Russia Travel Guide

Browse 386 travel reviews, 640 travel blogs and 31,493 travel photos from real travelers to Russia.

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Russia Overview

The world's largest country, Russia stands out among the rest only for its size, but also for its troubled past, its current political climate, its vast array of geographical extremes, and for its mystery. Shrouded behind decades of communism and the remnants of the Cold War, the Western world has still not managed to get a glimpse of anything more than the tiniest part of this massive country. Siberia, vodka, and the headquarters of communism for many years, Russia is a country that hides a great number of mysteries and miracles behind its veil, just waiting to be discovered in the 21st centuread morery.

From one of the world's greatest cities in Moscow, to perhaps the world’s largest and most popular museums in one of the planet’s most visited tourist destinations in Saint Petersburg, to the vast reaches of Siberia with such amazing sights as Lake Onega and Kizhi Island, or Lake Baikal and the Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia most certainly has more than meets the eye.

Getting into Russia is difficult at best. Obtaining a visa requires several months’ worth of patience, quite a bit of money, and in most cases an official invitation which can only be issued by someone from within Russia who is either a legal resident or a citizen. But while the visa regulations are a hassle, and are definitely difficult and time-consuming, it is well worth the effort.

Russia has some of the most amazing scenery in the world. There are rolling hills, rugged mountains, vast rivers and lakes, forests, plains, and more. It is one of the greatest eco-tourism spots on the planet, with several nature reserves. Due to its size, and the distance between cities, there is a seemingly-endless spread of landscape to be discovered. The food is divine, and many of the recipes that Americans now hold as “traditional”, such as beef stroganoff, actually originated in Russia.

Accommodations will depend on where you are, but keep in mind that almost everything was built during the Soviet era.

Saint Petersburg #1 most popular location
The most European of Russian cities, it’s hard to believe that St. Petersburg is the result of Peter the Great’s bright idea to build his new capital in the heart of a massive marshland. …
1,125travelers 125reviews 140blogs
Moscow #2 most popular location
It might be icy - and still hide plenty of the remnants of the icy former regime, too - but Moscow is rammed full of stunning tourist draws. From mammoth squares to picture-postcard spires, y…
2,274travelers 186reviews 250blogs
Yekaterinburg #3 most popular location
Yekaterinburg is wonderful. Over the last decade it has become the third major city in Russia after Moscow an Saint Petersburg. It is full of history and the final destination of Tsar Nikolas…
20travelers 1reviews 6blogs
Sochi #4 most popular location
Sochi (Russian: Сочи, IPA: ['soʨɪ]) is a Russian resort city, situated in Krasnodar Krai just north of the southern Russian border. It sprawls along the shores of the Black Sea against …
26travelers 1reviews 4blogs
Krasnodar #5 most popular location
Krasnodar (Russian: Краснодар) is a city in Southern Russia on the Kuban River. It is the administrative center of Krasnodar Krai (also known as Kuban). Population: 710,400 (2006 est…
14travelers 2blogs
Kazan #6 most popular location
Kazan is the largest city and also the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The people here speak mainly Tatar and Russian , with Russian being spoken by almost everyone there whil…
39travelers 5reviews 10blogs
Samara #7 most popular location
24travelers 3blogs
Irkutsk #8 most popular location
Welcome to Irkutsk! It's is one of the largest cities in Siberia. Irkutsk is situated on a taiga, which is typical of Eastern Siberia. Much of the city's cultural heritage comes from the ear…
41travelers 4reviews 42blogs
Nizhniy Novgorod #9 most popular location
Nizhny Novgorod, the 5th largest city in russia is dubbed one of the "most beautiful" city in russia, mixed with russian culture and heritage. The City was previously known as Gorky , named a…
25travelers 4reviews 11blogs
Kaliningrad #10 most popular location
Kaliningrad was formerly known as Königsberg and is situated on the Pregolya River. This city is a major industrial and commercial center, connected by channel with Baltiysk, an ice-free por…
23travelers 3reviews 4blogs
Novosibirsk #11 most popular location
Novosibirsk is the third largest city in Russia after Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, and is the largest city of Siberia. It is also the youngest city to exceed the population of a million citiz…
39travelers 2reviews 8blogs
Suzdal #12 most popular location
Suzdal, part of the Golden Ring of cities in Russia, is a quiet country town, small but with lots of interesting monasteries and beautiful churches to visit. The white building in the pic…
1travelers 5reviews 10blogs
Perm #13 most popular location
8travelers 1blogs
Yaroslavl #14 most popular location
5travelers 3reviews 3blogs
Vladivostok #15 most popular location
73travelers 1reviews 5blogs
Astrakhan #16 most popular location
7travelers 4blogs
Saratov #17 most popular location
6travelers 1blogs
Volgograd #18 most popular location
27travelers 1reviews 1blogs
Krasnoyarsk #19 most popular location
23travelers 4blogs
Listvyanka #20 most popular location
3reviews 8blogs
Vladimir #21 most popular location
4travelers 6reviews 5blogs
Murmansk #22 most popular location
Murmansk,this bizzare place,is situated at the northwest of Russia,at the Kola Peninsula.It is also an important russian Navy base,so in some places no photos are allowed. If you close your …
17travelers 2reviews 2blogs
Petrozavodsk #23 most popular location
Petrozavodsk is a capital of the Republic of Karelia. It's in the northwest of Russia, between Saint-Petersburg and Murmansk, close to Finland. The city is located on the Onego lake, second l…
7travelers 1reviews 3blogs
Ufa #24 most popular location
12travelers 3reviews 2blogs
Khabarovsk #25 most popular location
24travelers 2reviews 2blogs
Tomsk #26 most popular location
11travelers 2blogs
Kostroma #27 most popular location
3travelers 3reviews 2blogs
Omsk #28 most popular location
21travelers 2blogs
Ryazan #29 most popular location
3travelers 1reviews
Veliky Novgorod #30 most popular location
Veliky Novgorod, one of the oldest most beautiful cities in Russia. First mentioned in the historical annals in 859, this city has unending historical adventures and gorgeous scenery. It is a…
1reviews
Ulan-Ude #31 most popular location
4travelers 6blogs
Vyborg #32 most popular location
4travelers 2blogs
Tver #33 most popular location
3travelers 1reviews
Novgorod #34 most popular location
2travelers 1reviews 6blogs
Cheboksary #35 most popular location
6travelers 1reviews
Uglich #36 most popular location
1travelers 1blogs
Lake Baikal #37 most popular location
Lake Baikal is located in Russia between the provinces Irkutskaya and Buryatia. The biggest city at the lake is Irkutsk, which is also the city you arrive in by train, when visiting Lake Baik…
22travelers 1reviews 4blogs
Baikal #38 most popular location
10travelers 1reviews 2blogs
Sergiev Posad #39 most popular location
Sergiyev Posad (Russian: Се́ргиев Поса́д) is a city and the administrative center of Sergiyevo-Posadsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia. It grew up in the 15th century around …
2travelers 1reviews 1blogs
Arzamas #40 most popular location
1travelers 1reviews
Karelia #41 most popular location
2travelers 1reviews 3blogs
Sergiyev Posad #42 most popular location
The city of Sergiyev Posad is the administrative center of Sergiyevo-Posadsky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia. Named Zagorsk from 1930 till 1991, it has a fortress which is a Unesco World …
1reviews 2blogs
Ekaterinburg #43 most popular location
28travelers 3blogs
Velikiy Novgorod #44 most popular location
Velikiy Novgorod translates as "great new town" though it starts its history in 9th century. Veliliy Novgorod is located south of St.Petersburg. It's one of Russia's gems, a beautiful ancient…
1reviews
Yartsevo #45 most popular location
1reviews 1blogs
Rostov-na-Donu #46 most popular location
Rostov-na-Donu (also known as Rostov-on-Don) is a big city situated on the right bank of the Don River. Rostov is the administrative centre of Rostov region and also the centre of Southern Fe…
2travelers 1reviews 2blogs
Smolensk #47 most popular location
2travelers 3blogs
Khuzhir #48 most popular location
1travelers 1blogs
Tarusa #49 most popular location
1reviews 2blogs
UlanUde #50 most popular location
1reviews