Best time to visit Russia

Visiting Russia in February

The winter bliss continues, with snowy scenes best admired from cosy restaurants and cafés, yet the chill will ease off as the month goes on. Find out how the locals keep warm throughout the season as you taste warming stews and hearty broths. Check out galleries and museums, and wrap up for serene strolls and scenic ice-skating experiences. This is a good time to see the world-famous Winter Palace at its most picturesque.

During February, catch the week of Maslenitsa, where pancakes represent the coming sun and end of winter. 

Visiting Russia in March

Spring is beginning to take effect, with sporadic sunshine and light showers which soon clear up the snow. Expect breezy days and frosty nights, but with a woolly hat and scarf you won’t be held back from visiting all the must-see sights of your destination. Break up a city stay with excursions out to charming villages and sublime hillside monasteries.

International Women's Day and St. Patrick's Day are both widely celebrated with intriguing events throughout the country.

Experience the wonder of the theatre in all its variety at the Golden Mask Theatre Festival in Moscow.

Visiting Russia in April

April is a month with many faces. Expect light snowfalls, sudden showers and unexpected bursts of sun. View all the sights of Moscow and St Petersburg before the seasonal crowds arrive and the prices begin to creep up. For Russians, this is a season of spring cleaning and festivity.

Here, Easter is just as important as Christmas – perhaps even more so. Learn all about the Russian tradition of the Easter egg, and admire the mesmerising Faberge eggs at the Kremlin Armoury.

This is also the month of Cosmonautics Day, full of exciting events which celebrate Russia’s history of space exploration.

Visiting Russia in May

May is a month of less snow and fewer showers, making this an ideal time to head out into Russia’s lush landscapes. Enjoy picnics and bike rides among the solitary hills and woodlands, perfect for quintessentially spring photos. Be sure to bring a warm coat in case of brief spells of rain.

At this time of year, the sun doesn’t fully set in St. Petersburg and other northern destinations. The phenomenon casts a uniquely pale light over this grand metropolis. Visit the Mariinsky Theatre for fantastically atmospheric performances during St. Petersburg's White Nights Festival.

Visiting Russia in June

Throughout this month, you will experience warm days and pleasant nights. These are perfect conditions for viewing all the sights of Moscow, where you can cover a lot of ground on foot. With such pleasant weather, the occasional queues aren’t such a drawback at popular attractions such as Lenin’s Mausoleum. You will also get a few more hours of daylight, particularly towards the end of the month.

Discover Moscow International Film Festival, which has been running since 1935, and the Taste of Moscow where there are cooking classes, food stalls and annual offers at all the top restaurants. 

Visiting Russia in July

Warm weather and good cheer take hold in July. Enjoy open-air markets and energetic street music as you spend time popping into this boutique or that museum at your whim. Alternatively, get outdoors, go bird and wildlife watching, and experience rural life.

Admire the traditional costumes worn by all on Ivan Kupala Day, a summer solstice celebration.

Nashestvie in Moscow is a huge music event heralded as the ‘Russian Woodstock’. Also in Moscow is the Afisha Picnic, a one-day music festival held on the former Tsar’s estate by the Moskva River.

Visiting Russia in August

August is another month of reliably warm weather, often with short-lived heatwaves in which the temperatures briefly rocket. The cities of Moscow and St Petersburg are well and truly open for business, yet this can be a great time for an adventure to see the wild side of Russia. Head deep into one of the world’s last-remaining wildernesses of Kamchatka, a land of towering peaks, furious geysers and a great many majestic bears. 

Visiting Russia in September

As Russia’s short-lived summer comes to a close, the rich colours of autumn begin to disperse throughout the landscape. Watch this sleepy green country awaken with reds and golds. This can be a fantastic time for seeing Peterhof, the summer estate of Peter the Great, just outside of St Petersburg. Adorned with grand fountains and other delightfully ostentatious features, this sophisticated setting can also be viewed from a canal cruise.

September is another great month for festivals in Moscow. See the cutting edge of fashion and art, and be sure to be seen, at Russian Fashion Week and the Cosmoscow art fair. 

Visiting Russia in October

October is when you can see the beauty of a Russian autumn before the winter cold arrives. There are fewer tourists around the key sights of Moscow and St Petersburg. This is also one of the best times of year to take the Trans-Siberian Railway through Russia’s most enchanting natural scenes to arrive in Vladivostok on the far east of the country. Get acquainted with Russia’s eastern regions by embarking on wildlife safaris, fantastic fishing trips and boat tours to nearby islands.

Visiting Russia in November

As winter returns to Russia with its characteristic snowy scenes and cool clear days, it’s time to embrace the weather like the locals. Let your nose lead you to the best cafés, cosy up by a roaring fire and tuck into a steaming bowl of borscht or stroganoff. Enjoy sledging on the hills and skating on iced-over rivers and lakes. Alternatively, take an ice-breaking boat up the Moskva River for an experience like no other.

November is the month of the widely celebrated Unity Day holiday as well as a string of performing arts festivals in Moscow. 

Visiting Russia in December

Calling all winter wanderers: December is when Russia is darkest and coldest. Every indoor space is made to be as cosy and comfortable as possible, with layers of colourful fabrics and ambient open fires. This is a season for magical photographs of the well-lit Kremlin before a sky of lightly falling snow. This remarkable building also hosts spectacular concerts throughout the Christmas period.

Discover traditional song and dance, take part in games and browse the markets at the Russian Winter Festival in Moscow, and be sure to see the spectacular firework display in Red Square on New Year’s Eve.