Russia

12 Best Things to Do in Russia

Russia's heavyweights in one place, at most three picks per city so the whole country gets a look.

Order reflects review volume from real travelers across 552 tracked Russia places, capped at 3 per city. Refreshed monthly.

  1. Hermitage Museum

    Museum · Saint PetersburgFree entry

    The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, holds the largest collection of paintings in the world.

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  2. Red Square

    Landmark · Moscow

    Red Square is the historic and symbolic heart of Moscow, a vast cobblestone plaza surrounded by iconic landmarks.

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  3. Saint Basil's Cathedral

    Religious site · Moscow

    Saint Basil's Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, is a vibrant symbol of Russia.

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  4. Polytechnic Museum

    Museum · Moscow

    The Polytechnic Museum in Moscow is a premier science and technology museum, founded in 1872. Its vast collection spans transportation, energy, computing, and space, with interactive exhibits and historic artifacts.

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  5. Palace Square

    Landmark · Saint Petersburg

    Palace Square is the central city square of St Petersburg, connecting Nevsky Prospekt with Palace Bridge to Vasilievsky Island.

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  6. Peter and Paul Fortress

    Landmark · Saint Petersburg

    The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of Saint Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great in 1703.

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  7. Wedding Palace

    Landmark · AstrakhanFree entry

    The Wedding Palace in Astrakhan is a striking landmark situated on the banks of the Volga River at Krasnaya Naberezhnaya.

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  8. City History Museum

    Museum · Astrakhan

    The City History Museum in Astrakhan is a cultural gem that chronicles the development of this Volga River city from its founding in the 16th century to the present.

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  9. Sculpture Lovebirds Bench

    Landmark · AstrakhanFree entry

    The Sculpture Lovebirds Bench is a charming public art installation located on Uritskogo Street in Astrakhan, Russia.

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  10. Nikolaevskaya Tsarskoselskaya Gimnasium

    Landmark · PushkinFree entry

    The Nikolaevskaya Tsarskoselskaya Gimnasium is a former imperial gymnasium (secondary school) located on Naberezhnaya Street in Pushkin, a town near St.

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  11. Chapel of the Holy Prince Igor of Chernigov

    Religious site · PushkinFree entry

    The Chapel of the Holy Prince Igor of Chernigov is a small but significant religious site located in the town of Pushkin, just outside St.

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  12. Claustrophobia

    Entertainment · Pushkin

    Claustrophobia is an escape room venue located in Pushkin, a historic town near St. Petersburg.

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Good to know

What is the best-known of the places to visit in Russia?

Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg is the most reviewed, with 26,761 traveler reviews and a 4.7 rating. That makes it the safe choice if you are only fitting in one.

Which of Russia's places to visit is worth going out of your way for?

Red Square in Moscow rates highest at 4.7 out of 5 across 20,619 reviews. Smaller crowds than the headline entry usually explain the gap.

Which city in Russia has the most places to visit?

Saint Petersburg, with 3 on this list, ahead of Moscow on 3. The list spans 4 cities in total, capped at three per city so one big city cannot crowd out the rest of the country.

Are any of these places to visit free to visit?

Yes, 5: Hermitage Museum, Wedding Palace, Sculpture Lovebirds Bench and others. That is based on each place's own visiting information, not an assumption about the category.

How is this list of places to visit ranked?

By how many travelers reviewed each place, filtered to those rated well enough to be worth your time, drawn from 552 tracked places in Russia. No one pays to appear on it, and the order is refreshed monthly as new reviews land.

By city: Moscow · Saint Petersburg · Astrakhan · Pushkin — or check visa rules for Russia

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