How to Take a Walking Tour of Moscow
The architecture, history, arts and culture of Moscow will amaze you on a walking tour of this fascinating city. Moscow is a treasure trove for any tourist. Whether you are a history buff, arts and theater enthusiast, music lover, young or old, you will be enchanted while wandering the streets of the Russian capital.
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Instructions
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Be sure your itinerary includes a walking tour, or plan one centered around your personal interests. Search the Internet for "Moscow walking tour" and "Moscow sightseeing." Local Moscow tour companies offer basic, themed or customized tours. Read reviews of sightseeing attractions to be well informed. Print a Moscow Metro schematic and map choice sites you want to see. A basic walking tour will last approximately 3 hours, and double that for additional museum visits or cultural events. Make tour reservations if necessary.
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Use a tour guide as you explore this mega city of over 12 million people. A well-trained guide will know where to go, how to best get there and the days and hours of operation for each site. Select a tour group that offers excellent guides in your language. Some Russian translators also serve as tour guides. Tour guides can also buy tickets in advance for special events.
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Make it a priority to include Red Square and the Kremlin area as a must-see on your walking tour. This basic tour can include the Kremlin Cathedrals, the Armory Museum and Diamond Fund, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, St. Basil's Cathedral, the GUM (huge national department store on Red Square), the Historical Museum, the Kremlin Palace theater, Lenin's Mausoleum, the underground Manezh mall and nearby Bolshoi Theater.
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Enlarge your walking tour by taking the Moscow Metro to another leg of your stroll. This efficient subway system can quickly expand your tour to other sections of the city, as well as adding museum tours, concerts or theater events. Several metro stops near the Kremlin area quickly connect to other walking tour sites--Christ our Saviour Cathedral and the Pushkin Museum, Tretyakov Gallery of Russian Art, Izmaylovo craft market, Arbat Street, historical monasteries and cemeteries, Victory Park and the WWII museum, Gorky Park, VNDH park and the Soviet space museum. Add stops on the Metro circle line as you enjoy these stunning subway "museums" rich in Soviet art and history.
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Incorporate your love for the symphony, opera, art, ballet, theater, Russian literature and sports (skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, inline skating, hockey, soccer) into your walking tour. Purchase event guidebooks at ticket booths near the Moscow Metro entrances.
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Add attractions to your walking tour that will delight the younger set. Include visits to children's musical theaters and ballets, puppet theaters, animal theaters, dolphin shows, both the old and new Russian circuses, Detsky Mir (a huge children's department store--see the fabulous toy section and carousel), as well as ice skating and inline skating at outdoor parks and malls.
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Include souvenir shopping as an essential element of your walking tour. Russia offers some of the most beautiful hand-made goods you will find anywhere. Brief yourself on classic Russian arts and crafts and prime locations for purchasing them. Include souvenir shopping in your walking tour at both the GUM and Historical Museum Gift Shop on Red Square, the pedestrian shopping district of Arbat Street, or Izmaylovo craft market in northeast Moscow--weekends only at this #1 souvenir location. Don't forget to include the best souvenirs of all--memorable photos of you at magical Russian sites on your Moscow walking tour.
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Tips & Warnings
Many Moscow attractions are closed on Mondays.
Plan to take comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.
Some museums prohibit cameras during tours and offer secured storage.
Resources
- Find guided walking tours with prices that include admission at All Russia Tours.
- Walking tours A and B showcase a variety of unique themed tour options at Sokol Tours.
- Find a selection of basic Moscow walking tours at Go To Ru.
- Find an up-to-date listing of tourist sites, addresses and hours at The Moscow Times.
