Visit Russia
Russia can still belong on a future list for a very specific reason: few journeys could place the galleries and boulevards of St Petersburg, the scale of Moscow and the country's vast landscapes within one trip. For someone drawn to art, literature, architecture or the meeting point of Europe and Asia, that breadth is genuinely compelling. That future trip should be built around depth rather than a rushed checklist: spend meaningful time in at least one major cultural centre, add a contrasting landscape or smaller place, and leave room for museums, neighbourhoods and ordinary daily life. The practical guide below is a useful starting shape for that later journey, not permission to book now; when conditions change, recheck entry rules, transport, money, insurance, availability and costs before spending. The UK government currently advises against all travel to Russia, with serious security, detention, financial, transport and consular-support risks; ordinary travel insurance may also be invalid. Do not book now, and do not treat available flights, visas or social-media reports as evidence that a leisure trip is safe. Keep this as an aspiration, not an active challenge. Count it as complete only after official advice permits the journey, suitable insurance is valid and you have experienced both a substantial cultural place and a contrasting part of Russian life or landscape.