Moscow in 4 Days: Complete Travel Guide & Itinerary

Moscow is so vast that you’ll feel like you’re sprinting from sight to sight to see it all. It’s a city of style and character that can feel like a parallel Europe.

Currency: Russian Ruble (RUB)

Language: Russian

Climate: Apr–Oct ~ 7–22 °C; Nov–Mar ~ 2 to −14 °C

Accommodation in Moscow

Distances in Moscow are large, but the metro is excellent and links all major sights. It’s fine to book outside the very center—anywhere between the first and second ring roads works well. The most convenient areas for visitors are around Red Square and near Arbat Street.

Getting Around Moscow

• Metro: The best way to move around—punctual, fast, and beautifully designed. Stations are attractions in themselves. Heads-up: turnstiles close quickly; they sit open but snap shut as you pass.

• Taxis / ride-hailing: Ride-hailing apps work well. The drive from the airport to central Moscow is roughly 45 minutes, depending on traffic.

What to eat in Moscow?

• Breakfast: Try blini (crêpes/pancakes). Sweet versions come with thick strawberry or chocolate sauces; savory ones may be filled with meat, smetana (soured cream), cheese, and more. A popular café chain is Shokoladnitsa (Шоколадница).

• Lunch & Dinner: Look for pelmeni (dumplings), borscht (beet and meat broth), pirog (savory pie), grechka (buckwheat), and caviar. On Arbat Street, Varenichnaya (Вареничная) is a solid choice. Other good stops: Stolovaya 57 (on the 3rd floor of GUM for classic Soviet-style dishes) and Kroshka Kartoshka (Крошка Картошка), a casual chain centered on every imaginable potato topping.

Let's start our 4-Day Itinerary to visit Moscow:

Moscow Itinerary Day 1

Red Square

It is the heart of Moscow. The name comes from the old Russian word krasnaya, which means “beautiful.”

St Basil’s Cathedral

Commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1554 and famously photogenic. A legend says the tsar ordered the architect blinded so he couldn’t replicate its beauty.

Hours: Daily — roughly 11:00–17:00 in winter, 10:00–19:00 in summer.

Metro: Line 1 (Red) Okhotny Ryad — Охотный Ряд; Line 2 (Green) Teatralnaya — Театральная; Line 3 (Blue) Ploshchad Revolyutsii — Площадь Революции.

The Kremlin

Inside you’ll find the Armoury (treasures of the grand princes, historic arms, carriages), the Tsar Bell (Tsar Kolokol), Tsar Cannon (Tsar Pushka), palaces, and four cathedrals with striking frescoes.

Hours: Typically Wed–Fri, 10:00–17:00.

GUM Shopping Center

Department Store Luxurious historic arcades facing Red Square. Step inside for a stroll; the classic ice-cream stands at the ground-floor entrances are beloved.

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

The tallest Orthodox church in the world. Demolished in 1931 to make way for the never-built Palace of the Soviets, it was completely rebuilt in the 1990s. The pedestrian bridge over the Moskva River offers superb city views.

Hours: Daily, ~9:00–19:00.

Metro: Line 1 (Red) Kropotkinskaya — Кропоткинская.

Bolshoi Theatre

Russia’s premier stage for opera and ballet, reopened in 2011 after major restoration. If you’re not seeing a performance, guided tours are offered (limited spots).

Time: Tours commonly around midday.

Metro: Line 1 (Red) Okhotny Ryad; Line 2 (Green) Teatralnaya; Line 3 (Blue) Ploshchad Revolyutsii.

Moscow Itinerary Day 2

Novodevichy Convent

Founded in 1524, later used by Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great to confine rebellious noblewomen. UNESCO World Heritage since 2004.

Hours: Wed–Sun, ~10:00–17:00.

Metro: Line 1 (Red) Sportivnaya — Спортивная (also reachable from the center via Okhotny Ryad).

Arbat Street

One of Moscow’s oldest pedestrian streets, about a kilometer long, lined with cafés, street performers, and shops.

Metro: Line 4 (Blue) Arbatskaya — Арбатская.

Gorky Park

A major park along the Moskva River with great city views. In winter it transforms into a huge open-air ice rink. Culturally, it’s often associated with Scorpions’ “Wind of Change.”

Metro: Line 5 (Circle) Oktyabrskaya — Октябрьская.

Moscow Itinerary Day 3

Museum of Cosmonautics

A must for space buffs: Russia led many early milestones (first satellite, first human in space, first space station). The museum showcases suits, satellites, capsules, meteorites, and more.

Hours: Tue–Sun, ~10:00–18:00.

Metro: Line 6 (Orange) VDNKh — ВДНХ.

VDNKh (All-Russia Exhibition Center)

A sprawling fairground and monument to Soviet-era achievements—originally agricultural, it grew into a showcase of technology, modernization, and national pride. Metro: Line 6 (Orange) VDNKh — ВДНХ.

Moscow Itinerary Day 4

Victory Park (Park Pobedy) & Museum of the Great Patriotic War

An open-air memorial to victory over Nazi Germany, dominated by a 141.8-meter obelisk—one meter for each of the 1,418 days of the war. Expect military hardware, tanks, artillery, striking dioramas, and a vast collection of wartime artifacts.

Hours: Tue–Sun, ~10:00–19:00.

Metro: Line 3 (Blue) Park Pobedy — Парк Победы.

Moscow City (Skyline)

The financial district’s cluster of modern skyscrapers is impressive. Consider an evening visit to an observation deck for sweeping night views.

Metro: Line 4 (Blue) Vystavochnaya — Выставочная.

Recommendations

• Walking tours in english and other languages cover city highlights and Soviet history; the Bolshoi Theatre is often a meeting point.

• Optional Evening — Russian Banya (Sauna) Experience: A classic Russian wellness ritual: super-hot steam, a cold plunge or shower, rest with tea, and (optionally) a venik massage using birch or oak branches. Pick a reputable, well-reviewed banya near the center or close to your hotel—historic bathhouses offer old-world atmosphere, while modern complexes feel more spa-like.

Tips

• Superstitions are common. Whistling is considered bad luck with money. Before a trip, some people sit on their suitcase for a minute for good luck.

• In Russian, “roller coasters” are called “American mountains”. 

• The Peter the Great statue on the Moskva River is among the world’s tallest; legend says it began life as a Columbus statue for Spain’s 1992 Expo before being repurposed.

• People often dress very elegantly.

• Russians may seem reserved at first, but they’re generally kind and ready to help.

• Not everyone speaks English; expect to rely on gestures now and then.