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5 days in Moscow: a day-by-day itinerary

The Moscow Kremlin from the Moskva river at dusk: red walls, towers and cathedral domesRed Square from above: the Kremlin wall, St Basil’s Cathedral and the city beyondNikolskaya Street in Kitay-gorod leading to the Kremlin’s Nikolskaya Tower

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
13 of 20 free; 7 paid — see “Cost”
Duration
5 days, 9:30 to 17:25 each day
Start and finish
Moscow Kremlin → Tsaritsyno
On foot
≈ 1 h 15 min in total
Transport
8 rides, ≈ 3 h 35 min
Lunch
around 12:00
With kids
fine: short walks
Best time
May to September: the musical fountain runs at Tsaritsyno and the Church of the Ascension at Kolomenskoye is fully open.

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 · Moscow09:30–16:38 · 5 places · 7 h 10 min

  1. Moscow Kremlin

    · 2 h 30 min · From 1,100 ₽

  2. Lunch · 1 h
  3. 5 min on foot

  4. Red Square

    · 30 min · Free

  5. 5 min on foot

  6. Kitay-gorod

    · 1 h · Free

  7. 6 min on foot

  8. St Basil's Cathedral

    · 45 min · 2,000 ₽ for foreign visitors

  9. 7 min on foot

  10. Zaryadye Park

    · 1 h · Free

Day 2 · Moscow09:30–17:25 · 5 places · 8 h

  1. Gorky Park

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

  2. 19 min · transport or taxi

  3. Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

    · 40 min · Free

  4. 19 min on foot

  5. Arbat Street

    · 1 h · Free

  6. Lunch · 1 h
  7. 25 min · transport or taxi

  8. Moscow City

    · 1 h 30 min · Free

  9. 27 min · transport or taxi

  10. Sparrow Hills

    · 45 min · Free

Day 3 · Moscow09:30–16:38 · 4 places · 7 h 10 min

  1. Patriarch's Ponds

    · 30 min · Free

  2. 16 min on foot

  3. Tverskaya Street

    · 45 min · Free

  4. 20 min · transport or taxi

  5. Moscow Metro

    · 1 h 30 min · 75 ₽ on Troika

  6. Lunch · 1 h
  7. 17 min on foot

  8. Tretyakov Gallery

    · 2 h 30 min · 700 ₽

Day 4 · Moscow09:30–16:48 · 3 places · 7 h 20 min

  1. Ostankino Tower

    · 1 h 30 min · From 1,500 ₽

  2. Lunch · 1 h
  3. 20 min · transport or taxi

  4. VDNKh

    · 3 h · Free

  5. 28 min · transport or taxi

  6. Sokolniki Park

    · 1 h · Free

Day 5 · Moscow09:30–16:46 · 3 places · 7 h 20 min

  1. Novodevichy Convent

    · 1 h · Free

  2. 43 min · transport or taxi

  3. Kolomenskoye

    · 2 h · Park free, palace ≈ 700 ₽

  4. Lunch · 1 h
  5. 33 min · transport or taxi

  6. Tsaritsyno

    · 2 h · Park free, palace 900 ₽

Go · start

Add nearby

Places near the plan — Yes puts one into the day and the times update.

What the route costs

13 of 20 are free; 7 charge entry — prices below, check them on site.

1Moscow Kremlin642 h 30 minfrom 1,100 ₽
4St Basil's Cathedral6545 min2,000 ₽ for foreign visitors
13Moscow Metro701 h 30 min75 ₽ on Troika
14Tretyakov Gallery492 h 30 min700 ₽
15Ostankino Tower491 h 30 minfrom 1,500 ₽
19Kolomenskoye382 hPark free, palace ≈ 700 ₽
20Tsaritsyno262 hPark free, palace 900 ₽
Other 13 places14 hFree
Total27 h13 of 20 free

Tips for each stop

Day 1

  1. 1

    Moscow Kremlin. First thing, at opening time: Cathedral Square is 1,100 ₽, the Armoury 1,400 ₽ by timed session (10:00, 12:00, 14:30, 16:30). The Kremlin is closed on Thursdays.

  2. 2

    Red Square. The square is free and usually open around the clock; it closes for major events.

  3. 3

    Kitay-gorod. Nikolskaya, Ilyinka and Varvarka with 16th–17th-century churches — an hour on foot. The Romanov Boyars' Chambers are 700 ₽, closed on Tuesdays.

  4. 4

    St Basil's Cathedral. Inside is a museum, 700 ₽, free under 7. Last entry 17:00; closed on the first Wednesday of the month.

  5. 5

    Zaryadye Park. End day one on the floating bridge over the Moskva river with a view of the Kremlin — free, at any hour.

Day 2

  1. 6

    Gorky Park. Start day two on the embankment and in Neskuchny Garden. The main entrance arch is under restoration; the park is free.

  2. 7

    Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Russia's largest church, free. On Mondays the upper church opens only at 13:00.

  3. 8

    Arbat Street. Old Arbat from Arbatskaya Square to Smolenskaya — an hour on foot. Do not confuse it with New Arbat.

  4. 9

    Moscow City. Walking between the towers and in Afimall is free; Panorama 360 on the 89th floor is from 2,000 ₽. The Bagration bridge is closed.

  5. 10

    Sparrow Hills. The viewpoint by Moscow State University is free and open around the clock. The cable car to Luzhniki is 800 ₽, until 21:00.

Day 3

  1. 11

    Patriarch's Ponds. Day three starts quietly: a lap of the pond where The Master and Margarita begins — half an hour.

  2. 12

    Tverskaya Street. Down Tverskaya towards the Kremlin: Pushkin Square, the Yuri Dolgoruky statue, the mayor's office — 30–45 minutes on foot.

  3. 13

    Moscow Metro. An hour and a half through the most beautiful stations for one fare: 75 ₽ on a Troika card, as long as you do not exit.

  4. 14

    Tretyakov Gallery. The main collection of Russian painting: 62 halls, 700 ₽. Closed on Mondays, last entry 20:00.

Day 4

  1. 15

    Ostankino Tower. The observation deck at 337 m by timed session, from 1,500 ₽ on weekday mornings. Passport required; arrive an hour early; no children under 6.

  2. 16

    VDNKh. Stalin-era pavilions and fountains, free entry. The Cosmonautics and Aviation pavilion is 700 ₽, closed on Mondays.

  3. 17

    Sokolniki Park. Radial avenues and an almost real forest, free. 5–7 minutes from Sokolniki metro.

Day 5

  1. 18

    Novodevichy Convent. A 1524 convent, UNESCO-listed. The grounds are free, the museum 500 ₽, from 9:30.

  2. 19

    Kolomenskoye. The 1532 Church of the Ascension above the river and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich's wooden palace (about 700 ₽). The palace is closed on Mondays.

  3. 20

    Tsaritsyno. Catherine the Great's red-and-white palaces and ponds. The park is free until midnight, the Grand Palace 900 ₽; museums closed on Mondays.

Who this route is for

Good for
  • Five days to a week in Moscow
  • A second trip, or you want more than the centre
  • On foot, by metro and sometimes taxi
Not for
  • The suburbs — Sergiev Posad and country estates — are not included
  • Monday for day five — the palaces at Kolomenskoye and Tsaritsyno are closed
Best time

May to September: the musical fountain runs at Tsaritsyno and the Church of the Ascension at Kolomenskoye is fully open.

What to see in Moscow in 5 days

The first four days are as in the 4-day itinerary. Day five is three sights of 1–3 hours each: the Novodevichy Convent in the south-west, then Kolomenskoye and Tsaritsyno in the south, 30–45 minutes apart by metro or taxi.

Each day is its own area, so the days can be swapped — what matters is the museums' closing days.

Kolomenskoye and Tsaritsyno in one day

Kolomenskoye park is open 5:30–23:00, and Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich's palace Tuesday to Sunday, about 700 ₽. A free minibus runs around Kolomenskoye — the grounds are large. Tsaritsyno park is free until midnight; the Grand Palace is 900 ₽.

Where to stay for 5 days

In the centre or near the circle metro line. Over five days you will go north, south and south-west — 15–30 minutes from the circle line to each.

Moscow in a week

Swap a day for museums: the State Historical Museum by Red Square, the Pushkin Museum on Volkhonka or the Kremlin Armoury.

How to do it right

  • Check the days of the week: the Kremlin is closed on Thursdays, the Tretyakov Gallery on Mondays, St Basil's on the first Wednesday of the month.
  • The palaces at Kolomenskoye and Tsaritsyno are closed on Mondays.
  • A free minibus runs around Kolomenskoye.
  • The Smolensk Cathedral at Novodevichy is open only during services.
  • 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 5 days in Moscow enough?

Yes: the centre, the views, the museums, the north and the royal estates without rushing.

What is a good Moscow itinerary for 5 days?

Four days of the centre, the river, the museums and the north, then Novodevichy, Kolomenskoye and Tsaritsyno.

How much is Novodevichy Convent?

The grounds are free; the museum is 500 ₽.

How much is Kolomenskoye?

The park is free; the wooden palace is about 700 ₽ and closed on Mondays.

How much is Tsaritsyno?

The park is free until midnight; the Grand Palace is 900 ₽.

Can I do Kolomenskoye and Tsaritsyno in one day?

Yes, with Novodevichy in the morning; they are 30–45 minutes apart.

What about a week in Moscow?

Add museums: the Historical Museum, the Pushkin Museum or the Kremlin Armoury.

Where to stay?

In the centre or near the circle metro line.

Is it good with kids?

Yes: parks, fountains and the estates suit children.

How do I pay in Moscow?

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
  • Moscow Kremlin Museums: tickets, Armoury sessions, visitor rules
  • Moscow Metro: fares, hours, Troika card
  • mos.ru: Zaryadye, Gorky Park, Sparrow Hills, VDNKh
  • Wikipedia: Red Square, Moscow Kremlin, Kitay-gorod
  • Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve: hours, tickets
  • Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve: hours, tickets
YesGo editorial team ·
How we checkedEach day covers one area; the places were picked by hand, and the YesGo planner works out the order within the day, the walks and lunch. Prices, hours and closing days come from the place pages.

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