The 18 things to do in Moscow

Visit Moscow: What are the best things to do and see in the capital of Russia?

At all seasons and at any time of the day, Moscow makes dreams with its art, history and majesty. The vast Russian capital has countless important monuments and sites to visit. The remains of the Soviet state are scattered all around the city, the monuments remind us of the fallen heroes and victorious battles, while the museums try to analyze and synthesize the past.

Moscow continues to inspire, confuse, disgust or enchant you but will always surprise you. If his gigantism frightens you, you have fallen well: we have gathered for you the best things to do in Moscow regardless of the duration of your stay (a weekend, 3-4 days or more). So... Davai !

1. The metro moscovite

Weird as the first idea of visiting the capital? Not really... This metro system is like no other in Europe. Stalin called the stations the "People's Palace" and the Moscow metro stations indeed look like palaces. Every time you take this means of transport, you will be enchanted. Raise your head and surprise yourself with fantasy chandeliers, beautiful wall ornaments and marble pillars. Each station has something exceptional. The stations not to be missed are those of Mayakovskaya, Prospekt Mira, Arbatskaya, Kievskaya, Komsomolskaya, Novoslobodskaya, Belorusskaya...

Note that the Moscow metro is deeply buried under the surface. Sometimes you are not even able to see the end of the escalator, especially at the Park Pobedy station where the longest escalator is located in the world, measuring 126 meters. Nine million people use the Moscow metro every day.

2. The Kremlin

Summit of Russian political power and former center of the Orthodox Church, Kremlin is not only the core of Moscow, but of the whole country.

It is from here that the autocratic tsars, communist dictators and presidents of modern times have done their best (or their worst) for Russia. Covering the Borovitski hill on the north shore of the Moskova , the Kremlin is surrounded by high walls on 2.25 km long, with Red Square outside the wall. You will have a beautiful view of the complex from Sofiyskaya on the other side of the river.

Before you enter the enclosure, leave your business under the Kutafya tower. The ticket office is close to the garden Alexandrovsky . The entrance ticket (350 roubles) includes the visit of the five museum churches and the Patriarch’s Palace, but not the Armours Palace or the DiamondFund Museum and temporary exhibitions (paid separately). It is also possible to book your visit to the Kremlin online.

3. The Red Square and the Basile-le-Bienheureux Cathedral

Red square is one of the most famous places in the world and is the central point of the Russian capital. Its name does not come from the color of the surrounding red bricks, nor from the link between this color and communism. In ancient Russian, the square was once called krasny , which means both "red" and "beautiful". It is from this place that you can visit the Kremlin.

But the famous and huge place is even more known for its colorful basilica, Basilica of Basile the Blessed . This crazy confusion of colours, patterns and shapes is the culmination of a style that is unique to Russian architecture. It is to celebrate the capture of the fortress of Kazan by the Russian troops that the Tsar Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV) ordered its construction. This historic church was officially named the church of the Intercession. Created between 1555 and 1561, this masterpiece became the ultimate symbol of Russia. The legend wants Ivan to blind the architects so that they can never build something comparable. This is a myth, because the archives indicate that they were used a quarter of a century later (four years after the death of Ivan IV) to add an additional chapel to the structure. The entrance to the cathedral is 250 rubles.

Always on the Red Square, you can see the Lenin Mausolée . Located at the west corner of the square, near the garden of Alexandra, the former Russian leader is hired in a mausoleum to his name. The photograph is not allowed and guards ensure that tourists remain respectful and quiet. It is open to the public for free every day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., except Mondays and Fridays. Joseph Stalin was also exposed to it but was then moved to the small cemetery reserved for communist leaders, just behind the mausoleum.

4. Pouchkine Museum of Fine Arts

It is the first foreign art museum in Moscow, exhibiting a wide selection of European works, including masterpieces of ancient civilizations, the Italian Renaissance and the Dutch golden age.

All art lovers will like themselves Museum of Fine Arts Pouchkine with first-rate paintings and sculptures. The museum includes works by Gauguin, Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Picasso among the collection of 640 000 pieces. It is the richest after that of Hermitage in St. Petersburg. The entrance is 300 rubles, and you can book a visit of the museum with pick-up at your hotel for more comfort.

5. Cathedral of Christ-Sauveur

Just in time to celebrate 850th anniversary of Moscow, the gigantic Cathedral of Christ-Sauveur was completed in 1997. It was first built between 1839 and 1883 and was destroyed in 1931 by Stalin, who planned to build a palace of the Soviets instead of a statue of Lenin of 100 m. The project never took shape and until the construction of the present church, there was the largest open-air pool in the world. The cathedral was dedicated on August 19, 2000. The interior houses superb frescoes representing scenes of the War of 1812 led by Emperor Napoleon I.

6. Bolsho Theatre

The Bolchoï is the national theatre of Russia and is one of the largest theatres in the world. Even for those who are not fans of ballet, theatre or opera, the electrifying atmosphere of Bolshoi guarantees to captivate all members of the audience.

If you don’t book your tickets online, the best way is to go directly to the theater shop in Moscow. Be quick however, because tickets are selling fast (more info about www.bolshoi.ru ).

7. Bunker-42 or Cold War Museum

In a quiet street near Taganskaya Square is a neoclassical building. It is in fact the gateway to a secret communications centre during the cold war, the bunker Tagansky (or Bunker 42). Exploited during the cold war, the establishment was designed to serve as a communications seat in the event of a nuclear attack in the United States. As such, the building was just an empty shell and served as an entrance to the bunker of 7000 m2 located 60 m underground.

Today, this place is home to the Cold War Museum. An elevator transports you 18 floors below where you are waiting for a 20-minute film on the history of the cold war followed by a guided tour of the four underground “blocks”, which are dark, wet (and a little scary). Through a locked door, visitors can hear the crane of the trains, which is at the same underground depth as the Taganskaya metro station. The museum tends to get worse thanks to research on the activities that took place here. This may be your only opportunity to explore a secret control centre during the Cold War.

8. Gorki Park

This is not only where Martin Cruz Smith sets out his novel. The Gorki Park , it is also the ideal place to eat an ice, walk along the Moskova River, and watch the premises at work, or picnic, drink and stroll. You can access its main entrance (photo) from Park koultoury Metro Station.

Inside, you can rent a bike and in winter, the basins are frozen, becoming a giant rink on which to skate. Cargo rides, a large wheel, or a model of the Bourane ship are the " attractions" of the park, ideal for children elsewhere.

9. The Astronautical Memorial Museum

This unique monument was built in 1964 to honour the Russian space programme and is 110 metres high. The Astronautical Memorial Museum is entirely made of titanium and is inclined at 77°, symbolizing a rocket (and its plume) on its way to space.

At its base, you will be able to visit the Cosmonauts Museum (or the commemorative Museum of Astronotics) in which the Russian history of space exploration is described and told. A replica of the first satellite (Spoutnik), the original spatial combinations and other gadgets used to form Youri Gagarine , the first man in space. The museum shows in a fascinating way the role of Russia in the space race.

These two sites (which actually do only one) are located near the PanRussian Exhibition Centre (VDNKh).

10. The Contemporary Art Centre of Winzavod

Cachée behind Kurskaya Metro Station, Winzavod is a very vogue gallery.

Once a wine factory, the centre now houses three large exhibition halls, artist workshops, the most recognized art galleries and photo galleries. In these art galleries, you will find mostly works by Russian artists and it remains the best place to realize the medium of Muscovite art.

11. Kitai Gorod

What to do in Moscow, other than its famous monuments? Direction le quartier Kitai Gorod . Located right next to Red Square, the latter is no other than the oldest quarter of the city. If luxury shops have gradually settled there, Kitaï Gorod still keeps some traces of its authenticity.

This is the case of street Varvarka which houses some churches with typical architecture and the Musée d’Arts Décoratifs du Palais des Boyards. To discover the typical local cossy dwellings, go a little further Nikolskaya Street : if the modern establishments have chosen home, the few survivors of Soviet urbanism will transport you a little bit in the history of the city.

12. Rue Arbat

Visiting Moscow is also passing through its famous streets. Installed west of the hyper-centre, the Rue Arbat is recognized to be the place-dit of souvenir shops in which you will find cheap matriochkas. If it has nothing exceptional in itself, it nevertheless has a rather steep rhythm: from day to night, Arbat St animates in a rather friendly atmosphere.

All around you will discover Moscow’s chic and bohemian print. Continue your walk in the adjacent streets and discover a sumptuous architecture, these same dwellings that over time have seen the great names moscovites, poets to writers.

You will have understood it, the charm of Arbat is not summed up at its pedestrian street, but at the little pepits that hide around it. It is also with the aim of exploring this historical wealth that it is possible to visit the area through a cruise on a fly boat . After visiting Arbat Street and its surroundings, board for a 3-hour walk! Along the Moskva River, discover Moscow as you have never seen...

13. Moscow underground

It is a rather unsuspected face and yet... Beyond its tense symbols, Moscow also houses an incredible artistic potential. Discreet and yet well-established, Moscow arty defies the history of the city, adding itself here and there to real works of art.

If the street art denies itself all over the course of your walks, several disaffected warehouses now serve as artistic hubs where talent is expressed freely. Among them, Winzavod, Art Play and Red October.

A former chocolate factory facing the Kremlin, the complex of Red October portrays a cultural heart, far from the totalitarianism attached to the country. Winzavod and Art Play when at them, have given a second life to unaffected factories, creating equally creative and inspiring poles. In their boobs, bars and cafes, restaurants, art galleries, design boutiques and even hotels and hostels have made it a place of choice. The ride is really worth the detour, especially since street art is omnipresent: there you will discover true walls of expression where the talent of some artists may be typing in the eye!

14. Kolomenskoye Palace

This is the moscovite curiosity par excellence. If you are not pressed by time, go for the Kolomenskoye Park and his wonders. A little excitement, the site is worth a visit! Fantasy and extravagant, it houses the wooden palace of Tsar Alexis with unique architecture but also some churches (including Ascension, the oldest in the city) and an outdoor museum whose buildings were built with wood from all over the world. If the palace is a replica (the ruins of the original are located at 1 kilometre from the site), it still happens to leave the mouth bent those who make the encounter. For the anecdote, the Palace was even considered 8th Wonder of the World, worthy of a fairy tale!

15. The Kremlin of Izmaïlovo

Always in the shifted mind and a little far from the center, the Kremlin d’Izmaïlovo promises a discovery for the least... original! Typically Russian, it is in fact an unusual place with a false Kremlin and a myriad of stands, museums and other wooden sites. A little like a Russian Las Vegas, Izmaïlovo gathers a culture of extravagance where kitsch reigns as master! The flea market when it is another must in this curious place that is worth a visit: here you will find souvenirs.

16. Pushkin coffee

This is the must-have Moscow coffee. Sung by Gilbert Bécaud, the coffee Pouchkine has been the subject of a legend and for cause: if the singer fredoned his name, the place did not exist. So in the face of the unexpected success of this famous address, the Pouchkine coffee finally saw the day!

Assumed to be a favourite, the coffee makes everyone unanimous: it is a magical and beautiful place. Renowned for its delicious hot chocolates, Pushkin offers local dishes such as bortsch (meat soup, cabbage and beet) and other culinary specialties. Attention, however, if the coffee is worth the detour, the rates it practices are like the reputation of the places: high!

17. Nightlife moscovite

What to do in Moscow, from nightfall? Forget the cold ice and the a priori rather frigid: Moscow first promises memorable nights! Indefatigable and never short of ideas, the city never sleeps and reveals free moscovite youth, free from communism. Luxury clubs, bars, jazz clubs, casinos and even all-in-one venues portray a cosmopolitan nightlife where everyone will find his happiness! To learn more, read our articles on best places to go out in Moscow .

For those who would prefer dance-floor shows, think of ballets, theatres and operas in the city that are full of world-renowned shows.

18. To see and do also in Moscow

Moscow being a real adventure, you will always find what to take care of. So to complete our guide, here are some other ideas to do here in Moscow if you still have time in front of you:

• The Vodka Museum
• The Stalinist skyscrapers nicknamed the "Seven Sisters of Moscow"
• The television tower of Istanbul
• Jewish Museum and Tolerance Centre
• The Tretiakov Gallery
• The statue of Peter the Great
• The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
• The impressive architecture of the Lomonossov State University

How do I go to Moscow?

Before considering any stay in Moscow, you must first learn about the visa. For this, just read our article how to get his visa for Russia .

Moscow being a very important city, it is connected by many airports with any type of companies (low-cost, classic). From Paris for example, the flight is direct and lasts about 3h30. Whatever your city of departure, our partner and flight comparison Skyscanner will offer you the offers of the moment to find your flight at the best price.

How to move to Moscow?

Traffic in Moscow speaks of itself: it is a very busy city, so the car will not be your best ally! Like most moscovites and for a mobility trip, prefer the metro of the city and walk the rest.

To avoid buying a ticket to each of your trips, including access to all other public transport in Moscow (bus, trolleybus and tram), think about the map Troïka : rechargeable throughout your stay, it gets in a metro station and costs 50 rubles. This sum is recoverable from the moment you make your Troika card before your return to France! And if you have a sum left on it, it can also be refunded. Know in particular that the card allows you to move for 35 roubles the journey (instead of 50 roubles for a ticket to the unit).

Good to know. : the plans and maps of the Moscow transport do not benefit from a Latin translation! A tip, therefore, favor the preferred mobile apps for travel like City Map to spot you. As a bonus on this article: the metro map "translated" !

Where to stay in Moscow?

Moscow is a rather expensive city to stay there. You can read our article to find out in which quarter house in Moscow : it will guide you on the place to choose according to your wishes of stay. In terms of foot to ground, the city is rich in hotel offers but it is also possible to opt for an Airbnb accommodation (from the single room to the entire accommodation) or a youth hostel. If you choose a hotel or apartment, go to Compare hotels : it will allow you to search the map of the city to sleep as close to the best places to visit.