On your first visit to Moscow, the city can seem pretty daunting. It’s one of the biggest in the world and this sprawling, towering mass of concrete will be most visitors’ first taste of Russia and what the country has to offer. But don’t worry – Moscow is an easy city to get to know, if you follow a few basic guidelines. Here are some tips for your first visit to Moscow.
Weirdly enough, I think Moscow is the city that I’ve visited the most times but never lived in (apart from London). I really didn’t take to it on my first visit, but I’ve found I like it more and more every time I go back. So here are my quick tips on how to enjoy your first visit to Moscow.
The Trans-Siberian in three weeks: read my full itinerary here.
First-timers’ guide to Moscow: 10 essential tips
1. Moscow is huge
Just part of Moscow’s diverse skyline
The first thing to remember about Moscow is that it is huge. Massive. Colossal. On my first visit, I tried to tick off plenty from a long list of sites, without realising just how far away from each other they all were. Bear in mind the size of the city when putting your itinerary together and don’t try to stretch yourself too thin.
2. Don’t go to St. Basil’s in the morning
For the best shot of St. Basil’s, go in the mid afternoon
If you want to visit Lenin’s tomb (something I’ve never done), the advice is to go first thing in the morning to beat the queues. This is sound advice, but make sure to come back in the afternoon to get a good photo of St. Basil’s cathedral. In the morning, the low sun will be directly behind the building (when standing on Red Square), meaning all your photos will be fuzzy silhouettes. (Also make some time to come back at night to see it lit up.)
3. The best views
Me sweltering on a particularly boiling day in Moscow, June 2019
For the best views of the Kremlin, head to the pedestrian bridge next to the Moscow cathedral. Here you’ll get a great view of those famous red walls.
4. Where to stay in Moscow: Kitai-Gorod or Lubyanka
I have a real soft spot for this area – I always stay here in Moscow and I love seeing the improvements in the area every time I come back. This area has lots of great cafes, bars and restaurants and is a short walk away from Red Square, which makes it easy for you go and see the cathedral and the Kremlin lit up at night. On my last visit, I stayed at the Art Hostel, which I can fully recommend for budget accommodation.
5. Visiting the Kremlin is overrated
The Kremlin walls from the outside (just as good as going inside in my opinion)
I visited the Kremlin for the first time on my fourth visit to Moscow and I have to say: I wasn’t impressed.
6. Get outside
The cycling lanes near Luzhniki Stadium, with Moscow State University in the background
If you’re visiting in summer, then don’t miss Gorky Park. This huge expanse of parks and sporting grounds is where everyone in Moscow seems to gather when the weather is nice. There are some good pavilions for food and drinks and you can skateboard, cycle, play bowls and whatever else.
If the weather is nice, you can also easily cycle in Moscow. The area around the Luzhniki stadium has four lanes of cycle paths and some outdoor equipment, with a dedicated cycle lane all the way along the embankment to the Kremlin. You can easily rent one of the city’s Velobikes for a day or afternoon. More information here.
7. Get underground
It’s no secret that Russia’s metro stations are out of this world. With a city this big, using the Metro is unavoidable if you want to get around quickly and easily. Coming from Western Europe, I think any of Moscow’s metro station will impress, but Kievskaya (above) is definitely one of the city’s most beautiful.
8. Skip the Arbat
There is literally no reason to visit the Arbat, one of Moscow’s most famous historic shopping avenues. Today the entire street is lined with tourist shops selling exactly the same merchandise.
9. Don’t miss: the GULAG Museum in Moscow
If you’re going to visit one museum in Moscow, make it the GULAG museum. Hidden quite far out of the way, this museum is an incredible testament to one of the most brutal regimes in history. It takes you on a journey through the Soviet Union’s system of incarceration and forced labour.
The museum was renovated and reopened in 2015 and is probably one of the most modern museums I’ve been to – there is even a virtual reality headset, which lets you explore the ruins of an abandoned GULAG re-discovered by explorers in remote Siberia.
10. Worth the trip: Moscow State University
MGU – my favourite building in Moscow
The Moscow State University building is my favourite building in Moscow. It looks like something directly out of a childhood’s cartoon of some evil mastermind’s headquarters. It is perfectly symmetrical and perfectly imposing up-close and thanks to its location on the top of Sparrow Hill, it can be seen for miles around. A visit up there is well worth it in my opinion, although it is definitely not the easiest place to visit from the city centre.
More stops on the Trans-Siberian
Heading East:
13 things to do in Perm
36 hours in Yekaterinburg
Heading West:
Hipster Guide to St. Petersburg
Good guide, but I will disagree on Point 5 – the Armory, the Cathedrals and their permanent (icons) and temporary exhibits, and of course the absolutely magnificent Diamond Fund! Also, if you get a chance, to tour the actual Grand Kremlin Palace, it is stunning.
For parks I insist on adding Kolomenskoye to the list, it’s kind of a Russian countryside oasis in Moscow.
Was hoping for some tips from a real Muscovite – thank you! (I’m quite honoured actually that you didn’t just laugh yourself silly at my list…)
Maybe I need to give the Kremlin another go then? My initial thought was just that there was a lot of exhibitions in boring glass cases, which is why we didn’t spend so long in the museum parts. Kolomenskoye is definitely on the list for next time.