Hello dear readers,
Today I want to present you a tour that you can easily do in half a day. Later I will also show you what you can do in a full day, 2 days and 3 days. But let’s start with the short half day tour.
First part
You start the tour at the Smolenskaya metro station. From there you can take a leisurely walk along the famous Arbat. It is a pedestrian zone, so there is plenty of room to walk. On Arbat, there are many good restaurants and shops, so I would recommend stopping for a coffee there. For collectors of Hard Rock Café items, it is also located at the beginning of the left hand side. There are also many street performers on the street, so there is some entertainment on offer as well.
second part
After passing through Arbat, you will arrive at the Arbatskaya metro station, where you will turn right and go down in the direction of the Kremlin.
There I would recommend you visit the Armory, which I told you about in a previous post. After visiting the Kremlin, you can walk further to the famous GUM department store with all its luxury shops. But first, take some time in Red Square to visit St. Basil’s Cathedral.
At GUM you have to try their ice cream, which only costs 50 RUB.
After GUM, you can walk further along Nikolskaya Ul., another pedestrian zone with some shops, cafes and very picturesque architecture.
Third
After passing the entire Nikolskaya Ul. turn left and walk until you are in front of the Bolshoi Theater (which translated means Big theater). It is by far the most famous theater in Moscow and getting tickets for one of its ballets is next to impossible and if possible only for a fortune.
The Ballet at the Kremlin Palace also offers very nice ballet performances for much more affordable ticket prices.
Fourth part
Now it will turn into Tverskaya Ul. one of the old great streets of Moscow. In earlier times you entered the city exactly on this street when you came from Tver or beyond St. Petersburg. Here you can simply walk and enjoy the atmosphere of this imposing street. On the corner is also the National Hotel, one of the most famous hotels in all of Russia. Right next door, in the neighborhood, is the Ritz Carlton Moscow.
Fifth part
When you see Pushkinskaya metro station, you need to turn left onto Tverskoy Boulvar with its nice part in the middle of the street.
Here you can also see the first McDonald’s in Russia, although today they are located all over the city, just like in any other big city.
Here you’ll also find small, stylish restaurants and cafes in all price ranges, from cheap to extravagant, making it the ideal spot to stop for a coffee or something more substantial if you get hungry.
If you now just follow the direction of the city, you will end the walk at the Arbatskaya metro station.
How long does it take?
This varies a lot but if you take your time and also stop at the sights it will take around 5 hours.
Of course, there is much more to see, but this walk is perfect for a first day in Moscow, as it will give you a general idea of the atmosphere of the city without overloading your brain with too much new information.
