St Petersburg, Florida
Planning a trip to St Petersburg, Florida? We will walk you through where to stay in Downtown, at St Pete Beach, Grand Central and the Warehouse Arts District, plus what to see and do, where to eat, how to get around and how to save some money. We will help you choose the best area to base yourself.
We cover all of this and more on our YouTube channel. And if you would rather skip the planning altogether, we can build you a bespoke St Petersburg itinerary.
Where to Stay in St Petersburg, Florida
St Pete is easy to plan once you know the difference between the beach and the other areas. Downtown is the lively waterfront base, St Pete Beach is the relaxed sandy escape about 20 minutes away, and the two arts areas are better as day trips. We stayed at Beach House Suites. The rest are hotels we explored and saw during our time in St Pete.
Downtown St Pete, no beach view
Downtown sits right on the marina and harbour front, home to St Pete Pier. It has plenty of hotels to compare, the Dalí Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts on the waterfront, and the other areas are all under 20 minutes away. It is our pick for a city stay.
Best for:
- First-time visitors
- Couples
- Museum lovers
Where to stay:
- Hyatt Place St. Petersburg Downtown, a modern, apartment style hotel in the heart of downtown.
- The Hollander, unique decor and a boutique vibe.
- Hilton St Petersburg Bayfront, best for bayfront views, sitting right by the marina.
- The Vinoy Resort and Golf Club, best for luxury, a historic pink resort from the 1920s, right on the bay.
- The Birchwood, a boutique hotel with a rooftop bar, a short walk from the pier.
St Pete Beach, beachfront with a sea view
If you would rather wake up with sand on your doorstep, St Pete Beach is a fantastic base, and it is where we stayed. Sea views are where the price climbs, so compare before you book. We found Beach House Suites by the Don CeSar quite reasonable for a partial sea view suite, with its own private beach.
Best for:
- Couples
- Families
- Sunset lovers
- Longer stays
Where to stay:
- Beach House Suites by the Don CeSar, we stayed here. A partial sea view suite with a balcony, kitchenette and washer and dryer, plus a wristband that gets you into the Don CeSar.
- The Don CeSar, the signature luxury hotel in St Pete and one of the most famous in the area, a pink palace listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.
Downtown is great if you want loads of restaurants, bars and the waterfront all within walking distance. St Pete Beach is the pick for a relaxed beach day and incredible sunsets on the sand. At the time of booking, the Don CeSar would have cost us an additional £125, around $150, for a standard room, though prices can fluctuate. Both Don CeSar hotels charge a resort fee of around $40 a night and $28 a night for parking, so it comes down to your own preference.
Not sure the beach is for you? See our Clearwater Beach vs St Pete Beach comparison.
Grand Central and the Warehouse Arts District, day trips
Both are brilliant to explore, but they have far fewer places to stay. We would base downtown or at the beach and visit these two for the day. Grand Central is the quirky local district, with murals, independent shops and cafes. The Warehouse Arts District is the creative one, with over 300 artists, creators and arts businesses working from converted warehouses, plus galleries where you can buy art or view local artists' work.
Best for:
- Foodies and coffee lovers (Grand Central)
- Art lovers (Warehouse Arts District)
- Walkers and cyclists (Warehouse Arts District)
Things You Cannot Miss in St Petersburg
St Pete is famous for its beach, but it is so much more than that. Here are the best things to explore in St Petersburg.
- St Pete Pier, more of a waterfront park than a traditional pier, and free to walk the whole length, with birds, moored superyachts, free deck chairs, boat trips and the original airline monument along the way.
- Sunset at the far end of the pier, a building there holds three restaurants and cafes, and it is the best sunset spot downtown.
- The Dalí Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, both right on the waterfront, if you fancy some culture.
- Grand Central murals, colourful street art, independent shops and cafes, and a proper neighbourhood feel.
- Say Coffee House, a Vietnamese coffee spot in Grand Central, known for egg coffee, different matchas and salty cream coffee.
- The Warehouse Arts District, over 300 artists in converted warehouses, incredible murals, galleries where you can buy art or view local artists' work, and a lovely walking and cycle path.
- Oakberry acai bowls, our favourite acai bowl of the whole trip, with unlimited toppings.
- Corey Avenue, boutique shops and restaurants in the St Pete Beach area, plus a market on a Sunday. We cover it in our Clearwater Beach vs St Pete Beach guide.
- St Pete Beach, about 20 minutes from downtown, with crystal clear white sand, a clear blue sea and plenty of chances to relax, plus incredible sunsets by the Don CeSar. There are not many activities here, but we compare it with Clearwater in our Clearwater Beach vs St Pete Beach guide and on our YouTube channel.
We've shortlisted our favourite things to do in St Petersburg, including boat trips from St Pete Pier, the Dalí Museum and sunset at St Pete Beach. Browse our handpicked St Petersburg experiences →
Shops in Grand Central mostly open between 10 and 11, though the coffee shop opens earlier. Start with a coffee and wander the murals while you wait.
How to Get Around St Petersburg
You don't have to choose just one area, because getting between them is easy. Downtown is about 20 minutes from the beach.
Driving is simplest. You can park on St Pete Pier for up to 4 hours at $2.50 an hour. Parking was free in Grand Central on a Sunday and in the main warehouse area where we went, but check the signs. Without a car, the SunRunner bus runs between downtown and St Pete Beach, and the Jolley Trolley is also a great option. A traditional trolley runs through all three of these neighbourhoods, right down to the beach.
Our Favourite Places to Eat in St Petersburg
Grand Central wins food for us, with downtown taking the sweet treat.
Casita Taqueria, Grand Central
We grabbed proper Mexican street food here. The crispy fried tacos came with fresh salsa, and the whole meal cost about $24.
Say Coffee House, Grand Central
This Vietnamese coffee spot is known for bespoke, unique drinks. We tried the egg cream coffee. There was already a queue when we arrived, so it is clearly a local favourite.
Oakberry, Downtown
Oakberry was our favourite acai bowl of the whole trip. We tried the Oak, their largest size, and The Works, the medium. Both are great value because you get unlimited toppings, so pile them on.
The far end of St Pete Pier
A building at the end of the pier holds three different restaurants and cafes, so you can make an evening of it. It is also a great spot for sunset.
On our list, downtown
These were on our list based on Tripadvisor reviews, but we did not have the chance to eat at them.
Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grille is the pier option, with Caribbean and Latin food on St Pete Pier.
Paciugo Gelato and Caffe is the sweet stop, one of the best rated desserts downtown.
Parkshore Grill is the sit down dinner, an American steakhouse downtown.
BellaBrava is a good value Italian for pizza and pasta, and it is rated well for a downtown sit down meal.
How to Save Money in St Petersburg
You can do a lot of St Pete for free. It is the accommodation that costs the most.
Walking the whole of St Pete Pier is free, and so are the deck chairs looking out at the superyachts. The murals in Grand Central and the Warehouse Arts District cost nothing either, and neither does the walking and cycle path.
Pier parking is $2.50 an hour with a 4 hour maximum, so a full 4 hours costs $10. Our meal at Casita Taqueria came to about $24. At Beach House Suites, parking is $28 a night and the resort fee is around $40 a night.
The resort fee was waived completely for us through our Hotels.com status, so check your loyalty status before you book. It could save you the fee entirely.
Tipping is not included in the bill at sit-down restaurants, so we recommend tipping 18 to 20%.
Get an eSIM before you land so you have data the second you arrive, without roaming charges. We use Ubigi every time and it has never let us down. Get your Ubigi eSIM →
St Petersburg: Frequently Asked Questions
Is St Petersburg safe?
We felt really safe during our whole trip, including exploring downtown, Grand Central and the Warehouse Arts District. We would still keep valuables out of sight instead of on show, as in any city. Check parking signs too, as rules differ between areas.
What do we wish we had known before visiting St Petersburg?
We wish we had known the areas are easy to link but not all good bases. Grand Central and the Warehouse Arts District have far fewer hotels, so we would base downtown or at St Pete Beach instead. We also wish we had known the beach side has fewer food options and they are not as easy to reach, so we would plan meals ahead. Our Clearwater Beach vs St Pete Beach guide explains more.
What is worth adding to a St Petersburg itinerary if you have more time?
We would add sunset at the far end of St Pete Pier, where three restaurants and cafes sit under one roof. Walk the whole pier, which is free, and take the tram back instead of walking. The beach is only about 20 minutes away too, and our sunset at St Pete Beach was incredible.
Where is the best area to stay in St Petersburg?
Downtown or St Pete Beach. Downtown has plenty of hotels, from a modern Hyatt Place and the Hilton to boutique options like The Hollander, and you are right on the marina. If you would rather wake up with sand on your doorstep, St Pete Beach is a fantastic base, and it is where we stayed. Grand Central and the Warehouse Arts District work best as day trips.
Is St Petersburg worth visiting if you are not going for the beach?
Yes. St Pete is famous for its beach, but it is so much more than that. We couldn't believe how much we packed in, from a pier you can walk for free to murals everywhere and the best acai bowl of our trip. We would add a city day or two instead of planning a beach-only trip.
How far is downtown St Pete from St Pete Beach?
About 20 minutes by car. If you would rather leave the car behind, the SunRunner bus runs between downtown St Pete and St Pete Beach. At Beach House Suites, the St Pete Beach trolley stops right outside the front of the hotel, so getting up and down the coast is easy.
Do you need a car in St Petersburg?
We drove and found it easy. Parking on St Pete Pier is $2.50 an hour for up to 4 hours, and it was free in Grand Central on a Sunday and in the main warehouse area where we went. We would check the signs instead of assuming. Without a car, the SunRunner bus links downtown and the beach, and the Jolley Trolley is also a great option, running through all three neighbourhoods right down to the beach.
Which is better, Grand Central or the Warehouse Arts District?
Grand Central is the quirky local one, with murals, independent shops, Casita Taqueria and Say Coffee House. The Warehouse Arts District is the creative one, with over 300 artists in converted warehouses, incredible murals, a walking and cycle path and galleries where you can buy or view local art. We would pick Grand Central for food and coffee, and the Warehouse Arts District instead if you love art.
Where is the best sunset in downtown St Petersburg?
The far end of St Pete Pier, where a building holds three restaurants and cafes. Grab a drink, find a seat and take the tram back if you don't fancy the walk. For a proper beach sunset, we would head to St Pete Beach instead, where we watched ours from the sand by the Don CeSar.
How much does it cost to visit St Petersburg?
A lot of it is free. The whole pier, the deck chairs and the murals cost nothing, and four hours of pier parking is $10. If you are visiting for the day from somewhere like Tampa, St Pete is really affordable. It is staying over that costs the most, with hotels from $200 a night plus. Our tacos at Casita Taqueria were about $24.
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Our St Petersburg videos cover downtown, Grand Central, the Warehouse Arts District and the beach.
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