Russia spans eleven time zones, and no list can do all of it justice – but these fifteen places cover the essential range: imperial capitals, medieval kremlins, the world’s deepest lake, Arctic skies and Pacific harbours. The first few are classics every visitor should see; the further down you read, the further off the beaten path you get.
01Moscow
The capital is Russia at maximum intensity: the Kremlin and Red Square, metro stations built like underground palaces, the Tretyakov Gallery’s icon halls and a food-and-culture scene that rivals any city in Europe. Give it four days minimum – and see it up close on our Moscow tour.
02St Petersburg
Peter the Great’s window on Europe is the most beautiful city in Russia: the Hermitage’s three million artworks, canals lined with pastel palaces, and the White Nights of June, when darkness never quite falls. Our St Petersburg tour covers Hermitage, Peterhof and the canals in six days.
03Lake Baikal
The deepest, oldest lake on Earth holds a fifth of the planet’s fresh surface water, ringed by Siberian taiga and home to the world’s only freshwater seal. Most travellers arrive the classic way – by rail on our Trans-Siberian & Baikal tour.
04The Golden Ring
A necklace of medieval towns northeast of Moscow – Suzdal, Vladimir, Sergiev Posad – where onion domes rise over wooden houses and monastery walls, essentially unchanged for centuries. Best in golden September: see the Golden Ring tour.
05Kazan
Capital of Tatarstan and Russia’s most striking cultural crossroads: the Kul Sharif Mosque and an Orthodox cathedral share one UNESCO-listed kremlin, and Tatar cuisine – try echpochmak pastries – is a highlight in itself. An easy overnight train from Moscow.
06Sochi & the Black Sea coast
Palms, pebble beaches and 2,000-metre peaks within an hour of each other – Russia’s Riviera pairs seaside promenades with the Olympic mountain resorts of Krasnaya Polyana. Swim from June to September; details on the Sochi tour.
07Kaliningrad
Russia’s Baltic exclave, once Prussian Königsberg, mixes a Gothic cathedral and German-era quarters with the dunes of the UNESCO-listed Curonian Spit – and most of the world’s amber. Compact, atmospheric, different: our Kaliningrad tour.
08Nizhny Novgorod
Where the Oka meets the Volga, a hilltop kremlin overlooks one of Russia’s great river panoramas. Rejuvenated for its 800th anniversary, Nizhny is the easiest “second city” add-on to Moscow – our Nizhny Novgorod tour departs every Monday.
09Veliky Novgorod
Not to be confused with Nizhny: this is Russia’s birthplace, over 1,150 years old, with the country’s oldest cathedral (St Sophia, 11th century) and a riverside kremlin that predates Moscow itself. A rewarding day trip from St Petersburg.
10Pskov
Near the Estonian border, Pskov preserves a mighty limestone fortress, some of Russia’s oldest churches (UNESCO-listed) and the Pushkin family estates nearby – with barely a foreign tourist in sight. Quietly one of our favourites: the Pskov tour.
11Karelia & Kizhi Island
Between St Petersburg and the Arctic stretches a land of lakes and forest, crowned by Kizhi Island on Lake Onega – its 22-domed Transfiguration Church was built entirely of wood, reputedly without a single nail. Summer hydrofoils run from Petrozavodsk.
12Murmansk & the northern lights
The largest city above the Arctic Circle is Russia’s aurora capital: from roughly September to March, tours head into the tundra to chase the northern lights, and you can visit the world’s first nuclear icebreaker, the Lenin. Polar night in December is an experience all of its own.
13The Altai Mountains
Where Siberia meets Central Asia, the Altai delivers Russia’s most spectacular wilderness – turquoise rivers, snow peaks, standing stones and horse treks far from any crowd. This one demands time (and ideally a guide), which is exactly why it stays pristine.
14Vladivostok
Seven time zones from Moscow, Russia’s Pacific capital tumbles down hills to a harbour spanned by one of the world’s longest cable-stayed bridges. It’s the triumphant final stop of the full Trans-Siberian route – and closer to Tokyo than to Moscow.
15Crimea
Palaces above the sea at Yalta, the naval history of Sevastopol and vineyards running down to a dramatic coastline. Note that most Western governments advise against travel to Crimea and its status is internationally disputed – our Crimea tour is primarily chosen by guests from the Gulf and Asia.
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