First time visiting Moscow? Do you want to know what things to do in Moscow and what attractions you definitely should not miss? Lucky for you, comrade, we have you covered with the best things to do in Moscow.
After spending a few never-ending days in St Petersburg, the cultural capital of Russia, we took an overnight train to Moscow, the political capital and powerhouse of the country.
Moscow wasted no time proving our assumptions about the city wrong. While we knew about the Red Square and Kremlin, we imagined the rest of Moscow to be somewhat shabby, unaffordable and slightly unsafe. How wrong could we have been?!
Moscow is grand, clean, and we felt safe everywhere we went. Muscovites are absolutely gorgeous like only Russians could be (in my next life, I will be a model scout in Moscow).
Best of all, Moscow is very affordable.
Yes, Moscow often tops the list as one of the most expensive cities in the world, but that is for people buying penthouses on Arbat Street or drinking latte made with Siberian Virgin’s milk. For tourists like me and you, Moscow offers exceptional value for money.
So enough with the small talk, let us show you the best things to do in Moscow!
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Can You Visit Moscow in 2025?
Yes, it’s possible to visit Moscow, Russia in 2025—you just need to prepare differently than for other destinations. Russia remains open to tourism, and many nationalities can enter visa-free, including citizens of Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, UAE, Thailand, and Serbia, among others. Starting 30 June 2025, even visa-free travellers must register for a free ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) using the ruID app or Gosuslugi portal before arrival.
Due to ongoing sanctions, Western booking platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb do not work, and foreign-issued Visa or Mastercard cards are not accepted in Russia—online or in person. You cannot withdraw cash from ATMs either. Instead, bring enough USD or EUR in cash to exchange upon arrival.
It’s recommended to use Russian platforms like Tutu.ru or Aviasales to book accommodation and internal flights. It’s one of the few Russian platforms that reportedly still accepts foreign bank cards.
To summarise: bring cash, book transport and hotels via Russian platforms like Tutu.ru or Aviasales, and prepare for some logistical workarounds. Despite the challenges, visiting Russia is very much possible for foreign travellers in 2025. Just plan ahead, stay flexible, and enjoy the adventure.
Red Square
What is it? The Red Square is one of Europe’s most famous landmarks and probably the image of Moscow that comes to mind before you arrive. The Red Square is considered the centre of Moscow and the perfect place to start your sightseeing.
While the predominant colour in the Red Square is indeed red, the name actually doesn’t come from the colour. In Russian, the name of the Red Square is Krasnaya Ploshchad, and long ago, Krasnaya actually meant beautiful. Today, however, the word has evolved its meaning to red. So a more accurate name for this square would be the Beautiful Square.
The Red Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unwavering connections to Russian history since the 13th century.
What to do? The Red Square is free to enter, and from here you can see a few of the most famous landmarks in Moscow. By wandering around the Red Square, you’ll be able to visit St Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin’s Mausoleum, the Gum Department Store, the State Historical Museum, and you get a glimpse of the Kremlin towers, which are just around the corner.
Definitely come to see Red Square during both day and night, as the atmosphere changes significantly between the two periods. We’ll let you decide which one is your favourite.
Kremlin
What is it? The Moscow Kremlin (Кремль) is the heart of Russia and the best place in Moscow to see and feel the immense power of this country. The Kremlin is a 12th-century fortified citadel in the centre of Moscow and serves as the residence of Vladimir Putin, the head of the Russian Federation.
Political importance aside, the Moscow Kremlin is a cultural highlight and the most famous landmark in Moscow and perhaps all of Russia. The Kremlin wall (up to 19m tall) encompasses five palaces, four cathedrals, several churches and museums.
What to do? If you see only one place in Russia, make it the Moscow Kremlin. Here, you can overdose on everything Russian, all in one place. Moscow’s most famous tourist attractions can be found here, including the Tsar Cannon and Tsar Bell.
In Cathedral Square, you can admire various cathedrals covered in paintings from floor to ceiling. If golden onion domes or ancient icons excite you, you’ll love the churches in the Kremlin.
Continue oohing and aahing at the Diamond Fund, where you can see the world’s largest diamond (342.5 carats), a 33 kg nugget of gold, Fabergé eggs and other things that glitter and shine.
The Kremlin is the place everyone wants to see in Moscow, so lines to enter can get ridiculous. Don’t be stupid – buy your entrance ticket to the Kremlin online.
Lenin’s Mausoleum
What is it? The somewhat inconspicuous pyramid-like structure in Red Square is the final resting place of Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet Union. His preserved body has been on display here since shortly after his death in 1924.
Almost a hundred years later, Lenin is still chilling here and welcomes visitors to his crib on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10:00–13:00.
The Mausoleum is right in front of the Kremlin Wall and was built from the same red granite as the wall. We walked past a few times without realizing that it was indeed one of the most famous places in Moscow.
Look for the word Ле́нин on the tomb or the never-ending line next to the Kremlin wall to find it.
What to do? Get in line with the other thousands of Russians wishing to pay their respects and shuffle forward at a snail’s pace. We were in line for almost two hours before we reached Lenin’s Mausoleum.
Everyone gets searched before entering the tomb, and your camera and other metal objects must be checked in.
Once inside the tomb, there are a few rules that some very stern Russian military guards enforce. Visitors are not allowed to stand still, and the line must always keep moving. But don’t worry, the line moves quite slowly, and you’ll get a decent glimpse of Lenin chilling in his tomb.
Visitors to Lenin should also show respect; putting your hands in your pockets while in his presence is a definite no-no.
Entrance to Lenin’s Mausoleum is free of charge and should not be missed.
Gum Department Store
What is it? During the Soviet era, many cities in the USSR had a State Department Store. The most famous of these state department stores is the GUM (ГУМ) facing the Red Square in Moscow.
It was initially commissioned by Catherine the Great and was later nationalised after the Russian Revolution. Stalin had plans to demolish the GUM in 1935 to widen the Red Square, but luckily, that didn’t happen. When the Soviet era ended, the GUM was privatised, and the days of queuing up across the Red Square are now gone.
Today, this stunning piece of architecture is THE PLACE to come to if you want to burn a few million roubles on luxury items.
What to do? After window shopping at a few boutiques in the GUM, you’ll realise that you’ll need your own oil pipeline to really enjoy shopping here. But here’s a little secret: for hoi polloi like you and me, the GUM is good for shopping, but it’s GREAT for eating.
Stolovaya 57
Stolovaya 57 (Столовая 57)on the third floor of the GUM is a time travel experience straight back to the USSR.
If your dream meal in Moscow is to be rushed along by unsmiling serving ladies, moving your tray from a cold salad to hot borscht to another mayo-drenched salad, then Stolovaya is the place to be.
This is a self-service canteen offering typical Russian cuisine at very affordable prices. It is a perfect lunch or dinner spot after exploring the Red Square or the Kremlin.
Cafe Festivalnoye
Cafe Festivalnoye (Кафе Фестивальное) is another cheap and delicious place to eat in the GUM. This cafe consists of several pavilions commemorating a Youth Festival which took place in Moscow in 1957.
Head over to the Pancake Pavilion for good old blinis or the Potato Pavilion for jacket potatoes with a Russian twist.
We went to the Asian Pavilion, where we had a perfect introduction to Uzbek food. We stuffed ourselves on pilaf, dolma, ora-osh soup, lagman noodles and samsa. Once again, the food was excellent, and the bill was within budget.
GUM Ice Cream
For dessert or just a treat while sightseeing around the Red Square, head to the ground floor of the GUM and find the ice cream stand.
The GUM still uses the same recipe as in 1945, and they claim it contains no artificial flavours or colouring.
Try the original soviet flavours of crème brûlée, vanilla or chocolate if you have some nostalgia for the USSR. At only 50 roubles, it’s understandable that people are still lining up for it.
Ride the Metro & See the Palaces of the People
What is it? For many of us, the morning commute is merely a way to get from A to B. In Moscow, however, the metro commute is one of the best and cheapest things tourists can do in the city.
The Moscow Metro is the busiest in Europe, with a daily ridership of almost 7 million. Moscow commuters are in for a treat as the metro stations in Moscow are a sight to behold.
Also known as Palaces of the People, Moscow’s metro stations feature marble columns, chandeliers, bronze statues, and mosaics. It is immaculate, efficient, and mind-blowingly beautiful, and it is on a level that only Russia can pull off.
What to do? Grab yourself a metro map and circle the following stations, which locals will say are the best metro stations in Moscow:
- Komsomolskaya
- Arbatskaya
- Tretyakovskaya
- Park Pobedy
- Park Kultury
- Slavyansky Bulvar
- Ploschad Revolutsii
- Taganskaya
- Kievskaya
- Mayakovskaya
- Novoslobodskaya
One favourite station in Moscow is Ploschad Revolutsii, where you’ll see several bronze statues depicting people of the Soviet Union, such as soldiers, farmers, athletes, industrial workers, and schoolchildren.
According to legend, some of these sculptures are believed to bring good luck if you touch a specific part of the sculpture. It could be the soldier’s pistol, the rooster, the woman’s shoe, and so on.
The most popular one is the dog. Stay awhile, and you’ll see one commuter after the other rubbing or patting the dog’s nose. Needless to say, the dog has a very shiny nose.
Cafe Pushkin
What is it? Set inside a Russian aristocrat’s baroque mansion, Cafe Pushkin is one of the most legendary restaurants in Moscow. Do not miss having a meal at Cafe Pushkin when you’re in Moscow.
I’ll repeat: DO NOT MISS A MEAL AT CAFE PUSHKIN IN MOSCOW!
What to do? Cafe Pushkin on Tverskoy Boulevard is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We suggest coming to Cafe Pushkin for their Business Lunch for the best value. Between 12-4 pm, you can choose between a two or three-course lunch from the set menu.
The service is warm and friendly, the atmosphere outstanding, and the food absolutely delicious. You wouldn’t expect anything less from one of the best restaurants in Moscow, would you?
The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics
What is it? The Memorial to Cosmonauts celebrates Russia’s space exploration. The tall memorial tower was erected in 1964 to commemorate Yuri Gagarin, a USSR cosmonaut who became the first human to orbit the earth in space.
What to do? Children, astronaut fanatics, Sputnik enthusiasts and USSR fans will all love the Museum of Cosmonauts. The monument itself is pretty impressive, and one can only imagine what a remarkable feat and national pride it must have been when the USSR became the first nation on Earth to send a human to space.
Make sure to check out the base of the memorial tower, where you’ll see Lenin pointing the way to space. This whole area is excellent if you’re looking for some soviet nostalgia.
VDNKh Park
What is it? Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy, or simply known as VDNKh (ВДНХ) is one of the best examples of Soviet architecture in Moscow. This exhibition centre opened in 1939 and was built to showcase the splendours and economic achievements of the Soviet Union.
You’ll find a pavilion for each former Soviet Republic scattered throughout the park. Between the pavilions are some fantastic soviet monuments, statues, fountains, ponds and even a spacecraft.
What to do? Travel throughout the whole Soviet Union, from Tajikistan to Belarus, from Kyrgyzstan to Ukraine by visiting each country’s pavilion. Make sure to go into the Armenian pavilion, where you can try some excellent Armenian wines and Ararat Brandy from Yerevan.
The large Friendship of Nations Fountain in the middle of the park is also quite spectacular and each figure in the fountain represents a different nation of the USSR.
Worker and Kolkhoz Woman
What is it? This enormous stainless steel statue just outside VDNKh is a fine example of soviet realism and one of the best soviet monuments in Moscow. The statue of the man and the woman is more than 20 meters tall, and it stands on a pavilion of more than 35 meters. The scale is truly impressive.
If the size wasn’t soviet enough for you, the worker holds a hammer above his head while the woman, yes you guessed it, a sickle.
What to do? After taking in all the soviet greatness, walk around the base of the pavilion to explore even more splendours of the former Soviet Union. We were particularly drawn to the section on the glories of Ukraine: Beautiful women and wheat 🙂
Souvenir Shopping at Izmailovo Market
What is it? Izmailovo Market is Moscow’s famous flea market and the best place to pick up a few unique souvenirs. Like a good flea market should be, you can find almost anything here, but most of it is geared towards tourists. However, delve a little deeper, and you will find some unique pieces that will have a place in your home forever.
What to do? Look past the shiny matryoshka dolls and fake amber, and you’ll find hand-woven carpets from Dagestan and the Caucasus region, crystal glass and other second-hand treasures from as far away as Siberia. Or perhaps you fancy a painting of Stalin or a poster of Gorbachev for the living room.
Jin finally found the perfect handmade matryoshka doll, and I haggled with an old iron lady for a podstakannik (metal tea holder and glass)
Izmailovo Flea Market is also a great place to eat. We had some of the best shashliks we’ve ever had in our lives here.
The flea market is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00 and can be reached by metro. The nearest stop is Partizanskaya Station, and should take about 30 minutes from central Mosco.w
Where to Stay in Moscow
As expected from a world-class city like Moscow, accommodations are available for every taste and style. It all comes down to whether you own an oil pipeline to Siberia your budget.
We think the best place to stay in Moscow is near the Red Square. This allows you to explore the most famous landmarks in Moscow on foot. When you are on holiday, you don’t want to spend hours getting to where you want to be.
We stayed at a gem of an apartment in Tverskaya, and the location couldn’t be better. It’s only two metro stops from the Red Square, but we walked there anyway. Cafe Pushkin is also just down the street.
The host, Sergei, went out of his way to make our stay in Moscow great. He came to pick us up from the train station after arriving on the night train from St Petersburg. Before taking us home, he took us on a drive through Moscow to point out the best places to see and eat.
Russia has entirely disappeared from all online booking platforms in the West due to the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The only way to book accommodation from abroad using your Visa or Mastercard is to use Russian platforms like Tutu.ru or Aviasales.
Is Moscow Safe to Visit in 2025?
Yes, Moscow should be safe to visit in 2025. However, be aware of the risks involved when visiting Russia. Verify whether your travel insurance will cover you in Russia in the event of an emergency.
We are glad to say that Moscow is indeed very safe, and we felt safe everywhere we went. Of course, things change, and of course, there is crime in Russia. However, be aware of your surroundings and avoid doing anything or going anywhere you wouldn’t at home. Then you’ll be fine.
Avoid engaging in political discussions and refrain from provoking others with unnecessary questions and comments. But that should be standard across the world anyway.
Before coming to Moscow we imagined mafia with golden teeth drunk on vodka and thugs living in post soviet council estates. We hoped Russian prostitutes wouldn’t harass or shake us down. Obviously, we’ve been watching way too many bad Russian spy movies.
We were pleasantly surprised at how safe we felt in Moscow. The streets are spotless, and the people are friendly (on the inside…Russians rarely smile). Safety in Moscow should really be your last concern.
Enjoy your stay in Moscow. It’s one of our favourite cities. Also, check out the best things to do in Russia if you’re seeing more of the country.