Moscow - June 2016


Two days in Moscow! Slightly hectic I must say, but that's the time I had. In a city with over 10 million people, be ready for a New York pace. Here are some suggestions and tips for you.

Getting to/from the Airport

First and foremost I must say that Moscow has the best subway system I have ever seen. It is absolutely incredible and is very convenient. Not only is it fantastic from an architectural point of view, but it is very well thought-out from an infrastructure point of view. It is very simple to get from one end of the city to the other. However, I can't say that it is easy to navigate for non-Russian speaking tourists. Most of the signs in the subway pointing you to transfers and walkways are in Russian. Keep that in mind. Also, when looking at the directions in the subway, the signs always show the next station on the line, not the ending/final stop on that line.

Regardless of what airport you arrive to (there are several), take the Aeroexpress (express train to the subway). You can buy tickets in the machines or at the ticket counter. At the ticket counter you will be able to buy a ticket that includes fare for both the express train as well as subway fare. At the machines, you can only buy the ticket for the express train and will have to buy a separate ticket for the subway at the subway station.

While on the subject of subways, I recommend downloading an app called Yandex Metro. It is a great app that lets you enter your beginning station, ending station and the app will show you the best way to get there including transfers.

Day 1

  • If you were to do one thing in Moscow, do this: the Diamond Fund. Incredible 45 minute tour of Russia's state jewels including the Imperial Crown. You can try to buy tickets online and if that doesn't work, they sell tickets on-sight, but tickets are for a specific time only, so make sure to get to the ticket office early to get your preferred time. The Diamond Fund is also very close to the Armoury Museum. We weren't lucky with the timing so didn't get a chance to see it.
  • After the Fund, walk inside the Kremlin. You can buy tickets for the Kremlin inside the Diamond Fund once your tour is over.
  • After the Kremlin, walk over to the Red Square and enjoy the beautiful architecture any way your head turns.
  • Visit Gum, Russia's most famous shopping mall.
  • Have lunch at a restaurant called Varenichnaya with authentic Russian food. You can see reviews on tripadvisor.
  • Walk over to the Bolshoi Theatre to look at this significant building and one of the most famous theatres in the world.
  • Take the subway to an exhibition centre known as Exhibition of National Economic Achievements. You can either look at the exhibits (which we didn't have the energy to do) or just enjoy the park. You will also have a view of the Ostankino Tower from this park.
  • When you get back to the centre, you can take a walk along the river. The bridges are beautifully decorated in the summer.

Day 2

  • On this day we wanted to visit two famous museums. The first is the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts and the second The State Tretyakov Gallery. Some of the most famous works of art hang in these two galleries.
  • Have lunch at a restaurant called Korchma. This is similar to Varenichnaya but with more Ukrainian twist.
  • Walk along a street called Arbat, there are many souvenir shops and restaurants to have lunch at. This is a historic street as many of Russia's elite as well as famous artists and academics lived on this street.

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