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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Moscow, Idaho
Give Moscow one night, two if you want the trails: it is a small college town, not a sightseeing base. Skip it if you are not passing through US-95.
Moscow is a University of Idaho college town of about 25,000 in the Palouse hills of North Central Idaho, 8 mi (13 km) from Pullman, Washington, and its campus is the dominant institution. There is no airport with mainline service in town, so most visitors arrive by car on US-95 or by shuttle from Spokane. One night covers the campus, the two small museums and downtown; the trails and the Palouse scenery are what justify a second day.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Oct (farmers market May–Oct; warm, dry summer days)
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, wet, icy pavements); university move-in and graduation weekends when rooms sell out
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $110–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Breakfast or lunch plate | $10–18 |
| Dinner main, sit-down restaurant | $15–30 |
| Draught beer in a downtown bar | $4–7 |
| Museum entry (Appaloosa, suggested donation) | $2 per person / $4 per family |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PUW · Moscow/Pullman Regional Airport
- About 5 mi east on Hwy 8/270; small, limited commercial service — check schedules.
- LWS · Lewiston–Nez Perce County Regional Airport
- About 33 mi south in Lewiston; small regional field.
- GEG · Spokane International Airport
- About 90 mi north; the region's main airport with the most airlines and usually the cheapest fares. Wheatland Express shuttle runs to Moscow; the drive is about 1.5 h.
Typical fares
- Wheatland Express, Spokane airport → Moscow
- about $60 one way, roughly 1.5 h
- SMART Transit local ride
- a few dollars; day pass available
- Taxi across town
- short hop, meter fare; operators change often
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is small enough to walk or bike; a car is not needed inside town. SMART Transit runs local buses and the Wheatland Express links Moscow, Pullman and the Spokane airport. Two paved rail-trails leave town: the 9-mi Chipman Trail to Pullman and the 13-mi Latah Trail to Troy. Taxis exist but the operators change often — check before you rely on one.
See and do
Known for
- University of Idaho campus
- Palouse hills scenery
- Appaloosa Horse Museum
- Chipman and Latah rail-trails
- Moscow Farmers Market
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pullman, Washington | Drive US-95/Hwy 8 about 8 mi, or bike the paved Chipman Trail | 15–20 min by car; about 1 h by bike |
| Lewiston, Idaho | Drive US-95 south | About 45 min |
| Moscow Mountain trails | Drive north of town, then hike or ride | 20–30 min to trailheads |
| Coeur d'Alene | Drive US-95 north | About 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Pullman Road (US-95/Hwy 8 strip)
- Chain hotels, the mall and free parking; 5–10 min drive from downtown. Best for one night with a car.
- Downtown / 6th & Main
- Walk to restaurants, bars and the Kenworthy; few beds, so book early.
- Campus edge (6th St by the U of I)
- Closest to the university and the Greek houses; quiet in summer, busy on game weekends.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the university campus? | Where is the University of Idaho campus? |
| Is there a shuttle to Spokane airport? | Does the Wheatland Express run today? |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take card? |
| Where is the trailhead? | How do I get to the Chipman Trail? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Winter brings ice and wet snow: pavements and the bike trails get slick, and biking drops off sharply.
- Forest Service roads in the surrounding national forests are not all passable for ordinary cars — check road conditions before hiking.
- Game weekends and university events fill the hotels and raise rates; book ahead.
- Some downtown bars run drink specials rather than posted prices — ask the total before you order.
Moscow is a small, low-crime college town; the real issues are winter ice, unlit rural roads and wildlife or weather if you hike in the national forests. Standard US precautions apply after dark around the downtown bars.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Moscow, Idaho yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- University of Idaho campus
- Palouse hills scenery
- Appaloosa Horse Museum
- Chipman and Latah rail-trails
- Moscow Farmers Market
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wheatland Express airport shuttle: starlinecollection.com/wheatland-express/
- Northwestern Trailways: northwesternstagelines.com/
- Wikivoyage: Moscow (Idaho), revision 5336220 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5336220
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Moscow, Idaho
Please take me to this address
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Moscow; most countries keep embassies in Washington, DC, with consulates in Seattle or Denver. Check your own country's list.
US tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/moscow-idaho). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.