Whether you are a football fan or not, it is highly unlikely you have missed the hype about the upcoming World Cup! The World Cup starts on Thursday 14th June 2018 when the Hosts take on Saudi Arabia in Moscow.
Russia is hosting the tournament this year, the first time a European country has had the privilege since 2006, when it was then held in Germany.
You may be lucky enough to have already secured your tickets to see any number of the football matches that will be taking place up until the final which will be held on Sunday 15th July, some of you may be flying across with the hopes of getting tickets when you are there. Russia has so much to offer you other than the football.
Whether you just want to enjoy the atmosphere in any of the many bars or eateries while watching the matches or looking to fill your spare time between matches, Monster.Travel is here to give you an insight to what else Russia has to offer.
Moscow is the city hosting more games than any other, with 10 matches being played. Russia's capital has so much to do when you aren't watching any of the many matches going on throughout the country.
If you have never visited Moscow before it is definitely worthwhile to take one of the many tour guides that are on offer. A popular tour is the 3-hour private tour of Moscow's top landmarks. On this tour you will be taken round important landmarks such as Lenin's Mausoleum, St Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin Wall and many more. You will also have the opportunity the visit the oldest Metro line, enjoy some downtime by the fountains on Manezhnaya Square and grab a bite to eat at an authentic Russian restaurant.
Maybe learning about the Russian culture that Moscow has to offer isn't something that would interest you when you are away, and you are looking to find a bar to get you in the spirit of the event. Moscow has many tours and excursions offering different bar crawls with or without personal guides. Russian Vodka may be on the top of some of your lists to try, but take it easy, especially if its your fist time.
St. Petersburg, another beautiful city in Russia, hosting 8 of the matches during the World Cup, has an abundance of things to do when you need an escape from all that football.
The Hermitage Museum is one of the oldest museums in the world, located inside the Winter Palace of Empress Catherine the Great and has more than 1,500 rooms. This breathtaking museum has pieces from Van Gogh, Monet and Leonardo da Vinci as well as ancient Scythian gold.
Mariinsky Theatre is one of Russia's most spectacular venues to see ballet and opera productions and ballets greats such as Nijinsky, Pavlova and Nurayev have all performed there.
England, the only team from the UK to make it through, have their first match in Volgograd Monday 18th June and the much-anticipated Portugal vs. Spain match is taking place in Sochi Friday 15th June.
As well as the four mentioned, there are seven other cities hosting matches across Russia.