Russia Travel Guide:

Best Places to Visit in Russia

Map of the leading tourist destinations in Russia

Russia is a vast and diverse nation that continues to evolve politically and economically. Travel and living conditions in Russia contrast sharply with those in the United States. Major urban centers show tremendous differences in economic development compared to rural areas.

While good tourist facilities exist in Moscow, St. Petersburg and some other large cities, they are not developed in most of Russia and some of the goods and services taken for granted in other countries are not yet available.

ThereArePlaces recommends that you visit Russia only as part of a tour that has been arranged through a reputable service. Russia is not a tourist friendly country, as reading this document will show. Limit your touring to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Although Russia is a country of glorious landscapes and unique culture, it does not provide a travel environment that makes tourism either easy or enjoyable.

The team at ThereArePlaces has developed a proprietary method for evaluating the attractiveness of towns and regions as tourist destinations. We used this methodology to create our list of the best places to visit in Russia. We believe that the cities and regions described below are the country’s key tourist destinations, contain Russia's best attractions and urge you to visit them during your travels in Russia.

Read our sections on Russia Travel Information and Russia Facts to complete your basic preparation for vacationing in Russia.

• Moscow 

  • Russia's recent history has been challenging for both its people and infrastructure but Moscow's tourist attractions remain world class. Be sure to see the Kremlin, Red Square, and St. Basil's Cathedral, as these locations  are incredibly impressive. Other parts of Moscow are not as inviting to the tourist.  If you do not accept our suggestion to join a tour, then consider arranging a professional tour guide to escort you around the city.

• St. Petersburg   

  • Formerly the Capital of Russia, St. Petersburg was the home of the Tsars who wanted a capital that was more European than Russian.  The city is a cultural icon and its crown is the State Hermitage Museum.

    
    

    • Sitting astride the banks of the River Neva, the core of the Hermitage was constructed in the mid-eighteenth century and extended during later periods.

    • The buildings of the State Hermitage Museum (for example, The Winter Palace of Peter I, the Great Hermitage and the Menshikov Palace) and their collections (for example, the collection of the Department of Russian Culture and the Treasure Gallery) will beckon to you.  It would take several years to view all of the wonders of the State Hermitage Museum and we suggest that you would do well to arrange a tour guide to take you through this wonderful multi-building complex.

    
    

• River Cruise between Moscow and St. Petersburg

  • The most practical way to see Russia's countryside is to take a cruise that explores the waterways between Moscow and St. Petersburg.  Not only will you have a chance to visit the two greatest cities in Russia, but you will also see  beautiful countryside, visit towns of historic significance along the way - all while enjoying the attractive upper reach of the Volga River.

If you are interested in visiting Russia, click on the links at the bottom of the page  for more information.

If you need information about another travel destination, try Googling our site or the Web

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