6 Days in Moscow: Complete Travel Itinerary: Day-by-Day Plan and Tips

6 Days in Moscow: Complete Travel Itinerary is for a first visit with enough time to see the center, the parks and the edges of the city without rushing. Each day has one theme, and most days link two or three places on the same Metro line.

It assumes six to eight hours of sightseeing a day, a long lunch and several short Metro rides, with the lightest day in the middle. By the end you will have seen the Kremlin and Red Square, the main collection of Russian art, the old streets and boulevards, the decorated Metro stations, two former royal estates and the modern skyline from the river.

At a glance: Day 1 is the Kremlin and Red Square, day 2 the gallery and the river, day 3 Arbat and the boulevards, day 4 VDNKh and the Metro, day 5 two royal estates and day 6 the City towers and the river.

Day 1: The Kremlin, Red Square and Zaryadye

A compact first day within a few hundred meters of Red Square, mostly on foot*. The Kremlin takes the morning because it has timed entry and the longest visit, and the afternoon is lighter, with the square, the cathedral and the park by the river.

1. Alexander Garden – Start at Aleksandrovsky Sad (Line 4, light blue) and walk along the Kremlin wall to the Kutafya Tower, the visitor entrance (20 minutes)
2. Moscow Kremlin – Cathedral Square and the grounds have one ticket and the Armoury another; the Kremlin is closed on Thursdays and the hours change by season, so check them (2 to 3 hours)
3. Red Square – Walk through the Resurrection Gate for the view of the Kremlin wall, GUM and the colored domes (30 minutes)
4. St. Basil's Cathedral – Look at the domes from every side; the inside has its own ticket and the hours change by season (20 minutes outside, 45 to 60 minutes inside)
5. Zaryadye Park – Walk down behind the cathedral to the floating bridge over the Moskva River for the view of the Kremlin (1 hour)

Tip: Book the Kremlin for the first morning slot and keep everything else on foot; see the Red Square and Moscow Kremlin Walking Itinerary for the order that avoids doubling back.

Day 2: The Gallery, the Embankment and Gorky Park

The second day moves south across the river, with one major gallery, a stretch of sculpture park and a big riverside park. The gallery sits in the middle, so the pace is slower, and the afternoon is open for the park.

1. Zamoskvorechye – Start at Tretyakovskaya (Line 6, orange, or Line 8, yellow) and walk into the quiet old merchant streets south of the river (20 minutes)
2. Tretyakov Gallery – The main building at Lavrushinsky Lane holds Russian art up to the early 20th century, with its own ticket and a closing day, so check the hours (2 to 3 hours)
3. Krymsky Val – Walk or ride to this embankment street for the sculpture park and the gallery of 20th-century art, the second Tretyakov building (45 minutes)
4. Gorky Park – Enter from Krymsky Val for the riverside promenade and playgrounds; the park is free, and only the Garage Museum and some exhibitions are paid (1.5 to 2 hours)

Tip: Swap the gallery and the park if it rains; the Zamoskvorechye and Tretyakov Gallery Walking Itinerary and the Gorky Park, Muzeon and Krymsky Val Walking Itinerary have the full routes.

Day 3: Arbat, the Ponds and the Boulevards

A day of old streets and literary corners with little to buy and a lot to see. The walk runs from the pedestrian street to a pond and a long boulevard, so it is mostly outdoors and flat, and a good day for slow lunches.

1. Arbat – Start at Arbatskaya (Line 3, dark blue) and walk Old Arbat, with the Vakhtangov Theatre, the Tsoi Wall and the Okudzhava monument (1.5 hours)
2. New Arbat – Ride one stop and walk the wide avenue of 1960s tower blocks to the river (45 minutes)
3. Patriarch's Ponds – Ride to Mayakovskaya (Line 2, green) and walk to the pond that opens Bulgakov's novel (45 minutes)
4. Tverskoy – Follow Malaya Bronnaya to Tverskoy Boulevard, the oldest of the Boulevard Ring, and walk east to Pushkin Square (45 minutes)

Tip: Do the Arbat in the morning when it is calm; the Arbat and New Arbat Walking Itinerary and the Patriarch's Ponds and Tverskoy Boulevard Walking Itinerary give the details.

Day 4: VDNKh and the Metro

A northern day built around the old exhibition grounds, with the Metro as the second theme. The grounds are free and open, and the pavilions and museums are optional, so the day can be shortened easily.

1. Moscow Metro – Ride the Circle Line through Novoslobodskaya and Komsomolskaya for the stained glass and the baroque ceiling; see the Moscow Metro Tour: Most Beautiful Stations Itinerary (1 to 1.5 hours)
2. VDNH and Ostankino – Ride to VDNKh (Line 6, orange) and walk the main arch and the long avenue to the Friendship of Peoples fountain (2 hours)
3. VDNKh Moscow: Half-Day Walking Itinerary – Follow this route for the sculpture outside the gate, the Stone Flower fountain and the Cosmos pavilion; the pavilions have their own tickets (1 to 2 hours)

Tip: Do the Metro first and VDNKh in the afternoon, when the light on the fountain is best.

Day 5: Kolomenskoye and Tsaritsyno

A long outdoor day on the green Line 2, with two former royal estates in the south. The distances between the sights inside each estate are large, so keep the pace slow and decide on the paid visits as you go.

1. Kolomenskoye – Start at Kolomenskaya (Line 2, green) and walk through the north gate to the park; the park is free, and the museums and the palace have their own tickets (20 minutes)
2. Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve: Half-Day Itinerary – Follow it for the UNESCO Church of the Ascension, the wooden buildings and the hillside church (2.5 to 3 hours)
3. Tsaritsyno – Ride Line 2 to Tsaritsyno (Line 2, green) for the pseudo-Gothic palace complex and the ponds, free to walk (20 minutes)
4. Tsaritsyno Palace and Park: Half-Day Itinerary – Follow it for the fountain, the bridges and the Grand Palace (2 to 2.5 hours)

Tip: If the day is too long, keep only the Church of the Ascension and the Tsaritsyno fountain and bridges, and skip the paid interiors.

Day 6: Moscow City, the River and Sparrow Hills

The last day is the modern skyline and the river. It starts in the business district, takes a regular boat to the center and ends on the hill above the river, so you see the city from the high floor, from the water and from the terrace.

1. Moscow City – Start at Delovoy Tsentr (Line 4, light blue, formerly Vystavochnaya) and walk between the towers; an observation deck is optional (1.5 to 2 hours)
2. Moscow City and Moscow River Skyline Itinerary – Follow it for the Bagration pedestrian bridge and the deck options (1 hour)
3. Kievsky River Pier – Take the regular electric boat from the City-Bagration stop toward the center and get off at the pier; check the schedule first (40 to 60 minutes)
4. Radisson Collection Hotel Moscow – Look at the tiered Stalin-era hotel from the water and the embankment (15 minutes)
5. Sparrow Hills – Ride Line 1 to Vorobyovy Gory for the terrace over the river bend, timed for sunset (1 hour)

Tip: Check the boat schedule the evening before, and keep the Metro as a backup from Kievskaya to Vorobyovy Gory.

Moscow Vibes Tips

• Put the Kremlin on day one or two and not on a Thursday, when it is closed; the other days have no fixed closing day, so they can move around it.
• Keep days 5 and 6 flexible: both are mostly outdoors and can be swapped with the weather.
• Use one pass of Metro rides per day if you can, with the longer rides in the middle of the day, not at rush hours.
• Day 4 and day 5 are the longest; add a rest evening after them or move the Metro rides to the morning.
• Carry a power bank* and some rubles, since foreign cards are reported not to work.
• Add the Bolshoi Theatre on an evening only if you have booked tickets in advance; see the How to store luggage in Moscow guide for bags on theater days.

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FAQ

Is six days too long for Moscow?

No. Six days cover the center, the main gallery, the large parks and the edges of the city at a relaxed pace, with room for a spare half day.

Which day should I do the Kremlin?

Day one, or any day except Thursday. Buy the ticket in advance; the guide is on the Red Square and Moscow Kremlin Walking Itinerary page.

Is the Armoury included in the Kremlin ticket?

No. The Armoury is a separate ticket and visit.

Can I shorten the plan?

Yes. Drop day 4 or day 5 and use the 5 Days in Moscow: Complete Travel Itinerary instead.

How much walking is there each day?

About six to nine kilometers a day, with Metro rides between the later stops.

Can I do this with children?

Yes for older children; see the Moscow with Kids: One-Day Family Itinerary for a gentler day.

Which days are best for a budget visit?

Days 3 and 6 are mostly free; the Moscow on a Budget: One-Day Free Sightseeing Itinerary has a fully free day.

Can I pay with a foreign card?

Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, and your country's sanctions rules may restrict some services, so carry some rubles and check this yourself.

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