St. Petersburg Travel Tips: What I Wish I Knew
Following up on my Moscow tips, I've written down a few things I wish I had known before going to St. Petersburg. I honestly don't know if this will be helpful or not. Maybe that sounds too irresponsible...
1. Hire a guide if you plan to see the Hermitage in one day
Part of the reason I scrambled so much was because it was my first time visiting a world-class museum, but I don't think it would be much different for someone who has been to other museums. If you want to see everything in one day, even just briefly, I highly recommend hiring a guide. It might be different if you're backpacking on a tight budget with plenty of time, but hiring a guide is the best choice for a one-day course. I realized how important a guide's know-how is—when to enter, the best route to take, and explanations of the artwork—at the Grand Palace in Thailand, but I felt it desperately at the Hermitage. If it's a crucial, must-see spot in a city, I recommend hiring a guide if possible.
2. Russian saunas (dacha) have a completely different system from Korea. Don't expect a Korean-style sauna.
The most surprising thing about the dacha was drinking alcohol before going into the sauna. Something you would absolutely never do in Korea is actually the whole point here. The system also runs on an hourly rate, much like a Korean karaoke room (noraebang). The Russian sauna culture is all about staying in the sauna all night long if you have the money, so it feels quite foreign. If you want to experience Russian sauna culture for yourself, I suggest gathering plenty of information from various blogs beforehand. (Even as I say this, I did it at a Russian friend's house, so I have no idea about prices or anything. I'm just a lucky guy.)
3. You must visit the St. Isaac's Cathedral observatory.
If you're short on cash, you might hesitate about whether to go up to the St. Isaac's Cathedral observatory. Make sure you go. Since St. Petersburg doesn't really have any mountains, this is the only place where you can properly enjoy a panoramic view of the city. (There are rooftop tours too, but I'll exclude those since I don't even know how to sign up for them.) You can't use a tripod once you're up there, so there's no need to suffer the inconvenience of bringing one.
4. Russian tourist attractions (boat tours, museums, etc.) charge foreigners more.
In a way, it goes without saying, but a "local price" strictly exists. Many people might think everyone should naturally be charged the same price, but that's just your opinion. If you don't like it, asking a Russian friend to help is pretty much your only option. Also, the "local price" goes up every year.
5. If you can't receive text messages, you can't use Wi-Fi at fast food joints or coffee shops.
Most fast food Wi-Fi systems in Russia require you to receive a verification code via text message and enter it. Therefore, if you suspended your Korean phone number and can't receive texts, you can't use the Wi-Fi. You might order a burger just to use the free Wi-Fi, only to end up just eating the burger and leaving. The method I recommend is buying a local SIM card. SIM cards are surprisingly cheap, so it's not a huge burden. I highly recommend buying a SIM card rather than suffering just to save 4,000 KRW.
6. Book your Mariinsky Theatre tickets before leaving home.
Whether it's the Bolshoi or the Mariinsky, it's best to book in advance. Because they are so popular, getting the ticket you want at the time you want is surprisingly difficult. You shouldn't even entertain the idea of buying tickets once you get to Russia. As a tip for the theater, performances don't start exactly on time but usually about 15 minutes late. You must enter and take your seat before the bell rings three times. (That's the rule, anyway, though it seems they still let you in.) You can check your bags for free, and the opera glasses that noble ladies often use cost 150 RUB.