Last updated on April 5th, 2024
Spires of St Basil’s Cathedral, © Can Stock / peterkirillov
Visit Moscow – Red Square
When people visit Moscow, they always go to Red Square right beside the walls of the Kremlin. Red Square is famous for the colorful spires on St Basil’s Cathedral, which makes the church the most photographed spot in Moscow. In addition to St Basil’s Cathedral, visit Lenin’s Tomb and the State Historical Museum.
St Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square, © Can Stock / sailorr
Just a few steps from the State Historical Museum and still outside the walls of the Kremlin is the monument to the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame. The historic GUM Department Store faces Red Square on the opposite side from the Kremlin. In winter you can sometimes enjoy outdoor skating on Red Square.
Kremlin Fortress, © Can Stock / Paha_L
Visit Moscow – the Kremlin
After seeing Red Square, step through the walls of the Kremlin. The Kremlin is a walled fortress that includes palaces, cathedrals, a museum and the office of the President of Russia. In the Kremlin you can see the Great Palace, the Cathedral of the Assumption, the Cathedral of the Annunciation, the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe, the State Armory and the Tsar Bell and Cannon. You can easily spend a full day seeing the sights at the Kremlin and Red Square.
Komsomolskaya Metro Station, © Can Stock / Paha_L
Moscow Metro Stations
After the Kremlin and Red Square, the most popular thing to see and do is to visit Moscow Metro Stations. The Moscow Metro Stations are famous for their fabulous architecture, murals and chandeliers. You can start your own Moscow Metro Station tour at Revolution Square (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) just a short walk from Red Square.
Bolshoi Theatre, © Can Stock / JackF
Among the well known stations to visit on your tour are Mayakovskaya, Novoslobodskaya, Komsomolskaya and Kurskaya. Craving more Moscow Metro Stations? You can also ride the metro to the stations at Arbatskaya, Teatralnaya, Novokuznetskaya, Taganskaya, Slavyansky Bulvar or Okhotny Ryad. You can also take a guided tour of Moscow Metro Stations.
Cathedral of Christ the Savior, © Can Stock / Paha_L
Sights near the Kremlin
The following sights and attractions are all within a 20 minute walk near the Kremlin:
- Bolshoi Theatre – see the famous Bolshoi Ballet Company perform well known ballets such as Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake..
- Cathedral of Christ the Savior – famous church on the Moscow River.
- Pushkin Fine Arts Museum
- Tretyakov Gallery
- The Moscow Conservatory – Tchaikovsky was a professor here.
- Monument to Peter the Great – on the Moscow River.
- The Old Arbat St – pedestrian district.
GUM Dept Store, Red Square, Can Stock / Paha_L
Visit Moscow – More Sights
- Novodevichy Convent
- Gorky Park – transformed in 2011 by removing old carnival rides and modernizing the park into one of the city’s most popular locations.
- Kolomenskoye Museum – formerly a residence for the tzars.
- Izmaylovsky Park
- Rublyovskoye shosse – the rouble street which is the expensive residential part of town.
- Bunker 42 – check out the legacy of the Cold War.
- Take a Moscow River Cruise past the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
Moscow River Cruise, © Can Stock / barsik
Savor the Tastes of Moscow
- Café Pushkin – the most famous restaurant in Moscow. This is 5 start dining, not a café.
- O2 Lounge at the Ritz Carlton.
- City Space Bar & Lounge on the 34th floor of the Swiss Otel.
Novodevichy Convent, © Can Stock / Lenor
Golden Circle
Outside Moscow is a beautiful series of Russian villages with traditional churches and kremlins. There are eight towns to visit in the Golden Circle: Sergiyev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Suzdal and Vladimir. You can reach Sergiyev Posad, Suzdal and Vladimir on day trips from Moscow. The other villages will require overnight stays in order to complete the full circle.
Get to Moscow
Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) is the way to get to Moscow by air for international travelers. The Aeroexpress train connects the international airport to Belorusskaya Railway Terminal. Domodedovo International Airport (DME) is also very busy, but concentrates more heavily on domestic flights.
GUM & St Basils’s, © Can Stock / gina_sanders
Get Around Moscow
You can get around Moscow on a series of rail lines that connect to the city center. The Moscow Metro is famous for its murals and decor. The city also has a series of trams and buses. High speed train is a popular and inexpensive option to connect to St Petersburg in just over 4 hours from the Oktyabrskaya Station. Finding your destination can be tricky because signs will be in Russian (Москва) or Romanized Russian (Moskva) instead of English (Moscow).
Eternal Flame, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Visit Moscow – Hotels
- Courtyard by Marriott Moscow City Center
- National Hotel
- The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, © Can Stock / Paha_L
Moscow Weather
Moscow weather is humid year round. June through August are the best months for temperatures, but these are also the months of heavier rainfall and the busiest for tourism. Expect average summer highs of 73 F (23 C) and average lows of 54 F (12 C). The coldest winter months are December – February when average highs are 25 F (-4 C) and average lows are about 16 F (-9 C). So, the summer months from June through August are likely the best time of year to visit Moscow.
Visit Moscow – Background
Moscow is spelled Moskva in Romanized form or Москва in Russian. It is the capital and largest city in the Russian Federation. More than 11 million people live in Moscow, which makes it the second largest city in Europe and the 6th largest city in the world. Most of the major sights and attractions are close together around the Kremlin, Red Square and the Cathedral of St Basil. The Moscow River runs through the city and supports popular Russian river cruises. Ocean cruises can only reach St Petersburg, so it is necessary for those passengers to fly to Moscow if they wish to visit. The Trans Siberian Railway takes travelers from Moscow across the entire continent to Vladivostok on the Pacific.
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