Russia travel guide
Russia is a country on an enormous scale, where you can step from imperial palaces to Arctic ports and Pacific harbours. Its highlights include the Kremlin and Red Square, the Hermitage on the Neva, and the long rail journey of the Trans-Siberian. Moscow and St. Petersburg are the classic pair, one grand and sprawling and the other canal-lined and imperial. Further afield, Veliky Novgorod and Nizhny Novgorod show older Russia on the Volkhov and Volga, Sochi offers Black Sea beaches and Caucasus ski slopes, Yekaterinburg sits at the Urals, and Vladivostok and Murmansk reach the far east and the Arctic. Distances are huge, so most travellers choose two or three bases and travel between them by train. Summer, with the white nights of St. Petersburg, is the most popular time to travel, while winter has snow and a festive character. Russia suits history lovers, culture seekers and long-distance rail travellers. Plan your Russia itinerary city by city with Zippy Trips.
Capital: Moscow.
Visa for Indian passport holders
E-visa, applied for online before you fly.
Before you go to Russia
- Currency
- RUB ₽
- Emergency number
- 112 / 102
- Plug type
- Type C, F
- Tap water
- Drink bottled water
- Tipping
- Optional
- Bargaining
- Not expected
- eSIM
- Available
- Card networks
- Mir, UnionPay
- ATM fees
- Foreign cards do not work - bring cash
Cities in Russia
- Sochi Russia's largest resort city, stretched 145 km along a subtropical Black Sea coast below the Caucasus — the 2014 Winter Olympics put the…
- Kazan Tatarstan's capital where the Kazanka meets the Volga, and its UNESCO-listed Kremlin holds the Kul Sharif mosque, the 1560s Annunciation…
- Yekaterinburg Founded in 1723 as the mining capital of the Urals, on the frontier between Europe and Asia — the Romanovs were shot here at the Ipatiev…
- Vladivostok Russia's Pacific port on Golden Horn Bay and the terminus of the Trans-Siberian — Eagle's Nest hill looks down on the centre, and the…
- Nizhny Novgorod Founded in 1221 where the Oka meets the Volga, and the base for most of Russia's river cruising — a red-brick kremlin of 1508–11, the…
- Kaliningrad Königsberg until 1946, now a Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Pregolya — the rebuilt cathedral and Immanuel Kant's grave…
- Irkutsk Nicknamed the Paris of Siberia once the railway reached it, Irkutsk stands on the Angara 72 km below Lake Baikal's outflow — carved wooden…
- Murmansk The largest city anywhere north of the Arctic Circle, held ice-free on Kola Bay by the North Atlantic Current — the 35.5 m Alyosha soldier…
- Volgograd Stalingrad until 1961, strung along the west bank of the Volga where 99% of the city was destroyed in the battle — the 85 m Motherland…
- Veliky Novgorod One of Russia's oldest cities and a Hanseatic trading republic from 1136 to 1478 — the Volkhov-side Detinets, St Sophia's Cathedral and the…
- Moscow Capital of Russia, centred on the Kremlin and Red Square along the Moskva River.
- St. Petersburg Russia's imperial second city on the Neva delta, home to the Hermitage and Baroque palaces.
Frequently asked questions about Russia
- Do Indian citizens need a visa for Russia?
- E-visa, applied for online before you fly.
- What currency is used in Russia?
- The currency in Russia is the Russian Ruble (₽). ₽1 is about ₹1.
- Can I use cards and ATMs in Russia?
- Accepted card networks: Mir, UnionPay. Typical ATM fees: Foreign cards do not work - bring cash. Decline dynamic currency conversion at ATMs and card machines.
- Should I tip in Russia?
- Tipping in Russia: optional. Tipping is appreciated but not obligatory; 5-10% in restaurants is generous, often rounded up. Service charge sometimes included.
- Is tap water safe to drink in Russia?
- Drink bottled water.
- What plug type does Russia use?
- Russia uses Type C, F plugs.
- What is the emergency number in Russia?
- Emergency: 112. Police: 102. Ambulance: 103.
- Can I get a SIM or eSIM in Russia?
- SIM and eSIM available in Russia.
- What is the capital of Russia?
- The capital of Russia is Moscow. Time there: IST - 2 h 30 min.