Weather in Russia

The best time to visit Moscow and Saint Petersburg is from late May through early September, when temperatures are warm, the famous White Nights illuminate Saint Petersburg from late June through mid-July, and all cultural institutions operate at full capacity. June is arguably the finest month: festivals fill the parks, riverboat cruises are popular, and the extraordinarily long days allow an almost inexhaustible amount of sightseeing. October brings vivid autumn foliage to Moscow's parks and gardens, with significantly fewer tourists.

Winter (December–February) offers a completely different but equally compelling experience — Red Square dressed for Christmas markets, the Bolshoi performing its winter season, and a Moscow blanketed in snow that transforms even mundane streets into compositions worthy of a Pushkin poem. Lake Baikal is best visited in late winter (February–March) when the ice is thick enough for spectacular walks and ice-fishing, or in summer (July–August) when boats navigate its turquoise waters. Kamchatka's volcanic landscapes are most accessible from July to early October before autumn snowfalls close mountain routes.