Best Time to Visit Russia

Late spring to early autumn is the best time to visit Russia. During this season, you can comfortably cover all the tourist magnets like lake Baikal, majestic Altai Mountain, and marshy tundra plain, quite comfortably.

Before visiting Russia, the largest country in the world, you need to choose a time when the weather remains calm and pleasant. This will ensure that you enjoy every moment of your journey by participating in thrilling and adventurous activities without hassles.

Summer

• Time Period: June to August
• Temperature range: 11 to 23 degree Celsius
• Average Rainfall: 60 mm

June to August is the best time to visit Russia due to the comfortable temperature and pleasant weather conditions. In this dry and warm season, it will be convenient for you to move from one to another attractive tourist destination. You can explore all the rich aspects of Russia that make it an enchanting place on earth. These include its grand palaces, large walled fortresses, and picturesque natural splendour.

For the native residents, this summer brings a season of unbound joy. The school students get long holidays, and locals hit the beaches to bask, swim and immerse in joyful activities. This is why by going on a trip to Russia this season, you can also explore and understand local people, their culture, behaviour, means of enjoyment etc. You can also attend summertime celebrations, including St Petersburg White Nights and Reindeer festivals, to get greater engagement with the local people.

June to August can be the best time to visit Russia from India as well. This is because the weather during this time matches the average climatic conditions of India.

Nevertheless, before packing bags, let us discover the joyful activities that will make your trip to Russia during summer more adventurous and unforgettable:

1. Visit the mesmerising beaches to enjoy sunbathing and swimming

2. Explore Lenin’s Mausoleum in Red Square

3. Witness the sight of marvellous psychedelic salt mines at Yekaterinburg

4. Stroll through the Golosov Ravine

5. Make a prayer at the magnificent St Basil’s Cathedral

6. Go to Gorky Park to enjoy ice-skating

1. Visit the Military Disneyland to explore the guns, grenades and other weapons of war

2. Explore the extraordinarily beautiful department store, GUM and purchase Russian handicrafts, jewellery, toys, accessories, etc.

3. Attend the thrilling circus at Moscow Cat Theatre

Spring

• Time Period: March to May
• Temperature range: -8 to 19°C
• Average Rainfall: 35 mm

March to May can be the second-best time to visit Russia. During this time, the temperature remains above the freezing point.

You will get teeth-chattering cold in Russia during all seasons, except summer and spring. It stays comparatively warm during spring. Even so, the temperature mostly remains near zero degrees Celsius during this season. You must cover yourself with warm winter wear and jackets.

You can enjoy the spectacular view of nightly snowfall, which melts away during the daytime. Furthermore, the rich flora and fauna break their hibernation in spring, and the people get relief from the chilly winter.

Nature gets a new shape with the fresh blooms, leaves and foliage in the trees. You can witness the joyful locals hitting nearby parks and other spectacular places to visit in Russia, including museums, palaces and natural hot spots. You can join them to learn more about their culture.

Here are some of the things you must do when you visit Russia in spring to make your journey more thrilling:

1. Enjoy enchanting folklore of Russia in Ballet Theatre

2. Go to Red Valley for skiing

3. Enjoy refreshing local cuisines and drinks

4. Stroll around the beautiful St. Petersburg city to witness ancient fortresses, architecture and culture

5. Go solo walking at the Summer Garden to make a connection with nature

1. Cruise in Moskva River

2. Pay a visit to the Laika Monument

3. Go to the Moscow Cat Theatre for a show

4. Explore the landscape, architecture, palaces, statues, etc., in this beautiful city

Winter

• Time Period: December to February
• Temperature range: -5 to -15 degree Celsius
• Average Rainfall: 25 mm

Although the sky remains clear with almost zero chance of rain, the freezing temperature makes it difficult for even the residents to leave their homes. The bone-chilling weather may cause hypothermia, especially if you are from tropical countries like India. It may become difficult for you to endure the cold even if you take heavy clothes, thermal suits, gloves and protective eyeglasses.

Another reason you should avoid visiting Russia during winter is the short daytime during this season. You will get daylight for a brief period only, hampering your sightseeing.

You can visit Russia on a low budget in November. In this month, the cost of flight tickets remains lower than in other months. You can save a lot of your expenses. Russia is less crowded during this time, and as a result, the hotels almost remain vacant. You can enjoy discounts on your accommodations as well.

In this regard, the average cost of a trip to Russia from India is around Rs. 33,000 per week for one individual. To complete your trip more economically, you can take public transportation during your travel and compare accommodation charges before check-in.

The white snow-covered plains of the country in November are a magnificent treat for the eyes. You can enjoy skiing on the snowy slopes, which are available almost everywhere. Some of the most beautiful places in Russia that you will find thrilling are Baikal Lake, Novodevichy Convent and the ice-draped Red Square. Apart from this, you can also visit museums, galleries and theatres to avoid going outdoors in the chilly weather.

Following are some of the aspects you must know before visiting Russia to make your journey more enjoyable:

• Russians expect that you and your companions maintain basic etiquette. In this respect, take a small gift with you while visiting any local home, if possible.
• You also should ideally avoid shaking hands without taking off gloves, irrespective of how cold the weather is, as Russians consider it very impolite. Besides, residents also believe handshakes over thresholds as ominous.
• While entering churches, women need to put on long skirts and cover their heads. Men also should ideally wear trousers and take off their headwear.
• In Russia, criminal activities and theft are almost negligible in broad daylight. Still, if you encounter such unlikely problems, you can get help from the hotels where you stay. They will help you reach the police.
• Participating in toasts is an important gesture of expressing your friendship and admiration for this country. You must not avoid this, especially when you are joining any local's birthday party.
• The temperature is near freezing in almost all the seasons except summer. Therefore, you must pack your dress according to the time of your travel.

Here are some of the tips that you can follow in your journey to enjoy it more thoroughly:

• Conduct proper research on the famous tourist places of Russia, especially if you are visiting any museums, galleries or parks. They have definite opening and closing times, and you may also find them closed on certain days of the week.
• Take mosquito repellents with you and apply them as necessary.
• Keep the addresses and contact numbers of the Indian embassy so that you can approach them in emergency situations.
• Refrain from smoking publicly.
• Carry your government identity proofs, visa, passport, etc., during your journey.
• Maintain hygiene before taking meals and after returning from trips.

Following are some local Russian phrases and their English equivalents that you need to remember for basic communication:

• Do you speak English? - Vy govorite po-angliyski? (Вы говорите по-английски?)
• I do not tell Russian - Ya ne govoryu po-russki (Я не говорю по-русски)
• How much is the price of this? - Skol’ko eto stoit? (Сколько это стоит?)
• Can I pay by card? - Kartoy mozhno oplatit’? (Картой можно оплатить?)
• Thank You - Spasibo (Спасибо)
• Welcome - Pozhaluysta (Пожалуйста)
• Excuse me - Izvinite (Извините)
• Hi – Privet (Привет)
• Bye - Poka (Пока)
• Yes - Da (Да)
• No - Net (Нет)
• Good - Khorosho (Хорошо)
• Please stop - Ostanovite, pozhaluysta (Остановите, пожалуйста)
• Help me - Pomogite (Помогите!)

Now that you know about the best time to visit Russia and the things you can enjoy at this time, you can plan your trip, pack your luggage and budget accordingly. Nevertheless, before you take the flight, ensure that you have covered your journey with a travel insurance policy. It can help you to bear the financial losses if you meet with an accident and undergo medical treatments on your trip. The plan also gives coverage for emergency medical/accidental treatment, death and disability, flight cancellation, etc.