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Travel Advisory September 5, 2023

Russia - level 4: do not travel.

Updated to remove COVID-specific information and the kidnapping risk indicator as well as updates to security risks.

Do not travel to Russia due to the unpredictable consequences of the  unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces , the potential for  harassment and the singling out of U.S. citizens for detention by Russian government security officials , the  arbitrary enforcement of local law ,  limited flights into and out of Russia , the  Embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia , and the possibility of  terrorism .  U.S. citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately.  Exercise increased caution due to  the risk of wrongful detentions.

The U.S. government’s ability to provide routine or emergency services to U.S. citizens in Russia is severely limited, particularly in areas far from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, due to Russian government limitations on travel for embassy personnel and staffing, and the ongoing suspension of operations, including consular services, at U.S. consulates.

There have been numerous reports of drone attacks, explosions, and fires in areas in Western and Southern Russia, particularly near the Russian border with Ukraine, as well as in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In the event of an emergency, U.S. citizens should follow instructions from local authorities and seek shelter immediately.

In September 2022, the Russian government mobilized citizens to the armed forces in support of its invasion of Ukraine. Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals’ U.S. citizenship, deny their access to U.S. consular assistance, subject them to mobilization, prevent their departure from Russia, and/or conscript them. 

U.S. citizens should note that U.S. credit and debit cards no longer work in Russia, and options to electronically transfer funds from the United States are extremely limited due to sanctions imposed on Russian banks. There are reports of cash shortages within Russia.

Commercial flight options are extremely limited and are often unavailable on short notice. If you wish to depart Russia, you should make independent arrangements as soon as possible. The U.S. Embassy has severe limitations on its ability to assist U.S. citizens to depart the country and transportation options may suddenly become even more limited. Click  here  for Information for U.S. Citizens Seeking to Depart Russia.

U.S. Embassy personnel are generally not permitted to travel on Russian air carriers due to safety concerns.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded the air safety rating for Russia from Category 1 to Category 2 on April 21, 2022, due to Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport noncompliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) prohibiting U.S. aviation operations into, out of, within, or over those areas of the Moscow Flight Information Region (FIR), the Samara FIR (UWWW) and the Rostov-na-Donu (URRV) FIR within 160NM of the boundaries of the Dnipro (UKDV) Flight Information Regions. For more information, U.S. citizens should consult the  Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions, and Notices .

The right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are not consistently protected in Russia. U.S. citizens should avoid all political or social protests and not photograph security personnel at these events. Russian authorities have arrested U.S. citizens who have participated in demonstrations and there are numerous reports Russian nationals have been detained for social media activity. 

Country Summary:

U.S. citizens, including former and current U.S. government and military personnel and private citizens engaged in business who are visiting or residing in Russia, have been interrogated without cause and threatened by Russian officials, and may become victims of harassment, mistreatment, and extortion. 

Russian security services may fail to notify the U.S. Embassy of the detention of a U.S. citizen and unreasonably delay U.S. consular assistance. Russian security services are increasing the arbitrary enforcement of local laws to target foreign and international organizations they consider “undesirable.”

Russian security services have arrested U.S. citizens on spurious charges, singled out U.S. citizens in Russia for detention and harassment, denied them fair and transparent treatment, and convicted them in secret trials or without presenting credible evidence. Furthermore, Russian authorities arbitrarily enforce local laws against U.S. citizen religious workers and have opened questionable criminal investigations against U.S. citizens engaged in religious activity. U.S. citizens should avoid travel to Russia to perform work for or volunteer with non-governmental organizations or religious organizations.

There have been multiple security incidents in southwestern Russia related to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. The Russian government declared martial law in Russia’s regions bordering Ukraine (Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod, Voronezh, Rostov, Krasnodar) on October 20, 2022. The martial law regime allows the rapid introduction of restrictive measures such as curfew, seizure of private property, restriction of entry/exit and freedom of movement, internment of foreigners, forced relocation of local residents, and restrictions on public gatherings. U.S. citizens should avoid all travel to these areas.

Recent legislation has expanded the ability of Russian authorities to detain, question, and arrest individuals suspected of acting against Russia’s interests, including posts on personal social media accounts, engaging with foreign and international entities, discrediting the Russian state or military, as well as advocating for the rights of LGBTQI+ persons.

Terrorist groups, both transnational and local terrorist organizations, and individuals inspired by extremist ideology continue plotting possible attacks in Russia. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs and systems, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas. Travel to the North Caucasus (including Chechnya and Mt. Elbrus) is prohibited for U.S. government employees and strongly discouraged for U.S. citizens.

The international community, including the United States and Ukraine, does not recognize Russia’s purported annexation of Crimea as well as four other Ukrainian oblasts – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya – that Russia has purported to annex more recently. There is extensive Russian Federation military presence in these areas. Russia staged its further invasion of Ukraine, in part, from occupied Crimea, and Russia is likely to take further military actions in Crimea, and the four other Ukrainian oblasts are the subject of intensive fighting. There are continuing abuses against foreigners and the local population by the occupation authorities in these regions, particularly against those who are seen as challenging Russia’s authority.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv continues to provide consular services to U.S. citizens in Crimea as well as four other Ukrainian oblasts partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya, although the ongoing conflict severely restricts the Embassy’s ability to provide services in these areas.

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to Russia.

If you decide to travel to Russia:

• Familiarize yourself with the information on  what the U.S. government can and cannot do to assist you in a crisis overseas .
• Have a contingency plan in place that does not rely on U.S. government assistance. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .
• Monitor local and international media for breaking events and adjust your contingency plans based on the new information.
• Ensure travel documents are valid and easily accessible.
• Visit our website for  Travel to High-Risk Areas .
• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .
• Review the  Country Security Report  for Russia.
• Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel.

Important Information for U.S. Citizens Seeking to Depart Russia (Updated Monthly).

Click Here for Important Information for U.S. Citizens Seeking to Depart Russia (Updated Monthly) .

Embassy Messages

View Alerts and Messages Archive

Quick Facts

Required six months beyond intended stay

2 pages per stamp

$10,000 or more must be declared

You may export up to $3,000 (or equivalent) without declaring it

Embassies and Consulates

U.S. Embassy Moscow Bolshoy Deviatinsky Pereulok No. 8 Moscow 121099 Russian Federation Telephone:  +(7) (495) 728-5000 or +(7) (495) 728-5577 Emergency After-Hours Telephone:  +(7) (495) 728-5000 Fax:  +(7) (495) 728-5084 Email:   [email protected]

U.S. Consulate General Vladivostok 32 Ulitsa Pushkinskaya Vladivostok 690001 Russian Federation

Consular services at U.S. Consulate General Vladivostok remain suspended.  Contact Embassy Moscow for all consular services.

U.S. Consulate General Yekaterinburg Ulitsa Gogolya 15a, 4th floor, Yekaterinburg 620151 Russian Federation

Effective April 1, 2021, Consulate General Yekaterinburg suspended all consular services.  Contact Embassy Moscow for all consular services.

U.S. Consulate General St. Petersburg

Due to the Russian government’s ordered closure of the U.S. Consulate General, as of March 31, 2018, U.S. citizen visitors and residents in St. Petersburg must contact the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for all consular services .

Destination Description

Learn about the U.S. relationship to countries around the world.

Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements

Russian authorities strictly enforce all visa and immigration laws. The Embassy of the Russian Federation website provides the most up to date information regarding visa regulations and requirements. In accordance with Russia’s Entry-Exit Law, Russian authorities may deny entry or reentry into Russia for 5 years or more and cancel the visas of foreigners who have committed two administrative violations within the past three years. Activities that are not specifically covered by the traveler’s visa may result in an administrative violation and deportation.

Under a bilateral agreement signed in 2012, qualified U.S. applicants for humanitarian, private, tourist, and business visas may request and receive multiple-entry visas with a validity of three years or a single entry, three-month validity visa. ( Please note that other types of visas are not part of the agreement and those visa holders should pay close attention to the terms of their visas.) You cannot enter Russia prior to the date on your visa, and you must exit Russia before your visa expires . The maximum period of stay is shown on the visa.

• You must have a current U.S. passport with the appropriate visa . Russian visas in an expired or canceled passport are not valid.
• You must obtain a valid visa for your specific purpose of travel before arriving in Russia, unless you are arriving as a cruise ship passenger (see below information for passengers of cruise ships and ferries). Do not attempt to enter Russia before the date shown on your visa. If you are staying in Russia for more than 7 days, you must register your visa and migration card with the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Cruise ship passengers in St. Petersburg should seek assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for all emergency and passport services. 
• Cruise ship passengers should be aware that loss or theft of a passport and/or migration card could result in the inability to obtain lodging. Hotels and hostels may not allow guests to check in without a passport, a migration card, or Russian visa.
• We recommend U.S. citizens obtain a Russian visa before traveling to Russia, in case of an emergency while in the country, such as unexpected medical issues or if you are not able to return on the cruise ship for any reason.
• Students and English teachers should be certain that their activities are in strict keeping with their visa type. Students must not teach or coach English, whether compensated or not, while traveling on a student visa as it is considered a visa violation and may subject you to detention and deportation. 
• With the exceptions noted below, travelers will are not required to have a transit visa if they are transiting through an international airport in Russia, do not leave the Customs zone, and depart from the same airport within 24 hours.  
• Travelers must have a Russian transit visa if they plan to transit through Russia by land en route to a third country or if they transfer to another airport.
• Travelers must possess a Russian transit visa in addition to a Belarusian visa if their travel route either to or from Belarus goes through Russia.

Dual Nationals: Anyone entering Russia who has claim to Russian citizenship, regardless of any other citizenship held, is fully accountable to the Russian authorities for all obligations of a Russian citizen, including the required military service.

• U.S.-Russian dual nationals and Russian citizens who are Legal Permanent residents of the United States must register their dual nationality/foreign residency. Registration forms and further information (in Russian only) can be found on the website of the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Interior Ministry of Russia.
• U.S.-Russian dual nationals must both enter and exit on a Russian passport. You will not be permitted to depart on an expired passport. Applying for a passport can take several months. 
• U.S.-Russian dual nationals who return to Russia on a “Repatriation Certificate” are only permitted to enter Russia and will not be permitted to depart Russia until they obtain a valid Russian passport.
• Minors who also have Russian citizenship and are traveling alone or in the company of adults who are not their parents, must carry a Russian passport as well as their parents’ notarized consent for the trip, which can be obtained at a Russian embassy or consulate, or a U.S. notary public. A consent obtained in the United States from a U.S. notary public must be apostilled, translated into Russian, and properly affixed. Authorities will prevent such minors from entering or leaving Russia if they cannot present this consent.

Crimea: Follow the guidance in the Travel Advisory for Ukraine and do not travel to the Crimean Peninsula. 

Documentary Requirements for obtaining a Russian visa: Consult with the Embassy of the Russian Federation for detailed explanations of documentary requirements.

HIV/AIDS Entry Restrictions: Some HIV/AIDS entry restrictions exist for visitors to and foreign residents of Russia. Applicants for longer-term tourist and work visas or residence permits are required to undergo an HIV/AIDS test.

Find information on dual nationality , prevention of international child abduction and customs regulations  on our websites.

Safety and Security

Terrorism: Terrorist groups, transnational and local terrorist organizations, and lone actors inspired by extremist ideology and messaging continue plotting possible attacks in Russia. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas

• Moscow and St. Petersburg have been the targets of terrorist attacks, and bomb threats against public venues are common. If you are at a location that receives a bomb threat, follow all instructions from the local police and security services.

North Caucasus Region: A risk of civil and political unrest continues throughout the North Caucasus region including Chechnya, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Stavropol, Karachayevo-Cherkessiya, and Kabardino-Balkariya. Local criminal gangs have kidnapped foreigners, including U.S. citizens, for ransom. In the Republic of Chechnya, local authorities may harbor particular hostility towards U.S. travelers.

• Do not travel to Chechnya or any other areas in the North Caucasus region.
• If you reside in these areas, depart immediately.
• U.S. government travel to the region is prohibited, due to ongoing security concerns.
• The U.S. Government has no ability to assist U.S. citizens in the North Caucasus Region.

Mt. Elbrus:

• Do not attempt to climb Mt. Elbrus, as individuals must pass close to volatile and insecure areas of the North Caucasus region.
• Do not travel to this Russian occupied territory of Ukraine.
• The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Crimea. Contact the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv for questions regarding consular services.
• U.S. government officials are prohibited from traveling to Crimea. See the Departments Travel Advisory for Ukraine .

Harassment:  Harassment of U.S.-based religious and student groups can take place in Russia, and you should be aware of the possibility of anti-U.S. sentiment or harassment. U.S. citizens, including current and former U.S. government and military personnel, maybe subject to additional scrutiny by Russian security services. Remain alert, avoid any protests or demonstrations, and use discretion when commenting publicly on political developments. You can find safety and security  Alerts on the Embassy’s website .

• Police do not need to show probable cause in order to stop, question, or detain individuals. Please comply with the requests of local law enforcement officials.
• Report harassment or crimes to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow or the nearest U.S. Consulate General.

Demonstrations:

• Avoid public demonstrations. U.S. citizens who have participated in demonstrations have been arrested by the Russian authorities.

Crime: Crimes against tourists do occur at popular tourist sites and on public transportation. U.S. citizens have been victims of serious crimes when visiting Russia. Russian authorities are not always willing to impartially and thoroughly investigate crimes.

• Be cautious and aware of your surroundings.
• Exercise caution in the vicinity of large crowds.
• Do not leave bags unattended. 
• Never leave your drink unattended in a bar or club. Alcohol was a significant factor in most criminal activity reported by foreign visitors.
• Report Credit card or ATM card theft to the credit card company or issuing bank immediately.
• Avoid carrying large sums of cash . 

Cybercrime: Cybercrime is a significant problem across Russia. Russian hackers and traditional organized crime structures continue to work together, raising threats to the financial sector. The risk of infection, compromise, and theft via malware, spam e-mail, sophisticated spear phishing, and social engineering attacks is significant. U.S. citizens and companies should remain vigilant against cyber threats and actively use cyber security measures to mitigate risks.

U.S. citizens have no reasonable expectation of privacy in Russia. Telephone and electronic communications are subject to surveillance at any time and without advisory, which may compromise sensitive information. The Russian System for Operational-Investigative Activities (SORM) legally permits authorities to monitor and record all data that traverses Russia’s networks.

See the Department of State and the FBI pages for additional information on scams.

Victims of Crime : U.S. citizen victims of sexual assault are encouraged to contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. Report crimes to the local police at 02 or 102, or 112 if using a mobile phone, and the U.S. Embassy at +7 495 728-5000..

Remember that local authorities are responsible for investigating and prosecuting the crime. United States law enforcement agencies do not have jurisdiction to investigate crimes against U.S. citizens that occur on Russian territory.

See our webpage on help for U.S. victims of crime overseas .

• Help you find appropriate medical care
• Assist you in reporting a crime to the police
• Contact relatives or friends with your written consent
• Provide general information regarding the victim’s role during the local investigation and following its conclusion
• Provide a list of local attorneys
• Provide our information on victim’s compensation programs in the U.S.
• Provide an emergency loan for repatriation to the United States and/or limited medical
• Support in cases of destitution
• Help you find accommodation and arrange flights home
• Replace a stolen or lost passport.

Domestic Violence: U.S. citizen victims of domestic violence are encouraged to contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate General for assistance.

Tourism:  The tourism industry is unevenly regulated, and safety inspections for equipment and facilities do not commonly occur. Hazardous areas/activities are not always identified with appropriate signage, and staff may not be trained or certified either by the host government or by recognized authorities in the field. In the event of an injury, appropriate medical treatment is typically available only in/near major cities. First responders are generally unable to access areas outside of major cities and to provide urgent medical treatment. U.S. citizens are encouraged to purchase medical evacuation insurance . 

Local Laws & Special Circumstances

Arrest Notification: Russia routinely fails to meet its obligation to inform the U.S. Embassy of arrests of U.S. citizens. If you are detained, ask the police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy or Consulate immediately. Your U.S. passport does not protect you from arrest or prosecution. See our webpage for further information.

Criminal Penalties: You are subject to all Russian laws. If you violate these laws, even unknowingly, you may be arrested, fined, imprisoned, or expelled and may be banned from re-entering Russia. 

Some crimes committed outside the United States are prosecutable in the United States, regardless of local law. For examples, see crimes against minors abroad and the Department of Justice  website.

• You can be arrested, detained, fined, deported and banned for 5 years or more if you are found to have violated Russian immigration law.
• Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Russia are severe. Convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.
• You can be detained for not carrying your passport with you.
• You can be jailed immediately for driving under the influence of alcohol.
• It is illegal to pay for goods and services in U.S. dollars, except at authorized retail establishments.
• You can be arrested for attempting to leave the country with antiques, even if they were legally purchased from licensed vendors. Cultural value items like artwork, icons, samovars, rugs, military medals and antiques, must have certificates indicating they do not have historical or cultural value. You may obtain certificates from the Russian Ministry of Culture . 
• Retain all receipts for high-value items, including caviar.
• You must have advance approval to bring in satellite telephones.
• Global Positioning System (GPS) and other radio electronic devices, and their use, are subject to special rules and regulations in Russia. Contact the Russian Customs Service for required permissions.

Counterfeit and Pirated Goods: Although counterfeit and pirated goods are prevalent in many countries, they may still be illegal according to local laws. You may also pay fines or have to give them up if you bring them back to the United States. See the U.S. Department of Justice website for more information.

Faith-Based Travelers: Russian authorities have detained, fined, and in some cases deported travelers for engaging in religious activities. Russian officials have stated that Russia recognizes four historic religions: Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. The Russian government places restrictions on missionary activity and defines it broadly – travelers engaging in certain types of religious work may risk harassment, detention, fines, or deportation for administrative violations if they do not have proper authorization from a registered religious group. Russian law criminalizes proselytizing outside of a registered house of worship. The Russian government has detained U.S. citizens for religious activities that they contend are not permitted under a tourist or humanitarian visa. See the  Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report .

LGBTI Travelers: Russian law bans providing "the propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" to minors. Foreign citizens face fines, up to 15 days in jail, and deportation. The law is vague as to what Russia considers propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations.

• Discrimination based on sexual orientation is widespread in Russia. Acts of violence and harassment targeting LGBTI individuals occur.
• Government officials have made derogatory comments about LGBTI persons and violence against the LGBTI community has increased.
• There have been credible reports of arrest, torture, and extrajudicial killing of LGBTI persons in Chechnya allegedly conducted by Chechen regional authorities.

See our LGBTI Travel Information page and section 6 of our Human Rights report for further details.

Travelers Who Require Accessibility Assistance: Getting around in Russia is often difficult for persons with mobility issues. In general, public transportation is not accommodating to people with disabilities. The Moscow Metro, though extremely safe and efficient in other areas, is generally not accessible to persons with disabilities.

• Sidewalks are narrow and uneven.
• Mobility is usually easier in major cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg.
• Crossing streets in large cities can be difficult, since it usually requires the use of a pedestrian underpass, which includes stairs, steep ramps, and no elevators.

Students: See our Students Abroad page and FBI travel tips .

Women Travelers: See our travel tips for Women Travelers .

Private medical care in major metropolitan cities and tourism centers in Russia is often equal to Western standards. However, medical care is generally below Western standards in non-metropolitan areas.

• Private medical facilities require payment by cash or credit card before providing services (unless they are life threatening), and are unlikely to accept proof of U.S. insurance as guarantee of future payment. Payment is expected at the time of service .
• The Embassy does not pay the medical bills of private U.S. citizens.
• U.S. Medicare does not provide coverage outside the United States without the purchase of supplemental coverage.  
• Make sure your health insurance plan provides coverage overseas. Most care providers overseas only accept cash payments. See our webpage for more information on insurance coverage.
• Elderly travelers and those with existing health problems are particularly at risk.

Prescription Medication:

• Certain classes of over-the-counter cold medicines, such as those containing pseudoephedrine, are illegal in Russia. We recommend against bringing cold medication with you to Russia.
• Carry a copy of valid U.S. prescriptions, including a notarized translation into Russian of each prescription, when entering Russia with prescription medications. 
• Prescription medication should be in its original packaging.

Medical Insurance: Make sure your health insurance plan provides coverage overseas. We strongly recommend supplemental insurance to cover medical evacuation.

Vaccinations: Be up-to-date on all vaccinations recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Further health information:

• World Health Organization
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Travel and Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety: Road conditions and driver safety customs differ significantly from those in the United States. In some more remote areas of Russia, roads are practically nonexistent or have poor or nonexistent shoulders.

• Drivers are required by law to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, and this is generally observed. It is dangerous to cross where there is not a crosswalk present.
• Do not drive outside the major cities at night.
• Construction sites and road hazards are often unmarked. 

Traffic Laws : Russian authorities have been known to consider traffic or parking infractions as “administrative violations” that provide a sufficient basis for deportation and/or denial of entry back to Russia at a later date.

• Drivers must carry third-party liability insurance under a policy valid in Russia.
• You may drive for 60 days using your U.S. driver’s license, with a notarized Russian translation.
• Tourists may also use International Driving Permits issued by the American Automobile Association or the American Automobile Touring Alliance to drive in Russia.
• Russian law requires foreigners on business or employment visas or with permanent residence status to have a Russian driver's license.
• Driving regulations are strictly enforced and violators are subject to severe legal penalties.
• Russia practices a zero-tolerance policy for driving under the influence of alcohol. Authorities can detain an intoxicated driver and your driver’s license can be suspended up to two years.
• If you are involved in an accident, do not move your vehicle from the accident site. You may be held liable if you move your car even if you are not at fault.
• Roadside police checkpoints are commonplace. Be prepared to stop and show identity documents and proof of registration and insurance.

Public Transportation:

• Moscow and St. Petersburg have extensive, efficient public transit systems, as do many other urban areas in Russia.
• In metropolitan areas, well-marked taxis are generally safe and reliable Do not use unmarked taxis. Passengers have been the victims of robbery, kidnapping, extortion and theft.

See our Road Safety page for more information.

AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed that the Government of Russia's Civil Aviation Authority is not in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of Russia's air carrier operations. Further information may be found on the FAA's safety assessment page.

Maritime Travel:  Mariners should check the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration site for U.S. maritime advisories and alert s, the  U.S. Coast Guard homeport website , and  NGA broadcast warnings .

The Commandant of the Coast Guard is unable to determine if effective anti-terrorism measures are in place in Russia ports as required by 46 U.S. Code § 70108.

For additional travel information

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Call us in Washington, D.C. at 1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (from all other countries) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• See the  State Department’s travel website  for the  Worldwide Caution  and  Travel Advisories .
• Follow us on  Twitter  and  Facebook .
• See  traveling safely abroad  for useful travel tips.

Review information about International Parental Child Abduction in Russia . For additional IPCA-related information, please see the International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act ( ICAPRA ) report.

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• Passports, travel and living abroad
• Travel abroad
• Foreign travel advice

Warnings and insurance

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office ( FCDO ) provides advice about risks of travel to help British nationals make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice .

FCDO advises against all travel to Russia

Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice. Consular support is also severely limited where FCDO advises against travel.

FCDO advises British nationals against all travel to Russia due to the risks and threats from its continuing invasion of Ukraine. The situation in Russia is unpredictable. This includes:

• security incidents, such as drone attacks, happening in some parts of the country
• lack of available flights to return to the UK
• limited ability for the UK government to provide consular assistance

There is also a high likelihood that terrorists will try to carry out attacks, including in major cities. See ‘Safety and Security’ section .

Security situation in Russia

The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues. There are reports of drone attacks and explosions in areas in western and southern Russia, particularly near the Russian border with Ukraine, Moscow and St Petersburg.

Political rallies and demonstrations can take place in Moscow, St Petersburg and across Russia. Check the local media for the latest information. Be vigilant and avoid any political demonstrations or gatherings.

The situation remains unpredictable and could escalate without warning.

Leaving Russia

FCDO advises British nationals to consider leaving Russia.

If you do not need to be in Russia, we strongly advise you to consider leaving.

You cannot fly directly from Russia to the UK or through EU countries. Commercial flight options are limited and can sell out quickly. Check with your airline or travel provider.

British nationals should exercise extreme caution at all times. Travel within or out of Russia is at your own risk.

You cannot fly direct from Russia to the UK or through EU countries. There are limited commercial airlines with indirect flights via the Middle East, Serbia and Turkey. Check the latest information with your airline or travel provider.

Land borders may be busy. Be prepared for a long wait to exit Russia. You may also be questioned at the border. During periods of unrest, check the local media for updates on the situation before travelling.

Road border crossings between Finland and Russia will be closed until at least 11 February 2024. Consult the  Finnish border guard website  for up-to-date information. Further changes may be announced at short notice.

Some European countries have restricted or banned the entry of vehicles registered in Russia, this includes:

If you plan to drive a vehicle registered in Russia into Europe check that you are eligible to do so.

Some bus companies have international routes. The situation may change quickly. From 18 November 2023, Finland will restrict entry at some road border crossings (See ‘Travelling from Russia to Finland’). Check these companies for availability of buses, timetables and tickets:

• Ecolines – buses to Riga (Latvia), Tallinn (Estonia), Vilnius (Lithuania) and other destinations in Europe
• Baltic Shuttle – buses from St Petersburg to Tallinn (Estonia)
• Lux Express – buses from St Petersburg to Riga (Latvia), Tallinn (Estonia)

Travelling from Russia to Latvia

Check the travel advice for Latvia .

See the Latvian government website for information on crossing the border.

Travelling from Russia to Finland

Check the travel advice for Finland .

Road border crossings between Finland and Russia will remain closed until further notice. Consult the  Finnish border guard website  for up-to-date information. Further changes may be announced at short notice.

The border crossing points for maritime traffic at Haapasaari, the port of Nuijamaa and Santio will be closed to leisure boating from 15 April until further notice.

The train service from Russia to Finland is no longer available.

Travelling from Russia to Estonia

Check the travel advice for Estonia .

See the Estonian police and border guard website for information on crossing the border.

From 1 February 2024, it is not possible to cross the border by vehicle via the Narva-Ivangorod crossing point, whilst construction works take place on the Russian side. The crossing is open to pedestrians.

Travelling from Russia to Lithuania

Check the travel advice for Lithuania .

If you’re planning to cross into Lithuania by road from Kaliningrad oblast at the Kybartai border crossing point, see the Lithuanian state border crossing website .

Travelling from Russia to Norway

Check the travel advice for Norway .

Staying in Russia

If you decide to stay in Russia, you should:

• keep your departure plans under constant review
• ensure your travel documents are up to date
• follow local media
• stay alert to security warnings and follow the advice of local authorities
• take cover in buildings or underground and avoid windows in the event of drone attack
• sign up to email alerts for Russia travel advice

Read FCDO advice on what to do if you’re affected by a crisis abroad and how to prepare.

Support for British nationals in Russia

The British Embassy in Moscow and British Consulate Ekaterinburg are open, but the situation could change at short notice.

In person consular support in Russia is limited. It is very limited in parts of Russia because of the security situation and the size of the country, particularly in the North Caucasus.

If you need consular assistance, call our 24-hour helpline +7 495 956 7200 and select the option for consular services for British nationals.

Contact the Russian emergency services on 112.

Dual nationals

Dual British-Russian nationals are treated as Russian nationals by local authorities. The consular support FCDO can provide is severely limited. If you are arrested or detained, Russian authorities are unlikely to allow us consular access.

In 2022, Russia declared a partial mobilisation of Russian citizens to join the military forces. Military recruitment continues. Anyone with a Russian passport could be conscripted.

In August, Russian law was amended to stop Russian nationals eligible for military conscription from leaving Russia from the day their draft notice appears on the federal electronic conscription register.

Before you travel

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide as well as support for British nationals abroad which includes:

• advice on preparing for travel abroad and reducing risks
• information for women, LGBT+ and disabled travellers

Follow and contact FCDO travel on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . You can also sign up to get email notifications when this advice is updated.

Travel insurance

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance . Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

Related content

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• Move to the UK if you're coming from Ukraine
• Homes for Ukraine: record your interest
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How to Go to Russia – How Do I Get to Russia?

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Russia is an amazing place to visit , and lots of people have wistfully said to me “I would love to go to Russia one day”. But it can seem a bit daunting to actually plan the trip, and thus for many people going to Russia remains just a wish and not a reality. The truth is, however, that it’s actually not difficult to go to Russia, or at least not nearly as difficult as you think. Here is your complete guide to an easy and safe trip to Russia:

Before You Go

Before you go to Russia, find out where you would like to go and for how long. Then find yourself a reputable travel agent and get started on getting a Russian visa. This is the most important, and often, the most daunting step to visiting Russia and thus it’s crucial to get it over with as soon as possible. Once you have your visa application in process (it’s really not that scary), you can go ahead with all your other travel planning.

Getting There

By Air: You can fly to Moscow and St. Petersburg from most major airports. Getting to other Russian cities is not always as easy; however, even if there isn’t a direct flight from your closest airport (like, for example, to Murmansk ), you can usually fly to Moscow and from there take a connecting flight. If you are going to do this, however, don’t forget to check the airports you are flying from – getting from one to another in Moscow can be difficult.

Hint: If you are going to be traveling through Europe anyway, don’t forget to check out small local airlines such as Germanwings and Rossiya Airlines, which sometimes have very cheap flights to Russia. You can also consider the following options if you are on a budget...

By Train: Two trains (one day train and one overnight) run from Vilnius, Lithuania to St. Petersburg. You can also catch a train to St. Petersburg from Helsinki, Finland. You can get to Moscow by train from Riga, Latvia.

Within Russia, you can (and should, unless you’re very tight on time) travel anywhere by train. If you’re going to Siberia in the east, you may even have no other choice, as flights can be rare and prohibitively expensive.

By Bus: From Riga (Latvia), you can take a cheap bus to St. Petersburg. It takes about 11 hours.

Staying There:

When booking a hotel, keep in mind these tips for Eastern European hotel bookings. If you’re on a budget, or just feeling up for an adventure, consider choosing a hotel alternative instead.

Where to Go

Give some thought to where you want to go to Russia and why. While Moscow and St. Petersburg are the obvious options, there are so many other places you can discover if you take a bit more time to find them. If you’re traveling in the winter, consider going to a warmer area of Russia , unless you truly believe you’re ready to battle the famous Russian winter.

Survival Tips

Budget Travel: Budget travel can be more difficult than the kind where you can buy convenience and simplicity. The good news, however, is that it is very possible to travel through Russia on a budget.

Language: One of the best ways to make your trip to Russia (or anywhere, really) easier is to learn some Russian words and phrases before you go. If you want to travel in Russia longer, go to remote regions, or just get to know the country & culture better, you may want to learn the alphabet and taking some additional Russian language lessons.

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Russia Travel Guide

Your ultimate russia travel guide, with tips, and things to see and things to do in russia. great for first-time and returning travelers..

Russia, the world’s largest country. From off-the-beaten-path destinations, like Irkutsk, to the idyllic countryside to glittering palaces and ancient fortresses to vodka induced parties that last until the wee hours of the morning, Russia definitely has it all. 

This Russia travel guide will help you plan your next vacation.

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Table of contents

Table of Contents

Fast Facts about Russia

• Russian power voltage is 220V 50Hz;  Plug C
• The Russian currency is the Russian ruble and is around 69 RUB to 1 USD
• Get your visa well in advance . North Americans and most Europeans will need visas to enter Russia. The official invitation option has been dropped, however people still need to show certain documents, such as hotel confirmation letters, bank/income statements or a travel insurance policy.
• Upon arrival you will be handed a  migration card  that is either filled out or blank (which you will need to fill out yourself!) You will need this card to register at hotels and to leave the country so make sure you don’t lose it!
• Be extremely careful at zebra crossing / crosswalks.  There are times when cars will not slow down and will fail to give way.  Never assume that a driver will stop for you when you cross the street. 
• When buying art you need the piece certified as being  culturally insignificant  to have it pass through customs. It can take time to get the proper documents, so it is advisable to avoid buying art if you are visiting Russia for a short time.
• Women should cover their heads with a scarf in Orthodox churches, if it is an active church.
• Travelers are advised against all travel to Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan, as well as all but essential travel to North Ossetia, Karachai-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria.
• Avoid drinking water from the faucet, especially in St. Petersburg. The water leaving the purification plant is fine but the water pipe system is woefully outdated and the purified water is often contaminated with city ground water.

Things to See and Do in Russia

• Climbing Mt Elbrus  – You don’t have to pay a fee to conquer the 5640m European peak.
• Hiking in the Altai Region  –The region has incredible spots for hiking and beautiful scenery.
• Moscow Kremlin  – Features cathedrals built in the 15th and 16th centuries.
• Hermitage Museum  – Features over 3 million art and culture exhibitions.
• Attend a concert  – You’ll enjoy a stunning performance at the Moscow International Performing Arts Center.
• The Magnificent Moscow Metro  – the metro system is more of an art deco design project than a transport hub.
• The Astrakhan Kremlin  – Located on the banks of the Volga River ever so close to the Caspian Sea, this pleasant waterfront city boasts a bustling boardwalk complete with jugglers, rollerbladers, performers and vendors.

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Accommodation

Budget  – Some budget hotels can be found in Russia starting at $15 US per night. They may include free Wi-Fi and a private room.

Mid Range  – Mid-range hotels start around $85 per night. They may include a restaurant, family rooms, and a lounge.

High End  – Luxury hotels are priced at $200 – $300 per night. These hotels offer high-end amenities such as indoor pools, fitness centers, and spas.

Check out our favorite booking platforms  Booking.com ,  Tripadvisor  and  Air B&B  for the best deals on accommodation in Russia.

• Pelmeni  – Pastry dumpling filled with meat.
• Borscht  –Soup made with beetroot. 
• Blini  – Thin pancakes that resemble crepes.
• Solyanka  – Stew made with meat, pickles, onions, herbs, and spices. 
• Kvass  –A beverage made from rye bread. 
• Plov  – Seasoned rice with meat.
• Okroshka soup  – Made with yogurt, mayonnaise, or kvass. 

The Best Ways to Get Around Russia

Getting to russia:.

Flights:  The main airports in Russia that have international flights include Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo. These airports receive flights from many countries, including Britain, Turkey, Egypt, Spin, France, and many more.

You can check for the best flights to Russia on  Skyscanner .

Transportation:

Buses : In Russia, you can get around by bus at affordable prices. The general cost of bus fare in Russia is as low as $1.

Taxis / Uber : Taxis are available in almost every part of Russia. Some of the popular taxi services are Yandex Taxi, Taxi Moscow International, and Lingo Taxi. Taxi prices in Russia start from $13 for a distance of 1.5 KM.

Car Rental:  In Russia, there are both local and international car rental services such as Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, Prokat Auto, and Arenda Car. On average, a rental car in Russia costs $45 a day. You can also compare  prices here .

When to go To Russia

Russia  has a largely continental  climate  because of its sheer size with warm to hot dry summers and cold winters with temperatures of -30°C and lower and sometimes heavy snowfall. 

In Moscow and St. Petersburg the first snow usually falls in late November and stays till early April. The average winter temperature is about -10°C. Much of the country experiences only two main seasons: summer and winter.

• Russia has four seasons and there is no bad time to visit Russia if you are prepared for the weather.
• It has a very similar climate to Canada.
• Summer (June to August) is a good time for road trips , hiking, and exploring cities.
• Winter (November to February) is great for skiing, ice skating, and winter carnivals.
• Spring (late March to May) can be unpredictable with a mix of snow, rain and warm sunshine and the same can be said for Autumn (September/October) although Autumn is usually dry.

Where to Stay in Russia

• Four Seasons Hotel Moscow  – Located just steps from Red Square, this hotel offers luxury accommodation and many incredible amenities for travelers.
• Kempinski Hotel Moika  – This is a great place to stay in Zenit St Petersburg. The hotel offers warmly decorated rooms, entertainment facilities, among many other amenities.
• Vysotskiy   – This is one of the best hotels for tourists in Yekaterinburg. It offers genteel rooms, suites, city views and spa.

What to Pack for Russia

• Layers –  You could possibly be sweating all afternoon and then be freezing by nightfall! Make sure to stock up on the layers. If you plan on heading to Russia during the winter make sure to pack the  winter essentials:  Warm, waterproof, fleece-lined boots big enough to wear with heavy wool socks, hat, waterproof gloves and thermal long underwear!
• Classic Basic items  – You do not need to be a fashionista to blend in. The key is in embracing neutral toned items that can be mixed and matched easily. Avoid logos, baseball caps, shorts, hoodies, flip-flops and running shoes as these items scream  tourist!
• Rain Essentials –  the weather can be a little unpredictable so make sure to pack a lightweight easily compacted waterproof/windproof jacket and a pair of waterproof boots.
• Personal Safety products  – Certain areas in Moscow and St. Petersburg are known as pickpocket hotspots. Before leaving for your trip, make sure to pack some  personal safety products , like money belts and locks, so that you can keep your valuables safe on your trip.

See our packing tips:  packing tips

Russia Travel Guide: Best Booking Resources

Whenever we travel to we make sure to start with these companies. We have tried a lot of different ones over the years and all of these have consistently proven to be the best when it comes to offering great prices.

We have used every one of these personally and continue to do so.

• Booking.com : This is our go site to when comparing prices for accommodation. It usually has the cheapest prices, especially in Europe and we love their interface. Not to mention you get free cancellation and you are guaranteed the best price.
• Trip Advisor :  What we like about Trip Advisor is that we can look at all the reviews and then book our accommodation. TripAdvisor is where we go when we want to compare prices with multiple accommodation providers.
• VRBO : is the main search engine we use when we are looking for a home or apartment rental. It can sometimes be cheaper than hotels and it is the best way to stay in areas that offer a more local feel.
• Hostelworld :  With one of the largest databases of hostels in the world, Hostelworld is the go-to site when you are looking for budget accommodation.
• Skyscanner : This is the first place we check for flights. It consistently comes back with the cheapest and best options. It allows us to compare a lot of airlines to get the best price.
• Rome 2 Rio :  If you want to see how to get somewhere by plane, train, bus, ferry or car Rome2Rio lays it all out for you as well as related costs.I love how they show it all to you on a Google Map and it works offline.
• Get Your Guide:  For all your day trip and city guide needs, we use Get Your Guide. It has the world’s largest collection of things to do with more than 30,000 activities in 7500 destinations.
• World Nomads Insurance:  When traveling to Italy you should always have travel insurance. We have found the best bang for your buck is by far World Nomads.

Russia Travel Guide: Related Articles

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Travel Guide Russia

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European Russia stretches from the borders of Belarus and Ukraine to the Ural mountains, over 1000km east of Moscow; even without the rest of the vast Russian Federation, it constitutes by far the largest country in Europe. Formerly a powerful tsarist empire and a Communist superpower, Russia continues to be a source of fascination for travellers. While access is still made relatively difficult by lingering Soviet-style bureaucracy – visas are obligatory and accommodation usually has to be booked in advance – independent travel is increasing every year, and visitors are doubly rewarded by the cultural riches of the country and the warmth of the Russian people.

Where to go in Russia

Russian for beginners, russian red tape.

Moscow, Russia’s bustling capital, combines the frenetic energy of an Eastern city with the cosmopolitan feel of a Western one. With its show-stopping architecture – from the tsarist palaces of the Kremlin and the onion domes of St Basil’s Cathedral, through the monumental relics of the Communist years, to the massive building projects of today – and the impersonal human tide that packs its streets and subways, the metropolis can feel rather overwhelming. By contrast, St Petersburg, Russia’s second city, is Europe at its most gracious, an attempt by the eighteenth-century tsar Peter the Great to emulate the best of Western European elegance in what was then a far-flung outpost. Its people are more relaxed and friendly, and its position in the delta of the River Neva is unparalleled, giving it endless watery vistas. Visible – often ostentatious – but uneven wealth creation in both cities has made them twin figureheads for Russia’s recent high-speed renaissance.

Top image © Grisha Bruev/Shutterstock

Travel advice for Russia

From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Russia

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written by Rough Guides Editors

updated 26.04.2021

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the ultimate travel guide to Russia

Awe-inspiriting architecture, free-flowing vodka, hearty cuisine and fairy-tale castles. Sprawling expanses of forest and icy planes. Hip bars, opulent cathedrals and high-end shopping precincts. There’s a reason travellers are becoming increasingly intrigued by a trip to Russia. Welcome to our Russia travel guide.

One of the world’s most mysterious destinations (thanks to that impenetrable Iron Curtain), Russia is starting to pop up on many a travel hot list.

The nation’s capital, Moscow is one of Europe’s great cultural destinations. Among the many drawcards are the magnificent historical and contemporary art galleries, the picturesque Red Square, The Kremlin and the Bolshoi Theatre. On top of that are the incredible parks and churches.

The variety of food on offer in Moscow is also worthy of note. Feast on traditional Russian soups, stews, pelmeni (dumplings), filled pancakes and caviar.

For more than 100 years Hotel National Moscow has witnessed the country’s political transformation, from imperial reign through to communist rule and the fall of the Soviet Union.

It’s a hotel that perfectly matches the city’s fascinating history.

St Petersburg is a culture capital as riddled with tales of Russia’s turbulent history as it is with artworks and canals.

Thanks to its extreme northerly position, from 11 June to 2 July St Petersburg becomes an insomniac’s dream as the sun never sets. Known as the season of the midnight sun, it’s celebrated with the White Nights Festival. This showcases classical ballet and opera and culminates in the traditional Scarlet Sails celebration.

St Petersburg’s legendary State Hermitage Museum or the Winter Palace, was historically the main residence of the Russian Tsars. Today it presents something of a quandary – do you view the three million (no, that’s not a typo) artworks spanning the Paleolithic to the present day, or the grand architecture housing the art – the splendid confection of the Winter Palace with swathes of gold on walls, columns and ceilings?

According to those in the know, if you spent a minute looking at each exhibit, you would need 11 years to see them all.

Part of the Golden Ring of quaint towns some 200km north-east of Moscow, Suzdal was the capital of the Rostov-Suzdal principality in the 12th century. It’s a quaint little town with a very rich history. Having avoided the industrialisation that blighted much of Russia during the Soviet era (it was bypassed by the Trans-Siberian railways in the 19th century despite lobbying by locals), the town is dotted with stunning historic Russian architecture, including blue-domed churches (the Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral), monasteries, and its very own 10th-century Kremlin.

You may like to venture further afield and explore the icy beauty and rambling forests of Siberia .

Perhaps a trip on the iconic Trans-Siberian railway appeals. It’s the longest railway line in the world (9289 kilometres of track) travelling through the wilds of Siberia taking six nights to travel from Moscow to Vladivostok, and also branching off along the way into the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Manchurian railways from where you can travel to Beijing, China, and then by connecting train to Vietnam and even Singapore if you are patient.

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50 Important Tips for Traveling in Russia

So you are planning a visit to my Motherland? This truly makes me happy. As a person who was born in Russia and knows about its beauty, historical and cultural heritage, and warm hospitality, I often feel frustrated by the lack of interest to my home country around the world. Ok, I’ll rephrase that. There’s a great deal of interest and curiosity, but very few people end up satisfying that interest at the source. I don’t mean you. You are already planning a trip… unless you are some kind of weirdo who reads tips for traveling to foreign countries in your spare time.  

What I am trying to say is kudos to you for choosing my home as your next destination! I hope you will have a great experience, and I am here to help with a few travel tips for Russia. Being Russian is both an advantage and a disadvantage in writing this post. On the one hand, I know my country better and on a deeper level that travelers who come for a few weeks. On the other hand, I cannot experience Russia as a foreign visitor who can’t speak the language, doesn’t know Cyrillic alphabet, and has never eaten kholodets.  

To bring the best of the two worlds, I asked my foreign friends who had been to Russia what they wish they knew before the trip. Below is a mix of Russia travel tips from me and my friends.  

50 Tips for Traveling in Russia

What to See in Russia

• I am going to sound banal, but start with Moscow and Saint Petersburg. First, you cannot go to Russia and not see those cities, it just doesn’t make any sense. The amount of historical and cultural sites in Moscow  is mind-blowing. And  Saint Petersburg with its beautiful churches,   hidden courtyards , and majestic palaces is one of the most romantic cities in Europe. You can spend a month in each city and still not cover all the attractions. And second, these are the two cities easiest to explore if you don’t speak Russian. Street signs, metro map and stations names, menus in restaurants are all translated into English.
• Don’t limit yourself with Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Just think of it: Russia is THE largest country in the world and takes up 1/6 of the land mass. There is innumerable amount of beautiful towns and villages, forests and mountains, lakes and rivers to explore.  Some of the places on my personal wish list are the Golden Ring of Russia, Sochi, Kazan, Lake Baikal, Altai region, and Kamchatka. Also, consider visiting my home of Yekaterinburg .
• If you are doing the full length of Trans-Siberian train journey,  make breaks and go out to explore cities on the way. I know it’s a dream for many people traveling to Russia, but I have to say, no Russian ever dreamed of traveling by train for seven days (which is how long it takes from end to end) just for the sake of it.  When a foreigner asked me for the first time if I had done the full length of Trans-Siberian, my answer was genuine “why would I do that?” That is not to discourage you, I just find it funny.

Weather, Time Zones, and the Best Time to Visit

• Russia is divided into eleven time zones which means when you travel from region to region it’s important to check in which time zone you are. Daylight saving time is not observed.  
• Contrary to what you might have heard, there is such a thing as summer in Russia. And no, it doesn’t snow in summer. Russia is a large country, so climate changes from region to region. But, overall, the weather is warm and enjoyable from May to September which is when you should visit. On average, the temperature in summer is around 20-25°C (68-77°F).
• If you are looking for adventurous and memorable vacation, visit Russia in winter. As Siberians say, “A Siberian is not the one who isn’t afraid of cold, but the one who dresses up properly”. Yes, it will be cold and you’ll have to wear layers and layers of clothes, but you’ll get to do all the fun winter activities: ice skating, skiing, making a snowman, tobogganing, and so on. And you can’t imagine what a satisfying feeling it is to have a cup of hot tea with varenie (jam) after a long day outside.  
• The one season I wouldn’t recommend for a trip is early spring (March-April). This is the time when snow starts melting, creating huge dirty puddles on the road. Overall, it’s grey, grimy, and depressing.  
• Plan you trip around holidays if you want to celebrate with Russians. The two holidays we love and celebrate big are New Year (31st of December) and Victory Day (9th of May). Spending New Year in Moscow is one the coolest things you can do (and you might as well stay for Russian Orthodox Christmas on the 7th of January) .

• Packing, of course, depends on the season. I assume, you’ll figure out what to take for summer? For winter, pack layers. Make sure to take tights, a hat, a scarf, mittens (no leather gloves!), sweaters, a really good warm jacket. As for winter shoes, Russians opt for boots made of genuine leather with genuine fur inside (faux leather and fur are considered very low quality and will not keep you warm). Next one is funny, but I have to say it. Russians are very stylish, especially girls. So even in winter, with all the layers, people still think about how it will all look together.  
• The single most important clothing item in your luggage should be comfortable shoes. Moscow and Saint Petersburg are made to be explored on foot. You’ll end up walking for 6-8 hours a day on average. Pack something comfy, that won’t make a walk around the city a struggle.  
• Pack a shawl and a skirt for those days when you are planning to visit churches. Women have to wear skirts below the knee and put on shawls on their heads when entering a church, men have to remove any hats/caps. Some of the most touristy churches and temples have skirts and shawls you can borrow at the entrance.
• If you are planning to go out in the evening, pack something nice. As I mentioned above, Russians like to dress up. You won’t see a girl wearing tights and a hoodie, with no make up on going out and about. Special occasions, like a theatre play, a dinner at a fancy restaurant, or a night out in a club require some dressing up.

M oney  

• Local currency is Russian Ruble. It’s best to exchange money in banks. The most famous and trustworthy bank in Russia is Sberbank. Other well-known banks include VTB, Alfa-bank, Bank of Moscow, VUZ bank. They sometimes have a slightly better exchange rate than Sberbank.
• Take the most perfect newest banknotes on your trip. Make sure there are no torn parts and no marks. Don’t fold them. A lot of banks in Russia charge a commission to exchange US dollars or Euros into Rubles if the banknotes are not “picture-perfect”. Sometimes even the tiniest crease can be a cause to charge you extra. This is infuriating, but is a common practice. I noticed that banks in Moscow and Saint Petersburg do this less often than banks in smaller cities.
• Credit cards are accepted pretty much everywhere: in hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets (even in smaller towns). However, you might encounter problems with paying by credit card online, for example, for internal air tickets or hotels. I personally had trouble booking flights from Moscow to Ekaterinburg and buying tickets to Bolshoi Theatre with a card issued by a US bank. It’s always worth trying to book your tickets directly first, but if the payment doesn’t go through, the best way is to book through a third party. I used Expedia to book my internal flights. If you have a friend in Russia you can ask them to book tickets for you and refund the money later.  
• In comparison with USA, where tips usually constitute a major part of a waiter’s salary, in Russia, tips are seen only as a way to show appreciation. Generally, we leave 10% tip in restaurants. We don’t normally tip taxi drivers, hair dressers, nail specialists.  
• Unless you are at a Chinese market (you’ll be surprised, but we have one in almost every big Russian city), bargaining is not a thing. Probably, another exception would be souvenir vendors near all major attractions in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, but I wouldn’t recommend buying from them anyways.  

• If you are traveling from USA, bring an adapter. The power sockets in Russia are of type C and F. The standard voltage is 220 V; standard frequency is 50 Hz.
• If your phone is unlocked, get a local sim-card — it will save you a lot of money. The major carriers in Russia are Megafon, MTS, Beeline and Tele2. In Russia, you get a sim card for a particular region. If you are traveling outside of your region, you’ll be in roaming mode. If you are planning to visit several regions of Russia, explain it to the salesman when buying a sim card. A passport is required to get a sim card.
• The easiest way to refill your phone balance is by using a Qiwi machine. These machines are somewhat like ATMs, only they are meant for payments. You can pay with cash or credit card. The machines are spread out across cities. Usually, you can find one in supermarkets.
• Wi-Fi is everywhere: in restaurants, cafes, hotels, even in Moscow metro and buses.  

Public Transport in Cities

• Public transportation system is well developed all around Russia and especially in big cities. You can get around without a car easily. Some of the main types of public transport include metro, buses, street cars, trams, and marshrutka (a privately owned van for about 12-15 people).
• In Moscow, buy a card called Troika that will allow you to automatically pay for metro, bus, and street car. Not only is it comfortable, but it’ll save you money too. You can buy it at any metro station or in special kiosks near bus stops. You can refill the card when the balance is low.
• In Saint Petersburg, the same type of card is called Podorozhnik. It will allow you to use three types of public transport without having to deal with cash and tickets every time.  
• If you need taxi, use Uber app or a local app called Yandex.Taxi  

• I consider Russia a safe country to travel, but I recommend to take the same precautions as you would in any other country. Don’t hang out late at night in some shady little streets, don’t walk around with your bag wide open, don’t flash money, be especially careful around train stations and touristy attractions.  I always recommend to get a travel insurance, especially if you are traveling to a new and unknown country. I always use World Nomads in my travels. Give it a try!
• Hate to say it, but if your skin color is not white, you’ll have some extra attention in Russia. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad, but people are curious about what they haven’t encountered and they will stare. You won’t feel it much in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, where locals are used to tourists from all over the world. But the further away you travel from big cities, the more attention you’ll draw.  

• Politics is politics, and people are people. Despite everything that is going on in the world right now, despite the tensions between Russia and the Western world, Russian people are generally nice, friendly, and welcoming. That is not me praising my nation, that is what my foreign friends who have been to Russia shared with me.  
• The notorious “no smiling rule” in Russia. I can’t explain it, but it’s true that Russians don’t smile much in the streets. We joke and laugh a lot in a company of friends, but smiling at strangers is regarded a little weird. I’ve even read somewhere that looking at someone for more than two seconds is considered rude, that is bs. You can smile all you want — checking out people’s reaction is priceless.
• We don’t do small talk. It makes us feel awkward.
• Because Russians don’t smile and don’t do small talk, we often come off as aloof and cold. In reality, Russians are some of the most kind and generous people once you get to know us. We don’t pretend to like anyone, we don’t smile at strangers, we can be blunt to the point of being rude, but if you make a Russian friend, he will “give his last shirt away” to help you. One thing I really love about my people: we don’t pretend. If someone actually smiles at you, they mean it.
• Russians have a loooot of superstitions. Don’t whistle inside the house — you’ll have no money. Don’t keep a handbag on the floor — again, no money. Don’t sit on the corner of the table — you won’t get married. Don’t keep an empty bottle on the table — no idea what will happen, just don’t. Sit down before going on a long journey — it will bring luck.
• Russian men are galant and courteous around women. Opening a door, giving up a seat in public transport (this one is becoming less common these days), and helping with a heavy bag are fairly common. A man usually pays the bill if he invited a woman out, even if it’s not a date.  
• We have a saying in Russia “Theatre starts with a cloakroom”. Walking into a theatre wearing an overcoat is rude. Leave it at the cloakroom where a surprisingly fast babushka will take it from you. Similarly, there are cloakrooms in art galleries, museums, cinemas, and restaurants in Russia.  
• If you are planning a night out in a club, dress up! Apart from “dress code”, there’s also so called “face control” in Russian clubs. I know how ridiculous it sounds. The bouncers don’t really check whether your face is pretty enough, they estimate whether you are able to spend money inside. So if you want to get in, you have to look fancy AF.  
• If you are invited into someone’s house, bring something “k chayu” — sweets to have with tea. Usually when Russians invite you home, it means a big meal, so the least you can do is bring a dessert or a bottle of wine.  
• Remove shoes at the entrance when coming into someone’s home. It’s considered rude to leave the shoes on.

• English is not very widespread in Russia. Nevertheless, younger generation can usually communicate on a basic level. If you are looking for help, stop someone in their twenties. Language-wise, Moscow and Saint Petersburg are the easiest cities in Russia to visit. All of the street names, metro maps, the names of the stations, menus in restaurants are translated into English.
• The further away from big cities you travel, the less people will know English. Use Google Translate or Yandex.Translate to help you communicate.  The latter is developed in Russia and tends to  do a better job.
• Majority of my foreign friends who have been to Russia said that knowing Cyrillic alphabet helps a ton when traveling around the country. It’s worth investing some time in learning the alphabet before the trip in order to feel more confident once you are in Russia.
• Some useful words in Russian include: privyet – hello, paka – bye, spasiba – thank you, pazhalusta – please, izvinite – excuse me, pryama – straight, naprava – to the right, nalyeva – to the left. Counting form one to five: odin, dva, tree, chetirye, pyat’. Ya ne piyu – I don’t drink. The last one is a joke, you got that, right?

Food and Drink

• In Russia, eat what Russians do : lots of soups, mayo filled salads, potato and cabbage in all possible forms, add a slice of bread to everything, and don’t forget about baked goods and pastries. Also, drink lots of tea. By lots I mean six cups a day. If you want to learn more about the way Russians drink tea, read this article . And to learn how to eat like a Russian — read this .  
• Apart from Russian food try Georgian, Armenian, and Uzbek cuisines. Food of the former Soviet republics is very popular in Russia and is so incredibly good! Also — but don’t laugh ok? — try Japanese rolls. They are probably nothing like what you’d find in Japan, but so delicious! Philadelphia roll is a must.
• If you are looking for a cheap meal, check for stolovaya — canteen. Canteens were a popular dining option in Soviet times and are still a great way to have a good affordable meal. If you want a nice setting, look for a restaurant that offers “business lunch”. Many restaurants and cafes offer lunch at lower prices than their normal menu.
• Not all Russians drink vodka. We don’t start our day by having a shot. We don’t drink every single day. We don’t drink to warm up in winter.   We do drink when there’s a special occasion. If you want to drink vodka like the Russians, have a shot and follow it up with a pickle or by sniffing on a slice of rye bread.  
• There’s no “Cheers!” in Russian language. Instead, we say a toast before every drink. It can be something as simple as “Let’s drink to love/friendship/your health!” or an elaborate story with a moral lesson. Whatever you say, do not say “na zdorovie!” I’ve no idea how this stereotype spread out, but a lot of foreigners think “na zdorovie!” is Russian for “cheers!” It is not. You can say “za zdorovie!” which means “to your health!”, but Russians wouldn’t say the same toast over and over again. Be creative!

Don’t Forget About Travel Insurance!

I can’t emphasize enough how important travel insurance is when you are planning a trip to a foreign country! So many things can go not exactly as planned (like that time I got food poisoning and  got robbed of all my luggage  in San Francisco).

I use  World Nomads  in my travels. You can buy and claim insurance online (even if your trip has already started). And their service is impeccable: fast and polite. You can get a customized quote for your trip below!

Hope these Russia travel tips were helpful! If you are a first-time traveler, try to forget all the stereotypes you have heard and keep an open mind. If you have any questions, comment below!

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32 comments.

Great tips and I love your pics. I’ve been only once to Russia and I can recommend to everyone – much to see there.

Thank you, Jane! Glad you found the tips helpful! Which cities did you visit in Russia?

Privet Yulia! I loved this post on Russia! My fiance is from St. Petersburg and I visited Russia (SPB, Moscow and Kazan) for the first time last June and I absolutely fell in love with it. That is, of course, after I was super offended by the no smiling and being pushed around and glared at on the metro, lol! I am so lucky that because my fiance’s family lives there, I got a way more local perspective and I would say that 100% of what you write is spot-on true! My family-in-law are some of the nicest and most generous people I’ve ever met in my life. I absolutely love Russian hospitality. They’re basically always asking “have you eaten?” and “drink more!” lol. I am learning Russian language and our goal is to live in Russia for three months next year so that I can become conversational in the language because when we have kids, we want to raise them speaking both languages fluently! I am going to go check out your other blog articles now! I also wrote several articles on Russia on my blog, http://www.culturalfoodies.com .

Dasvidanya and Aloha from a fellow travel & foodie blogger in Hawaii! – Lisa

Hey Lisa! Sorry it took me a while to reply, I have been trying to spend more time offline recently. So nice to meet someone who’s excited about exploring Russia and learning Russian language! I always feel that my country is really under appreciated as a tourist destination, so nothing makes more excited than meeting people who love my Motherland 🙂 Kudos for trying to learn Russian by the way, as I once tried to teach someone Russian as a foreign language I can imagine how hard it must be to learn it! Hope we can get a cup of coffee sometime or share a meal in Saint Petersburg! My last article is actually about Cococo. Hope you tried it on your last trip!

No worries, good on you for trying to disconnect! I struggle with that as well as a blogger; we’re nearly always on some sort of device, taking photos or notes! I’ll check out your article on Cococo now! 🙂

Tell me about it! With all the pictures, stories, videos, tweets, FB posts, it’s like you are never really offline enjoying the moment. Can’t complain, though, I love blogging and it gives me so much in return, including encounters like this one! 🙂

OMG I just opened up six different windows to read about your Russia blog! It makes me miss my second “home” so much! By the way, I’d like to “follow” your blog so that I’m notified when a new post comes out, but I can’t find on your page where to do that! Could you please tell me?

Lisa, in the end of every article there’s a form you can fill out to receive my newsletters (I usually send them twice a month). Thank you so much for your following and support! I appreciate it! 🙂

Hello Yulia, I’ve just discovered your blog and I love this post. I’ve lived in Moscow since 2007 but I’m originally from Australia. What you say about Russian people is so true – they’re so warm, with beautiful souls, although you wouldn’t think it by looking at them in the metro! I’m going to read the rest of your blog (or as much as I can!), it looks really interesting. Thank you for sharing such positive information about Russia, it truly is a wonderful place and I feel very privileged to be able to live here.

Hey Cheryl! It makes me really happy that you find Russia a great place to live and Russian people warm and hospitable! I know how we may look rather guarded and unfriendly at first sight. Do you speak Russian? Have you traveled around the country much? I have to say that although I am from Russia, I didn’t get to see much of my own country. Hope to change that soon!

Hello! My name is Nox and I recently found your blog. I am originally from Russia (I now live in America) and I just want to say that your posts are spot on! This one is particular is a must-read for anyone that wants to visit Mother Russia (non-Russians say Mother Russia a lot, I’m not actually sure why haha). And yes, learning the Cyrillic alphabet makes things a lot easier, according to my boyfriend. And for anyone traveling to Russia, please learn some words! Believe it or not, the entire nation does not cater to your missing knowledge and not everything is translated, so at least learn the basics. Duolingo is good, and free! And yes, Russians are very very white so if you are not, traveling to more remote areas will definitely get you some stares. People aren’t necessarily trying to be rude, they’re just curious. Anyways, thank you for the wonderful blog and to any prospective travelers, I hope you have a wonderful trip ) P. S. Obviously, English is not my first language and I’m still learning, so please excuse any mistakes

Thank you! I am glad you found my blog!

“Russians are very very white” hahaha that’s what my husband says too, he’s from Sri Lanka 🙂

Hi, My name is Indrawati Halim from Indonesia I 59 Years old I did travelling 2-3 times in a year. Thank you for the tips it will very useful while I plan to visit Russia Sept 2019.

Hi Indrawati! I am happy these tips were helpful! Hope you’ll enjoy your trip to Russia!

I’m so in love with Russia – amazing country and so many things to see. St Petersburg is just magical. Thank you for bringing out lovely memories with your post.

thank you for the kind words, I am so glad this post revived happy memories in you. Saint Petersburg is definitely one of my favorite cities in the world!

I’m here because I’m going to visit Russia next month and am worried af. So I googled some travel info and found this lovely guide, and have fun with your interesting tips. Thank you so much to save a nervous soul!

You are some welcome, Chiao! I am happy my article helped to calm you down before this big trip. I am sure it’s just the nerves before going to a new, less explored country. I hope you will have a great experience there. Eat some pelmeni and borsch for me 🙂

Hi Yulia, thank you for telling about Russia. I’ve visited Russia This month after my reading your article. I was in S.Petersburg, but I used one day shore excursion. It was amazing trip in my life, I want to come back Russia in the future. Thank you!!!

Hey Sophie! I am happy that my article was useful in preparing for your trip and especially that you loved Russia! Hope you’ll be back soon 🙂

I’m going to visit Moscow in July. Thank you so much for all the tips in the post.

My pleasure! I hope you have a great time in Russia, Patrick!

What a beautiful and helpful article! I’m so excited to travel to Moscow and SPB in May/June. Can you tell me a little bit more on what to wear? I admit it’s hard for me to not think big puffy coat Also- when visiting the churches, what kind of head wrap do you recommend? I’m nervous because I don’t speak the language, but I’m working on learning the basics. Not smiling at strangers will also be hard for me- I’m from Texas! Thanks again for your tips!

Hi Christine! I am sorry my reply comes way past your trip to Russia and my answers are too late. I’ve been on a break from blogging for the past 3 months and didn’t keep up with comments or emails. I hope you trip to Russia went wonderful and language wasn’t too much of a barrier. I’d be happy to hear about your impressions of my homeland 🙂

Hi Yulia, I’m glad I found this page. I’m thinking of a trip to Moscow/ St Petersburg in the near future. I’ve travelled on business to Japan so many times, and the best experiences there, for me was being able to appreciate the cultural differences while understanding the similarities. I’m sure that I can have those same experiences in Russia. I’m just starting to plan our trip and this page was a good start!

Hi Tom! I am so sorry it took me forever to reply. I’ve been on a 3-month vacation from blogging and didn’t keep up with comments or emails. I am happy my post was helpful in planning your trip. I actually just returned from Russia yesterday after visiting Moscow, Saint Petersburg, the Kola Peninsula and the Urals, so a lot more posts are coming up! By the way, Japan is in my top 3 countries I want to visit!

Hi Yulia Thank you very much for all the info! We are from South Africa and are coming to SPB and Moscow in June! Looking so forward to it. We are doing the waterways-cruise between SPB and Moscow. Any tips fot that?

Hi Hannes! I am sorry it took me forever to reply, I was on a break from blogging for the past 3 months. I haven’t heard of the water-ways cruise. I usually travel between Moscow and Saint Petersburg by Sapsan train. I hope you enjoyed your time in Russia in June! Would be happy to hear your impressions!

Thanks for the tips I will use Uber and metro and buy the card for metro and taxi. Reaching soon. About SIM card, thanks for tips too.

Hey Sandy! I am glad this post was helpful! Have a great trip to Russia! 🙂

Hi Yulia, Lovely article. I am going to visit St. Petersburg soon and these tips are extremely helpful. Thanks for the information. Really looking forward for my 1st trip to Russia.

Hey Mrunmayi! So happy these tips were helpful! Enjoy your trip to Saint Petersburg, it’s one of my favorite cities in the entire world. I am planning to write a mini-guide to the restaurants I love in St. Petersburg, so maybe come back in a week or two to check that out 🙂

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Hey there! I am Yulia

11 Things You Should Know Before Travelling to Russia

Travelling to Russia for the first time may seem like a crazy adventure – and though a ‘closed door’ policy was in place for almost a century, Russia is not that scary at all. While touristy cities are well equipped for visitors, there are a few details to consider beforehand. Read carefully and start packing!

Check if you need a visa.

Citizens of most countries outside of the former Soviet Union will be required to apply for a visa before arrival. The process is fairly straightforward, but an invitation from a licensed tourism operator or from a Russian citizen is required. The only loophole is arriving by cruise ship. Visitors coming by sea are granted 72 hours visa-free entrance into Russia if they have made arrangements with a travel agent. It’s not a lot of freedom to roam around, but at least it will save a bit of effort on the visa front.

Pack or download a phrasebook

Research public transport.

Public transport is the best way to get around in most cities, especially the larger ones equipped with a subway system. The underground tends to be more user-friendly as maps are translated into English, but personnel usually won’t be able to help with buying tickets or answer any questions about directions. So make sure you know how the system works, i.e. where to buy tickets and how to use the subway map. Also when travelling by bus and underground, pay close attention to the names of the stations announced. It is usually only in Russian, but English maps give a phonetic transcription, so listen closely.

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Dress appropriately

Whoever comes to Russia thinking that it is freezing all year round will have a very unpleasant surprise upon arrival. Russia does tend to have cold winters , but the summers can also be incredibly hot and humid, especially in cities like St Petersburg. Of course, weather is hard to predict, but a general understanding of the climate can be incredibly useful when planning activities. If travelling during the winter, it’s more important to protect yourself from the wet, rather than the cold. Snow in big cities tends to melt soon after it falls, turning into slushy mud, so pack appropriate footwear and have a change of socks handy if a lot of walking is on the itinerary. Layers are welcome and needed, as well as warm coats for outside activities, but don’t overdo it with the furry hats – your identity as a tourist will be easily spotted.

Get acquainted with the cuisine

Russian cuisine has a lot to offer, but does throw quite a few unfamiliar names at you. If you are looking to make the most of your gastronomical visits, do some research beforehand of the different food available each season, so you are not stuck eating borscht (beetroot soup) everyday. Centrally located restaurants will certainly have English-speaking staff to help you out, but if in search for a local experience it is wise to be ready, especially to avoid ordering something like meat gelatine by accident. Although even that can be an acquired taste.

Don’t drink the tap water

Unlike most Western countries where ordering tap water at a restaurant is a common affair, Russians certainly don’t drink their tap water. It isn’t uncommon even to open the tap to see some brown water coming out for a little while. Let’s not get into the chemistry side of the water and get depressed about its quality – suffice to say that bottled water is the only one safe to drink, although don’t worry about using water from the tap to brush your teeth. If you don’t want to fork out for bottled water, boiling water from the tap can make it safe to drink, although will still taste a little bit heavy.

Respect local customs

There are certain dos and don’ts when arriving in any country. Russia is becoming more relaxed over the years, but being a fairly traditional society, there are certain rules and expectations that people follow. For example, if invited to a Russian home, guests are expected to follow etiquette, like bringing a small gift upon arrival. Also, dress code is quite important in theatres and some restaurants. Nobody will stop you from entering, of course, but it’s best to be ready than wearing jeans in a crowd of formally dressed people. Also, visiting Russian Orthodox churches implies a number of rules: women should cover their heads and wear long skirts (trousers are mostly allowed) and men should wear long trousers as well as take off any headwear.

Believe that Russia is safe

Meaning of course that travelling to Russia is as safe as visiting any other European country. Yes, petty crimes such as pickpocketing are still very common, which is no different to any other tourist destination, but there is no violent crime in broad daylight. Exercise due caution in crowds, and be careful not to get scammed in tourist traps are the most important points to remember. If anything does happen, hotels will be helpful in reaching out to the police or to embassies in case of a lost passport. But again, these are unlikely events.

Exchange money in advance

It’s best not to venture out into the city without any cash handy. Russia is gradually making the transition from cash to credit and cards are generally accepted, but you may never know what the exchange rate might and if Russian banks will accept your cards. Also public transport is usually paid for with cash, and some taxis are unable to accept cards. Tipping is expected in restaurants , which is done by cash after paying the bill. To avoid any difficulty, exchange your local currency for roubles in advance to get a good rate, and have it ready before travelling.

Plan an itinerary

Planning is key when visiting Russia – in Moscow and St Petersburg particularly, there is much to see and do . With limited time and alternative museum closure days, it’s good to plan ahead of getting there. Some attractions are also located outside of the city and would also need travelling time factored in. Of course, a spontaneous trip is never out of the question, but arriving with a general understanding with what exactly is of interest to you and when is the best time to visit is beneficial. Unless staying for an extensive period of time, seeing everything will be an unlikely ordeal, so don’t afraid to be picky.

Be mindful of prices

Of course, as a tourist, you expect to spend more than your average local does. For example, museum tickets for foreigners in Russia are more expensive and, yes, they will ask to see your passport. Still, remember that Russia is not the most expensive city in Europe and prices are generally quite average. So when choosing a restaurant, taking a cab or buying souvenirs be mindful of what the prices should be. The best way is asking locals for recommendations, but even a quick browse on the internet will prevent any monetary disappointments.

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Russia Travel Destination Guide - Best Places to visit in Russia

Home / Russia Travel Experiences / Russia Travel Destination Guide – Best Places to visit in Russia

Thinking of travelling to or within Russia but undecided on which destination to go? This Russia Travel Destination guide shares tips and highlights of the best locations to vacation in Russia.

The world’s largest nation has it all – fast-paced, cosmopolitan cities with eye-popping architecture, quaint historic rural villages, mountain ranges, ancient volcanic landscapes, lakes, rivers and forests. From magnificent stretches of coastline to snow-swept tundra to semi-arid desert, no other country can challenge, surprise, inspire and delight visitors with incredible diversity quite like Russia. If you’re planning for the perfect holiday get-a-way to Russia whether it be independent, a guided trip, as part of a group tour or a Russia travel package , this Russia Destination Guide is for you.

Best way to use this Russia Travel Destination Guide: use the Table of Contents below to click on a topic most relevant to you.

Table of Contents

The Russia travel destination guide is your travel companion

1. Top 9 must-visit Russia travel destinations: This Guide will arm you with invaluable traveller’s insights into the most amazing  regions of Russia and what each of them has to offer every traveller.

2. Practical tips for each region: This guide summarises everything from practical travel advice on sightseeing highlights, what to see and experience, to practical information for your ideal trip like the best time to go and how to go, whether you’re coming from overseas by air or travelling overland within Russia.

3. Personalised travel destinations for all: Whether you’re a hardcore historian, architecture admirer, nature and wildlife lover, off-the-beaten-track adventurer or a traveller seeking authentic connections with local people, this is your go-to Russia Destination Guide to a one-of-a-kind experience.

Wherever your interests lie, the Russia travel advice and tips within this guide will reveal in vivid detail which regions in Russia will best fulfil your travel aspirations. Read on and start planning the Russian vacation of your dreams!

Destination #1: Moscow

A modern mega-city of some 13 million souls and bursting at the seams with possibilities, Moscow is a city like no other. It’s exciting, chaotic and constantly on the move. Ugly, beautiful, glamorous, cool and confident, with surprising warmth and hospitality beneath a stern, business-like façade.

A visit to Moscow is an endlessly surprising journey to sights unseen and tastes unsampled. Whims and indulgences are catered to wholeheartedly, whether your desires lie in the steamy pleasures of a traditional Russian sauna, evenings sipping vodka and champagne in an exclusive nightclub, gourmet feasting in a high-class restaurant or simply taking in the atmosphere of the city’s famous public parks and squares and watching the world go by. Moscow’s architectural splendour is legendary but seeing it for yourself will fill you with a sense of awe and wonder that no picture can recreate.

Born from an imperial past, yet an enduring symbol of Soviet Russia, Moscow is a city between two worlds. Unique to any other city you’d find in this Russia Destination Guide, Moscow’s art and architecture reflect a crossroad position astride the Eastern and Western worlds and revels in the centuries of comings and goings of great minds that have called this captivating and engrossing metropolis home.

Moscow is full of history and intrigue – a spiritual and political hub and billionaire playground with a youthful, cosmopolitan culture stirring just beneath the surface. Visit Moscow and decide for yourself what this dynamic city means to you.

Why visit Moscow?

To understand Russia, first, you need to visit Moscow. The city dates back at least 900 years, and there’s a real sense of being transported through time as you stroll the ever-changing streets and districts, showcasing mind-bogglingly intricate 18th-century neo-classicalism and Soviet-era concrete monoliths, through to constructivism’s quirky Russian avant-garde and gleaming contemporary glass skyscrapers. Moscow is all about culture – architecture, history, food , arts, music and nightlife. In a city this size, there’s something to cater to every taste, no matter how eclectic. Dive into the rabbit hole of Moscow’s endlessly engrossing history with visits to the Imperial palaces where mighty rulers rose and fell from power and revolutions were born. Visit magnificent cathedrals, state-of-the-art museums and world-class art galleries.

Moscow shines in the evening, with nightly music, ballet and opera performances in its majestic theatres and concert halls. In recent years, Moscow has become a hub of gastronomy thanks to a new breed of local and international chefs. Yes, Moscow has its fair share of fancy fine dining restaurants and hipster cafes, but you’ll still find street snacks in abundance and homely, traditional Russian fare served in well-loved, hole-in-the-wall eateries.

If you’ve come to Moscow keen to party, you’re in luck. Moscow’s nightlife scene rivals almost any major international city. The label “city that never sleeps” isn’t always warranted, but in Moscow, it’s the truth. There’s after-dark fun to be had every day of the week, with various nightlife districts home to mega dance warehouses, atmospheric underground clubs, friendly local pubs, jazz lounges, rock venues, performance art spaces and the best bar-crawling action this side of London.

Weather in Moscow and when to go

The peak season to travel to Moscow is in Summer between June and August, where temperatures usually hover around a pleasant 20 degrees Celsius. While summers are slightly rainier than other seasons in Moscow, downfalls tend to be fairly heavy but short-lived.

However, for Russia Destination Guide readers keen to avoid higher prices that come with booking accommodation in the summer, you might try the shoulder seasons of spring and early autumn. Late spring (April and May) provide more sunshine and less rainfall, while in autumn, the city’s parks are filled with flowering trees and colourful leaves.

The depths of mid-winter are undoubtedly cold, but a winter visit is an adventure that will give you a true insight into Moscow life – both its hardships and its great beauty. Furs and vodka keep the locals warm and the snow-filled streets are postcard picturesque. With layers of shimmering show blanketing the roofs of Moscow’s grand palaces, parts of the city are transformed into a fairy-tale wonderland. The Christmas lights, traditional winter markets and News Years celebrations offer sights and sounds and an atmosphere to be savoured.

Highlights of Moscow

The Kremlin

No place better represents the triumphs and turmoil of Russia’s past than the Kremlin . Built between the 14 th and 17 th centuries, it served first as the Imperial Residence of the Tsars and later as the headquarters of the Russian presidents. Within the imposing walls of the Kremlin are a plethora of classic buildings, each as stunning as the next. Wander past the Kremlin Palace, the neoclassical Senate Building, the 40-tonne Tsar Cannon and the 200-tonne Tsar Bell, the Armoury Museum, Cathedral Square and others.

The Red Square

Along the eastern side of the Kremlin Wall is the vast cobblestoned expanse of the Red Square . Although it’s been the scene of countless displays of military might, parades and protests since the 15 th century, it’s traditionally been a place of trade and social gatherings/ Today thousands flock to the square to celebrate official state events, be photographed in front of famous monuments or simply soak up its historic splendour.

St Basil’s Cathedral

Located in Red Square is one of Russia’s most iconic buildings, with its vibrant rainbow-painted, onion-shaped domes. The cathedral was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1552 to mark the capture of Kazan from the Mongol forces. According to legend, Ivan was so enamoured by architect Postnik Yakovlev’s design that he had him blinded so that he would never be able to design anything as fantastical again! If the cathedral is open, it’s possible to visit the interior, richly decorated and well worth an explore.

Arbat Street

In the heart of downtown Moscow, Arbat is Moscow’s oldest pedestrian street. The cobblestone roads and classical statues are reminders of its elegant past, but today the area caters mostly for the tourist crowd, with rows of souvenir shops and restaurants and cafes of varying quality. Still, it’s a must-visit attraction with a lively atmosphere. Street performers and musicians ply the street day and night, and you can often watch traditional Russian craft-makers at work.

The Moscow Metro

Apart from being one of the largest and oldest underground railway systems in the world, and a fantastic, cheap way to get around Moscow, the metro is a tourist attraction in its own right, thanks to its spectacularly decorated underground stations. The stations have been described as underground art museums, home to fantastic sculptures, murals and striking architectural elements from stained glass panels to mosaic marble floors.

Bolshoi Theatre

A historic theatre in the centre of Moscow, renowned for its world-class ballet and opera performances. An evening at the Bolshoi Theatre is one of Moscow’s most romantic after-hours options and the theatre offers a range of Russian and foreign works throughout the week. Equally as spectacular as the theatre’s performances is the rich, lavish interior of the six-level auditorium. No matter what performance you take in on this historic stage, the experience is sure to make you feel like royalty, at least for a couple of hours.

How to Get to Moscow

Travel by plane:.

The are four major airports in Moscow – Domodedovo , Sheremetyevo , Vnukovo and Zhukovsky. The majority of international flights go in and out of Sheremetyevo (most of the major international airlines and Russian airline Aeroflot ). Domodedovo Airport is the main hub for Swiss Airlines, Air Malta, British Airways, Emirates, China Eastern, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and most of the Central Asian airlines. Most domestic flights also operate out of Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo, with a few departing from Vnukovo (UtAir, Vladivostok Avia, flights to North Caucasus), as well as German Wings flights to and from Germany.

To get to the centre of Moscow from the airports, the Aeroexpress train is the fast and easy way, especially during Moscow’s notorious morning and afternoon rush hours. The trip to the city clocks in at around 35 to 40 minutes. Outside of peak times, taxis take an average of 1 hour to reach the city centre, while a private transfer or shuttle is the most comfortable option to arrive directly to your hotel.

Travel by train:

Russia overland travellers from Europe can also reach Moscow by train. Train travel is often less cost-effective compared with flying (at least within Europe) and provides a totally unique experience with the ability to stopover in various European cities along the way.

Direct trains to Moscow depart from Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Amsterdam and Kiev. The Paris-Moscow Express runs once a week all year and is the most glamorous and comfortable option. The train traverses through four countries (France, Germany, Poland and Belarus) before pulling in at Moscow’s long-distance Belrussky train station after a journey of just under 40 hours. Another classy option popular among tourists is the Berlin-Moscow Swift train. Departing twice a week (Sundays and Mondays) from East Berlin station, it takes a little over 20 hours to cover the 1,896km between the German capital and Moscow.

Destination #2: Saint Petersburg

The former capital of the Russian Empire, the city that Peter the Great founded in 1703 is today a decidedly more laidback city compared with the frenetic pace of Moscow. Explore the highlights of this living museum, where the city centre of Saint Petersburg (also known simply as ‘Peter’) consists of one colossal architectural masterpiece after another.

Peter the Great transformed a tract of swampland on the Neva River delta into what would be regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful cities, reflecting the cultural and artistic prowess of Imperial Russia and a sophisticated European influence inspired by the likes of London, Paris and Vienna.

At the same time, St Petersburg is a thriving, modern metropolis with a population of over five million. Just as it originally attracted architects, poets, painters, composers and revolutionaries, today young creatives flock to St Petersburg’s lively streets, artistic hubs, galleries and performance venues, many of them housed in the shells of crumbling old-world mansions and derelict palaces, providing a youthful, edgy and energetic counterpoint to the city’s stately ornamental façade.

Why visit St Petersburg?

Moscow may be the seat of Russia’s political power, but St Petersburg is the country’s cultural capital. There are many reasons the Russia Destination Guide has to make visiting St. Petersburg a must. Not just for its numerous palaces, churches and museums , but also its theatres and concert halls, its contemporary art hubs and its flourishing live music and bar scene.

St Petersburg is renowned for its illustrious architecture, home to the magnificent Palace Square and Peterhof Palace, the Russian equivalent of Versailles. It also boasts one of the world’s greatest museums in the imposing State Hermitage complex. The entire historic city centre is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.

Known as the “Venice of the North” for its numerous rivers and canals, Russia’s most romantic city is famous for its beautiful drawbridges. The Palace Bridge is drawn every night in front of crowds of tourists and has become one of the most recognisable symbols of the city. History fans will be enraptured by St Petersburg’s perfectly preserved monuments to Tsarist extravagance, and the many sites and landmarks which played an integral role in the Russian Revolutions and both World Wars.

The city’s epic White Nights are the intoxicating summer weeks between late May and early June when night never falls and the streets and parks are alive with all-night revellers, open-air concerts and dusky evenings that transform almost unnoticeably into the morning.

Weather in St Petersburg and when to go

Despite being the northernmost metropolis in the world, St Petersburg’s proximity to the Gulf of Finland blesses the city with a maritime climate, making it far less chilly than much of Russia over winter, with temperatures rarely dipping below -7°C even in the coldest month of January.

Summers are usually pleasantly warm, with the occasional spell of hot, humid weather. Mid-summer (between late May and mid-June) is also the time of the legendary St Petersburg White Nights when the sun never completely sets and the evenings are alive with a festive atmosphere and concerts and performances take place nightly around the city.

A good amount of snow over winter in St Petersburg is always a given. During winter, the city is arguably at its most beautiful. The streets are relaxed and uncrowded, the Neva River becomes a wilderness of ice and shiny white snowflakes cover buildings and monuments set against a backdrop of bare trees covered in crystalline frost. In winter many parks are converted into ice skating rinks and skiing is possible outside of the city. Theatre life is very much alive over the winter months, with performances of the Nutcracker being a special Christmas favourite.

Here’s a Russia Destination Guide tip: If you find yourself in St Petersburg over New Years, the best way to celebrate in this destination with the locals is to head down to Palace Square. You can join in the countdown for the fireworks display before warming up at one of the many bars, clubs and hotels holding parties.

Highlights of St Petersburg

The State Hermitage Museum

The Hermitage is undoubtedly the jewel in St Petersburg’s cultural crown. One of the world’s greatest collections of ancient and modern art, only the Louvre in Paris and Prado in Madrid rival the Hermitage in terms of worldwide cultural importance. The museum houses some three million individual artworks and artefacts, from Egyptian antiquities to 19 th and 20th-century modern art. The Hermitage comprises six individual buildings including Winter Palace, with its stunning white-columned facade and gallery rooms.

Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood

One of St Petersburg’s most iconic sights is this extraordinarily decorated church marking the site where Tsar Alexander met his untimely death at the hands of bomb-wielding revolutionaries. Although it bears a resemblance to Moscow’s 16 th St Basil’s Cathedral, with its intricate mosaics and multi-coloured onion domes, the church is just over a hundred years old.

St Issacs Cathedral

St Petersburg is home to countless cathedrals, most conceived in the baroque and neoclassical styles. St Issacs Cathedral is the largest cathedral in St Petersburg, identifiable by its gold-illuminated dome and twelve statues of angels. The cathedral’s history tells an intriguing story of conflict and dissent. The anti-religious Soviet government denounced the Cathedral and converted it into a museum of atheism. In 1937 it was converted into a museum of art, and religious activities resumed in 1990.

Tsarkoye Selo

This grand Imperial estate is located in the handsome town of Pushkin, 25km south of St Petersburg. Amid exquisite parks and gardens, you’ll find the baroque Catherine Palace, a luxurious summer sanctuary surrounded by acres of gardens where remarkable structures like the Marble Bridge, the Dutch Admiralty and the Creaking Pagoda were constructed for her amusement. The estate is also home to Alexander Palace. A fine example of neoclassic architecture, its tumultuous history paints a fascinating portrait of the Romanov family.

Peterhof Palace

With its exquisitely manicured gardens, magnificent fountains and gold sculptures, Peter the Great modelled his sumptuous summer palace on the Baltic Sea on Versailles. It’s living rooms, bedrooms, ballrooms and ceremonial rooms are all extraordinarily beautiful. Peter’s daughter, Empress Elizabeth later extended the park and ordered the construction of the 22km Grand Cascade, featuring a total of three waterfalls, 64 fountains and 37 gilt statues.

Nevsky Prospect

St Petersburg’s high street is a 4.5km long royal avenue lined with stately mansions and palaces as well as countless shops, luxury hotels and Gostiny Dyor , the city’s largest department store. Walking the length of the avenue during the day and again at night is highly recommended by the Russia destination guide to take in the atmosphere of this living piece of history and its captivating mixture of old and new.

Bridges and canals of St Petersburg

A relaxing canal tour is a must-do activity, allowing you to see the sites of St Petersburg and its surrounding suburbs from an entirely different perceptive. A city made up of 42 islands across the Lena River delta, St Petersburg is crisscrossed by 300km of artificial canals, flowing beneath a network of over 800 bridges.

How to get to St Petersburg

The distance between Moscow and St Petersburg is approximately 700km, making either flying or train travel excellent for travelling between the cities. There are numerous flights per day and the flight time is around 1.5 hours. However, you’ll have to factor in the time need to get to and from the airports, which are located on the city outskirts.

Most overseas visitors first touchdown in Moscow and then connect to St Petersburg. There are also direct flights to St Petersburg’s Pulvoko Airport from many international destinations, mostly in Europe, including Paris, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Zurich, Frankfurt, Prague, Helsinki and Stockholm. Direct flights also operate from Shanghai, Beijing, Doha, Dubai and Istanbul and many other international hubs.

From Moscow, overland options include daytime high-speed trains such as the Sapsan , which whisks you from Moscow to St Petersburg in about four hours. Ticket prices vary but at the time of writing this Russia destination guide, expect to pay around US $70 for an economy seat. Business-class costs around twice as much and first-class around twice again.

There are also several overnight train services travelling between the two cities. The journey takes around 8 to 9 hours and offers the benefit of saving you a night’s accommodation. A bunk in a third-class sleeper carriage is around 2,000 rubles (US $30), while a first-class cabin on the luxury Red Arrow train will set you back around 8,800 rubles (US $134)

Train tickets can be purchased at the station, but to be safe, you can purchase them online up to 90 days in advance from RZD , the official website of Russian Railways.

Destination #3: The Golden Ring

The Golden Ring is renowned as the most popular overland tourist trail through the charming provincial cities of central Russia, and thus certainly deserves a spot in the Russia destination guide’s list. The 740km circular route passes through a collection of small cities northeast of Moscow that counts among Russia’s oldest medieval townships. Despite their modest size, many of the Golden Ring’s cities played a vital role in shaping the country’s history. Its oldest settlements can be traced back to at least the 10 th century.

Scattered across a postcard-perfect landscape of rolling hills, flower blanketed meadows, rivers and streams, the cities of the Golden Ring were considered political backwaters by the time Soviet industrialisation took hold, escaping much of the urban progress that rapidly engulfed Moscow and its surroundings. Consequently, many locals still lead a largely traditional existence, living in tight-knit communities where the ancestral izba (wooden farmhouse) is the centre of daily life.

Today, the region remains remarkably untouched by urbanisation. Surrounded by rolling hills and verdant meadows, these lands are a throwback a rural Russia that has changed little for generations. Many of the towns were instrumental in the rise of the Orthodox church, as evidenced by the abundance of magnificent cathedral spires and domes. Apart from their religious significance, these proud towns have staunchly preserved their time-honoured traditions, folk art and cuisine.

Why visit the Golden Ring of Russia?

Wandering the tranquil, cobblestone streets of the ancient Golden Ring towns feels like genuinely stepping back in time. Virtually every city on the circuit is a living museum, made up of ancient forts, towering monasteries, imposing palaces and magnificent cathedrals. Several of the Golden Ring towns are home to UNESCO World Heritage-listed treasures, including the medieval White Monuments of Suzdal and Vladimir and the historic centre of Yaroslavl.

Readers of the Russia Destination Guide who are admirers of classic architecture  or perhaps history buffs will adore these destinations. Those hoping for an intimate insight into the places, people and events that shaped the complex, deep-rooted history that shaped Imperial and Soviet Russia will find the sights and stories of the Golden Ring region a fascinating and enthralling experience. You can feel the history in the air, among the perfectly preserved medieval wooden houses and the grand fortress and kremlins built in times where these cities wielded substantial political and religious power. Instrumental in the rise of the Russian Orthodox Church, across the centuries, many of these strategic settlements found themselves battling ruthless Mongol invasions, rebellious Tatar sieges and a string of Tsarist scandals.

Due to its proximity to Moscow, the Golden Ring is a popular side-trip for visitors to the Russian capital. The gorgeous countryside and laidback pace of the towns provide a welcome respite from the frenetic atmosphere of Moscow, well worth a diversion of at least a couple of days (hardcore history fans will ideally need a week or more to see most of the region’s highlights).

Weather in the Golden Ring and when to go

With this Russia Destination Guide, you can plan the perfect date of arrival with these tips. The Golden Ring is truly a year-round destination, with each season bringing a new and beautiful palette of colour to the rural countryside. Visitor numbers peak with the warm summer months (June to August) when the skies are a vivid blue, making for a particularly great backdrop against the domes and cupolas of the region’s many churches and cathedrals. In spring (April through to May) the meadows come alive with flowers while in the short autumn months (September to October) the scenery takes on the rich hues of red, orange and yellow. The freezing temperatures of the winter months (November to March) often bring a thick blanket of snow that creates a dreamy wonderland with lakes and rivers frozen over, perfect for ice skating.

Highlights of the Golden Ring of Russia

The most picturesque stop on the Golden Ring circuit, 1,000-year-old Suzdal appears like a scene from a Russian storybook. It’s quiet laneways, cobblestone plazas and medieval churches have inspired artists and poets for centuries. With many of residents living in colourful wooden houses, and classic horse-drawn buggies still a fixture of its quiet streets, Suzdal has managed to retain a tranquil, rural atmosphere, giving you an impression of how much of Russia might have looked centuries ago.

Explore  Yaroslavl,  the first Christian city on the Volga River and the subject of epic poems and heroic prose for centuries. Many of Russia’s greatest craftsmen, stonemasons, painters and sculptors came together to create this city of magnificent churches and monuments, dating back to the 1100s. The Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour is one of the richest and most fortified monasteries. Here’s a Russa destination guide tip for you: A bird’s-eye view of Yaroslavl and its rivers can be had by climbing up to the top of the cathedral’s bell town.

The oldest town in the Golden Ring and is also one of its most architecturally impressive, rich in elegantly restored monuments dating from the 12 th to the 17 th century. Today, a sleepy, village-like atmosphere hovers over the town, bringing a quiet stillness to the evenings that only breaks with the crowing of the cockerels at first like. The supremely photogenic Rostov Kremlin features walls of delicate pink, enclosing a number of extraordinary 17th-century buildings including the domed Assumption Cathedral and the St John the Divine Gateway Church.

Sergiev Posad

The Russia destination guide presents to you Sergiev Posad – one of the most important spiritual centres of the Orthodox Church sometimes referred to as the ‘Russian Vatican’. This is because of its city-wide scattering of magnificent white-walled churches with contrasting blue and gold cupolas – the colour scheme most strongly associated with the perception of Russian divinity. Founded in 1340 by the country’s most revered saint, St Sergius of Radonezh, Sergiev Posad is one of Russia’s holiest destinations, attracting devoted pilgrims since the 14 th century.

How to get to the Golden Ring 

Moscow is the logical starting point for excursions into the Golden Ring region. This small group or private tour is popular among foreign visitors as it allows you to cover the most ground in the shortest amount of time. On a customised tour, you can choose your pitstops and overnight stays depending on which cities most strike your interests. This Russia Destination Guide will assist you in picking the right experience for you.

Day tours that operate out of Moscow and will hit up one or two of the closest towns from the capital (typically Sergiev Posad, or Suzdal, sometimes combined with Vladimir) but to truly appreciate the variety of the Golden Ring cities the languid beauty of its, a multi-day day tour is highly recommended. If you only have a limited amount of time, a tour encompassing an overnight stay and two-day detour from Moscow in the region’s most beguiling town of Suzdal is highly recommended.

It’s also possible to visit some of the major cities on the Golden Ring route via train, although not every popular destination on the route is serviced by a train station. A popular rail loop from Moscow allows for direct stops in Rostov, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo and Vladimir.

Destination #4: Lake Baikal

An ancient lake so vast in size it’s referred to as Siberia’s “inland sea”, the deepest point of Lake Baikal is an abyssal 1,637m, making this 30 million-year-old body of water the deepest lake in the world. Incredibly, 20% of the world’s entire freshwater supply is contained within Lake Baikal. The crescent-shaped lake extends for 636km from north to south and contains 27, mostly uninhabited islands. The vast Baikal region is home to several indigenous cultures, including the ethnic Buryat people who practice a unique form of Buddhism blended with ancient shamanistic rites and religious beliefs. Traditional villages are dotted along the lake’s shore, interspersed with taiga forest and rocky steppe terrain. The national park surrounding Baikal harbour diverse array of wildlife, and the lake’s waters are home to the N erpa , the beloved freshwater Baikal seal.

With its mirror-clear blue water and enthralling natural beauty, Lake Baikal is considered Siberia’s premier attraction and is recognised by UNESCO as one of Russia’s 28 World Heritage Sites. It will certainly enchant any Russia destination guide reader planning a trip to Russia.

Why visit Lake Baikal?

Lake Baikal offers something for every traveller. Readers of the Russia destination guide attracted to laidback summer cruise vacationers, who are adventure sports enthusiasts and culture buffs keen to discover will love this destination. The blend of European, Turkic and Mongol influences are found in the region’s languages, customs, cuisine and traditional ways of living.

With a surface that freezes solid between early January and late May, the ice covering Lake Baikal can be up to a metre thick, giving winter visitors the chance to experience unique activities such as ice driving, snowmobiling, ice fishing and ice rafting (river rafting on an actual chunk of Baikal ice). Lovers of landscape photography are drawn to Lake Baikal’s mystical frozen caves and shimmering ice floes. Summer is the season for Russia destination guide readers interested in multi-day cruises and epic kayaking expeditions to hidden coves and pristine beaches.

Weather in Lake Baikal and when to go

Lake Baikal has a maritime climate which is typically much milder than the rest of Siberia. The vast majority of visitors to Baikal arrive in the summer months, with peak season hitting between June and mid-August. Summer days in Baikal are typically warm and pleasant. Sunbathing and swimming are possible, although water temperatures of 15 degrees or below usually keep swim sessions bracingly short! Boating season starts with the break-up of pack ice in late June and can last until September, although cruise tours are generally offered in July and August.

Autumn falls between the end of August and October and is usually the rainiest time of year. Still, this Russia Destination Guide recommends this season’s exquisite autumn scenery for photographers looking to capture the red and gold flora of the forests and the moody, sometimes dramatically windy and stormy weather.

The lake freezes over between January and May. Baikal is arguably at its most enchantingly beautiful over the winter period. The extreme transparency of the lake’s solid surface allows you to peer beneath the ice and into the inky, unfrozen depths below. The ice caves and glittering hummocks are at their most impressive in March, when the ice is at its thickest and winter sports enthusiasts take to the lake for skating, biking, 4WDing and ice-hole fishing.

Highlights of Lake Baikal

For most tourists reading the Russia destination guide, the unofficial regional capital of Irkutsk is the gateway to Lake Baikal, which lies 70km to the east. With a population of about 600,000, Irkutsk is a compact and friendly city, well worth a visit for its charming traditional wooden architecture, 18th-century churches and local history and art museums.

Olkhon Island

Beautiful, rugged Olkhon is the most populated of Baikal’s islands, consisting of a scattering of tiny villages, occupied mainly by indigenous Buryat communities. The middle of the island, one of the highlights of this Russia destination guide journey, is a green sanctuary of Siberian taiga forest. Its majestic coast is made up of the rocky steppe, white sand beaches and soaring cliffs providing perfect vantage points for witnessing spectacular sunsets across the shimmering surface of the lake.

Circum-Baikal Railway

The Circum-Baikal railway is a short, picturesque stretch of railway running between Slyuduanka and Port Baikal, along with the southern tip of Lake Baikal. A steam train trip along the Circum-Baikal make a great day trip, passing through tunnels and bridges that serve to highlight the sheer feat of engineering that first made the journey possible in the early 1900s.

Baikal Nature Reserve

On a wild, southeastern stretch of Baikal’s coastline, the desolate mountains of the Khmer Daban Range descend steeply to the rocky shores of the lake. The park preserves subalpine meadows and tundra, and deep within the taiga forests, Siberian brown bear, lynx, otter, wolverine and golden eagle.

How to get to Lake Baikal 

The city of Irkutsk is considered the main tourist gateway to Lake Baikal for Russia destination guide travellers. Although it’s about 65km from the lake itself, it hosts an airport with several flights a day arriving from Moscow (around 7 hours). There are also regular flights from the major Russian cities, including St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk. Regular international flights are operated from Beijing and occasional flights from Bangkok, Hong Kong and seasonally, twice a week from Seoul. For the western shore of Lake Baikal, the closest airport is Ulan-Ude. It’s a smaller airport, serviced by flights from Moscow and the larger Siberian airports, as well as flights from Beijing.

Travel by train via the Trans-Siberian Railway:

If time isn’t a limiting factor for you, the Russia Destination Guide will go through a far more interesting way to reach Lake Baikal. This is via the Trans-Siberian Railway . If you’re taking the east-west route from Moscow, the train journey from Moscow to Irkutsk takes about three to four days. To reach Lake Baikal from the Irkutsk railway station, you’ll need to make your way by public transport to the main bus station in town, where buses regularly depart for Listvyanka.

Destination #5: Kamchatka

Once considered an inaccessible “edge of the world” location, only visited by the hardiest of adventure travellers, today Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula is gaining a reputation as one of Russia’s most remarkable tourist destinations. Make no mistake, Kamchatka is remote – with no road or railways connecting it to the outside world, the only practical access into this pristine wilderness is by air, and the only way to travel long distances inside this refreshingly undeveloped region is by 4WD or helicopter.

For this Russia Destination Guide readers keen to get closer to nature, this is a trip worth making. Located at the northernmost edge of the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, the Kamchatka Peninsula juts out dramatically from the northeastern tip of Russia. Thirty active volcanoes are scattered across the peninsula, including Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the largest in the Northern Hemisphere. Equally as stunning are, the 90 geysers and numerous hot springs that make up the 6km Geyser Valley. The second largest concentration of geysers on earth, this natural gem remains a virtually untouched region of raw geothermal power. Getting to Kamchatka is half the journey, but once you arrive, the raw beauty of this far-flung region will floor you.

Why visit Kamchatka?

For lovers of wildlife, challenging hiking and rugged natural scenery, Kamchatka is paradise on earth. If your idea of the ultimate adventure is scaling an active volcano, coming within metres of wild brown bears, or exploring some of the most remote and wildlife-rich coasts on earth, Kamchatka should be at the very top of your bucket list. Active travellers seeking unique physical challenges where few tourists have gone before should visit in winter for action-packed tours , or in summer for incredible backcountry sea kayaking and camping expeditions, tracing Kamchatka’s dramatic coastline, paddling beneath the shadows of volcanoes and riding the swirling Pacific surf.

Weather in Kamchatka and when to visit

Kamchatka stretches across several climatic zones. Central Kamchatka’s climate is mild and continental. The alpine valleys are characterised by frosty winters and hot, humid summers, while the coast experiences a temperate, marine climate. The summer and autumn months (June through to October) are by far the most popular when max temperatures range from 15°C to 30°C but a growing trend in winter sports means Kamchatka receives visitors year-round.

Kamchatka’s famous brown bears hibernate during the long, snowy winter, so you’ll need to visit between late July and mid-September to be able to spot them. Swimming and kayaking in Avacha Bay is possible during the summer months, and the fly fishing season is between May and October. Kamchatka’s ski resorts and off-piste mountain slopes attract hardcore snow junkies from January through to May.

Highlights of Kamchatka 

Volcanoes of the Pacific Ring of Fire

Kamchatka earns a deserving place as one of the most outstanding volcanic regions of the world, with a high density of active volcanoes. Rugged volcanic peaks interspersed with lush valleys, desolate lava-spewing plains and ancient glaciers form a dynamic landscaped with a strange, almost otherworldly sense of beauty. Nineteen active volcanoes are included in the within the six groups of UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites of Kamchatka. Travellers who fancy themselves as mountain trekkers can easily walk to the bases of some impressive mountains.

Valley of Geysers

Seething, steaming and periodically expelling huge volumes of hot water in a spectacular jet, geysers are a remarkable natural phenomenon. Kamchatka’s Geyser Valley is home to the second largest concentration of geysers on earth, scattered across a 6km basin with the Martian-like volcanic scenery. Due to their remote location, the geysers can only be accessed by helicopter. Once inside the valley, local guides and wooden walkways provide a safe passageway past some of the largest and most spectacular geysers.

The Brown Bears of Kamchatka

The Kamchatka brown bear , one of the largest subspecies of brown bear in the world. The region’s well-preserved wilderness has created a safe sanctuary for one of the most concentrated brown bear populations in the world, meaning summer sightings of these impressive animals are virtually guaranteed. During late July to mid-September, Kuril Lake hosts Kamchatka’s largest salmon spawning event, attracting about 2 million fish each season. Tourists, escorted by rangers can observe the bears as they swim, play and fish for salmon.

Kamchatka’s Pacific Coast

Vast, rugged and largely uninhabited, Kamchatka boasts one of the most isolated stretches of coastline in the world. The region’s capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, is situated beside the calm waters of Avacha Bay, under the shadow of the three Petropavlovsk volcanoes. Beyond Avacha are thousands of kilometres of rocky coastline. The most conspicuous residents here are seals, giant Stellar sea lions, orcas, whales and sea eagles.

Heli-Skiing in Kamchatka

For experienced skiers and snowboarders with a taste for the extreme, heli-skiing the untouched volcanic slopes of Kamchatka will be a wild winter adventure that’s virtually unrivalled. The experience starts with an incredible flight over the untamed peaks of the peninsula in a Russian chopper – the ultimate chairlift! Then, touchdown in the middle of nowhere and prepare for the free ride of a lifetime. Kamchatka is the only place on earth where it’s possible to ski down active volcanoes, and even to ski into the crater, with active steam vents smoking around you!

How to get to Kamchatka

Sandwiched between sub-Arctic Russia and the Pacific Ocean, Kamchatka has no overland routes leading into the region. There are no regular passenger ferries to anywhere in Kamchatka, so the only practical way for travellers to arrive is by air. You can find the airport located 20km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the village of Yelizovo. There are daily flights from Moscow (nine hours), and several flights a week from St Petersburg, Khabarovsk, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok and Beijing. In the peak summer season, there are occasional flights from Anchorage, Alaska and Tokyo, Japan.

Destination #6: Karelia

Karelia exudes an air of magic unlike anywhere else in Russia. Encompassing vast tracts of untouched wilderness, the far northwestern republic is covered in dense forests, idyllic lakes and waterfalls, fertile hills and barren steppe country. Iconic animal species now extremely rare in much of Europe – bears, wolves, wolverine, lynx, reindeer, moose and otter roam freely along the Russian frontier.

Bordered by Finland and the White Sea, Karelia is not just a far-flung no-mans land but a living museum of human history. Inhabited by Scandinavian peoples for 6,000 years and intermittently contested by Finnish, Swedish, and Russian forces over centuries, Karelia, despite having much of its territory ceded to the Soviet Union in 1939, the region still retains a strong cultural connection with eastern Finland. Distinctly Karelian culture lives on in the peasant traditions of poetry, music and folk ceremonies that reinforce the people’s bond with the land and sea.  

Why visit Karelia?

This Russia Destination Guide will present to you some of the highlights and high points of this magnificent destination. Easily accessible from Moscow and St Petersburg, and blessed with extraordinary natural beauty, a unique culture unlike anywhere else in Russia and some of the best-preserved traditional wooden architecture in the country, Karelia slowly starting to appear on the radar of international travellers.

The region offers a fantastic mix of nature, outdoor adventure and cultural discovery, from the prehistoric petroglyphs near the White Sea Coast to the republic’s most famous attraction, the World Heritage-listed Kizhi Pogost, an open-air museum in the middle of a lake, dedicated to fine 17 th ad 18th-century wooden architecture.

Karelia is an equally enchanting eco-tourism destination for Russia destination guide readers, home to the primordial forests of  Kivach Nature Reserve , and  Ruskeala Mountain Park , a former marble quarry that has been naturally transformed over time into a magnificent flooded canyon, carved from a unique and harmonious fusion of the natural and the man-made.

Karelia’s rivers, lakes and streams allow off-the-grid kayaking, fishing and camping for weeks. In winter, the woods become an enchanting playground for dog sledding, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.

Weather in Karelia and when to visit

Generally speaking, Karelia has a continental climate zone, with typically much milder winters in contrast to other northern regions near the Arctic. However, Karelia’s climate has a reputation for being unpredictable, so no matter which season Russia Destination Guide traveller’s trips coincides with, be prepared for practically any weather.

The short summer period from June to mid-August is modestly warm, but this time of the year welcomes the most visitors to Karelia since it enjoys the sunniest days by far. By the peak of July, the famous ‘midnight sun’ visits northern Karelia, and shines almost around the clock. Expect maximum daytime temperatures of between 16 and 21°C. Karelia’s relatively mild temperatures make it one of the most comfortable destinations for experiencing winter in the Arctic zone. The Russia Destination Guide implores you to explore the ethereal taiga forests and fairytale wooden houses which look especially magical against a snowy winter backdrop. The snowy landscapes are perfect for enjoying favourite local sports such as snowmobiling, skiing and dog-sledding. Its proximity to the Arctic Circle means that the skies above Northern Karelia are sometimes graced with an appearance from the Northern Lights.

Highlights of Karelia

One of the largest open-air museums in Russia has been built on the island of Kizhi in the middle of Lake Onega. Kizhi is immediately recognisable thanks to the iconic Transfiguration Church. This masterpiece of timber architecture features five tiers of 22 wooden domes, built in 1714 without the use of a single nail. The pine walls and domes of the church change colour as the day progresses. The Kizhi State Museum is home to dozens of 18 th and 19th-century log buildings, some furnished in period style, moved here from Karelian villages during the Soviet era.

Ruskeala mountain park

Ruskeala was formerly a marble quarry, mined by the Swedes, Finns and Russians for around three centuries. The 109-metre wide canyon now stretches for 456 metres and its sides are riddled with caves and grottoes. Tall pines sprout from the tops of the canyon walls and the groundwater has become a river of deep emerald green, creating a truly beautiful union of the natural and the man-made. The canyon can be traversed by boat, and some of the caves and mine shafts can be explored with a professional guide.

Solovetsky Islands

The Solovetsky Islands, is a place that many travellers fantasise about visiting when in Russia but few actually ever end up doing so. Located in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, the archipelago is made up of 6 main islands and many smaller ones. The largest island is the Bolshoy Solovetsky and it is home to the main monastery, which dominates the rural idyll of Solovetsky Village, the islands’ main settlement.

Valaam Island

As one of the most popular Orthodox tourist destinations, the main attraction that draws visitors to its shores is the 14th century Transfiguration Monastery. It is a monumental structure that sits on top of the high hill, making it visible from many locations on the island. In the past, the monastery had been subjected to numerous accounts of destruction and devastation from fires and invasions. Now, the gardens, a bakery, vegetable patches and a farm, rolling prairies and granite cliffs with around 200 Orthodox monks living within its walls permanently.

How to get to Karelia

For Russia Destination Readers travelling within Russia itself, S7 Airlines fly between four and five times a week from Moscow (Domodedovo) to the Karelian capital of Petrozavodsk (approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes). The timetable changes regularly so keep an eye out on S7’s flight schedule. Petrozavodsk is a small airport about 12km out of town. Taxis or private transfers are the preferred means of getting into the city. Once you arrive at the Petrozavodsk airport, it is about a 12km drive to the city centre. Pre-arranged private transfers are typically the preferred methods of transportation to get to town.

There are several trains per week, both daytime and overnight departing from St Petersburg to Petrozavodsk (7 hours) or day trains (4 hours). Trains from Moscow to Petrozavodsk run daily, an overnight journey of around 16 hours. The twice-weekly train to Murmansk (capital of Kola Peninsula) also makes a stop in Petrozavodsk.

Travel by bus:

A bus service connects Petrozavodsk to Joensuu in Finland (Thursdays to Sundays) and takes around 4 hours and 40 minutes. There are also bus services to Petrozavodsk from St Petersburg, which takes between 5 and 6 hours and is an extremely cheap way to travel between the two cities.

Destination #7: Kola Peninsula

Pierced by the snow-dusted pines of the taiga forest in the south and blanketed by an endless expanse of tundra in the north, the Kola Peninsula is the quintessential Russian Arctic destination. Inhabited by reindeer-herding nomads and bound by the White and Barents Seas (plied by only the strongest of nuclear ice-breaker ships), this remote region is the stuff of romance and legend. Situated almost entirely above the Arctic Circle, between mid-May and July, daylight lasts a full 24 hours, bathing the peninsula in the dazzling light of the unsetting midnight sun. Conversely, for two months over winter, the Kola Peninsula is blanketed by the polar night, when the sky is only lit by the appearance of the mesmerising Aurora Borealis.

A land of jewel-like lakes and crystal clear rivers, unexplored mountain ranges and wildlife-rich Arctic coastline, Kola’s vast grasslands are subject to visiting grazing reindeer in their thousands over the summer months. Many of the indigenous Sami, who also inhabit northern Scandinavia, still live on to a semi-nomadic way of life, depending on reindeer herding for their livelihood, traversing the tundra on husky-drawn sleds and holding on to their own ancient customs, language and traditions.

Not all of Kola is untouched by modern development. The capital Murmansk, with a population of over 300,000, is the largest city north of the Arctic Circle, and despite its industrial port town feel, is a remarkably lively town, with bars and restaurants and interesting Naval history.

Why visit the Kola Peninsula?

Still very much a frontier tourist destination, Kola is a place for travellers seeking unusual and extreme environments and boundless Arctic wilderness. For those Russian Destination Guide readers keen on winter sports, Kola offers some of the Arctic region’s best cross-country skiing, and the opportunity to go snowmobiling in the taiga. For hardcore history buffs, the peninsula is also a hunting ground for Soviet-era ruins including a haunting submarine graveyard near the Russian naval base at Olenya Bay.

Between the months of September and April, the city of Murmansk receives an influx of visitors hoping to catch the cosmic dance of the Northern Lights above the city rooftops and the hills, forests and snowfields surrounding the town.

Weather in the Kola Peninsula and when to go

Despite its extreme northern location, Kola enjoys one of the mildest climates of any region above the Arctic Circle, thanks to the influence of the warm Atlantic currents. This has helped make Kola an attractive destination for Northern Lights tourism between the autumn and late winter months of September and April.

The coldest month is January, with an average temperature of about -10°C in the Murmansk region. July is the warmest month, with temperatures between 12 and 20°C. From early December till late January, the sun is hidden beneath the horizon day and night, with artificial light the only means of illuminating the infamous polar night. The season of the polar day is from late May to late July when bright sunshine persists regardless of the time of day.

Highlights of the Kola Peninsula 

The Northern Lights in the Kola Peninsula

Known as the best place in the Russian Arctic for a chance to witness the breathtaking spectacle of the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights , Murmansk and its surrounds have become one of the world’s premier destinations for observing and photographing this bewitching natural phenomenon. Although their appearance is unpredictable, the lights can be sighted between late August and April, with September to April considered the best months for maximising your chances.

Nomadic Saami culture

The Sami (or Saami) are also the most prominent indigenous group in Lapland, Scandinavia. So distant is their language and way of life from the rest of Russia the Sami-dominated parts of Kola are usually referred to as Lapland. With a local guide, it’s possible to visit a traditional Sami settlement where many traditional dwellings are still in use. You may be invited to test your reindeer lassoing skills, commandeer your own troupe of sled-pulling huskies and taste authentic Lappish cuisines such as Arctic fish soup and berry pie.

Snow Village

The Snow Village is an ambitious tourism project featuring ornately decorated buildings, sculptures, labyrinthine tunnels and intricately patterned rooms, painstakingly constructed almost entirely out of ice and snow. Drop in at the ice bar, watch a film at the snow cinema, check out the ice sculpture gallery or stroll through the enchanting “village” where you’ll encounter fairy tale characters, mythical snow maidens and perhaps even Santa Klaus himself.

Teriberka Village

Teriberka is an old village, located on the Barents Sea coast. The way to the village takes travellers through the tundra with splendid sceneries on their way. Teriberka village is an authentic place and you will be impressed by arctic nature, village life and almost destroyed households Soviet Union period, cemetery old wooden ships and the famous breathtaking view of the Arctic ocean.

Destination #8: Yamal

Once considered a virtually inaccessible “edge of the world” location, only visited by the hardiest of adventure travellers, Yamal is one of the last refuges of Siberia’s nomadic reindeer herders, custodians of a land of vast plains that stretch from the Polar Ural Mountains to the Kara Sea in the Arctic Ocean. While large-scale reindeer herding is slowly disappearing throughout Russia and the Arctic, Yamal’s remoteness has been key to the preservation of this ancient way of life practised by the indigenous Nenets. Even so, the discovery of immense oil and gas resources in the peninsula will mean the Nenets culture is becoming increasingly under pressure from modern industrial development.

With much of its territory above the Arctic Circle, Yamal means ‘edge of the world’ in the language of its indigenous people. Its administrative centre, the historic town of Salekhard (population 43,000) straddles the Arctic Circle. The Yamal Peninsula was considered so inhospitable that Stalin built his prison camps here. And yet a rich, colourful and resilient culture and ancient shamanistic religion have managed to survive here.

To survive Yamal’s extreme climate, the Nenets migrate with herds of up to 10,000 strong from their winter pastures in the southern taiga, north to their summer grazing lands near the Arctic Ocean. Crossing the frozen Ob, the world’s fifth-largest river is just part of a journey which can span over 1,000km, one way, making it one of the longest annual human migration routes in the world.

Why visit Yamal?

Very few foreigners have set foot on the Yamal Peninsula. There are no roads from outside into the area, and outsiders (both Russians and foreigners) must apply for a visitors permit at least two months ahead. Due to the challenging logistics of visiting Yamal, a guided tour is highly recommended.

The Russia Destination Guide presents to you the single most compelling reason to make this difficult journey to Yamal. Here, you can submerge yourself in a culturally immersive experience like no other. During the reindeer migration season, you will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live amongst the indigenous Nenets of Yamal, sleeping in their summer tented camps, working with reindeer and following them on part of their migration on wooden sleds through the snowy taiga forest. The highlight of the year for visitors to Yamal is the annual Reindeer Herder’s Festival , the most important event on the Nenets calendar which showcases all manner of reindeer-related physical challenges.

Weather in Yamal and when to go

Most of the Yamal territory is located within the northern part of the West Siberian Plain, and a small part of the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains. The climate of this region is characterised by long, harsh and winters of up to eight months, and short summers with strong winds and relatively light snow cover.

Summer temperatures hover around 5 to 25°C but the wind chill factor still makes warm clothing outside a must. In deepest winter, out on the tundra, temperatures of a staggering -50°C are common. Clothing and exposure protection suitable for extreme cold is an absolute must for surviving Yamal in the winter time. The Nenets wear heavy coats, hats and boots fashioned from reindeer skin, and while living with them in their tents, guests are highly advised to do the same.

Highlights of Yamal

Reindeer Migration with Nenets

Travel with the Nenets on one leg of their annual migration – it’s one of the most unforgettable and incomparable cultural experiences on earth! Each spring, the Nenets migrate from winter pastures on the Russian mainland to the summer pastures in the Arctic Circle, a one-way journey of up to 1,000km. This is a remarkable extraordinary opportunity to get to know one of the world’s last true nomadic reindeer herders through their eyes.

Reindeer Herder’s Festival in Yamal

The Reindeer Herder’s Festival is a one-day holiday, celebrated in late March or early April in Yamal. For the nomadic Nenets people, a festival day is a major event, which offers a chance to meet with friends and compete in contests of physical skill and a variety of other competitions. It has also become an event in which the Nenets are able to share with the world a rarely-glimpsed slice of their culture, which has remained relatively unchanged for centuries. Visits to the festival combined with a stay in a traditional nomad camp can be arranged by a specialist tour company.

How to get to Yamal

The Arctic city of Salekhard is the gateway to the rest of Yamal. There are direct flights from Moscow and St Petersburg (both around 3 hours) and also from Ekaterinburg (1.5 hours) on Yamal Airlines. Salekhard Airport is about 7km from the city centre.

Fancy a ride on the real, modern-day Polar Express? The train named the “Polar Arrow” was launched in 2013 and makes the 3,550km journey from Moscow, cutting through the Ural Mountains, hauling through Asia and Siberia and crossing the Arctic Circle to reach Labytnangi (the closest station to Salekhard) some 43 to 46 hours later. Taxis from Labytanangi will take you to Salekhard’s town centre in less than half an hour.

Destination #9: Altai Republic

The Altai Republic is, in a word, “diverse.” A mountainous region whose borders touch the semi-deserts of Mongolia and the vast Kazakh plains, Altai has one the most varied climates in Siberia. Still largely undiscovered, Altai now supports a growing, community-based eco-tourism industry. As well as being an incredible hike and ski destination, Altai offers the unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the traditions of the mountain-worshipping Altay people, whose ancient culture reflects Altai’s location at the crossroads of both Europe and East and Central Asia.

Altai is impossibly scenic – watch the scenery slide by as it rolls from rocky steppes to the high desert to impenetrable taiga forest. Colours shift, fields lay in hushed snowfall or blossom in spring. Everything changes here, with only one exception – Altai’s majestic mountain peaks. Home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site “The Golden Mountains of Altai”, the Altai Mountain Range is a refuge for some of the world’s rarest animal species. In the raw, rugged beauty of this long-forgotten wilderness, you can hike for miles in complete solitude. Go fishing in the pristine tributaries of the Katun and Chemal Rivers, search for snow leopard prints in the hills, explore vast underground cave complexes or get your fix of winter sports action in one of the region’s burgeoning boutique ski resorts.  

Why travel to Altai?

Blessed with unforgettable mountain scenery – eternally snow-capped alpine peaks, broad green valleys, rocky canyons and mighty glaciers – Altai cements its place in the Russia destination guide as the ultimate hiking destination. Altai has an enormous amount to offer lovers of landscape, nature and wildlife photography. Despite being a relatively unknown ‘adventure’ destination, Altai’s trekking routes offer something for hikers of all levels of experience, from easy jaunts in the foothills and meadowlands to hardcore, high-altitude multi-day and multi-week treks straddling the mountain ranges that straddle the Mongolian, Chinese and Kazaz borders. Altai’s hiking trails are endless and reaching the summit of one of the high peaks is of the most rewarding things to do in the Altai region.

Weather in Altai and when to go  

The Altai Republic has three main climatic zones – warm and humid continental, subarctic and cold semi-arid, making it essentially a year-round destination. Being located far from the oceans, the lands of the Altai Ranges heat up considerably in summer and cool rapidly in winter, making late spring and summer the ideal season for mountain trekking and camping.

Summer is peak whitewater rafting season in Altai. The Russia destination guide recommendation is to visit around the end of August where you may witness or participate in the White Water Siberia Forum, a sensational event that attracts professional rafters from around the world attempting to conquer the incredibly wild rapids and of the majestic Chuya River.

Highlights of Altai

The Golden Mountains of Altai

The Golden Mountains of Altai is a UNESCO World Heritage site forming the major mountain range in Western Siberia and the source of its greatest rivers – the Ob and the Irtysh. The region harbours the most diverse vegetation and microclimatic zones in central Siberia, from steppe to dense mix forest and high alpine vegetation. The dramatic Altai ranges are home to nearly 700 animal species, including the mountain ram, reindeer and the endangered snow leopard. Stunning Mount Belukha is the highest peak in Siberia at a cloud-piercing 4,506m.

Lake Teletskoye – The Golden Lake

Lake Teletskoye or Altyn-Köl, which means “Golden Lake” is the world’s second deepest freshwater body after Lake Baikal (up to 325m at its deepest point). A dazzlingly transparent aquamarine sometimes referred to as “Baikal’s Little Brother”, the lake spans 233 square kilometres and is surrounded by the alpine meadows, forests and the jagged, rocky peaks of the Altai mountain ranges.

The Indigenous Cultures of Altai

Altai is home to 5 million people speaking 40 languages. The indigenous population includes the various ethnic groups of the Alati people, descendants of the Turkic tribes with ancient cultural links to the Mongols. Among the most famous Altai ancestral traditions is throat singing. The style of throat singing or ‘overtone singing’, (as it sounds as though the vocalist is singing two notes in separate frequencies at the same time) performed in Altai is unique to certain cultures in Siberia and Mongolia.

How to get to Altai   

For Russia Destination Guide readers travelling within Russia, there are two main options for reaching the Altai Mountains by air. From Moscow, you can take a direct flight to Gorno-Altaysk, the capital of the Altai Republic. S7 Airlines runs about two flights a week (check the schedule for seasonal changes to the timetable) with a flight time of about 4 hours and 4 minutes.

Flights also operate several times a week from Moscow to Barnaul (just over 4 hours flight time), capital of the neighbouring Altai Territory and a larger and more developed city than Gorno-Altaysk, from where you can take public transport or rent a car for the three-hour drive to Gorno-Altaysk

Although it is not part of the Altai Republic, lying 447km from the Altai capital of Gorno-Altaysk, Novosibirsk is one the most popular jumping-off points for trips into rural Altai. As the largest city in Siberia, Novosibirsk is well serviced by air, with daily flights to and from all the major Russian cities and some international flights from Frankfurts, Hannover, Beijing, Seoul and Tel Aviv. The largest local airport it Tolmachovo Airport, located 20km west of the city centre by taxi, hotel shuttle bus or private transfer.

The Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow passes through Novosibirsk, and travellers can disembark the train here before continuing their 5 and a half to 6-hour journey to Gorno-Altaksy by road.

From Novosibirsk or Baurnal, the cheapest way to get into Gorno-Altaysk is by bus. There are around 4 to 5 trips per day from Novosibirsk, while buses depart from Baurnal roughly every 2 hours.

We hope this Russia destination guide was informative and useful to you. Feel free to get in touch with our team for more information on options to travel to Russia.

[email protected] Ph: +61 93889816

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Ukraine war latest: Moscow 'very likely' behind GPS disruptions; Russian personnel 'killed or injured' in Ukrainian strikes

Ukraine conducted "coordinated strikes" on a military airbase inside Russia overnight, a Ukrainian military source has told Sky News. The operation, which took place early this morning, included attacks against Russian SU-34 fighter-bombers.

Sunday 7 April 2024 16:08, UK

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• Ukraine conducts 'coordinated strikes' on military airbase inside Russia, source tells Sky News 
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While we haven't been able to bring you live updates on the war in Ukraine today, we have been keeping an eye on the key moments. 

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Late last night, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned his country could run out of air defence missiles if Russia continues to launch long-range bombing attacks. 

The warning was the starkest yet from the Ukrainian president, who has been urging allies for weeks to speed up the delivery of military assistance. 

In an interview shown on Ukrainian TV, he said his forces have enough for the moment, but they were already having to make difficult choices about what to protect. 

"If they keep hitting [Ukraine] every day the way they have for the last month, we might run out of missiles, and the partners know it," he said. 

Attack at Zaporizhzhia

Russian authorities in control of the Zaporizhzhia power plant have reported a drone strike at the facility, the UN nuclear watchdog has said. 

Moscow has claimed Ukraine struck the dome above the shutdown reactor at the site, but radiation levels have remained stable. 

It was not immediately clear what weapon was used against the nuclear plant, which was taken by Russian forces shortly after their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had been informed by the Russian-run plant that a drone had detonated at the site, and the information was "consistent" with IAEA observations.

The plant remains close to the front lines, and both Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly accused the other of attacking the plant and so risking a possible nuclear disaster.

One dead in Belgorod

A woman has died after shrapnel from a downed Ukrainian drone hit a car travelling in Russia's Belgorod region, a local governor has said. 

Four more people, including two children, were wounded after air defences shot down four Ukrainian drones, Vyacheslav Gladkov said. 

Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has come under regular attack from Kyiv's forces in retaliation to Russia's invasion. 

We've not been able to bring you live updates on the war in Ukraine today, so here is what has been happening. 

Eight people have been killed in two Russian strikes on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, local authorities say. 

The strikes took place early this morning and in the afternoon. 

Ukraine's national police said the attack was launched by drones, but local officials said missiles and bombs were used. 

"As of this morning, there are 6 dead and 10 wounded as a result of the night strike on Shevchenkivskyi district," Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram. 

At least nine high-rise buildings were struck, along with administrative buildings, a shop, a petrol station, and a service station. 

Here are more updates from today: 

• Tajikistan has rejected a Russian claim that Ukraine's embassy in the Tajik capital is recruiting mercenaries to fight against Russia
• A kamikaze drone hit a military facility used by pro-Russian separatists in Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria 
• The Ukrainian army's commander-in-chief said his forces are still in control of the town of Chasiv Yar despite attempts by Russian forces to break through their defences. 

That's it for our coverage for today, but before we go - let's recap the day's key happenings. 

Airbase strikes

By far the biggest story of the day is regarding overnight Ukrainian strikes on an airfield inside Russia - news we broke exclusively here at Sky News via our  Ukraine producer  Artem Lysak and  security and defence editor  Deborah Haynes.

Ukrainian sources have since indicated that as many as 20 Russian service personnel were killed or wounded in the attack on Morozovsk airfield in Rostov. 

Up to eight aircraft were damaged, while as many as six were destroyed completely, Ukrainian sources claimed.

The airbase has been the staging post for Russian bombings on the frontline since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

It is home to the 559th Bomber Aviation Regiment within the 1st Guards Composite Aviation Division.

This unit has three squadrons of SU-34s which are regularly used to bomb Ukrainian forces on the frontline.

Claim that nuclear plant targeted again

Russia has once again claimed that Ukraine has tried to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. 

Critical infrastructure was not thought to have been damaged despite the drone attack, state media quoted the plant's Moscow-installed management as saying. 

Both Ukraine and Russia have accused the other of trying to create a nuclear disaster by attacking the plant - which has been under Moscow's control since the early days of the war.

Separately - and not thought to be linked to the war in Ukraine - authorities in the far eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk have declared an emergency after radiation was detected in the area.

No one has been injured or exposed to radiation and there is no risk to public health, TASS quoted the local branch of Russia's consumer safety watchdog as saying.

Russian advances? 

Russia reported advances in two areas of Donetsk. 

The defence ministry said Russian troops had reached the suburbs of the town of Chasiv Yar - which was denied by Ukraine. 

Kyiv did note fighting in the area, however. 

Additionally and without providing details or evidence, the ministry said troops had also captured the village of Vodyane, which is just northwest of Donetsk city and slightly southwest of Avdiivka. 

Ukraine is yet to respond to the claims regarding Vodyane.

Lord Cameron will travel to the US next week where he will urge politicians to approve a package of military aid for Ukraine.

The foreign secretary said he would meet with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to urge him to pass the bill - which he has held up for months. 

"Britain has put forward its money for Ukraine this year, so has the European Union. America needs to do it," he said on X. 

"Speaker Johnson can make it happen in Congress. I am going to go see him next week and say we need that money, Ukraine needs that money."

The bill, worth some $95bn (£75bn), was approved by the Democrat-led Senate on 13 February, but has faced stiff opposition in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Both houses of Congress must approve the bill before President Biden can sign it into law. 

Some $60bn (£47bn) of the package is allocated for military aid for Ukraine alone. 

However, former president Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress want funding directed toward domestic issues such as border control, rather than on foreign wars. 

Several Russian personnel have been expelled from the NATO headquarters, secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has said. 

It is not clear when the expulsions took place. 

"We realised that they were carrying out activities that were not actually diplomatic work, but intelligence work," Mr Stoltenberg told Bild . 

He did not say how many had been expelled, nor offer any detail as to what intelligence they had gathered while at the NATO headquarters, which is located in Brussels. 

A Moscow court has placed an 11th suspect in last month's concert hall attack in pre-trial detention, Russian officials have said.

The suspect, Muhammad Zoir Sharipzoda, a Tajik national, is accused of committing a terrorist act, the court said.

At least 144 people were killed when the so-called IS-K targeted the venue - which is just outside Moscow - at the end of last month.

This morning, Russia's investigative committee claimed it had recovered images from the phone of one of the shooters, which it said may indicate a connection between the Ukraine war and the attack (see 8.29am post). 

Ukraine has strenuously denied any involvement after repeated Russian accusations, including from Vladimir Putin, that Kyiv was involved or aware of the attack in some capacity. 

The West has similarly dismissed suggestions Kyiv was involved and several leaders have accused Russia of using the attack as an excuse to expand its operations in Ukraine. 

At least two people have died and six have been injured by a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia, the head of Ukraine's military administration for the region has said. 

A nine-year-old boy was among the injured, while the dead are a man and a woman of unspecified age, Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram.

The boy's mother, 36, was also injured, alongside young men in their 20s and a man and woman in their 50s.

Mr Fedorov did not say how the attack was carried out, and Russia has not commented on the claims. 

He shared this unverified image of the damage purportedly caused by the attack, but offered no details as to what the building was. 

As we reported in our 2.50pm post, Russia has claimed today that Ukraine has been trying to hit the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia with drones. 

As we've been reporting throughout today, Ukraine launched a coordinated drone attack on an airbase inside Russian territory overnight. 

Ukrainian sources have indicated that as many as 20 Russian service personnel were killed or wounded in the attack on Morozovsk airfield in Rostov. 

This footage shows the attack...

In the latest in a string of accusations of a similar nature, Russia has again claimed that Ukraine has tried to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. 

"The Ukrainian armed forces hit the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant with several UAVs (drones)," Russian state media outlet TASS cites the station's Moscow-installed management as saying. 

However, critical infrastructure is not thought to have been damaged, it added. 

Ukraine has not responded to the latest accusations from Moscow - which are unverified.  

Russia is "very likely" to have been behind a series of disturbances affecting GPS navigation in the Baltic region, the German defence ministry has claimed. 

The ministry pointed to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad as a source of the problem.

"The persistent disruptions to the global navigation satellite system are very likely of Russian origin and are based on disruptions in the electromagnetic spectrum, including those originating in the Kaliningrad Oblast," a spokesperson said.

However, the spokesperson did not offer any details as to how Berlin came to its conclusions and the Russian embassy in the country has not responded to a request for comment. 

Similarly last month, a government source said that Russia was believed to have jammed the satellite signal on an aircraft used by UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps when it flew close to Kaliningrad.

Kaliningrad is a Russian territory wedged between Lithuania and Poland on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

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How to get to Russia in 2024 (INFOGRAPHIC)

For citizens of 65 countries, a visa is not even required to enter Russia. For the majority of these countries, the length of stay without a visa is up to 90 days; however, for some, it’s shorter, so be sure to check.

In 55 more countries – including countries in Europe and Asia, such as Germany, Denmark, Japan, China – you can apply for an electronic visa to enter Russia. In this case, the length of stay in the country is up to 16 days. We addressed all queries regarding how to do it in detail here and you can find the full list with all countries here .

2. Transport

As of January 2024, 36 countries have direct flights to Russia, among which are Israel, China, Turkey and many others. The majority of European countries, however, are not on this list; they prohibited their airlines from conducting passenger flights to the territory of the Russian Federation. The only European country from where you can board a direct flight to Russia is Serbia.

Three other most popular hubs, from which you can come to Russia on a direct flight:

• Istanbul, Turkey
• Yerevan, Armenia
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Aside from that, you can reach Russia also on land transport – with a car, bus or train. However, in 2024, the checkpoint on the border with Finland is currently closed, which was a convenient route for the residents of the Scandinavian nations, while Finland itself is, as of right now, unavailable. 

Several other countries – Estonia, Latvia and Norway – are also contemplating the possibility of closing their borders with Russia, but, for now, this hasn’t happened and the passage is open (we advise you to follow developments closely, however). The route from Georgia to Russia via Vladikavkaz remains one of the most popular land routes, due to which there are still hour-long waiting lines at the border.

3. COVID restrictions, vaccinations & quarantine

In 2022, the government of Russia canceled all restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic; in 2023, it allowed foreign tourists to enter the country without a negative PCR test.

However, there are still occasional random COVID-19 checks at airports, so don’t be surprised if you are asked to get tested.

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Russians Know Putin Will Be Re-Elected, but Many Worry What Comes Next

While there is little doubt about the vote’s outcome, there is concern that an emboldened President Putin may use a win to start a new war mobilization.

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By Ivan Nechepurenko

Maria and her husband, Aleksandr, are certain that President Vladimir V. Putin will secure a fifth term as Russia’s leader in the presidential election this weekend.

But the couple, who live in Moscow with their three children, are not so sure about what will follow. Foremost in their minds are fears that Mr. Putin, emboldened by winning a new six-year term, might declare another mobilization for soldiers to fight in Ukraine. Aleksandr, 38, who left Russia shortly after Mr. Putin announced the first mobilization in September 2022 but recently returned, is even considering leaving the country again, his wife said.

“I only hear about mobilization — that there is a planned offensive for the summer and that troops need rotation,” Maria, 34, said in a WhatsApp exchange. She declined to allow the couple’s family name to be used, fearing repercussions from the government.

Many Russians have been worrying about a multitude of issues before the vote, which started on Friday and takes place over three days. Though the Russian authorities have denied that another mobilization for the war is planned, a sense of unease persists.

The concerns appear to be grounded in the possibility that Mr. Putin will use his unfettered power to make changes he avoided before the vote. Denis Volkov, the director of the Levada Center, one of the few independent pollsters in Russia, said those anxieties were still felt mainly by the minority of Russians who oppose the government.

While a potential mobilization remains the biggest cause of concern, there is unease, too, over finances and the economy. Some Russians worry that the ruble, which has been propped up by the government after plunging last year , might be allowed to depreciate again, raising the cost of imports. Businesspeople worry about higher taxes, and opposition activists expect more crackdowns on dissent.

“People are very anxious,” said Nina L. Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at the New School in New York City who regularly visits Russia. “Uncertainty is the worst, as much as Russian people are used to uncertainty.”

The worries reflect a current mood in Russia, where many have learned to hope for the best but expect the worst. The uncertainty has been worsened by a government that experts say has become increasingly authoritarian.

After more than two decades in power, Mr. Putin is not restrained by an opposition party in Parliament or a strong civil society. He is therefore relatively free to act as he pleases.

Some experts say that the Kremlin could use the results of the vote — expected to be a landslide victory for Mr. Putin — to crack down even further on dissent and escalate the war in Ukraine, which was intended to be a brisk “special military operation” but has turned into a slog that has caused hundreds of thousands of casualties.

“In an authoritarian election, the results are predictable but the consequences are not,” Yekaterina Schulmann, a Russian political scientist, said in a response to written questions from The New York Times. “If the system decides that it did well and everything is good, then the post-election period can be the time to make unpopular decisions.”

Ms. Schulmann pointed as an example to Mr. Putin’s last re-election, in 2018, which was followed by a highly unpopular increase in Russia’s retirement age.

Elections in Russia are managed tightly by the Kremlin through its almost total control of the media and state enterprises, whose workers are often pressured to vote. The electoral machine filters out unwanted candidates, and opposition activists have either been forced to flee or have ended up in Russian prisons. The country’s most prominent dissident, Aleksei A. Navalny, died last month in a penal colony in the Arctic where he had been imprisoned.

While the outcome of the vote is not in question, Russians have still been preoccupied by the process. The vote will be the first since Mr. Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022.

A Moscow consultant who works with Russian businesses said some of his clients had deliberately scheduled new stock offerings on the Moscow exchange so that they would happen in what they expected to be a relatively quiet period before the vote. He requested anonymity to avoid jeopardizing his relationship with his clients.

Russian consumers also rushed to buy cars at the beginning of the year, after auto-market analysts suggested that the period before the elections might be the best time to buy because the ruble might be devalued once the vote was over. The number of new cars sold in Russia in January and February jumped more than 80 percent compared with the same period last year, according to Avtostat, a news website about the Russian auto industry.

Businesses have been worried that the government will raise taxes after the vote. On Wednesday, Mr. Putin said that the government would draft new tax rules for individuals and private entities, and experts said that most likely meant taxes would rise for both groups.

Yevgeny Nadorshin, the chief economist at the PF Capital consulting company in Moscow, said companies were particularly concerned about a rise in taxes and higher labor costs. “That would jeopardize Russia’s competitiveness,” he said.

Mr. Nadorshin also noted the widespread rumors of another troop mobilization that, if it occurred, could further restrict the labor market for businesses, he said.

Mr. Volkov, of the Levada Center, said that most Russians, after the initial shock of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the mobilization that followed seven months later, adapted to the new world. Much of that was the result of government efforts to raise morale by making sure the country’s economy stayed healthy and injecting money into its industrial sector.

“There has been a serious redistribution of resources in favor of the majority, who feel that they can now live a normal life without getting directly engaged in the war,” he said, referring to salary increases for factory workers and various social payouts.

Still, he pointed to what he said was growing polarization between supporters and opponents of Mr. Putin.

“Mutual misunderstanding today is bigger and more acute than before,” Mr. Volkov said.

Many Russian anti-Kremlin activists — those who remain in the country and those who left — fear a new crackdown on dissent.

Yevgeny Chichvarkin, a Russian businessman and opposition activist in London, said he believed that after the election, dissidents would face a stark choice between fleeing or facing imprisonment.

“Nothing will help; the choice will be either to go to jail or leave the country,” he said in an interview with Zhivoy Gvozd, an independent Russian news outlet.

But some analysts have expressed doubt that Mr. Putin will do much more than he already has to stamp out dissent.

“The system cannot be in the state of mobilization and stress forever,” said Aleksandr Kynev, a Russia-based political scientist who specializes in regional politics. “If you give too much power to the security services, tomorrow they can remove you from power,” he said. “Vladimir Putin understands it well.”

Alina Lobzina contributed reporting.

Ivan Nechepurenko covers Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the countries of the Caucasus, and Central Asia. He is based in Moscow. More about Ivan Nechepurenko

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has signed into law three measures aimed at replenishing the ranks of his country’s depleted army, including lowering the draft age to 25 .

With continued American aid to Ukraine stalled and against the looming prospect of a second Trump presidency, NATO officials are looking to take more control of directing military support from Ukraine’s allies  — a role that the United States has played for the past two years.

Exploding drones hit an oil refinery and munitions factory far to the east of Moscow, in what Ukrainian media and military experts said was among the longest-range strikes with Ukrainian drones so far in the war .

Conditional Support: Ukraine wants a formal invitation to join NATO, but NATO has no appetite for taking on a new member  that, because of the alliance’s covenant of collective security, would draw it into the biggest land war in Europe since 1945.

“Shell Hunger”: A desperate shortage of munitions in Ukraine  is warping tactics and the types of weapons employed. What few munitions remain are often mismatched with battlefield needs as the country’s forces prepare for an expected Russian offensive this summer.

Turning to Marketing: Ukraine’s troop-starved brigades have started their own recruitment campaigns  to fill ranks depleted in the war with Russia.

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions  to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

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Russian foreign minister to travel to China on Monday

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is planning to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing next week to discuss several key issues, including the war in Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on Sunday.

Lavrov is set to visit China on Monday and Tuesday, with the talks also expected to cover the situation in the Asia-Pacific region and bilateral cooperation in the framework of international organizations like the UN, the BRICS group of important emerging economies - meaning Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - and the G20 group of leading industrialized and emerging economies.

Lavrov and Wang last met in October in Beijing, and held talks in Moscow in September.

While Western countries are trying to isolate Moscow in light of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine, Beijing, outwardly neutral but backing Russia, remains the Kremlin's most important ally. Chinese President Xi Jinping called Putin an "old friend" at a meeting last autumn.

Trade between Russia, which is affected by Western sanctions, and the world's second-largest economy is also flourishing.

China has proposed a peace plan to the war in Ukraine, launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, though on terms Kiev finds itself unable to accept.

Last month, top Ukrainian politicians and officials in Kiev once again appealed for support for a solution to the war at a meeting with Chinese special envoy Li Hui.

Ukraine insists that only President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace plan, which foresees the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from all occupied Ukrainian territories, should be implemented.

Russia denies Zelensky's plan as "unrealistic."

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Talk abut a Turkish delight.

Turkey is the most promiscuous country on the planet, according to an amorous analysis of the world’s sexual habits.

The average Turk has slept with more than 14 people according to World Population Review , putting the naughty nation well above the United States.

“The average number of sexual partners can vary significantly from country to country, as cultural norms can have a significant impact on the number of people someone has sex with,” the website declared, saying the figures were comprised after compiling “datasets from multiple third party sources.”

Turkey’s top spot may surprise some, given that more than 99% of residents are Muslim and the country is widely conceived to have traditional views when it comes sex and relationships.

But the list was full of sultry surprises.

Countries thought to have more liberal views on sex, such as Brazil and France, were surprisingly low down on the list.

The average Brazilian has bedded 9 people, putting the nation in 25th place.

France, meanwhile, was far from frisky, clocking in 29th position. Citizens of that country have slept with an average of 8.1 people.

After Turkey, Australia took second place on the lusty list, with the average Aussie having sex with more than 13 people over the course of their lifetime.

Neighboring New Zealand came in at third, followed by Iceland and South Africa.

The United States scored 13th place, with World Population Review saying Americans sleep with an average of 10.7 people over the years.

That has us tied with Canada, which also clocked the exact same stat.

The World Population Review’s data jibes with research released last year by NapLab, which also found that Americans had slept with 10.7 people over the course of their lifetime.

The least promiscuous countries in the World Population Review’s list were China and India, with citizens sleeping with 3.1 and 3.0 people respectively.

The Top 10 Most Promiscuous Countries

Turkey (14.5 people)

Australia (13.3)

New Zealand (13.2)

Iceland (13.0)

South Africa (12.5)

Finland (12.4)

Norway (12.1)

Italy (11.8)

Sweden (11.8)

Switzerland (11.1)

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