Russia

Russia is the largest country on Earth. 17.1 million km² stretching across 11 time zones, from the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad to the Pacific port of Vladivostok. It spans two continents, holds one fifth of the world’s forests, and has a coastline on three oceans. The population is roughly 146 million, with about 13 million in Moscow alone.

Most visitors focus on the two great cities. Moscow is the brash, energetic capital where medieval kremlins sit next to Soviet monoliths and glass skyscrapers. St Petersburg is the imperial counterweight, a city of canals, baroque palaces, and the Hermitage, one of the world’s largest art museums. Together they account for the vast majority of tourist visits to Russia and can be reached on the Sapsan high-speed train in under four hours.

But the country beyond these two cities is where Russia becomes genuinely extraordinary. The Golden Ring, a chain of medieval towns northeast of Moscow, preserves onion-domed churches and whitewashed kremlins from a Russia that predates the Romanovs. Lake Baikal in Siberia is the oldest, deepest, and most voluminous freshwater lake on the planet. Kamchatka, a volcanic peninsula in the Russian Far East, has geysers, brown bears the size of small cars, and almost zero roads. The Trans-Siberian Railway, 9,289 km from Moscow to Vladivostok across seven time zones, remains one of the great overland journeys.

Travel to Russia is more complicated than it used to be. International sanctions since 2022 mean no direct flights from Western countries, Mastercard and Visa cards do not work, and reliable information is harder to find. But travel is still possible. E-visas exist for EU citizens and many other nationalities. Flights connect through Istanbul, Dubai, Belgrade, or Tbilisi. Cash and workarounds handle payments. Thousands of European travellers still visit every year.

June through early September for the main cities and Siberia. This is when St Petersburg has its famous White Nights (late May to mid-July), when the sun barely sets and the city stays alive around the clock. Moscow is warm and walkable. Lake Baikal is hikeable. Kamchatka is accessible.

Late February to March is the best window for winter experiences. Lake Baikal freezes into thick transparent ice with surreal formations, dog sledding and ice fishing are possible, and Moscow under fresh snow has a quiet grandeur. Temperatures drop to −20 °C or lower, but the cities function perfectly. If you can handle the cold, winter hotel rates are dramatically lower.

April–May and September–October are shoulder seasons. Fewer crowds, lower prices, but weather is unpredictable. Spring can be muddy. Autumn brings spectacular foliage, especially along the Golden Ring and in Siberia.

Russia has eight major public holidays. The New Year period (1–8 January) is by far the biggest, when the entire country shuts down for over a week. Victory Day on 9 May is the most emotionally significant, with massive military parades and genuine public emotion. Public holidays close banks and government offices. Tourist attractions in Moscow and St Petersburg generally stay open, sometimes with adjusted hours.

Festivals Worth Timing

Russia has a concentration of world-class sights that few countries can match. Imperial palaces, medieval fortresses, natural wonders, and engineering feats are spread across two continents. These ten are the ones that define a first visit.

Red Square & Kremlin

The political and spiritual heart of Russia. St Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin’s Mausoleum, the GUM department store, and the Kremlin walls enclosing cathedrals, armouries, and the seat of government. Daily visitor caps remain in place. Book Kremlin tickets online

Hermitage Museum

Founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great. Over 3 million items across six buildings including the Winter Palace. Prehistoric artefacts to Impressionist masterpieces. You could spend days and barely scratch the surface. One of the largest and most important art museums on Earth

Peterhof Palace

The “Russian Versailles,” 30 km west of St Petersburg. The Grand Cascade has 64 fountains and 200 bronze statues. Fountain season runs May to October. Several additional palaces and parks on the grounds, each with its own admission

Lake Baikal

The oldest (25 million years), deepest (1,700 m), and most voluminous freshwater lake on Earth. Contains 20% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater. UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Baikal seal (nerpa) is the only freshwater seal species. Winter ice is thick enough to drive on

Trans-Siberian Railway

9,289 km from Moscow to Vladivostok across seven time zones. The longest railway on Earth, built 1891–1916. The full journey takes seven days. Stops at Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk (for Baikal). From ₽20,000 (~€200) for the entire route in third class

Suzdal

The most photogenic Golden Ring city. Population 10,000. Over 200 architectural monuments. Five monasteries. No buildings over two stories in the historic centre. A 10th-century kremlin. Wooden churches in the Museum of Wooden Architecture. Frozen in medieval time

Valley of Geysers

The only geyser field in Eurasia and the second-largest in the world after Yellowstone. About 90 geysers in a 6 km basin on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Helicopter access only (~€700/day). The Velikan geyser shoots water 25 m into the air every six hours

Kazan Kremlin

UNESCO World Heritage Site where the Kul Sharif Mosque and the Annunciation Cathedral stand side by side. A symbol of Russia’s multicultural identity. Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan, with Tatar cuisine (chak-chak, echpochmak) and a vibrant Bauman Street

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

St Petersburg’s most photographed church. Built 1883–1907 on the site where Alexander II was assassinated. The interior contains 7,500 m² of mosaics, more than any other church in the world. The kaleidoscopic domes are modelled on St Basil’s in Moscow

Moscow Metro

Opened in 1935, the Moscow Metro is itself a tourist attraction. Stations like Komsomolskaya, Mayakovskaya, and Novoslobodskaya feature chandeliers, mosaics, marble columns, and stained glass that rival any museum. A single ride costs ₽50 (~€0.50)

Russian culture runs deep and contradictory. The country that produced Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov also invented the communal apartment and the Soviet cafeteria. The Bolshoi Ballet performs in a theatre of imperial grandeur while ordinary Russians drink tea from a samovar and argue about literature at the kitchen table. The culture is literary, musical, theatrical, and fiercely proud of its creative traditions.

Food in Russia is far better than its reputation. The peasant tradition of hearty soups, dumplings, and pickled everything evolved through centuries of French, Central Asian, and Caucasian influence. Moscow and St Petersburg now have genuinely excellent restaurant scenes. But the real discoveries come from regional variety, from Tatar pastries in Kazan to smoked omul fish on the shores of Baikal to Kamchatka crab pulled straight from the Pacific.

🍲 Borscht & Soups

Borscht (beetroot soup) with a swirl of smetana. Shchi (cabbage soup), the thousand-year staple. Solyanka (thick, sour, spicy). Ukha (clear fish broth). Russian soups are meals in themselves, served with black bread and sour cream. Every region has its own variation

🥘 Pelmeni

Siberian dumplings. Minced meat (traditionally 45% beef, 35% lamb, 20% pork) wrapped in thin dough and boiled. Served with butter, smetana, vinegar, or mustard. Made in huge batches and frozen for the Siberian winter. The Russian comfort food

🥐 Blini & Caviar

Thin yeasted buckwheat pancakes, the ritual food of Maslenitsa. Topped with smetana, jam, or salmon caviar. Red caviar is affordable (₽300–500 per jar in supermarkets). Black sturgeon caviar is the luxury version. Blini are also a common breakfast

🍖 Beef Stroganoff

Sautéed beef in a smetana (sour cream) sauce. Invented in mid-19th-century Russia and now eaten worldwide. In Russia, it is typically served with mashed potatoes or buckwheat kasha. Simple, rich, and surprisingly easy to find done well

🍸 Vodka & Zakuski

Vodka is drunk cold, in small shots, always with food. Zakuski (appetisers) are the accompaniment: pickled cucumbers, herring, black bread, caviar, cured meats. A proper vodka zakuski spread is a social ritual. Kvass (fermented bread drink) is the non-alcoholic staple

☕ Tea & Samovar Culture

Russia is one of the world’s largest tea consumers. Black tea, brewed strong in a samovar and diluted with hot water. Drunk with sugar, jam (varenye), or lemon. The kitchen-table tea ritual is central to Russian social life. Coffee is gaining ground but tea still dominates

Russia has more outdoor range than any single country. The Caucasus offers Alpine-grade mountaineering. Kamchatka has active volcanoes you can trek up to the crater rim. Siberia has wilderness on a continental scale. And the Trans-Siberian Railway is an activity in itself, a week-long journey through seven time zones that changes how you understand distance.

Russia is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, covering 13 bioregions from Arctic tundra to subtropical Black Sea coast to monsoon forests in the Far East. It has 103 zapovedniks (strict nature reserves under IUCN category 1a, the highest protection level in the world), 50+ national parks, and nine UNESCO natural World Heritage Sites. Three of the planet’s most charismatic predators, the brown bear, the Siberian tiger, and the Amur leopard, all live here.

🐻 Brown Bears

Kamchatka has the densest brown bear population on Earth. The Kronotsky reserve alone has 800+, some exceeding 540 kg. Bears congregate at salmon streams in July–September. Observation platforms at Kurilskoye Lake. Also present in Baikal region, Caucasus, and throughout Siberia

🐅 Siberian Tiger

The world’s largest cat. Around 480–540 remain in the wild, almost exclusively in Primorsky Krai in the Russian Far East. The Sikhote-Alin range (UNESCO) is their primary habitat. Sightings in the wild are extremely rare. Zov Tigra National Park aids conservation

🦟 Baikal Seal (Nerpa)

The only freshwater seal species on Earth, endemic to Lake Baikal. Population around 100,000. Evolved in the lake over millions of years. Best spotted around Ushkany Islands (boat trips from Olkhon). Curious and sometimes approachable when resting on sun-warmed rocks

🦫 Polar Bears & Arctic Wildlife

Franz Josef Land, Wrangel Island, and the Chukotka coast host polar bears, walruses, beluga whales, and tens of thousands of nesting seabirds. Wrangel Island has the highest density of polar bear dens in the Arctic. Expedition cruises are the access method

National Parks & Nature Reserves

🌋 Kronotsky Zapovednik

10,990 km² on the Kamchatka coast. Valley of Geysers, active volcanoes, 800+ brown bears. UNESCO (Volcanoes of Kamchatka). Helicopter access only. About 3,000 tourists per year. One of the most strictly protected areas on Earth

💧 Lake Baikal Reserves

Multiple protected areas ring the lake. Barguzinsky Zapovednik (Russia’s first, 1916) protects sable, bears, and forest reindeer. Zabaykalsky National Park covers the eastern shore. UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake’s endemic species are of exceptional evolutionary value

🌳 Sikhote-Alin

UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Russian Far East. The largest intact habitat for the Siberian tiger. 240+ bird species, brown bears, Himalayan black bears, goral, sika deer. Subtropical tiger and taiga-dwelling brown bear share the same territory, a globally unique assemblage

🏔 Golden Mountains of Altai

UNESCO site in southern Siberia. Snow leopard, Altai argali sheep, alpine meadows, glacial lakes. Belukha peak (4,509 m). Multi-day trekking routes through pristine wilderness. The Altai people maintain shamanic traditions. Less visited than the Caucasus

🌴 Western Caucasus

UNESCO World Heritage Site. Old-growth forests, alpine meadows, glaciers. European bison (re-introduced), Caucasian tur (mountain goat), chamois, brown bears, Persian leopard (extremely rare). 6,000+ plant species. One of the few mountain areas in Europe without significant human impact

❄ Great Arctic Zapovednik

The largest protected area in the Arctic. Over 41,000 km² in the northernmost reaches of Russia. Polar bears, Arctic lemmings, ringed seals, beluga whales. Tens of thousands of nesting seabirds in summer. Established 1993

The classic first-timer’s route. Moscow and St Petersburg connected by the Sapsan high-speed train (3–4 hours). No car needed. Works year-round, but best May–September. Add a day trip to Sergiev Posad (Golden Ring) and Peterhof for depth.

Budget: €50–90/day (hostel/mid-range, eating at stolovayas and mid-range restaurants, metro, Sapsan ticket). Peak White Nights season adds 20–30%.

Transport: Fly into Moscow, out of St Petersburg (or reverse). Sapsan between the two cities (~€30–60). Metro in both cities. Suburban trains for day trips.

This route adds the Golden Ring and Kazan to the two capitals. It shows Russia’s depth: medieval monasteries, Tatar culture, and the full arc of Russian history from 12th-century Vladimir to 21st-century Moscow. Trains and buses connect everything. No car needed. Best May–September.

Budget: €45–80/day. Golden Ring towns are cheaper than the capitals. Kazan is excellent value.

Transport: Fly into Moscow. Trains to Vladimir/Suzdal, Yaroslavl, Kazan. Sapsan to St Petersburg. Fly out of St Petersburg.

Three weeks lets you combine the two capitals with the full Trans-Siberian experience. Moscow to St Petersburg, then the Golden Ring, then the railway east to Irkutsk and Lake Baikal. This is the route that shows Russia’s true scale. Best June–September. A rental car is not needed. Trains and one or two flights handle everything.

Budget: €40–75/day. Siberia is cheaper than Moscow/St Pete. Third-class train (platskart) is the budget option. Second-class (kupe) is more comfortable.

Transport: Fly into Moscow. Sapsan to St Pete. Train Moscow–Yekaterinburg–Irkutsk. Fly out of Irkutsk (or continue to Vladivostok).

Russia is remarkably affordable once you get there. The catch is getting there (indirect flights cost more since 2022) and the payment situation (Western bank cards do not work). Outside Moscow and St Petersburg, prices drop further. A stolovaya (Soviet-style canteen) lunch for ₽300 (~€3) is normal across the country. All prices in Euros are approximate, based on ₽100 = ~€1.

Daily Budget Ranges

Money-Saving Tips

Entry & Visas

Russia introduced an electronic visa (e-visa) system allowing 30-day stays for citizens of many countries. Apply on the Russian MFA website 4–20 days before travel. The e-visa is single entry and valid for one purpose (tourism). Traditional tourist visas (via Russian consulates, requiring an invitation letter from a hotel or tour agency) remain available for longer stays or multiple entries. Check current eligibility carefully. Entry restrictions and visa rules have changed frequently since 2022.

Health & Money

No mandatory vaccinations. Tick-borne encephalitis vaccination is recommended if hiking in Siberia or the Urals (May–September). Pharmacies (apteka) are common and well-stocked. Basic medications available without prescription. Tap water is not safe to drink in most Russian cities. Boil it or buy bottled water. Currency is the Russian Ruble (₽). Exchange cash at Sberbank, VTB, or Alfa-Bank branches for the best rates. Keep exchange receipts. Avoid money changers near tourist sights.

Connectivity

Russian mobile operators (MTS, Beeline, Megafon, Tele2) sell tourist SIM cards at airports and city shops. Passport required for purchase. Data is cheap: 20–50GB costs ₽500–1,000 (~€5–10). Coverage is excellent in cities and along major highways but drops off in remote Siberia and Kamchatka. Free Wi-Fi in the Moscow and St Petersburg metro, most hotels, and chain cafés.

Language

Russian is the only widely spoken language. English proficiency is low outside upscale hotels and hostels in Moscow and St Petersburg. Learn the Cyrillic alphabet before you go. It takes an afternoon and transforms navigation. Google Translate’s camera mode reads signs and menus. Key phrases: “spasibo” (thank you), “da/nyet” (yes/no), “skolko stoit?” (how much?), “gde...?” (where is...?).

Safety

Russia is generally safe for tourists. Violent crime against foreigners is rare. Pickpocketing exists in Moscow metro and tourist zones. Avoid any political protests or demonstrations. Register your stay within 7 working days of arrival (hotels do this automatically; for private stays, the host must register you at the post office or online). Keep a photocopy of your passport, visa, and migration card separately from the originals. Police checks of documents happen occasionally.

Mistakes that cost time, money, or comfort. All avoidable with basic preparation.

• Not learning Cyrillic. The single biggest quality-of-life improvement for Russia travel. 33 letters, many similar to Latin or Greek. An afternoon of practice lets you read metro signs, street names, menus, and train schedules. Without it you are functionally illiterate
• Assuming Western cards work. Visa and Mastercard have not functioned in Russia since 2022. Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal are all suspended. Bring enough cash (Euros or USD) for your entire trip and exchange at bank branches. Running out of cash with no way to get more is a real risk
• Not booking the Hermitage timed entry. Walk-up queues exceed 2–3 hours in summer. Buy timed-entry tickets online. Free on the third Thursday of each month, but expect enormous crowds
• Underestimating distances. Moscow to Vladivostok is 9,289 km. Flying Moscow to Kamchatka takes 9 hours. Even Moscow to Irkutsk is 5.5 hours by air. Do not try to “see Siberia” in a weekend. One region per week is realistic
• Skipping registration. Foreign visitors must register within 7 working days of arrival. Hotels do this automatically. If staying privately, the host must register you (post office or gosuslugi.ru). Failure to register can result in fines or deportation at the next police check
• Flying direct from the West. There are no direct flights from EU/UK/US to Russia since 2022. You must connect through a third country (Turkey, UAE, Serbia, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan). Book each leg separately for best prices. Allow 3+ hours for connections
• Ignoring the banya. The Russian bathhouse is not just a tourist novelty. It is a genuine cultural institution. Locals go weekly. Sanduny in Moscow and Yamskiye Bani in St Petersburg are the historic options. Bring or rent a felt hat. Drink tea, not alcohol, between rounds
• Photographing military/police sites. Do not photograph military installations, border zones, or uniformed police without permission. This is taken seriously. Airports and train stations are fine. When in doubt, ask
• July in Moscow without booking ahead. Moscow hotels spike in price during summer festivals and holidays. St Petersburg during White Nights (late Jun–early Jul) can double in price. Book accommodation at least 2–3 months ahead for peak season
• Expecting Western-style customer service. Russian service culture is direct. Waiters will not smile at you or ask if everything is okay. This is not rudeness. It is normal. Once you adjust, you may find the lack of performative friendliness refreshing

Russia is not an easy trip. The visa paperwork, the indirect flights, the cash-only payment situation, the Cyrillic alphabet, the distances that stretch beyond what feels physically possible. Everything about visiting Russia requires more effort than the European average. But the payoff is proportional.

The Hermitage alone justifies a trip to St Petersburg. Lake Baikal in winter, with ice so clear you can see 40 metres down, is unlike anything else on Earth. The Trans-Siberian Railway is not just a train ride. It is a slow, rattling lesson in how large a single country can be, how the forest never ends, and how a shared meal in a train compartment with people who speak none of your language somehow becomes a conversation.

For a first visit, the Moscow–St Petersburg route is the obvious choice. Ten days, two cities connected by a fast train, a day trip or two for depth. It covers the greatest range with the least logistics. If you have three weeks and the nerve for the Trans-Siberian, stretch east to Irkutsk and Baikal. The further from Moscow you travel, the more Russia reveals what no guidebook quite captures: the hospitality, the absurd generosity, the landscapes that feel like they were designed for a planet larger than this one.

Learn Cyrillic. Bring enough cash. Pack patience. And when someone offers you a third cup of tea from the train samovar, say da.