Writes about St. Petersburg, its history, attractions, museums and routes.
An accredited guide for St. Petersburg, its suburbs, and tours for families with children.
Dostoevsky wrote: "It was a wonderful night, such a night as can only happen when we are young."
Light falls on the water of the Neva, glides along the granite of the embankments, catches on the old facades of houses. The clamor of seagulls. The air smells of the river, lilacs, fresh bread from small coffee shops. Someone is walking across the bridges. Someone is sitting on the steps by the water with a paper cup of coffee.
The weather during this period promises to be warm – on average around 25 °C, so evening and night walks around the city will be especially comfortable. At this time, many options open up for experiencing the white nights: you can go on an independent walking tour of the embankments and squares, choose a bus excursion around night Petersburg, or see the city from the water.
When the white nights begin in Saint Petersburg
The white nights season begins in late May. A soft northern light covers the city. The sky becomes transparent, sunsets long, and the night feels like late evening.
The peak comes roughly from June 11 to July 2. During this time the sun dips below the horizon by only a few degrees. Darkness is practically absent. It feels like time slows down a little.
That is why the question when the white nights season begins comes up every year. The most atmospheric period is mid-June.
Self-guided routes during the white nights
White nights in Saint Petersburg and the city
The easiest way to see the white nights in Saint Petersburg is to go out into the city center. Nighttime St. Petersburg in summer looks especially beautiful. The illumination of palaces, bridges and embankments reflects in the water, and familiar streets start to look completely different.
You can walk along Nevsky Prospect, come out to the Neva embankment, and watch the bridges open. Many choose panoramic restaurants with a view of the river. There are places where a terrace offers a view right onto Palace Bridge.
At this time, the city hosts concerts, festivals, and street performances. One of the most famous events of the white nights period remains the Scarlet Sails celebration. It takes place at the end of June and gathers thousands of graduates on the embankments of the Neva. A ship sails along the river — the main symbol of saying goodbye to school, and a grand fireworks display lights up the sky over the city in honor of a new stage of life.
A stroll can easily turn into a long evening with music and city lights – the sounds of guitar and street musicians will accompany you all night.
Bridge Openings During the White Nights
In June, we recommend coming to the Neva at night. The hour may be well past midnight, yet the sky is still bright. People stand by the water, some sit right on the granite embankment. In their hands, ice cream from the nearest kiosk. And everyone waits for the same moment – the raising of the bridges.
At first everything looks completely ordinary. Cars drive across the bridge. Tourists photograph the Hermitage. Boats slowly pass by on the water. Then traffic stops. A few minutes of pause.
The Palace Bridge rises first. Its huge spans go up slowly, almost lazily. The metal creaks. And suddenly, between the two halves of the bridge, a bright sky appears. Not dark, not night – that soft northern sky that exists only during white nights in St. Petersburg. Someone is filming on their phone. Someone is just watching.
It is especially good to watch this from the embankment near the Hermitage. There, the whole Neva opens up. The wind from the water brings coolness, carrying the scents of river waves and freshly baked bread from small bakeries.
It is also better to walk a little further – to the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island or to the Exchange Bridge. From there, several bridges are visible at once. Incredible views. Bridge raising in summer – is an almost obligatory part of a walk. Especially when it comes to the white nights.
Spit of Vasilyevsky Island
After the bridges, many go further – to the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island.
From here, a large panorama of the Neva opens up. You can see the Peter and Paul Fortress, the palaces on the embankment, and ships on the river.
You sit on the granite steps by the water, look at the river, and realize how spacious the city center can be. This is one of those places where it is especially pleasant to come with your significant other – just to sit next to each other, look at the Neva and the bright sky that almost never gets dark.
Berries in paper cups, the cold wind from the water, the smell of caramel from street kiosks – simple details that are very memorable during the white nights.
Lakhta Center
Those who enjoy long walks should walk or take a ride to the shore of the Gulf of Finland, where Lakhta Center rises.
The tower reflects the light of the sky and the water. The glass becomes almost silvery. There is plenty of open space around, the open gulf and a long horizon line.
White nights in nature
Equipment is easy to rent right in the city. St. Petersburg has rental shops for tourist gear where you can get a tent, sleeping mats, lanterns and a small camping kit. Usually people rent all of this for a day or a weekend, pack a backpack and head out closer to the evening.
One of the most convenient routes is Lake Ladoga. From St. Petersburg to the shore it takes about an hour to an hour and a half by car. The areas of Osinovets and Kokkorevo are especially popular. Here there are long sandy beaches, a pine forest and open water. You can come here with tents. It is better to plan the trip in advance, closer to the evening, so you can calmly choose a spot by the water.
By the way, another beautiful route leads to Lake Yastrebinoe. This place is loved by rock climbers. Around it there are cliffs, a coniferous forest and very clear water. You can get there by commuter train to Kuznechnoye station, then walk along a forest trail. The route takes about an hour. During the white nights it is especially beautiful here: the bright sky reflects in the water, and there is almost no city noise around.
Those who want to see the Gulf of Finland should head towards Komarovo or Sestroretsk. These places are easy to reach by commuter train from Finland Station. Sandy shores, pine trees and the long line of the gulf create a very calm atmosphere. Here people often take night walks along the beach or stay with a tent in the nearby forest.
Young couples come for romance and quiet. Older people like such trips for the chance to remember old hikes and long summer evenings.
Tours during the white nights
White nights on St. Petersburg rooftops
St. Petersburg rooftops have long been part of the city's romance. From here you can see the domes of cathedrals, the bridges over the Neva, the long lines of the embankments. Many visitors dream of experiencing a white night right there, and some unscrupulous guides take advantage of this - they conduct illegal tours to closed rooftops.
We strongly advise against doing this. It is illegal and dangerous. Visiting rooftops in St. Petersburg on your own is prohibited, going onto the roof without permission is considered an administrative offense, the attics are locked, and access is only possible by breaking in — which is already an offense.However, if we look at this from a theoretical point of view, the most popular panoramas open up in the area of Nevsky Prospekt, the Petrograd Side and Vasilyevsky Island. From the rooftops near Nevsky Prospekt you can clearly see the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral, the spire of the Admiralty and the historic quarters of the center. On the Petrograd Side there are views of the Peter and Paul Fortress and the wide Neva. From the rooftops of Vasilyevsky Island you can see the embankments and bridges.
People used to go up to the roof closer to late evening – around after 22:30–23:00. At this time the sun has already gone below the horizon, but the sky remains bright, and the city begins to turn on its evening lights.
For a rooftop walk people usually took a warm sweater or a light jacket – it could be chilly at night. Comfortable shoes, a phone or camera for photos and a small blanket were also essential.
We repeat – the rooftops are closed to free access.
Bus tour during the white nights
Another way to spend the white nights period in St. Petersburg is to go on a bus sightseeing tour of the city. This format often turns out to be even more impressive, because in a short time you can see many iconic places at once. The routes usually pass through the historic center: the Neva embankments, Nevsky Prospect, St. Isaac's Square, the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, the Peter and Paul Fortress and other spots that look especially beautiful at night.
A walking tour is also good, for example you can get to Lakhta Center on your own and look at the tower from the shore of the Gulf of Finland. But the tour format gives a completely different feeling. When you go up to the observation deck at a height of about 360 meters and look at the city from above, where the bright night sky, the Neva, the bridges and the whole center of St. Petersburg are at your fingertips – it looks completely different.
In one evening you get to see several city panoramas at once, and the views from above and photos from this spot remain some of the most impressive memories of the white nights.
Frequently asked questions about the white nights
Can you see the white nights in May?
Yes, the first bright nights begin around May 25.
When are the brightest nights?
June 21 – the summer solstice.
Is it dark at night?
No, at this time the night turns into bright twilight.
Where is it better to see the white nights – from the water or from the embankment?
Overall, it's worth seeing both. The white nights period is long, so we recommend trying all possible options. Each of them has its own atmosphere, its own views and its own impressions. So it's better not to limit yourself to just one.
Which bridges are worth seeing during the white nights?
The most beautiful bridges to watch:
Palace Bridge – the main symbol of St. Petersburg's drawbridges
Trinity Bridge – one of the city's most elegant bridges
Blagoveshchensky Bridge – the first permanent bridge across the Neva
Liteyny Bridge – impressive with its massive spans
