Moscow Travelers Recommend

As the backdrop to some of the most dramatic events of the 20th century, it comes as no surprise that Moscow is packed full of history and intrigue. Three days in Russia’s capital give you time to see Moscow’s most-important landmarks and explore further afield on a day trip. Here’s how. 

Day 1: Historic Landmarks

Spend your first day in Moscow getting your bearings. Walking tours orient you in the historic city center and tend to cover top sights such as Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin, Lenin’s tomb, and the striking GUM shopping arcade. Many sightseeing tours take you to the elegant Bolshoi, home to the famed Russian ballet company, with some even including a tour its interior. Alternatively, taking a hop-on hop-off bus tour allows you to set your own itinerary and pace—some options include a cruise on the River Moskva.

In the evening, sample some of Moscow’s fine dining options before hitting the town and checking out the nightclub scene. Like New York, Moscow is a city that never sleeps. You can also join a nightlife tour that takes you to some of the city’s buzziest hot spots—this way you avoid the risk of falling for overpriced tourist traps.

Day 2: Art and Architecture

Having glimpsed the Kremlin from the outside, spend your second morning exploring the inside of the former residence of Russian emperors. Book a tour that includes a skip-the-line or priority-access admission ticket in order to avoid lines and enter before the general public.

Afterward, make your way to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts to check out some of the best European art in Russia, or to the Tretyakov Gallery, where you’ll find the world’s most comprehensive collection of Russian art and icons. Be sure to squeeze in a tour of some of Moscow’s most impressive yet unexpected art spaces—Metro stations. Thanks to the Soviet’s architectural ambitions, the stations are opulently decked out with chandeliers, mosaics, and sculptures; a tour lets you tick off the best with ease. 

In the evening, opt for the quintessential Russian experience: an opera or ballet performance at the historic Bolshoi Theater. 

Day 3: Back in Time

On your third day, take a journey back in time on a tour to an ancient summer home for Russian princes, the Kolomenskoye Museum and Reserve. Southeast of Moscow, the site features the first open-air museum of wooden architecture in Russia. Visiting as part of a guided tour lets you skip the hassle of figuring out bus timetables—ideal if you don’t read Russian. Tours typically include hotel transfers.

Back in Moscow, round out your trip on a specialized evening walking tour. Options include a Communist-themed tour that focuses on the history and legacy of the Soviet-era, and takes you to landmarks such as the former KGB building and Revolution Square, site of the 1917 revolution. Or, join an alternative tour focused on the city’s sinister past. You’ll hear lesser-known stories about sorcerers and murderers as you visit places such as Khitrovka, 19th-century home of Moscow’s criminals.

Northeast of Moscow, the picturesque towns of the Golden Ring trace their histories to the early days of the Russian Orthodox Church. Whether you have a day or more to explore their beautiful kremlins, ancient monasteries, and onion-domed churches, here are your options.

Full-Day Tours

Make the most of your time by taking a full-day private tour to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Vladimir and Suzdal, two of the most charming towns in the Golden Ring. Alternatively, spend the day with a private tour guide in Sergiev Posad, visiting the famous Trinity Lavra Monastery and stopping at the 19th-century Abramtsevo Estate on your way back to Moscow.

Multi-Day Tours

Take a deep dive into Russian history and Russian culture by taking a multi-day tour that includes stops in up to seven ancient towns in the Golden Ring. Enjoy city tours of areas such as Vladimir, Suzdal, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Rostov-Veliky, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, and Sergiev Posad, and enjoy overnight stays in some of these fascinating cities. With a pre-booked guided tour, you won’t have to worry about the hassle of transportation or planning this extended trip.

Things to Know

• Both full-day and multi-day tours depart from and return to centrally located Moscow hotels.

• Sergiev Posad is just over an hour's drive from Moscow, Vladimir is a 3-hour drive, and Suzdal is 3.5 hours away by road.

• Tours typically include the opportunity to try traditional Russian cuisine, usually at your own expense.

• Full-day trips generally last nine to 14 hours.

Soviet history comes alive in Moscow, once the capital of the Soviet Union and the region’s heart for hundreds of years. Here’s what you need to know about uncovering the city’s Soviet past in various Moscow history tours.

Space Tours

Learn about the space race with a visit to the Museum of Cosmonautics, located at the base of a monument to the Conquerors of Space, followed by a stop at VDNKh, or the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy. A longer tour may include a stop at the Mosquarium, the largest aquarium in Europe.

Cold War Tours

Join a fascinating tour that provides insight into how World War II (known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia) affected the Soviet Union. Travel by Metro to visit the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexander Garden, and a monument to the head of the Soviet Army. If you’re feeling adventurous, take a tour of Bunker 42, a former secret Soviet bunker located below the streets of Moscow that now serves as a museum to the Cold War.

Communism Tours

Take an evening city tour and stroll around notable buildings and squares including a memorial to Soviet labor camp prisoners, Revolution Square, Lubyanka Square, and the former KGB headquarters. You might also take a tour to Lenin's Mausoleum or of the Kremlin and Red Square.

Soviet Life Tours

Take a private tour to get a taste of life in Soviet Moscow. Travel by the Moscow Metro to historic sites such as VDNKh, the Central Moscow Library, the Christ the Savior Cathedral, Red Square, and the famous GUM department store, then join your tour guide for lunch or dinner at the notable Stolovka 54 diner. Alternatively, take a late-night Metro and Stalin skyscrapers tour to enjoy the beauty of Moscow's metro stations and other Soviet era architecture without the crowds.

As a city that has been around for more than 800 years, Moscow has plenty of history. Tucked beneath steel and glass skyscrapers, historic sights can be found throughout Russia's capital. Here are a few sights in Moscow that shouldn't be missed.

The Kremlin

The Moscow Kremlin has been the political center of the city for centuries and remains the official residence of the Russian president today. Take a tour to hear the history and expert narration on its several cathedrals, Ivan the Great Bell Tower, and the Armoury, which displays the Imperial Crown of Russia, the Orlov (or Orloff) Diamond, and a collection of Faberge eggs.

Red Square

Sitting adjacent to the Kremlin, Red Square has long held a significant place in Russian history, first as a marketplace and later as a popular site for public proclamations and ceremonies, religious processions and coronations. Surrounding Red Square, you’ll find the famous GUM department store, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Kazan Cathedral, the State Historical Museum and Lenin’s Mausoleum. Most Moscow highlight tours include a stop here.

St. Basil’s Cathedral

Built to celebrate Ivan the Terrible’s conquest of Kazan, St. Basil’s Cathedral may be one of the most iconic sites in Russia. With its colorful façade and onion-shaped domes, the cathedral is completely unique in Russian history. You’ll hear more about it on a small-group or private walking tour of the city.

State Historical Museum of Russia

The State Historical Museum traces centuries of Russian history from the Stone Age through the 19th century. It boasts more than four million objects, including the largest coin collection in Russia, a Greek sarcophagus from the 4th century BC, gold artifacts from the Scythians and a replica of the Ivan the Terrible’s throne.

Kitay Gorod neighborhood

The neighborhood adjacent to Red Square known as Kitay Gorod is one of the oldest quarters in Moscow, settled in the 13th century. Stroll along the three main streets of Kitay Gorod to see a variety of 16th and 17th century churches, as well as the Romanov house, built by the grandfather of Mikhail Romanov, the first of the Romanov tsars. See it on the Alternative Moscow tour, which focuses on the spooky and sinister side of the city.

The picturesque town of Sergiev Posad grew out of one of Russia's greatest monasteries, the Trinity Lavra Monastery. It makes for a great day trip from Moscow and can also be combined with visits to other Golden Ring towns as part of a multi-day tour. Here are your options.

Group Tours

Join a small-group tour for the drive from Moscow to Sergiev Posad, where you’ll learn about the spiritual and historical importance of the 14th-century town while seeing sights like the Trinity Lavra Monastery (also known as the Troitse-Sergiev Monastery), the Trinity Cathedral, and the Assumption Cathedral. You’ll save money with a group tour and meet other travelers from around the world. If you have a few more days, join a multi-day group tour that also visits other Golden Ring towns such as Suzdal, Vladimir and Rostov-Veliky.

Private Tours

Join a private guide to take the train or bus from Moscow to Sergiev Posad to tour the Trinity Lavra Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a flexible itinerary, you might also see traditional matryoshka dolls at the Toy Museum, visit the Abramtsevo artists’ estate, or stop for a traditional lunch of Russian cuisine and dishes such as blini, solyanka, Olivier salad, or pirozhki. Other private tour options travel by car rather than bus and might include a matryoshka painting class or candle-making lesson.

Things to Know

• Sergiev Posad is about an hour’s drive from Moscow, although it may take longer due to heavy traffic.

• A seminary of the Russian Orthodox Church is still located within Sergiev Posad’s Trinity Lavra Monastery, so don’t be surprised to see priests in prayer or pilgrims lighting candles to St. Sergius.

• Both private and group tours last about seven to 10 hours.

• Women should be prepared to cover their heads when visiting the monastery.

A two-day trip to Moscow offers the chance to see the most important sites of the Russian capital and also get a sense of the political history that has shaped it. From exploring a former emperor’s palace to following in the KGB’s footsteps, here’s how to spend two days in Moscow.

Day 1: Explore the City and Its Past

**Morning:**Start your first day with a walking tour of Moscow’s most important landmarks, including Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin, and the Bolshoi building. Alternatively, a hop-on hop-off bus tour allows you to create a wider-ranging itinerary, spending as long as you wish at each stop.

**Afternoon:**Go underground to discover some of Moscow’s most beautiful art spaces on a guided tour of the city’s Metro stations. A legacy of an ambitious architectural project of the Soviet era, the stations are opulently decked out with chandeliers, mosaics, stained glass, and sculptures.

**Night:**Get a taste of local Muscovite life on a nightlife tour in one of Moscow’s hippest districts. You can make new friends, drink Russian liquor, and taste typical snacks as your guide takes you to some of the city’s buzziest hotspots and to locals’ favorite watering holes. 

Day 2: Discover Different Perspectives

**Morning:**Delve into the opulent depths of the Kremlin, the former residence of Russian emperors, on a guided tour of the building’s architectural highlights. If you book a tour with priority access, you can avoid the lines by entering at the earliest admission time.

**Afternoon:**See Moscow from a different perspective with an afternoon cruise on the Moskva River that offers views of the Kremlin, Novodevichy Convent, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, and Moscow State University—all without the hassle of navigating the crowds. Tours often include hot drinks and snacks.

**Night:**Unravel myths and misperceptions as you learn about the political history of Moscow’s Soviet era on a guided tour to landmarks associated with this turbulent era, including the former KGB building, a memorial to Soviet labor camp prisoners, and Revolution Square, the site of the 1917 Bolshevik revolution.

Few capital cities have seen such dramatic changes over the past century than Moscow, with a cityscape that reflects the architectural legacies of czars, communists, and oligarchs. With just one day here, you’re going to want to see as much as possible. Here are a few ways to spend one day in Russian capital.

Morning: Take in the City’s Sights

Get acquainted with Moscow’s most important sights—many of which are in the center of the city and within easy walking distance. Private or group walking tours can take you to Red Square to see St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin, and Lenin’s tomb, and to see the Bolshoi building and Alexandrovsky Garden. Hop-on, hop-off bus tours include additional stops at attractions farther afield, such as Red October Island and the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, while allowing you to set your own itinerary and pace. Some also include an optional cruise on the Moskva River.

Afternoon: Delve Deeper

Now that you’ve seen Moscow’s world-famous landmarks, go underground to discover works of art in unlikely settings: metro stations. During the communist era, the design of Moscow’s metro stations was an ambitious project meant to project a bright, bold Soviet future. Today you can learn about the extravagant decor, chandeliers, mosaics, stained glass, and sculptures by joining a guided tour.

Alternatively, you can get a different perspective on Soviet idealism, specifically their pursuit of dominance during the space race, with a private tour of the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics and VDNKh park, home to many monuments to heroic Soviet astronauts.

Night: Soak up the Scene

You have time for one last tour before leaving Moscow and have several nighttime options. History buffs can learn more about Moscow’s Soviet era, often shrouded in myth and misunderstanding, with a guided tour designed to explain those turbulent times. Many evening tours will take you to landmarks associated with the era, including the former KGB building and Revolution Square, site of the 1917 revolution.

Another option is to join a nightlife tour that visits the most buzzworthy hotspots and under-the-radar locals’ haunts in one of Moscow’s hippest neighborhoods. These tours typically include drinks and snacks.