Russia itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks

Pick the length first, then the route. Almost every first trip to Russia is built on the Moscow–Saint Petersburg axis, and everything else is an add-on. The table below shows what fits in each window without rushing.

Seven days is enough for the two big cities and nothing else. Give Moscow three nights and Saint Petersburg four, or the reverse. Both reward walking, and both have enough museums and streets to fill a week on their own.

In Moscow, the Kremlin and Red Square take a half day, the Tretyakov Gallery another, and the metro stations are worth an hour of riding even if you have no destination. Add a day for a monastery or an estate outside the centre if you want a break from the city.

In Saint Petersburg, the Hermitage needs at least half a day, the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Russian Museum fill another, and Peterhof or Tsarskoye Selo takes a full day by suburban train or hydrofoil. White Nights in June stretch the daylight and change the feel of the city completely.

Book the Sapsan between the two cities in advance; it runs several times a day and takes about four hours. Flying into one city and out of the other saves a return leg.

With a second week you can leave the two capitals without losing either. The two easiest additions are the Golden Ring towns northeast of Moscow and Kazan to the east.

The Golden Ring is a loop of old towns; Suzdal is the one most travellers remember, and Vladimir is on the same rail line with fast trains from Moscow. Two or three nights is enough. You can return to Moscow and take the train to Saint Petersburg, or continue by rail.

Kazan is a bigger, more modern city with a distinct Tatar and Muslim heritage, and it works well as a stop between Moscow and the Urals. Trains from Moscow take around 12 hours overnight, or you can fly. From Kazan you can continue to Yekaterinburg or fly to Saint Petersburg.

A third option is the Volga line through Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod, both on the rail route east of Moscow. This suits travellers who prefer smaller cities and river views to another museum queue.

Three weeks lets you cross the country, but only one way. The classic route is Moscow east to Irkutsk and Lake Baikal, with stops at Yekaterinburg and possibly Krasnoyarsk, then a flight back west to Saint Petersburg or home. The full train to Vladivostok takes about a week of continuous travel and leaves little time for anything else.

Lake Baikal is the highlight of the eastern route. Irkutsk is the rail hub, and Listvyanka on the shore is an easy base. In winter the ice is the attraction; in summer it is walking and boat trips. Book the train legs early, especially in summer.

The alternative three-week route goes south: Moscow, then a flight to Sochi for the Black Sea coast and the mountains at Krasnaya Polyana, then back to Saint Petersburg. This is a slower, warmer trip and easier to combine with a family.

Do not try to do both the Trans-Siberian and the south in three weeks. Distances are large, flights are long, and you will spend the trip in transit.

Check your own government's travel advice for Russia before you plan anything. Banking, flights and insurance for travel to Russia have all been affected in recent years, and the situation can change. This page does not plan around that; it only describes routes.

Trains are the backbone of any Russian itinerary. Long-distance trains have sleeping berths in several classes, and overnight legs save a hotel night. Book popular routes and summer dates well ahead.

Distances are the main planning constraint. Moscow to Saint Petersburg is short; Moscow to Irkutsk is not. Build in a buffer day at the end of any trip that includes a long train leg, because delays happen.

Money, visas and getting around each have their own pages on this site; read them before you fix a route, since they can change what is practical.