TRAVEL
How to Make the Most Out of Your Stay in Moscow
Ever dreamt of going on a trip to Europe? Why not try Moscow?
There’s a lot to see in the largest city of Europe. With how vast it is, it can take months for you to finish a whole itinerary!
Lucky for you we’ve managed to gather the cream of the crop to ensure you get to enjoy the best of what Russia has to offer.
What to do in Moscow
Moscow is a city with a powerful mixture of history, edginess, and famous sites. It’s not an easy feat to discover the hidden gems of a city so large, especially if you’re traveling to Russia for the first time.
Here are a few things that you simply can’t miss out on when visiting Moscow.
Take a breather in Moscow’s parks
Over 60 parks are located in Moscow, most of which are free to enter. Some of them are extremely entertaining, making them perfect for a calming break.
From the calming riverside of Kolomenskoye, to the Izmailovo forest-like bike ride experience, there’s surely an activity for you to enjoy.
Listening to classical music in museums
Moscow is one of the best cities to visit if you love classical music. What’s more, some of them could even be free!
On weekends and holidays, the world-famous Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory hosts free concerts. Students also perform in the Russian Academy of Music for free.
And if you want to explore more of Russia’s music, you can visit Bolshoi Theatre, Bulgakov House Museum, Chekhov House Museum, Marina Tsvetaeva Museum, and Chaliapin House Museum. You might be charged though, so best check out their schedule first.
Go ice skating
You can visit the Chistye and Patriarch Ponds, two of the most popular skating rinks in Moscow. Russia’s main department store, GUM, tends to have free morning admission for their skating rinks. If you prefer fewer people, this is perfect for you.
If you want a natural or synthetic ice skating experience, Sokolniki park, Lyublinskiy park, and Filyovsky Park are great places to try out.
Moscow Travel tips you should know about
The Russian capital attracts thousands of visitors every year. And with that comes along a lot of tourist traps. In order to avoid falling for these schemes, here are some ways to ensure you have a happy and safe trip:
Don’t wear too many layers of clothing.
The weather in Russia is quite unpredictable. You could wake up to a blizzard one day, and go out in the sunshine the next. Make sure to check out the weather forecast if you plan to go out sightseeing, since there are some instances where shops close if there is heavy snowfall.
Take the Moscow metro
Traffic in Moscow is worse than in other cities in Russia. During rush hour, you are likely to spend quite a bit of time in a Moscow taxi.
Rather than taking a cab, explore the metro system of Moscow. It is very easy to use, cheap and it will get you anywhere in the city. You’ll save yourself time and money.
Avoid going to tourist hotspots
Pickpockets are more likely to operate in crowded tourist areas like The Red Square or Lenin’s Mausoleum. Keep your valuables safe and avoid buying into the stories of strangers. Bring your credit card. Much better to be charged with a foreign transaction fee than to be robbed of your money.
Keep your passport secure
You need your passport to do anything even remotely official: Exchange money, buy a train ticket, sometimes even get into a museum. The police officers in the metro stations also have a habit of asking random passengers to show their IDs, so it’s better to always have it on you. If you’re uncomfortable carrying your passport around, you can make a photocopy of the photo page ahead of time, it should be enough in most cases.
Always make sure you keep your passport in a safe place. You wouldn’t want to spend the rest of your trip in the embassy trying to get a temporary passport.
Where to buy the best souvenirs
Love it or hate it, shopping for souvenirs is an unavoidable part of traveling.
The number one tip when it comes to souvenir shopping in Moscow? Avoid the Red Square Market. At first, you might be entranced by their vast collection of matryoshka dolls and ushankas, but one look at the price tag and your eyes will be popping out of your sockets.
To save you the trouble of waiting in a 3-mile queue outside on a cold winter day is not worth it, here are a few other alternatives:
Old Arbat
You’ll discover a far larger range of presents to take home here than you would at the Red Square market, and at much more reasonable rates. There are no lines, no crowds, and almost no one wandering about a large selection of local goods. This place is only known among locals, which allows them to have the place all to themselves.
Sparrow Hills
This location is well known for attracting people and selling millions of souvenirs every year. It has reasonable prices, but its range of selection is quite limited.
Museum of Moscow
You should head straight to the Museum of Moscow if you’re looking for exquisite Moscow-inspired gifts. Here you won’t find kitschy souvenir plates and hideous ushankas. Instead, you’ll find rare books about Moscow history, designer stationery, and jewelry. Advertising posters, maps, totes, and fridge magnets are all available for purchase.
Izmailovsky Market
Moscow’s eastern suburbs offer a gift-shopping paradise — that is if you’re willing to take the metro. There are almost every type of souvenir imaginable at Moscow’s biggest and most popular flea market: Soviet antiques, paintings, and even Asian rugs. You will find lower prices and better deals as you move further in. Bargaining is A-okay in this area — just don’t go overboard.
Why you should visit Moscow
There are tons of reasons for you to explore Moscow — stunning architecture, golden domes, and some of Europe’s greatest museums. It will take you months before you can explore the entire city!
So if you’re fortunate enough to visit Moscow, make sure to treasure every single moment — because you won’t find anything like it.
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