Ostankino Tower, Moscow

Ostankino Tower tickets and prices

There are two routes. Panorama of Moscow 360° takes you up by express lift to the 337 m deck with its glass floor, plus a multimedia exhibit — no guide. It costs 1,900 ₽ on weekdays, 1,500 ₽ for the 10:00 and 11:00 weekday slots, and 2,500 ₽ at weekends and on public holidays from 1 November 2026. Ages 6–18 pay 1,000–1,700 ₽.

Tower from Inside adds a guided stop at the 85 m technical level, where you learn how the tower is held up: 2,600 ₽ on weekdays, 2,200 ₽ early, 3,100 ₽ at weekends. An audio guide is 400 ₽.

Tickets are sold on the tower’s official website and at the excursion desks on site, and sessions have limited places — book ahead for weekends. Student and pensioner discounts need a Russian document, so most foreign visitors pay the adult rate. Pay in roubles: Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad have not worked in Russia since March 2022, so carry cash or a Russian Mir card.

Is Ostankino Tower worth it?

Yes, if you want the whole of Moscow in one look. At 337 m it is by far the highest viewpoint in the city, and on a clear day the tower says you can see up to 70 km. The lift gets you there in under a minute, and standing on the glass floor is the moment people remember.

Be realistic, though. The tower is in the north, far from the centre, so the Kremlin and Red Square are small specks. On a cloudy day the top is often inside the cloud and you see nothing. Check the forecast, and if the price or the passport hassle puts you off, the free views from Sparrow Hills and the floating bridge in Zaryadye Park are closer to the sights.

Best value: an early weekday slot — 400 ₽ cheaper and fewer people at the windows.

How tall is Ostankino Tower?

540 m including the antenna. The lower 385 m is a prestressed concrete shaft; the steel antenna sits on top. The enclosed deck is at 337 m, the seasonal open-air deck at 340 m, and the Seventh Heaven restaurant at 328–334 m.

It is the tallest structure in Russia and in Europe, and from 1967 until Toronto’s CN Tower in 1975 it was the tallest freestanding structure in the world — about 200 m taller than the Eiffel Tower. The skyscrapers of Moscow City are lower.

What to see at the top

• The 337 m deck — a full circle of windows; on a clear day pick out Moscow City, the university on Sparrow Hills and the Stalin skyscrapers.
• The glass floor — transparent panels over a 337 m drop, rated by the tower for up to 3 tonnes.
• The open-air deck at 340 m — May to October and only in good weather; it’s windy, bring a jacket.
• The 85 m technical level — Tower from Inside route only: cables, lifts and how a tower this tall stands on a 4.6 m foundation.
• Seventh Heaven — the Bronze (334 m), Silver (331 m) and Gold (328 m) halls slowly revolve, one full turn in about 40 minutes.
• VDNKh from above — the Soviet exhibition park and its fountains, 2 km away.

Seventh Heaven restaurant

The revolving restaurant takes up three levels just below the deck. The Bronze hall (334 m) is open daily 10:00–22:00, the Silver hall (331 m) 12:00–23:00, and the Gold hall (328 m) Friday to Sunday 12:00–23:00; all close on sanitary days.

Tables can’t be reserved, and you still need your passport and the same security check as for the deck. Menus are published on the tower’s official site — whether a deck ticket lets you linger in the halls isn’t spelled out, so ask when you buy.

A short history

The tower went up in 1960–1967 to broadcast TV across the Soviet Union. Engineer Nikolai Nikitin’s idea was a shaft of prestressed concrete: steel cables inside squeeze the concrete together, and a foundation only 4.6 m deep holds it all in place by sheer weight. The first stage opened on 5 November 1967, for the 50th anniversary of the revolution.

On 27 August 2000 a fire broke out at around 460 m and three people died. Visitors returned to the deck only in 2008, and the Seventh Heaven restaurant reopened in 2016.

Ostankino Tower vs Sparrow Hills vs Zaryadye

Ostankino is for seeing the whole city from the greatest height. For a beautiful free view of the centre, Sparrow Hills or Zaryadye will do.

Moscow viewpoints compared

Every Moscow viewpoint rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Nearby — add to your day

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3 h · Free entry, pavilions paid · 29 min walk

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How to do it right

• Cheapest way up: a 10:00 or 11:00 weekday slot — 1,500 ₽ instead of 1,900 ₽.
• Pick Tower from Inside only if engineering interests you; for the view alone, Panorama 360° is enough.
• Pair it with VDNKh: pavilions by day, the tower towards evening — 25 minutes’ walk apart.
• Moving your visit is worth it on a cloudy day — at 337 m the top is often in the cloud.
• For a photo of the whole tower, walk to Ostankino Pond by the estate.
• Uneasy about heights? The glass floor covers only part of the deck, so you can walk round it.

Questions