Where to go in Russia in autumn

Time flies like an office worker rushing to a Friday night party: the hot summer season had barely begun when September arrived. And those who didn't manage to relax in summer are eager to find that very place to go for a vacation in Russia in autumn!

Cool weather is no reason to stay put, and a vacation in Russia in autumn can also be interesting and rich. We've gathered a few ideas on where to go to the sea in autumn (and beyond). Let's go!

Sochi

If you're wondering where to relax in Russia in autumn, one of the first ideas will surely be the Krasnodar Krai. September here differs little from summer: the weather is hot — just right for soaking up vitamin D while lying on the beach. However, there are fewer tourists, and queues are shorter.

You can go to Adler — a favorite place for Russians all year round. And that's because it has both sea and mountains. In Sochi, it would be ideal to spend 10 days: five in the mountains, five by the sea. Hotels and guesthouses are cheaper in the off-season, so finding a good place with a mountain or sea view will be easier than in the middle of summer. In autumn, airlines offer a huge number of cheap flights Moscow – Sochi — don't miss the chance to catch the velvet season! 

Entertainment here is also for every budget and age: Olympic Park, Sochi Arboretum, Krasnaya Polyana, Agur Waterfalls, Sochi Park amusement park, SkyPark with the world's longest suspension bridge. 

And in the Krasnodar Krai, you can also engage in wine tourism: there are over 50 wineries in the region, many of which organize vineyard tours and offer local wines on site. September and October are precisely when grapes are harvested, and young wine festivals take place.

Where there's Sochi, there's Krasnodar, and vice versa. A place that absolutely cannot be ignored when planning an autumn itinerary!

Mineralnye Vody

Caucasian Mineral Waters is a resort region in southern Russia. Among the local cities, you probably know Pyatigorsk, Essentuki, Kislovodsk, and Mineralnye Vody.

In the city of Mineralnye Vody, despite its name, there are no springs — it serves more as a transit point: you can stay overnight in a guesthouse cheaply, and then go to other cities in the region.

To try the healing water, head to Kislovodsk — you can also stay in a sanatorium there, and in Pyatigorsk, the largest city in the region — visit the house-museum and the duel site of M.Yu. Lermontov.

Kavminvody is a place where people come not only for treatment but also for mountain landscapes. Nearby are Elbrus and Dombay — places of indescribable power and beauty, where excursions depart from Kislovodsk and Pyatigorsk. On the way from Mineralnye Vody to Kislovodsk, you can see the peak of Elbrus. But more often it is hidden behind clouds — what better reason to go conquer the summit?

The tour price includes transport and a story about the history of the place with an immersion into local legends — they will even show where Sergey Bodrov died. Along the way, there won't be luxurious restaurants, but plenty of villages offering Caucasian hospitality and authentic dishes: natural cheese, ayran, and other delicacies. In a mountain cafe at Mir station (3,500 meters above sea level), you can buy local draft wine and taste khachapuri, and in the forest on the way back, kind grandmothers sell churchkhela and chak-chak. Heartwarming!

Dagestan

You can spend a vacation by the water not only at the familiar Black Sea resorts. Russia is a country with a wide geography, so we'll suggest an unconventional option for where to go for a holiday in Russia in autumn — Dagestan. The sea here is different, but no less picturesque — the Caspian Sea. The reservoir is shallow, so even in September, it warms up to +26-27 degrees.

Friendly Makhachkala welcomes every tourist: in the city, there are places to walk and things to photograph: the Central Juma Mosque, Tarki-Tau Park, Makhachkala Lighthouse, the city's only Orthodox Holy Dormition Cathedral. You definitely won't be bored.

Also in Dagestan is the ancient city of Derbent, whose age, according to official sources, is over 2000 years, and according to some historians, 5000 years. Here you can visit the Naryn-Kala citadel, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and see the Derbent Wall — a 6th-century defensive structure used at various times by Persians, Arabs, and Mongols.

Saint Petersburg

You can have an inexpensive autumn vacation in Russia in the northern capital, where by September-October, the number of tourists sharply decreases after the summer influx. You won't see the famous white nights anymore, but you also won't have to queue for museums or pay triple for a hotel room. Hotels return to low-season prices, so you can stay affordably even with a view of Nevsky Prospekt. And inexpensive flights Moscow – Saint Petersburg can be found on Kupi.com if you don't want to spend time talking to fellow travelers on a train.

The minimum program in Peter's city: visit the Hermitage and the Russian Museum, relax on a sun lounger in trendy New Holland, stroll along Nevsky Prospekt, and if you arrive in early autumn — watch the bridges being drawn directly from the water and go to Peterhof while the fountains are still operating.

Autumn is a good time to admire the golden foliage in the capital's parks and squares or to go on an excursion to Moscow region estates — Abramtsevo, Valuevo, Melikhovo, and others. But while September and October still delight with warm days, in November, the weather might not be suitable for walks. 

Places for cultural tourism in Moscow: Bolshoi Theatre, Tretyakov Gallery, Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre, Garage Museum, State Historical Museum, Moscow Museum of Modern Art.

Plyos

The smallest city by area in the Golden Ring is not such an obvious choice when tourists decide where to relax in Russia in autumn. However, once you see the city on the Volga in autumn, you won't regret it. In the off-season, poetic Plyos dresses in crimson and gold, like in Pushkin's poems, and leisurely strolls along the embankment, laid out during Catherine II's time, captivate with the landscapes of the Volga. 

The city center is Cathedral Hill, where attractions are located: church gates, an ancient cross, the Assumption Cathedral, a monument to Vasily I, and from the top, a beautiful view opens up, and you can take a couple of photos of the town as a souvenir.

Plyos is an inspiring place, much loved by artists Savrasov, Vereshchagin, and especially Levitan, who painted his canvases with views of the Volga region. You definitely need to visit this small town to relax not only your body but also your soul.

Kamchatka

A vacation by the ocean — sounds even cooler than by the sea! Getting to Kamchatka might seem like a difficult task, but the nature of the peninsula is truly fantastic: there are many volcanoes, geysers, and thermal springs. We even wrote a separate article about what to do in Kamchatka — that's how much we love these places.

The local Khalaktyrsky beach with black volcanic sand, where young people surf, also amazes with its beauty. In early autumn, it's not yet too cold, and you can try to catch a wave.

Kamchatka is an ideal place for a gastronomic journey: the Pacific Ocean is nearby, and locals always have caviar, fish, and fresh crabs on their tables. You can also fish yourself — in the ocean, by rafting down a river, or at a fishing base.

The panorama of the region from the coast is already breathtaking, but what about venturing into open waters? Go on a boat trip to reach Kamchatka's bays and cliffs that are not visible from the shore, enjoy views of volcanoes, see seabirds, and if you're lucky — whales and orcas. Rafting on mountain rivers is also popular until October — many types of leisure on the peninsula are somehow connected to water. 

Kamchatka is a region of Russia where there are especially many bears. In autumn, they come out in search of winter supplies and do not show aggression — you can encounter them in their natural habitat and observe from a distance how they catch fish in rivers or eat berries from bushes.

The geography of recreation in Russia can also be quite diverse — now you have so many options for where to go on vacation if your holiday falls during the off-season. Don't spend autumn at home; instead, embark on an exciting journey across the country!