A good time to visit Russia is in the winter, when it is emptied out by wintry snow. For the inside track, book with Greg Tepper of Exeter International (www.exeterinternational.com), who holds the keys not only to the Kremlin’s hidden rooms ($1,950 per person), but also to the exquisite backstage stores piled high with tutus at St Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre (pictured) – a tour ($375 per person) that lifts the spirits, even in the depths of February.