Moscow

• Red Square & St. Basil’s Cathedral: Russia’s iconic symbol with its nine colorful onion domes, surrounded by the State Historical Museum and GUM Department Store. (3 hours)
• The Kremlin: The seat of the Russian presidency, with notable collections in the Armoury Chamber and Patriarch’s Palace. (Half a day)
• Moscow Metro: Stations like Komsomolskaya and Ploshchad Revolyutsii are hailed as underground palaces. (2-hour loop tour)
• Sparrow Hills & Moscow State University: A classic viewpoint offering panoramic cityscapes. (1–2 hours)
• Sergiev Posad: A representative town of the Golden Ring, home to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. (One day)

Saint Petersburg

• The Hermitage (State Hermitage Museum): One of the world’s four greatest museums, alongside the Louvre, housing 3.5 million items. (One day)
• Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood: A church with mosaic-covered onion domes, particularly stunning at night. (1 hour)
• Peterhof (Summer Palace): Famous for its golden fountains and Baltic Sea axis. (Half a day)
• Catherine Palace: Home to the dazzling Amber Room; reservations by time slot are required. (Half a day)
• Mariinsky Theatre: The venue of the premiere of Tchaikovsky’s works; the top choice for seeing Swan Lake. (One evening)

Siberia & the Russian Far East

• Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal: Known for its shaman rock and the lake’s blue or turquoise ice/water views, dramatically different in winter and summer. (2–3 days)
• Trans-Siberian Railway: The full route from Moscow to Vladivostok spans 9,288 km and can be experienced in sections. (4+ days)
• Vladivostok (formerly Vladivostok): Featuring Golden Horn Bay, Eagle’s Nest Hill, and the eastern terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway. (2–3 days)
• Murmansk: Arctic Circle destination known for the Northern Lights and its ice-free port; best visited from December to March. (2–3 days)