Russia | Travel Guide

1. Moscow

Cosmopolitan in flavor, Russia's capital exudes prosperity and vigor. From Stalin's carved-marble metro stations to the sprawl of modern business complexes, Moscow flaunts its ambition, and often goes over the top. It's an all-night-party town whose days offer endless opportunities for those who can keep up. A merchant capital by birth, Moscow was made for big spenders, and money has always made the wheels go round here. In what's now one of the world's most expensive cities, the only possible limit is the size of your wallet.

St. Basil's Cathedral

At the southern end of Red Square stands the icon of Russia: St. Basil’s Cathedral. This crazy confusion of colours, patterns and shapes is the culmination of a style that is unique to Russian architecture. In 1552, Ivan the Terrible captured the Tatar stronghold of Kazan on the Feast of Intercession. He commissioned this landmark church, officially the Intercession Cathedral, to commemorate the victory. Created from 1555 to 1561, this masterpiece would become the ultimate symbol of Russia. The cathedral’s apparent anarchy of shapes hides a comprehensible plan of nine main chapels. The tall, tent-roofed tower in the centre houses the namesake Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God. The four biggest domes top four octagonal-towered chapels: the Church of St. Cyprian & St. Justina, Church of the Holy Trinity, Church of the Icon of St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker, and the Church of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Finally, there are four smaller chapels in between. Each chapel was consecrated in honour of an event or battle in the struggle against Kazan. Legend has it that Ivan had the architects blinded so that they could never build anything comparable. This is a myth, however, as records show that they were employed a quarter of a century later to add an additional chapel to the structure. The Church of St. Vasily the Blessed, the northeastern chapel on the 1st floor, contains the canopy-covered crypt of its namesake saint, one of the most revered in Moscow. Vasily (Basil) the Blessed was known as a 'holy fool', sometimes going naked and purposefully humiliating himself for the greater glory of God. He was believed to be a seer and miracle maker, and even Ivan the Terrible revered and feared him.

Kremlin

Travelers sometimes describe the Kremlin as the Eighth Wonder of the World. The historic fortress complex is the principal symbol of Russia that sits on the banks of the Moscow River. Its origins trace back to the very foundation of Moscow in 1147 when it was a “grad” or fortified settlement surrounded with walls built from wood. Burnt down and rebuilt a several times, the walls were ordered to be upgraded by Ivan III the Great in 1485, as a result forming the massive and mighty Kremlin we know today. The Kremlin walls quickly became an important symbol of Moscow’s importance in the Russian Empire. As the residence of Russian rulers, from tsars to the elite of the Soviet government, to today’s executive branch of the Russian Federation, the Kremlin remains the most giddiness-inducing representation of the country's power today. The Kremlin, interspersed with 20 towers, some literal objects of art, encompass the country’s most important ceremonies and meetings. The Cathedral Square is the fortress’ most breathtakingly beautiful location. Centered here are the limestone-faced Cathedral of the Dormition, the gilded-domed Cathedral of the Annunciation, and the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael. Another impressive place in the Kremlin is what is frequently described as one of Russia’s most important museums, situated at the Armoury Chamber, where the country’s most prized collection of artifacts is stored, including its Diamond Fund.

>>> Flights to Moscow - Sheremetyevo
>>> Flights to Moscow - Domodedovo
>>> Flights to Moscow - Vnukovo
>>> Flights to Moscow - Zhukovsky
>>> Hotels in Moscow

2. Mount Elbrus

Mount Elbrus rises imperiously on a northern spur of the Caucasus ridge at the end of the Baksan Valley. Surrounding it, and flanking the valley, are mountains that are lower in height but equally awe-inspiring. Most visitors come for the challenge of climbing Europe’s highest peak, but there are dozens of fantastic, less-strenuous hikes in the area, and you can ski year-round on the higher reaches of Elbrus. If you're happy to pass on such activities, it's a pleasure to simply ride the cable cars and chairlifts, taking in the fresh air and stunning alpine views.

>>> Flights to Nalchik
>>> Hotels in Mount Elbrus

3. Greater Altai

Greater Altai, bordering on Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia, consists of the Altai Territory and the Altai Republic. The Altai Territory, while pleasant enough, is most noteworthy as a gateway to the wonders of the unforgettable Altai Republic. This sprawling and sparsely populated region is home to over 7000 lakes, snow-capped mountains – including Siberia’s highest peak (Mt. Belukha, 4506m), shadowy forests, gurgling rivers, bears, wolves and even the ghost-like snow leopard. There are fabulous opportunities for hiking and mountain exploration, but often only for those organised enough to arrange the necessary permits two months in advance. The Altai Republic has long been regarded as an area of spiritual and occult significance, and Russian philosopher and painter Nikolai Rerikh visited the region in the early 20th century in an attempt to locate the entrance to Shambala, the mythical enlightened land of Tibetan Buddhism. He failed, but you might not…

>>> Flights to Barnaul (DOM)
>>> Hotels in Greater Altai

4. St. Petersburg

The sheer grandeur and history of Russia's imperial capital never fail to amaze, but this is also a city with a revolutionary spirit. The creation of westward-looking Peter the Great, St. Petersburg was intended from its inception as a display of imperial Russia’s growing status in the world. Fine-tuned by Peter’s successors, who employed a host of European architects to add fabulous palaces and cathedrals to the city’s layout, St. Petersburg grew to be the Romanovs’ showcase capital and Russia’s first great, modern city. The capital may have moved back to Moscow following the revolution, but despite all that history has thrown at it, St. Petersburg still feels every bit the imperial city with its historic heart largely frozen in time.

Whether you’re cruising along the elegant canals, crossing one of the 342 bridges in the city, or just watching them being raised in summer over the mighty Neva River at night to allow ships to pass through, you’re never far from water in St. Petersburg. This has earned the city unsurprising comparisons to Venice, but the similarities don’t stop there: walking around the historic centre will reveal canals lined by Italianate mansions and broken up by striking plazas adorned with baroque and neoclassical palaces. North of the city centre there are also pristine beaches fringing the Gulf of Finland.

Hermitage Museum
The Hermitage Museum is among the most fabulous places worth visiting in Russia, featuring about 3,100,000 of the world’s most prestigious exhibits. The Hermitage Museum is situated in St. Petersburg, founded by Catherine the Great back in 1764. Besides the Louvre, there’s no other museum which rivals the Hermitage. You’re definite to enjoy viewing the Impressionist masterpieces and the fascinating oriental treasures. The Hermitage is a huge museum of culture and art; it is especially strong in French Impressionist paintings and Italian Renaissance, prsenting exemplary collections of works crafted by Picasso, Matisse, and Rembrandt. You shouldn’t miss the exclusive Roman and Greek antiquities collections, as well as the exhibits of Central Asian and Siberian art. The larger bulk of the Hermitage collections is housed within the Winter Palace, which later became an official home of the Tsars. The Hermitage Museum demands more than one visit.

>>> Flights to St. Petersburg
>>> Hotels in St. Petersburg

5. Vladivostok

The unofficial capital of the Russian Far East and one of Russia's most important commercial ports and naval bases, Vladivostok ('Master the East') is also a thoroughly charming city, with a gorgeous, hilly setting, striking architecture and numerous verdant islands and sandy bays along its Pacific coastline. Most notable of these is Golden Horn Bay, over which now soars a massive suspension bridge, one of two built in recent years that have hugely improved the city's lumbering Soviet-era infrastructure. The rest of Russia slowly seems to be waking up to Vladivostok's potential as well. In 2016 St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre inaugurated its impressive glass and steel Primorsky Stage, while the Hermitage Vladivostok is due to open in 2018. Vladivostok buzzes with cocktail bars, excellent restaurants and a renewed sense of purpose – don’t miss the Far East's most dynamic and fast-paced city.

>>> Flights to Vladivostok
>>> Hotels in Vladivostok

6. Kazan

Kazan (meaning 'cooking pot' in Tatar) is the Istanbul of the Volga, a place where Europe and Asia curiously inspect each other from the tops of church belfries and minarets. It is about 150 years older than Moscow and the capital of the Tatarstan Republic – the land of the Volga Tatars, a Turkic people commonly associated with Chinggis Khaan’s hordes. Tatar autonomy is strong here and is not just about bilingual street signs. Moscow has pumped vast sums into the republic to persuade it to remain a loyal part of Russia. It also ensures that Tatarstan benefits greatly from the vast oil reserves in this booming republic. Slavic Russians make up about half of the population, and this cultural conflux of Slavic and Tatar cultures makes Kazan an all-the-more-interesting city.

>>> Flights to Kazan
>>> Hotels in Kazan

7. Lake Baikal

One of the world’s oldest geographical features (formed 25 to 30 million years ago), magnificent Lake Baikal is the highlight of Eastern Siberia. Summer travellers enjoy gobsmacking vistas across waters of the deepest blue to soaring mountain ranges on the opposite shore; rarer winter visitors marvel at its powder-white surface, frozen steel-hard and scored with ice roads. Whether they swim in it, drink its water, skirt its southern tip by train, cycle or dog sled over it in winter, or just admire it from 2000km of shoreline, most agree that Siberia doesn’t get better than this. Banana-shaped Baikal is 636km from north to south and up to 1637m deep, making it the world’s deepest lake, containing nearly one-fifth of the planet’s unfrozen fresh water. Despite some environmental concerns, it’s pure enough to drink in most places, but use common sense. Fed by 300 rivers, it’s drained by just one, the Angara near Listvyanka.

>>> Hotels in Lake Baikal

8. Krasnoyarsk

Orderly and affluent, Krasnoyarsk reflects in the blueish-grey surface of the mind-bogglingly wide Yenisey River, which marks the border between the swampy west and the mountainous east of Siberia. Uniquely, the million-strong city boasts a hugely popular national park located within city boundaries. The other prominent urban feature is unfortunately a giant aluminium plant, which contributes to some serious air pollution in the centre. With outstanding museums, a lively restaurant scene and some exquisite timber mansions popping up here and there amid the Soviet-era concrete, Krasnoyarsk is an agreeable place to break the long journey between Tomsk (612km west) and Lake Baikal.

Stolby Natural Sanctuary
Situated on the northwestern spurs of the Sayan Mountains, Stolby Natural Sanctuary is the one of the most popular Siberian destinations. This reserve’s main attractions include the cliffs and rocks, referred as Stolby in Russian, meaning ‘pillars’ in English. The smallest cliffs are approximately 60m high, but the highest can go as high as 600m. Hiking and rock-climbing are among the most favored activities here. If you are interested in the local biodiversity, the sanctuary definitely offers an impressive combination of a zoological and botanical tour.

>>> Flights to Krasnoyarsk
>>> Hotels in Krasnoyarsk

9. Sochi

Gateway to the optimistically named ‘Russian Riviera’, Sochi is a Black Sea resort with a lively boardwalk and glorious sunsets. In summer, coastline nightclubs pump out booming baselines from dusk till dawn. Away from the embankment, magnolia- and cypress-filled parks provide a fine setting for strolling. And just outside of town, the Agura Valley offers easily accessible hiking amid waterfalls and sublime views. While the sea is warm and the climate subtropical (among Russia’s warmest destinations in winter), Sochi's beaches are disappointingly rocky and grey. You might find imported, finer white sand at some private beaches in the summer months. In recent years, Sochi has become most famous as the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

>>> Flights to Sochi
>>> Hotels in Sochi

10. Veliky Novgorod

Veliky Novgorod, usually shortened to Novgorod, is a proud and beautiful city, billed as the 'Birthplace of Russia', and the most popular town in the Western European Russia region. It was here, in 862, that Prince Rurik proclaimed the modern Russian state – the Rurik dynasty went on to rule Russia for more than 750 years. The ancient settlement was a major centre for trade, literacy, democracy and the spread of Orthodoxy; its glorious Cathedral of St. Sophia is the oldest church in Russia. Straddling the Volkhov River, this attractive, tourist-friendly destination is a popular weekend getaway for St. Petersburg residents – to avoid the crowds, come during the week. Novgorod is also a good base for visiting Staraya Russa, Dostoevsky’s hometown.

>>> Flights to St. Petersburg
>>> Hotels in Veliky Novgorod

11. Kamchatka Krai

There are few places in the world that can enthral quite like Kamchatka, easily Russia's most scenically dramatic region. A vast volcanic peninsula that is almost entirely wilderness, Kamchatka is a place of extraordinary primal beauty, rushing rivers, hot springs and snow-capped peaks. Getting here takes time and effort, and exploring the region even more so, but few visitors leave anything other than awestruck. Visitors to Kamchatka have traditionally been an intriguing mix of outdoorsy types and package tourists, both with deep pockets. Yet against all odds, Kamchatka has recently become viable for independent, relatively budget-conscious travellers. The capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, may be gritty, but it enjoys an incredible setting and has its share of easily accessible activities, including lift skiing into late May and some very doable volcano climbs. Kamchatka may not be a budget destination yet, but no longer is it strictly the domain of tycoons.

>>> Fights to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (DOM)
>>> Hotels in Kamchatka Krai

12. Trans-Siberian Railway

Snow-dusted or sun-kissed steppe and taiga, the Gobi Desert and the Great Wall – the Trans-Siberian routes unite landscapes and experiences into the journey of a lifetime. No other rail journey can compare to the Trans-Siberian Railway, once hailed as the fairest jewel in the crown of the Tsars. Today the name is shorthand for a web of tracks, fanning out from Moscow and European Russia across seven time zones to the Pacific edge of Asia. Survivor of revolution, wars, natural calamities and extreme weather, this historic iron way provides access to both contemporary metropolises and timeless villages, as well as beautiful landscapes.

Trans-Siberian journeys are packed with wow moments. We defy you not to get a kick out of marching across the cobbles of Moscow's Red Square, wandering around Beijing's Forbidden City or taking in the glorious panorama of Vladivostok's Golden Horn Bay. The more adventurous will certainly want to explore – and possibly plunge into – icy Lake Baikal, or ride with nomads across Mongolia's magnificent steppes. While aboard the train, embrace the chance to interact with your fellow passengers and learn a little about their respective cultures as you share with them something of your own. You'll discover, if you haven't already, that Russians in particular are among the kindest people you could meet, ever ready to share their provisions and engage in conversation. So whether you're on the Trans-Siberian Railway simply for the sake of the journey or for the access it provides to Russia, China and Mongolia, prepare yourself for a magnificently rewarding experience of changing landscapes and cultures, people, and of life on the rails.

>>> Flights to Moscow - Sheremetyevo

>>> Flights to Moscow - Domodedovo

>>> Flights to Moscow - Vnukovo

>>> Flights to Moscow - Zhukovsky

>>> Flights to Vladivostok
>>> Flights to Beijing (China)

13. Kizhi Island

This enchanting green sliver is by far the most visited of Lake Onega’s 1600-plus islands. This is thanks to the magnificent Transfiguration Church, Russia’s most iconic wooden landmark, which dominates the stunning Kizhi Museum Reserve. Visitors typically get four hours on the island, which is more than enough time to visit the main reserve and stroll up to the lived-in Yamka village. Guided excursions are on offer but much of what you’ll see is self-explanatory.