7 Days in Moscow: The First-Timer Itinerary
A full week in Moscow covers everything the shorter plans do, Red Square, both Kremlin tickets, Kitay-Gorod, the Tretyakov, Gorky Park, Novodevichy, Sparrow Hills, the metro loop, and Sergiev Posad, then closes with a slower day at Izmailovo’s market and wooden “Kremlin” replica. Standing facts first: RUB only, foreign Visa and Mastercard cards have not worked in Russia since 2022, and the e-visa excludes US, UK, Canadian, and Australian passports. Building a shorter trip? Start from 6 days and cut the last day.
Book these before you go:
- A hotel on Ostrovok.ru or an apartment on Sutochno.ru
- Cathedral Square and the Armoury Chamber separately at kreml.ru
- Sergiev Posad train tickets on pass.rzd.ru
- Bolshoi Theatre seats only at bolshoi.ru
Day 1: Red Square and Cathedral Square
Early start on Red Square, then Cathedral Square inside the Kremlin walls (1,100 RUB standard, 600 discounted, closed Thursdays). St Basil’s next door is a separate ticket, roughly 700-2,000 RUB depending on the source, confirm the current rate at en.shm.ru . GUM for lunch, the State Historical Museum in the afternoon, and a second lap of the floodlit square after dark.
Day 2: The Armoury Chamber and Kitay-Gorod
The Armoury Chamber’s four fixed slots run at 10:00, 12:00, 14:30, and 16:30 (1,400 RUB standard, 800 discounted). Afternoon in Kitay-Gorod for the Romanov Boyars’ Chambers and the Zaikonospassky Monastery. Evening at the Bolshoi if you got tickets, or a Georgian dinner otherwise.
Day 3: The Tretyakov Gallery and Gorky Park
South into Zamoskvorechye for the Tretyakov Gallery (700 RUB, closed Mondays), then Gorky Park for the afternoon, free entry, right on the river.
Day 4: Novodevichy Convent and Sparrow Hills
Novodevichy Convent (metro: Sportivnaya, roughly 1,000 RUB for foreign visitors, plus a separate free cemetery) in the morning, then Sparrow Hills for the classic MSU skyline view, with the Luzhniki cable car as an optional river crossing.
Day 5: The metro loop and VDNKh
Ride the circle line for Komsomolskaya and Mayakovskaya, a single 75 RUB fare on a Troika card . Afternoon at VDNKh’s Soviet-era pavilions (individual sections like the Cosmonautics museum run about 700 RUB), or the Moscow City observation deck if you’d rather trade history for skyline.
Day 6: A day trip to Sergiev Posad
The suburban train from Yaroslavsky Station runs roughly 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 each way, book through pass.rzd.ru . The Trinity Lavra of St Sergius, the most important monastery in Russian Orthodoxy, sits a short walk from the station, plan 3-4 hours there before heading back for a relaxed evening in the city.
Day 7: Izmailovo and one last look at Red Square
Spend the morning at Izmailovo, home to a large flea market selling everything from Soviet medals to hand-painted matryoshka dolls, plus the colorful wooden “Kremlin” replica built in the 2000s (worth seeing for what it is, a modern folk-art structure, not a historic site). It’s a different, more relaxed register than the previous six days. In the afternoon, wander back toward the center for any shopping or souvenir errands, then return to Red Square one final time before you leave, it’s worth the repeat visit.
How does a full week break down?
| Day | Focus | Getting there | Rough daily cost (RUB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Square, Cathedral Square, St Basil’s | Metro to Okhotny Ryad | 3,000-4,500 |
| 2 | Armoury Chamber, Kitay-Gorod | Walking from the Kremlin | 3,500-5,500 |
| 3 | Tretyakov Gallery, Gorky Park | Metro to Tretyakovskaya | 2,500-4,000 |
| 4 | Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills | Metro to Sportivnaya | 2,500-4,000 |
| 5 | Metro loop, VDNKh | Circle line | 2,000-3,500 |
| 6 | Sergiev Posad day trip | Train from Yaroslavsky Station | 2,000-3,500 |
| 7 | Izmailovo market, free time | Metro to Partizanskaya | 1,500-3,000 |
Should you extend past 7 days instead of adding Izmailovo?
If you have the time, an overnight to Vladimir or Suzdal (deeper into the Golden Ring) or a longer Sapsan trip to St Petersburg rewards a dedicated day or two rather than being squeezed into this schedule. For a single week centered on Moscow, though, Izmailovo’s lower-key pace is a good way to close things out before travel days.
Getting around and back to the airport
The metro (75 RUB a ride, 112 RUB for a 90-minute transfer window) and Aeroexpress (700 RUB one-way to Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo, cash or Russian card only) handle everything except the Sergiev Posad train. Flights connect through Istanbul, Dubai, or a similar hub either direction, since no direct routes from the US, UK, or EU exist as of 2026.
A full week gives Red Square, the Kremlin, and the day trips their proper due, and by day seven you’ll have earned the slower, market-browsing pace of Izmailovo.