In St Petersburg, it has become possible to book small private boats for trips along rivers and canals through the Yandex Go app. The service is aimed at those who want to arrange a short ride on the water for a small group without contacting boat companies directly.
What the New Option Offers
Through the app, users can reserve an entire boat for a specific date and time. Trips are available for one to four hours and take place on licensed vessels operated by captains with the required qualifications. At launch, several dozen boats from partner companies are available, and their number is expected to increase.
The service may be of interest to visitors who prefer a small private boat instead of large group tours. It can be used for a simple sightseeing ride, a family outing or a small private event.
How Booking Works
To place a booking, users need to open the Yandex Go app and select the boat service from the main screen. Inside the section, it is possible to:
- choose a date for the trip;
- select a time slot between 10:00 and 23:00;
- pick a pier where boarding and disembarkation will take place.
The route is planned by the captain shortly before departure, taking into account any wishes communicated in advance. The trip starts and ends at the same pier, which simplifies planning.
The minimum rental time is one hour, and the maximum is four hours. Technically, a booking can be made as little as about 30 minutes before the trip, but it is more realistic to look for a suitable boat if the reservation is made several days in advance.
Boat Capacity and Pricing
Only full-boat rentals are available: users book the entire vessel, not individual seats. In the app, boats are offered with different capacities, for example up to 5, 7 or 9 passengers. This format is suitable for couples, families and small groups, including trips with children from about two years old.
Prices for rental start from around 9,000 rubles. The final cost depends on the boat’s capacity and the duration of the trip. The total price is shown in the app after the user selects the date and length of the ride; once the booking is confirmed, the amount does not change. Payment is made cashless within the Yandex Go app.
Safety and Regulation
According to the service description, trips are carried out on boats that have the necessary documentation and permits to carry passengers. The captains operating the boats hold the appropriate licenses. For visitors, this means that the service is based on officially registered vessels rather than informal offers at the pier.
Language and Access for Foreign Visitors
Yandex Go is widely used in Russia for taxis and other services, including in St Petersburg. However, the app interface is currently available only in Russian. The booking process for boats is relatively straightforward, and key elements such as dates, time slots, prices and pier names are usually easy to recognise even without knowledge of the language, but some users may still find the interface less convenient than a fully localised app.
The app can be installed and used with a foreign SIM card, but SMS verification does not always work with all international numbers. If the confirmation code is not delivered, a local SIM card is often the most reliable solution. Another option is to log in via a Yandex account created with an email address. After successful login, the app functions normally, including the boat booking section.
One of Several Ways to See St Petersburg From the Water
Boat rentals via Yandex Go are not the only way to explore St Petersburg from the water: the city also offers regular group excursions and private tours from various companies. We previously wrote that river tours in St Petersburg are now available even in winter.
However, for those who already use Yandex Go for transport and prefer to manage bookings in a single app, this new option may be a practical way to arrange a small private trip along the rivers and canals.
What Is Yandex Go
Yandex Go is a multi-service mobile app developed by Yandex and used in many cities in Russia and several other countries. It combines different everyday services in a single interface, so users can access various types of transport and delivery without installing separate apps.
The main functions available in Yandex Go typically include:
- taxi rides, similar to services like Uber or Bolt;
- food delivery from restaurants and grocery services in selected areas;
- courier delivery of small items and documents;
- carsharing and short-term car rental in some cities;
- rental of electric scooters where this service is available;
- access to other Yandex services, such as online shopping and local transport information, depending on the region.
All of these options are accessed through one Yandex account and a single app. The interface is primarily in Russian, and the availability of specific services varies by city and country.
