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Capital · Russia

MoscowМосква

Give Moscow 4 nights minimum: the Kremlin, one museum and the metro take two full days, and the city is too big for a rushed 48 hours.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
RUB
Best months
May–Jun, Sep
avoid Jan–Feb (deep cold), early May holidays
Airports
SVO · DME · VKO · ZIA
Nights
4–5
Not field-verifiedbasic guideadvisory country
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…Reach this subregion only from the EU side — Romania for …Check your own government travel advice for Russia before…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Eastern Europe ↗Reach this subregion only from the EU side — Romania for Moldova — through crossings run by recognised authorities; no route through Ukraine, Belarus or Russia is planned here.
  • Eastern Europe ↗Re-read your government's advice for Moldova (it covers Transnistria) in the week you travel; the situation next door changes fast.
  • Eastern Europe ↗Carry euros in cash for Transnistria and village Moldova; cards stop working at the Dniester.
  • Russia ↗Check your own government travel advice for Russia before any booking; advice depends on your passport and changes without notice.
  • Russia ↗Direct flights from much of Europe and North America are suspended; no independent tourist route is documented here.
  • Russia ↗Confirm that your travel insurance and medical evacuation cover apply to Russia before you rely on it.

Moscow is the capital of Russia and the biggest city in Europe by metro population, built in rings around the Kremlin. Sights sit inside the Boulevard Ring, the Metro is the fastest way between them, and winter runs below freezing from mid-November to late March. Plan four to five nights, stay inside the Garden Ring, and treat the visa and your own government's travel advice as the first step, not the last.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Moscow, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeRUB 200–400
  • Sit-down mealBusiness lunch (set menu)RUB 500–900
  • BeerBeer: draught in a bar / can in a shopRUB 400–700 / RUB 100–200
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxiApp fare; street cabs quote far more.RUB 500–900
  • Metro or bus rideMetro rideRUB 60–80 (check)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekRUB 1,000–2,500
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entryRUB 500–1,500
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personRUB 1,200
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomRUB 8,000
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomRUB 16,000

A day, not counting the bed: Budget RUB 3,500 · Mid RUB 7,000 · High RUB 15,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

The Kremlin and Red SquareSt Basil's CathedralThe Moscow Metro stationsThe Bolshoi TheatreTretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin Museum
Airports
SVO Sheremetyevo International (About 32 km northwest; Aeroexpress train to Belorussky station, 50 min) · DME Domodedovo International (About 45 km southeast; Aeroexpress to Paveletsky station, 50 min) · VKO Vnukovo International (About 30 km southwest; metro Line 8A now reaches the terminal) · ZIA Zhukovsky International (About 40 km southeast; limited routes, bus to Kotelniki metro)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Moscow: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−4°C

−9°C

11 rd

Feb

−3°C

−9°C

9 rd

Mar

3°C

−4°C

9 rd

Apr

12°C

2°C

8 rd

May

19°C

8°C

8 rd

Jun

22°C

12°C

10 rd

Jul

25°C

15°C

10 rd

Aug

23°C

13°C

9 rd

Sep

16°C

8°C

10 rd

Oct

9°C

3°C

11 rd

Nov

2°C

−2°C

11 rd

Dec

−2°C

−7°C

12 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The Metro is the default: 12 lines, trains every 1–3 minutes, and the fastest way across the centre. Buy a Troika card and top it up; single rides cost more than card rides. Walk inside the Boulevard Ring, use the Metro for anything further, and take Yandex Taxi at night. Traffic is heavy on weekdays, so a 5 km taxi can take 30 minutes.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Sergiev Posad (Trinity Lavra)

go

Door to door: About 2 h

Suburban train from Yaroslavsky station, about 1 h 30 min, then a 15-min walk

The classic day out; go early, the return trains fill by late afternoon.

Kolomna

go

Door to door: About 2 h 15 min

Train from Kazansky station, about 1 h 45 min

Kremlin walls and old streets; a full day.

Zvenigorod

caution

Door to door: About 2.5 h

Suburban train plus bus, about 2 h

Quiet monastery and river walks; the last leg needs a bus or taxi.

Saint Petersburg

overnight

Door to door: About 5 h

Sapsan high-speed train from Leningradsky station, about 4 h

Not a day trip: book the train weeks ahead and sleep at least two nights.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Central (Kremlin and Red Square)

Walk to the Kremlin, Red Square and GUM; the most expensive beds and the quietest nights.

Central-North (Tverskaya and the Bolshoi)

Tverskaya Street hotels, TsUM and the Bolshoi Theatre; best all-round base for a first trip.

Central-West (Arbat and Khamovniki)

Old Arbat pedestrian street, cafes and the Pushkin Museum; good mid-range rooms.

Central-South (Zamoskvorechye)

Tretyakov Gallery side of the river; quieter streets, 10–15 min walk to Red Square.

Outskirts (Moscow-City and beyond the Garden Ring)

Cheaper rooms and the skyscraper district; add 20–40 min by metro each way.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
RUB 3,500–6,000 excl. bed
Mid
RUB 6,000–12,000 excl. bed
High
RUB 12,000+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 4 nights × RUB 8,000RUB 32,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 4 days × RUB 7,000RUB 56,000
Aeroexpress, both ways2 × RUB 1,050 · checkRUB 2,100
Troika card plus a week of metro rides2 × RUB 1,500 · checkRUB 3,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × RUB 1,500RUB 3,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeRUB 9,610
Trip total≈ RUB 13,210 per person per day, bed includedRUB 105,710

2026 estimate in rubles; flights, visas and museum tickets excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeRUB 200–400
Business lunch (set menu)RUB 500–900
Beer: draught in a bar / can in a shopRUB 400–700 / RUB 100–200
5 km taxiApp fare; street cabs quote far more.RUB 500–900
Metro rideRUB 60–80 (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekRUB 1,000–2,500
Museum entryRUB 500–1,500

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Central Moscow is heavily policed and street crime is low, but pickpockets work the Metro and stations, and card payments from foreign banks often fail: carry cash rubles and keep documents on you.
  • Read your own government's travel advice before booking; banking cards issued abroad often fail, so carry cash rubles.
  • Keep your passport and migration card with you: registration and document checks happen.
  • Pickpockets work the Metro and the crowded train stations; keep bags in front of you.
  • Winter ice on pavements is a real injury risk: boots with grip, not fashion shoes.
  • Photography is restricted at some official buildings and metro security points: follow posted signs.

Emergency numbers

All emergencies (single number)
112
Police
102
Ambulance
103

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

MoscowМосква

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

По этому адресу, пожалуйстаTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All emergencies112
  • Police102
  • Ambulance103

Embassy

Most embassies sit in the Presnensky and Khamovniki districts; check your own embassy's address and hours before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • SVO → Belorussky station, Aeroexpress: about RUB 525, 50 min (check)
  • DME → Paveletsky station, Aeroexpress: about RUB 525, 50 min (check)
  • Taxi airport → centre: about RUB 1,000 by app (check)

Say or show

  • Здравствуйте — Hello (zdra-stvu-i-te)
  • Спасибо — Thank you (spa-si-ba)
  • Пожалуйста — Please (pa-zha-lu-sta)
  • Сколько стоит? — How much is it? (skol-ka sto-it)
  • Можно оплатить картой? — Can I pay by card? (mozh-na a-pla-tit kar-tay)
  • Где метро? — Where is the metro? (gdye met-ro)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Moscow. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep · avoid Jan–Feb (deep cold), early May holidays
  2. 4 airports and 5 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contracts for SVO, DME, VKO and ZIA: last Aeroexpress and metro departures, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Kremlin and Red Square, Tverskaya and the Bolshoi, Arbat and Khamovniki, Zamoskvorechye.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Kremlin, Tretyakov, Pushkin Museum, metro tour) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Winter and document-check fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Russia

Sources