Vast country of palaces, cathedrals and Siberian wilderness
Russia is the largest country in the world, spanning Europe and Asia. Moscow and Saint Petersburg hold world famous palaces, museums and cathedrals, and Siberia has Lake Baikal and the Trans-Siberian Railway. The US government advises Americans not to travel to Russia for any reason, and to leave if already there, because of the war against Ukraine, wrongful detention risk and very limited consular help. This guide is background only, not a plan for a trip now.
Tap a card or a pin. Add a place to a day of your trip, or look for tours.
The heart of Moscow, with the Kremlin walls, Lenin's Mausoleum and St Basil's Cathedral. The Kremlin holds cathedrals and the Armoury.
A 16th century cathedral with colourful onion domes on Red Square. The interior is a maze of chapels.
One of the world's greatest art museums, in the Winter Palace. It holds millions of items.
A palace with golden fountains and gardens by the Gulf of Finland. Fountains run in summer.
A blue and white palace with the reconstructed Amber Room. Parkland surrounds it.
The deepest and oldest lake in the world, holding about a fifth of the planet's unfrozen fresh surface water. Olkhon Island is a highlight.
The long rail line from Moscow to Vladivostok, crossing seven time zones. Many travellers break the journey.
Old towns northeast of Moscow with white stone churches and kremlins, such as Suzdal and Vladimir. They feel rural and historic.
A fortress mixing Orthodox cathedral and the Kul Sharif mosque. Kazan is the Tatar capital.
Wooden churches on an island in Lake Onega, built without nails. Boats run in summer.
Stations decorated like palaces with chandeliers and mosaics. It is also a fast way around.
Active volcanoes, geysers and bears in the far east. Access is by expensive tours.
Canals, bridges and palaces along the main avenue. Bridges open at night in summer.
A monastery on remote White Sea islands, later a Soviet prison camp. It is reached by summer boat.
Mountains, rivers and lakes in southern Siberia. The Chuysky Trakt road is scenic.
Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it: pick cities, add places to days, see the weather for your dates.
Each city with a guide opens its own page: map, where to stay, what to eat.
Capital with the Kremlin.
history · Open the city guidePalaces and museums.
culture · Open the city guideGolden Ring town.
history · Guide comingTatar capital.
culture · Guide comingLake Baikal gateway.
nature · Guide comingEarly medieval centre with a kremlin and old churches.
history, churches · Guide comingBlack Sea resort with mountain access nearby.
beach, mountains · Guide comingUrals city on the border of Europe and Asia.
history, stopover · Guide comingCapital and historic towns.
Kremlin, Suzdal, Sergiev Posad
Imperial city and lakes.
Saint Petersburg, Peterhof, Kizhi
Tatar and river cities.
Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod
Lakes and volcanoes.
Lake Baikal, Altai, Kamchatka
Old towns and monasteries around the capital.
Moscow, Suzdal, Sergiev Posad
Large river cities with mixed cultures.
Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Sviyazhsk
Choose how long you have, then add the whole route to a trip as places and nights.
Best: May to September. Summer is warm with long days and the White Nights in Saint Petersburg.
Siberia is extremely cold in winter, while Lake Baikal freezes from about January to March.
January. Quiet season. Lower prices, fewer crowds.
19°F daily high, 13°F average, 1.9 in
Average of past years from NASA POWER, worked out at each city's position. A place far from these cities can be quite different.
The US State Department rates Russia Level 4: Do Not Travel, citing terrorism, unrest, wrongful detention and other risks.
Trains are good, but sanctions limit international flights, cards and bookings for foreigners.
Costs vary, but foreign cards often do not work, making payments difficult.
Entry rules depend on your passport. Members see the rules for their own passport here.
Passport and visa rules change often and without notice. Always check the official pages before you book and again before you travel.
| Entry | Current US advice is not to travel, and rules change, so check the website of the Russian Embassy in the UK and your own government's travel advice before you book. |
| Plugs | Type C, F; 220 V |
| Tap water | not safe |
| Tipping | About 10 percent in restaurants is common. |
| Payments | Foreign cards issued abroad generally do not work, so payment is a major problem. |
| Emergency | 112 |
| Etiquette | Avoid political discussion and photos of military or government sites. Laws restricting speech are strictly enforced. |
| What to wear | Women cover their heads in Orthodox churches; men remove hats. |
| Driving | On the right |
| Between cities | Trains link major cities, including high speed lines between Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Domestic flights cover long distances. International flights and payments are limited by sanctions. |
| Main airports | SVO, DME, LED, VKO |
| Ride apps | Yandex Go |
The medieval state of Kievan Rus gave way to the rise of Moscow, whose tsars expanded across Siberia. Peter the Great founded Saint Petersburg in 1703 as a window to Europe. The 1917 revolution created the Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991. Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 brought wide sanctions and flight restrictions.
Researched 2026-10-13. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.