Moscow
Visited in December 2009
The UK Foreign Office currently advises against travel to all or parts of Russia. This guide is for a safer time. Check the latest travel advice.
At a glance
- Country
- Russia
- Region
- Russia
- Population
- 13.3 million
- Best time to go
- May to September
- Main airport
- Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO)
- Coordinates
- 55.75°N, 37.62°E
Country visited City visited Still to go Click a pin or country to read more. Zoom with + and −, a double-click or a pinch.
Overview
Moscow is a city of enormous scale: broad avenues, Stalinist skyscrapers and a fortress at its heart that has been the seat of Russian power for centuries. Onion domes and gilded church interiors sit among grand theatres and vast museums.
This guide is written for a time when travel is advisable again; check the latest official advice before making any plans. When that time comes, allow several days, as distances are large and the major sights deserve time.
Things to see
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Photo: mos.ru, CC BY 4.0 Red Square
The great cobbled square beneath the Kremlin walls, framed by the State Historical Museum and the GUM arcade.
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Photo: Pavel Kazachkov from Moscow, Russia, CC BY 2.0 The Kremlin
The walled fortress holds golden-domed cathedrals, the Armoury's treasures and the giant Tsar Bell.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: Tsy1980, CC BY-SA 4.0 St Basil's Cathedral
A riot of colourful, twisted domes at the end of Red Square, with a maze of small chapels inside.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: A.Savin, CC BY-SA 3.0 Tretyakov Gallery
The finest collection of Russian art, from medieval icons to 19th-century landscapes and portraits.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: DmitriyGuryanov, CC BY-SA 3.0 Bolshoi Theatre
One of the world's great stages for ballet and opera, behind a columned neoclassical façade.
Tickets and tours
Things to do
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Photo: A.Savin, FAL Tour the Metro stations
Many central stations are underground palaces of marble, mosaics and chandeliers. Komsomolskaya and Mayakovskaya stand out.
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Photo: mos.ru, CC BY 4.0 Walk in Zaryadye Park
A modern park beside the Kremlin with a floating bridge projecting over the Moskva river.
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Photo: A.Savin, FAL Gorky Park
The city's best-known park, with riverside paths, cafés and a winter ice rink.
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Photo: Smarticvs, Public domain Visit a banya
The Russian steam bath is a long-standing ritual of heat, birch twigs and cold plunges.
Where to stay
Kitay-gorod
Historic and central, steps from Red Square.
Hotels in Kitay-gorodArbat
Old streets and a pedestrian avenue, close to museums and the centre.
Hotels in ArbatZamoskvorechye
South of the river, with quieter streets, old churches and the Tretyakov Gallery.
Hotels in Zamoskvorechye
Getting around
The Metro is fast, frequent and reaches almost everywhere. Distances are large, so plan your days by area.
The Aeroexpress train links Sheremetyevo to Belorussky station in the centre in about 40 minutes.
When to go
Late spring and summer are warm, with long evenings. Winters are long and very cold, though snow-covered churches have their own beauty. September brings autumn colour to the parks.
Plan your trip to Moscow
- HotelsBooking.com
- Tours and ticketsGetYourGuide
- FlightsKiwi.com
- Attraction ticketsTiqets
- Airport parking, lounges and transfersHoliday Extras
- Car hireAuto Europe
- Mobile data (eSIM)AiraloCode DAN9406 for money off
- GuidebooksAmazon
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Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.