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Voykit pocket guide · Russia
Moscow
Москва
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.
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.
- Country
- Russia
- Local name
- Москва
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (deep cold), early May holidays
- Stay
- 4–5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- RUB
- Money
- Foreign-issued cards, ATMs and most transfers do not work: see Insurance & payments above.
- Daily spend
- Budget RUB 3,500–6,000 excl. bed · Mid RUB 6,000–12,000 excl. bed · High RUB 12,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Police 102 · Ambulance 103
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | RUB 200–400 |
| Business lunch (set menu) | RUB 500–900 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can in a shop | RUB 400–700 / RUB 100–200 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | RUB 500–900 |
| Metro ride | RUB 60–80 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | RUB 1,000–2,500 |
| Museum entry | RUB 500–1,500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SVO · Sheremetyevo International
- About 32 km (20 mi) northwest; Aeroexpress train to Belorussky station, 50 minAbout 20 mi (32 km) northwest; Aeroexpress train to Belorussky station, 50 min
- DME · Domodedovo International
- About 45 km (28 mi) southeast; Aeroexpress to Paveletsky station, 50 minAbout 28 mi (45 km) southeast; Aeroexpress to Paveletsky station, 50 min
- VKO · Vnukovo International
- About 30 km (19 mi) southwest; metro Line 8A now reaches the terminalAbout 19 mi (30 km) southwest; metro Line 8A now reaches the terminal
- ZIA · Zhukovsky International
- About 40 km (25 mi) southeast; limited routes, bus to Kotelniki metroAbout 25 mi (40 km) southeast; limited routes, bus to Kotelniki metro
Typical fares
- 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)
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 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 (3.1 mi) taxi can take 30 minutes.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 3.1 mi (5 km) taxi can take 30 minutes.
See and do
Known for
- The Kremlin and Red Square
- St Basil's Cathedral
- The Moscow Metro stations
- The Bolshoi Theatre
- Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin Museum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sergiev Posad (Trinity Lavra) | Suburban train from Yaroslavsky station, about 1 h 30 min, then a 15-min walk | About 2 h |
| Kolomna | Train from Kazansky station, about 1 h 45 min | About 2 h 15 min |
| Zvenigorod | Suburban train plus bus, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
| Saint Petersburg | Sapsan high-speed train from Leningradsky station, about 4 h | About 5 h |
Sleep
- 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.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Здравствуйтеzdra-stvu-i-te |
| Thank you | Спасибоspa-si-ba |
| Please | Пожалуйстаpa-zha-lu-sta |
| How much is it? | Сколько стоит?skol-ka sto-it |
| Can I pay by card? | Можно оплатить картой?mozh-na a-pla-tit kar-tay |
| Where is the metro? | Где метро?gdye met-ro |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Scams and watch-outs
- 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.
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.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Moscow yet. Suggested stay: 4–5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- The Kremlin and Red Square
- St Basil's Cathedral
- The Moscow Metro stations
- The Bolshoi Theatre
- Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin Museum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Moscow city government (official portal): www.mos.ru/
- Aeroexpress (airport rail): aeroexpress.ru/en/
- Russian Railways (long-distance trains): eng.rzd.ru/
- Wikivoyage: Moscow, revision 5311351 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5311351
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MoscowМосква
По этому адресу, пожалуйста
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies sit in the Presnensky and Khamovniki districts; check your own embassy's address and hours before you travel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/moscow). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.