3 days in Kazan: a day-by-day itinerary
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- 5 of 10 free; 5 paid — see “Cost”
- Duration
- 3 days, 9:30 to 17:00 each day
- Start and finish
- Kazan Kremlin → Blue Lakes
- On foot
- ≈ 22 min in total
- Transport
- 3 rides, ≈ 2 h 37 min
- Lunch
- around 13:30
- With kids
- fine: short walks
- Best time
- May to September: the Blue Lakes are open 5:00–22:00 and a hydrofoil runs to Sviyazhsk. In winter the lakes do not freeze but close at 18:00.
Day-by-day plan
Times include walking and lunch. Drag a stop by ≡, remove it with the cross or add one nearby — the plan updates.
Day 1 · Kazan09:30–12:55 · 4 places · 3 h 30 min
Kazan Kremlin
· 2 h · Grounds free; museums 200–800 ₽
- 3 min on foot
Kul Sharif Mosque
· 40 min · Free
- 4 min on foot
Söyembikä Tower
· 15 min · Free
- 8 min on foot
Palace of Farmers
· 15 min · Free
Day 2 · Kazan09:30–17:00 · 2 places · 7 h 30 min
Sviyazhsk
· 4 h · Island free, museums 1,000 RUB
- Lunch · 1 h
- 60 min · transport or taxi
Raifa Monastery
· 1 h 30 min · Free
Day 3 · Kazan09:30–16:44 · 4 places · 7 h 10 min
Temple of All Religions
· 45 min · 300 RUB
- 43 min · transport or taxi
Bauman Street
· 1 h · Free
- 7 min on foot
Kazan Federal University
· 45 min · Outside free, museums from 350 ₽
- Lunch · 1 h
- 54 min · transport or taxi
Blue Lakes
· 2 h · 100 ₽, children free
What the route costs
5 of 10 are free; 5 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.
| 1 | Kazan Kremlin | 71 | 2 h | Grounds free; museums 200–800 ₽ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Sviyazhsk | 32 | 4 h | Island free, museums 1,000 RUB |
| 7 | Temple of All Religions | 34 | 45 min | 300 RUB |
| 9 | Kazan Federal University | 51 | 45 min | Outside free, museums from 350 ₽ |
| 10 | Blue Lakes | 27 | 2 h | 100 ₽, children free |
| Other 5 places | 3 h 30 min | Free | ||
| Total | 13 h 10 min | 5 of 10 free |
Tips for each stop
Day 1
- 1
Kazan Kremlin. Day one is all about the Kremlin, so go into the museums: the 800 ₽ combined ticket covers Hermitage-Kazan and the Museum of Natural History.
- 2
Kul Sharif Mosque. Free; you see the hall from the visitors' balconies. Women need a headscarf, everyone covers shoulders and knees; wraps are given at the door. On Fridays 11:30–13:15 closed to visitors.
- 3
Söyembikä Tower. The leaning tower by the Presidential Palace, opposite the mosque: its spire leans almost 2 m. Under scaffolding until December 2026; no entry.
- 4
Palace of Farmers. Start at the white palace with a bronze tree in its arch: it is empty in the morning. It is a ministry, so you see it from outside; 15 minutes is enough.
Day 2
- 5
Sviyazhsk. The island-town: the Assumption Monastery with 16th-century frescoes, a wooden church and museums. The island is free, a combined museum ticket 1,000 ₽. Allow 4 hours.
- 6
Raifa Monastery. A monastery in a pine forest by a lake, free. Dress modestly; women need a skirt and headscarf. An hour and a half is enough.
Day 3
- 7
Temple of All Religions. In Staroye Arakchino: the domes of a mosque, a church, a synagogue and a pagoda on one building. 300 ₽, children 200 ₽.
- 8
Bauman Street. The pedestrian street from the Kremlin to Tukay Square: the Epiphany bell tower, the Chaliapin statue, the Kazan cat and Catherine the Great's carriage. An hour at an easy pace.
- 9
Kazan Federal University. The white colonnaded façade at 18 Kremlyovskaya Street. Free from outside; the museums Monday to Saturday, 350 ₽.
- 10
Blue Lakes. A nature reserve on the northern edge: water clear to the bottom at +4…+7 °C. 100 ₽, children free; swimming only in the bathing pools.
Who this route is for
- A first trip to Kazan for 3–4 days
- The city and its surroundings without rushing
- Part of the way by taxi or car
- Bolgar and Innopolis are not included — another day each
- Without a car days two and three take longer
May to September: the Blue Lakes are open 5:00–22:00 and a hydrofoil runs to Sviyazhsk. In winter the lakes do not freeze but close at 18:00.
What to see in Kazan in 3 days
Day one is the Kremlin and its surroundings, with time for the museums and the viewpoints over the Kazanka. Day two is Sviyazhsk and Raifa out of town. Day three starts on the western edge at the Temple of All Religions, goes through the centre and ends at the Blue Lakes in the north.
Kazan in 3 days on your own: transport
Day one is on foot: 5 minutes from Kremlyovskaya metro to the Spasskaya Tower. Day two needs transport: a car, a taxi or the weekend bus to Sviyazhsk. On day three a taxi is easiest for the Temple of All Religions and the Blue Lakes.
The Blue Lakes: what to know
It is a nature reserve, not a beach: swimming only in the five bathing pools; boats, SUP boards and diving on the lakes are banned. The water stays +4…+7 °C all year and does not freeze. Entry is 100 ₽, paid by QR code; children free.
If you have more time
A fourth day can go to Bolgar, or to an easy day in the centre: the Kremlin museums, the Kazanka embankment and Bauman Street in the evening.
How to do it right
- Backpacks, suitcases and travel bags are not allowed into the Kremlin.
- Kremlin museums are free for under-18s visiting on their own.
- In winter no hydrofoil runs to Sviyazhsk, and the Assumption Cathedral is open only May to September.
- Dress modestly at Raifa and in the Sviyazhsk churches.
- Russia uses the rouble (₽). Bank cards issued abroad usually do not work in Russia — plan how you will pay before the trip; for the metro, buy a Troika card at the ticket office.
Questions
Is 3 days in Kazan enough?
Yes for the city, Sviyazhsk, Raifa, the Temple of All Religions and the Blue Lakes.
What is a good 3-day Kazan itinerary?
Day one the Kremlin, day two Sviyazhsk and Raifa, day three the Temple of All Religions, Bauman Street and the Blue Lakes.
How much is the Temple of All Religions?
300 ₽, children 200 ₽.
Can you swim in the Blue Lakes?
Only in the bathing pools; the water is +4…+7 °C all year.
How much are the Blue Lakes?
100 ₽; children free.
Do I need a car?
It helps on days two and three; taxis work well too.
What else is there near Kazan?
Bolgar and Innopolis, a day each.
Where to stay?
Between the Kremlin and Bauman Street.
Is it good with kids?
Yes: the island-town, the temple and the lakes suit children.
How do I pay in Russia?
Russia uses the rouble (₽). Bank cards issued abroad usually do not work in Russia — plan how you will pay before the trip; for the metro, buy a Troika card at the ticket office.
Sources and fact-check
- Prices, opening hours and time on site come from each place's page, with its own sources and check date
- Kazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve: hours, prices, visitor rules
- Kazan Metro: Kremlyovskaya and Ploshchad Gabdully Tukaya stations
- Sviyazhsk island-town: museum hours, bus and hydrofoil schedule
- Wikipedia: Kazan Kremlin, Bauman Street, Sviyazhsk
