MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN RUSSIA TO VISIT
Visiting Russia should be more than visiting St. Petersburg and Moscow, and here you will find out about the best places to visit in Russia.
Russia is a massive country spread through eleven time zones. When it’s early morning in Vladivostok, it’s late evening in Kaliningrad; 9 climate zones from the Arctic to Subtropical means you can find a huge bio and geographical diversity.
Traveling Russia is a great combination of cultural and nature/wildlife experience; great cities with hundreds of years of history, art museums and cathedrals, and at the same time Baikal – the deepest lake in the world, the largest forest area in the world, vast Tundra plains and the Valley of Geysers.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means I might earn a small commission when you buy a product/service via my link (at no extra cost to you). More about it here.
TOP PLACES TO VISIT IN RUSSIA
Ready to find out about the most beautiful places to visit in Russia?
St.Petersburg
The cultural capital of Russia is one of the top tourist destinations in the country. The city attracts more than 7 million visitors every year.
St.Petersburg is a young city, only 314 years, but so much was built, and so many things happened in this short time that the city will keep you very busy for the whole period of your stay. During the Navigation season, anybody can visit St.Petersburg without a visa and stay for 72 hours in the city as a part of a cruise.
The best time for visiting is June – July when you have a chance to experience famous White nights, with the shortest night, less than 2 hours, on the 21st of June. Some of the St.Petersburg highlights; the Hermitage, Peter and Paul Fortress, St.Isaak Cathedral, Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood, Peterhof Palace and Park, Catherine Palace with Amber Room, and Russian Museum.
The best way to explore the city center is on foot or by boat there are several water routes through the historical part.
Moscow
The Russian capital is the largest European city with over 10 million people living in it!
Moscow is a mix of old and new, a crazy bustling megapolis where something always happening. One of the oldest Russian cities, it was founded in 1147. During its almost 900 years of history, Moscow has been burnt, rebuilt, and expanded in the last four centuries. It even ceased its leading role to St.Petersburg and was the second city of Russia for 207 years.
The oldest remaining building in Moscow is the Andronikov Monastery of the Savior, built in 1425. The city is huge the best, and the fastest way to move around is using the underground, it’s a widespread network of stations throughout the city. Must-see places in Moscow; Kremlin, Red Square, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Bolshoi Theatre, Tretyakov Gallery, Novodevichy Convent, Kolomenskoye.
Elbrus
Located in the Kabardino-Balkaria region near the border with Georgia, Elbrus is a part of the Caucasus mountain range.
The highest mountain in Europe, 5642m, for the first time, was conquered in 1874. Nowadays, hundreds of people climb Elbrus every year though it doesn’t mean it is easy.
The area around Elbrus is famous for its beautiful mountain scenery, mineral springs, and great local food. The best seasons to come here are summer (June – August) if you plan to go climbing or hiking and winter (December – February) for skiing and snowboarding – visiting is surely one of the best things to do in Russia.
The easiest way of getting to Elbrus is to take a flight to Nalchik (the nearest airport). There are flights from Moscow, St.Petersburg, Istanbul, and Tbilisi.
Veliky Novgorod
The oldest Russian city on the bank of River Volkhov remained almost the same as it was centuries ago.
Once, the Novgorod Republic’s capital (what later became the Russian Empire) and one of the biggest European cities.
If you want to see old Russian architecture, experience a small Russian town’s tranquil life, and try traditional food, Novgorod is a great place for these. The history of Novgorod goes back to the 10th century when it was mentioned for the first time in Chronicles.
The highlights of Veliky Novgorod; Novgorodsky Kremlin, the Cathedral of St. Sophia, the Museum of Wooden Architecture, Yuriev Monastery, St. Nicholas Cathedral.
Novgorod can be visited as a day trip from St.Petersburg it takes 3 hours to get there by speed train.
Lake Baikal
It has many world records and impressive figures; the largest freshwater lake in the world by volume and the seventh largest by surface area, the deepest lake (max depth 1600m), and the oldest lake (25 million years).
All these sound quite impressive and enough reasons to go and see Baikal, but it’s more just a huge lake when you’re there. It’s an incredible ecosystem and beautiful nature.
There are many activities to do in the area, from hiking on Olkhon Island and kayaking in summer to ice-diving and skating/skiing in winter.
The fastest way to get here is to fly to Irkutsk, or if you have more time and seek adventure, take the famous Trans-Siberian railway all the way from Moscow. It’ll take you 4 days to get here.
Sochi
The summer capital of Russia has gained back its popularity in the last years, Sochi. First holding Winter Olympic Games and then being one of the main FIFA World Cup cities, it is one of Russia’s most interesting places.
Sochi has a subtropical climate with evergreen palm trees, the warm water of the Black Sea, and beautiful mountains.
In summer, it’s a good place for chilling on the beach, hiking in the surrounding mountains, or doing some adventure tours, e.g., rafting, abseiling, and bungee jumping.
In winter people come here for skiing and snowboarding, there are some great slopes.
It’s easy to get here from any Russian city there are plenty of flights and trains going this way.
Best Off the Beaten Path Places to Visit in Russia – Hidden Gems in Russia
Altai
Overlooked by most tourists Altai region is a real hidden treasure of Russia; stunning landscape, untouched nature, and many hiking trails. This is a real paradise for nature lovers.
The region is in the South-East of Russia on the border with Kazakhstan, China, and Mongolia.
Altai is famous for its lakes. There are over 7000 in the area, snow-peak mountains, including Mt.Belukha, the highest mountain in Siberia, with incredible wildlife, bears, wolves, snow leopards, foxes, etc.
Read more: The Trans-Siberian Railway.
Kazan
The capital of Tatarstan, the Republic of Kazan, might represent the country better than any other city. It is a mix of Asian and European cultures and is one of the most beautiful cities in Russia.
The capital of the Muslim republic, with 48% of its population being Christian, mosques and churches, the old Kremlin, and modern architecture peacefully coexist here.
The history of the city goes back to the 10th century. It’s one of the oldest and most multinational Russian cities.
The highlights of Kazan are: Kazan Kremlin, Qolsarif Mosque, Millennium Park of Kazan, Bauman Street, and Cathedral of the Apostles Peter and Paul.
Kazan is connected by railway with many Russian cities, to get here from Moscow takes 12 hours, prices from 20 USD. There are flights from Russia and many European cities.
Kamchatka Peninsula
The most remote out of all Russian regions Kamchatka is closer to Canada than to Central Russia.
A real wild Russia that many tourists imagine with many bears, forests, a tough climate, and few people. The highlights of Kamchatka; are the Valley of Geysers, Gorely Volcano, Avachinsky Bay, Mutnovsky Volcano.
The most challenging is getting here and moving around as there are very few roads in the region, and to get to some places, you’ll need a helicopter. But some helicopters are used as public transport, so you don’t need to hire the entire chopper only for you.
The cheapest flight from Moscow costs about 300 UDS return off-season and 500 USD in season. To get here from other places in Russia is even more expensive. There is no railway here train is not an option.
Kizhi
A wooden architecture open-air museum located on one of the islands in Omega Lake, the North of Russia.
Kizhi is a perfect example of old-style wooden Russian architecture. The main church was built in 1714 and replaced the early one destroyed years before by fire. The surrounding Nordic nature and wooden complex make a perfect match.
The main attraction of Kizhi is the Church of Transfiguration – a 37-meter-high building with 22 wooden cupolas. Its body was built without using any nails (the cupola constriction has some).
You can get from Moscow, St.Petersburg, and some other cities by train to Petrozavodsk, the nearest town, and then take a ferry to the island.
These are some of the best places to visit in Russia some famous tourist attractions and some hidden gems you can find in this huge country.
Russia Travel Guide
You will find some travel tips for your Russia trip below.
Best Season to Travel in Russia
Summer (June – August) is the best time to visit Russia. Winter can be an option if you want to experience a really cold Russian winter, ski or snowboard, or do ice-diving in Baikal Lake.
Things You Need to Know About Russia
Find out about Visa requirements here.
Alphabet – The Russian language has its own Cyrillic alphabet, making it quite complicated for foreigners to read even street names and signs.
Google Translate works well for Russian–English language combination. It can read and translate signs and voice messages as well.
Time – Russia has 11 time zones. If you’re going to travel around the country, always check local time.
Russian currency: Ruble (RUB), 1 USD = 60 RUB
In big cities are many ATMs, and cards are widely accepted, but if you’re going to the country or a small place, bring cash.
Security Tips for Russia
Safety tips for Russia are limited by taking normal precautions like watching for your personal belongings in public places, not walking at night in dodgy areas, and don’t carry all your valuable stuff with you all the time. All these are mainly for big cities. If you go hiking in the mountains or forest, make sure somebody knows where you go and when you’re planning to come back.
How to Move Around Russia
The fastest way is to fly though it’s quite expensive and worth doing only for long distances, 1000km and more. Double-check luggage allowance for local airlines as some of them don’t include check-in luggage in the basic tariff. Some allow only small handbags for carry-on. A middle-distance flight of 2000km will cost you 60 USD.
Trains run across the country, the famous Trans-Siberian railway crossing Russia from West to East. Trains are cheap, especially if you buy a sleeper class ticket, quite comfortable if you go for a compartment ticket, and easy to use. You can buy a ticket online anywhere in Russia. A train ticket (2000km distance) costs 60USD.
Buses are quite popular even for long distances but traveling time is longer than by train, and it’s less comfortable. The average price for a long-distance bus (1300km) from 40USD.
Renting a car is not very popular in Russia as public transport is quite good and relatively cheap, but you can do it. It can be worth doing if you’re at least three or four people or have a lot of luggage and don’t feel like moving around with all your stuff by trains and buses. Just keep in mind that traffic in big cities, mostly in Moscow, is hectic.
Hitchhiking is quite popular in Russia, especially in the South during the summer holiday, mostly between smaller towns and beaches. In big cities hitchhiking for money saving is not worth it as transport is not expensive and distances are huge. But some people do it and even manage to cross Russia from West to East hitchhiking if you’re seeking adventure, and an interesting experience, go for it.
About the Authors
Stingy Nomads bio
We’re Campbell and Alya, an adventurous travel couple who met surfing in the Philippines. Four years later, they married and are still traveling. We’re based somewhere between Cape Town, South Africa, and St.Petersburg, Russia, chasing summer and nice weather on both continents. We’re camping addicts and road trippers and like exploring the world’s best hiking and diving destinations and, of course, doing all the above on a tight budget.
Follow Stingy Nomads on Facebook
PIN ME FOR LATER – MOST BEAUTIFUL IN RUSSIA
