Visitors on Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge looking over Red Square, the Kremlin towers and St Basil's Cathedral

International destination

Moscow and St Petersburg for corporate offsites and conferences from India

Moscow and St Petersburg for Indian groups: palace dinners, river cruises and conference hotels for 30 to 500 guests. Aeroflot flies non-stop from Delhi, and every other city connects once. ICE India plans the programme, with the e-visa checks, flights, hotels and transfers arranged together.

Plan an event in Russia
Getting there
Aeroflot flies non-stop from Delhi in about 6h 30m. Other Indian cities connect once, usually through Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi
Best months
May to September, with highs of 18 to 24 °C and the White Nights in June
Suits
Groups of 30 to 500 on incentive trips, leadership offsites, dealer meets or conferences
ICE India in Russia
Planned by ICE India, with vetted local partners on the ground.

Why companies choose Russia

  • Two cities in one programme

    The Sapsan high-speed train links Moscow and St Petersburg in about four hours, so one trip covers both capitals.

  • Palaces for gala nights

    Dinners can be held in a historic mansion, a hotel ballroom or on a Moskva River yacht, each with its own backdrop.

  • Landmarks guests already know

    Red Square, the Kremlin, the Hermitage and Catherine Palace are familiar names, and they look as large as guests expect.

  • Hotels for large meetings

    Moscow ballrooms hold 300 to 650 guests, and one St Petersburg hotel has a banquet hall for 1,500.

  • Long summer evenings

    From late May to early July, St Petersburg stays light until midnight, which makes late tours and river evenings easy.

  • Indian food in both cities

    Vegetarian and tandoor restaurants take groups in Moscow and St Petersburg, and hotel kitchens brief Jain menus in advance.

Russia for corporate groups

Russia is a good fit for Indian companies looking for scale and history in the programme. Moscow has the Kremlin, Red Square and large conference hotels. St Petersburg has the Hermitage, palaces and canals, in a more compact city.

A typical trip runs four or five nights across both cities, with a working session on arrival and a gala dinner in each. Leadership groups of 30 stay in one central hotel. Dealer conferences of 300 or more use a hotel with a large ballroom.

ICE India plans Russia incentive trips and offsites through vetted local partners. The same trip can continue to Central Asia and the CIS, or turn west to Europe. For group flights, hotels and visas to Russia, see corporate travel.

Visas for Indian passport holders

Indian passport holders can apply online for a unified e-visa on the Russian Foreign Ministry portal. ICE India shares the checklist with the group and checks each application before it is sent.

E-visa
A single-entry visa applied for online. No invitation letter or hotel booking is needed.
Validity and stay
Valid for 120 days from issue, with a stay of up to 30 days from entry. The days of arrival and departure both count.
Processing time
Up to 4 calendar days from submission.
Documents
A machine-readable passport with blank pages, valid for at least six months. A scan of the passport page and a recent face photograph, both as JPEG files.
Insurance
Medical insurance valid in Russia for the whole stay.

Two experiences groups book in Russia: the Moskva River and the imperial palaces

A gala evening on the Moskva River and a day among the palaces of St Petersburg. Groups usually anchor the programme on one of them.

Passenger cruisers on the Moskva River in Moscow at sunset, with a Stalin-era tower on the embankment behind

The Kremlin, Moscow's towers and the embankments from the water

Moskva River cruises

Cruises run past the Kremlin walls, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and the Stalin-era towers. Groups board at the pier by the Hotel Ukraina or at Gorky Park, and the voyage takes about two and a half hours.

A leadership group takes a single yacht. A larger group charters several, with dinner, music and the awards on the upper deck.

Time
About two and a half hours, usually after dark.
Group size
A standard yacht seats up to 220 at banquet tables and takes up to 300 at a buffet.
As the gala night
A seated dinner with entertainment and the awards ceremony on board.
Food
Banquet or buffet menus from the yacht kitchen, plus vegetarian and Jain dishes briefed ahead of time.
The Winter Palace and the Alexander Column on Palace Square in Saint Petersburg at night

The Winter Palace, Palace Square and the museum behind it

The Hermitage and the imperial palaces

The Hermitage fills the Winter Palace, the former home of the tsars on the Neva. For a large group, ICE India arranges a route that avoids the queues, with English-speaking guides leading smaller parties.

The evening can follow in a historic mansion or palace hall, such as the Yusupov Palace on the Moika.

Time
About three hours for the highlights, or a full day with a palace excursion.
Group size
Groups of 30 to 300, guided in smaller parties.
As the gala night
Dinner in a palace hall or private mansion, with entertainment.
Food
Russian menus with vegetarian dishes, or an Indian menu from a partner caterer.

Where to go in Russia

Most groups base themselves in Moscow and St Petersburg, and many add a half-day at a palace outside the second city.

The State Historical Museum and Nikolskaya Tower beside Red Square in Moscow, seen from above
A passenger boat on the Moskva River below the Kremlin walls and towers

The Kremlin, Red Square and the business centre

Moscow

Moscow is a large, fast city built around the Kremlin and Red Square. The Bolshoi Theatre, the Arbat and Zaryadye Park lie within a short ride, and the metro runs under all of it. Most conference hotels sit near Tverskaya Street, on the Moskva embankments or around the Moscow International Business Centre.

The scale suits large groups. A dealer conference of 500 can fill a ballroom with a stage and breakout rooms, then move to a river yacht for dinner with the Kremlin lit up on the bank.

Where groups stay
The Carlton on Tverskaya Street, Lotte Hotel Moscow near the Arbat, Hotel Metropol beside the Bolshoi, and the Baltschug Kempinski across the river from the Kremlin.
Gala evenings
Metropol Hall under its stained-glass dome takes 400 guests, and the Crystal Ballroom at Lotte Hotel Moscow seats 320 at tables.
Group activities
A guided tour of the metro stations, a banya with a spa ritual, the Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre at VDNKh, and an evening walk in Zaryadye Park beside the Kremlin walls.
What sets it apart
A group can fit a Kremlin tour, a night at the Bolshoi and a working session into three days, all within one metro network. Most stops are a short ride apart, which keeps the day compact.
The golden dome of Saint Isaac's Cathedral rising above trees in Saint Petersburg
The Singer House and its glass globe on Nevsky Prospect in Saint Petersburg

The Hermitage, the Neva and Nevsky Prospect

Saint Petersburg

A city of palaces, canals and river views, laid out by Peter the Great. Nevsky Prospect is the main street for walking, shopping and dinners, and the Hermitage, St Isaac's and the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood stand within a short drive.

The centre is compact, so groups can walk between sights and dinner. The White Nights from late May to early July keep the sky light until after midnight, which stretches the sightseeing day. Palace Square, the Hermitage and Nevsky Prospect are within walking distance of each other.

Where groups stay
Lotte Hotel Saint Petersburg in the centre, the Cosmos Pribaltiyskaya on Vasilyevsky Island, and the Hilton ExpoForum beside the exhibition centre and Pulkovo airport.
Gala evenings
The gala venues are the Yusupov Palace on the Moika, a historic mansion, or the banquet hall at the Cosmos Pribaltiyskaya, which takes up to 1,500.
Group activities
Guided Hermitage routes, the Peter and Paul Fortress, a boat ride along the Griboedov Canal, and Neva evenings in the long summer light, when the bridges rise after midnight.
Group size
Central hotels suit 30 to 150 guests. For 500 or more, the large hotels on Vasilyevsky Island and at ExpoForum have the ballrooms, and coaches link them to the centre.
The blue and white facade of Catherine Palace above its formal gardens in Pushkin
A painted ceiling in the Great Hall of Catherine Palace

Catherine Palace, the Amber Room and the Grand Cascade

Pushkin and Peterhof

Two imperial estates outside St Petersburg. Catherine Palace in Pushkin, about 30 km and 45 minutes away, holds the Amber Room, porcelain and landscaped gardens. Peterhof, on the Gulf of Finland, has gilded fountains and the Grand Cascade.

Groups usually choose one for a half-day excursion between sessions, so no extra night is needed. Both take guided groups through the state rooms and out into the parks. Pushkin is a small town with a lyceum and parks, so lunch can be arranged there before the return drive.

Catherine Palace
The tsars' summer residence, rebuilt in the 1750s by Rastrelli. It has the Great Hall, the Amber Room (recreated and reopened in 2003) and a park with a Chinese bridge and a palace church.
Peterhof
Peter the Great's seaside estate from the early 18th century, with the Grand Palace above the Grand Cascade and its gilded fountains, which run in the warmer months.
Which to choose
Catherine Palace for interiors and the Amber Room. Peterhof for fountains and the sea view in summer. Groups of 100 or more split into guided parties of a manageable size.
Group activities
Guided state-room tours, garden walks and a group photograph in front of the cascade or the palace facade.

Flights from the main Indian cities to Russia

Aeroflot flies Delhi to Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO), 29 km from the centre. Domodedovo (DME) and Vnukovo (VKO) also take Gulf flights. Pulkovo (LED) is 17 km from central St Petersburg. Moscow time is two and a half hours behind India.

Reaching Russia
FromAirportNon-stop flightsOne-stop routes
MumbaiChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (BOM)NoneEmirates through Dubai, Qatar Airways through Doha or Etihad through Abu Dhabi, about 9 to 11 hours
DelhiIndira Gandhi International (DEL)Aeroflot to Sheremetyevo, about 6h 30mNon-stop
BengaluruKempegowda International (BLR)NoneEmirates through Dubai, Qatar Airways through Doha or Etihad through Abu Dhabi
ChennaiChennai International (MAA)NoneEmirates through Dubai, Qatar Airways through Doha or Etihad through Abu Dhabi
HyderabadRajiv Gandhi International (HYD)NoneEmirates through Dubai, Qatar Airways through Doha or Etihad through Abu Dhabi
KolkataNetaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (CCU)NoneEmirates through Dubai, Qatar Airways through Doha or Etihad through Abu Dhabi
KochiCochin International (COK)NoneEmirates through Dubai, Qatar Airways through Doha or Etihad through Abu Dhabi
AhmedabadSardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (AMD)NoneEmirates through Dubai, Qatar Airways through Doha or Etihad through Abu Dhabi
GoaDabolim International (GOI)Aeroflot to Sheremetyevo, seasonal winter service from October 2026Non-stop
Pune, Jaipur and other citiesLocal airportNoneConnect through Delhi on one ticket, or through a Gulf hub

Hotels and venues for groups in Moscow and St Petersburg

At ten hotels, ballrooms and meeting rooms take groups of 100 to 1,500.

Selected corporate venues in Russia
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
The Carlton MoscowTverskaya Street, Moscow334Not availableBallroom: about 7,000 sq ft, 650
Lotte Hotel MoscowNovinsky Boulevard, Moscow30011Crystal Ballroom: about 6,460 sq ft, 600
Radisson Collection Hotel MoscowKievskaya, Moscow50116Banquet Hall: about 4,090 sq ft, 350
Hilton Moscow LeningradskayaKomsomolskaya Square, Moscow2737Grand Ballroom: about 3,210 sq ft, 200
Hotel Metropol MoscowTeatralny Proyezd, MoscowNot available16Metropol Hall: about 5,520 sq ft, 400
Baltschug Kempinski MoscowZamoskvorechye, Moscow22713Vladimir Hall: about 2,980 sq ft, up to 280 guests
Swissôtel Krasnye HolmyZamoskvorechye, Moscow23610Zurich Ballroom: about 1,790 sq ft
Cosmos Saint Petersburg Pribaltiyskaya HotelVasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg1,18426Grand Banquet Hall: up to 1,500 guests
Hilton Saint Petersburg ExpoForumExpoForum, near Pulkovo airport2349Ballroom: about 4,970 sq ft, 500
Lotte Hotel Saint PetersburgAntonenko Lane, central Saint PetersburgAbout 1502Pushkin Room: about 1,260 sq ft, 90

Convention and exhibition centres

For conferences beyond hotel capacity, Russia has large exhibition grounds in both cities. Two sit on the edge of town, and one is a landmark pavilion park in northern Moscow.

  • Exhibitors and visitors at stands in a hall at Crocus Expo, Moscow

    Moscow

    Crocus Expo

    A major exhibition and convention complex on the western edge of Moscow, with large halls for trade shows, dealer fairs and conferences.

    • Three exhibition pavilions
    • 19 exhibition halls
    • Events of 150 to 5,400 guests
  • The glass facade of the ExpoForum convention and exhibition centre in Saint Petersburg

    Saint Petersburg

    ExpoForum

    A convention and exhibition centre beside Pulkovo airport, with a Hilton hotel beside it.

    • Three exhibition pavilions
    • 68 conference halls
    • About 538,000 sq ft indoors
  • The Central Pavilion of VDNKh in Moscow with visitors walking across the square

    Moscow

    VDNKh

    A large park of pavilions in northern Moscow, used for exhibitions and events, with the Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre beside it.

    • 49 pavilions with heritage status
    • Congress sites for 20 to 700 guests
    • Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre on site

Where to hold the evenings

Where a Russia group can hold a gala evening, sit down to Indian food or run a team activity.

  • Gala dinner venues

    Hotel ballrooms, a river yacht and a palace. Capacities are for a seated dinner.

    • Metropol Hall, Hotel Metropol Moscow: 400
    • Crystal Ballroom, Lotte Hotel Moscow: 320
    • Radisson Royal Flotilla, Moskva River: up to 220
    • Moskva Hall, Baltschug Kempinski: a banquet room with a Kremlin view
    • Yusupov Palace on the Moika, Saint Petersburg
    • Grand Banquet Hall, Cosmos Pribaltiyskaya: up to 1,500

  • Indian restaurants for groups

    Both cities have Indian restaurants, from vegetarian canteens to full tandoor menus, and many take private groups. Jain menus are requested ahead of the visit.

    • Darbars, Moscow
    • Jagannath, Moscow: vegetarian
    • Jai Hind, Moscow
    • Tandoor, Saint Petersburg
    • Namaste, Saint Petersburg
    • Tandoori Nights, Saint Petersburg

  • Team and cultural activities

    Evening and half-day activities that suit a whole group.

    • Guided tour of Moscow metro stations
    • Russian banya with a spa ritual, Moscow
    • Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre, Moscow
    • Izmailovsky Market, Moscow: craft stalls and souvenirs
    • Sapsan train from Moscow to Saint Petersburg
    • Peter and Paul Fortress, Saint Petersburg

What groups do in Russia

  • The Kremlin and Red Square

    A guided walk through the Kremlin complex and across Red Square, ending outside St Basil's Cathedral.

  • Moscow metro stations

    A guided ride through chandeliered stations such as Komsomolskaya and Mayakovskaya, built as palaces for the public.

  • Bolshoi Theatre

    Ballet and opera on the Bolshoi's historic stage, with seats reserved in blocks for a group evening.

  • Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood

    A St Petersburg church covered inside in mosaics, with onion domes that rise above the Griboedov Canal.

  • A Russian banya

    A steam bath with a birch-branch ritual and a spa area, a Russian tradition that groups try once.

  • Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre

    A museum of Soviet and Russian spaceflight, with about 85,000 objects, models and archives.

A sample programme in Russia

A sample for 30 to 300 guests: a gala cruise, the train between Moscow and St Petersburg and an Indian dinner. The brief decides the details.

4 nights, 5 days

  1. St Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow, with snow on the groundDay 1

    Arrival and Red Square

    Flights land at Sheremetyevo and each group is met by a coach. At the hotel, young hosts in traditional dress offer the bread-and-salt welcome. A working session can follow, then a short evening walk to Red Square.

  2. Passengers beneath the chandeliers of Komsomolskaya metro station in MoscowDay 2

    The Kremlin, the metro and a gala cruise

    A guided visit to the Kremlin and Red Square, then a tour of the metro stations, including Komsomolskaya. In the evening the group boards a yacht on the Moskva for dinner, with the Kremlin lit up on the bank and the awards on deck.

  3. Two Sapsan high-speed trains and passengers on a platform in MoscowDay 3

    By Sapsan to Saint Petersburg

    A free morning for the Izmailovsky Market, the Cosmonautics Centre or a banya. After lunch the group takes the Sapsan, about four hours to St Petersburg. The Indian dinner is at Tandoori Nights, with a vegetarian menu briefed in advance.

  4. Aerial view of the Winter Palace and Palace Square in Saint PetersburgDay 4

    The Hermitage and the city

    A morning tour of St Isaac's, Kazan Cathedral, the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Then a guided route through the Hermitage, and a gala dinner in a palace hall or private mansion.

  5. The Grand Cascade and Samson fountain at Peterhof PalaceDay 5

    A palace excursion and departure

    A half-day at Peterhof for the fountains and gardens, or at Catherine Palace in Pushkin for the Amber Room. Coaches then take the group to Pulkovo for the flights home.

Food, souvenirs and shopping in Russia

Shopping fits into stops already on the programme, mostly in Moscow and on Nevsky Prospect.

  • Local food to try

    Russian cooking is hearty, and many dishes work well for vegetarian guests.

    • Borscht, beetroot soup served with sour cream and rye bread
    • Pelmeni and vareniki, dumplings with meat, potato or cottage cheese
    • Blini and syrniki, thin pancakes and fried curd fritters
    • Pirozhki, baked or fried pies with cabbage or potato
    • Medovik, a honey layer cake
    • Café Pushkin, Moscow: classic Russian dishes in a mansion
    • Stolovaya No. 57 in GUM: a canteen with Soviet-style dishes

  • What to bring home

    Guests tend to buy painted wood, porcelain, shawls and sweets for colleagues and family.

    • Matryoshka nesting dolls
    • Khokhloma painted wooden spoons and bowls
    • Gzhel blue-and-white porcelain
    • Pavlovo Posad wool shawls
    • Pastila, a traditional apple sweet
    • Russian tea, honey and chocolate

  • Where to shop

    Markets for crafts, historic arcades for brands and gifts, and the airport for the last purchases.

    • Izmailovsky Market and Kremlin, Moscow: crafts and souvenirs
    • Arbat Street, Moscow: souvenir stalls and ateliers
    • GUM on Red Square: a historic arcade of shops
    • Nevsky Prospect, Saint Petersburg: the main shopping street
    • Gostiny Dvor, Saint Petersburg: an arcade on Nevsky Prospect
    • Souvenir market behind the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood

When to go

The main season runs from May to September, when daytime highs reach about 18 to 24 °C and the evenings stay light. June is the favourite month in St Petersburg, because of the White Nights.

Winter brings snow and temperatures well below freezing, which suits groups that want a snowy city, with indoor evenings and warm clothing arranged in advance.

Late May to early July
The White Nights in St Petersburg. Gala dinners suit a banquet hall or private mansion, because the sky stays light.
July and August
The warmest months, good for river cruises and palace gardens in Pushkin and Peterhof.
December to February
Snow in both cities. Outdoor plans shorten, and museum and theatre evenings take their place.

  • I've had the pleasure of working with ICE India on multiple events in the past 5 years. Mufaddal gives a special touch to every event with his innovative ideas, personalized service and kick­ass execution! The ICE India team is easily accessible and attentive to our needs. I've found them to be very organized, creative and thoughtful of all aspects leading up to the event and the event day itself. Mufaddal gets personally involved in all matters from ideation to execution and uses his experience to execute all events seamlessly and always has a "plan B" in place for any potential issues. They have a good vendor partner group and have been able to accommodate all event planning seamlessly, exceeding our expectations every time. I would highly recommend ICE India for event planning and have referred them to other companies in my contact sphere.

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  • Dear Mufaddal and Shreya, This was our first event and we approached ICE India for support. You both were very calm, composed and able to make decisions at once, quickly. You were able to understand our needs and always happy to help even when the plan changes last minute. You are very organized in your work which leads to minimum last minute issues – which we all know are bound to happen. We had a fantastic experience and were treated with thorough professionalism right from planning, organizing and executing the event. It was a fabulous experience working with you both and we cannot thank you enough for executing it so well. Kind regards, Gita

    Gita WaghelaTalwar, Thakore and Associates

  • Dear Mufaddal & ICE team,

    I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for the amazing job you did in organizing our all-company offsite in Goa. From start to finish, it was a seamless and enjoyable experience. Your team was a pleasure to work with, and I was thoroughly impressed by their professionalism, attention to detail, and willingness to go above and beyond.

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    During the event, your team was exceptional in their coordination and execution. They were always available to help and ensure everything was running smoothly. I appreciate you being there to supervise everything and act as a point of contact throughout the event, going out of your way to accommodate any last-minute needs or changes. Your personal involvement really helped us deliver a memorable and meaningful offsite.

    Overall, I am thrilled with the experience your team provided us.

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Planning an event in Russia: questions

How long should a Russia incentive trip be?

Most groups choose three nights in Moscow alone, or four to five nights across Moscow and St Petersburg. Seven nights can add the Golden Ring towns, or a conference alongside the sightseeing.

Can ICE India handle our group's visas and flights?

Yes. ICE India shares the e-visa checklist, checks each traveller's file, and books group flights from several Indian cities, with transfers and an on-trip support desk run by vetted local partners.

Is Russia suitable for a large dealer conference?

Yes. Moscow hotels host meetings of 300 to 650 in a single ballroom, and St Petersburg has the ExpoForum and the 1,500-guest banquet hall at Cosmos Pribaltiyskaya.

We are a travel agency. Can we get Russia programmes through ICE India?

Agencies and destination management companies that want to send groups to Russia can read how ICE India works with them on the destination representation page.

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Photographs via Wikimedia Commons: Vyacheslav Argenberg, Pierre André Leclercq, Sergey A. Demidov, Safa.daneshvar, Artyom Svetlov and Юрий Д.К. (CC BY 4.0); Невпервой, Олег Токарев, Godot13, Florstein, MBH, Alexxx1979 and Deror_avi (CC BY-SA 4.0); Sergey Rodovnichenko (CC BY-SA 2.0); S Petr (CC BY 3.0). Other photographs are from Unsplash and public sources, and remain the property of their owners.