonizing over it at the guesthouse, I thought, "I might be out of money, but I'm not out of time, right?" and bravely decided to take the bus.

A gold coin-shaped token with the Russian word for St. Petersburg written on it lies on a palm.
St. Petersburg metro token
A red band on a marble wall with the word Avtovo written in Russian and English.
The bus to Peterhof departs from Avtovo station. (There are other departure points, but this was the closest to where I was staying.)
People walking on the street, with a glass subway station entrance and surrounding commercial buildings visible.
This is the view right outside the station. There are a lot of buses on this road, but you need to look for the 224, 300, 424, or 424-A. They have "Петерго́ф" written in large letters on them.
A green city bus and a white minibus with an open door are stopped at a bus stop where people are standing.
Since this is the terminus for the marshrutkas (minibuses), they tout for passengers until the bus is full. So you can just walk around slowly and hand your money to a touting driver. The price had gone up from what my guidebook said, costing 70R. I expect it probably goes up every year.
A yellow notice written in Russian is attached to the window inside a minibus where passengers are seated.
Sit as far back as possible, because the destination is practically the last stop. If you don't know where to get off, just sit quietly until the end. When you start seeing the Summer Palace outside, try shouting, "Pyetergof?" Everyone will make sure you get off at the right time.

Since today is a travel day, I have about 20kg resting heavily on my shoulders. I really didn't want to walk around too much, but thankfully I made it here in one shot. Surprisingly, taking the bus wasn't that difficult; I actually think I would have been a bit sad if I had paid for the high-speed boat.

Following the crowd, the Summer Palace comes into view. Unfortunately, it's cloudy today, so it isn't showing off its peak brilliance under the sunlight, but my jaw has already dropped to the floor and I'm just repeatedly going, "Wow~~~". Peterhof is broadly divided into the Upper Park, the Grand Palace, and the Lower Park. The Upper Park is the smallest of the three and doesn't even charge an entry fee. Yet here I am, constantly exclaiming in awe just in the Upper Park. (I think I was so excited I even let a few swear words slip.)

Square-trimmed trees line both sides of a green lawn.
There are countless gardens like this, looking as if they were drawn with a ruler. Hmm... it would have been better if I had framed the photo a bit tighter.
Back view of a child standing in front of a fountain looking at a palace.
A golden sea monster statue spouting water in the center of a pond.
A family of ducks swimming in a shallow pond with a golden statue fountain spouting water in the background.
It's a bit of a shame that the weather is cloudy.
A fountain with bronze statues in the middle of a large pond, with a yellow palace building visible in the background.
A walking path lined on both sides with square-trimmed trees.
People visiting with children should absolutely never play hide-and-seek here. The kids will run off endlessly and hide.
A large fountain with a statue of Neptune holding a trident standing in the center.
The Neptune Fountain, the most famous fountain in the Upper Park.
Full body of an angel statue wearing a flower crown and puffing out its cheeks.
Upper body of an angel statue wearing a flower crown and puffing out its cheeks.
He really looks like he needs a good smack on the head.
A fountain with a statue sitting on a rock in the center of a pond and surrounding golden fish statues spouting water.
People taking wedding photos and onlookers in front of an ornate yellow and white palace building.

If I had to pick the people you see the most at Peterhof, it would be brides and grooms taking wedding photos. The Upper Park is free, but it's an exceptional garden unlike anything I've seen in Korea, so a lot of wedding shoots happen here. I saw four couples just while I was there. They don't just have a professional photographer; their relatives also gather around to take pictures together. It's quite different from our culture, where usually just the couple and a few friends get together for a shoot. They are incredibly passionate about it—scattering food to gather nearby ducks and pigeons for a great background, and even bringing out fans to create a breeze. Despite all this, true to Russian form, smiling seems to be the hardest part for both the bride and groom. Seeing them let out a deep sigh after every shot actually makes them look more human and endearing.

A fountain spouting water in a pond in front of an ornate building with golden dome roofs.
A spouting fountain with a statue in the center and a long row of trees behind it.
A fountain spouting water in multiple streams from a statue in the middle of a pond, with a tree hedge in the background.
There are an unusually large number of fountains in the garden. However, all the famous ones are in the Lower Park.
A yellow and white palace building featuring golden dome roofs and decorations.
Two people walking under an arched vine tunnel covered with lush green leaves.
This is supposedly a path for lovers, but the kids in front of me are both boys, I'm by myself, and there isn't a couple in sight anywhere.

Looking at the sky, it doesn't look too promising. I'd better hurry up and go see the main parts of this place: the Grand Palace and the Lower Park.

Expenses

Total Expenses 941RUB, €18

Total Trip Expenses 525,936 KRW + 47,499RUB + $312.26 + €58