Russia Custom Tour Packages

We are not facilitating travel to Russia at this time due to the illegal war against Ukraine.

We recommend visiting Russia from late spring to early fall. Although Russia is infamous for its cold, its summers can be hot too, even in some of the colder parts of Siberia. St. Petersburg is quite mild, with weather similar to nearby Helsinki and Tallinn: cold, dark winters, and temperate summers, with long days and highs generally in the upper 60s to low 70s, even at the height of summer. Moscow is warmer, but further south, and its cold winters are followed by summers with temperatures generally in the low to upper 70s. St. Petersburg is famous for its White Nights Festival, which runs from late May to late July, taking advantage of the city's long summer days.

Despite stereotypically consisting of potatoes and pork, Russian cuisine is a hodgepodge of diverse cultures, from French innovations, to traditions from Finland to Central Asia. Many of Russia’s most popular dishes, such as meat pies, soups, and barbecue, originally came from neighboring areas. Russian cuisine is hearty and often calorific, with pork, grain, fresh vegetables (in summer) and pickled vegetables during colder times of year. Pork, fish, chicken, dairy, mushrooms, berries, and honey are key ingredients, as well as cereals.

Meals generally start with salads or soups, with Salad Olivier (also known as Russian Salad) and Herring in a Fur Coat (pickled herring covered in layers of grated boiled vegetables, chopped onions, and mayo) must-haves for special occasions. Mayonnaise, dill, and Smetana (thick sour cream) are often used for flavor. No visit is complete without Borscht (Ukrainian beet soup), Pelmeny (medium-sized meat dumplings), Blini (crepe-like pancakes also known as Blintzes), or Beef Stroganoff (sautéed beef in a thick cream sauce, one of many dishes invented by 19th century French cooks serving nobility).

Russians are famous drinkers, perhaps in part because the tap water should be avoided! Vodka is of course omnipresent, and is often flavored, with anything from bison grass to rowan-tree berries, or hot pepper. Be sure to pay a bit more for smoother varieties, although there’s often little different between premium vodka and more typical brands. Vodka is traditionally drunk chilled, then immediately followed by a bite of caviar, or pickled vegetables, and often served with spicy or fatty meals. Russia is also one of the world’s largest producers of beer, and has a wine industry, although locals tend to drink imports, especially from Georgia and Armenia. Russia has a tremendous variety of ancient non-alcoholic drinks, such as Kvass (a fermented bread drink popular in summer, when it is often sold from large trailers). Black tea made in a samovar is a central part of Russian culture.

Due to Russia's immense size, poor roads, and even worse drivers, trains are typically the best way to get around. Train and ticket staff rarely speak English, but the attendants who check tickets, provide bedding, and sell tea and snacks, will do their best to make you comfortable. The high-speed trains that link St. Petersburg to Helsinki and Moscow are modern and dependable. Cities have complex networks of buses, streetcars, trolleybuses, and Marshrutkas (minibuses that follow a set route, but only depart once full). As Moscow is sprawling, tourists may need to take public transport. We recommend taking the Moscow Metro, one of the world's great subway systems, which is cheap, comprehensive, runs frequently, and has some of the world's most grand and beautiful stations. We strongly advise against car rental.

Visitors to Russia generally need a visa. Once a deposit has been paid on a trip and rooms are booked, we'll receive visa support materials from the hotel(s) where rooms are booked. We'll forward these to travelers, as well as contact information for a service that helps with visa paperwork, checks them for errors, and expedites the process, for a surprisingly small fee.




It is possible to spend 72 hours in Russia without a visa by taking a cruise/ferry from Helsinki via the Moby/St. Peter Line. Doing so involves follow a series of unusual restrictions. Passengers are required to sign up for a group tour of St. Petersburg upon their arrival, and are only allowed to stay at one of a short list of generally overpriced hotels in the city center. The cruise between Helsinki and St. Petersburg is overnight in either direction, so a 3-day trip takes another two days, unlike the high-speed train that tourists usually take to get between Helsinki and St. Petersburg. The sea is also often rough during fall and winter, which can cause problems even for those not normally susceptible to seasickness.