Things to Do in Moscow
What to know before a trip to Moscow, Russia, including a genuinely important note on current travel conditions.
Right, Moscow. Onion domes, red brick walls, a square that's as famous as it looks in photos, a city of genuine, centuries-deep historical and architectural significance. Before anything else on this page: current international travel advisories for Russia are significant and change, worth checking your government's latest guidance closely before finalising any trip here, considerably more so than for most destinations on this site. What follows is written for informational purposes about the city's history and sites.
The Kremlin
Moscow's Red Square is bordered by a fortified complex that has long housed the seat of Russian power, known as the Kremlin, a walled citadel at the heart of the city, home to government buildings and cathedrals alike, a genuinely significant complex spanning centuries of Russian history, from the medieval period through the Tsarist era and into the present day.
Several cathedrals within the walls, along with the Armoury Chamber (housing imperial treasures and regalia), are open to visitors, worth understanding that this remains an active seat of government, security and access arrangements can change with little notice.
Hours Check current opening days and times
Saint Basil's Cathedral & Red Square
Saint Basil's Cathedral, with its distinctive swirling colourful domes, sits at the edge of Red Square, one of the most photographed buildings in the world, right beside the Kremlin walls, a genuinely striking, unmistakable piece of 16th-century Russian architecture, its asymmetrical arrangement of colourful onion domes unlike anything else built in the same period.
Red Square itself, genuinely one of the most historically significant public squares anywhere, has hosted centuries of coronations, parades, and pivotal moments in Russian history, worth understanding this weight as you take in the square's striking visual impact.
Address Red Square, Moscow
The Moscow Metro
Moscow's metro system is famous internationally for the elaborate decoration of its stations, chandeliers, mosaics, and marble columns turn some stations into genuine works of art, a remarkable, unexpected thing to encounter in a functioning transit system, several stations, built during the Soviet era as deliberate showcases of state achievement, are considered significant architectural and artistic sites in their own right.
Komsomolskaya and Mayakovskaya stations are among the most frequently cited highlights, worth a dedicated tour or simply riding a few lines specifically to see the more ornate stations.
Best time to visit Moscow
May through September gives the most comfortable weather for the amount of walking this list involves, though current travel advisory guidance should take priority over seasonal planning for this particular destination.
Given the genuinely significant, actively changing nature of current international guidance regarding travel to Russia, checking your government's latest advisory is essential before any other trip planning here.
Getting around Moscow
The metro is the practical way to get around Moscow, and it's genuinely worth riding for its own architectural interest as much as the transport itself.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Moscow worth visiting?
- The Kremlin, Red Square, and the metro's ornate stations are all genuinely significant historically and architecturally, though current travel advisories should be checked closely and given priority in any travel decision.
- How many days do you need in Moscow?
- Two to three days would cover the Kremlin, Red Square, and the metro's key stations for those who do travel.
- Is Moscow expensive?
- Costs can vary considerably given current conditions and currency situations, worth researching current, reliable pricing information close to any travel dates.
- What is Moscow famous for?
- The Kremlin, the historic seat of Russian power, Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square, and the ornately decorated stations of the Moscow Metro.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
