Things to do in Moscow

Q: What are the top things to do in Moscow?

The top things to do in Moscow are: Moscow Kremlin Novodevichy Convent (Novodevichiy Monastyr) Russia My History - Historical Park Bolshoi Theatre Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art (Vinzavod)

Q: What are the top things to do near Moscow?

Check out things to do near Moscow: Kharkiv Minsk Kiev Vilnius Riga

Q: What do I need to know before visiting Moscow?

Check out these top Moscow travel ideas: Top Historical Sights in Moscow How to Spend 3 Days in Moscow Sergiev Posad Day Trips from Moscow

Welcome to Moscow

The capital of Russia, superstate and global superpower, does not disappoint. In Moscow, imitable architecture—think onion domes, candy-cane stripes, and imperial grandeur—competes for attention with Communist monuments and political powerhouses. Due to the complexity of its history, Moscow’s captivating historic center is best discovered on a guided sightseeing tour. Cover the vast Red Square (Krasnaya Ploschad), the trippy St. Basil’s Cathedral, the handsome mansions of Nikolskaya Street, and the Bolshoi Theatre. In-the-know travelers opt for early morning tours of the Moscow Kremlin—home to Faberge eggs, royal crowns, and opulent jewels—in order to avoid crowds; while first-time visitors typically select a Moscow metro tour, which reveals the opulent decor and statues peppered across the network’s 180 stations. The art and artifacts inside the Tretyakov Gallery, the Gulag History Museum, and the Kolomenskoye Museum and Reserve will wow culture connoisseurs; thrill seekers can shoot Soviet army weapons during a visit to the Central Shooting Club; and foodies can sample staples of Russian cuisine, including borsch (beetroot soup) and schnitzel (breaded meat) on a culinary tour. Popular day trips from Moscow include Suzdal and Vladimir, rural, medieval towns and UNESCO World Heritage sites; and Sergiev Posad, all part of Russia’s Golden Ring travel route. Plus, with St. Petersburg only a four-hour train or one-hour plane journey away, Moscow serves as a convenient gateway to the rest of the former USSR.

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Top 15 attractions in Moscow

Tours & Tickets

Moscow Kremlin

An imposing red-brick fortress stretching along the banks of the Moskva River, the Moscow Kremlin is the grand centerpiece of Moscow and one of Russia’s most recognizable landmarks. Originally the seat of the Russian grand dukes and later home to Soviet leaders such as Lenin and Stalin, the Kremlin is now the Russian president’s official residence.More

Tours & Tickets

Novodevichy Convent (Novodevichiy Monastyr)

With its red and white towers and gleaming gold domes rising up from the banks of the Moskva River, the Novodevichy complex paints a striking picture. Built in the 16th century, the UNESCO World Heritage Site includes the convent where Peter the Great imprisoned his sister Sophia. Its cemetery houses notable Russian figures.More

Russia My History - Historical Park

Part of Moscow’s vast All-Russian Exhibition Center (VDNK), the Russia – My History historical park chronicles some of the key moments in Russia’s history through an innovative series of interactive exhibits and multimedia installations. Organized throughout the country by the government and the Russian Orthodox Church, the exhibit offers a nationalistic view of historical events and figures.More

Bolshoi Theatre

An architectural landmark and one of Russia’s most prestigious venues, the Bolshoi Theatre is home to the world-famous Bolshoi ballet and opera companies. With a legacy dating back to the late 18th century, the theater hosts regular performances of classics such asLa Traviata,*Carmen,Swan Lake, andThe Nutcracker*.More

Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art (Vinzavod)

The Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art (Vinzavod) in Moscow is the heart of the city’s contemporary art scene. The seven industrial buildings that make up the center include the former home of Moscow’s oldest winery and what was once the second largest brewery in Moscow. The complex was later bought by one of the richest men in Russia, who established an art gallery with more than 500 paintings, making the Winzavod Center the oldest art gallery in Moscow.Covering 20,000 square meters, the center is now home to four of Russia’s most prestigious contemporary art galleries, as well as artists’ studios, fashion showrooms, a photography studio, an avant-garde clothing store, a bookstore, an art-supply store and an art-café. Eight different halls within the complex can be used for special events such as lectures, festivals or art exhibitions. It also hosts the annual national photo contest, Best of Russia, which receives tens of thousands of entries from all over the country.More

Gulag History Museum

Telling the story of the Gulag—the forced labor camps set up by Stalin in the early 20th century—the Gulag History Museum provides a harrowing look at one of the darkest periods in Soviet history. Founded by a former labor camp prisoner, it’s an emotional tribute to those held captive in the camps.More

Assumption Cathedral (Dormition Cathedral)

One of several churches in Cathedral Square inside the Kremlin, the Assumption Cathedral is arguably the most important. Regarded as the mother church of Muscovite Russia, it was long the place of coronation for the Romanov tsars and the burial place for Moscow metropolitans and patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church.More

Alexander Garden (Alexandrovsky Sad)

Stretching along the western wall of the Kremlin, Alexander Garden is one of Moscow’s oldest urban parks, laid out in the early 19th century. A popular spot for picnicking and strolling, it’s dotted with historic monuments, lined with colorful flower beds, and has sweeping views of the Kremlin.More

Cathedral of Christ the Savior (Khram Khrista Spasitelya)

The white façade and gleaming copper domes of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior divert attention from its checkered past. Built by Tsar Alexander I to celebrate Russia’s defeat of Napoleon, it was later destroyed by Stalin. Today’s reconstruction was completed in 2000 and holds the title of the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the world.More

#10

Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center

Moscow’s iconic, brick-and-glass Bakhmetevsky Bus Garage was designed by avant-garde Russian architects Konstantin Melnikov and Vladimir Shukhov in 1926. By the dawn of the 21st century it was in disrepair but was restored by Roman Abramovich to house the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art. That then moved and the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center subsequently opened at the Bus Garage in 2012. Now firmly on all the tours of Jewish heritage in Moscow, it is dedicated to the backstory of Russian Jews from medieval times to present day, with displays walking chronologically through spacious galleries making clever use of the very latest technology.Using personal narrative, film footage, holograms, multimedia touch screens and listening stations, this is a thoroughly modern museum with a surprisingly positive message. Yes, the subject matter deals thoughtfully with programs and the Holocaust but also dedicates space to the achievements of the Jews in Moscow and St Petersburg before World War I, when they successfully played a large part in civic and cultural life. There’s a small collection of Jewish ephemera and a permanent art exhibition as well as an animated 4D movie in the Beginnings Theater, which explains the beliefs fundamental to Judaism, but the heart of the museum lies with the panoramic film projected on to a massive, curved screen that combines wartime footage with testimonies from Holocaust survivors and deals with Jewish repression under Soviet rule.The Tolerance Center is a place in which to reflect and look forward; it houses a children’s center and the Schneerson Collection, a library of priceless Jewish books and manuscripts.More

#11

A.S. Pushkin Memorial Apartment (Memorial'naya Kvartira A.S. Pushkina)

The A.S. Pushkin Memorial Apartment (Memorial'naya Kvartira A.S. Pushkina) in Moscow was once the home of the poet Alexander Pushkin and his wife Natalya Goncharova. Pushkin was one of the greatest Russian poets of the 1800s and is considered to be the founder of modern Russian literature. His most famous play, Boris Godunov, was written while he couldn't publish it due to the Tsar's political police. The couple was a great source of Russian romanticism, and the apartment provides insights into their lives in Moscow. They spent the first three months of their happy marriage in this pretty blue house in 1831.Visitors to the house can see oil and water color paintings and drawings, portraits of the poet, rare etchings and lithographs, red wood and Karelia birch furniture, gold plated bronze, leather bound books, manuscripts, old magazines and newspapers, and other antiques that decorated the couple's home. Many of the original pieces of furniture can still be seen in the Pushkin House. Across the street is a statue of the two lovebirds.More

#12

Tverskaya Street (Ulitsa Tverskaya)

Tverskaya Street has been one of Moscow’s main thoroughfares since medieval times. Once the stomping ground for Russian czars promenading to the Kremlin, it’s now a shopping hub, and hosts monuments of well-known Russian figures, such as Romantic poet Aleksandr Pushkin and 12th-century prince and Moscow founder Yuri Dolgorukiy.More

#13

Kolomenskoye

Located on parklands overlooking the Moskva River, Kolomenskoye is an open-air museum that brims with architectural gems. Just south of Moscow, the 15th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site once served as a summer residence for the Grand Dukes of Moscow and Russian Tsars.More

#14

Tretyakov Gallery (Tretyakovskaya Galereya)

Showcasing more than 170,000 works from the 11th to the 20th century, the Tretyakov Gallery is a glorious tribute to Russian art. From medieval icons to Soviet-era masterpieces, it’s the world’s most comprehensive collection of Russian art.More

#15

Mosfilm Film Studio

Mosfilm Film Studio in Moscow is the leading film company in Russia, producing many of the country’s most beloved TV shows and movies. Visit to take a walk through the Hollywood-style film sets, see historic props, and observe the spots where classic Soviet movies were filmed.More

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Trip ideas

Top Historical Sights in Moscow

Tucked beneath steel and glass skyscrapers, historic sights can be found throughout Russia's capital. Here are a few sights in Moscow that shouldn't be missed.

How to Spend 3 Days in Moscow

Three days in Russia’s capital give you time to see Moscow’s most-important landmarks and explore further afield on a day trip. Here’s how.

Sergiev Posad Day Trips from Moscow

The picturesque town of Sergiev Posad grew out of one of Russia's greatest monasteries, the Trinity Lavra Monastery. It makes for a great day trip from Moscow and can also be combined with visits to other Golden Ring towns as part of a multi-day tour. Here are your options.

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When to visit

Unless you’re used to freezing temperatures or prepared to brave the cold for a fairy-tale vacation over the holidays, winter in Moscow is best avoided. Late spring and early fall are some of the best times for sightseeing trips, as the weather is moderate, but attractions and popular traveler routes are far less crowded.

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