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Moscow itinerary

7 days, hour by hour · RussiaOctober–May

Days
7
Stops
32
Per day
≈ 4,850 RUB
First stop
08:30

By TripWalkers · Updated:

Short answer

The TripWalkers Moscow itinerary runs 7 days and lays out 32 stops, hour by hour, for October–May. The first three days:

  1. Day 1 Red Square and the Kremlin
  2. Day 2 Tretyakov and Zamoskvorechye
  3. Day 3 Metro tour and Arbat

Staying less? Start with the first days — TripWalkers uses the opening days of this plan for shorter trips too. Day 5 is a day trip out of the city. Food, entry fees and local transport come to about 4,850 RUB a day (excluding accommodation and flights).

Day 1 · 08:30–17:00

Red Square and the Kremlin

  1. Landmark

    Red Square

    Empty in the morning; see St. Basil's and the GUM facades. Lenin's Mausoleum is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 10:00-13:00.

    Free
  2. 30 min · travel, break, free time

  3. Culture

    St. Basil's Cathedral

    Onion-domed cathedral; narrow stairs and icons inside.

    ≈ 700 RUB per person
  4. 30 min · travel, break, free time

  5. Culture

    Moscow Kremlin & Armoury

    Kremlin cathedrals plus the Armoury (Fabergé eggs). Book online 2 weeks ahead; closed Thursday; Armoury entry is timed.

    ≈ 1,500 RUB per person

  6. Food

    GUM Gastronom No.1

    GUM's Soviet-themed food hall; ice cream (plombir) and a cafeteria.

    ≈ 800 RUB per person

  7. Nature

    Zaryadye Park Floating Bridge

    Modern park next to the Kremlin; a bridge over the river and an ice cave. Go at sunset.

    Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Stolovaya 57 GUMSoviet-style canteen in GUM; cheap.
  • State Historical MuseumThe red museum on Red Square; a fallback if you have no Kremlin ticket.

Day 2 · 10:00–18:30

Tretyakov and Zamoskvorechye

  1. Culture

    Tretyakov Gallery

    Russian painting: Repin, Vrubel and icons (Rublev's Trinity). Closed Monday.

    ≈ 700 RUB per person

  2. Landmark

    Zamoskvorechye Streets

    Old merchant district; Pyatnitskaya Street and its churches.

    Free

  3. Food

    Lepim i Varim Pyatnitskaya

    Handmade pelmeni (dumplings) with a choice of fillings.

    ≈ 600 RUB per person
  4. 30 min · travel, break, free time

  5. Nature

    Muzeon Park & Krymskaya Naberezhnaya

    Soviet sculpture park (including the toppled Dzerzhinsky) and the riverside.

    Free

  6. Nature

    Gorky Park

    Ice rink in winter (skate hire available) and hot tea.

    Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Cafe PushkinAristocratic Russian cuisine on Tverskoy; reserve ahead.
  • Garage Museum of Contemporary ArtContemporary art in Gorky Park, in a building by Rem Koolhaas.

Day 3 · 09:30–14:30

Metro tour and Arbat

  1. Landmark

    Komsomolskaya Metro Station

    Baroque station with mosaics; start of the metro tour (use a Troika card).

    Free

  2. Landmark

    Mayakovskaya Metro Station

    Art deco steel arches and ceiling mosaics.

    Free

  3. Landmark

    Ploshchad Revolyutsii Metro

    Bronze statues; rub the dog's nose.

    Free
  4. 30 min · travel, break, free time

  5. Shopping

    Arbat Street

    Pedestrian street with matryoshka dolls, street musicians and Pushkin's house.

    Free

  6. Food

    Mari Vanna Moscow

    Russian cuisine in a grandmother's-home setting; borscht and pelmeni.

    ≈ 1,500 RUB per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Varenichnaya No.1 ArbatSoviet-nostalgia chain; vareniki (filled dumplings).
  • Pushkin Museum of Fine ArtsImpressionists and Egypt; an alternative to Arbat.

Day 4 · 10:00–17:30

VDNKh and Ostankino

  1. Landmark

    VDNKh

    Soviet exhibition of achievements: the Friendship of Peoples fountain and the Kosmos pavilion (paid museum). The grounds are free.

    Free

  2. Culture

    Museum of Cosmonautics

    Beneath the Monument to the Conquerors of Space; Gagarin and Sputnik.

    ≈ 400 RUB per person

  3. Food

    VDNKh Pavilion Cafeteria

    Soviet stolovaya (canteen) inside the exhibition grounds; shashlik.

    ≈ 500 RUB per person
  4. 30 min · travel, break, free time

  5. Landmark

    Ostankino TV Tower

    540 m tower; bring your passport. Glass floor, timed entry.

    ≈ 1,500 RUB per person
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Moskovskoye Nebo VDNKhRussian cuisine in a pavilion.
  • Botanical Garden VDNKhBotanical garden beside the exhibition grounds; an alternative to the tower.

Day 5 · 10:00–16:15Day trip

Sergiyev Posad

  1. Culture

    Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius

    1 hour by train from Yaroslavsky station. The heart of Russian Orthodoxy: blue and gold domes, the shrine of St. Sergius. Bring a headscarf.

    Free

  2. Food

    Lavra Trapeznaya Canteen

    Monastery canteen; fish and kvass.

    ≈ 500 RUB per person

  3. Culture

    Sergiev Posad Toy Museum

    The birthplace of the matryoshka; wooden toys.

    ≈ 300 RUB per person

  4. Nature

    Blinnaya Gora Viewpoint

    Postcard view of the monastery from a hilltop.

    Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Gostevaya Izba Sergiev PosadLunch in a traditional Russian izba (log house).
  • Abramtsevo EstateArtists' colony estate; a museum alternative on the way.

Day 6 · 10:00–20:00

Kolomenskoye and Moscow City

  1. Culture

    Kolomenskoye

    Riverside tsar's estate: the Church of the Ascension (UNESCO), a replica wooden palace and apple orchards.

    Free

  2. Food

    Kolomenskoye Tea House

    Samovar tea and blini in the park.

    ≈ 300 RUB per person
  3. 1 h 15 min · travel, break, free time

  4. Landmark

    Moscow City Federation Tower Panorama 360

    Observation deck on the 89th floor; free ice cream, views over the skyscraper district.

    ≈ 1,500 RUB per person
  5. 1 h · travel, break, free time

  6. Food

    Khachapuri Restaurant Bolshaya Gruzinskaya

    Georgian chain with khachapuri (cheese bread) and khinkali (dumplings), a Moscow favourite.

    ≈ 1,500 RUB per person
  7. 30 min · travel, break, free time

  8. Nature

    Patriarch's Ponds

    Bulgakov's pond; cafes and an evening stroll.

    Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Sakhli Georgian RestaurantGeorgian food at Tsvetnoy.
  • Novodevichy ConventRed-walled convent and a cemetery of famous figures; an alternative to the skyscrapers.

Day 7 · 10:00–13:30

Around the Bolshoi: gentle farewell

  1. Landmark

    Bolshoi Theatre

    Facade and square; performance tickets sell out months ahead. Photograph it in the morning.

    Free

  2. Shopping

    Eliseevsky / Tverskaya

    Tverskaya Street: coffee and souvenirs (Christmas atmosphere in winter).

    Free

  3. Food

    Cafe Pushkin Konditerskaya

    Pushkin's pastry shop; cake and coffee for a farewell.

    ≈ 800 RUB per person

  4. Landmark

    Aeroexpress Belorussky

    Aeroexpress to Sheremetyevo takes 35 minutes; farewell.

    Free
Plan B — if it's crowded or closed (2)
  • Dr. Zhivago RestaurantStylish Soviet-style breakfast at the National Hotel.
  • Bunker-42Cold War bunker tour; an alternative to the Bolshoi.

Getting around: get a Troika Card

Covers metro, bus and tram; the metro stations are among the most beautiful in the world.

Good to know: 6 things that make a Moscow trip easier

  1. Use a Troika card for the metro (the stations are among the most beautiful in the world and worth a tour); Yandex Go for taxis. Aeroexpress serves the airports.
  2. Visa: Turkish citizens can stay 60 days visa-free; others need an e-visa. Foreign bank cards do not work (2026), so carry cash roubles or a MIR card; there is no Google Pay.
  3. Winter brings -10°C and snow. Red Square has an ice rink and a Christmas market (December-February); try a banya (Sanduny), and the metro is warm.
  4. Pelmeni 400-600 RUB, Georgian restaurant 1,500-2,500, stolovaya 300; tip 10%.
  5. Book the Kremlin and Armoury online 2 weeks ahead. Lenin's Mausoleum is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings; expect a 30-minute queue.
  6. In churches women cover their heads and men remove their hats; photography may be banned inside.

Spending: ≈ 34,000 RUB per person for 7 days

  • Food18,000 RUB
  • Entry and tours10,000 RUB
  • Local transport3,000 RUB
  • Other3,000 RUB

Excludes accommodation and flights. 2026 price estimate, per person.

We did the planning. You just pick the dates.

TripWalkers rebuilds this route around your number of days, budget and pace — on a map, day by day, in your pocket.

Download on the App StoreFor iPhone · English and Turkish · Free to download

Your next trip

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Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need in Moscow?

This itinerary is built for 7 days. With 3 days, do the first 3 — TripWalkers uses the opening days of the plan for shorter trips too. The day trip is on day 5; skip it on a short stay.

How much does a day in Moscow cost?

In this plan, food, entry fees and local transport come to about 4,850 RUB per person per day. Accommodation and flights are not included. Figures are 2026 estimates.

What time should you start the day in Moscow?

The first stop is at 08:30. Most days start early so you arrive before the crowds, and evenings end with dinner.

Which season is this itinerary for?

This page covers October–May. There is a separate plan for June–September: opening hours, the sea and the weather change the route.