GUM’s gallery. The canteen is on the third floor.
Canteen No. 57
Self-service inside GUM. Pick a soup, a main and a side separately. Reviews often mention a lunch queue.
Москва, Красная площадь, 3, ГУМ, 3-й этаж
Architecture · Art and museums · River trips
Two days in Moscow: the centre, the City and the river
Start with the theatres and historic centre, then spend a day with skyscrapers, a viewpoint and the Moskva River. The plan works in changing weather.
Start: Bolshoi Theatre
2 daysRoute stops: 8Walking & public transport
Route map
Explore the mapRoute stopsCafés and canteensHotels and apartmentsPiersMuseums and viewpoints
Stop locations without the basemap
The map could not load. Addresses and navigation links are still available in the place list.
- 1Bolshoi Theatre
- 2Maly Theatre
- 3Nikolskaya Street and the Print Yard
- 4GUM: Upper Trading Rows
- 5Red Square
- 6Saint Basil’s Cathedral
- 7Moscow Kremlin
- 8Moscow City
- ●Canteen No. 57
- ■Maroseyka 2/15
- ▲State Historical Museum
- ●Afimall food court
- ■ibis Moscow Kievskaya
- ◆City–Kievsky electric boat
- ◆River yacht from Hotel Ukraina pier
Your stops along the way
Day 1
Theatre Square and Red Square
Start in the morning. Book one interior visit and see the other buildings from the street. Allow time for security if entering the Kremlin.
Bolshoi Theatre
See the portico and quadriga from Theatre Square. Choose a ticketed tour or return for an evening performance.
1 Teatralnaya Square, Moscow
A.Savin ·CC BY-SA 3.0·Original image·Photo credits Next: The Maly is on the same square, on the Teatralny Proyezd side.
Maly Theatre
Compare the drama theatre’s quieter façade with the Bolshoi next door. Check tour booking conditions.
1 Teatralny Proyezd, building 1, Moscow
Юрий Д.К. ·CC BY 4.0·Original image·Photo credits Next: Walk along Teatralny Proyezd towards Lubyanka. Turn onto Nikolskaya and follow the street to the Print Yard at no. 15.
Nikolskaya Street and the Print Yard
See the former printing house façade. Kazan Cathedral stands at the Red Square end. For a museum visit, choose the State Historical Museum, entrance no. 1; tickets and reviews are below.
15 Nikolskaya Street, building 1, Moscow
Ludvig14 ·CC BY-SA 3.0·Original image·Photo credits Next: Continue towards Red Square. Enter GUM from Nikolskaya Street.
GUM: Upper Trading Rows
Walk the galleries to the fountain. For lunch, try Canteen No. 57 on the third floor; finding a table is easier before the lunch rush.
3 Red Square, Moscow
Vcarceler ·CC BY-SA 3.0·Original image·Photo credits Next: Leave GUM for Red Square and head towards St Basil’s Cathedral.
Red Square
Look at the Historical Museum, Kremlin towers and GUM façade. This is a convenient lunch stop.
Red Square, Moscow
Mos.ru ·CC BY 4.0·Original image·Photo credits Next: Walk along GUM to the cathedral at the south end of the square.
Saint Basil’s Cathedral
Walk around the cathedral to see its different domes. Check admission and access for the galleries inside.
7 Red Square, Moscow
Alexxx1979 ·CC BY-SA 4.0·Original image·Photo credits Next: Reach Alexander Garden via the north end of Red Square and Manege Square. Follow your Kremlin ticket for the museum entrance.
Moscow Kremlin
Walk through Alexander Garden. Add Cathedral Square if you have a ticket. If you have an evening performance, leave a buffer here.
Kremlin, Moscow; museum access from Alexander Garden
Pavel Kazachkov from Moscow, Russia ·CC BY 2.0·Original image·Photo credits
Day 2
Skyscrapers and the river
The embankment views are free. Pick the museum or one observation deck, then have lunch and take a boat if the timetable suits you.
Moscow City
Start on Presnenskaya Embankment. Look for the twisting Evolution Tower and the Empire Tower. The museum is on floor 56 of Empire; PANORAMA360 is in Federation East.
2 Presnenskaya Embankment, Moscow (Afimall)
Юрий Д.К. ·CC BY 4.0·Original image·Photo credits Next: After lunch, return to the embankment and check departures at City Central. If boats are suspended, enjoy the riverside walk and return by metro.
Where to eat
Afimall food court
Convenient between the observation decks and the pier. For a simple hot lunch, try Teremok or check the floor directory for other menus.
Москва, Пресненская набережная, 2, 4-й этаж
Where to stay
Maroseyka 2/15
Next to Kitay-Gorod metro, a useful base for the central walk. Guests mention the location and street noise. Check which way your room faces if you are a light sleeper.
Москва, улица Маросейка, 2/15, стр. 1
ibis Moscow Kievskaya
Standard rooms by Kievskaya metro and the railway station, useful for the centre and Moscow City. Some guests mention noise, so request a quiet room if it matters to you.
Москва, Киевская улица, 2
Tours and tickets
Bolshoi Theatre tour
See the historic building on a guided tour. Check the date, language and meeting point in the theatre’s announcement. Performances and tours have separate tickets.
Москва, Театральная площадь, 1
Maly Theatre tour
A guided look at the historic building. The theatre lists duration, age guidance and availability for each programme. Group bookings have a separate process.
Москва, Театральный проезд, 1
State Historical Museum
A large museum at the Red Square end of Nikolskaya. Choose one exhibition or part of the collection. Substitute it for a Kremlin tour if the day is already full.
Москва, Красная площадь, 1, вход № 1
Kremlin Cathedral Square
For a first visit, choose admission to the grounds and cathedrals. Book the Armoury as a separate timed visit. Check the entrance and time with the museum.
Moscow City Museum
The story of the business district and a view of its towers from floor 56. Choose this if you are interested in how Moscow City was built.
Москва, Пресненская набережная, 6, стр. 2, башня «Империя», 56-й этаж
PANORAMA360
An observation deck in a different tower. Check visibility and the rate for your session. One paid deck is usually enough for this itinerary.
Москва, Пресненская набережная, 12, «Федерация. Восток», 89-й этаж
On the water
City–Kievsky electric boat
A regular public transport service. For a short ride, choose the Kievsky direction and confirm that your pier is serving boats that day.
Москва, причал «Сити — Центральный», Пресненская набережная
Moskva River sightseeing boat
Choose by departure pier, duration and return point. Prices depend on the boat and programme. A sightseeing ticket without dinner is enough for the river views.
The yacht Ferdinand. Check your ticket for the vessel on your sailing.
River yacht from Hotel Ukraina pier
Sightseeing yachts from the Radisson Royal fleet. Compare the standard sailing with programmes that include dinner. Check the boarding pier and return time on your ticket.
Москва, набережная Тараса Шевченко, причал «Гостиница Украина»
Links checked: 8 November 2026
Check prices, schedules and availability for your dates. Confirm the tour language when booking.