Russia Travel Guide: FCDO Advice, Moscow, St Petersburg and Lake Baikal

E By Emma · Updated 21 October 2026 · 3 min read

Airports

Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO), Domodedovo (DME) and Vnukovo (VKO); St Petersburg Pulkovo (LED). Airspace and airports face short-notice restrictions

Flight time

no direct flights from the UK; flights from the UK and EU are suspended

Best time to go

When FCDO advice allows: May-September; June-July for St Petersburg's White Nights

Currency

Russian rouble (RUB); UK-issued cards do not work

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to Russia. The reasons include the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the risk of arbitrary detention and harassment of foreign nationals, drone attacks causing short-notice airport and airspace closures, and the very limited consular support the British government can provide. There are no direct flights, UK bank cards do not work, and travelling against FCDO advice is likely to invalidate your travel insurance. Read the latest GOV.UK FCDO travel advice for Russia before considering any travel. This guide introduces the country's culture and places for a time when it is safe to visit.

Russia spans 11 time zones, from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific, and covers more land than any other country. Its cultural legacy, from Orthodox icons and onion-domed churches to Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky and the Bolshoi, is immense, and its wilderness, from the taiga and Siberian lakes to the volcanoes of Kamchatka, is among the most remote on Earth. It borders Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China, among others.

Why go (when it is safe)

1. Moscow – Red Square, Saint Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin and its cathedrals, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Bolshoi Theatre and the ornate stations of the Metro are among the world's great urban sights.
2. St Petersburg – founded by Peter the Great in 1703, it is a city of canals, palaces and pastel facades. The Hermitage, housed partly in the Winter Palace, holds one of the world's largest art collections, and the palaces of Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo lie just outside the city.
3. The Golden Ring – historic towns north-east of Moscow, including Suzdal, Vladimir, Sergiev Posad and Yaroslavl, with white-stone churches, monasteries and wooden architecture.
4. Lake Baikal – the world's deepest and oldest freshwater lake, in Siberia, holds roughly a fifth of the planet's unfrozen fresh surface water. It freezes into dramatic clear ice in winter.
5. The Trans-Siberian Railway – the classic journey of around 9,300 kilometres from Moscow to Vladivostok takes about a week without stops.
6. Kazan – capital of Tatarstan, where the UNESCO-listed Kremlin includes both a mosque and an Orthodox cathedral, reflecting a meeting of cultures.
7. Kamchatka and Karelia – Kamchatka's volcanoes, geysers and brown bears, and Karelia's lakes, forests and wooden churches of Kizhi, are extraordinary wilderness destinations.

Where to stay (when it is safe)

• Moscow – central areas around the Kremlin, Tverskaya and Zamoskvorechye.
• St Petersburg – along and around Nevsky Prospekt, close to the canals and the Hermitage.
• The Golden Ring – guesthouses and small hotels in Suzdal and Yaroslavl.
• Lake Baikal – guesthouses in Listvyanka and on Olkhon Island.

Getting there

There are no direct flights between the UK and Russia, and flights between Russia and EU countries are suspended. Russia requires British nationals to hold a visa, and entry and exit rules can change at short notice. UK-issued Visa and Mastercard cards do not work in Russia. The FCDO advises against all travel; read the latest advice in full before considering any journey.

Best time to visit

Late spring and summer, from May to September, are the most pleasant months for cities, with June and early July bringing the White Nights in St Petersburg, when it barely gets dark. Winters are long and cold, especially in Siberia, where temperatures can fall well below –30 °C, though Moscow and St Petersburg look magical under snow.

We research every guide carefully, but prices, opening times and timetables change. Check them shortly before you travel. Links to our booking partners are affiliate links.