Top Things to Do in the Moscow | Must-See Attractions & Experiences

Plan Your Travel To Moscow

Places To Visit In Moscow

Sparrow Hills

Situated on the right bank of the Moskva river, Sparrow Hills provide a great vantage point of the entire city. Sparrow Hills are a popular place for people to relax and take in panoramic views of Moscow. A short hike from the Varobyovy Gory metro station, the highest point of the hills is at a height of 85 metres above the city, so you also get a little bit of a workout as you make the uphill climb. At the top of the hill is the Moscow State University, an important centre of education of the city and the nation and quite a breathtaking building in itself. The observation platform over here offers what is popularly considered as the best view of the city. From here, the most prominent structure you'll notice is the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow's Olympic stadium, along with the domes of Novodevichy convent, Christ the Savious Cathedral, the Kremlin cathedrals and Stalin's high rise seven sisters. Even if you come up here at night, with the city lit up, the views are magnificent! Read More

St. Basil's Cathedral

The cathedral is an absolutely stunning piece of architecture. It is painted in unique and unusual colours and is Moscow's most popular tourist attraction. The central idea behind the architecture of the cathedral is debated till this date. It has not been ascertained even today as to what inspired Barma and Postnek Yakovlev to come up with the design that they have. The cathedral was initially built in white, but was painted in dazzling colours and patterns as we see it today in the 17th century. The layout has 8 smaller churches surrounding the central 9th church, as opposed to the usual 7 surrounding the centre. Today, St. Basil's Cathedral serves as a museum, allowing visitors to see the simply breathtaking interiors and the intricacy of the work that was put into it's construction. It is truly a spectacle and an absolutely enchanting sight at night when it lights up! Read More

The museum houses an enormous collection of items and artefacts from the days of the pre-historic tribes of the region to the Russia of today. The State Historical Museum was established in 1872 to promote the history of Russia and educate the masses about the long past of the country. This imposing structure, built in the Russian Revivalism style, stands on the other end from the St. Basil's Cathedral. It's collections are absolutely enormous, with the total number of objects reaching the 5 million figure! Each exhibition hall of the museum is made to reflect the era to which the items exhibited belong, dating back to the Palaeolithic age. The museum is an impressive representation of all the cultures that have existed and developed in Russia since then. Many excavated objects are on display in these sections, such as a longboat excavated from the Volga river, gold ornaments and figures of the Scythians and funerary marks from the Altai. Exhibitions towards the modern era cover the many rulers of Russia. These collections display various paintings, relics, thrones, artefacts related to the courts and the museum's coin collection is the largest in the country as well. The museum gives an all encompassing look into the history of the vast land. Read More

An art gallery which started from the personal collection of a merchant and today houses more than 130,000 pieces of artwork throughout the history of Russia. The gallery was opened in 1893 when Moscow merchant Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov's huge personal collection of around 2000 works was permanently put on display for the Russian public. Originally based in a small building just south of the Kremlin, the gallery grew in size considerably as it amassed more and more pices of art throughout the 20th century. The State Tretyakov Gallery provides an insight into the history of Russian art that is not seen anywhere else. It takes you into the works of art by artists from the 10th century onwards, works which were otherwise not publicised or very well known. The gallery is an important study into understanding the inspirations drawn by the famous 20th century Russian artists. It's huge collection of 130,000 items is displayed over a staggering 62 rooms and makes for an extremely educational experience! Read More

Located to the south of the Kremlin complex, the Armoury is one of Moscow's oldest museums and displays jewellery, state regalia and weaponry. The Armoury was always a place that had to do with exclusive, important and extravagant collections. It served as the work place of the country's best gunsmiths, jewellers and painters. When they were shifted to St. Petersburg, the Armoury became an elaborate treasure house. Even more treasures were added after the Bolshevik revolution. Today the Armoury serves as a hugely popular and the official museum of the Kremlin. It houses the Russian Diamond Fund and has a rare and exorbitant collection. The precious items on display from the royal history of Russia include Imperial Crown of Russia, the ivory throne of Ivan the Terrible, the Orloff Diamond, 12th century necklaces from Ryazan, the sabres of Kuzma Minin and Dimitri Pozharski, Manomakh's Cap among numerous others. The museum is also home to splendid works of applied arts from all over Europe and of course, imperial weapons, armour and carriages. Read More

Tsaritsyno is home to the Historical Architectural Art and Landscape Museum-Reserve Tsaritsyno. It has several exhibitions on buildings from the late 18th century. Tsaritsyno is one of the oldest landscaped parks of Russia. It was the site of a palace which was being built for Empress Catherine II, which was not completed since she died before it was completed. The buildings were left as it is. In 1984, the entire complex area was opened as the Decorative Arts Museum of USSR. In 1994, it was turned into a museum-reserve and the park has since been used for various exhibitions. The complex has palaces, greenhouses, lawns and many other features, which can be explored through guided educational tours. Where it was initially used for decorative arts displays, today other museums of Moscow can use the Palace or the open areas to display their own collections and activities. The Tsaritsyno Park is also used for musical concerts and other performances and always makes for a vibrant place. Read More