In summer, Moscow is filled with colors, warmth and laughter. Millions of people from different parts of Russia and the world come here to enjoy long walks, cozy evenings and the beauty of the capital’s architecture.
Time flies surprisingly fast in the metropolis: the city dynamics seem to speed up its pace. To spend the summer usefully, it is worth organizing your own outings from home or a hotel room.
In this article, you will find 10 places in Moscow that are worth visiting during the sunniest time of the year. We tried to make the selection universal: for different requests and needs. Let’s get started!
“I Walk Around Moscow”: Parks and Observation Decks
Where should a tourist go in Moscow in the summer? In fact, wherever your eyes look. The Russian capital itself is a huge open-air museum. The only thing you need to worry about is not getting too tired. Therefore, below we will tell you about three parks where various activities can easily be combined with rest.
Gorky Park
The city’s main park, where exhibitions, lectures, excursions are held, meetings and quests are organized. Here you can wander for a long time along the alleys among flowering bushes and flower beds, drink mojito, sitting on a bench with a view of the Moscow River or, for example, rent a bike and race along spacious paths where there are no cars and extraneous noise. By the way, from Gorky Park you can go along a special bike path along the embankment straight to Vorobyovy Gory, from where an excellent panorama of Moscow opens up.
Museums
In 2012, the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art moved to Gorky Park. Here you can see the works of leading contemporary artists from around the world, as well as see how contemporary Russian culture is presented in an international context. The museum’s main treasure is its archive, which includes articles, photographs, and video documents dedicated to the history of art in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other Russian cities. The Garage Library is the country’s largest repository of literature on art from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Opening hours: daily from 11:00 to 22:00.
Cost of visit: adults – from 500 rubles, students – from 250 rubles, school – from 150 rubles.
Gorky Park is also home to Russia’s first open-air sculpture museum, the Muzeon Art Park, which features about 700 works of stone, bronze and wood.
Cost of visit: free.
In summer, the open-air Moskino cinema also opens here. The repertoire includes auteur and festival films, new releases and world classics.
Food
The park always has food courts and restaurants where you can not only have a snack, but also take beautiful photos. Among other establishments is the famous “Cheese Factory”, where you can try bruschetta with Kamchatka crab, as well as taste a variety of pastas and pizzas.
Address: Krymsky Val Street, 9. The nearest metro station is Park Kultury.
Zaryadye Park
Not far from Red Square, in the very heart of the capital, is Zaryadye Park, founded quite recently, in 2017. This site is an excellent example of modern architectural solutions in the field of landscape design.
Museums and observation decks
The main attraction for visitors is the “floating bridge”, which is a unique structure: it rises above the embankment and seems to float above the Moscow River. In the morning, during the day, and at night, you can catch a beautiful view for a photo against the backdrop of the capital.
In the park’s media center, you can see several exhibits dedicated to Russia’s past and present, visit an interactive museum, and learn about all the events planned there. For example, the media center has a 4D cinema “Flight over Russia” – visitors can “fly” over the Far East, Siberia, the Urals, the Far North, the Caucasus, the Baltics, and Central Russia.
Cost of visit: admission to the media center is free, tickets to the cinema for the screening “Flight over Russia” (18 minutes) cost about 425 rubles for children under 18 and 850 rubles for viewers over 18.
Under the glass roof in Zaryadye Park there is an amphitheater, from which there is a view of the Kremlin and the Stalinist skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya Embankment.
Food
A large food court, divided into nine themed zones, is located right under the “floating bridge”. The restaurant has an interesting concept: each dish there costs 400 rubles – this is a great chance to try some delicacy. Moreover, the menu offers a lot of interesting things: from tuna poke with avocado to arctic grilled langoustines with garlic and herbs.
Address: Varvarka Street, 6, building 1. The nearest metro station is Kitay-Gorod.
VDNKh
To list all the entertainment available to visitors of VDNKh, you will have to write a separate article. According to the information on the official website, this is the largest museum complex in the world, on the territory of which there are 49 cultural heritage sites. And this is also a place in Moscow where you can go with children: it is beautiful, interesting and the food is good.
Museums
Once at VDNKh, it is impossible to pass by the Titanium Rocket, a symbol of the technological breakthrough of its time, when Russia launched the first artificial Earth satellite into space and sent Yuri Gagarin into orbit. Directly under the monument is the Cosmonautics Museum, which displays evidence of the first successes and achievements in this area (spacesuits, spacecraft for studying the Moon and planets of the Solar System).
Cost of visit: adult – from 380 rubles, school (for children from 7 to 18 years old, as well as students) – from 270 rubles, discounted (for pensioners and disabled people) – from 230 rubles.
Children will also find it interesting in pavilion #55, where the Smile Park family entertainment center is located — a complex of attractions, quests, labyrinths and museums under one roof. We think the names speak for themselves. Before lunch, you can look into the “Museum Inside Man” and take a journey through the body: for example, take a walk inside the stomach.
Cost of visit: from 700 rubles.
Food
At VDNKh you can try dishes from different parts of the world all year round. There are family cafes, fine dining restaurants and, of course, street food.
The green area of VDNKh is home to the Fishing Village: open-air gazebos and dishes prepared according to old Russian recipes await guests. You can try fresh fish caught in a trout river or enjoy meat cooked on a spit.
Varenichnaya No. 1 is a great place for family gatherings. The café has three rooms: one of them is equipped with a children’s room, and on weekends there is a “Children’s Club” where culinary master classes are held for the little ones.
Address: Prospekt Mira, 119. The nearest metro station is VDNKh.
One of the main myths that the travel industry faces is: “excursions are for tourists.” In fact, any trip or walk with a good guide, if it does not reveal something new, then helps to see the old in a new way.
Walking and bus tours
In Moscow, you can find a variety of excursion tours. The main thing is to pay attention to two things: the route and the duration. Don’t chase the number of attractions. As a rule, the more of them are listed in the program, the more blurred the overall picture becomes. It is quite possible to find an inexpensive (for one or two thousand rubles), but interesting excursion. When considering options, pay attention to:
- Walking tours focused on one area of Moscow. For example, a tour of the center or Arbat.
- Walking and bus thematic excursions. For example, “Legends and myths of Stalin’s skyscrapers”.
- Walking and bus tours with visits to specific places. For example, the Armory Chamber.
You can also use audio guide apps and explore the city following a pre-planned route. You can see Moscow from a different angle during a boat trip. There are so many mini-cruises in the capital that we have made a special selection, where we have collected the best boat trips along the Moscow River. We will briefly tell you about some of the most important ones below.
Sightseeing walks along the Moscow River
The most classic format of walks, during which you can get to know Moscow better and look at it from a completely unique angle. During such cruises, motor ships go through the entire city center and take in all the main attractions. On the plus side, you can choose a walk with a guide and an excursion or have a nice brunch in the restaurant on board. In short, for any request. Also you can read about the site “Azotmania”.
Schedule: daily several times a day.
Ticket prices: adults — from 1600 rubles. There are also discounted tickets.
Boat trips on a restaurant boat
You can take a break from the scorching sun or take shelter from the summer rain, have lunch or dinner in an unusual setting during a gastronomic cruise.
The routes pass through the center of Moscow: from Vorobyovy Gory or Gorky Park to the Kremlin itself. In a couple of hours we will have time to admire the views of the city facades and eat deliciously. By the way, most of these cruises take place on new premium-class ships, so the level of service and quality of food will be at the level of good restaurants on land.
Schedule: daily several times a day.
Ticket prices: adults – from 1600 rubles. In addition, there are discounted tickets, as well as tickets with a gastronomic set already included.
The direction of cruises on restaurant ships in Moscow has gained particular love and popularity over the past few years.
Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre
The Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre is one of the main theatres in Moscow, founded in 1898 by Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. Stanislavsky’s system eventually transformed into a set of teaching techniques called the “Method”, which is one of the most popular in the USA. Why not watch a performance at the Moscow Art Theatre and evaluate the effectiveness of the acting system yourself?
The theatre’s troupe includes famous actors and actresses: Igor Vernik, Paulina Andreeva, Mikhail Porechenkov, Daria Moroz and others. Prices vary from several hundred to several thousand rubles. It is better to buy tickets in advance: the choice is wider and the chances of getting to the desired performance are higher.
Address: Kamergersky Pereulok, 3. The nearest metro station is Teatralnaya.
What to visit in Moscow in the evening
It is important not only to have a good day, but also to finish it right. You can go to the theater or cinema, walk along the embankments or go to a restaurant. The last point of our list is dedicated to restaurants: otherwise, what kind of vacation would it be without a delicious dinner?
Restaurants
When choosing a restaurant, it is worth paying attention to the atmosphere. In Moscow, there are many restaurants with spacious terraces where you can spend a great warm summer evening. Pay attention to:
- Restaurants with panoramic views (Panorama, Restaurant 360);
- Rooftop restaurants ( Igloobar & Loft, Karlson);
- Restaurants by the water ( Shore House, Lastochka);
- Restaurants on the water, and even better – restaurant boats
By the way, you can always check out the restaurant’s menu and prices in advance on their official website, so you don’t have to worry about anything. And it’s better to book tables in advance to ensure you get the best seats!
We hope that summer in Moscow will bring to your mind bright colors and warm emotions. Have a nice holiday!