Kitay-Gorod and Zaryadye Park Walking Itinerary: Route and Timings

The Kitay-Gorod and Zaryadye Park Walking Itinerary covers the oldest streets next to Red Square, in the quarter that was once the city’s trading center, and the modern park laid out beside them. It suits visitors who have seen the square and want to understand what is around it.

It assumes about four hours at an easy pace, with two optional museum visits. By the end you will have walked Varvarka Street with its row of old churches, seen the houses of the Romanov boyars and the old English embassy, stood on the floating bridge over the river and found a stretch of the real Kitay-Gorod wall.

At a glance: Start at Kitay-Gorod Metro and walk Varvarka Street past its churches and old houses, cross through Zaryadye Park to the floating bridge, and finish at the old wall behind Hotel Metropol.

Half Day: Varvarka Street, Zaryadye and the Old Wall

The route goes from the oldest street, narrow and lined with small churches, down to the river park, and then back inland to a fragment of the old wall. Each stop is only a few minutes from the last, so the day is about looking and sitting more than walking. The museums are optional and add one to two hours.

1. Kitay-Gorod – Start at Kitay-Gorod Metro (Line 6, orange, and Line 7, purple) in the old trading quarter between Red Square, Theater Square and the river; the oldest streets here, Nikolskaya, Ilyinka and Varvarka, go back to the 14th century (15 minutes)
2. Varvarka Street – A short street of small churches: the pink St. Barbara's church of 1796 to 1804, St. Maxim the Blessed of 1698, the cathedral of the Znamensky Monastery and St. George on Pskov Hill of 1657, all best seen from the outside (45 minutes)
3. Old English Court and Romanov Chambers – Two small museums on the street, in the Old English Embassy of the 1550s, a reconstruction of one of the oldest civic buildings in the city, and in the 16th-century residence of the Romanov boyars; each has its own ticket, so these are optional (45 to 90 minutes, optional)
4. Zaryadye Park – Take the path between the buildings to the park on the site of the former Rossiya Hotel, which was built in 1967, demolished from 2007 and replaced by the park that opened in 2017; walk onto the floating bridge for the view of the Kremlin and the river (1 hour)
5. Kitay-Gorod Wall – Follow the park parallel to Varvarka to a fragment of the wall; this one is a reconstruction, and the original masonry is found behind a hotel, as described next (20 minutes)
6. Hotel Metropol Moscow – Walk to the back of the Metropol Hotel and look at the original Kitay-Gorod wall, then finish at Teatralnaya Metro (Line 2, green) a few minutes away (20 minutes)

Tip: Walk Varvarka Street in the morning, when the small churches are lit from the east and the street is quiet, and keep the park for the late afternoon when the view from the bridge is best.

Moscow Vibes Tips

• Look at the street from the top and then step down the stairs to the old buildings, as the houses on the lower level sit below the modern street.
• Do not mix up Kitay-Gorod with a Chinese quarter: the name has nothing to do with China and the origin of the word is debated, so skip the guesses you may hear.
• The wall fragment inside Zaryadye Park is a reconstruction; the original wall is behind Hotel Metropol, in a courtyard that most visitors never see.
• Check the hours of the two small museums on Varvarka Street before you count them in, since they have their own closing days and short hours.
• Take the park path in both directions: the way down to the river and the way back give different views of St. Basil's Cathedral.
• Carry a few rubles for the cafes in the park, since foreign cards are reported not to work.

Explore Nearby Kitay-Gorod and Zaryadye Park Walking Itinerary

Hotels near Kitay-Gorod and Zaryadye Park Walking Itinerary

• 
  AI

  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  Hotel Metropol Moscow

Related guides

• 
  AI

  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  Kitay-Gorod: Walls, Varvarka Street and What to See
• 
  AI

  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  How to visit Zaryadye Park: Free Entry, the Bridge and Pavilions
• 
  AI

  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  Red Square and Moscow Kremlin Walking Itinerary: Route and Timings
• 
  AI

  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  10 Best Squares and Streets for a Walk in Moscow: Routes and Tips
• 
  AI

  Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
  10 Most Beautiful Churches and Cathedrals in Moscow: Domes and Icons

Browse more: All Itineraries · All Themed Routes

?

FAQ

What does Kitay-Gorod mean?

It is the name of the old trading quarter next to Red Square. The origin of the word is debated, but it does not mean a Chinese town.

Is Zaryadye Park part of Kitay-Gorod?

Yes. The park lies in the historic district of Zaryadye inside Kitay-Gorod, between Varvarka Street and the river. See the How to visit Zaryadye Park guide.

Are the Varvarka churches open to visitors?

Some are working churches with limited hours and some are museums or closed; the outside views are the main reason to walk the street.

Are the Romanov Chambers part of the Kremlin?

No. They are a separate small museum on Varvarka Street, in the house where the Romanov family lived before becoming tsars.

Is the wall in Zaryadye Park original?

No, the fragment near the park is a reconstruction. The original masonry is behind Hotel Metropol.

Which Metro station is nearest?

Kitay-Gorod on Lines 6 and 7, a few minutes from the start of Varvarka Street.

How long does the walk take?

About four hours with the optional museums skipped, or about two hours more with both.

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.

Report an issue on this page

What is it about?
Opening hours or pricesDirections or metroClosed or movedWrong factSomething else

What is wrong?

The correct information (optional)

Send report

* Affiliate link: as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.