shimano baitcaster travel rod

Best Travel Fishing Rods for 2024

Jason sealock.

• Oct 09, 2023

Choosing a travel rod for anglers who like to pack light and carry a fishing rod in their luggage on every where they travel requires a little planning and view of the options and fish you think you might encounter on your travels. We reviewed a wide gamut of rods and came up with a lot of options to consider as well as some great recommendations for which fishing rods we would suggest for a lot of different types of fishing and travel.

Things like size of the rod when disassembled, number of pieces, rod case, roll or bag, type of rod, how you will transport it, whether a telescoping rod makes sense and more need to be considered before choosing the best travel rod for your fishing plans.  

Travel rods can come from 2 pieces up to 5 pieces not to mention the telescoping travel rod options out there. You might want to fit the rod in a suitcase, if so more pieces will break down into a smaller foot print. Or you might carry it with you which might give you more options for rods. You might want a hard case to protect the rod if you’re worried about TSA or some other party damaging your rods in transit. Or a rod wrap may suffice if it’s tucked inside of another hard case suitcase.

OUR TOP PICKS

• Best telescoping travel combo – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
• Best travel rod for bass – Buy from FishUSA
• Runner up: Daiwa ardito travel rod – Buy from Basspro
• Best all-around / saltwater travel rod – Buy from Basspro
• Best telescopic travel rod – Buy from Basspro
• Runner up: Ugly stik cx2 4-piece travel combo – Buy from Basspro
• Ark rods genesis rods – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
• Zebco 33 spincast telescopic combo – Buy from Basspro
• Shimano Convergence D Travel 4-Piece Spinning Rods – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
• St. croix triumph travel rod – Buy from Tacklewarehouse

Know Your Travel Rods

Then there are the types of rod to consider including spinning travel rods, casting travel rods, telescoping travel rods as well as travel fly rods or specialty rods like travel swimbait rods or travel trout or panfish rods. Or any combination of the aforementioned.  

If you plan to fish with light lures and light line, then a spinning travel rod might be the best option. If you plan to look for big bluegills or crappies specifically on your travels, then a long telescoping rod might make more sense or a small spinning rod like a trout rod might give you a lot of options for trout and panfish.

If you’re going for larger quarry, you will want a beefier rod that has a reel that can hold heavier line. Usually a baitcasting travel rod makes sense for bass, or big fish like walleye, pike, musky, stripers, etc.  

Specialty rods like travel swimbait rods or extra long jigging rods might be just the ticket for probing unknown waters for specific types of fishing like jigging brush for crappie or casting oversized swimbaits for trophy bass and stripers.  

Of course if you’re in to fly fishing, then a travel fly rod is hard to beat. There are some super high end and middle of the road options that are great rods that make a 9-foot fly rod fit into an over night travel bag with the travel fly rod option.

CONSIDER TELESCOPING RODS FOR TRAVEL

For some, a telescoping rod is an easy spur of the moment travel rod option to probe some nearby waters to see if they have fish available. I have buddies that keep telescoping rods in their trucks at all times and will break it out on their travels or while taking a lunch or after work on a work trip. It’s a quick and simple option.

Most of time telescoping rods are a bit lower quality. Or at least that was the case back when the only option was a low end push button spin cast combo for small panfish. There are, however, some newer options bringing this back as a real viable option for bass and panfish.

A Travel Combo Might Make More Sense

You can buy travel rods that are a rod and reel combo. This is often the case with telescoping options. But there are some better quality options in the multi-piece travel rods with a decent spinning reel. Most of the time. I want the best rod I can get and a good reel in my bag so I’m not fighting my equipment in the limited amount of time I get to fish on my travels. Especially those spur-of-the-moment unplanned fishing trips while traveling.  

But when you get to a location and wished you had a rod and reel, a decent priced telescoping rod/reel combo can get you in the fish on an unexpected hot spot quickly and easily.

You Need a Travel Rod Case, Bag or Roll

Anymore your travel rod is going to come in a hard case, a roll or a bag. Regardless you need to take care to protect the pieces of the rod or the rod while it is compartmentalized so it’s not damaged in your travels.  

A hard case might be a cloth case with a hard shell inside of it that zips closed on the end and the multiple pieces slide into little sleeves inside of it. Or it might be a hard outer shell with a soft interior that keeps your guides and blank parts protected. These are nice when you plan to carry your travel rods separate from your luggage. Or keep them in a vehicle on your travels.

A travel rod roll is just a cloth sleeve with individual pockets for each piece of the blank and then you roll it up with flap that closes on one end and tie it off with the attached ties. These can be nice for putting a rod or two into your other travel bags or a small compartment in your vehicle.

A travel bag can be just a cloth bag or a padded foam bag that houses and protects the rod simultaneously. I’m a fan of these as they keep your pieces from falling out as sometimes happens with rolls. And they keep the blank pieces with a bit of added protection. The padded bags are ideal in my opinion.  

Best Travel Rod Brands

In the freshwater space, the best travel rod makers are often synonymous with the best rod makers. Makers like Daiwa, Shimano, St. Croix, Megabass, Ark Rods, Fenwick, and others have really solid travel rod options. Others that many don’t know offer travel rods have good options like Favorite, Bass Pro, and BnM Poles.  

Here are the travel rod brands we reviewed and liked:

• Favorite Fishing
• B’n’M Poles

Having said all that, let’s take a closer look at some of our personal favorites in various travel rod categories.

Best Telescoping Travel Combo

Daiwa travel combo.

We chose the Daiwa Travel Combo as the best combo because it comes with a good reel, telescoping rod that is better than most and it’s own sling carry bag that is big enough to put several travel rods and reels in. This combo compacts down to 26 inches making it a perfect option for any trip whether it be in a car or a plane.

The rod is a 7-foot, 2-inch Medium power fast action rod. It’s a solid rod and stayed extended as we fished with it. The reel is a 2-bearing Daiwa Crossfire LT 2500. Even though it’s only 2 bearings, it performed very smoothly and effortlessly with a very smooth drag. It’s a solid spinning combo and it’s offered in EVA or Cork grips.

The combo costs $149 but if you just want a good combo without messing around with pairing rods and reels, this is a quick easy choice.

Buy at TackleWarehouse

Best Travel Rod for Bass

Shimano zodias travel rod.

The fact that Shimano took one of their best rod lines and converted it into a high-end bass travel rod got me excited. And when I got the new rod in my hand, I was very impressed. I am a big fan of the original Zodias line and was so excited to see this level of quality in a 5-piece travel rod.  

This travel rod condenses down to 19 inches when packed, meaning you can literally take it anywhere. And when full assembled you have a very high quality rod full of all the features of the high end one-piece blanks. The 5-piece construction gives the rod more uniform bend than a 2-piece model would.  

It has so much power and a steady consistent load when casting. You will forget it’s a travel rod by your second cast. It’s a high end rod that just happens to be in 5 pieces. It has a CI4+ reel seat for lightweight strength and a full carbon monocoque grip which eliminates the use of EVA giving a light rod more sensitivity.

Hi-Power X construction which makes the blanks outermost layer wrapped with carbon tape form that X appearance on the blank that gives more precise actions to the rods with more strength.  

You can really lean into fish with this rod without worry. It’s one of the nicest travel rods we’ve tested.

Buy at FishUSA.com

Buy from Omnia

Runner Up: Daiwa Ardito Travel Rod

This is another high-end rod that has been brought down to a travel rod form factor. This rod comes with a very nice hard case and it breaks down to 30 inches (32 in its case). It features a V-flex ferrule joint system. These ferrules don’t require you to jam the rod pieces all the way together and then struggle to separate them. You simply push them until they snug together and you are all set. You can break down and put the rod together in seconds and be fishing as fast as you can thread your line.  

The rod has a high-modulus blank, Fuji Aluminum Oxide guides, unsanded micro-pitch blank, split Eva grip and machined nut hood. It’s a high quality rod that pairs nicely with your favorite bait caster. It comes in 7-foot medium, 7-foot medium heavy and 7-foot, 6-inch medium heavy.

Buy at BassPro.com

Best All-Around / Saltwater Travel Rod

St. croix avid trek rod.

This is a finely crafted American rod with incredible blanks offering uniform performance, strength and ultra-perceptive sensitivity. The premium cork full grip, and quality blanks featuring St. Croix’s IPC mandrels, SCII high modulus carbon, slim profile ART ferrules, Sea Guide Hero hi-grade guides with zirconia rings and stainless gun smoke frames, sea guide hook keeper, and a 15-year-transferable warranty.  

This rod can literally do it all. Going to Louisiana to fish the marshes for bass and redfish, this is your rod. Strong, light, smooth, sensitive and easy to pack. The 3-piece rod is 6-foot, 6-inch MH rod with a lot of power but great castability. This rod is a joy to fish with and you can expect it to last a long time with that kind of warranty.

Best Telescopic Travel Rod

Bass pro aventur1 telescoping rod.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Aventur1 telescoping rod. It features 6 sections but 8 guides for uniform castability and a nice line path while fighting fish. The unique guide system has floating guides as well as guides permanently affixed to the rod sections. So you won’t fight with line on the blank on this travel rod.  

The 7-foot medium power rod fished really well and I was pretty taken aback at how nice this rod fished for $59. A rod that will likely always be in my travel plans. With an RT2 graphite blank, Fuji aluminum oxide guides, Fuji reel seat, with EVA split grips and X-Wrap rubber cork butt cap, this is a pretty functional telescoping rod for travel fishing.

Best Big Swimbait Travel Rod

F5 departure travel rods.

The folks at F5 Custom Rods make some of the nicest big swimbait rods available today. These are custom made rods from blanks to handles to accents. They are often very selective in how they build rods and you usually have to get lucky enough to catch a rod on a drop. However, the F5 Departure Travel Rods are often in stock and I picked up a H and XH rod a year or so back.

These are two of my favorite big swimbait rods that I use for crankdowns like the Bull Shad 4×4 and the Toxic Whippersnappers, for glides like the 86 Baits Doomrider, KGB Swimbaits Chad Shad or the Deps Slide Swimmer 250 and of course for my jointed swims like the Bull Shad 8 inch.

The rods are both 3-piece rods and are custom made with a full extra long camo EVA handle. The ones the often sell are split grips. The rod blanks are solid. Even with three pieces I had no issues heaving big baits like the Slide Swimmer which weighs 6 1/2 ounces.

They are going to run you about $289 a piece for these rods. But I am so happy to have them because I can take a pack of my favorite big baits and a very high-end swimbait rod literally everywhere I go to chase trophies all over the country and out of the country for that matter.

Buy at F5 Custom Rods

Best Travel Rod on a Budget

Favorite fishing army geo rod.

This is an impressive rod not only for the price but for how well this 4-piece rod fishes and fights fish. We caught some really quality bass on this rod this spring and it is a legit fun spinning rod to fish. I love that I threw it in my suitcase, loaded up and went to Arkansas and broke it out and caught a bunch of nice bass that were moving shallow to spawn.  

Even my brother-in-law enjoyed fishing with this travel rod. And at $39, it’s a hard rod to pass up. The 4 pieces in their hard travel tube are 26 inches. The pieces are barely 23 inches. The rod is a 7-foot, 2-inch medium-heavy spinning rod. I used it to skip Senkos around shallow cover a lot this spring. And it sets a nice hook and has a ton of backbone to land big bass. Our biggest on it was 6 pounds, 4 ounces this spring.

Buy at FavoriteUSA.com

Runner up: Ugly Stik GX2 4-piece Travel Combo

At $44 at Walmart, you can’t go wrong with this nearly indestructible travel rod. The Ugly Stik has been the staple of affordable travel rods. They can take abuse and continue to catch and land fish.  

Buy from Walmart.com

Buy at Scheels

Best Trout Travel Rod

St. croix trout series pack rod  .

For the adventurer who needs a light and packable trout rod to get to remote locations, this is the Cadillac of adventure rods. This rod says trout, but it’s a dynamite bluegill, crappie and even smallmouth rod for remote streams and creeks. It’s a beautifully built rod at only 2.9 ounces and 3 pieces, it compacts down to be no added weight in your backpack.  

I paired it with a small 1000 spinning reel and 4-pound line and really enjoyed fishing this rod a lot. It will become one of my staple creek travel rods now. It throws little baits effortlessly and had a nice backbone for such a light rod. A real joy to fish with.

Buy from FishUSA.com

Best Panfish Telescoping Rod

Bnm poles little mighty telescoping rod  .

I have to admit, I’m a little blow away by this rod. I grew up crappie and bluegill fishing with my father in Florida and Arkansas with telescoping fiberglass rods from B’n’M Poles. So I have a lot of nostalgia when it comes to these types of rod. But the new Little Mighty Rod is something special.

While it’s not technically a travel rod, it’s a telescoping rod that reaches out to 20 feet and breaks down to barely 22 inches. It looks like a bright orange track baton but it extends to a masterful reach out and touch a crappie or bluegill telescoping rod quickly.

One word of caution, be sure you extend the rod small sections first. So grab the string tab on the tip and pull it out that way. Don’t slide the sections out by dumping the open end out or you will have issues with sections getting out of order and blocking each other. Same for breaking it down. Big sections first and be sure to leave the string out when you put the cap on.  

Other than that, I enjoyed testing this rod a lot. I honestly didn’t think much of it when I got it. But after using it I can think of all sorts of places I want to take and fish with this rod. Once you get the hang of maneuvering 20 feet of rod with a fish on the end it’s a pretty fun stick to fish with.

Buy at Walmart.com

Buy from BnmPoles.com

Other Travel Rod Considerations

Ark rods genesis rods.

This was my original travel rod and I’ve put a lot of miles on it. It’s caught fish in Nebraska, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. This is a two piece travel rod that comes with a nice padded bag.

Read our full Ark Genesis 2-piece travel rod review

The rod joins together nicely and fishes so well. The very narrow blanks are durable and sensitive. I’ve caught fish just about every way you can on these rods. I have the 6-foot, 8-inch MH and the 7-foot, 6-inch MH rods and have flipped, frogged, spinnerbait fished, jigged, cranked, popped a topwater popper and burned a buzz bait with these rods. A great option that gives no sacrifice in performance in a 2-piece travel rod.

SixGill Argos Travel Rods

A very nicely made travel pack rod, the Argos Travel Rod is a 4-piece rod built on a 24T Toray Carbon blank. Comes with a 25 inch travel case. It fishes like your nicest bass rod but you can tuck it under a jacket and take it with you anywhere. The rod loads nicely on the cast and has enough back bone with it’s 7-foot MH frame to fight any size bass you might tangle with. A very nice travel rod option.  

Buy from Sixgillfishing.com

Zebco 33 Spincast Telescopic Combo

This is an affordable option at $25 but it’s not made to handle big fish in my opinion. It’s a great rod for catching panfish around a campsite, or of the dock on vacation. But it’s not made for fishing for larger fish. The rod bends easily at the tip under load and the line cuts across the rod to the next guide. So just be cautious with bigger fish on this setup. But for $25, you can catch the heck out of a bunch of panfish with this setup.

Buy at Amazon

Hardy Zephrus FWS Travel Fly Rod

I haven’t had a chance to review the latest offerings from Hardy yet, but one of my all time favorite travel rods is my Hardy Zephrus FWS Travel Fly Rod. It’s a 9-foot, 5-weight rod. It is the perfect pack rod for hiking into remote streams and chasing fish on the fly. This is the Ferrari of travel rods in my opinion. Everything is first class from the aluminum case, styled bag, ferrule covers, and beautiful craftsmanship on the Sintrix 440 blank.  

Buy from Hardyrodsandreels.com

Shimano Convergence Travel Rod

This 7-foot, 4-piece rod is another great do-it all travel rod. It’s a great rod for a lot of different species and lures in that 1/4 ounce to 3/4 ounce size. It breaks down to 25 inches so it will fit in almost all your bags and it comes in a nice hard case with a shoulder strap if you want to carry it on your back while you hike. It’s very well made and fished nicely with a variety of reels.

Spinning rod

Casting rod.

Buy at Tackle Warehouse

St. Croix Triumph Travel Rod

This work-horse travel rod serves a ton of different purposes. It’s 6-foot, 6-inch size makes it a great size for tight quarters. I loved fishing some small streams near the house with this rod. A fun little rod for wading creeks or winging around on bigger waters on your travels. It’s small form factor of 24 inches makes it a great pack rod to keep in your vehicle or throw in your bag on long trips. It’s a very nice blank divided into 4 pieces. It’s strong, sensitive and light. A great travel version of their very popular Triumph line.  

Wired2fish Travel Rod Comparison Chart

We review a ton of products and while they don’t always make the best of categories there are a lot of good rods to choose from that can get the job done. We try to give you as many options as possible while identifying some that we think stand out in the array of options. The goal with our guides is to help you be as informed and aggregate as much helpful information and personal experience into helping you with your fishing gear decisions.  

Here is a quick rundown of a lot of travel rod / telescoping rod options:

Currently working as Senior Advisor to Wired2fish. Former COO and Publisher, Jason Sealock came to Wired2fish shortly after inception in January of 2010. Prior to that he was the Editor-in-Chief of FLW Outdoors Magazines. He worked up from Associate Editor to Photo Editor and finally Editor in Chief of three magazines FLW Bass, FLW Walleye and FLW Saltwater. Now he sets the content direction for Wired2fish while also working directly with programmers, consultants and industry partners. Sealock has been an avid angler for the better part of 40 years and has been writing and shooting fishing and outdoors content for more than 25 years. He is an expert with fishing electronics and technologies and an accomplished angler, photographer, writer and editor. He has taught a lot of people to find fish with their electronics and has been instrumental in teaching these technologies to the masses. He's also the industry authority on new fishing tackle and has personally reviewed more than 10,000 products in his tenure. He has a 30-year background in information technologies and was a certified engineer for a time in Microsoft, Novell, Cisco, and HP. He mostly fishes for bass and panfish around the house. He has, however, caught fish in 42 of the 50 states in the US as well as Costa Rica, Mexico, and Canada and hopes to soon add Finland, Japan, Africa and Australia to his list.

Breaking News

Pittsburgh angler catches state record yellow perch, johnson scores wire-to-wire win at b.a.s.s. nation qualifier at arkansas river, 9- pound and 13-pound bass caught in tennessee, vexus® boats launches tackle warehouse bonus program for high school and college anglers, gsm outdoors acquires mid-america rod company, skeet reese opens reese fishing, saudi investors to create new fishing tournament league, james watson suspended from mlf tournaments, recent posts.

DUO Versa/Finder/Fat Swim Bait Giveaway

When to Fish Deep During the Spawn

Xtratuf Footwear BOGO 50% Off Weekend Flash Deal

Abu Garcia Jordan Lee Casting Combo Review

Flambeau Outdoors NextGen Tackle Box Giveaway Winners

Ascend 133X Tournament Kayak Review

Bait Finesse System Trout Fishing Guide

$30 Off Lew’s Speed Spin Spinning Combo

• svg]:stroke-primary"> 735K
• svg]:stroke-primary"> 133K
• svg]:stroke-primary"> 54.1K

The Best Travel Fishing Rods of 2024

By Pete Robbins

Updated on May 24, 2023 5:36 PM EDT

13 minute read

Best for Bass

Abu garcia i.k.e. signature series travel casting rod, best budget, shakespeare ugly stik gx2 travel spinning combo, best premium, megabass triza travel rod.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More ›

Travel fishing rods are easy to pack for a trip, and the good ones fish like a one-piece rod. Over the past several decades, rods have gotten longer because more length typically equals better casts and more leverage on big fish. For example, the 5-foot 6-inch pistol grips that dominated bass fishing into the 1980s have been replaced almost entirely by rods that are 7 feet and up. Unfortunately, luggage costs and rules have also exploded at this same time, meaning that it’s not always feasible to take an oversized 7- or 8-foot rod tube on distant trips. That’s doubly true if you’ll be getting on a floatplane or your luggage size is otherwise restricted.

Travel rods aren’t solely for air travel, though. If you’re an urban angler getting on a subway, they may be your best choice. If you want something to keep in your car or backpack in case you pass by a tasty-looking fishery, they’re prime choices. In the past, the options were often limited. Either manufacturers took an existing blank and added rudimentary ferrules, or it was a bargain basement combo that required a staple remover to get out of the package and that couldn’t stand up to farm pond bluegills. Fortunately, many manufacturers have recognized the need for better travel tools, and they’ve heeded the call. 

I get to do a lot of traveling with fishing rods as a writer and host of exotic fishing trips. I’ve been to the Alaskan wilderness, through the Amazon jungle, and on every major bass lake in the U.S. and Mexico. Those destinations require a plane ride, and while I don’t always pack multi-piece rods, it’s given me the chance to test out many of the best. Here are my picks for the best travel fishing rods.

• Best for Bass: Abu Garcia I.K.E. Signature Series Travel Casting Rod
• Most Innovative: Daiwa Ardito-TR Travel Casting and Spinning Rod
• Best for Inshore: Falcon Traveler Coastal Spinning Rod
• Best Budget: Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2 Travel Spinning Combo
• Best Finesse: Wild Side Light Spinning Rod
• Best Premium Casting: Megabass Triza Travel Rod  
• Most Versatile :  Toadfish Travel Spinning Rod
• Best Bait Finesse :  KastKing Kestrel 3-Piece Rods
• Best Premium Spinning : Shimano Zodias 5-Piece Travel Spinning Rods

How I Tested the Best Travel Fishing Rods

I’ve taken these travel rods all over the globe and all over the country, fishing for species both exotic and mundane. More importantly, though, I’ll admit that I’ve abused them. They’ve been shoved in suitcases, walked through dense forests, and used for lures outside of their supposed range. That’s the nature of the travel game. Coming home from Mexico, officials forced me to check a carrying case that I’d carried on for the trip South of the Border, and my rods returned in one piece—or rather in their original configurations of multiple pieces. When possible, though, I like keeping them at my side, and I’m usually able to do so. It also enables me to bring a rod and reel or the occasions when I travel for a non-fishing purpose but might be able to sneak away to make a few casts.

Best Travel Fishing Rods: Reviews & Recommendations

Key Features

• Length: 7 feet
• Packed Length: 28 inches
• Three pieces
• Comes with both medium (1/4-3/4 ounce lures) and medium-heavy (3/8-1 ounce) tip sections
• Soft travel case included
• Versatility means you only need to carry one rod
• Comfortable E.V.A. handle
• Great value
• Included case isn’t crushproof; should not be checked on airlines

Abu Garcia, worked with Bassmaster Classic champion Mike “Ike” Iaconelli, to design the Ike Signature Series Travel Rod. Ike is known for his wins on the pro bass circuit, but he’s also known for his urban angling adventures. Traveling by bus, bike, plane, and train to those urban fishing spots were the inspiration for his travel rod. 

The best feature of the rod is the included interchangeable tip sections that provide different actions. They are a tremendous value, since the rod doesn’t sacrifice on components. They include 36-ton graphite blanks, stainless steel guides, and a premium Fuji reel seat. Ike carried this rod worldwide on his television fishing exploits for a wide range of species, but his heart remains with bass, and that’s where this rod excels, for everything from soft plastics to crankbaits to spinnerbaits . Anglers who expect to use finesse presentations can buy the spinning version.

• Length: 7 feet 
• Handle converts from spinning to baitcasting
• Three-piece rod, includes six total pieces 
• Lure Weights: ¼ to 1 ounce 
• Extreme versatility
• Handles wide range of lures
• Sensitive yet strong graphite construction
• Included case not crushproof; should not be checked on airlines

Daiwa has built a rod—and specifically, a rod handle—that will accommodate both spinning and baitcasting reels when configured appropriately. That means you don’t have to choose one or the other when you’re limited to one travel rod. What’s most impressive is that they’ve somehow developed a blank that doesn’t feel awkward in either role. It includes X45 graphite construction that prevents blank twisting and truly performs like a one-piece. I took this rod to Zambia for tigerfish, where it performed admirably with a baitcasting reel, and then used it at home to skip Senkos under docks with a spinning rod. It’s not truly a finesse spinning rod, but could handle light baits with plenty of backbone to extract hard-pulling bass from gnarly cover.

• Medium action
• Lure weight: ¼ to ½ ounce 
• Bargain priced
• Durable full cork handle
• High-quality components
• Some anglers may not like the moderate action

If you’re chasing redfish or speckled trout on the Gulf Coast, or bonefish and snook in the Everglades or Keys, you need a rod that will simultaneously make pinpoint presentations that also has the heft to muscle outsized, super-strong fish away from cover. This rod is light but mighty and fits the bill. The Coastal Traveler series also has a baitcasting model in the lineup. They’ll both do double-duty in freshwater, although Falcon also provides Lowrider series travel rods for that purpose. All of them include cork handles (full in the case of the Coastal, split-grip on the Lowriders), Fuji K-Frame tangle-free guides, and a blank through reel seat. All come with a crushproof, three-section Cordura-coated case with the rod’s specifications printed on the outside.

• Lengths: 5 feet 6 inches and 6 feet 6 inches 
• Comes with matching reel
• Three or four pieces
• Rod and reel packaged together for the price of one
• Four-bearing spinning reel
• Strong guides will stand up to braided line
• Cloth rod and reel travel bag cannot be checked

The Ugly Stik brand has been synonymous with strength and value for decades, and Shakespeare continues to refine the products while keeping them at rock bottom prices. These three spinning combos—one light action, two medium action—all come with a four-bearing reel and rods that combine graphite and fiberglass construction. While the cloth carrying case may not be crushproof, this combo will stand up to just about anything you can dish out. That makes it a great option for kids or beginners, but you’ll be surprised at the wide range of species it can handle across the globe without any fear of failure.

• Length: 6 feet 3 inches
• Packed Length: 22 inches
• Action: Light
• Five pieces
• Ultra compact 
• Innovative ferrules maintain one-piece feel
• High modulus graphite

Wild Side’s U.S. distributor Arundel Tackle claims that this rod is “made for the overhead bin, NOT baggage claim.” It comes with a rectangular carrying case that weighs a mere 2 ounces and will slide easily into your carry-on. More importantly, they’ve somehow taken a five-piece rod and eliminated any traditional multi-piece imprecision. That might be because they use refined spigot ferrules that do a solid job of maintaining a one-piece flow. This has become a go-to Ned Rig rod when I’m bass fishing at home, but it has so many other uses where it’ll excel. These include stream trout fishing, pan fishing, and light saltwater use. The high-quality cork and E.V.A. split handle are comfortable for all day fishing and match up with any lightweight spinning reel.

Best Premium: Megabass Triza Travel Rod  

• Lengths (casting): 6-feet, 6-inches; 6-feet, 8-inches; 6-feet, 9-inches; 7-feet; 7-feet, 2-inches   
• Available in five baitcasting and two spinning models
• Lure Weights: 1/32 ounce to 3 ounces
• Wide range of actions for a full range of techniques
• Built one at a time for attention to detail
• Gorgeous peacock wood reel seats and hand-drawn graphics

Megabass makes everything from the best swimbaits to some of the nicest production rods available. The Triza Travel Rod has typical Megabass quality in a rod that fits in a backpack. Megabass has a lot of experience making travel rods for their Japanese customers, who are often more constrained in terms of space and transportation, and therefore demand them. These premium travel rods are now widely available in America and cover just about every bass fishing technique under the sun—while at the same time being superior for some saltwater and multi-species use. They’re a gorgeous piece of art that would look great displayed, but they’re too solid to sit on the sidelines. Megabass claims they are constructed to their “Triangle” ideal—with a tip section that maximizes tension, a belly section that maximizes torque, and a butt section that maximizes torsional rigidity. These are workhorses that present like show horses.

Most Versatile:  Toadfish Travel Spinning Rod

• 7 feet 2 inches
• Medium/Medium heavy action
• Interchangeable mid and tip sections
• Incredible versatility
• Kigan tangle free guides
• Extremely durable
• Included case is strong but quite heavy

This rod comes with one handle section, two mid-sections, and two tip sections, allowing for five different configurations, making it the most versatile travel rod on the market. That uniqueness is also a huge bonus if you slam a section in a car door or otherwise break one – you lose a bit of that trademark versatility, but you’re not completely out of luck. What’s also nice is that it comes with extremely durable components, including soft-touch rubber handle inlays and a handle that will stand up to the most you can dish out, including saltwater exposure. It’s fairly sensitive for a five-piece rod, and the spigot ferrules hold well. The case may be heavy, but you can check it through on the airlines without worrying about damage.

Best Bait Finesse:  KastKing Kestrel 3-Piece Rods

• Light-fast action
• IM8 ultra-high modulus graphite blank
• Extremely reasonable price
• One of the few rods in its category
• Very sensitive IM8 high modulus graphite blank
• No case included

The biggest problem with many travel rods is that they’re too vanilla – understandably made to cover a wide range of conditions and species. That’s fine if you just want one for random use, but it doesn’t help anglers with specific needs. KastKing has entered the market with a lot of BFS options and wisely chose to build a three-piece rod in that category. It can handle lures as light as 1/10 ounce, yet, with a balanced baitcasting reel, still has the winch-like power that spinning cannot provide. The rod comes with quality components, including American Tackle Ti forged guides with aluminum oxide Duralight rings, so whether you’re chasing panfish, Alaskan trout, stream smallmouths, or light saltwater species, it’s meant to stand up to a beating. In Asia and Japan, manufacturers have historically made a wider range of multi-piece rods than they do in North America, so it’s a good sign that KastKing is willing to take a calculated risk on this specialty stick.

Best Premium: Shimano Zodias 5-Piece Travel Spinning Rods

• Medium-Light – Fast
• 1/8 – 7/16 ounce lures
• CI4+ Reel Seat maximizes ergonomic comfort
• Fuji guides hold up to the rigors of travel and different kinds of line
• At 5 pieces, incredibly transportable
• Rod case not included

Shimano and brand partner G.Loomis have dipped in and out of the travel rod market for years, producing some top-notch products. Shimano’s bargain-priced Convergence Series is a great value and quality product, but the Zodias will fill the needs of more demanding anglers. It looks and feels like an expensive JDM product, and despite the multiple ferrules functions like a one-piece rod. I liked the Carbon Monocoque grip, and felt that it enhanced sensitivity, even with light lines. It’s also available in a baitcasting rod if that’s your stylistic preference, or if you want to use heavier lines on bigger fish.

While most standard rods are one or possibly two pieces, most travel rods are three or more pieces. Alternatively, they may be telescoping. Either way, they “collapse” or “compress” or “break down” to lengths that will fit in a suitcase or in a small separate carrying case. That makes them easy to take on a plane or stuff under the seat of your vehicle for impromptu fishing adventures.

Many anglers believe that one-piece rods are superior in all instances and will do whatever they can to take them on long-distance fishing trips. Of course that is possible, and there are hard-sided carrying cases that extend up to nearly 10-feet long to transport them. One problem, however, is that the airlines are increasingly restrictive on checking such bags. Even when they allow it, they may be costly. Furthermore, rough baggage handling may result in destruction of or damage to your valuable gear.

Typically commercial airlines will not allow you to carry full-sized rods on airplanes, but they’ll often allow you to carry properly-cased and appropriately-sized travel rods on board. In fact, the T.S.A. guidelines explicitly state that fishing rods are permitted in carry-on and checked bags but note that “passengers should check with the airline to confirm that the fishing rod fits within size limitations for carry-on items.” Some foreign airports and foreign carriers will not allow the same, so be sure to check ahead of time and carry a crushproof case that can be checked if necessary.

Things to Consider When Buying a Travel Fishing Rod

What will you be fishing for.

The same travel rod that excels for panfish might be a liability chasing big saltwater fish in the surf. Today there are enough specialized options that you should be able to cover most extremes and many technical presentations. The trouble comes when you need to do double duty. That may require the purchase of a second rod, or perhaps even making compromises—using a single rod that is a jack of all trades but a master of none.

How compact must it be?

Fewer ferrules or connectors usually (but not always) means better performance. However, the ideal travel or “pack” rod will fit into a small case, which may or may not need to fit within your suitcase. Take careful measurements of your possible dimensions, adding a slight bit for the padding of the case and any internal rod sock that protects your tool.

How will I carry my travel rod?

The best possible scenario is to keep your rod or rods with you at all times, in a padded, crushproof case. That reduces the chances of loss and breakage. However, in the instance that you need to check it, make sure it fits in your other luggage or run the risk of paying a surcharge. Many of these rods come with tubes or cases. Some are better than others, so don’t hesitate to invest in an aftermarket product for peace of mind.

Why Trust Outdoor Life?

Since 1898, OL has been a leading authority in testing and reviewing hunting gear, fishing tackle, guns and shooting equipment, and much more. We have more than a century-long history of evaluating products, and we’re now bringing that expertise to online reviews. Our editors are experienced outdoorsmen and women, and most importantly, we’re trained journalists. We prioritize field testing and objective data when reviewing products. We conduct interviews with gear manufacturers and engineers as well as outdoor experts so that our readers have an understanding of how and why a product works—or doesn’t.

Advertising does not influence our gear reviews and it never will. While we always focus our coverage on standout products—because we want our readers to be aware of the latest and greatest gear—we also cover the flaws and quirks of any given product.

Final Thoughts on the Best Travel Fishing Rods

As I’ve amassed an arsenal of travel rods over the past several years, I’ve seen a shift in my thinking. Previously, I reserved them exclusively for exotic travel to places like Zambia, Mexico, Brazil, and Alaska, and then relegated them to a garage shelf when I returned home. Increasingly, however, I’ve found myself using some of them in my day-to-day angling, in places where I could still take a 7- or 8-foot one-piece rod but now choose instead to take the multi-piece tool. 

Many of the more inexpensive multi-piece rods are still notably less fluid than their one-piece counterparts, but that’s not always the case. Furthermore, if you’re a one-piece snob, you may be surprised at how refined these options have become.

• Latest News
• Environment
• Fishing Journeys
• How to Videos
• Boating Bits
• New Products
• Product Reviews

Shimano Zodias Travel rod review

SHIMANO released several multi-piece travels rods in 2023 , including the Raider, Revolution, and Zodias travel range.

Travel rods have become a popular choice for many fishos for a number of reasons, But first, what exactly is a “travel rod”. In my opinion, a travel rod is one with three or more pieces. The average two-piece rods, while portable, depending on length, probably don’t fit this category. 

These days, it’s common to find three, four and five-piece rod models. In the past, multi-piece rods were mostly reserved for long fly rods. The spin and bait cast rods in the past mostly featured awkward ferule designs that would create a heavy rod and a poor action.

All that has changed with the latest generation of travel rods.

Why would you want one? Convenience! Whether you are actually travelling or just want something that’s easy to store at home or in the car on the way to fishing, there’s no doubt these travel rods are convenient. If you are travelling, a four or five-piece rod fits easily inside most suit cases. In Australia, you can’t fly with a rod as carry-on; it must be checked in your baggage.

I’ve had bad experiences in the past, travelling with one and two-piece rods, with broken rod and lost rod tubes. Then there’s extra fees for oversized baggage and it’s just inconvenient carrying around a giant big tube. I’d much rather just pack one bag with my lures, rods, reels and clothing. If you’re paranoid about your bag being lost, I’d suggest sharing a rod or two with your fishing mates. That way if someone’s bag goes missing, there’s always a spare.

Another use for a travel rod is hiking. More and more of us are finding fish in places that require some walking. The fishing is usually better and it’s always a fun adventure. Rods in four or five-piece configuration are perfect for this. Stash them inside or strap them to the outside of your bag and leave your hands free.

That’s exactly what I have been using Shimano’s latest Zodiac Travel rods for. Over the past few weeks Ive done several trips to isolated rivers, walking ups and down searching for natives. I packed the five-piece Zodias in the bag, together with some cod and golden perch lures, a drink, pair of pliers spare leaders and a snake bandage. 

It’s easy to put together, and best of all, I really couldn’t tell the difference between this rod and a one-piece rod. Sure, maybe it’s slightly heavier and maybe the action isn’t quite so crisp. But honestly, unless you’re really tuned into to the action of a rod, I don’t think you will notice any difference.

It’s a fantastic rod to cast and has plenty of power for its size to subdue tough fish. I bought several gold perch and a couple of nice cod over 70cm. 

I opted for the Medium weight C66ML-5. At 6’6” In length, it’s not too cumbersome for walking along thick bankside scrub. I mostly used spinnerbaits and chatter baits between 1/4 and 1/2 ounce. I also used a much heavier topwater lure that weighed over 50 grams. It cast fine, but I’d go with a heavier model if you intended to cast heavy topwater or swimbaits regularly. 

The Zodias was matched with a new Curado 200M. I’ve had this reel for a few months now and took it on a trip to the Solomon Islands last year. It’s a fantastic reel and a perfect match for the Zodias Travel. More details on the Curado 200M here.

This set up over several trips accounted for plenty of golden perch and some nice topwater river cod around 70cm. Incredible fun and this outfit handled the task without a problem.

Shimano’s Zodias Travel rods come in seven sizes and configurations. There’s four bait cast rods and three spin and that covers everything from light spin to medium-heavy baitcast. That pretty much covers everything from tackling small mountain trout, bream and whiting to flathead, mulloway, and natives such as bass, cod and golden perch. They’d also make an ideal rod for fishing the tropics. The rod Fishing World tested would make a perfect light barra rod. If you’re using small hardbodies and plastics, it’s a good option. For working large, deep lures and casting heaver weights, you could go up to the Medium heavy 7’2” baitcast version. I’d imagine the same Curado reel would still be a good fit or you could choose one of Shimano’s larger 300 or 400 size baitcast reels.

The Zodias travel rods feature Shimano’s Carbon Monocoque Butt for sensitivity and finesse and the range comes with Hi Power X Blanks, plus Fuji Stainless Steel K Guides with Aconite + SiC Tip inserts.  Shimano has delivered a high quality blank and matched it for equal good components to create a high end rod with unbeatable convenience.

If you’re looking for a multi-piece rod features top quality components with unbeatable performance, I highly recommend checking out the Zodias Travel range.  

More details at fish.shimano.com/en-AU

Scott Thomas

What's your reaction.

Related Posts

TT Tackle Storage Bags

VIDEO: Big barra with Shimano Twin Power FE

Shimano Ultegra XR 14000XTD

YETI Panga giveaway

• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy

Welcome, Login to your account.

Welcome, Create your new account

Recover your password.

A password will be e-mailed to you.

FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $99 (excludes bulky items)

• Hard Bodies
• Soft Plastics
• Skirted Lures
• Vibes and Blades
• Terminal Tackle
• Line and Leader
• Fishing Accessories
• Tackle Storage
• Hunting Clothing
• Electric Motors
• Electric Motor Accessories
• Marine Electronics
• Snorkels and Masks
• Eskies and Insulation
• Life Jackets
• Jackets and Fleece
• CLEARANCE SALE
• (07) 4357 8991

Your Cart is Empty

• $0.00 Subtotal

Add description, images, menus and links to your mega menu

A column with no settings can be used as a spacer

Link to your collections, sales and even external links

Add up to five columns

Shimano Revolution Travel Rod

Sold Out $127.20 $159.00

Notify me when this product is available:

This is a wide-ranging series, consisting of light, medium and heavy spin, baitcast, jig, bluewater troll rods — in effect, almost every fishing style available in Australia! The new Revolution models have a new cosmetic with all-new fittings. Using Fuji O Ring guides, which have increased protection for the insert, ‘Soft Touch’ reel seats for greater comfort during long fishing sessions, which in turn complement the hard-wearing custom-shaped EVA fore and butt grips. What’s more, the two-piece rods have delightfully subtle ferruling system that you’d be hard pressed to pick. Utilising Shimano’s 24-30 Ton Toray graphite, the blanks the new Revolutions are built on combine casting performance — where applicable — with incredible lifting and fish fighting power.

- Toray Graphite Construction - Custom EVA Grips - Fuji O Guides

Specifications

REVTR603BC - Length (m): 1.83 - Number of Sections: 3 - Line Weight: 6 - 10kg - Butt Assembly: Shimano / Full Length EVA - Lure Weight (g): 15 - 30 - Length (in): 6' REVTR653BSP - Length (m): 1.95 - Number of Sections: 3 - Line Weight: 5 - 8kg - Butt Assembly: Shimano / Full Length EVA - Lure Weight (g): 10 - 25 - Length (in): 6'5" REVTR703SP - Length (m): 2.13 - Number of Sections: 3 - Line Weight: 3 - 5kg - Butt Assembly: Shimano / SPLIT EVA - Lure Weight (g): 7 - 21 - Length (in): 7' REVTR703SWSP - Length (m): 2.13 - Number of Sections: 3 - Line Weight: 5 - 10kg - Butt Assembly: Shimano / Full Length EVA - Lure Weight (g): 10 - 40 - Length (in): 7' REVTR733SWSP - Length (m): 2.21 - Number of Sections: 3 - Line Weight: 10 - 15kg - Butt Assembly: Shimano / Full Length EVA - Lure Weight (g): 20 - 100 - Length (in): 7'3" REVTR763SPH - Length (m): 2.29 - Number of Sections: 3 - Line Weight: 15 - 24kg - Butt Assembly: Shimano / Full Length EVA - Lure Weight (g): 50 - 200 - Length (in): 7'6" REVTR904SP - Length (m): 2.74 - Number of Sections: 4 - Line Weight: 6 - 10kg - Butt Assembly: Shimano / Full Length EVA - Lure Weight (g): 15 - 50 - Length (in): 9' 

• 5 Stars 6 Reviews
• 4 Stars 2 Reviews
• 3 Stars 0 Reviews
• 2 Stars 0 Reviews
• 1 Star 0 Reviews

Shimano Travel Rod 733

The Revolution Travel rod is a great asset. Handles tuna to 50kg easily.

Davo delivered promptly. Good service.

Awesome rod

Come on holiday.

The rod looks good and feels strong hopefully will get to run it through its paces late April in Nth Qld.

Value for money

Quality build for the price. A little bit heavy and clunky for lure fishing but perfect for bait fishing.

Shimano Revolution travel rod

Ordered one of these online.

The price was good, the goods were received quickly and very well wrapped to prevent damage in transit.

The rod was everything I had expected with a very strong rod that breaks down to make it very easy to pack and use when traveling, particularly by air.

You may also like

Recently Viewed Items

Join Eric Church, Lainey Wilson, Lynyrd Skynyrd & Riley Green at the F&S Music Fest in South Carolina. Tickets on Sale Now!

FIELD & STREAM+

• Join 1871 Club

The Best Baitcasting Rods of 2024

A good baitcasting rods has the perfect mix of length, action and power, and components

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

Quality baitcasting rods—along with good baitcasting reels —aren’t found by glancing at a tackle shop’s racks, shaking tips, and checking prices. Those reveal little of their quality and characteristics, which are critical to creating the precise presentations that boat more and bigger bass.

Preferred by most bass anglers, baitcasting rods are outfitted with a winch-like reel and designed for heavy lifting. Most easily handle 15-pound test or stronger lines and heavy lures, some weighing several ounces. But look closer, and you’ll find ones engineered to meet specific bass-fishing situations—from flinging small swimbaits to distant smallmouth or going toe-to-fin with big largemouth.

Selecting them starts with defining purpose, then fulfilling it with the perfect mix of length, power and action, and components. That sweet spot is where you find the best baitcasting rods.

• Best Overall: Shimano SLX
• Best Budget: Ugly Stik Elite Casting
• Best Ultralight: G. Loomis IMX-PRO
• Best Medium-Heavy: Abu Garcia Vengeance
• Best Heavy: Cashion ICON Flipping Rod

How We Picked the Best Baitcasting Rods

Baitcasting rods handle the majority of my bass fishing. Their power, sensitivity and lure-launching abilities are tough to beat, whether I’m chasing largemouth, smallmouth or spots. But while the decision to use one is simple, finding the best has taken years of experience and searching, along with plenty of advice along the way.

My bass fishing experience stretches from the red-clay banks of Georgia reservoirs to the natural lakes and rivers of Ontario, Canada. Those diverse settings have thrown myriad fishing situations my way. Each demands a specific approach. That’s forced me to sift through endless combinations of length, power and action, and components, from all the major manufacturers, to find the best baitcasting rod for each one.

My understanding of how baitcasting rods perform is based on more than personal observations and on-the-water successes. More than 25 years of competitive bass fishing created a proving ground for my gear. It also provided the opportunity to quiz tournament partners, industry professionals and fishing friends about what makes the best baitcasting rods, and maybe more importantly, what doesn’t.

Best Baitcasting Rods: Reviews & Recommendations

• Length: 7 feet
• Action and Power: Fast action and medium-heavy power
• Components: Custom reel seat, 24-ton graphite blank and titanium-oxide guides
• Blank is lightweight and strong
• Handles range of lure and line weights
• Quality components add performance
• Action feels stiffer than other fast-action rods
• Rear grip is short

This Shimano SLX baitcasting rod, which easily can become a combo thanks to Shimano’s matching line of SLX baitcasting reels , does a lot. It’s rated for 10- to 20-pound test monofilament or fluorocarbon line, 20- to 50-pound test braided line and lures from 1/4 to 3/4 ounce. That opens the door to a variety of techniques, from presenting small soft-plastic baits to spooky springtime largemouth to burning big spinnerbaits for angry autumn smallmouth. You’ll use it every fishing trip.

Supporting the SLX’s versatility is a strong and sensitive 24-ton graphite blank and durable titanium-oxide line guides. Its custom reel seat puts your fingers directly on the blank for added sensitivity. It’s durable, too.

The foam-covered split grip, which is just shy of 10 inches, feels short, especially when tucked under your forearm. And its action feels stiffer than other fast-action baitcasting rods, though that’s easily overcome with slightly heavier lures and crisper back casts, both of which further load the blank.

Best Budget: Ugly Stik Elite Casting Rod

• Length: 6 feet, 6 inches
• Components: Full cork grip, solid fiberglass tip and stainless-steel guides
• Fast action casts easy
• Medium-heavy power matches to many lures and techniques
• Durability keeps you fishing
• Heavier than similar sized rods
• Split reel seat requires a soft touch

This isn’t your father’s Ugly Stik baitcasting rod. While it retains the durability that has been the brand’s hallmark for generations, it has 35% more graphite than the Ugly Stik GX2 and sports a sleek finish. Its Clear Tip design provides sensitivity and durability, an important consideration for budget-minded anglers and baitcasting beginners. Strong stainless-steel guides withstand the abuse that comes with learning how to operate baitcasting gear, whether that’s accidently back casting into low-hanging branches or being tossed when backlashes push patience past the tipping point.

The rod’s fast action generates long and smooth casts, even from beginners, who tend to force casts with their arm instead of letting the lure do the work. Its medium-heavy power works in concert, handling a wide range of lure types and weights, from 1/4 to 3/4 ounce, and lines from 10- to 20-pound test. That eliminates the need for several baitcasting rods, each for a specific lure or technique. Many anglers aren’t interested in making that investment.

Its full cork grip balances the additional weight that comes with added durability. And while it offers added sensitivity, be mindful of its split reel seat. Overtightening can cause its two pieces to separate.  

• Length: 7 feet, 1 inch
• Action and Power: Extra-fast action and medium power
• Components: Full grip, high-modulus graphite blank and tangle-free line guides
• Easily casts lightweight lures
• Proprietary materials and construction makes it sensitive and lightweight
• Well-suited for long overhand casts and accurate underhand pitches
• Handles narrow range of lures and lines
• Medium power is soft on control

G. Loomis is synonymous with precision, and this IMX-PRO baitcasting rod is on brand. Lightweight and sensitive, it’s a finesse baitcasting rod that perfectly presents small lures, protects light lines, and detects subtle bites from finicky bass on short and long casts. You’ll be hard pressed to find another production rod that’s rated for an 1/8-ounce lure.

Its abilities are supported by tangle-free line guides and a cork handle in full-grip formation. It’s a perfect match to today’s best baitcasting reels, which are compact and better at handling thin lines and tiny lures.

What this IMX-PRO lacks is versatility. Its lure-weight range tops out at 3/8 ounce, limiting its assignments. Its line-weight range — 10- to 14-pound test — seems too much, though a small diameter braided line will maintain its finesse feel. Subduing big bass with its medium power requires patience; it’s barely capable of boat flipping 12-inch keepers.

• Components: Foam split grip, 24-ton graphite blank and titanium-oxide line guides
• Powerful graphite blank
• Exposed blank in reel seat
• Comfortable high-density foam handle
• Weighs more than similar rods
• Action feels slower than labeled

Abu Garcia packed a lot of bang into its Vengeance baitcasting rod, which, compared to other options, costs only few bucks. It’s sensitive and sports a fast action thanks to a blank made with 24-ton graphite. Its stainless-steel line guides are outfitted with tough and slippery titanium-oxide inserts, which add casting distance and stand up to braided lines and big bass.

The Vengeance handles line from 12- to 20-pound test and lures from 3/8- to 1-ounce. That opens the door to a variety of techniques and lures. It tosses weightless worms and heavy jigging spoons equally well.

This rod may feel slower than other fast-action rods, but that extra flex makes it better at fishing crankbaits, topwaters and other lures sporting treble hooks. Even with its split grip, it’s slightly heavier than rods of similar length, power and action.

• Length: 7 feet, 6 inches
• Action and Power: Fast action and heavy power
• Components: Kevlar grip, micro guides and carbon-fiber blank
• Lightweight and powerful blank
• Soft tip increases accuracy and stealth
• Handles range of lure weights
• Micro guides limit leader use
• Doesn’t telescope for easy storage

Most heavy baitcasting rods fish like a boom and crane. Cashion’s ICON flipping rod doesn’t. It’s built on a lightweight and strong blank made with carbon fiber — a ribbon-like form of graphite. Its fast action retains a bit of give at the tip, making accurate underhand pitches easily and quietly. Many flipping rods lack that important detail.

It excels at placing jigs, Texas rigged soft-plastic lures and punch rigs up to 1 1/2 ounces in thick cover, such as topped-out aquatic vegetation, and extracting the big bass that live there. But this pony can do more tricks, including dragging Carolina rigs and slow rolling big swimbaits or spinnerbaits. And it’ll handle deep-diving crankbaits in a pinch.

If you prefer braided line, forget about using a fluorocarbon or monofilament leader with this rod. Its narrow micro guides won’t permit the leader-to-line knot to pass. If you’re worried about bass seeing your braid, use a black permanent marker to color its first few feet. You’ll need to review your storage options, too. Unlike many 7 1/2-foot or longer rods, this one doesn’t telescope to a shorter length.

What to Consider When Choosing a Baitcasting Rod

Flexibility and cost are only the beginning of what defines the best baitcasting rods for bass . There are other characteristics that you need to consider. Here are the pieces that make baitcasting rods whole.

Baitcasting rods are available in different lengths. Matching length to a lure or technique increases performance.

• 6- to 7-feet long: These rods struggle with casting distance but excel at the downward snaps that breathe life into jerkbaits. They require less casting room and less effort for underhand roll casts, making them perfect for fishing holes with overhead cover.
• 7- to 7-feet, 6-inches long: These rods make long accurate casts. Capable of handling many different lures and techniques, they can sub for longer or shorter rods with minimal loss of performance.
• 7-feet, 6 inches and longer: These rods work best at the extremes — short-line techniques, such as flipping, or launching crankbaits, which dive deeper on long casts. Rods beyond 8 feet can feel unwieldy, and their weight becomes tiring during long days on the water.

Action and Power

Action describes how a baitcasting rod flexes over its length. It dictates the force needed to load the rod during a cast, speed of hooksets, action of lures and how bass are fought. It’s best revealed by placing the rod’s tip on the floor then rolling your wrist to load the blank.

• Fast Action: These rods flex only in the tip. That creates a crisp feel, increasing casting accuracy and power during hooksets. It’s best for single-hooked lures such as jigs and spinnerbaits.
• Moderate Action: Expect these to flex from tip to midsection. That lends itself to a variety of lures and techniques, making it perfect for all-around rods.
• Slow Action: Flex from tip to handle. That deep bend lobs lures great distances, though accuracy is poor. It’s used in crankbait rods, acting as a shock absorber to keep bass hooked on trebles.

Power describes the force that a rod can handle. It determines the range of lure and line weights that can be effectively cast and how hard you can pull against a hooked bass.

• Heavy Power: These are built to handle heavy lures and lines. It’s commonly seen in flipping, swimbait, worm, and spinnerbait rods.
• Medium Power: These are well-suited to mid-sized lures and lines. It’s most often found in all-purpose rods, which handle a variety of lures and techniques.
• Light Power: This power is ideal for lightweight lures and lines. Use it to cast small swimbaits and finesse jigs. It’ll handle heavyweight bass, as long as you are patient while fighting and landing them.

Power and action act independently, so you’re as likely to find a slow-action rod with a heavy power as a fast-action one with a light power. They’re offered in degrees, too, such as extra-fast action or medium-heavy power. That tunes rods to specific uses.

There is no uniform measurement for power or action. Both vary slightly between builders and within their lineups. So, if the fast-action rod you’re eyeing feels too stiff, switch brands or try a less expensive one.

The backbone of every baitcasting rod is its blank. Three types dominate today’s offerings.

• Fiberglass: This material ushered in the modern baitcasting rod in the 1970s, but it’s relegated to specialty rods today. It’s made in all powers, but action is limited to moderate and slow.
• Graphite: Sensitive, lightweight and strong, it’s the most common material found in today’s baitcasting rods. They are available in a variety of powers but action skews toward fast.
• Composite: A few manufacturers mix graphite and fiberglass, creating more sensitive and lighter weight slow-action rods. They’re designed to fish speedy lures such as bladed jigs.

A blank isn’t a baitcasting rod until components are attached. Each helps determine the rod’s use, comfort and durability. With some, choice boils down to personal preference. Others directly affect performance.

• Handle: Firm cork is sensitive, lightweight and provides a fast hold even when wet or slathered in fish slime. Choose softer foam for all-day comfort.
• Grip: Split ones feature a hand width of grip behind the reel seat followed by a section of exposed blank then a fighting butt. They cut a rod’s overall weight and are popular with bass anglers. Full grips stretch reel seat to butt. They’re comfortable when tucked under your arm, braced against the pull of lure or bass. And their extra weight brings balance, offsetting everything forward of the reel.  
• Reel Seat: Exposed and split seats allow a finger or three to rest on the blank, helping you feel the slightest nibble. Full ones surround the blank and are usually used on the most powerful rods.
• Line Guides: Unlike the best spinning rods, few baitcasting rods have single-foot guides. Choose ones made from hard materials, such as titanium oxide, which resists wear from braided lines and chips. Both will cut monofilament or fluorocarbon line.

If you need a reel to pair with your new rod, check out our round up of best baitcasting reels . And if you need some help avoiding backlashes, read our article on casting techniques for baitcaster reels . Spinning gear more your speed? We’ve got you covered with the best spinning rods . And for the latest and greatest, read out round up of the best new fishing rods .

Q: What is a baitcasting rod?

Baitcasting rods are designed to handle heavy lines and lures. Bass anglers prefer them for the majority of their fishing, especially accurate casting techniques for baitcasting reels, such as flipping and pitching. The majority of baitcasting rods for bass range from 6 feet to 8 feet in length. They’re gripped at the reel, which rides on top of the handle.

Q: What is the best length for a baitcasting rod?

The best length for a baitcasting rod is determined by its intended use. Long rods, for example, provide greater casting distance than short ones, which are better at fishing under overhead cover. A good all-around length is 7 feet. It’s the most popular with bass anglers because it incorporates most of the benefits of long and short rods.

Q: What is the most sensitive baitcasting rod?

The most sensitive baitcasting rods have graphite blanks and exposed reel seats, which put your fingers directly on the blank. They have an extra-fast or fast action, quickly loading to ensure the slightest nibble is instantly transmitted to your fingers. You can increase any baitcasting rod’s sensitivity by using no-stretch braided line.

Q: Can you put a spinning reel on a baitcasting rod?

A spinning reel shouldn’t be put on a baitcasting rod, which are designed for a top-mounted reel. That configuration forces you to crank a spinning reel in reverse, and if you flip it to its proper underslung orientation, the reel seat’s trigger, which prevents the rod from leaving your hand during a cast, would poke your palm. Spinning reels also demand line guides larger than those typically found on baitcasting rods because line leaves and returns in large loops. They also struggle with the large-diameter lines commonly used on baitcasting rods.

Q: Are baitcasting rods hard to use?

Generally, baitcasting rods are more difficult to cast than spinning rods. This is due to the type of reel you are casting with. It is easy to get a backlash with a baitcasting reel, but after some practice, they aren’t hard to use.

Best Baitcasting Rods: Final Thoughts

Having the best baitcasting rod for the bass-fishing situation at hand goes a long way toward creating great days on the water. While the Shimano SLX baitcasting rod makes that happen with a wide range of lures, lines and situations, don’t hesitate to search out baitcasting rods designed for specific roles. An understanding of the interplay of length, action and power, and components, along with some on-the-water experience or seasoned advice, will ensure you find the best one, whatever your needs.

Why Trust Us

For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase.

Want More of the Great Outdoors?

Stay adventure-ready with outdoor news that keeps you informed, not spammed.

• 🎁 Find the perfect gift with our 🎁Gift collection🎁 and snap sales!🎁

• Spinning Reels
• Overhead Reels
• Baitcast Reels
• Shimano Fishing Reels
• Electric Reels
• Spinning Rods
• Overhead Rods
• Baitcast Rods
• Shimano Fishing Rods
• Travel Rods
• Surf Rods Spinning
• Electric/Dendoh Rods
• Combos By Fish Species
• Estuary Combo
• Beach & Rock Fishing Combos
• KIDS Combos
• Baitcast Combo
• Electric Combos
• Jackets & Jumpers
• Pants & Waders
• Soft Plastics
• Hard Bodied Lures
• Kingfish Hard Bodied Lures
• Micro Jigs Fishing Lures
• Poppers Estuary Fishing Lures
• Shore Casting and Metel Lures
• Pelagic Stick Baits & Poppers
• Rod & Reel Covers
• Shimano Tackle Bags And Boxes
• Tackle Bags
• Tackle Belts & Hip Bags
• Books, DVDs & Gifts
• Reel Spools & Accessories
• Reel Maintenance
• Gaffs & Nets
• Monofilament Mainline
• Fluorocarbon Leader
• Monofilament Leader
• All Accessories Fly Fishing Game Fishing Last Minute Ideas For Dad Line & Leader Lures Ottos Combos Reels Rods Shimano Shimano Rod & Reel Tackle Storage Tools Wardrobe Search for:

No products in the cart.

Baitcast Combo Shimano SLX Baitcaster 7’2″ Rod 150HG Reel Combo

$ 239.00 $ 95.99

• Fast reliable delivery options
• Fast, friendly, always here to help.
• No-Questions-Asked Returns
• Nature-friendly materials, 100%.

• Description
• Additional information
• Reviews (0)

Shimano SLX Baitcaster 7’2″ Rod 150HG Reel Combo 

The Shimano SLX Baitcaster is one of the best value reels you can get, and this combo pairs it with a strong, high modulus graphite baitcaster rod – perfect for accurate lure casting. It’s a compact, portable reel weighing in at under 200 grams, with a drag capability of 5.5 kg and a capacity of 150 meters of 20lb braid. The Hagane body is a durable metal reel body which will stand up to punishment. That fantastic reel is paired with an SLX shimano baitcaster rod. The SLX baitcast rod delivers incredible performance at a value price. The rod is engineered with a focus on durability and performance, offering a wide range of techniques with a beautiful blend of strength and sensitivity. It’s packed with performance-enhancing features like titanium oxide semi-micro guides and a high-density EVA grip. All in all, this is a fantastic rod and reel combo that emphasizes both affordability and quality.

( Shimano_slx_7f2_150_combo )

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Baitcast Combo Shimano SLX Baitcaster 7’2″ Rod 150HG Reel Combo” Cancel reply

Your review  *

Name  *

Email  *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related products

Surf Rods Spinning 22 Shimano T Curve Surf Spinning Fishing Rod

Shimano Soft Plastics Squidgies PRAWN WRIGGLER TAIL 110mm Soft Plastic Fishing Lures

Baitcast Rods 21 Shimano Jewel Baitcast Fishing Rods

Spinning Rods 21 Shimano Jewel Spinning Fishing Rods

Squid Jigs 22 Shimano Sephia Clinch Flash Boost Rattle 3.0 Squid Jig Fishing Lure

Micro Jigs Fishing Lures ”CLEAROUT” Shimano Brenious NT Jig Assorted Sizes

Estuary Combo Bream, Whiting And Trout Ultra Light Lure Fishing Combo Shimano Sedona 2000 And Catana 702

Shimano Kingfish Hard Bodied Lures 22 Exsence Strong Assassin Flash Boost 125mm Fishing Lure

Username or email address  *

Password  *

Remember me Log in

Lost your password?

Username  *

Email address  *

Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy .

Your Account

Your browser's Javascript functionality is turned off. Please turn it on so that you can experience the full capabilities of this site.

Shimano Raider Barra Baitcaster Rod

Buy now, pay four interest-free payments.

• 4 simple installments
• 100% interest-free, no hidden fees
• Instant approval online

Own it now, pay later

• For everyday spending up to $8,000
• Nothing to pay today
• Interest free always
• Flexible repayments
• Please select capacity for your item Capacity Select Size

Add to cart options

Product actions, delivery | click & collect | in-store.

Please select your product options to display the delivery and availability information. (Example: Select your size and or colour).

Please select your product options to display the stock at your local store. (Example: Select your size and or colour).

Time frames shown are subject to change. See Full Shipping Terms

Additional Information

Product info.

• 30 Ton Toray graphite blank
• Shimano full length EVA butt
• Fuji K Faz lite guide
• Custom Shimano reel seat
• 1 year warranty

Recommended Products

• Quick Facts
• Sights & Attractions
• Tsarskoe Selo
• Oranienbaum
• Foreign St. Petersburg
• Restaurants & Bars
• Accommodation Guide
• St. Petersburg Hotels
• Serviced Apartments
• Bed and Breakfasts
• Private & Group Transfers
• Airport Transfers
• Concierge Service
• Russian Visa Guide
• Request Visa Support
• Walking Tours
• River Entertainment
• Public Transportation
• Travel Cards
• Essential Shopping Selection
• Business Directory
• Photo Gallery
• Video Gallery
• 360° Panoramas
• Moscow Hotels
• Moscow.Info
• Religious Sights
• Orthodox Churches

Church of St. Catherine the Martyr

The most famous feature of this impressive neoclassical church, the silver angel that crowns it large central dome, is currently missing while the church undergoes much-needed restoration.

The first wooden church was built on this site in the 1740s, when the surrounding area was home to the Kabardin Regiment of cavalrymen from the North Caucasus. Later, it became a "pox church", reserved for sufferers from smallpox and served by priests who were permanently quarantined. The church burned to the ground in 1809, and was replaced in 1823 by the current stone church, designed by architect Andrei Mikhailov the Second (his elder brother was also a prominent architect).

The new church took the form of a Greek cross, with a prominent central dome surrounded by columns and crowned with a lead-covered wooden angel holding a gilded sword. Inside, the church was spacious and airy, with a pale-blue coffered dome ornamented with elegant classical rosettes. The centre of worship was an icon of Catherine the Martyr, whose popularity in St. Petersburg was assured after two Empresses bore her name.

The church survived until the 1930s, when it was handed over to the Hydrological and then the Petroleum Research Institutes. Still under restoration, the church is beginning to hold services again, and a copy of the original angel stands near the entrance, waiting to be restored to its rightful place atop the church's majestic dome.

Address: 27a, Kadetskaya Liniya Metro station: Vasileostrovskaya From the metro: Turn right from the metro down Sredny Prospekt to the third cross street. Turn left, and the church is immediately on your right. (10 minutes) Opening hours: Daily from 9am to 7pm.

Still undergoing restoration work, this fine but long-neglected church will be more of a draw for visitors in a year or two. For now, it is worth a brief detour if you happen to be wandering along the embankments of Vasilevsky Island.

Accommodation near the Church of St. Catherine the Martyr

Solo sokos hotel palace bridge, five-star hotel with excellent facilities and superior central location, shelfort hotel, great-value mini-hotel in one of st. petersburg's most picturesque districts, marriott courtyard vasilievsky, riverside four-star hotel offering great views and reasonable rates, dining near the church of st. catherine the martyr, helsinki bar, cozy café serving affordable nordic cuisine and homemade liqueurs, restoran (restaurant), simply elegant and highly rated fine-dining restaurant on vasilevskiy island, grad petrov, german brew pub serving tasty sausages with spectacular riverside terrace.

We can help you make the right choice from hundreds of St. Petersburg hotels and hostels.

Live like a local in self-catering apartments at convenient locations in St. Petersburg.

Comprehensive solutions for those who relocate to St. Petersburg to live, work or study.

Maximize your time in St. Petersburg with tours expertly tailored to your interests.

Get around in comfort with a chauffeured car or van to suit your budget and requirements.

Book a comfortable, well-maintained bus or a van with professional driver for your group.

Navigate St. Petersburg’s dining scene and find restaurants to remember.

Need tickets for the Mariinsky, the Hermitage, a football game or any event? We can help.

Get our help and advice choosing services and options to plan a prefect train journey.

Let our meeting and events experts help you organize a superb event in St. Petersburg.

We can find you a suitable interpreter for your negotiations, research or other needs.

Get translations for all purposes from recommended professional translators.

30 Of The Best Things to Do in St. Petersburg, Florida (2024 Guide)

• Last Updated: February 2, 2024

Trying to find great activities and attractions in the Sunshine City? Our guide to the best things to do in St. Petersburg is all you need to plan the perfect trip!

If you’re seeking a perfect blend of sunshine, coastal charm, and a dash of artistic flair, you’re in for a treat as we dive into the vibrant tapestry of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Nestled along the Gulf Coast of Florida , this city is more than just a pretty face – it’s a treasure trove of experiences waiting to be uncovered. Whether you’re basking on the award-winning beaches of St. Pete Beach, taking in the panoramic views from the newly renovated St. Pete Pier, or wandering through the lush tranquility of Sunken Gardens, St. Petersburg has an abundance of delights for every kind of traveler.

But that’s not all. For sports enthusiasts, catch a Tampa Bay Rays game at Tropicana Field and immerse yourself in the electric atmosphere of America’s favorite pastime.

Throughout this blog post, we’ll be your virtual tour guide, unveiling the best that St. Petersburg has to offer. So, get ready to explore this sunny gem on the Gulf and discover why it’s a destination that has something to delight every adventurer’s heart.

Table of Contents

Discover Downtown St. Petersburg

Visit the clearwater marine aquarium, enjoy st. pete pier, relax at st. pete beach, explore great explorations children’s museum, shop at petersburg saturday morning market, catch a game at tropicana field, visit the florida holocaust museum, wander through the sunken gardens, take a boat tour, tour the james museum of western & wildlife art, explore boyd hill nature preserve, enjoy the arts at morean arts center, visit the suncoast seabird sanctuary, explore treasure island, visit the st. petersburg museum of history, admire art at the imagine museum, visit the museum of fine arts, drive the sunshine skyway bridge, relax at clearwater beach, eat at mazzaro’s italian market, stroll along the skyway fishing pier, savor the fine dining, explore weedon island preserve, visit the morean glass studio & hot shop, enjoy nature at fort de soto park, get outdoors at the fred marquis pinellas trail, attend a show at the mahaffey theater, visit the salvador dalí museum, explore the quartermaster museum, high-end luxury hotel: the vinoy renaissance st. petersburg resort & golf club, mid-range family accommodation: hollander hotel, budget hostel/hotel: la quinta inn & suites by wyndham st. petersburg northeast, wrapping up, 30 fun things to do in st. petersburg, florida.

Here’s our list of the 30 best things to do in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Downtown St Petersburg Florida, is a dynamic and vibrant urban hub that beckons both residents and visitors with its eclectic blend of cultural attractions, dining, shopping, and entertainment options.

This lively district is the heart of the city, offering an array of art galleries, boutiques, restaurants, and cafes, making it an ideal place for a leisurely stroll or a night out on the town. Art enthusiasts can explore the city’s thriving arts scene at galleries like the Morean Arts Center, while foodies can savor diverse culinary delights at the local eateries.

The district also hosts various events and festivals, creating a lively atmosphere year-round. With its lively spirit and diverse offerings, downtown St. Petersburg is a captivating destination that captures the essence of this coastal city.

Related: Read this post on all the best things to do in Tampa .

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is not just an ordinary marine attraction but a hub of inspiration and conservation. Nestled on the shores of Clearwater Beach, this unique aquarium is renowned for its dedication to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine animals, particularly dolphins, sea turtles, and pelicans.

Beyond the captivating exhibits, it offers an educational experience that fosters an understanding of marine life and the challenges they face in their natural habitats. Guests can get up close and personal with the resident dolphins, Winter and Hope, famous for their starring roles in the “Dolphin Tale” movies.

The aquarium’s commitment to conservation efforts makes it a must-visit destination for both families and eco-conscious travelers, offering a chance to connect with the marine world while supporting vital conservation initiatives.

The St. Pete Pier , a waterfront landmark in St. Petersburg, is a hub of activity and leisure that beckons both locals and tourists. This contemporary pier complex offers a delightful mix of entertainment, dining, shopping, and recreational opportunities.

You can take a leisurely stroll along the scenic waterfront, enjoy panoramic views of Tampa Bay, or relax in green spaces and shaded areas. The pier features a range of restaurants and eateries serving up diverse cuisines, making it a culinary destination in its own right.

Additionally, the Pier hosts events, concerts, and festivals throughout the year, providing a vibrant gathering place for the community.

Whether you’re looking for a picturesque setting for a leisurely afternoon, a delectable dining experience, or a lively event, the St. Pete Pier is a must-visit destination that captures the essence of the beautiful coastal city of St. Petersburg.

Whether you’re seeking relaxation or adventure, St. Pete Beach provides the perfect backdrop for a memorable coastal getaway.

St. Petersburg Florida, is renowned for its stunning beaches, and St. Pete Beach stands out as one of its most enchanting coastal gems. Nestled along the pristine shores of the Gulf of Mexico, St. Pete Beach offers travelers a quintessential beach experience.

With its powdery white sands and crystal-clear waters, it’s an idyllic spot for sunbathing, swimming, beachcombing, and water sports. The beachfront is also lined with an array of restaurants, bars, and resorts, making it easy to savor delicious seafood and tropical cocktails while taking in the breathtaking sunset views.

The Great Explorations Children’s Museum in St. Petersburg is a dynamic and interactive space designed to ignite the curiosity and creativity of young minds. With a mission to make learning fun, this museum offers a wide range of hands-on exhibits and activities that engage children in playful exploration and discovery.

From science and engineering to arts and culture, the museum’s diverse exhibits cater to a variety of interests and age groups. Kids can experiment in a science lab, explore a pretend city, immerse themselves in imaginative play, and much more.

The museum’s commitment to education is evident through its interactive programs and events, making it a valuable resource for families and educators seeking to nurture a love of learning in children.

The Great Explorations Children’s Museum is not only a place of entertainment but also a vital space for fostering intellectual growth and curiosity in the youngest members of the St. Petersburg community.

The St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market is a lively and vibrant community gathering that epitomizes the city’s local culture and charm. Held every Saturday from October to May, this bustling market transforms Al Lang Stadium into a bustling marketplace filled with diverse vendors, artisans, farmers, and food purveyors.

Visitors can explore a treasure trove of goods, from farm-fresh produce and artisanal crafts to international cuisine and live music performances. It’s a perfect place to savor delicious eats, shop for unique gifts, and engage with the community.

The Petersburg Saturday Morning Market embodies the spirit of St. Petersburg, offering a warm and welcoming atmosphere where locals and tourists alike can come together to celebrate local culture, support small businesses, and savor the flavors of the city.

Read Next: See where St. Petersburg ranks on our list of great places to visit in Florida .

Tropicana Field is an iconic sports and entertainment venue that hosts the Tampa Bay Rays, a Major League Baseball team. As one of the few indoor baseball stadiums in the United States, Tropicana Field offers a unique fan experience with its distinctive dome-shaped architecture.

Attending a Rays game at “The Trop” is an exciting way to catch America’s pastime in action, with plenty of amenities and activities for fans of all ages. Beyond baseball, the venue also hosts various events, including concerts, conventions, and community gatherings, making it a versatile and vibrant space that plays a significant role in the cultural fabric of St. Petersburg.

Whether you’re a sports enthusiast, a music lover, or simply looking for a fun and memorable outing, Tropicana Field has something to offer.

Check out the schedule here.

The Florida Holocaust Museum , located in downtown St. Petersburg, is a poignant and educational institution dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and promoting awareness of human rights issues.

This powerful museum offers a profound journey through history, featuring exhibits that chronicle the Holocaust’s tragic events, the stories of survivors, and the lessons that must be learned from this dark period of human history.

Visitors can view compelling artifacts, photographs, and personal testimonies that serve as a stark reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust.

Additionally, the museum provides educational programs and resources to foster tolerance and promote human rights in today’s world. The Florida Holocaust Museum is a place of remembrance, reflection, and a call to action, ensuring that the lessons of the past are never forgotten in the pursuit of a more just and compassionate future.

Sunken Gardens in St Petersburg Florida, is a verdant oasis that enchants visitors with its lush tropical beauty. Spanning over a century, this botanical wonderland is home to a stunning array of exotic plants, cascading waterfalls, vibrant blooms, and serene koi ponds.

As you meander through the winding pathways, you’ll encounter towering palms, cycads, and a diverse collection of tropical and subtropical flora from around the world. The gardens’ rich history and careful preservation efforts have transformed it into a serene retreat and a designated historical site, allowing visitors to escape the city’s hustle and bustle and immerse themselves in a tranquil and vibrant natural paradise.

Whether you’re a horticulture enthusiast or simply seeking a peaceful escape, Sunken Gardens is a captivating destination in St. Petersburg that promises a soothing and awe-inspiring experience.

Taking a boat tour in St. Petersburg, Florida, is an unforgettable adventure that allows you to immerse yourself in the city’s stunning coastal beauty and rich maritime heritage.

Whether you opt for a leisurely sightseeing cruise along the picturesque waterways, an eco-tour exploring the intricate mangrove ecosystems, or a dolphin-watching excursion in the Gulf of Mexico, these boat tours offer a unique perspective of St. Petersburg’s natural wonders.

You’ll have the opportunity to spot wildlife, including dolphins, manatees, and a variety of bird species, while taking in panoramic views of the city’s skyline and waterfront landmarks.

These tours often come with knowledgeable guides who share fascinating insights into the local history, ecology, and culture, making it an educational and scenic experience that leaves you with a deep appreciation for St. Petersburg’s coastal treasures.

The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg is a captivating haven for art and nature enthusiasts alike. This museum is a testament to the beauty and cultural significance of the American West and wildlife, showcasing a diverse collection of Western and wildlife art.

Visitors can immerse themselves in the rich heritage of the American West through paintings, sculptures, and artifacts that depict its landscapes, people, and wildlife. The museum’s architecture seamlessly blends modern design with Western aesthetics, creating a stunning backdrop for its extensive collection.

Whether you’re drawn to the artistry of cowboys, Native Americans, or the majesty of North American wildlife, the James Museum offers an immersive journey through the history and natural beauty of the American West, making it a must-visit destination in St. Petersburg.

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve , nestled within the city limits of St Petersburg Florida, is a hidden gem for nature enthusiasts and wildlife lovers. Spread across 245 acres, this urban oasis offers a remarkable variety of natural habitats, including hardwood hammocks, wetlands, and pine flatwoods.

You can explore a network of well-maintained hiking trails, spot native wildlife like gopher tortoises and bald eagles, and learn about the region’s ecology at the Environmental Education Center.

A highlight of Boyd Hill is Lake Maggiore, where you can rent canoes and kayaks to paddle through the serene waters while enjoying picturesque views of the surrounding wilderness.

With its commitment to environmental education and conservation, Boyd Hill Nature Preserve provides a serene and educational escape from the bustle of city life right in the heart of St. Petersburg.

Related: Consider adding St. Petersburg to your Florida road trip itinerary .

The Morean Arts Center in St Petersburg Florida, is a dynamic cultural institution that celebrates the world of contemporary art and creativity. Located in the heart of the city’s thriving arts district, this center offers an eclectic range of art exhibitions, hands-on art experiences, and educational programs.

Here, you can explore ever-evolving exhibitions featuring both local and international artists, from traditional paintings to cutting-edge installations. The Morean Arts Center also hosts workshops and classes, encouraging individuals of all ages to unleash their artistic potential.

With its commitment to fostering artistic expression and engagement, the Morean Arts Center is a vital contributor to the vibrant cultural landscape of St. Petersburg, and an inspiring destination for art enthusiasts and novices alike.

The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary , located in Indian Shores near St. Petersburg, is a haven for avian enthusiasts and a crucial hub for bird rescue and rehabilitation. As the largest wild bird hospital and sanctuary in the United States, it provides a safe haven for injured, sick, or orphaned birds, with the ultimate goal of releasing them back into their natural habitats.

Visitors to the sanctuary can witness the dedicated efforts of volunteers and staff as they care for a diverse range of bird species, including pelicans, owls, and herons. The facility offers an educational experience, where you can learn about the importance of bird conservation and the challenges these magnificent creatures face.

With its mission to protect and preserve Florida’s native bird populations, the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary is a remarkable and inspiring destination for those passionate about wildlife and conservation efforts.

St. Petersburg proudly boasts the charming barrier island of Treasure Island , a hidden gem that offers a quintessential coastal experience. Treasure Island lives up to its name, with its shimmering white sandy beaches and tranquil Gulf of Mexico waters.

This peaceful island is perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Visitors can relish the laid-back atmosphere, soak up the sun, and take leisurely walks along the pristine shores. The island’s John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk provide a delightful mix of waterfront dining, boutique shopping, and opportunities for water-based adventures like boat tours and parasailing.

Whether you’re enjoying the stunning sunsets or savoring fresh seafood at a beachfront restaurant, Treasure Island embodies the essence of a quintessential coastal retreat in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The St. Petersburg Museum of History is a captivating institution that chronicles the rich and diverse history of St Petersburg Florida. Located on the picturesque downtown waterfront, this museum offers a fascinating journey through time, showcasing artifacts, photographs, and exhibits that highlight the city’s evolution from its early days to the vibrant community it is today.

You can explore exhibits that delve into the region’s Native American heritage, the development of St. Petersburg as a destination for tourism and leisure, and its role in various historical events.

With a commitment to preserving the past and engaging the community, the St. Petersburg Museum of History serves as a valuable resource for both residents and tourists, providing insight into the unique cultural heritage of this coastal city.

The Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg is a captivating destination for art enthusiasts and those looking to be inspired by the beauty of contemporary glass art. This cultural gem houses a remarkable collection of glass artworks, showcasing the extraordinary creativity and skill of glass artists from around the world.

As you explore its galleries, you’ll encounter a diverse array of glass sculptures, vessels, and installations, each a testament to the limitless possibilities of this artistic medium. The Imagine Museum not only offers a visual feast for the senses but also provides a deeper understanding of the intricate techniques and innovative approaches that glass artists employ to push the boundaries of their craft.

Whether you’re an art connoisseur or simply curious about the world of glass art, a visit to the Imagine Museum promises an immersive and thought-provoking experience in the heart of St. Petersburg.

The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg is a cultural gem that beckons art aficionados and seekers of aesthetic inspiration. Situated along the scenic waterfront of Tampa Bay, this museum boasts a diverse and impressive collection spanning over 5,000 years of art history.

Visitors can meander through its elegant galleries, which showcase a wide range of artistic styles and mediums, from classical masterpieces to contemporary works. Highlights include European paintings, American art, Asian ceramics, and decorative arts.

The museum’s commitment to enriching the community’s cultural landscape is evident through its rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and events.

Whether you’re seeking to immerse yourself in art history or simply appreciate the beauty of human creativity, the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg offers a captivating and enriching experience for all.

Read Next: Consider visiting St. Petersburg as a day trip from Tampa .

Whether you’re crossing it for the first time or simply admiring its grandeur from a distance, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is an iconic symbol of the city’s connection to the wider Florida landscape.

One of the most iconic landmarks in St. Petersburg is undoubtedly the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. This awe-inspiring engineering marvel spans Tampa Bay, connecting St. Petersburg with neighboring areas.

The bridge’s soaring, cable-stayed design is a testament to both human ingenuity and the natural beauty of the region. As you traverse the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, you’ll be treated to breathtaking panoramic views of Tampa Bay, with glistening waters stretching as far as the eye can see.

The bridge’s stunning architecture and the vistas it offers make it a must-visit destination for photographers, road trippers, and anyone seeking a memorable journey in and out of St. Petersburg.

Clearwater Beach, often hailed as one of the most pristine and picturesque beaches in Florida, beckons travelers with its powdery white sands and crystal-clear Gulf of Mexico waters.

Situated on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Clearwater Beach is a sun-soaked paradise that caters to both relaxation seekers and adventure enthusiasts. Whether you’re sunbathing on the soft sands, swimming in the emerald-hued waters, or strolling along the bustling Beach Walk Promenade, you’ll find plenty of ways to unwind and enjoy the coastal beauty.

The beach also offers an array of water sports, including parasailing, jet skiing, and paddleboarding, for those seeking a bit more excitement. Sunsets at Clearwater Beach are legendary, drawing crowds to Pier 60 for a nightly celebration featuring street performers, local artisans, and a breathtaking sunset backdrop that paints the sky with brilliant hues, making it a truly unforgettable destination for beach lovers and romantics alike.

Mazzaro’s Italian Market , nestled in the heart of St Petersburg Florida, is a culinary haven that transports visitors to the vibrant streets of Italy. This bustling market is renowned for its authentic Italian fare, offering a tantalizing array of fresh ingredients, gourmet products, and prepared dishes.

From artisanal cheeses and olives to freshly baked bread and pastries, Mazzaro’s is a paradise for food enthusiasts. You can savor an espresso, indulge in a handcrafted gelato, or enjoy a mouthwatering Italian sandwich in the market’s cozy cafe.

The market’s old-world charm, bustling atmosphere, and delectable offerings make it a beloved culinary landmark in St. Petersburg, drawing both locals and tourists to experience a taste of Italy in the heart of Florida.

The Skyway Fishing Pier State Park , also known as the Skyway Pier, is a remarkable and unique destination in St. Petersburg. Stretching out over the sparkling waters of Tampa Bay, it holds the distinction of being the world’s longest fishing pier.

Beyond its impressive length, the Skyway Pier offers anglers and visitors an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy the serene beauty of the bay while trying their hand at fishing. The panoramic views of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the surrounding coastal landscapes make this pier a favorite among photographers and nature enthusiasts as well.

Whether you’re casting a line, birdwatching, or simply taking a leisurely stroll, a visit to the Skyway Fishing Pier promises a memorable and tranquil experience amid the natural beauty of St. Petersburg, Florida.

If you’re interested in savoring seafood delicacies, indulging in international flavors, or enjoying a romantic evening with a loved one, St. Petersburg’s fine dining scene promises an unforgettable culinary experience that combines exceptional cuisine with a touch of coastal charm.

Fine dining in St. Petersburg is an exquisite culinary journey that caters to even the most discerning palates. The city boasts a thriving food scene with a wealth of upscale restaurants, many of which offer not only delectable cuisine but also breathtaking views of the waterfront.

Some of the best fine dining establishments include the renowned 400 Beach Seafood and Tap House, known for its fresh seafood and elegant atmosphere; the Canopy Rooftop Lounge, offering panoramic city views alongside craft cocktails and gourmet dishes; and Birch & Vine, where farm-to-table creations showcase locally sourced ingredients.

Weedon Island Preserve , a natural treasure near St. Petersburg, offers a captivating escape into the region’s rich coastal ecosystems and Native American heritage. This pristine 3,190-acre preserve features a network of scenic hiking trails, winding boardwalks through mangrove forests, and serene waterways perfect for kayaking and canoeing.

Wildlife enthusiasts can spot a variety of birds, including herons and ospreys, and perhaps even dolphins swimming in the bay. Additionally, Weedon Island is steeped in history, with archaeological sites revealing the presence of indigenous people dating back thousands of years.

The Weedon Island Cultural and Natural History Center provides insight into the area’s Native American heritage through exhibits and educational programs. For those seeking a tranquil retreat into nature with a touch of history, Weedon Island Preserve offers a rewarding experience in St. Petersburg.

The Morean Glass Studio & Hot Shop in St. Petersburg is a captivating destination where artistry meets craftsmanship, offering visitors a front-row seat to the mesmerizing world of glassblowing. As an extension of the Morean Arts Center, this studio provides a unique opportunity to witness skilled glass artists at work, shaping molten glass into stunning creations right before your eyes.

You can watch the intricate process of glassblowing, from gathering and shaping to coloring and finishing, during live demonstrations. The studio also offers opportunities for hands-on glassblowing experiences, where visitors can create their own glass art under the guidance of expert instructors.

Whether you’re a glass art enthusiast or simply intrigued by the mesmerizing dance of glass in its molten state, the Morean Glass Studio & Hot Shop offers a captivating and educational experience that brings the world of glass art to life.

Read Next: Don’t miss out on all of the top things to do in Florida .

Fort De Soto Park , located near St. Petersburg Florida, is a captivating natural haven that beckons to outdoor enthusiasts and history buffs alike. This sprawling park encompasses pristine beaches, lush mangrove forests, and the remnants of historic forts, offering a rich blend of recreational opportunities and historical exploration.

Here, you can hike, bike, or kayak through the park’s diverse ecosystems, keeping an eye out for local wildlife, including shorebirds and dolphins. The park’s crowning jewel is its well-preserved historic fortifications, such as Fort De Soto and Fort Dade, which provide a glimpse into the area’s military past.

Whether you’re seeking a tranquil day on the beach, a chance to connect with nature, or a dose of history in St. Petersburg, Fort De Soto Park delivers a multifaceted experience that’s sure to leave a lasting impression.

The Pinellas Trail , a scenic multi-use trail in the Tampa Bay area of St. Petersburg, is a beloved outdoor destination that invites residents and visitors to explore the region’s natural beauty and urban landscapes.

Stretching over 40 miles, this well-maintained trail winds its way through picturesque parks, charming neighborhoods, and downtown areas, offering a perfect venue for walking, jogging, biking, or rollerblading.

With its lush greenery, urban art installations, and access to various amenities, the Pinellas Trail provides a diverse and enjoyable experience for outdoor enthusiasts and families.

It also connects to a network of parks, attractions, and waterfront areas, making it an ideal way to explore the diverse landscapes and vibrant communities of St. Petersburg while staying active and appreciating the region’s natural and cultural treasures.

The Mahaffey Theater , nestled in the heart of St Petersburg Florida, is a cultural gem that has been captivating audiences for decades. This renowned performing arts venue offers a diverse and engaging program of events, from Broadway shows and concerts to comedy acts and classical performances. Its modern architecture and state-of-the-art facilities provide an intimate and immersive experience for attendees.

The Mahaffey Theater has played host to world-class artists and entertainers, making it a cultural focal point in the Tampa Bay area.

Whether you’re seeking a night of musical magic, theatrical drama, or comedic relief, the Mahaffey Theater consistently delivers top-notch performances and is an essential stop for those looking to enjoy the arts in St. Petersburg.

The Salvador Dali Museum , situated in St. Petersburg, Florida, is a mesmerizing sanctuary for art enthusiasts and a testament to the surreal genius of Salvador Dali. Housing one of the most extensive collections of Dali’s artwork outside of Europe, the museum is an architectural marvel designed to echo the eccentricity of Dali’s imagination.

Visitors can wander through its labyrinthine corridors, immersing themselves in the bizarre and thought-provoking world of the iconic surrealist artist. The museum’s striking collection spans Dali’s entire career, from his early experiments with Impressionism and Cubism to his famous surrealist masterpieces like “The Persistence of Memory.”

It’s a place where reality blurs with the dreamlike, inviting contemplation of the extraordinary and the unexpected, making it a must-visit destination for anyone with an appreciation for art that challenges the boundaries of conventional thought.

The Quartermaster Museum , located within the U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, is a hidden gem for history enthusiasts and maritime aficionados visiting St. Petersburg, Florida. This captivating museum provides a fascinating glimpse into the rich maritime heritage of the area and the pivotal role played by the U.S. Coast Guard.

From vintage uniforms and equipment to interactive exhibits showcasing search and rescue operations, visitors can immerse themselves in the history and achievements of this vital branch of the armed forces.

Whether you’re interested in the Coast Guard’s role in safeguarding Florida’s coastline or simply curious about maritime history in general, the Quartermaster Museum offers an engaging and educational experience that enriches any trip to St. Petersburg. 

Where to Stay in St. Petersburg, Florida

With lots of great options for where to stay in St. Petersburg, Florida these are a few of our top recommendations.

Located in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, this historic luxury hotel offers a lavish experience. The Vinoy Renaissance boasts elegant rooms, a beautiful golf course, a full-service spa, and fine dining options.

Guests can also enjoy the stunning waterfront views and access to the Vinoy Marina. It’s perfect for travelers looking for a luxurious and relaxing stay.

The Hollander Hotel , situated in downtown St. Petersburg, offers comfortable and family-friendly accommodations without breaking the bank. This boutique hotel features a charming courtyard with a heated pool, a bar, and a restaurant.

It’s conveniently located near many attractions, making it an excellent choice for families looking for a cozy and convenient stay.

La Quinta Inn & Suites is known for providing comfortable and affordable accommodations. This hotel in St. Petersburg offers clean rooms, complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi, and a pool. It’s a great choice for budget-conscious travelers looking for a convenient and reliable option.

It is impossible not to be enamored by the myriad experiences St. Petersburg has to offer. From the sun-kissed shores of St. Pete Beach to the iconic St. Pete Pier with its breathtaking vistas, from the serene haven of Sunken Gardens to the thrill of cheering on the Tampa Bay Rays, this city has something for everyone.

Its award-winning beaches, where sugar-white sands meet azure waters, beckon sun-seekers and water enthusiasts alike, promising endless days of relaxation and fun.

St. Petersburg isn’t just a destination; it’s a celebration of art, culture, and the boundless beauty of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Whether you’re an art aficionado, a nature lover, a sports enthusiast, or simply a traveler in search of a laid-back yet vibrant destination, St. Petersburg welcomes you with open arms and a warm, sunny smile.

So, as you soak in the sun and the local culture, remember that St. Petersburg, with its charm and allure, will always be here, ready to inspire and delight you anew with each visit.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means if you book accommodation, tours or buy a product, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help us keep creating more free travel content to help people plan their holidays and adventures. We only recommend the best accommodations, tours and products that ourselves or our fantastic editorial team have personally experienced, and regularly review these. Thanks for your support, kind friend!

Alesha and Jarryd

Hi, We’re Alesha and Jarryd!

We’ve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planet’s best destinations and adventures.

Love Travel?

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter for the best travel tips, ideas and deals!

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

READ MORE...

The Ultimate 3 Days in New York City Itinerary (2024 Update)

25 Best Things To Do In Santa Fe, New Mexico (2024 Guide)

The 21 Best Things To Do In Richmond, Virginia (2024 Guide)

Related Posts

18 of the best things to do in flagstaff (2024 guide), 15 best places to visit in hawaii (2024 guide), the perfect 3 days in atlanta itinerary (2024 guide), 24 best things to do in birmingham, alabama (2024 guide), leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

13 Things To Do In Saint Petersburg | Russia’s Most Beautiful City

By Author Christian L.

Posted on Published: January 17, 2021  - Last updated: September 11, 2021

Categories Europe , Destinations , Russia

Once known as Leningrad and before that Petrograd, Saint Petersburg, Russia, is the country’s second-largest city. Set next to the Neva River, close to the Baltic Sea, this city is home to over 5 million people.

It’s the world’s northernmost city, founded by Peter the Great and named after Saint Peter the apostle. Once home to the Tsars of Russia, it is today known as the country’s cultural capital.

With iconic sights such as Hermitage Museum, Nevsky Prospect, Peterhof Palace, and so much more, it has a fascinating heritage ripe for exploration. Without further ado, let’s dive into the 13 best things to do in St. Petersburg. 

Top Things to do in St. Petersburg, Russia

St. Petersburg, Europe, has grown into one of the top tourist destinations on the continent. Although it might get very cold in winter, there are still plenty of things to do – and the summers are absolutely perfect! Saint Petersburg is one of the prettiest cities in all of Europe .

Keep reading for some of my favorite choices. 

1. Visit The World Famous Hermitage Museum

One of the city’s most popular attractions (with over 3 million items in its esteemed collection), State Hermitage Museum showcases everything from fine art to ancient artifacts. 

Even if you don’t plan on entering inside, the exterior is an architectural gem in itself. The columns are all in white with green/gold facades that can be viewed from the river or Palace Square.

If you’re visiting St. Petersburg, Russia, your trip would not be complete without stopping past this world-famous landmark. It’s also a great activity to do no matter what time of year you are visiting – and a perfect way to escape those cold Russian winter days. 

There are six buildings in the museum complex in total. Five of which – Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage, and Hermitage Theatre – can be accessed by the public.

Within, you’ll be treated to Egyptian collections, artifacts dating from ancient Mesopotamia, and classical Greek jewelry, pottery, and sculptures. This is any historical culture lover’s dream. 

Keep exploring, and you will find collections of prehistoric relics from the Palaeolithic era to the Iron Ages, European fine arts, Impressionist works, Catherine the Great’s personal collections, and so much more.

In fact, you’ll need an entire day or possibly longer to explore this incredible museum complex. If you only have limited time in St. Petersburg, be sure to add this museum to your itinerary! There are also guided tours available if you want a more educational experience. 

Did you know? The Hermitage Museum is the world’s second-largest art museum.

2. Take in a Performance at Mariinsky Theatre

The Neoclassical Mariinsky Theatre is home to Russia’s revered opera and ballet companies.

The theatre – named after the wife of Tsar Alexandra II, Empress Maria Alexandrovna – has been here since 1860 when it was known as the Kirov Theatre.

This magnificent building, since it opened, has hosted stage performances and premieres from Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky and famous ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. 

Today, in addition to hosting live performances, the theatre has its own record label, which focuses on releasing music by Russian composers Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninov.

If you enjoy the arts and are going to be in St. Petersburg for several days, book tickets to see a world-class performance – you won’t be disappointed.

3. See Jewelled Eggs at the Faberge Museum

The House of Faberge was founded in St. Petersburg in 1842 by Gustav Faberge. Originally a jeweler, he became famous for designing jewel-encrusted eggs for the Tsars of Russia and is arguably the most famous goldsmith of the modern era. 

Today, you can view these iconic collection pieces in the Faberge Museum. It showcases 4,000 items in total, including Faberge Easter eggs, jewelry, silverware, home decor, and fantasy-themed objects.

The incredible jeweled eggs are famous all over the world, and there are several museums dedicated to them. But if you want to learn about Gustav Faberge, his family, and how it all began, this is the museum to visit. You can purchase a ticket in person or online. 

4. Spend an Hour Canal Cruising

St. Petersburg is built on 42 islands, and once upon a time (before bridges were constructed), cruising was the only way to navigate the city.

On a Golden Ring boat tour, you’ll see some of St. Petersburg’s iconic sights along the Kryukov Canal, including St. Nicholas Cathedral, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, and the Mariinsky theatre.

You’ll dip beneath the famous colored bridges on Neva River whilst enjoying views of Peter and Paul Fortress, Vasilyevsky Island, and the Summer Garden. This is truly one of the most breathtaking ways to take in all the beauty that St. Petersburg has to offer. 

This tour also only takes around an hour, so you’ll have plenty of time to revisit your favorite spots throughout the day!

5. Discover Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

One of St. Petersburg’s architectural masterpieces is the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood.

This former Russian Orthodox Church was completed in 1907 and is built in Baroque, Neoclassical, and Russian Revival design. It is one of the city’s main attractions, with ornate domes, intricate frescoes, and 7,500 square meters of mosaics inside. 

If you don’t wish to enter, you can gain incredible views from Griboedov Canal. But if you do venture inside, you’ll be rewarded with interior frescoes and mosaic works depicting biblical scenes and figures created by celebrated Russian artists of the time.

The Church of the Saviour of Blood is built on the spot where Emperor Alexander 2 was assassinated in 1881 – hence the name. So, not only will you be able to appreciate the fine architectural designs, but also explore an important part of Russian history. 

6. Take a Rooftop Walk-in St. Petersburg

If you have viewed the city from canals and rivers, try it from the rooftops! You can take a guided rooftop walk in the city, seeing streets and skylines from an elevated perspective.

One particular tour to highlight is the Official Rooftops Excursion of St. Petersburg. Just a few minutes from Nevsky Prospect, these sites offer vistas of Fontanka River and Trinity Cathedral – and that’s just the first roof.

The second roof boasts views of St. Petersburg’s old center, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral, and the Church on Spilled Blood.

This is a truly incredible way to see the city in all its glory, plus the tour provides you with binoculars so you can see everything in great detail.

7. Admire Nevsky Prospect’s Magnificent Architecture

The main street of St. Petersburg is Nevsky Prospect. Begin at the intersection at Stroganov Palace before venturing to Kazan Cathedral. While you walk, take in the monuments dedicated to Catherine the Great and browse goods at The Passage – Nevsky Avenue’s premier department store.

This store was quite the trailblazer. It opened its doors in the late 1840s and was one of the first buildings in Russia to use gas for lighting. Then, in 1900, an electric station was installed on an underground floor.

Once you’ve finished shopping and enjoyed a fresh cup of coffee, continue to the Russian National Library – the oldest public library in Russia – and Alexandrinsky Theatre (which was built for the Imperial troupe of Petersburg).

8. Visit the Island of Peter and Paul Fortress

Set on an island connected by bridges, Peter and Paul Fortress is instantly recognizable from its needle spire, which dominates the skyline. The fortress was originally built to defend the maritime city from Swedish invaders.

However, Peter the Great defeated the opposition before it was even completed! It has since served as a military center and prison for political dissenters and, latterly, as a museum.

Inside the vast complex, you can see Peter and Paul Cathedral, visit the resting place of the Romanovs, and watch military processions or the firing of the noon-day gun.

It’s a great day trip for anyone interested in Russian, maritime or military history. There are also plenty of group walking tours available. 

9. Sample Russian Vodka in a Ryumochnye

A visit to Russia wouldn’t be complete without sampling the local drink – vodka, and the best place to do this is in a Ryumochnye. This is a specific style of 19th-century Russian drinking house that not only offers some of Russia’s best vodka but also a short history lesson.

You could call it a bar, but it’s more than that – most mainstream Ryumochnye have a definite Soviet vibe and are places for working men to kick back and enjoy vodka with their buddies.

Beverages come in bottles or shot form, and some places offer self-service and snacks.

If that sounds too hardcore for your taste, there are updated versions of Ryumochnye in the city, like Mayak in St. Petersburg, where you can gain a similar experience. 

10. Enjoy local Saint Petersburg Craft Beer

Although most people think of vodka when visiting Russia, you can also enjoy some of the best craft beer in Saint Petersburg . Russia’s second-largest city has an exciting, rapidly growing craft beer scene, in part due to its history and geography.

Historically, the Russian empire was influenced by Northern Europe, and the Dutch & English beer-drinking culture eventually made its way here. Today, Saint Petersburg is home to a growing number of modern microbreweries, cool taprooms, and stylish bars.

Saint Petersburg is also home to Stepan Razin Brewery, the oldest brewery in Russia (now, of course, owned by Heiniken). It opened in 1795, but today the building is known as the Saint Petersburg Beer Museum, showcasing the history of beer in Russia and the Soviet Union.

Russia’s largest and most popular brewery, Baltika, is also located in Saint Petersburg, and it’s possible to take a tour of their huge brewery.

11. See the Majestic Catherine Palace

A stately palace of blue and gold, Catherine’s Palace is located 26 kilometers south of St. Petersburg. Named after the wife of Peter the Great, this place was originally a two-story modest building commissioned in 1717.

The exterior, which stretches for one kilometer in circumference, is surrounded by woodlands, lawns, gilded balconies, and reliefs. However, the interiors are even more impressive.

With great halls, a white dining room, an amber room, and more. It’s the perfect place to step back into history and discover what life was like as a Russian aristocracy.

12. Explore Peterhof Palace

If you’re going to visit Catherine Palace, you should tour Peterhof too. It’s a 40-minute drive away, but you can even take a hydrofoil speed boat from right behind the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg center.

Sitting close to the Baltic Sea, Peterhof Palace was constructed by Peter the Great to be Russia’s version of Versailles. The opulent residence surrounded by sculptures, fountains, and tiered staircases leading to the grand entrance evokes mystery and the history of a bygone era.

Inside it is lavishly decorated with dazzling chandeliers, one-of-a-kind artworks and beautiful ceiling frescoes.

On a guided tour, you can learn more about the palace’s history. Discover the Throne Room, Portrait Hall and Peter the Great’s Oak Study. You’ll see dining rooms set for dinner, grand ballrooms where dancing and gatherings would take place, and décor which defies time.

The palace offers great insight into his life and legacy, and if you are interested in history, art and interior design, you’ll love it.

Want to know more about Peterhof?

13. Spend a Day by the Finnish Border at Vyborg

Just over an hour from central Saint Petersburg by train is the city of Vyborg. It sits on the Gulf of Finland and was first settled back in the 12th century. The city has been occupied by Finnish and German forces and suffered extensive damage during the Second World War. However, it has since been rebuilt. 

It’s a charming center to wander around, with narrow cobbled streets, a medieval castle, and Finnish art nouveau structures sprinkled throughout. An easy day trip from St. Petersburg, it can also serve as a stop-off point if you’re crossing into Finland to continue your adventure.

Want to know more about Saint Petersburg?

Where is St. Petersburg | Is St. Petersburg in Europe?

If you want to know “Where is Saint Petersburg?”, you’ve come to the right place. Beautiful St. Petersburg is located in northern Russia. Russia is a massive country, so it is no surprise that many people want to know “Is Saint Petersburg in Europe?”. The answer is yes. 

How to Get to Saint Petersburg

The maritime city is well linked to Europe by air, sea, rail and road. Depending on where you’re traveling from and the rest of your itinerary, you can use one of the following ways to arrive at St. Petersburg.

You can fly into Saint Petersburg through Pulkovo International Airport. There are around 1,100 international flights a week and 1,200 domestic flights operating in and out of the local airport.

Although many flights from European cities to Saint Petersburg are direct, you may have to change flights if flying from further afield.

It’s also possible to travel to St. Petersburg by train. The most popular (and most frequent) routes operate from Moscow, Helsinki, and Tallinn. However, there are options to travel from other areas in central Europe, central Asia, and eastern Europe by rail.

There is a central bus station in Saint Petersburg, with services to and from Moscow, Pskov, Novgorod, Vilnius, Riga , Tallinn and Helsinki. Some of these journeys can be long and arduous.

Therefore, thorough research and choosing the right bus company is important.

Baltic Sea Cruises also operate to St. Petersburg as part of a larger itinerary, and St. Peter Line Ferry sails from Helsinki in Finland and Tallinn in Estonia.

Exploring Saint Petersburg, Russia

Saint Petersburg is the 5th most populous city in Europe and also a leading tourist destination. Although people sometimes forget about Russia, this city is breathtakingly beautiful and provides plenty of cultural and historical attractions.

Now that you know where to go, I hope you have an amazing time in Russia’s most beautiful city.

Friday 19th of January 2018

Thank you! So great review about our St. Petersburg!

What to do in St. Petersburg in 1 day - Probe around the Globe

Thursday 11th of May 2017

[…] more about the beauty of St. Petersburg from the Unusual […]

Friday 17th of June 2016

Which hostel did you stay at? I am potentially thinking of going to Russia for World Cup 2018 after my World Cup trip to Brazil two years ago. Saint Petersburg is one of the host cities, and so I am very interested in learning more about this city and recommendations from fellow travellers who have been.

Christian L.

I stayed at Soul Kitchen Junior, and I will go so far and say its by far the best hostel I have ever stayed at!! Anywhere in the world, no other hostels even get close to it:)

Your browser is not supported for this experience. We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.

Find Your Favorite Beach

Atlantic Coast

Beach Camping

Family-Friendly

Places to stay.

Campgrounds

Travel Ideas

Accessible Travel

Eco-Friendly Travel

African American Heritage Travel

More Travel Ideas

Popular links.

Florida Webcams

Toll Roads Info

Travel Guides

City tours in st. petersburg florida: museums, wildlife & more.

Life bounces in museums, cafes and boutique shops along the city's waterfront. But in minutes, the urban yields to the pastoral.  

Drive down Beach Drive in St. Petersburg and you'll see a city in action. Customers sit at café tables outside busy restaurants and watering holes. Shoppers cruise boutiques selling clothing, tea and gifts. The city's Museum of Fine Arts dominates the park next to Tampa Bay, while just a block away the popular new Morean Arts Center welcomes visitors to a display of the vibrant glasswork of Dale Chihuly. This is the essence of the urban experience. But drive for a few minutes and you can take yourself on a city tour in St. Petersburg or go back to nature, complete with wildlife, foliage, flowers, water and solitude. In these places, the noise of traffic yields to the chatter of birds, and the man-made all but disappears. The urban yields to the pastoral; life slows down. Within 15 or 20 minutes from Beach Drive, you can find yourself in these urban refuges:

Florida Botanical Gardens

As though nature weren't beautiful enough, cultivated gardens occupy 30 acres of the Florida Botanical Gardens' sprawling 120-acre preserve, which opened in 2000. The patio garden, for example, features a bridge and gazebo as well as artful arrangements of landscape plants. The herb garden features familiar plants as well as medicinal and ceremonial herbs. Other gardens display tropical fruits as well as plants native to Florida, while other gardens are devoted to succulents, bromeliads, palms and plants that attract butterflies. The remaining 90 acres of the Botanical Gardens are given over to the conservation of fragile ecosystems teeming with wildlife. If you go: 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo. From downtown, take I-275 north to Roosevelt Boulevard North exit. Turn left at stop sign and continue to Ulmerton Road. Turn left on Ulmerton and continue west to the Botanical Gardens.

The gardens are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, and the buildings from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Admission is free. Call 727-582-2100 for information or visit www.flbg.org .

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve

Located on the shore of Lake Maggiore, Boyd Hill has the feel of a land that got overlooked as St. Petersburg grew up around it. Five ecosystems flourish in this 245-acre refuge, home to turtles, gators, coyotes and other Florida wildlife, including enough birds to make Boyd Hill one of the 500 sites on the 2,000-mile Great Florida Birding Trail. More than two miles of trails wind their way through the preserve, facilitating guided tours. Tram tours begin at 1 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday. Overnight camping sites are available. Activities for children take place throughout the year. If you go: 1101 Country Club Way S, St. Petersburg. From downtown, head south on 4th Street S to 6th Avenue S. Turn right (west) to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street (9th Street S). Turn left and head south about three miles to Boyd Hill.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday. Closed Monday. Admission to the preserve is $3 for adults, $1.50 for children 3-16 and free for children under 3. City residents can purchase an annual member card for $10 ($125 per year for non-residents, or $12.50 monthly). Call 727-893-7720 or visit stpete.org/boyd .

Weedon Island Preserve

Straddling both the Howard Frankland and Gandy bridges, this huge preserve encompasses about 3,700 acres, and provides two ways to explore nature – by water and by land. Two self-guided paddling trails for kayaks and canoes navigate the mangroves and also offer expansive views of Tampa Bay. An interpretative boardwalk trail, opened in 2007, allows visitors to walk comfortably through this coastal ecosystem. Weedon Island also contains a three-story Cultural and Natural History Center featuring exhibits, activities and other events. The Center organizes interpretative tours and hikes, and maintains a library containing materials about the archeology, history and ecology of the area. No longer an island, the preserve takes its name from a doctor named Leslie Weedon, who received the property as a wedding gift from his bride's father, W.B. Henderson, a former Confederate cavalry officer who purchased it in 1886. If you go: 1800 Weedon Drive NE, St. Petersburg. From downtown, head north on 4th Street N to 83rd Avenue N. Turn right (east). The road becomes Patica Road NE, and then San Martin Boulevard. Continue to the entrance to Weedon Island Preserve.

The preserve, part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, is open daily from 7 a.m. to about 15 minutes before sunset. The Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday to Saturday. Call 727-453-6500 or visit weedonislandpreserve.org .

Sawgrass Lake Park

You could get lost at Sawgrass Lake, with its 400 acres of maple swamp, but a mile-long boardwalk keeps visitors out of the water and away from the gators, often found sunning themselves on the bank. An observation tower at the edge of the lake provides a panoramic view of the park. Although located along I-275, the hum of high-speed traffic is barely audible within this spacious preserve, which offers an accessible back-to-nature experience just minutes from the urban bustle. Bring your binoculars if you're into birding. Sawgrass is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail and offers refuge to migrating birds during the fall and spring. You may even spot armadillos, snakes and small mammals such as gophers and chipmunks. If you go: 7400 25th St. N, St. Petersburg. From downtown, take I-275 north and exit westbound at 54th Avenue N. Turn right (north) onto Haines Road, and take a soft right onto 28th Street N. Turn right onto 62nd Avenue N, and then turn left on 25th Street N, which leads right into Sawgrass.

The park is open every day from 7 a.m. to sunset. For information, call Parks and Conservation Resources in Largo at 727-582-2100, or visit pinellascounty.org/park/16_sawgrass.htm .

Fort De Soto Park

The fort, built at the start of the 20th century and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, still stands, and visitors come to see the hefty mortars and the Quartermaster Storehouse Museum . But what attracts most people to this 1,000-acre refuge spread over five islands are the opportunities for swimming, fishing, hiking, boating, picnicking, bird watching, kayaking and just plain relaxing. The snow-white beaches lining the 1,100-acre park topped the 2005 list of best beaches compiled annually by “Dr. Beach,” also known as Stephen Leatherman, the director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University in Miami. Even the “Paw Playground” – a 2.5-acre dog park – has a quarter-mile of beachfront. A barrier-free nature trail features six interpretative stations. Permits for metal detectors are available at the park headquarters. If you go: 3500 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde. From downtown, take I-275 south to the Pinellas Bayway (exit 17, Florida 682 west). Take the Bayway (also known as 54th Avenue S) west to State Highway 679. Turn south (left) and drive until you see the entrance to Fort De Soto Park (about 6.5 miles).

The Quartermaster Museum is open every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the park itself from 7 a.m. until dark. Fishing piers are always open. Group tours of the fort can be arranged by calling 727-552-1862. For general information, call 727-582-2267 or visit pinellascounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm .

By the way, Fort De Soto Park also affords a rather spectacular view of the Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay. Tom Valeo is a freelance writer based in St. Petersburg.

places to remember

St. Petersburg

St. Pete Beach

Strategic alliance partners.

By clicking the "Agree" button, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with our policies. For more information on how we use our cookies, please read Privacy Policy .

• cookiePrefAnalytics
• cookiePrefThirdPartyApplications
• cookiePrefMarketing

FRESH WATER PREDATOR

Saltwater predator, surfcasting, saltwater boat, members shimano members.

You can use convenient services such as catalog applications, event information, and e-mail newsletter.

DEALER Store Information

You can check the store information of Shimano products.

• Accessories
• About Shimano
• Tax Strategy
• Distributers
• Warranty Policy
• Reel Maintainance
• Dealer Locator
• Exploded views
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions

SHIMANO GLOBAL SITE

© SHIMANO INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED