Russia is the largest country on earth, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean across eleven time zones. It is a land of extremes -- vast Siberian wilderness, imperial cities of staggering grandeur, and a cultural heritage that produced Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, and Tarkovsky. For travelers willing to navigate the bureaucracy, the rewards are immense.
Moscow and St. Petersburg are where most visitors begin, and with good reason. Moscow's Kremlin and Red Square are iconic, while St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum rivals the Louvre. But Russia's real magic lies beyond these two cities -- in the Golden Ring towns of Vladimir, Suzdal, and Yaroslavl, where onion-domed churches rise above quiet rivers, or along the Trans-Siberian Railway, the world's longest rail journey.
The country's geography is staggering. The Ural Mountains divide Europe from Asia. Lake Baikal near Irkutsk holds one-fifth of the world's fresh water. The Kamchatka Peninsula has active volcanoes and brown bears. Murmansk sits above the Arctic Circle, while Vladivostok looks out across the Sea of Japan. In between lies Siberia -- enormous, empty, and beautiful in a way that few places on earth can match.
Travel in Russia requires planning. Visas, language barriers, and long distances are all part of the experience. But Russians themselves are warm and generous hosts once you get past the initial reserve, and the country's art, architecture, food, and landscapes make it one of the most rewarding destinations in the world.
Destinations: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, Kazan, Vladivostok, Kamchatka, Novgorod, Vladimir, Suzdal, Volgograd, Novosibirsk, Murmansk, Yaroslavl, Ulan-Ude, Yakutsk, Pyatigorsk, Krasnodar, Sochi, Samara, Perm, Tula, Pskov, Tver
