Best Places to Visit in Moscow

When I planned my trip to Moscow, I thought the place was going to be a dump!  I booked it for 2 days/2 nights thinking I can just get in/out to watch the 2018 World Cup game.  Boyyy was I wrong!  With regards to the World Cup, I was lucky to obtain the tickets to watch the Iceland vs Argentina game (you sign up not knowing which game you will be awarded, if any). It was Iceland’s first time qualifying for the World Cup and Argentina placed second in the 2014 World Cup, not to mention their main soccer player is Lionel Messi, one of the best soccer players. 

I took a flight from Naples, Italy to Moscow, Russia. The airport was super busy due to all the World Cup fans arriving.  What I learned in the two days I was in Moscow was that you need a google translator and very good hand signals in order to communicate with the Russians. It was a little difficult to communicate in English.  Although, the servers were able to communicate fairly well.   Now, here are the best places to visit in Moscow:

FOOD/DRINKS

I ventured out after the World Cup game to their city center area. I stumbled upon Chips Restaurant/Bar, mainly because of the loud cheers coming from the rooftop bar. The vibe on the streets, restaurants, everywhere was just so amazing.  I LOVED it! Their cocktails drinks were amazing. The place was a mixture of World Cup tourists and locals watching a few world cup games which was pretty awesome.  At 10pm or so, this restaurant turned into a lounge where Russian girls were dancing by their tables and popping champagne while the rest of us watch. haha!  It was a lot of fun and what an experience!

SIGHT-SEEING

Since I was only in Moscow for a limited time and had a few hours to sight-see before the World Cup game in Spartak Stadium, I made sure that I checked out the Red Square.  It is the city square of Moscow where you could see the Kremlin and the famous Saint Basil’s Cathedral.  What a gorgeous place!  The architecture reminds of Paris which is such a compliment. I had no idea Moscow was this beautiful. I walked around the Red Square and over to the Moskva River and took plenty of pictures especially since there were a lot of World Cup signs all over the area. 

Another place I would suggest to see in Moscow is the Bolshoi Theatre. I watched the Red Sparrow movie featuring Jennifer Lawrence a few months before where she was a ballerina in this theater so I was pretty excited to be there. I had tickets to the Opera in the new theater across the main Bolshoi Theatre.  The theatre is just as elegant and grand.  After about 30 minutes watching the opera and a long day of fun activities, my body got to me and started snoozing in the theatre.  The comfy seats, high pitch singing and cold air…recipe for a great nap! 

HOTEL

For this trip, I booked the Golden Apple Boutique Hotel.  Long story short, when I arrived in the airport from Italy, the hotel I booked a year before had informed me they do not have my reservation so this booking was quite expensive since it was last minute (literally booked around midnight while I was in a taxi).  Fortunately, Expedia had refunded me the excess cost.  The hotel has a 5 star rating. However, I would probably give it a 3.5 star.  There was nothing luxurious about it.  The hotel had the tiniest bathroom, street view and regular bed.  The breakfast which was included in the rate was average, although it did include champagne. I must say that the concierge were helpful in giving directions and calling taxis, etc.   Speaking of taxis, I used the Gett Taxi app (similar to Uber) to get around the city. 

Overall, I would absolutely go back to Moscow or Russia in general.  There are lots to explore! If you like Europe, check out the Best Places to Visit in Positano (click here).  

Have you been to Russia? What are your best places to visit in Moscow? Comment below.

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