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Moscow Travel Guide: Best Things to Do + More [2023]

· everything to know about visiting moscow, including the best things to do and how to get around. ·.

Moscow is Russia’s vibrant capital city, and it also happens to be the largest city in all of Europe. The city’s long and infamous history makes it one of the most unique places we have ever visited.

The architecture ranges from centuries-old palaces to uniform, gray concrete buildings. The people range from cold and private to warm and welcoming. Moscow is a city is strong juxtapositions, and we learned a lot during our time there.

This post will break down all you need to know about visiting Moscow, including the best things to do, how to get there, how to get around, and more.

The Best Things to Do in Moscow

1. explore the red square.

The Red Square is the heart of Moscow. Most of the city’s top attractions can be found here, including just about everything on this list. The Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and Lenin’s Mausoleum are all located here, and the State Historical Museum and GUM are not far from here, either.

The Red Square is a common home for parades, protests, and seasonal celebrations. There are massive Christmas celebrations here, with food vendors and carnival rides set up in numbers.

2. Check Out the Ziferblat

The Ziferblat is a café in Moscow that is unlike any café we have ever been to. While most cafes charge you for your drinks and food, the Ziferblat charges you for your time.

Upon arrival, you are given a clock. When you leave, the barista calculates how much time you spent in the café and charges you accordingly. This concept was created to help visitors to be more intentional with their time, and the cafe itself is incredibly charming.

For a detailed look at everything you need to know before you visit, make sure you read my post about visiting the Ziferblat Cafe in Moscow .

3. Marvel at St. Basil’s Cathedral

St. Basil’s Cathedral is one of the most iconic churches in the world, and it was the single thing we were most excited to see while in Moscow. Built almost 500 years ago, St. Basil’s Cathedral is recognized by its colorful domes and whimsical style. The church is of the Russian Orthodox faith, and the inside is just as wondrous as the outside.

St. Basil’s Cathedral is located on the edge of the Red Square, making it incredibly convenient to visit. Entrance for non-worshippers costs 800 rubles, and tickets can be bought at the church

4. Explore the Kremlin

The Kremlin is the largest active fortress in Europe, and it is the site of most of Russia’s government affairs. In addition to government buildings, the Kremlin Complex is filled with courtyards, towers, and museums that are open to the public. If you have the time, you could spend a couple of days fully exploring all that there is to see in the Kremlin.

5. Walk Through Lenin’s Mausoleum

Vladimir Lenin is one of the most important figures in Russian history, and his body is located perfectly embalmed in a mausoleum in the Red Square. The Mausoleum is open to the public to visit, and as long as you are willing to go through a few security checks, it is easily one of the best things to do in Moscow. Its convenient location in the Red Square makes it a can’t miss attraction.

There is absolutely no photography allowed inside the Mausoleum. Do not test this rule.

6. Wander Along Arbat Street

The Arbat is a very popular street in Moscow that is lined with stores, cafes, and other touristy attractions. It is one of the oldest streets in the city, dating back to the 1400s. This street is both quaint and trendy, and there are many walking tours that introduce tourists to the neighborhood’s wonders and highlights.

7. Catch a Show at the Bolshoi Theatre

As a lover of the arts, it is hard to think of Moscow and not think of ballet. Russia has always been a top dog in the world of fine arts, and Bolshoi Theater is one of the best places to catch a performance. We were lucky enough to attend an Opera here, and it is a venue that you don’t want to miss out on if you enjoy opera, ballet, or orchestral performances.

8. Visit the State Historical Museum

The State Historical Museum is one of the most respected museums in Moscow. Despite its name, it is not really focused on the history of Russia as a nation. Rather, it contains a collection of artifacts from all throughout Russia’s history.

The museum’s collection is very broad in nature. It houses some items from indigenous tribes that used to occupy the region, pieces collected by the Romanov family, and more.

9. Wander Around GUM

GUM is an absolutely massive mall within walking distance of the Red Square. It isn’t just the size that draws visitors here; it’s the sense of luxury. The mall is so beautiful inside, much like the metro stations.

While visiting a mall might not sound like it belongs on a bucket list, this mall does. You will not want to miss out on visiting GUM while in Moscow.

10. Admire the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

While St. Basil’s Cathedral is the most iconic church in Moscow, it isn’t the only one. The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is absolutely stunning, with massive golden domes. It is the tallest Orthodox church in the world, and it is the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow.

It is located just about a mile from the Red Square, just south of the Kremlin Complex. You can walk to it from the Red Square in about 20 minutes.

How to Get to Moscow

Flying to moscow.

Moscow has three major international airports: Sheremetyevo (SVO) , Domodedovo (DMO) , and Vnukovo (VKO) . All three of them are directly connected to downtown Moscow by the Aeroexpress trains, which leave every 30 minutes throughout the day. By Aeroexpress train, you can expect to get to the city center in 25-45 minutes depending on the airport that you fly into.

Sheremetyevo is the biggest and busiest of the three airports, and it is the one you are most likely to fly into – especially if you are coming from outside of Europe or the Caucus region. We flew into Sheremetyevo on a direct flight from New York City.

I usually provide backup airport options, because flying right into the city isn’t always the cheapest way to get where you’re going. Unfortunately, when it comes to Moscow, don’t really have a choice other than to fly right into Moscow. It is a very remote city, and it is usually the cheapest place to fly into in Russia as a whole.

Since Sheremetyevo is so busy, you will probably find a great flight option anyway. I wrote in  my post about finding cheap flights  that using hub airports will lead to more affordable airfare, and the same logic applies here. Even though Russia’s national airline, Aeroflot, is no longer a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, Moscow is still a major hub connecting passengers from all over the world.

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Train or Bus to Moscow

Trains and buses are one of the most popular ways to get around Europe. However, they’re of very little use when you’re trying to get to Moscow.

Moscow is hundreds of miles from the nearest major cities. The only major European city that can even be reached within 8 hours on the ground is St. Petersburg, and even the Baltic capitals of Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn are over 12 hours away.

If you want to get to Moscow, the best option is almost always to fly. While the train routes to Moscow are scenic, they simply take forever.

How to Get Around Moscow

METRO | TROLLEYS | TRAMS | BUSES

Moscow has one of the most memorable metro systems in the world. Its metro lines are very deep underground, and the stations are absolutely stunning. Each station has its own unique style, but all of them contain escalators that seem to go on forever.

The system was built in an effort to showcase the power of the Soviet Union and its bright future. The plans were a form of propaganda, but they resulted in what is still one of the most visually appealing subway systems on earth.

Moscow’s metro system isn’t just pretty. It is also very useful and accessible. The system has 17 lines that connect the city and its surrounding area.

But wait; there’s more!

The Moscow metro system is also incredibly affordable, with each ride costing less than a dollar. The metro is by far the best way to get around Moscow, as it is almost impossible to beat the connection times and the low cost to ride.

Tickets can be bought at electronic, English-speaking kiosks in stations, or directly from ticket counters at certain larger stations. There are also day passes available, which are a very solid option if you plan on riding the metro several times per day.

The metro is by far the best way to get around Moscow.

In addition to the metro system, Moscow also has a network of buses, trams, and trolleys. This system is nowhere near as convenient or well-connected as the metro, though, and is likely of little use to you during your trip. There is no Uber in Moscow, but a similar app named Yandex is available if you need a ride in a pinch.

How Many Days Do You Need in Moscow?

Moscow is the biggest city in all of Europe, and it is absolutely loaded with things to do. You could spend weeks in Moscow and still find new things to do. Of course, most travelers don’t have that kind of time to spend in one place!

I recommend spending no less than three full days in Moscow, and ideally closer to five or seven.

Moscow is very spread out, and it can take some time to get from one major point to another. There are also so many places that are nice to just sit back and relax, which is hard to do when you’re in a hurry trying to cram activities into just a few days.

If you only have a week to visit Russia, I’d advise spending all of the time in one city. If you decide to split your time between Moscow and St. Petersburg, I recommend not trying to squeeze in any day trips beyond those two cities.

When Is the Best Time of the Year to Visit Moscow?

There are two different ways to approach this question. Personally, I think the best time to visit Moscow is around Christmas and New Year’s Day. While the weather will be absolutely freezing, Moscow is a surreal winter wonderland in December and January.

We were in Moscow right before Christmas. While it was very cold, you can always bundle up. Exploring the Christmas markets and pop-up ice skating rinks throughout Moscow is one of my favorite memories from anywhere I’ve traveled, and I dream of going back to do it again.

If you aren’t fond of the cold, Moscow is beautiful in the summer. It tends to get pretty cold in the shoulder seasons, so if you want warm weather, you should plan to visit in the summer. Moscow actually gets pretty warm in July and August, and there are a bunch of fantastic places to soak up the sun within the city.

The best time to visit Moscow is either around Christmas or from late May to August.

Is Moscow Safe to Visit?

While Moscow is a truly wonderful city, there’s no denying that visiting Russia comes with risks. As the country is run by an infamous communist dictator, concerns about visiting are valid. While we didn’t experience any sort of threat or negative treatment during our time in Moscow, we visited in a peaceful time.

In our experience, Russia doesn’t seem to detain normal Americans or Westerners to use as pawns. As a regular person, as long as you don’t commit any crimes, there is a slim chance you will run into any issues. However, Russia will not hesitate to enforce its laws against foreigners, and illegal behaviors will likely land you in a very compromising position.

Russia will not hesitate to enforce its laws against foreigners, and illegal behaviors will likely land you in a very compromising position.

To make matters worse, Russia has a bad reputation for gang violence. While the Russian mafia has very little interest in normal Western tourists, they won’t hesitate to pick a fight with anyone who ventures into their sphere of influence. If you seek out illegal substances or activities, you could be a target of the mafia.

If you seek out illegal substances or activities, you could be a target of the mafia.

Finally, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, things are all very different. Russia is currently at war, and there are battles raging within 8 hours of Moscow. While it is still relatively safe to visit, that could change at any time as the war with Ukraine continues.

Is Moscow Worth Visiting?

Without a doubt, Moscow is worth visiting. It is one of the most unique major cities we have ever visited, and we hope to make it back one day. The Russian Orthodox churches are stunning, the city’s history is unlike any other, and the food is to die for.

While many visitors prefer St. Petersburg to Moscow, I think Moscow deserves a lot of hype of its own. Moscow is the beating heart of Russian culture and history, and it’s a place I highly recommend checking out if you have the chance.

That’s all we have for you about Moscow! I hope this post was helpful as you plan your trip to Russia’s capital.

Have you been to Moscow? Or is this your first time visiting? Comment below if you have anything to add to our travel guide!

Hi, I'm Greg. I'm an avid traveler who has traveled to over 50 countries all around the world with my wife and kids. I've lived in Italy, Mexico, China, and the United States, and I dream of moving abroad again in the future. With this blog, I provide my audience with detailed destination guides to my favorite places and pro-tips to make travel as stress-free as possible.

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Home » Europe » Moscow

EPIC MOSCOW Itinerary! (2024)

Moscow is the heart of Mother Russia. Just the mention of this city conjures images of colorful bulbous pointed domes, crisp temperatures, and a uniquely original spirit!

Moscow has an incredibly turbulent history, a seemingly resilient culture, and a unique enchantment that pulls countless tourists to the city each year! Although the warmer months make exploring Moscow’s attractions more favorable, there’s just something about a fresh snowfall that only enhances the appearance of the city’s iconic sites!

If you’re a first-time visitor to Moscow, or simply wanting to see as much of the city as possible, this Moscow itinerary will help you do just that!

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Best Time To Visit Moscow

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Here is a quick look at the seasons so you can decide when to visit Moscow!

The summer months (June-August) are a great time to travel to Moscow to take advantage of the enjoyable mild temperatures. This is considered peak travel season. Bear in mind that hotel prices rise along with the temperatures!

If you’re planning a trip to Moscow during fall (September-November) try to plan for early fall. This way the temperatures will still be pleasant and winter won’t be threatening.

Russian winters (December-February) are not for the faint of heart as Napoleon learned to his peril. Some days the sun will be out for less than an hour, and snow is guaranteed. Although winters are exceptionally cold, this is when you’ll get a true glimpse of the Moscow experience!

The best time to visit Moscow is during spring  (March-May). The temperatures will begin to creep up and the sun begins to shine for significant portions of the day. Hotel rates will also have yet to skyrocket into peak ranges!

With a Moscow City Pass , you can experience the best of Moscow at the CHEAPEST prices. Discounts, attractions, tickets, and even public transport are all standards in any good city pass – be sure invest now and save them $$$ when you arrive!

Moscow is a large city with many accommodation options to choose from. Staying in a location that fits with your travel plans will only enhance your Moscow itinerary. Here is a brief introduction to a few great areas of the city we recommend checking out!

The best place to stay in Moscow to be close to all the action is Kitay-Gorod. This charming neighborhood will put you within walking distance to Moscow’s famous Red Square, thus cutting down on travel time. This will allow you to see more of the city in a shorter amount of time!

It’s surrounded by restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops. If you’re a first-time visitor to Moscow, or just planning a quick weekend in Moscow, then this area is perfect for you!

Another great area to consider is the Zamoskvorechye district. This area of the city offers a blend of new and old Moscow. It has an artsy vibe and there are plenty of fun sites you can explore outside of the main touristy areas of Moscow.

Of course, as in all areas of Moscow, it’s close to public transportation that will quickly connect you with the rest of the city and make your Moscow itinerary super accessible!

Best Airbnb in Moscow – Exclusive Apartment in Old Moscow

Modern and cozy, this apartment is in the heart of Old Moscow. Bordering the Basmanny and Kitay-Gorod districts, this two-bedroom flat is walking distance to the Kremlin and Red Square. Safe, quiet, and comfortable, this is the best Airbnb in Moscow, no question!

Best Budget Hotel in Moscow – Izmailovo Alfa Hotel

The Izmailovo Alfa Hotel is a very highly rated accommodation that provides all the components necessary for a comfortable trip to Moscow. There is an on-site restaurant, bar, fitness center, and an airport shuttle service. The rooms are modern and spacious and are equipped with a TV, heating/air conditioning, minibar, and more!

Best Luxury Hotel in Moscow – Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre

If you’re touring Moscow in luxury, the Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre is the hotel for you! Elegantly furnished rooms are equipped with a minibar, flat-screen TV,  in-room safes, as well as tea and coffee making facilities! Bathrooms come with bathrobes, slippers, and free toiletries. There is also an onsite restaurant, bar, and fitness center.

Best Hostel in Moscow – Godzillas Hostel

Godzillas Hostel is located in the center of Moscow, just a short walk from all the major tourist attractions and the metro station. Guests will enjoy all the usual hostel perks such as self-catering facilities, 24-hour reception, Free Wi-Fi, and security lockers. This is one of the best hostels in Moscow and its wonderful social atmosphere and will make your vacation in Moscow extra special!

Godzillas Hostel is one of our favourites in Moscow but they’re not taking guests right now. We’re not sure if they’re closed for good but we hope they’ll come back soon.

An important aspect of planning any trip is figuring out the transportation situation. You’re probably wondering how you’re going to get to all of your Moscow points of interest right? Luckily, this sprawling city has an excellent network of public transportation that will make traveling a breeze!

The underground metro system is the quickest and most efficient way to travel around Moscow. Most visitors rely exclusively on this super-efficient transportation system, which allows you to get to pretty much anywhere in the city! It’s also a great option if you’re planning a Moscow itinerary during the colder months, as you’ll be sheltered from the snow and freezing temperatures!

If you prefer above-ground transportation, buses, trams, and trolleybuses, run throughout the city and provide a rather comfortable alternative to the metro.

Moscow’s metro, buses, trams, and trolleybuses are all accessible with a ‘Troika’ card. This card can be topped up with any sum of money at a metro cash desk. The ticket is simple, convenient, and even refundable upon return to a cashier!

No matter which method you choose, you’ll never find yourself without an easy means of getting from point A to point B!

Red Square | Moscow Kremlin | Lenin’s Mausoleum | St. Basil’s Cathedral  | GUM Department Store

Spend the first day of your itinerary taking your own self guided Moscow walking tour around the historic Red Square! This is Moscow’s compact city center and every stop on this list is within easy walking distance to the next! Get ready to see all of the top Moscow landmarks!

Day 1 / Stop 1 – The Red Square

• Why it’s awesome: The Red Square is the most recognizable area in Moscow, it has mesmerizing architecture and centuries worth of history attached to its name.
• Cost: Free to walk around, individual attractions in the square have separate fees. 
• Food nearby: Check out Bar BQ Cafe for friendly service and good food in a great location! The atmosphere is upbeat and they’re open 24/7!

The Red Square is Moscow’s historic fortress and the center of the Russian government. The origins of the square date back to the late 15th century, when Ivan the Great decided to expand the Kremlin to reflect Moscow’s growing power and prestige!

During the 20th century, the square became famous as the site for demonstrations designed to showcase Soviet strength. Visiting the Red Square today, you’ll find it teeming with tourists, who come to witness its magical architecture up close!

The square is the picture postcard of Russian tourism, so make sure to bring your camera when you visit! No matter the season, or the time of day, it’s delightfully photogenic! 

It’s also home to some of Russia’s most distinguishing and important landmarks, which we’ve made sure to include further down in this itinerary. It’s an important center of Russia’s cultural life and one of the top places to visit in Moscow!

In 1990, UNESCO designated Russia’s Red Square as a World Heritage site. Visiting this historic site is a true bucket-list event and essential addition to your itinerary for Moscow!

Day 1 / Stop 2 – The Moscow Kremlin

• Why it’s awesome: The Moscow Kremlin complex includes several palaces and cathedrals and is surrounded by the Kremlin wall. It also houses the principal museum of Russia (the Kremlin Armory).
• Cost: USD $15.00
• Food nearby: Bosco Cafe is a charming place to grat a casual bite to eat. They have excellent coffee and wonderful views of the Red Square and the Moscow Kremlin!

The iconic Moscow Kremlin , also known as the Kremlin museum complex, sits on Borovitsky Hill, rising above the Moscow River. It is a fortified complex in the center of the city, overlooking several iconic buildings in the Red Square!

It’s the best known of the Russian Kremlins – citadels or fortress’ protecting and dominating a city. During the early decades of the Soviet era, the Kremlin was a private enclave where the state’s governing elite lived and worked.

The Kremlin is outlined by an irregularly shaped triangular wall that encloses an area of 68 acres! The existing walls and towers were built from 1485 to 1495. Inside the Kremlin museum complex, there are five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers.

The Armoury Chamber is a part of the Grand Kremlin Palace’s complex and is one of the oldest museums of Moscow, established in 1851. It showcases Russian history and displays many cherished relics. Definitely make sure to check out this museum while you’re here!

The churches inside the Moscow Kremlin are the Cathedral of the Dormition, Church of the Archangel, Church of the Annunciation, and the bell tower of Ivan Veliki (a church tower).

The five-domed Cathedral of the Dormition is considered the most famous. It was built from 1475–1479 by an Italian architect and has served as a wedding and coronation place for great princes, tsars, and emperors of Russia. Church services are given in the Kremlin’s numerous cathedrals on a regular basis.

The Grand Kremlin Palace was the former Tsar’s Moscow residence and today it serves as the official workplace of the President of the Russian Federation (Vladimir Putin seems to have bagged that title for life) .

Insider Tip: The Kremlin is closed every Thursday! Make sure to plan this stop on your Moscow itinerary for any other day of the week!

Day 1 / Stop 3 – Lenin’s Mausoleum

• Why it’s awesome: The mausoleum displays the preserved body of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin .
• Cost: Free!
• Food nearby: Khinkal’naya is a charming Georgian restaurant with vaulted ceilings and exposed brick. It’s a popular place with locals and right next to the Red Square!

Lenin’s Mausoleum, also known as Lenin’s Tomb, is the modernist mausoleum for the revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin. It’s located within the Red Square and serves as the resting place for the Soviet leader! His preserved body has been on public display since shortly after his death in 1924.

It’s located just a few steps away from the Kremlin Wall and is one of the most controversial yet popular Moscow attractions!

Admission is free for everyone, you’ll only need to pay if you need to check a bag. Before visitors are allowed to enter the mausoleum, they have to go through a metal detector first. No metal objects, liquids, or large bags are allowed in the mausoleum!

Expect a line to enter the building, and while you’re inside the building, you’ll be constantly moving in line with other visitors. This means you won’t be able to spend as long as you’d like viewing the mausoleum, but you’ll still be able to get a good look. Pictures and filming while inside the building are strictly prohibited, and security guards will stop you if they see you breaking this rule.

The mausoleum is only open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday – unless it’s a public holiday or a day scheduled for maintenance. The hours it’s open for each day are limited, make sure to check online before you visit to make sure you can fit this into your Moscow itinerary for that day!

Insider Tip: The Lenin’s Museum is there for people to pay their respect; remember to keep silent and move along quickly, it’s not intended for people to congregate around. Also, men are not allowed to wear hats and everyone must take their hands out of their pockets when inside the building.

Day 1 / Stop 4 – St. Basil’s Cathedral

• Why it’s awesome: A dazzling designed cathedral that showcases Russia’s unique architecture. This cathedral is one of the most recognizable symbols of the country!
• Cost: USD $8.00
• Food nearby: Moskovskiy Chaynyy Klub is a cozy cafe serving food items and pipping hot tea; it’s the perfect place to go if you’re visiting Moscow during the winter months!

Located in the Red Square, the ornate 16th-century St. Basil’s Cathedral is probably the building you picture when you think of Moscow’s unique architecture. Its colorful onion-shaped domes tower over the Moscow skyline!

The cathedral was built from 1555-1561 by order of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It was designed with an iconic onion dome facade and enchanting colors that captivate all who see it. Fun fact: If you’re wondering why Russian churches have onion domes, they are popularly believed to symbolize burning candles!

This iconic cathedral has become a symbol of Russia due to its distinguishing architecture and prominent position inside the Red Square. It’s one of the most beautiful, wonderful, and mesmerizing historical cathedrals in the world!

The interior of the church surprises most people when they visit. In contrast to the large exterior, the inside is not so much one large area, but rather a collection of smaller areas, with many corridors and small rooms. There are 9 small chapels and one mausoleum grouped around a central tower.

Visiting the inside is like walking through a maze, there are even small signs all around the cathedral tracing where to walk, and pointing you in the right direction! The walls are meticulously decorated and painted with intricate floral designs and religious themes.

The church rarely holds service and is instead a museum open for the public to visit.

Insider Tip: During the summer months the line to go inside the cathedral can get quite long! Make sure to arrive early or reserve your tickets online to guarantee quick access into the cathedral!

Day 1 / Stop 5 – GUM Department Store

• Why it’s awesome: This is Russia’s most famous shopping mall! It’s designed with elegant and opulent architecture and provides a real sense of nostalgia!
• Cost: Free to enter
• Food nearby: Stolovaya 57 is a cafeteria-style restaurant with a variety of inexpensive Russian cuisine menu items including soups, salads, meat dishes, and desserts. It’s also located inside the GUM department store, making it very easily accessible when you’re shopping!

The enormous GUM Department Store is located within the historic Red Square. It has a whimsical enchantment to it that sets it apart from your typical department store.

A massive domed glass ceiling lines the top of the building and fills the interior with natural sunlight. There are live plants and flowers placed throughout the mall that give the shopping complex a lively and cheerful feel! A playful fountain sits in the center, further adding to the malls inviting a sense of wonder and amusement!

The GUM department store opened on December 2, 1893. Today, it includes local and luxury stores, including Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and many more! There are numerous cafes, restaurants, and even a movie theater inside!

For a special treat, head into Gastronom 1. This 1950s-style shop sells gourmet food items, like wine, freshly-baked pastries, cheese, Russian chocolate, and of course, vodka! Also, be on the lookout for a bicycle pedaling ice cream truck with an employing selling ice cream!

The ambiance is simply amazing, a trip to this idyllic shopping mall is an absolute must on any Moscow itinerary!

Insider Tip: Make sure to carry some small change on you in case you need to use the restroom, you’ll need to pay 50 rubles – or about USD $0.80 to use the bathroom in GUM.

Wanna know how to pack like a pro? Well for a start you need the right gear….

These are packing cubes for the globetrotters and compression sacks for the  real adventurers – these babies are a traveller’s best kept secret. They organise yo’ packing and minimise volume too so you can pack MORE.

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Novodevichy Convent | Gorky Park | State Tretyakov Gallery | All-Russian Exhibition Center | Bolshoi Theater

On your 2 day itinerary in Moscow, you’ll have a chance to use the city’s excellent public transportation service! You’ll explore a few more of Moscow’s historic highlight as well as some modern attractions. These sites are a little more spread out, but still very easily accessible thanks to the metro!

Day 2 / Stop 1 – Novodevichy Convent

• Why it’s awesome: The Novodevichy Convent is rich in imperial Russian history and contains some of Russia’s best examples of classical architecture!
• Cost: USD $5.00
• Food nearby: Culinary Shop Karavaevs Brothers is a cozy and simple place to have a quick bite, they also have vegetarian options!

The Novodevichy Convent is the best-known and most popular cloister of Moscow. The convent complex is contained within high walls, and there are many attractions this site is known for! 

The six-pillared five-domed Smolensk Cathedral is the main attraction. It was built to resemble the Kremlin’s Assumption Cathedral and its facade boasts beautiful snowy white walls and a pristine golden onion dome as its centerpiece. It’s the oldest structure in the convent, built from 1524 -1525, and is situated in the center of the complex between the two entrance gates.

There are other churches inside the convent as well, all dating back from many centuries past. The convent is filled with an abundance of 16th and 17th-century religious artworks, including numerous large and extravagant frescos!

Just outside the convent’s grounds lies the Novodevichy Cemetery. Here, you can visit the graves of famous Russians, including esteemed authors, composers, and politicians. Probably the most intriguing gravestone belongs to Russian politician Nikita Khruschev!

The Novodevichy Convent is located near the Moscow River and offers a peaceful retreat from the busy city. In 2004, it was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The convent remains remarkably well-preserved and is an outstanding example of Moscow Baroque architecture! 

Insider Tip: To enter the cathedrals inside the complex, women are advised to cover their heads and shoulders, while men should wear long pants.

Day 2 / Stop 2 – Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure

• Why it’s awesome: A large amusement area in the heart of the city offering many attractions!
• Cost: Free! 
• Food nearby: Check out Mepkato, located inside Gorky Central Park for a casual meal in a cozy setting. There are indoor and outdoor seating options and the restaurant is child-friendly!

Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure is a large green space in the heart of Moscow. The park opened in 1928, and it stretches along the scenic embankment of the Moskva River. It covers an area of 300-acres and offers a lovely contrast from the compact city center.

You’ll find all sorts of wonderful attractions, from boat rides to bike rentals to tennis courts and ping-pong tables, and much more! there are an open-air cinema and festive events and concerts scheduled in the summer months.  A wide selection of free fitness classes is also offered on a regular basis, including jogging, roller skating, and dancing!

Although many of the options you’ll find here are more suited for outdoor leisure during the summer, you’ll also a selection of winter attractions, including one of Europe’s largest ice rinks for ice-skating!

If you’re trying to decide what to do in Moscow with kids, the park also offers several venues designed specifically for kids. Check out the year-round Green School which offers hands-on classes in gardening and art! You can also feed the squirrels and birds at the Golitsinsky Ponds!

The park is very well maintained and kept clean and the entrance is free of charge, although most individual attractions cost money. There is also Wi-Fi available throughout the park.

With so many attractions, you could easily spend all day here! If you’re only planning a 2 day itinerary in Moscow, make sure to plan your time accordingly and map out all the areas you want to see beforehand!

Day 2 / Stop 3 – The State Tretyakov Gallery

• Why it’s awesome: The gallery’s collection consists entirely of Russian art made by Russian artists!
• Food nearby : Brothers Tretyakovs is located right across the street from the gallery. It’s a wonderfully atmospheric restaurant serving top quality food and drinks!

The State Tretyakov Gallery was founded in 1856 by influential merchant and collector Pavel Tretyakov.  The gallery is a national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the most important museums in Russia!

It houses the world’s best collection of Russian art and contains more than 130, 000 paintings, sculptures, and graphics! These works have been created throughout the centuries by generations of Russia’s most talented artists!

The exhibits range from mysterious 12th-century images to politically charged canvases. The collection is rich and revealing and offers great insight into the history and attitudes of this long-suffering yet inspired people!

All pictures are also labeled in English. If you plan to take your time and see everything inside the museum it will take a good 3-4 hours, so make sure to plan your Moscow trip itinerary accordingly! This gallery is a must-see stop for art lovers, or anyone wanting to explore the local culture and history of Russia in a creative and insightful manner! 

Insider Tip: When planning your 2 days in Moscow itinerary, keep in mind that most museums in Moscow are closed on Mondays, this includes The State Tretyakov Gallery!

Day 2 / Stop 4 – All-Russian Exhibition Center

• Why it’s awesome: This large exhibition center showcases the achievements of the Soviet Union in several different spheres. 
• Food nearby: Varenichnaya No. 1 serves authentic and homestyle Russian cuisine in an intimate and casual setting.

The All-Russian Exhibition Center is a massive park that presents the glory of the Soviet era! It pays homage to the achievements of Soviet Russia with its many different sites found on the property.

The center was officially opened in 1939 to exhibit the achievements of the Soviet Union. It’s a huge complex of buildings and the largest exhibition center in Moscow. There are several exhibition halls dedicated to different achievements and every year there are more than one hundred and fifty specialized exhibitions!

The Peoples Friendship Fountain was constructed in 1954 and is a highlight of the park. The stunning gold fountain features 16 gilded statues of girls, each representing the former Soviet Union republics. 

The Stone Flower Fountain was also built in 1954 and is worth checking out. The centerpiece of this large fountain is a flower carved from stones from the Ural Mountains! Along the side of the fountain are various bronze sculptures.

You will find many people zipping around on rollerblades and bicycles across the large area that the venue covers. It’s also home to amusement rides and carousels, making it the perfect place to stop with kids on your Moscow itinerary! Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and allow a few hours to explore all the areas that interest you!

Day 2 / Stop 5 – Bolshoi Theater

• Why it’s awesome: The Bolshoi Theater is a historic venue that hosts world-class ballet and opera performances!
• Cost: Prices vary largely between USD $2.00 –  USD $228.00 based on seat location.
• Food nearby: Head to the Russian restaurant, Bolshoi for high-quality food and drinks and excellent service!

The Bolshoi Theater is among the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world! It also boasts the world’s biggest ballet company, with more than 200 dancers!

The theater has been rebuilt and renovated several times during its long history. In 2011 it finished its most recent renovation after an extensive six-year restoration that started in 2005. The renovation included an improvement in acoustics and the restoration of the original Imperial decor.

The Bolshoi Theater has put on many of the world’s most famous ballet acts! Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake premiered at the theater in 1877 and other notable performances of the Bolshoi repertoire include Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker!

Today, when you visit the theater, you can expect a magical performance from skilled singers, dancers, and musicians with the highest level of technique!

If you don’t have time to see a show, the theater also provides guided tours on select days of the week. Tours are given in both Russian and English and will provide visitors with a more intimate look at the different areas of the theater!

The stage of this iconic Russian theater has seen many outstanding performances. If you’re a fan of the performing arts, the Bolshoi Theater is one of the greatest and oldest ballet and opera companies in the world, making it a must-see attraction on your Moscow itinerary!

Godzillas Hostel

Godzillas Hostel is located in the center of Moscow, just a short walk from all the major tourist attractions and the metro station.

• Towels Included

Cosmonautics Museum | Alexander Garden | Ostankino Tower | Izmaylovo District | Soviet Arcade Museum

Now that we’ve covered what to do in Moscow in 2 days, if you’re able to spend more time in the city you’re going to need more attractions to fill your time. Here are a few more really cool things to do in Moscow we recommend!

Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

• Hear the timeline of the ‘space race’ from the Russian perspective
• This museum is fun for both adults and children!
• Admission is USD $4.00

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is a museum dedicated to space exploration! The museum explores the history of flight, astronomy, space exploration, space technology, and space in the arts. It houses a large assortment of Soviet and Russian space-related exhibits, and the museum’s collection holds approximately 85,000 different items!

The museum does an excellent job of telling the full story of the exciting space race between the USSR and the US! It highlights the brightest moments in Russian history and humanity and is very interesting and fun for all ages!

If you’re a fan of space or just curious about gaining insight into Russia’s fascinating history of space exploration, make sure to add this to your 3 day itinerary in Moscow!

The Alexander Garden

• A tranquil place to relax near the Red Square
• Green lawns dotted with sculptures and lovely water features
• The park is open every day and has no entrance fee

The Alexander Garden was one of the first urban public parks in Moscow! The garden premiered in 1821 and was built to celebrate Russia’s victory over Napoleon’s forces in 1812!

The park is beautiful and well maintained with paths to walk on and benches to rest on. The park contains three separate gardens: the upper garden, middle garden, and lower garden.

Located in the upper garden, towards the main entrance to the park is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with its eternal flame. This monument was created in 1967 and contains the body of a soldier who fell during the Great Patriotic War!

The park stretches along all the length of the western Kremlin wall for about half a mile. Due to its central location in the city, it’ll be easily accessible when you’re out exploring The Red Square.

It provides a bit of relief from the city’s high-energy city streets. Bring a picnic lunch, go for a walk, or just sit and people watch, this is one of the best Moscow sites to wind-down and relax!

Ostankino Television Tower

• Television and radio tower in Moscow
• Currently the tallest free-standing structure in Europe
• Make sure you bring your passport when you visit, you can’t go up without it!

For spectacular views of the city, make sure to add the Ostankino Television Tower to your itinerary for Moscow! This impressive free-standing structure provides stunning views of the city in every direction. The glass floor at the top also provides great alternative views of the city!

It takes just 58 seconds for visitors to reach the Tower’s observation deck by super fast elevator. The tower is open every day for long hours and is a great site in Moscow to check out! There is even a restaurant at the top where you can enjoy rotating views of the city while you dine on traditional Russian cuisine or European cuisine!

The tower is somewhat of an architectural surprise in a city that is not known for skyscrapers! To see the city from a new perspective, make sure to add this stop to your Moscow itinerary!

Izmaylovo District

• The most popular attractions in this district are the kremlin and the flea market
• Outside of the city center and easy to reach via metro
• Most popular during the summer and on weekends

Travel outside the city center and discover a unique area of the city! The Izmaylovo District is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, and one of the coolest places to see in Moscow! The two main attractions we recommend checking out are the Kremlin and the flea market.

The Izmailovo Kremlin was established as a cultural center and molded after traditional Russian architecture. This colorful complex is home to several single-subject museums, including a Russian folk art museum and a vodka museum!

Next to the Kremlin is the Izmailovo open-air market, which dates back to the 17th century! The market is connected to the Izmailovo Kremlin by a wooden bridge. Pick up all your Russian souvenirs here, including traditional handicrafts, paintings, books, retro toys, and Soviet memorabilia!

You will find many hand-made and hand-painted options available at higher prices, as well as mass-produced souvenir options at lower prices!

Museum of Soviet Arcade Games

• Closed on Mondays
• Filled with old arcade games that visitors get to try out!
• The museum also includes a small cafe and burger shop

For something a little different, check out the Museum of Soviet Arcade Games! The museum features roughly 60 machines from the Soviet era, including video games, pinball machines, and collaborative hockey foosball! The machines inside the museum were produced in the USSR in the mid-1970s.

The best part is, most of the games are still playable! Purchase tickets and try the games out for yourself! The museum also has a neat little screening room that plays old Soviet cartoons and an area with Soviet magazines! This unique attraction is a fun addition to a 3 day itinerary in Moscow, and an attraction that all ages will enjoy! 

Whether you’re spending one day in Moscow, or more, safety is an important thing to keep in mind when traveling to a big city! Overall, Moscow is a very safe place to visit. However, it is always recommended that tourists take certain precautions when traveling to a new destination!

The police in Moscow is extremely effective at making the city a safe place to visit and do their best to patrol all of the top Moscow, Russia tourist attractions. However, tourists can still be a target for pickpockets and scammers.

Moscow has a huge flow of tourists, therefore there is a risk for pickpocketing. Simple precautions will help eliminate your chances of being robbed. Stay vigilant, keep your items close to you at all times, and don’t flash your valuables!

If you’re planning a solo Moscow itinerary, you should have no need to worry, as the city is also considered safe for solo travelers, even women. Stay in the populated areas, try and not travel alone late at night, and never accept rides from strangers or taxis without a meter and correct signage.

The threat of natural disasters in Moscow is low, with the exception of severe winters when the temperature can dip below freezing! Bring a good, warm jacket if you visit in Winter.

However, please note that Russian views on homsexuality are far less accepting than those in Western Europe. Likewise, Non-Caucasian travellers may sadly encounter racism in Russia .

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Now that we’ve covered all the top things to see in Moscow, we thought we’d include some exciting day trips to other areas of the country!

Sergiev Posad (Golden Ring)

On this 7-hour guided tour, you’ll visit several scenic and historic areas of Russia. Start your day with hotel pick-up as you’re transferred by a comfortable car or minivan to Sergiev Posad. Admire the charming Russian countryside on your drive and enjoy a quick stop to visit the Russian village, Rudonezh!

You’ll see the majestic Saint Spring and the Church of Sergiev Radonezh. You’ll also visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, one of the most famous Orthodox sites in Russia!

Lastly, you’ll swing by the local Matreshka market and enjoy a break in a nice Russian restaurant before returning to Moscow!

Day Trip to Vladimir and Suzdal

On this 13-hour trip, you’ll discover old Russia, with its picturesque landscapes and white-stoned beautiful churches! You’ll visit the main towns of the famous Golden Ring of Russia – the name for several cities and smaller towns north-east of Moscow.

Your first stop will be in the town of Vladimir, the ancient capital of all Russian principalities. The city dates back to the 11th century and is one of the oldest and the most important towns along the Ring! Next, you’ll visit Suzdal, a calm ancient Russian town north of Vladimir with only 13,000 inhabitants!

The old-style architecture and buildings of Suzdal are kept wonderfully intact. If you’re spending three days in Moscow, or more, this is a great option for exploring the charming areas outside the city!

Zvenigorod Day Trip and Russian Countryside

On this 9-hour private tour, you’ll explore the ancient town of Zvenigorod, one of the oldest towns in the Moscow region! As you leave Moscow you’ll enjoy the stunning scenery along the Moscow River, and make a few stops at old churches along the way to Zvenigorod.

Upon arrival, you’ll explore the medieval center, including the 14th-century Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery. Next, you’ll take a break for lunch (own expense) where you’ll have the chance to try out the Russian cuisine! Next, you’ll visit the Museum of Russian Dessert and sip on tea at a Russian tea ceremony.

The final stop of the day is at the Ershovo Estate, a gorgeous place to walk around and enjoy nature!

Day Trip to St Petersburg by Train visiting Hermitage & Faberge

On this full-day tour, you’ll enjoy a a full round trip to St Petersburg where you’ll spend an exciting day exploring another popular Russian city! You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Moscow and be transferred to the train station where you’ll ride the high-speed train ‘Sapsan’ to St Petersburg.

Upon arrival, you’ll start the day by touring the Hermitage Museum and the Winter Palace. Next, you’ll visit the Faberge Museum, where you’ll explore the impressive collection of rare Faberge Eggs! In the afternoon, enjoy a sightseeing boat ride and a traditional 3-course Russian lunch.

If you’re spending 3 days in Moscow, or more, this is an excellent trip to take!

Trip to Kolomna – Authentic Cultural Experience from Moscow

On this 10-hour tour, you’ll escape the city and travel to the historic town of Kolomna! First, you’ll visit the 14th-century Kolomna Kremlin, home to the Assumption Cathedral and an abundance of museums!

Next, enjoy lunch at a local cafe (own expense) before embarking on a tour of the Marshmallow Museum – of course, a marshmallow tasting is provided!  Your final stop is the Museum of Forging Settlements, where displays include armor and accessories for fishing and hunting.

Discover this beautiful Russian fairytale city on a private trip, where all of the planning is taken care of for you!

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Find out what people want to know when planning their Moscow itinerary.

How many days you need in Moscow?

We recommend that you spend at least two or three days in Moscow to take it all in.

What’s the best month to visit Moscow?

The best time to visit Moscow is over the spring, from March to May as temperatures are mild, crowds are thin and prices are reasonable.

What are some unusual things to do in Moscow?

I mean, queuing up to see an almost 100 year old corpse is pretty unsual! Check out Lenin’s Mausoleum if you fancy it!

What are some fun things to do in Moscow?

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is a fun place to explore the famous space race from the perspective of the ‘other side’!

We hope you enjoyed our Moscow itinerary! We’ve made sure to cover all the Moscow must-sees as well as some unique attractions in the city! Our addition of insider tips, favorite food stops, and day trips from Moscow is an added bonus and will guarantee you make the most out of your exciting Russian vacation!

Immerse yourself in the modern and traditional Russian lifestyle! Get lost in museums, witness awe-inspiring architecture, and indulge in Russian cuisine! Spend the day strolling through all of the charming sites of Moscow, admiring the beautiful scenery and discovering the city’s fairytale-like enchantment!

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Alya and Campbell

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TravelAwaits

Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

19 Unique And Fabulous Experiences In Moscow

• Destinations

Thinking of visiting Russia? When visiting such a famous city, one must, of course, visit the iconic landmarks first. Moscow has plenty of those, most of them in the center of the city, which is very well-planned for tourists. Once you’ve seen the sights that are on most travelers’ lists, it’s time to branch out and visit some of the lesser-known sites, and there are some fascinating places to see and things to do.

I know this list is long, but I just couldn’t help myself. You probably won’t have the time to see them all. But that’s okay. Just scroll through the list and choose what sounds the most interesting to you. Where possible, make sure to book in advance, as things can get crowded, especially during high season.

1. The Red Square, Kremlin, And Surroundings

Red Square (Krasnya Ploshad) is the heart and soul of Russia, and where much of the country’s history has unfolded. This is the most famous landmark in Moscow and indeed the whole country, it’s an absolute must-do! The square is always full of people and has a rather festive atmosphere!

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

This is the famous church with the rainbow-colored, onion-domed roof. The cathedral was commissioned in the 1500s by Ivan the Terrible and according to legend, the Tsar thought it was so beautiful, that he ordered that the architect’s eyes be cut out afterward, so he could never build anything more beautiful! He wasn’t called Ivan the Terrible for no reason!

Lenin’s Mausoleum

The “love-it-or-hate-it” of tourist attractions in Russia. A glass sarcophagus containing the embalmed body of Russian revolutionary, Vladimir Lenin. It may seem a bit bizarre to display the mummy of a person, but it has been there for almost half a century and the 2.5 million visitors who come each year, clearly feel the queuing and thorough body search are worth it, to be in Lenin’s presence.

Pro Tip: no photos and no loud talking are allowed inside the Mausoleum.

Eternal Flame

There is an Eternal Flame in honor of an unknown soldier on the left side of Red Square. The hourly changing of the guards is worth seeing.

The Kremlin is the official residence of the Russian president. You can see it from the outside, or you can take an excursion to one of the museums located inside. This is the biggest active fortress in Europe, and holds a week’s worth of attractions! Once behind the 7,332-feet of walls, there are five squares, four cathedrals, 20 towers, various museums, and the world’s largest bell and cannon to see. Worth a special mention is the Armory Chamber that houses a collection of the famous Faberge Eggs.

Pro Tip: You can only go inside the Kremlin if you are part of a tourist group.

2. Bolshoi Theatre

Bolshoi Theatre translates to “The Big Theatre” in Russian, and the building is home to both the Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera — among the oldest and most famous ballet and opera companies in the world.

Pro Tip: It’s hard to get an inexpensive ticket, so if you’re reading well in advance of going to Moscow then try buying tickets on the official website . Last-minute tickets cost around $250 per person. If this is out of your budget, about an hour before a performance, you can try buying a ticket at the entrance from a reseller. Most can speak enough English to negotiate the price.

Tour the Bolshoi Theatre: You can take a group guided tour of the Bolshoi Theatre which focuses on the history and architecture of the theatre and behind the scenes. There’s an English language tour that lasts 2 hours and costs around $300 for a group of up to six.

3. Luxury Shopping At GUM And TSUM

Russia’s main department store, GUM, has a stunning interior that is home to over 100 high-end boutiques, selling a variety of brands: from luxurious Dior to the more affordable Zara. Even if shopping is not on your Moscow to-do list GUM is still worth a visit; the glass-roofed arcade faces Red Square and offers a variety of classy eateries. TSUM, one of the biggest luxury malls in town, is right behind the Bolshoi and GUM. It’s an imposing building with lots of history, and worth a visit just for its design and its glass roof.

4. Christ The Savior Cathedral

This is one of Russia’s most visited cathedrals and is a newer addition to the gorgeous array of Muscovite cathedrals, but don’t let its young age fool you. After perestroika, in the early 90s, the revived Russian Orthodox Church was given permission to build a cathedral on this site. It did the location honors and built the largest temple of the Christian Orthodox Church. The façade is as grand as you’d expect, but it’s the inside that will mesmerize you, with its domes, gold, gorgeous paintings, and decor!

The cathedral is located just a few hundred feet away from the Kremlin and was the site of the infamous Pussy Riot protest against Putin back in 2012.

Pro Tip: Bring a shawl to cover your hair as is the local custom.

5. Gorky Park

Moscow’s premier green space, Gorky Park (Park Gor’kogo) is the city’s biggest and most famous park. There is entertainment on offer here for every taste, from outdoor dancing sessions to yoga classes, volleyball, ping-pong, rollerblading, and bike and boat rental in summer. In winter, half the park turns into a huge ice skating rink. Gorky Park is also home to an open-air movie theater and the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art. There is also Muzeon Art Park, a dynamic contemporary space with a unique collection of 700 sculptures. It is located right in front of Gorky Park.

6. Sparrow Hills Park

If you take a walk from Gorky Park, along the Moscow River embankment, you’ll end up in the city’s other legendary park, Sparrow Hills. Although the park doesn’t offer as many activities as its hip neighbor, it has a great panoramic view of the city

Pro Tip: You can take a free walking tour to all of the above attractions with an English-speaking guide.

7. River Cruising

One of the best ways to experience Moscow, and see all the famous landmarks, but from a different angle, is from the Moscow River. Take a river cruise. Avoid the tourist crowds. There are little nameless old boats that do the cruise, but if you are looking for a more luxurious experience take the Radisson Blu cruise and enjoy the sights with some good food and a glass of wine.

8. Metro Hopping

Inaugurated in the 1930s, the Moscow Metro system is one of the oldest and most beautiful in the world. Started in Stalinist times, each station is a work of art in its own right. I’d recommend touring the stations between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. This way, you’ll be able to properly see it without the crowds. Ideally, I’d recommend taking a tour with a knowledgeable guide with GuruWalk, who will tell you stories of forgotten stations and how the history of the country is interconnected with the metro development. If going by yourself, then I definitely recommend checking out: Mayakovskaya, Ploschad Revolutsii, Kievskaya, Kropotkinskaya, Kurskaya, and Novoslobodskaya stations.

Visit the free Moscow Metro Museum: For real train enthusiasts, located in the southern vestibule of Sportivnaya station is a small free museum. Here you can take a peek into the driver’s cabin, see a collection of metro tokens from different cities, and see different models of a turnstile, traffic lights, escalator, and more.

9. Moscow State University View

In his effort to create a grander Moscow, Stalin had seven skyscrapers built in different parts of town; they’re called the Seven Sisters. The largest of these buildings and the one with the best view is the main building of the Moscow State University. Although this is a little outside the city center, the view is more than worth it.

10. Izmailovsky Market

Mostly known for the city’s largest flea market, the district of Izmaylovo is home to a maze of shops where you can get just about anything, from artisan crafts to traditional fur hats, handcrafted jewelry, fascinating Soviet memorabilia, and antiquities. It’s also one of Moscow’s largest green spaces. There are often no price tags, so be prepared to haggle a bit. Head to one of the market cafes for a warming mulled wine before continuing your shopping spree.

The History of Vodka Museum is found here, and the museum’s restaurant is the perfect place to sample various brands of the national drink.

Once you’ve covered the more touristy spots, Moscow still has plenty to offer, and the places below will also be full of locals! So for some local vibes, I would strongly recommend the spots below!

11. Moscow City

With a completely different vibe, Moscow City (also referred to as Moscow International Business Center) is like a mini Dubai, with lots of impressive tall glass buildings. Here is where you’ll find the best rooftops in towns, like Ruski Restaurant, the highest restaurant both in Moscow City and in Europe. Moscow City is great for crowd-free shopping and the best panoramic views of the city.

12. Tretyakov Gallery

Tretyakov Gallery started as the private collection of the Tretyakov brothers, who were 19th-century philanthropists. They gave their private collection to the government after their deaths. If there is just one museum you visit in Moscow, I recommend this one!

13. Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve

Tsaritsyno was a residence of Catherine the Great more than two centuries ago. It became derelict during the Soviet era but has now been fully renovated. With its opulently decorated buildings, gardens, meadows, and forests, Tsaritsyno Park is the perfect place for a green respite in Moscow.

14. Kolomenskoye

A 10-minute metro ride from the city center is Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve, where you can get an idea of what Russia looked like 200 years ago. You’ll find ancient churches (one dating back to the 16th century), the oldest garden in Moscow, and the wonderful fairytale wooden palace of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich, father of Peter the Great.

15. Ostankino TV Tower

Built in 1967, Ostankino TV Tower was the tallest free-standing construction in the world at the time, it’s still the 8th tallest building in the world and the highest in Europe. It’s also the best observation deck, with a glass floor and 360-degree views. The speedy elevators take you 1,105 feet in next to no time.

Pro Tip: You need to book in advance; entrance is based on specific ticket times and the capacity is limited and only a certain number of tourists are allowed per day. Don’t forget your passport, you’ll need it to get through security.

16. Zaryadye Park

Zaryadye is a newly opened, landscaped urban park so new you won’t find it in a lot of tour guides. The park is near Red Square and is divided into four climatic zones: forest, steppe, tundra, and floodplains, depicting the variety of climatic zones in Russia.

These last three suggestions are a little quirky, but all are really worth checking out.

17. Museum Of Soviet Arcade Games

Release your inner child playing on 66 arcade machines from the Soviet era! What a great way to spend a couple of hours when tired of visiting museums and palaces. The staff speaks excellent English and are happy to explain how the games work.

18. Moscow Rooftop Tour

Take a 1-hour private Moscow rooftop tour with an experienced roofer. I can just about guarantee none of your friends will be able to say they’ve done it! For your comfort, I recommend wearing comfortable shoes. Take your camera, there are some amazing photo opportunities out there!

19. Sanduny Banya

This classical Russian bathhouse opened its doors in 1808 and is famous for combining traditional Russian banya services with luxurious interiors and service. If you enjoy spas and saunas, then you should experience a Russian bathhouse at least once in your life! Go with an open mind and hire a specialist to steam you as it’s meant to be done — by being beaten repeatedly with a besom (a leafy branch)! This is said to improve circulation, but is best done by a professional!

So there you have my list of things to do in Moscow. I could have gone on and on and on, but I didn’t want to try your patience! There are so many things to do in this vibrant city that you’ll definitely need to allocate several days for exploring.

Here are some other reasons to visit Moscow and Russia:

• 7 Reasons To Put Moscow On Your Travel Bucket List
• Russia 30 Years (And 30 Pounds) Ago
• Massive Mysterious Craters Appearing Again In Siberia

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, before moving to Africa at the age of 21, Sarah Kingdom is a mountain climber and guide, traveler, yoga teacher, trail runner, and mother of two. When she is not climbing or traveling she lives on a cattle ranch in central Zambia. She guides and runs trips regularly in India, Nepal, Tibet, Russia, and Ethiopia, taking climbers up Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro numerous times a year.

17 Exciting Things to do in Moscow

Written By: Linda Voltaire

Updated On: December 21, 2022

Visiting Russia? These are the top 17 things to do in Moscow to help you plan your trip.

If the western world has New York City , the first great metropolis on the eastern side of our planet is Moscow. A huge city with a complicated and impressive history, Moscow gets a bad rep over Russian politics – but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. Capital to the largest country in the world, Moscow takes the grandeur of its standing very seriously.

This is a place where luxury is king and where opulence takes a front seat in every aspect of life. The buildings are grand and imposing, the parks are luscious and enormous, and even the subway stations look different in Moscow than anywhere else in the world.

Table of Contents

Best Things to do in Moscow, Russia

Walking around Moscow is also going through the tumultuous history of the 20th century, which had Russia as one of its main protagonists. There are fascinating remains of these times everywhere in the former Soviet capital, from the gorgeous Seven Sisters skyscrapers to the Orthodox cathedrals that were closed for the better part of a century.  Still, Moscow is also a completely modern city, with a vibrant social and party scene, incredible restaurants, and some of the most luxurious hotels in the world.

After living in Russia’s capital as an ex-pat for four years, I got the privilege to experience not only the main attractions in Moscow but also the everyday life in this huge city and quickly found my sweat spots off the beaten tracks! So here is my list of my top 17 things to do in this exciting metropolis!

Attractions in Moscow

When visiting a famous city like this one, it’s a must to go through the most iconic landmarks first. Moscow has plenty of those, most of them in the center of the city, which is very well-planned for tourists.

1. The Red Square, Kremlin & Surrounding Area

No place tells the story of Moscow’s power in the past century the way the Red Square does. This is where the biggest political meetings in the USSR occurred for many decades, and you can feel the power on each step.

Here, you’ll also find the historic museum at the entrance, showcasing the decades of history behind this iconic landmark. The Lenin Mausoleum, perhaps the most famous resting place in the world and home to the remains of the former communist leader, is also here.

On one side of the Red Square you’ll find the Kremlin, the fortified complex that now hosts the presidential residence. This is also home to the most iconic of all Moscovite landmarks: St. Basil’s Cathedral, a 16th-century marvel of colors. This is the best spot to take a selfie and show the world you’ve reached the Russian capital!

• Get your Kremlin Skip the Line Tickets and Kremlin tour here.
• Free cancellation up to 24-hours in advance of the tour.

2. Bolshoi Theatre

You can easily spend a couple of days just exploring the Moscovite city centre, and the Bolshoi Theatre should be your second stop. Walk past the Red Square and then head to the nearby Bolshoi Theatre, one of the oldest and most renowned houses of opera and ballet on Earth.

Visit for the impressive early 19th-century architecture, but if you’re seeing a ballet performance, make sure you book between 3 and 6 months in advance! I can strongly recommend this as it is a truly unique experience!

• Book a private 2-hour tour of the legendary Bolshoi Theatre.
• See the presidential box reserved for tzars, watch a rehearsal and skip the lines through a separate entrance.
• Free Cancellation up to 24-hours in advance.

3. Luxury Shopping at GUM and TSUM

While many might think of Moscow as the sad place with the long bread queues from the USSR days, it’s been quite the capitalist haven for a while.

If you’re up for some shopping, you’ll find one of the biggest luxury malls in town, TSUM, right behind the Bolshoi and GUM, at the red square. GUM is the most famous department store in town, where you’ll find luxury everywhere and all high-end brand. 

All in an imposing late 19th-century building with lots of history, worth a visit just for the design, its bridges and the glass roof even though you are not up for shopping!

4. Christ the Savior Cathedral

A newer addition to the gorgeous Moscovite cathedrals and my grandeur neighbor during my years in the city Don’t let the young age of this building fool you. After the perestroika in the early 90s, the newly revived Russian Orthodox Church received permission to build a cathedral on this site. They did the location honors and built the largest temple of the Christian Orthodox Church.

The façade is as grand as you’d expect, but it’s the inside that will mesmerize you, with its domes as tall as the skies in bright gold and gorgeous paintings and decor! Bring a shawl to cover your hair to adjust to the local tradition.

Head to the back of the cathedral and you will find one of the most photographed bridges in Moscow, the Patriarshiy Most. This is the perfect spot to get a good view and photo of the cathedral but also to see the Kreml and Gorky Park from a distance. Or why not just enjoy a moment watching the river and its boats!  

• Get around Moscow with ease using the Hop On Hop Off boat and Bus ticket. 24, 48 or 72-hour tickets available.

5. Gorky Park

Cross the river and head to Gorky Park along the Moscow river. The most famous green area in town, similar to New York ’s Central Park and the weekend hangout for locals. There are many beautiful parks in the city, but if you’re only visiting for a few days, this is the unmissable one! 

With fair attractions to entertain children, beautiful artificial lakes and gardens, and lots of outdoor activities, it’s a lovely place to relax. A place of rest in the middle of the metropolis. The area in front of the New Tretyakov Gallery & the Muzeon Park of Arts is actually one of my favorite oasis as a bit more quiet and peaceful than Gorky itself.

Why not spend some time in the museum to get a great tour of Russia’s history through art or just enjoy the art exhibition outside where local artists spend their weekends. 

6. River Cruising

One of the best ways to experience Moscow is from the Moscow River. There are many stops for the boats and one is just next to Gorky Park. See the city from another perspective – and turn the ride into a romantic one by taking the evening cruise. Moscow is magic during the night.

If you’re looking for a truly luxurious experience, take the Radisson Blu cruise – or the Erwin for a delicious seafood dinner. Both stop at Gorky or at the luxury Radisson Royal Hotel, set in one of the Seven Sister’s skyscrapers.

• We use Get Your Guide when booking city tours and they offer a River Sightseeing Cruise seeing all the main tourist attractions in Moscow

7. Metro Hopping

First inaugurated in the 1930s, the Moscow subway system is one of the oldest in the world, and certainly the most beautiful. Started under Stalinist times, each metro station is dedicated to grandeur and oozing personality.

Visiting the subway stops is an attraction in and of itself, and Komsomolskaya, Mayakovskaya, Kropotkinskaya are my favorites. Those surrounding the Red Square are also mesmerizing – in general, these are kind of like underground palaces.

Most of the signs at the Moscow Metro now have Latin letters, so it’s very easy to get around!Unfortunately, the trains are not as beautiful and pleasant as the stations but still, this is a true Moscow experience.  Take a guided tour of the 9 most beautiful Metro Stations including the award-winning art deco station. See more details here.

8. Arbatskaya & Artsy Moscow

Novy Arbat Street is one of the most touristy areas in the city, with lots of shops and cafés directed at visitors. When you walk a little beyond, you’ll find a different part of town, where the hip scene thrives because so many artists live in the area. Just follow the small streets with fewer tourists!

9. Moscow State University View

In his effort to create a grander Moscow, Stalin had seven skyscrapers built in different parts of town; they’re called the Seven Sisters. The largest of these buildings hosts the main building of the Moscow State University, one of the most prestigious colleges in Russia – and the one with the best view.

Although this is a little outside the city centre, the sight from above is more than worth it, with the nearby fountains and park and then the whole of the city behind them.

10. Russian Market

If you love to visit markets wherever you go, Moscow has one of the most impressive ones in the world – the Izmailovsky. You can easily take the metro here and feel like you’ve been transported to another time.

This place was first built in the 16th century and retains the look of an old fairytale, with a lineup of colorful old castle. A lovely local experience beyond the confines of the bustling metropolis, where you can also try some delicious Russian barbecue.

Here, you’ll find beautiful souvenirs at great prices.

Off The Beaten Track Moscow

Once you’ve covered the most touristic spots, Moscow still has plenty to offer – and the places below will also be full of locals! Moscow is a city for hipsters, full of trendy and arty spots where you can literally feel the creativity oozing! So for some local vibes, I would strongly recommend my sweat spots below!

11. Patriarshiye Prudy

This is my favorite area in the entire city! While Moscow is generally a very noisy metropolis, Patriarch Ponds is far quieter, yet such a vibrant place. This is a very hip and trendy area making you think you are rather in Paris than in Moscow. Here the streets are narrow and full of chic eateries and clubs to see the local crowd.

A little bohemian and with an air of peace you won’t find anywhere in the city this is a great spot to spend an afternoon with your thoughts.

12. ArtPlay

Barely 15 minutes away from the city center you’ll find the artsiest Moscow district: ArtPlay. For decades, this block was a factory, but it was renovated to become a hub for the arts not too long ago.

Now, you’ll find it’s full of exhibitions, showrooms and art schools – and some of the most creative people in town. Writers, painters, and young hip people use ArtPlay as a rendezvous, and you can feel the creative energy here. The industrial design with modern interior decoration is also a feast for the eyes!

13. Shopping Local Designs

If you’re into design, both international and local, you’ll find lots of cute things at Patriarshiye Prudy. Department store Podium Market is also a great spot for shopping, as a department store everywhere in town, with lots of local and international brands. There’s one in the Four Seasons Hotel next to Red Square. My favorite Moscow mall is Tsvetnoy Central Market, a cool spot with great brands, lots of inspo, and even a cute café!

14. Moscow City

Like many other great capitals of the world, for the past few decades, Moscow has hosted a super modern area full of modern skyscrapers – Moscow City. With a completely different vibe than the rest of town, it’s like a mini Dubai, with lots of impressively tall glass buildings. Here, you’ll find the best rooftops in towns, such as Ruski and Sixty they are perfect spots for dining or enjoying a glass of wine with a view. There are also a relatively new shopping mall with lots of international brands called Affimall!

Wine, Dine, and Party in Moscow

Gone are the gloomy Moscow days – cold as it might be in the winter, Russia’s capital is a place for the senses. Great food and drinks abound – and the clubs are hot, too!

15. Where to Eat in Moscow

Moscow is a great metropolis where people love to dine out, and there are endless options for delicious food. The flavors are as diverse as you’d expect from a big city, with options of fine dining and little hipster eateries. 

• For traditional Russian flavors, I can’t recommend Café Pushkin, Dr. Zhivago, and Turnadot enough.
• When looking for international cuisines, Italian is always the way to go, and my local favorite is Probka.
• Fine dining is best done among the clouds at White Rabbit, with European flavors.
• As for the hip spots, you can spend a full day just eating around trendy places, from burgers to Asian fusion.

More Dining Options

• Patriarshiye Prudy offers a lot of small and classy spots with cool concepts, like breakfast restaurants I Love Cake and Fresh.
• For dinner, I love the NYC experience of Saxon & Parole, and the wonderful trendy Pins, with its delicious food and drinks.
• For delicious Asian food head to CutFish. 
• Lastly, there’s a recent revival of food markets in Moscow, offering lots of great choices of international flavors at affordable places.
• Don’t miss out the Vietnamese food stand at the Danilovsky market, and everything at Usachevsky!

16. Rooftopping

Big cities deserve to be seen from above, having a cocktail among the clouds. These are my recommendations for rooftop bars in Moscow.

• As I mentioned in the Moscow City section, Sixty & Ruski are two of my favorites, overlooking the newest part of town. 
• White Rabbit and its fine dining is also a lovely place for a fun dinner looking down on Moscow.
• O2, in the city center, has an advantage above all others: amazing views of the Red Square.
• Buono, above the Radisson Royal Hotel, might be the most romantic rooftop hotel in town, with its candlelit setting.
• Also on the Radisson stands the Mercedes. It’s a luxurious and posh experience with delicious cocktails.
• The Sky Lounge offers a peculiar experience, mixing an old Soviet building with futuristic additions.

17. Moscow by Night

Party the night away! The city is full of bars everywhere, but there are some areas where you’ll find more than others.

• Patriarshiye Prudy has lots of hip and small clubs and great bars, including the super fun private club Clava, which has a great vibe and people from all walks of life.
• For more hipster style bars, Red October is the place to go.
• Streak is a summer favorite, with a lovely terrace to catch a beautiful sunset – plus, their mozzarella bar is delicious.
• At night, Red October lights up with clubs everywhere, including the cool rooftop one Gipsy.
• Jagger is also a great spot during summer with a more relaxed vibe in garden setting. 
• For the traditional Russian luxury experience, go to SohoRooms, a whole other world including all-night go-go dancers.

There are so many things to do in Moscow at night and during the day, you definitely need several days to explore this exciting destination.

Moscow is a must-see city, a city like no other ! I hope you will enjoy this Russian metropolis as much as I did!

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About Linda Voltaire

Linda Voltaire is the owner of Travel with a Silver Lining, home to reviews of gorgeous boutique & design hotels, hip & trendy eateries as well as authentic and personal travel experiences beyond the crowd. She started blogging after a life-changing trip across South America. Follow Linda at TravelWithASilverLining / Facebook / Instagram /

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10 thoughts on “17 Exciting Things to do in Moscow”

These places look so awesome! Moscow is truly a beautiful city

Very good article, you have explained so nicely. Russia has always been a part of history and its good to know about much more about architecture and other things, wish i could see the inside of façade

Thanks for sharing such a nice article.You have very beautifully explained everything that one need for a trip to Moscow.

Nice article. Love the hidden gems and graffiti art, would love to visit Artplay. Thanks for a comprehensive guide to Moscow!

Moscow is a city where the past and the future live side by side. Here we can find everything from medieval fortresses and Soviet monoliths to glass skyscrapers and innovation centers.

Your article is good and meaningful .

Thanks for sharing about ArtPlay district, we didn’t know about it and it looks amazing 🙂 Hopefully there’ll be a second time in Moscow, we visited last May and really liked the city!

Wonderful stuff! I’ve been to Moscow, but not properly – it’s a long story lol!

Anyhoo, my next thing is to fly from Berlin to Moscow and then travel from there to Beijing via the Trans-Mongolian / Trans-Siberian train. Now, if only I could just find the time …!

I hear Moscow is very beautiful at night. I hope to get out there one day. A friend of mine went to St. Petersburg and had a great experience. Despite all the tension we see on the news with Russia and other Countries like the U.S. I wonder what the sentiment is with Russians and foreigners visiting their country for tourism. Especially Americans.

that looks like quite a beautiful place. 🙂

Visiting Tampa Florida For The First Time? A List Of All The Best Things To Do In Tampa (…From A Local)

Amusement parks , baseball vacation , beaches , bicycling , busch gardens , florida travel , kids , museums and memorials , restaurants , roller coasters , state parks , winter travel.

With all of the Tampa Florida attractions to choose from, you’re probably wondering what should be on your “must do” list while you’re here.

Well, you’re in luck, because I’m a Tampa native and can tell you everything you’ll want to do while you’re in Tampa.

Suffice it to say, there’s a lot going on in Tampa, Florida.

Tourists usually come looking for sunshine, close proximity to beaches , and the chance to enjoy all kinds of outdoor fun.

Did You Know?…  There’s no such city as Tampa Bay. You’ve probably heard a lot of people use the term Tampa Bay, and we even have a few local sports teams with Tampa Bay in the name. But Tampa Bay is just the name of a local body of water that’s erroneously become a geographical reference. Misuse of the name Tampa Bay has been popularized over the years by touristy types to collectively promote the various cities (Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and other places) around the bay. Tampa Bay is a body of water. The city is called Tampa .

Now, if you’ve read any tourist brochures about the Tampa area or checked out other travel sites, you probably know the following things about the area:

• We have major tourist attractions such as Busch Gardens , the Museum of Science & Industry , and The Florida Aquarium .
• Tampa has an historic Latin district called Ybor City  — where there are lots of bars, clubs, and cigar stores.
• We have an award-winning airport. In fact, Tampa International Airport is rated as high as the second best airport in North America.
• Walt Disney World is about 1 hour away.
• We’re about 30 minutes from the Gulf Coast beaches .

12 Things You Definitely MUST Do In Tampa

So what should you really do while you’re in Tampa, Florida?

These are my top picks, along with my “insider tips” for visiting each one:

#1 – Stop by the Columbia Restaurant.

This Tampa institution is so important that it trumps everything else on this list. No matter what, be sure to stop at this Tampa landmark!

Not only is the Columbia Restaurant  one of the largest and most famous Spanish restaurants in the world, but it’s also the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Florida.

Some of the best dishes at the Columbia are a traditional seafood dish called paella (pronounced like “pie-A-yuh”), the 1905 Salad (named for the year the Ybor City restaurant opened its doors), and the Cuban sandwich.

INSIDER TIP:  Live Flamenco dancers perform on various evenings at the Columbia Restaurant. Call ahead or check the website to find out when the traditional Spanish dancers are performing.

#2 – visit busch gardens amusement park..

Since Busch Gardens Tampa opened in 1959 as a visitor center for people touring the onsite Anheuser-Busch brewery, the park has grown by leaps and bounds to become one of the top entertainment destinations in Florida.

While the park’s Anheuser-Busch brewery is long gone, Busch Gardens now features more than 300 acres of exotic African animals (take the Serengeti Safari tour ), world-class shows (be sure you catch Iceploration ), and dozens of thrilling rides. In fact, the park is a hot spot for roller coaster vacationers and enthusiasts.

Busch Gardens Tampa features a classic Anton Schwarzkopf roller coaster called Scorpion ; several popular Bollinger & Mabillard roller coasters including Kumba , Montu , and SheiKra ; and Cheetah Hunt , an Intamin triple-launch roller coaster.

One of the park’s newest rides is another record-breaking Intamin ride called Falcon’s Fury , a 335-foot-tall drop tower that plunges riders to the Earth face first. This is one of the scariest rides I’ve ever been on.

If you’re visiting Tampa in the spring or summer, be sure to check out Adventure Island , the Busch Gardens water park located just 1 block to the east.

INSIDER TIP : If you’re going to Busch Gardens during a busy time of the year (spring break, summer, or the holidays), then get to the park when they first open and ride the most popular rides first — such as Falcon’s Fury, Kumba, SheiKra, and Montu.

#3 – see the museum of science & industry..

If you’re traveling with children who love science then you’ll definitely want to check out the Museum of Science & Industry . There are over 450 hands-on activities!

Located just about a mile northeast of Busch Garden, MOSI is the largest science center in the Southeast United States.

MOSI hosts various traveling exhibits. In addition, some of its permanent showcases include:

• a hurricane wind simulator
• a natural disaster exhibit
• a planetarium
• a children’s interactive exhibit that gives kids a hands-on place to learn about physics, the environment, technology, and more.

MOSI also has an IMAX dome theater where science-related films and even some first-run movies play to large audiences.

INSIDER TIP :   While you’ll often find entire busloads of children touring the museum during the typical school year (late August through early June), weekdays are still the best time to go if you want to avoid the really big crowds which usually hit the museum during the weekends.

#4 – take in a sports game..

Tampa has long been a sports town.

We have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers  football, Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer, and Tampa Bay Lightning professional hockey teams.

We host New York Yankees spring training baseball games.

And we have our very own University of South Florida Bulls football and basketball teams, too.

The area has also hosted an array of other sporting events, not to mention a handful of Super Bowl games , dragon boat racing , Red Bull Flugtag competitions.

INSIDER TIP :  If you’re going to an outdoor sporting event, dress accordingly. We aren’t always basking in the sun with temperatures in the balmy 80- to 85-degree range. I sat at a Tampa Bay Buccaneers home game where the temperatures were dropping into the low 40s on the ground, and the air felt much colder as the wind picked up. At another Bucs home game, the heat (in December) soared past an oppressive feels-like temperature of 90 degrees. Also, summertime usually brings daily thunderstorms in the afternoons.

#5 – walk or bike along bayshore boulevard..

One of the most scenic routes anywhere in Tampa is Bayshore Boulevard . Its sidewalk is 4.5 miles long, making it the world’s longest continuous sidewalk.

Along the path is a linear park and miles of stunning, waterfront views overlooking Hillsborough Bay.

On the land side of Bayshore Boulevard are dozens of grandiose old and historic homes that belong to some of Tampa’s wealthiest residents.

INSIDER TIP :  Morning jogs and bike rides are great to catch the sunrise, but come rush hour (between 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 6 PM) the rush of cars may make for a less-than-pleasant trip down the scenic boulevard. Time your Bayshore Boulevard trek accordingly if you don’t want hundreds — possibly thousands — of motorists whizzing by you.

#6 – Enjoy a triple treat …if you’re here in February!

February is a jubilant time of year for Tampa residents.

First, the Gasparilla pirate festival storms into town.

Legendary pirate Jose Gaspar will shiver your timbers as he and his motley crew of hooligans march down scenic Bayshore Boulevard and aim to take over the city. 

Thankfully, the pirates show a little mercy to the 500,000 spectators. They throw countless strings of beads and other booty as the march past in their bedazzled boats, floats, and other vessels.

Within days of the Gasparilla Pirate festival is the start of the Florida State Fair  — a major regional event that draws hundreds of thousands of attendees from every state.

After you hit up the rides, games, and shows at the Florida State Fair, don’t forget to check out the old-time merriment of the Tampa Bay Renaissance Festival  — which unfolds over the course of several weeks adjacent to MOSI. 

It’s one of the largest such events in the Southeast.

Make sure you check out the live jousting event!

INSIDER TIP :  While attending Gasparilla is free (except for parking), the Florida State Fair and Tampa Bay Renaissance Festival do have admission charges. You can save a bundle if you purchase tickets online before the events start.

#7 – eat at bern’s steak house..

Since 1956, Bern’s Steak House has been one of the ritziest places in the Tampa area to eat a nice meal and enjoy fine wine.

Bern’s Steakhouse has won many awards for its food, service, and overall atmosphere. Nation’s Restaurant News industry magazine rated Bern’s as a “Top-50 All-American Icon” and it has been rated very well according to Zagats .

There’s also an expansive wine cellar at Bern’s  — which you can tour after enjoying your meal. Bern’s Steak House is 1 of just 3 restaurants nationwide that currently host Winefest .

Don’t forget to get some dessert. The private Harry Waugh Dessert Room is worth a stop by the restaurant itself!

INSIDER TIP :  A full meal can easily slip into the range of $50 to $100 per person here. But you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy a meal at Bern’s. There’s a “secret menu” steak sandwich that you can get for less than $15 at the bar.

#8 – check out the tampa bay history center..

Tampa is chock full of history, and you’ll find a lot of it at the Tampa Bay History Center near downtown Tampa.

Some of the earliest residents were Calusa and Tocobaga Native Americans, who settled in West Central Florida thousands of years ago.

In the early 1820s, 300 years after the first Spanish explorers sailed into the region, European Americans built a fort near modern-day downtown Tampa. Tampa was called Fort Brooke for many years before eventually being chartered as a city in 1887.

The Ybor City Latin district became the hotbed of cigar production in the late 1800s and early 1900s, drawing thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Spain, Germany, and Italy. In fact, Tampa was once known as the Cigar Capital of the World .

You’ll find out lots more fascinating historic facts about Tampa than I could ever tell you here in a single post. So, stop by the Tampa Bay History Center and get ready to take a walk back through time!

INSIDER TIP :  Want to sound like a real Tampa expert? Get this — the word “Tampa” is thought to have derived from the word “Tanpa,” which is widely believed to be mean “sticks of fire” in the Calusa language. “Sticks of fire” either refers to a campsite where settlers burned firewood or, perhaps, was a reference to the frequent summertime lightning strikes in the area.

#9 – see beautiful houses of worship..

Whether or not you consider yourself religious or spiritual, there’s no denying the beauty and grandeur of some houses of worship.

Here are just a few that you should see while visiting Tampa:

• Sacred Heart Catholic Church — Considered by many to be among the most beautiful U.S. East Coast churches south of Washington, D.C., Sacred Heart Catholic Church was built in 1905 and features architectural splendor that will make you feel like you’re stepping into any of the Old World Europe cathedrals.
• Wat Mongkolrata Temple — In East Tampa lay a hidden gem that locals love. The Wat Mongkolrata Temple (often just called the Tampa Thai Temple) offers religious services and, on Sunday mornings, a very popular open-air market with Thai teas, traditional dishes, and delectable desserts. Vendors also sell produce, plants, and handcrafts.
• Hyde Park United Methodist Church — This church in the historic neighborhood of Hyde Park is one of the most architecturally beautiful Protestant churches in the Tampa area. It draws thousands of worshippers each Sunday.
• First Baptist Church Tamp a — This historic Baptist church, located just a couple blocks west of the Hillsborough River near downtown Tampa, has been a beacon for thousands of Tampa residents for decades.

Tampa is a diverse city with hundreds of different churches, temples, synagogues, and mosques. Check the Internet before you visit so you can find a house of worship or other spot where you feel comfortable elevating your mind, body, and spirit above the fray of the everyday.

INSIDER TIP :  Sunday mornings at the Tampa Thai Temple are busy. And by busy, I mean BUSY ! Get there by 9 or 10 AM if you don’t want to miss out on some of the more popular menu items — such as “Phat Thai” (vegetables and noodles), egg rolls, fried bananas, and coconut custard.

#10 – take a hike at a local park..

If you’ve ever seen a Tampa tourist brochure, you’ll likely see tons of sand and a lot palm trees in the photos. But the flora in Florida — especially in Tampa and points north — is much more than just palm trees.

In fact, “natural” Florida features pines, oaks, and even a few types of trees that change color in the fall  — like bald cypress, red maple, and crepe myrtle. We also have a lot of cool native wildlife, including a colorful array of birds, turtles, and even, yes, those famous Florida alligators.

You’ll see a lot of “old Florida” flora and fauna at some very picturesque parks in and around Tampa, including these places:

• Al Lopez Park  — Sometimes called Tampa’s “Central Park,” Al Lopez Park is located 1 block north of Raymond James Stadium, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers professional football team plays. Parking is free, and you can enjoy fishing, picnic sheds, and a 1.2-mile asphalt trail.
• Hillsborough River State Park  — Just a few miles northeast of Tampa’s University of South Florida campus is Hillsborough River State Park — one of Florida’s first state parks. The central feature is the beautiful Hillsborough River, which offers minor rapids and plenty of opportunities to see the local wildlife by view of rental kayaks and canoes. East of U.S. 301, on the east side of Hillsborough River State Park, is Fort Foster . This reconstruction of a Second Seminole War fort is something history buffs will certainly enjoy.
• Lake Park  — Just to the northwest of Tampa is Lake Park, a unique county park that not only offers miles of trails and 5 beautiful lakes for fishing and pondering, but also archery, a BMX biking course, and horseback riding.

There are dozens of parks located in and around Tampa, so if you’d like to enjoy a park near where you’re staying, be sure to check out the Tampa City Parks and Hillsborough County Parks websites.

INSIDER TIP : While you’ll pay nominal fees to enter most of the county and state parks, the city parks are generally free. There are only a few city parks where you will need to pay a nominal parking fee, such as the popular  Ben T. Davis Beach .

#11 – visit the university of tampa campus..

Once known as The Tampa Bay Hotel, the University of Tampa is housed in a building that railroad magnate Henry B. Plant built in 1891.

The minarets atop the building provide a unique architectural element in the downtown Tampa skyline and have been featured in countless photos.

While the University of Tampa is a busy private educational institution, tourists can roam the campus grounds and even catch glimpses inside the historic building.

This National Historic Landmark is conveniently located along Kennedy Boulevard — among the busiest and most centralized corridors in Tampa.

INSIDER TIP :  To experience a Victorian-style Christmas, be sure to visit the onsite Henry B. Plant Museum during the holiday season. For a small admission fee, you can take a trip back in time and enjoy a Christmas holiday from the days of yore.

#12 – watch a movie at tampa theatre..

Built in 1926, Tampa Theatre is one of the nation’s most beautiful and elaborate movie palaces.

The Mediterranean Revival theatre nearly met its demise in the early 1970s before a coalition of preservationists stepped in and saved the historic theatre from demolition.

Today, Tampa Theatre plays both first-run and classic movies and offers tours of the lavish movie house, which was designed by renowned architect John Eberson.

INSIDER TIP : Arrive early so you can enjoy the organ concert before the movie and take some time to explore the building. You can even sit in the balcony!

How to save money on tampa florida attractions.

While online deals and discounts from travel agencies can help you save some cash, perhaps the most convenient way to save money when visiting Tampa is to buy a CityPASS .

CityPASS, which provides collective discounts for a select group of attractions, is available for many U.S. cities.

The Tampa CityPASS currently provides discount admission at the following Tampa-area attractions:

• Busch Gardens Tampa
• The Florida Aquarium
• Lowry Park Zoo
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Even More Things To Do In Tampa FL

• 25 Things You Should Know About Tampa Florida
• Tampa Visitors Bureau
• 10 Best Tampa Hotels
• Top 50 Restaurants In Tampa Florida
• Top 30 Things To Do In Tampa FL

I’m a Florida native, a roller coaster junkie, and a frequent traveler. (Long road trips are my favorite.) Born and raised in Tampa, I grew up visiting Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. I authored the book Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: Images of Modern America, which details the colorful history of the Busch Gardens theme park. As a local historian, I’ve also written about other popular landmarks and attractions for a variety of publications. Here, on this Travel Guide, I like sharing little-known facts and fun stuff about all the places I’ve been — so you will have a good idea of what those places are like and what you should know before you go. I especially enjoy helping others plan fun trips… on a budget!

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65 Crazy Fun Things To Do in Seattle

Home » Blog » U.S.A. » 65 Crazy Fun Things To Do in Seattle

With a blend of nature and urban attractions, there are so many fun things to do in Seattle for every type of traveler! We’ve spent lots of time in this city, and are sharing our very favorite things to do in Seattle to help you plan the perfect trip. Plus, we’re including some epic day trips as well as our picks on where to stay in Seattle.

Seattle is a city that urbanites and nature-lovers can both appreciate. And with the ocean on one side and majestic mountains on the other, there is no shortage of fun things to do in Seattle.

Aside from it’s undeniable natural beauty, the food, art and music scene are reason enough to get yo’ booty over to this PNW metropolis. NOW.

We called  Washington state  home for the better part of a year, and have made many-a-trip to Seattle where we packed our weekends full of fun (and usually cheap!) things to do. We can’t wait to share all our favorite spots in Seattle with you!

Some are the super famous touristy “must-dos”, and others are local secrets you won’t find in the guidebooks.

Whether it’s your first time in Seattle and you have a weekend to soak it up or you’re a Pacific Northwest local looking for fun things to add to your bucket list, we’ve got some can’t-miss spots and quirky additions to any Seattle itinerary.

Let’s dive in and plan your trip to the “Emerald City”!

Seattle Travel Guide Contents

Click the links to jump to the section you are looking for, or just keep scrolling…

Where to eat in Seattle

• Perfect Seattle Itineraries  (for all types of travelers)
• Seattle Day Trips
• Where to stay in Seattle

How to get around Seattle

Ultimate PNW Bucket List!

Traveling around the Pacific Northwest? We have just what you need!

We’ve created the  ultimate PNW Bucket List , filled with fun and unique adventures. From epic outdoor escapes to off-the-beaten-path foodie experiences, we have a little something for every type of traveler!

Go ahead and grab your copy now.  It’s totally free , so what do you have to lose?!

Top things to do in Seattle

If you’re looking for a quick list of the very best things to do in Seattle, here you go:

• Eat the best of Seattle on a food tour 
• Shop local at Pike Place Market
• Ride in a hot air balloon beside Mount Rainier
• Snap a selfie with the Fremont Troll
• Have a picnic in Gasworks Park
• Order a handcrafted cocktail at a speakeasy
• Go on a day trip to Snoqualmie Falls & Twin Falls
• Get the best free view of the city at Kerry Park

Now your trip to Seattle is almost planned!

But don’t stop here…

Want more ideas?  Well, you are in for a treat, my friend, because this article is absolutely PACKED with all kinds of crazy fun things to do in Seattle plus all sorts of insider tips! 

1. Get up close & personal with the Fremont Troll

I’m a sucker for quirky art installations, and the Fremont Troll is one of those things you just have to see if you’re in the area. In true troll fashion, this grumpy beast lives beneath a bridge in the Fremont neighborhood. You can find him hiding under the north end of the George Washington Memorial Bridge .

Insider tip:  After a photo op next to this Seattle staple, don’t forget to explore the rest of the Fremont district! Walk along the water and daydream about living in one of the houseboats docked near shore, and pop into some of the many cute shops in this neighborhood that endearingly refers to itself as the “center of the universe”!

2. Blow bubbles at the Post Alley Gum Wall

Seattle is full of all sorts of quirky sights and photo ops, but the most famous (and accessible!) is arguably the Post Alley Gum Wall.

While it’s definitely no secret, the gum wall is a quirky stop to make during your visit to Seattle. Plus, it’s right around the corner from Pike Place, so you really can’t miss it.

Bring with you a pack of bubble gum for a cute photo op and try to guess how many pieces are actually on the wall:  Hundreds? Thousands?  (I’m kinda bad at estimations.)

Don’t get too close to the wall though… I don’t think I need to explain why. Opt to add your chewed gummy mess to the wall with all the rest, or (like us) find a trash can just up the alleyway to dispose of it in a more sanitary way.

3. Start your day with strong Seattle coffee

If there was an award for the city with the best coffee in the United States, Seattle would win gold.

Stroll down just about any block in Seattle and you’re bound to find a handful of wonderful coffee shops that serve a good, strong brew.

Honestly, it’s hard to go wrong because stiff competition keeps the quality high.

If you don’t know where to start, here are some local gems:

• Milstead & Co.
• Caffé Vita  (multiple locations)
• Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Cafe
• Storyville Coffee Queen Anne
• Ballard Coffeeworks

Psst! If you’re really into coffee, this Seattle Coffee Culture tour looks pretty fun!

4. Float beside Mount Rainier in a hot air balloon

It takes something special to get us up before sunrise, but we’d definitely agree, this experience is worth making an exception for.

Floating in a hot air balloon at sunrise directly in front of Mount Rainier is what dreams are made of .

You’ll launch just prior to sunrise, which gives you the opportunity to view cotton candy skies from thousands of feet. Not only do they fly right in front of Mt. Rainier, but you’ll also float over rivers, lakes, and forests. Dreamy, huh?

I was invited on a hot air balloon flight with Seattle Ballooning and was seriously impressed with everything from the epic views ( umm, hello Rainier! ) to my super passionate pilot. 

I wrote all about my experience hot air ballooning in Seattle for anyone who is interested or on the fence about booking a flight. I included everything from my honest opinions about the experience and what to expect on a flight, to insider tips (like what to wear!).

There are a few hot air balloon companies in the region, so here’s why we chose Seattle Ballooning :

• They’re the #1 rated balloon company in the NW . Need we say more?
• They earn rave reviews that speak for themselves. Seattle Ballooning was also featured in the NY Times and The Washington Post , so you know they’re legit! 

Choose from different flight options – from a private flight to an original group ride that carries 8-10 guests – one thing’s for certain; this will be one of your most memorable experiences in Seattle without a doubt.

Discount alert! We’ve secured a 10% discount for anyone booking their hot air balloon ride with Seattle Ballooning. Just use the code: “ 2soles ” when checking out!

5. Go on a Seattle food tour

Whenever we’re in a new place, we like to check out local foodie hot spots and taste  everything  the city is known for. After years of traveling around the world,  we’ve found the very best way to get a good feel for the local cuisine is to go on a food tour.

We’ve been on food tours in dozens of cities around the world (from Bangkok to Reykjavik ), and we’re honestly  obsessed ! I mean, you get to taste specialties from the best restaurants, plus, you get insider scoop on the foodie scene from a local. Can’t really beat that.

Here are our top choices for a food tour in Seattle:

Chef tour of Pike Place

If you want to sample the best of the best in Pike Place, tour this market in the company of a chef!

Along with your expert in all things food, you’ll stop at 9 different artisanal vendors and sample the flavors of the PNW.

Here’s what guests are saying:

“Loved this experience with Eric as it including a wide variety of great food, a bit of Seattle history and interesting information about the market. As a long time Seattle resident I learned a lot about the market I didn’t know. Highly recommend!” -Beth, February 2023

Plant-based in Pike Place food tour

If you’re a vegan (or just interested in plant-based eating!), you won’t want to miss this tour that earns rave reviews.

In the tour guide’s own words:

“ Plant-based eating shouldn’t have to be a sacrifice. Too often restaurants overlook the opportunity of plant-based cooking, leaving vegans with a disappointing choice between salad or french fries. This tour fixes that.”

This specially-curated tour gives guests the opportunity to sample the best vegan eats that Pike Place has to offe r. Plus, the guide shares all sorts of background info and tips on this historic market as well as fun tidbits and stories about Pacific Northwest foodie culture.

“No hype – Will’s plant-based Pike Place tour was AMAZING! Really appreciated his extensive knowledge of the market’s rich history, the delicious and diverse range of treats, and his genuine rapport with the local vendors. You can tell he deeply respects all of them. I’m a longtime Seattle resident who went on the tour with a friend visiting from out of town, and now we both feel more connected to this beautifully special city. Thanks Will.” – Kat, January 2023

6. Visit the iconic Pike Place Public Market

Even if you’re not into the idea of a food tour (see above), a visit to Seattle would be incomplete without stepping foot in this iconic market.

Did you know it is the oldest continuously-operating market in the United States ? Crazy, huh?!

Super touristy? Yes. Worth a visit? Heck yes! 

Arguably the most famous farmers market in America, Pike Place is one of the can’t-miss things to do in Seattle.

The most famous attraction here are the  fishmongers  who toss the fresh catch of the day between each other when a customer makes a purchase. I remember visiting Pike Place as a child and being wowed by this, and I was pleased to find that they’re still flingin’ those fish nearly two decades later. Get your camera out to capture those flying fish because it’s quite the sight!

If aerial seafood doesn’t impress you, walk down the rows of fresh produce, locally-made cheese and artisan goods and you’re sure to find something that piques your interest.

Best stops & things to do at Pike Place Market

• Oprah loves the mac ‘n cheese here, so you probably want to give it a whirl!
• Pike Place Chowder  serves up a tasty bowl of creamy seafood goodness.
• For a pick-me-up, stop at  Rachel’s Ginger Beer  for a famously fun drink!
• Piroshky Piroshky  is a small Russian bakery that is famous in the area.

While you’re at Pike Place, here’s a cool idea…

Book a photo tour with a local where you’ll see a different side of Pike Place and get some amazing pictures of yourself. (Aka a sweet souvenir from your time in Seattle!)

• Daytime photo shoot
• Nighttime photo shoot

7. Support vendors at smaller farmers markets

Pike Place is undoubtedly the most famous market, but it’s far from the only one in Seattle.

For an experience where you bump shoulders with locals instead of camera-toting tourists, head to the city’s lesser-known farmers markets for a morning bite or to purchase a unique souvenir.

Fremont Sunday Flea Market

If you happen to be in Seattle on a Sunday, try to make it to the Fremont Sunday Flea Market and we don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

With up to 200 vendors selling antiques, collectibles and other goods, this is the coolest market in you’ll have fun scoping out the quirkiest treasures you can find (as well as sniffing out the best-smelling food!). Open rain or shine, all year long, Seattle’s coolest market (in our opinion!) has been in operation since 1990.

University District Farmers Market

If you are looking for a farmers market without the tourists, head to the University District Neighborhood which holds a market every Saturday year-round, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

At this local favorite, you’ll find more than 70 farmers and other vendors selling fresh produce and local goods.

Ballard Farmers Market

This hip neighborhood has a weekly farmers market which runs all year long on Sundays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

8. Get the best (free!) view of Seattle at Kerry Park

For sweeping views of the skyline famously punctuated with the Space Needle, Kerry Park is the place to be. And better yet, this spot is free ! (Hey, that rhymes)

Here you’ll get a panoramic view of the Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier looming in the distance (if you’re lucky enough to have a clear day!).

Don’t let the big views fool you – this park is perched on a tiny little slice of land, so you don’t need to allot much more time here than it takes your camera shutter to click. And boom, you’ve captured one of the most Instagrammable spots in Seattle!

On the other hand, if you’re looking for time to kill with a killer view, Kerry Park makes a great setting for a picnic!

9. Picnic in Gasworks Park

Seattle is a city with a lots of green space. It is nicknamed the “Emerald City” after all!

You’ll have no problem finding parks for picnicking and people watching. But if you’re looking for a park that’s out of the ordinary, here is a park with a bit more character than most.

Located on the north shore of Lake Union, this park is the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company plant . It’s cooler than it sounds, trust us. The old plant structures are still intact, though a little graffiti “decoration” has been added for… color?  Character?

On a nice day, you’ll see people in Gasworks Park flying kites, enjoying picnics on the lawn and taking in the unique view of Seattle that many tourists miss.

Insider Tip:  This park isn’t far from the Fremont Troll statue or Fremont Brewing Company. We think a combination of all three stops would make the perfect afternoon in Seattle!

10. Go on a free walking tour 

One of the top things to do in Seattle for first-time visitors is to take a walking tour.

We love going on Free Walking Tours in cities we’ve never visited before. We find it gives us a lay of the land and helps us set our bearings. Plus, the guides usually share local tips and interesting history that you can’t get elsewhere. 

Sometimes if we really like the guide, we stay afterward and pick their brains about their go-to restaurants and bars in town so we have the local inside scoop!

There are a few Seattle Free Walking Tours to choose from:

• Seattle 101 (general city tour)
• Pike Place Market Tour
• Old Seattle Cemetery Tour

They require reservations in advance  because tours have limited space.

Good to know:  Free Walking Tours don’t cost anything, but guides typically reply on tips. If you enjoyed the tour, gratuity is always appreciated.

11. Take an e-bike tour of Seattle

Learn about Seattle’s history, see the top sights, and discover hidden gems, all from two wheels! 

Taking an e-bike tour allows guests to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time . 

Here’s what guests are saying:

“I had a great experience on this tour! The bike was really fun to ride and Joe was a great guide. He kept us safe and told us so many interesting tidbits of information about Seattle. Loved the views! I saw a side of Seattle I wouldn’t have otherwise seen since I was staying in Capitol Hill without a car. Definitely recommend!” -Nancy, October 2022

12. Indulge in the prettiest macaroons you ever did see

Lady Yum Macaroons is what a dessert lover’s dreams are made of! 

With a handful of ever-changing seasonal flavors and a hefty list of menu staples, this macaroon shop serves up some pretty creative morsels:

• Circus Animal
• Espresso Fudge
• Raspberry Chardonnay
• Honey Lavender 

And they’re not just delicious — they’re over-the-top pretty too. Perfect for your Instagram feed, if that’s your style!

Lady Yum has a handful of locations around Seattle, but the Pioneer Square shop will likely be the most convenient one to visit.

• Google Maps location

13. Spend a sunny day at Alki Beach

If Seattle is enjoying a beautiful day, head to Alki Beach to soak up the sun, see the city from a unique perspective and experience a different feel than the rest of the city .  We found the vibe to be hipster-meets-Jersey-Shore and the crowd to be more locals than tourists .

Relax on the sand, use one of the public grills and picnic tables or s ip on an iced coconut Americano from Ampersand Cafe .

If you’re in the mood for a beer, head over to West Seattle Brewing Company to enjoy the laid-back patio atmosphere and an ice-cold brew .

And in the evening, you can enjoy a bonfire on the beach and watch the sunset from your sandy seat.

14. Spot the iconic Space Needle from below (or go to the top!)

Located in the Seattle Center, the Space Needle is without a doubt the most iconic man-made feature of Seattle . 

This iconic building is an integral piece of the Seattle skyline, and you can either opt to see it from the ground, or get up in there and take in the view of Mount Rainier (on a clear day) from 520 feet in the air on the observation deck.

Tickets cost for the Space Needle is $36 for adults and $28 for kids.

Our opinion: Personally, we’d recommend skipping going to the top of the Space Needle, and instead heading to this observatory , where you can enjoy a handcrafted cocktail with a view!

Seattle Center

While you’re near the Space Needle, be sure to check out the other notable sights in the Seattle Center:

• Seattle Center Armory
• Chihuly Garden and Glass
• Museum of Pop Culture
• International Fountain
• Artists at Play
• Climate Pledge Arena
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center
• Seattle Center Skate Plaza
• Pacific Science Center (see more below!)

Money-saving Tip: If you want to check out a few more popular things to do in Seattle, like the Chihuly Gardens and Glass, Seattle Aquarium and take a harbor tour, you might want to look into getting the Seattle CityPASS. The CityPASS saves you quite a bit of money if you plan to visit the most popular attractions in Seattle. Calculate your savings and buy your Seattle CityPASS .

15. Pay a visit to the Pacific Science Center

While you’re in the Seattle Center, consider taking an immersive journey into the wonders of science and technology at the Pacific Science Center . 

You can’t miss the iconic white arches just under the Space Needle. The Science Center boasts interactive exhibits, engaging displays, and cutting-edge demonstrations that’ll capture your curiosity at any age. 

Including a planetarium and an IMAX theater, this is a great Seattle attraction for one of those unpredictable (but common) rainy days. 

16. Take a hot tub boat on Lake Union

If a regular boat cruise feels a little too basic for you, this suggestion will be right up your alley…

Rent a hot tub boat.

Yep, you read that right, a HOT TUB BOAT!

Soak in the city views while you, well, soak in warm water . Can’t get much better than that!

Renting a hot tub boat costs $400 for 2 hours , and you can fit a maximum of 6 people.

For more information on how to book your hot tub boat, check out their website .

17. Visit the original Starbucks  (or opt for the Starbucks Roastery!)

Being that the Emerald City is the birthplace of Starbucks, many first-time visitors to Seattle want to step foot in the original.

We did, too.

Below is our (honest!) opinion, so you can decide if you want to add it to your itinerary or give it a miss.

We’re also sharing an alternative – the Starbucks Roastery, which is a more special, elevated coffee experience (more on that below).

Original Starbucks: Our personal experience

We made it there on a Monday and waited about 15 minutes in total from the time we ordered until the time we were handed our specialty coffees. (Not too shabby!)

During the weekend, though, I don’t think we would have braved the wait. It was kind of cool to see the vintage mermaid logo and say that you’ve sipped the original Joe. Was it anything super special? Nah. Would I wait in line again? Nope.

This hyped-up coffee shop is one of the tourist stops that could be skipped (in our opinion). Unless you are a huge fan of the mega-chain, you may be a bit annoyed to find the line wrapping around the block.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room

If you’re a fan of Starbucks and looking for a fancy coffee experience, put a visit to their tasting room on your Seattle itinerary.

With gorgeous copper  roasting basins and some of the best baristas in the city , this facility not only serves up specialty, small-batch coffee, but a stop here is an experience in itself. If it’s a warm day (or even if it isn’t!) do yourself a favor and try a cold brew float!

18. Get nostalgic at the Museum of Pop Culture (MPOP)

This over-the-top museum is right next to the Space Needle and you can’t miss the purple and silver wavy building. Inside the museum takes you through the history of music and movies that have shaped our culture. Step into a rock ‘n’ roll sound lab, view the original manuscripts from Game of Thrones, and peek at hundreds of props from famous movies. 

The entrance Fee for MPOP is $28 for adults and $19 for kids. However, if you pair it with other  Seattle CityPASS  sights you can save quite a bit of money on the top activities in Seattle. 

19. Ride the Seattle Great Wheel

Seattle’s Great Wheel (aka ferris wheel) is situated at the edge of the Seattle Waterfront in Elliott Bay , making it a cornerstone piece of the city’s skyline. 

If you’re traveling with kids — or are a kid at heart — hop in one of the gondola cars and prepare for some spectacular city views. 

The Seattle ferris wheel is built over the water , giving riders a unique perspective.

20. Take a sushi-making class

For a really unique activity , sign up for a sushi-making class with Fumiko. Born in Japan, she has lived in Seattle for 30 years. 

After meeting in the kitchen, you’ll walk to the local seafood market where you’ll pick up ingredients for sushi. Upon returning to the kitchen, you’ll dive into making sushi rice and 3 different rolls to enjoy!

After this class, you’ll have the confidence to do your own DIY sushi date nights. Talk about a great souvenir to bring home!

“I loved this experience! Fumiko is so knowledgeable not only Japanese cooking but also history her neighborhood and Seattle as a whole. The walk to market, teaching how she picks out ingredients and coming back to the kitchen to put it all together in a wonderful and tasty meal was very enjoyable. If Iived here, I would sign up for more classes! She’s a great teacher gave me recipes to take home! I am grateful to have met her.” -Amy, January 2023

21. Chase waterfalls just outside the city

You don’t have to go far from the city center to see some epic waterfalls. There are plenty you can easily visit on a  day trip from Seattle . 

Snoqualmie Falls

The largest (and most popular) waterfall near Seattle is Snoqualmie Falls.

This 268-foot cascading beauty is one of Washington’s best waterfalls .

With paved paths just steps from the parking lot, Snoqualmie Falls is super accessible and a nice stop for all types of travelers. That said, due to its proximity to the city and was of access, it tends to get quite crowded. Also, while an impressive sight, it is a quick visit as no hiking is involved.

For more of an adventure, tack on a hike to nearby Twin Falls. This can easily be combined with Snoqualmie Falls as they are located very close together.

This 2.5-mile hike is rated as moderate, and weaves through dense forest and hugs the riverside for a beautiful escape from the city.

For more information on this hike, you can check the  AllTrails guide .

22. Decide who has the best ice cream in Seattle

I have a motto:  There’s always room for ice cream… even when you’re full, it fills in all the cracks!

This motto has encouraged me to make some delicious, but probably ill-advised, decisions in the past.

But Seattle has some seriously good ice cream options. We’re talking contenders for the-best-we-ever-had  good.  So I encourage you to take my motto to heart and sample the city’s best ice cream (yes, even if you’re full!).

So where is the best ice cream in Seattle? Well, that’s for you to decide… We have two favorites that beat all the rest. Plus, a bonus one to try.

Molly Moon’s

In addition to the fact that this local chain has some kick-ass ice cream flavors (more on that in a sec!), they are a consciously-run company , which is something that we are so on board with and excited to support.

They give back to the community, source 90% of ingredients from the local area, use 100% compostable cups, spoons and straws, and pay their employees living wages (with benefits!). *cue slow clap*

So grabbing a scoop (or three!) at Molly Moon’s is not only delicious, but is the socially responsible thing to do. Or at least that’s how I’m justifying our multiple visits…

Now onto the flavors… With classics like cookie dough as well as unique combinations like honey lavender and Yeti (vanilla bean + caramel + homemade yeti granola + Theo chocolate bits), there is a flavor for everyone. Even the seemingly “boring” flavors, like chocolate, are elevated.

Frankie & Jo’s

This ice cream is vegan and gluten-free but sacrifices nothing when it comes to flavor.

The ice cream base is made from cashew and coconut milk, creating a distinctly creamy canvas for their creative flavor combos.

What to order:  Our favorite flavor is without a doubt “California Cabin” . I mean, listen to this description and tell me you aren’t itching to try it: “ smoked vanilla & pine are infused into our creamy coconut and oat milk base with chewy gluten-free black pepper cardamom shortbread cookie chunks nestled throughout.”  Oh-em-gee. Close second flavor for us was “Chocolate Tahini Supercookie”.

Bonus: Salt & Straw

This one definitely deserves to be in the top 3, but the only reason we’ve listed it as a “bonus” is that it’s a Portland-based chain . Still ahhh-mazing and worth trying, but we wanted to give the spotlight to two true Seattle-based ice cream shops.

23. Go to a secret concert

Are you a fan of live music  and  surprises?

If so, you’re gonna love this one…

Sofar Sounds curates concerts in unique and intimate settings. But here’s the catch: You won’t know  who  the artists are or  where  the show is at until a day before the show.

Here’s what you will know:

• Each Sofar Sounds show features  3 different musicians  of varying genres.
• The show will be in a  cool and intimate secret venue . Think a museum, a distillery, a rooftop, or even a private home.
• The booking page will provide  clues about what you can expect , like if it’s an outdoor show or located at a residential venue.
• When you purchase a ticket,  you’ll know the neighborhood and the date .
• The  location and artists will be revealed 36 hours before the show .

Sound like your idea of fun?  (Personally, we think it’s such a cool idea!)

See the calendar of upcoming events and  purchase tickets here .

24. View Seattle from above

While our personal favorite view of Seattle is totally free (Kerry Park #8 on this list!), there are some really iconic views above the city if you don’t mind paying an admission fee.

• Space Needle

Perhaps the most famous “view above Seattle”, this is also the most expensive viewpoint. If you really want to ride to the top of the Space Needle (check off that bucket list, baby!), we’d recommend getting the Seattle CityPASS or at least pairing your admission with entrance to the Chihuly Garden and Glass to save some money.

Seattle Great Wheel

Riding the famed ferris wheel on Pier 57 will grant you unique views of the city.

Sky View Observatory

Located on the 73rd story of the Columbia Tower, this is the tallest viewpoint you’ll get of Seattle. At $28 for standard admission, it is slightly cheaper than the Space Needle, plus, you’ll actually get to see the Space Needle from above.

Smith Tower Observatory

This is our personal favorite “view from above” for two reasons. First, at $19 for general admission, it’s one of the more affordable options.

Secondly (and most importantly, in our opinion!), there is a cool speakeasy bar in the Smith Observatory, so you can enjoy a cocktail with a view at 35 stories high !

Tip for saving money in Seattle

If this is your first visit to Seattle, and you really want to see all the top attractions, you’ll likely want to get a CityPASS. 

This includes admission to both:

Seattle Aquarium

Plus, you get admission 3 more attractions of your choice:

• Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour
• Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
• Woodland Park Zoo

Use the CityPASS website to calculate how much money you’ll save versus visiting all of the attractions on their own.

25. Tour the Boeing Factory

As a former engineer, Ben was super excited to see the Boeing Factory in Everett. And his nerdy side was on full display during the tour!

But even for me (a non-engineer!), it was pretty cool to see these massive machines being built section by section.

The tour was pretty informative and at the end there are plenty of hands on displays, like a walk through section of the International Space Station that Boeing built.

This a great family-friendly museum and a fun thing to do in Seattle (just a short drive north of the city center). Get more information about the tour and purchase tickets here .

26. Explore the Seattle waterfront

Seattle’s waterfront is comprised of piers filled with seafood joints, souvenir shops, and some of the popular “touristy attractions”, like the Seattle Aquarium, Olympic Sculpture Park and the Seattle Great Wheel.

Olympic Sculpture Park

This park is located on Seattle’s waterfront and features modern sculptures set against a backdrop of the Olympic Mountains, Puget Sound, and of course, the Space Needle.

This is one of 3 facilities operated by the Seattle Art Museum, and admission is totally free !

So grab a cup ‘a Joe and wander the Olympic Sculpture Park to your heart’s content.

Located on the waterfront, this aquarium is a popular place to see marine life from the Puget Sound and the ocean. This is another attraction included in the Seattle CityPASS .

27. Eat fresh seafood

You can’t get much closer to the ocean than Seattle. Whenever we’re close to the source, we use it as an excuse to eat all things seafood! 

Pike Place Market is a good place to see the fresh catch of the day, and here are some of the city’s most loved seafood joints:

• Elliott’s Oyster House
• Salty’s on Alki Beach
• The Crab Pot
• Boat Bar  (formerly Bar Melusine)
• Six Seven Restaurant
• Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar
• Ivar’s Acres of Clams

28. Get your game on at the Seattle Pinball Museum

This is quite possibly the best interactive museum in Seattle (it is full of pinball machines after all!). The founders simply wanted people to know about and play vintage pinball games, and you can choose from their collection of more than 50 pinball games.

Entry is $15 for adults and $12 for kids (7-12 years old) for unlimited play!

29. Walk around Green Lake

Green Lake is a neighborhood in Seattle just north of Fremont and Wallingford, and is centered around the lake after which it was named.

The 2.8-mile trail around the body of water is popular with the locals – runners, bikers and dogs – and makes the perfect way to enjoy a nice day. 

Grab a coffee from one of the many cute cafes around and soak up those Seattle vibes!

30. Chill out at a secret waterfall

Waterfall Garden Park is a little hidden oasis and a nice escape from the concrete jungle that surrounds it. The main draw to this secluded little park is the 22-foot artificial waterfall, which is totally unexpected in the middle of Pioneer Square.

With a handful of chairs, this is a nice place to enjoy lunch or rest your weary feet after a morning of walking. 

Fun fact:  This park is on the site of the original United Parcel Service headquarters, which was built in 1907.

More info:  Directions and hours for the Waterfall Garden Park . 

31. Play in tide pools at Golden Gardens Park

Exploring tide pools is a fun PNW experience, but you probably wouldn’t expect to be able to do this within the Seattle city limit! Located in the Ballard neighborhood,  Golden Gardens Park  has tide pools to explore and a nice beach for relaxing or for sitting around a bonfire (in an approved pit) at night. 

More info:  This website has  current tide information .

32. Toast with a handcrafted cocktail at 35 stories high

We love a good rooftop bar… err, in this case, a skyscraper-top bar!

Nestled on the 35th floor of Smith Tower, there is both an observatory and speakeasy-style bar . 

We’d recommend coming for happy hour (Wednesday-Friday from 3-6pm) for a daily $10 cocktail special and $2 off all beer, wine, and well drinks. There’s also a small menu of light bites, like Brussels sprouts and pork belly bao buns. 

So ride up that elevator and order a Smith Tower Signature Old Fashioned to enjoy with the 360-degree views. Cheers!

33. Visit the Volunteer Park Conservatory

Volunteer Park Conservatory is a lovely escape for one of Seattle’s notoriously rainy days. With all sorts of plants from around the world, this is a perfect place to wander indoors for an hour. (Aka the perfect rainy day activity!)

Interesting Fact: Just a short walk north of the conservatory, you can find Bruce Lee’s grave in Volunteer Park.

Hours:  10 a.m. – 4 p.m., closed Mondays

Tip:  When you’re done exploring the park, head to nearby  Volunteer Park Café & Pantry  – a lovely place to relax in a window seat and enjoy coffee and a quiche or pastry.

34. Walk through an edible forest

Located in Beacon Hill, this is no ordinary park.  Beacon Food Forest  is run by volunteers and supported by the community.

The mission of this “Food Forest” is to encourage members of the community to learn to grow and share food. Everyone is welcome here.

35. Kayak or SUP on Lake Union

With so many nearby bodies of water – we’re lookin’ at you, Lake Washington, Lake Union, Green Lake, and the Puget Sound! – one of the best things to do in Seattle (on a nice day!) is to get on the water.

Our favorite (and most affordable) ways to do this is to rent a kayak or a stand-up paddle board and enjoy being outside in such a beautiful city.

On a clear day, you’ll have a stunning view of Mount Rainier from Lake Union . Can’t beat it!

Psst! Green Lake is also a nice spot for a SUP ride!

36. Tour the Theo Chocolate Factory

Theo Chocolate is a proud Seattle-based company , and you’ll find this brand of chocolate highlighted in ice cream flavors and desserts all over town.

This bean-to-bar company started as just a little operation in 2006, and now makes international sales.

If you’re a chocolate fanatic, or just love getting a the behind-the-scenes glimpse of how things are made, touring the Theo Chocolate Factory will be a treat, literally and figuratively.

This hour-long interactive experience brings you through the origins of cacao to how the raw material is turned into the chocolatey bars you know and love. And yes you’ll get to test the product!

• Tours are offered daily from 11am – 4:30pm 
• Tickets cost $14 per person
• Book your Theo Chocolate Factory Experience

37. Explore the quirky Fremont neighborhood 

Situated on the north shore of Lake Union, Fremont is our favorite neighborhood in Seattle .

A little quirky, packed with cute shops, cafes and breweries, and filled with unique things to do, we’d recommend carving out at least part of a day to exploring this area.

Here are some of our favorite things to do in Fremont:

• Find the Fremont Troll – it is a landmark of this neighborhood
• Grab Caribbean sandwiches at Paseo
• Tour the Theo Chocolate Factory
• Shop local at the Fremont Sunday Street Market
• Picnic in Gas Works Park
• Glimpse the houseboats in the marina and imagine what it’s like living there… (we have our “dream houseboats” picked out!). 
• Sample local beer at Fremont Brewing
• Get unique views of the city from the waterfront

38. Hike to Rattlesnake Ledge for an epic view

If you want to escape the city and get your heart pumping, Rattlesnake Ledge hike might be right up your alley. This 5-mile round trip trek has nearly a 1,500 foot elevation gain and offers spectacular views of the lake below.

Just a 40-minute drive from downtown Seattle to the parking lot, this hike can easily be done in half a day. 

Be prepared to share the trail with others, as this is one of the most popular  day hikes near Seattle . 

It’s worth noting that there are a few viewpoints, the first being the most crowded by far. If you continue on to the upper lookout, you have a good chance of finding solitude.

We were there on a very busy Saturday in the summer, and we had the upper viewpoint completely to ourselves for a while. It was definitely worth the extra few minutes of hiking.

Before you go:  Find a complete guide to hiking Rattlesnake Ledge on our sister site for more information.

39. Build a bonfire on the beach

Building a bonfire on the beach is one of our all-time favorite summer traditions. 

Beginning at the end of May through the summer months, Golden Gardens Park is the perfect place to enjoy a proper Pacific Northwest sunset with your own beach bonfire. 

Fire pits are unlocked between 4-5pm daily , and are available on a first come first served basis. You must extinguish your fire by 9:30pm.

Insider Tip: For a great (and convenient) dinner option, head to nearby Sunny Hill and grab a takeaway pizza for your bonfire-slash-sunset viewing pleasure!

40. Walk to the lighthouse at Discovery Park

With nearly 12 miles of walking trails, Discovery Park is the largest park in the city. It’s a great place to feel like you’ve escaped the traffic and buildings without leaving the city limits. 

Discovery Park is a great place for birdwatching and spotting harbor seals and sea lions, but one of the biggest draws is the West Point Lighthouse, which is an excellent spot for sunset.

Bring a picnic lunch and a blanket and enjoy this peaceful setting.

Good to know:  The lighthouse is located 1.5 miles from the parking lot, so be prepared for a bit of a walk!

41. Scope out street art in the city

While not quite as prominent as some other major cities, there is still quite a bit of street art to check out in Seattle.

While you’ll find some here and there without really looking for it, but  this interactive map  will be helpful if you want to intentionally find some artworks.

And for the highest concentration of murals in the city, head to the SODO Track. Standing for “South of Downtown”, this 2-mile section of railroad track has been turned into what people are calling an “urban art gallery”. This project was created by 60 different artists from 20 countries, and is quite a sight to see.

You can view this collection of 50+ works of art two different ways:

• “SODO Busway & S Royal Brougham Way”
• “SODO Busway Acrd & S Spokane”
• According to the SODO website, “The SODO Trail runs from Royal Brougham to S Forest Street on the east side of the SODO Busway.”

Related Reading:  Check out this article if you’re  traveling solo in Seattle !

42. Marvel at the Chihuly Glass exhibit

Celebrated worldwide for his glasswork, Dale Chihuly was born in Tacoma, Washington and this long-term exhibit is a great place to see much of his colorful, awe-inspiring art in the center of Seattle. Adults and children can both appreciate his whimsical style.

For ticket prices, hours and events,  check out the official website .

Money-Saving Tip:  The Seattle CityPASS  includes admission to the Chihuly Garden and Glass as one of the options.

43. Spend the evening at a dueling piano bar

Keys on Main is a dueling piano bar that makes a fun and unique way to spend a night in Seattle!

Open Thursday – Saturday evenings, shows start at 9 pm each night, and reservations are recommended. 

Insider Tip: If it works with your visit, we’d recommend coming on a Thursday because there is no cover charge.

44. Channel your inner nerd at a board game cafe

Any other Settlers of Catan fans? Or what about Ticket to Ride? How about Code Names?

We love playing board games, and have become kind of obsessed with seeking out board game cafes around the world where we can test out new games or polish our skills with our tried-and-true favorites.

Cozying up in a board game cafe with a pint of beer (or a coffee) is the perfect way to spend one of those ubiquitous rainy Seattle days.

With two locations in the city (one in Ballard and the other in Bellevue),  Mox Boarding House  is a local favorite. And if you come hungry, there’s a menu of tasty snacks and drinks to keep you fueled for throughout your gaming! 

45. Get your groove on to some live music

Seattle is known as the birthplace of grunge music, but the music scene has evolved over the last few decades to encompass a much wider range of genres.

From huge acts that sell out KeyArena to little-known artists performing in intimate venues, there’s live music for every taste.

There are tons of live music venues throughout the city, but here are just two of our favorites:

• The Showbox:  This is one of the better venues in town, and many big name performers coming through town. There are two locations, one on 1st Ave and another in SoDo so make sure you know where your show is (we made that mistake). Find out which artists are coming to town soon on the Showbox Schedule . 
• Stone Way Café:  This laidback cafe serves food, coffee and beer, and hosts live music weekly as well as open mic sessions. Every day they have someone new come to play, so make sure to  check out their schedule  on their Facebook. 

46. Catch a cabaret show at The Pink Door

If you like unique dining experiences ,  The Pink Door will tickle your fancy. This intimate venue has a spectacular view of Seattle, is known for excellent Italian-American food and has an eclectic mix of nightly entertainment.

From live music to their famous cabaret & burlesque shows on Saturdays that feature aerial artists,  be sure to make reservations in advance  for the bar area.  

We dined here on our anniversary and everything from the wine selection to the food to the entertainment was fantastic.

Note:  Photography is not allowed during the aerial performances, so we couldn’t get a shot to share with you. She used that pink satin material behind me for her performance, so you can get an idea of where it was.

47. Eat your way around the world

Seattle is home to a vibrant foodie scene, and you’ll be able to taste flavors from around the world.

Here are just a handful of our favorites:

• Tacos Chukis : authentic Mexican fare at  (multiple locations)
• Ba Bar : upscale Vietnamese with a buzzy atmosphere
• Bangrak Market or Pestle Rock : both have excellent Thai fare (order the Khao Soi!)
• Paseo : Caribbean sandwiches in Fremont
• Brouwer’s Cafe : Belgian-style pub grub plus hundreds of beers in a former warehouse
• Ramen DANBO : excellent ramen in Capitol Hill
• Seoul Tofu & Jjim : authentically delicious Korean food

48. Go on an Art Walk

If you’re a fan of the arts, keep reading because an art walk might be the perfect experience to add to your trip to Seattle.

Pioneer Square Art Walk

If you happen to be in Seattle on the first Thursday of the month, don’t miss the Pioneer Square Art Walk, which will introduce you to this city’s art community.

Explore small exhibitions and working artist studios while you mingle with others who also have a heart for art. Check out the  official website for more details  and information about free parking!

Ballard Second Saturday Art Walk

If you’re visiting Seattle on the second Saturday of the month, head to Ballard for a fun way to spend a couple of hours!  Here’s more info .

Really love art? You could also make a visit to the Seattle Art Museum to make your art-loving-heart sing!

49. Feel like a local in Ballard

If you want to ditch the touristy areas and are in search of some excellent (and affordable!) eats, head to the Ballard neighborhood.

With a variety of world cuisines, dive bars, and adorable coffee shops, you can’t go wrong.

Here are some recommendations in the Ballard neighborhood:

• Ballard Coffeeworks :  sweet coffee shop
• Reuben’s Brews :  taproom with local vibes
• Asadero Ballard :  authentic Mexican, reservations recommended
• Pestle Rock :  Thai cuisine
• Hattie’s Hat Restaurant :  local diner, long-loved for their brunch and homey digs

50. Go brewery hopping

If you’re searching for where to have drinks in Seattle and you love craft beer as much as we do, you’ll be one happy lad or lass in the Emerald City! With an abundance of taprooms, you won’t need to walk far for a high-quality pint.

Here are some of our favorite breweries in Seattle:

• Fremont Brewing :  With a cozy fireplace, a nice outdoor area, and free pretzels and local apples to munch on, Fremont Brewing happens to be one of our favorites. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that they have a huge selection of tasty brews that made us never want to leave. Try the nitro porter and the double IPA, or order a flight for a real party!
• Georgetown Brewing Co :  This brewery has one of our all-time favorite IPAs: Bodhizafa. If you’re an IPA fan like we are, definitely give this one a try, You won’t be disappointed!
• Cloudburst Brewing :  Creatively-named tasty beers, walking distance to Pike Place Market and always willing to “down-pour” you a brew.
• Stoup Brewing :  Located in West Woodland and created by scientists, this local brewery has beers that will tickle your taste buds. They have a daily food truck and an outdoor patio as well!
• Reuben’s Brews :  This award winning brewery is a staple in Seattle. They serve delicious beers from their taphouse in West Woodland.

51. Experience Capitol Hill’s nightlife scene

If you’re looking for a fun night out on the town, the Capitol Hill neighborhood is where you’ll want to head.

Often referred to as Seattle’s “coolest neighborhood”, Capitol Hill is known as the city’s LGBTQ epicenter. 

During the day, it offers a mixture of green space, trendy brunch spots, and al the boutiques your shopping-loving heart could desire. 

But if it’s nightlife you’re after, this neighborhood really turns it up on all fronts. Enjoy a slow dinner at one of the many buzzy, atmospheric restaurants, then mosey into any bar that strikes your fancy — you’ll find all types of scenes in this neighborhood!

52. Order a handcrafted cocktail at a speakeasy

For a not so typical night on the town, try out one of Seattle’s “secret bars” – from prohibition-inspired speakeasies that require a password for entry to hidden bars that serve cocktails handcrafted especially for your tastes and mood, check out this list of  Seattle’s coolest secret bars .

We’re big fans of speakeasies, so next time we’re in Seattle you better believe we’re going to check one out. Needle & Thread is the first one on our list!

53. Laugh the night away at a comedy show

For a unique take on nightlife in the city, get your laugh on at one of Seattle’s many comedy clubs. 

Get a hit of dopamine as you enjoy stand-up or improv. From free open-mic nights at local pubs to big national comedians that perform in the hippest clubs, there’s likely a comedy show taking place during your visit that’ll suit your budget and sense of humor. 

Check out  this collective calendar  that displays all upcoming shows at the comedy clubs around Seattle.

54. Play bocce ball in a Beer Hall

If you’re looking for a fun and low key place to spend a night in Seattle, Rhein Haus should be on your radar.

This beer hall seems like it belongs in Germany instead of the PNW, but hey, we’re not complaining. With a bocce ball court, a fire pit, house made sausages and pretzels, as well as a long list of beers to choose from, Rhein Haus is a great place to spend a night in Seattle.

55. Explore Seattle’s underground tunnels

Did you know that Seattle has a network of underground tunnels beneath the city? Yeah, we didn’t know about this until our 4th visit! 

Here’s the (short) story behind the “underground”: 

There was a great fire in 1889 that destroyed much of downtown Seattle , which consisted mostly of wooden buildings on top of a somewhat muddy street that would often flood.

When rebuilding the city, it was decided that all construction would be made of brick or stone, and that they would build the new city one story above the muddy streets.

The “underground” is what remains of old storefronts and sidewalks that were later closed in during this process. If you’re a history buff, this tour sounds like it’ll be right up your alley. 

This tour lasts for 75 minutes and brings you on an informative walk through portions of the “underground” and costs $22 for adults .

56. Get spooked on a ghost tour

If you love all things creepy, you might want to book the Spooked in Seattle Ghost Tour.

While we haven’t personally done it, the rave reviews speak for themselves. Plus, the tour has won national praise, so if you want a good spook, it might be worth checking out! 

The Pioneer Square Ghost Tour is their most popular offering. A guide will bring you through historic streets and share real stories of murder and supposed hauntings throughout the city.

The 90-minute tour concludes with a brief walk in the famed underground (explained above) and costs $18 for adults.

57. Marvel at the architecture at Seattle Central Library

Love the smell of a library? Yeah, me too.

The Seattle Public Library has more than the good ol’ book smell – the architecture here is surprisingly stunning.

Come to take a gander at this 11-story glass and steel marvel , and see how good the books look soaked in all that natural light!

58. Relax in a tiki themed soaking pool

McMenamin’s properties are known for being quirky and fun, and the North Shore Lagoon is no exception.

This former school has been turned into a tiki bar with gourmet pub grub, rum cocktails and a large pool.

It costs $7.50 for adults to enter the pool, and the facility is family friendly. No reservations needed, just show up!

59. Take a hike

With its unique location in the Pacific Northwest, easy access to lots of green spaces, rugged mountain trails and even waterfalls, Seattle is a great base for some epic day hikes. 

Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast or a beginner hiker looking to escape the concrete jungle for a day, you’ll find plenty of great hiking opportunities near Seattle. In fact, we rounded up a list of the best day hikes near Seattle for all experience levels and interests over on our sister site.

60. Catch a perfect Seattle sunset

Being that Seattle is situated on the west coast, this city is full of spectacular sunset viewpoints .

Try to catch at least one (hopefully more!) during your trip to Seattle, because it is a sight you won’t soon forget!

Best places for sunset in Seattle:

• Alki Beach (pictured above) : sweeping views of the bay from a beach, with nearby restaurants
• Discovery Park Lighthouse: feel a world away from the city at the rustic beach here
• Kerry Park: views over the city as the sky changes colors
• Golden Gardens Park: build a bonfire on the beach to enjoy sunset
• Smith Tower: 35th story views with an onsite speakeasy

61. Go whale watching and spot orcas

If you’re a fan of sea creatures, you may want to add whale watching to your Seattle bucket list!

Whale watching has always been a dream of mine, and we finally made it come true in the waters just north of Seattle, near the San Juan Islands.

While San Juan Island is a destination in itself and could be the perfect place to relax for a few days, it is possible to do a  whale watching day tour  in the Puget Sound (leaving directly from Seattle).

62. Cruise Puget Sound

Seattle’s unique location in the Puget Sound makes the perfect opportunity to hop on a boat and see the city from the water. 

There are a variety of different cruise options — from cocktail sailing trips to quick 1-hour harbor cruises that highlight the city’s top landmarks.

Psst! If you get the Seattle CityPASS , the Argosy Harbor Cruise is included in your purchase.

63. Create your own Seattle winery tour

You don’t have to go to Napa Valley to go winery hopping…

Washington is getting a lot more credit recently for the fantastic wines that are coming out of this state, and visiting the vineyards is totally doable as a day trip from Seattle.

In fact, just a quick 25-minute drive northeast of Seattle is Woodinville Wine Country, which boasts more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms , as well as 14 breweries, cideries and distilleries, and 30 restaurants. With so many choices, making your own Seattle winery tour has never been easier!

You’ll feel like you’re a world away from the big city but can return to Seattle in time for dinner reservations!

Do it yourself: The Woodinville Wine Country website will be super helpful in planning your day.

64. Find zen in the Washington Park Arboretum

Situated along the shores of Lake Washington , the Washington Park Arboretum is a 230-acre oasis, featuring native plants, rare trees and even a Japanese garden .

This is a nice place to come for a picnic or to get away from the hustle of downtown.

65. Go skiing (or snowboarding!) near Seattle

We figured we couldn’t share a list of the top things to do in Seattle without including skiing…

If you’re visiting Seattle in the wintertime, you’re in luck because there is some excellent skiing (and snowboarding!) not far from the city center.

There are 3 resorts near Seattle that offer fantastic skiing . They all have slightly different terrain and vibes, so read the descriptions and choose the one that suits your preference (and time frame). 

• The Summit at Snoqualmie :  1 hour away – This resort is just off the highway and is the closest skiing to Seattle.
• Stevens Pass Ski Resort :  90 minutes away – This is our favorite ski resort near Seattle, because it really feels like you’re a world away from the city. (Oh, and we worked there for a winter season, so we’re biased!)
• Crystal Mountain Ski Resort :  2 hours away – Slightly more upscale than the other two resorts, Crystal is the largest ski resort in Washington state.

How does one even begin to sum up places to eat in Seattle — a city with an incredible and ever-changing food scene ?

Answer: You can’t simply sum it up.

This list is far from exhaustive, but it highlights some of our personal favorite spots (as well as some restaurants that are on our own bucket list!).

So if you’re looking for a rec from two cool travel bloggers (wink, wink!), here ya go…

• Bar Harbor : for lobster rolls and chowder on an outdoor deck
• Market House Meats : famously good Reuben
• Oddfellows Cafe & Bar : great brunch spot 
• Volunteer Park Cafe & Pantry : this spot earns the coziest cafe award (in our opinion!)
• Find creative sandwiches at Slab Sandwich (& yummy cookies!) or HoneyHole (casual, dive atmosphere) 
• Off the Rez : Native American fry bread tacos in a trendy setting 

Perfect Seattle itineraries

There are so many things to do in Seattle for every type of traveler. But with so much to do, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to plan your time. 

We decided to give you a little head start and create the  perfect Seattle itinerary for each type of traveler . You’re welcome!

Top Seattle Attractions

If you’re planning your very first trip to Seattle, Washington, these are some of the  top sights to include on your trip.

• Pike Place Public Market
• E-bike tour
• Drink Seattle coffee
• Chihuly Glass exhibit

Foodie Experiences in Seattle

Seattle is consistently ranked as one of the  top food cities in America  and for good reason! Below we’re sharing all of the best things to do in Seattle for foodies (including some can’t-miss drinks to try as well!).

• Sample Seattle’s best ice cream 
• Cabaret Show at The Pink Door
• Authentic Vietnamese food
• Eat your way around Ballard
• Go brewery hopping
• Seattle’s “Secret Bars”
• Eat fresh seafood

Free Things to do in Seattle

If you’re a budget traveler, we’ve got all sorts of  free things to fill your time in Seattle .

• Fremont Troll
• Post Alley Gum Wall
• Best view of Seattle at Kerry Park
• Picnic in Gasworks Park
• Go on a Free Walking Tour
• Scope out street art 

Outdoor Adventures in Seattle

If you’re a  nature lover , these experiences should be top of your list.

• Hike to Rattlesnake Ledge 
• Discovery Park
• Kayak or SUP on Lake Union
• Hot air balloon ride beside Mount Rainier 
• Snoqualmie Falls & Twin Falls
• Tide Pools at Golden Gardens Park
• Bonfire on the beach

Things to do on a rainy day in Seattle

If you happen to be in Seattle on one of the notoriously drizzly days, fret not – there are  plenty of rainy day activities!

• Boeing Factory
• Seattle Pinball Museum
• MUSEUM of Pop Culture (MPOP)
• Board Game Cafe
• Play bocce ball in a Beer Hall
• Comedy Show
• Seattle’s Underground Tunnels

TOP RECOMMENDATIONS: Our Personal Seattle Favorites

If we had to choose  our very favorite things to do in Seattle , this list would be it! Spread them over a few days, and  boom  — you’ve got yourself the perfect weekend in Seattle! 

• Go on a Food Tour 
• Seattle winery tour
• Handcrafted cocktails at Seattle’s “Secret Bars”

Best day trips from Seattle

With the mountains to the east and the ocean to the west, Seattle has the best of both worlds when it comes to adventuring.

There are plenty of opportunities for day-trips (or weekend getaways!) near Seattle. We even have an entire guide to all of the very best day trips from Seattle (packed with all sorts of tips!).

But if you’re looking for a quick list, here are some of our favorites…

Bainbridge Island & Poulsbo

Taking the ferry across Puget Sound between Seattle and Bainbridge Island is a great way to view the city and feel the high energy of the port.

Bainbridge and the surrounding islands have lots of fun things to do and see, and it’s one way to get down to the Olympic Peninsula (see the next tip!). One of our favorite stops in the region is the cute Norwegian themed town of Poulsbo .

Olympic Peninsula

The Olympic Peninsula is a perfect place to escape the city, if even just for a short time! The Olympic Mountains jut up next to rugged sandy shores where the ocean laps wildly. And temperate rainforests dotted with waterfalls, create a lush and infinitely green cocoon for anyone who enters. 

It is a place unlike any we’ve explored, and there are endless adventures to be had. We’ve got an Guide to Olympic National Park  to help plan your visit!

Mount Rainier National Park

This is perhaps our very favorite US National Park. Its proximity to Seattle makes it easy for a day trip, but if you have time, try to spend a few days here – you won’t regret it!

From easily accessible viewpoints to multi-day treks, there are  hikes at Mt Rainier  for everyone in this true gem of a national park. 

North Cascades National Park

Washington is home to North Cascades National Park, one of the least-visited National Parks in the country. With its rugged mountains, breathtaking viewpoints, and epic hiking trails, it’s hard to understand why so few visitors actually make it here.

We’d recommend packing camping equipment and spending a night (or 3!) because there is just so much to see in this area. But if you can’t make much room in your schedule, it’s possible to visit the National Park on a day trip as it’s just 2.5 hours away. 

Use our guide to North Cascades National Park to help you plan your visit.

Rent a Campervan and Explore outside of Seattle

Seattle is the hub for all types of adventure that is waiting for you, either in the mountains or near the sound. And, in our opinion, the best way to get out there is to travel by campervan.

Check out our list of top companies for Seattle campervan rentals or  USA campervan rentals , from budget to bougie. We’ve even included some  exclusive discounts for our readers!

One company we’d recommend looking into is  Escape Campervans . They have 12 different locations across North America and come fully loaded with all the gear you need for an epic road trip. Plus, their rates are fair and affordable.

BONUS:  We’ve partnered with them to give you a  10% off discount when you use our  link !

Where to Stay in Seattle

With a rapidly-growing population, Seattle is a city that is ever-expanding. While the ocean lies to the west and mountains to the east, there are many towns to the north and south that are seemingly connected to Seattle, and you’ll run right into them if you keep driving.

But if you want to stay somewhat close to the city center, these are the neighborhoods we’d recommend. They each have their own unique draws and personality, so read the description and see which neighborhoods sounds like the best fit for you.

Seattle neighborhoods:

Psst! We have a whole article dedicated to helping you choose  where to stay in Seattle !

• Fremont:  This is one of our favorite neighborhoods to explore. It has a quirky, laidback vibe and there are lots of cool cafes, coffee shops, breweries and boutiques that you can walk to.
• Green Lake & Wallingford:  This area has lots of small shops and parks around the lake, and staying here will make you feel like a local. And just a short drive away from downtown, it’s a laidback base for your Seattle trip
• West Seattle:  If you’re looking for a laidback stay near the water, West Seattle might be just the perfect spot. Alki Beach is lined with cute coffee shops and is especially nice during the summertime.
• Capitol Hill:  This is the LGBTQ epicenter and a great place for both partying and brunching, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that Capitol Hill is often referred to as “Seattle’s coolest neighborhood”.
• Ballard:  Hip spot for foodies and hipsters alike. Find quirky boutiques, thrift stores, bookshops, and lots of bars and restaurants to choose from.
• Pioneer Square:  Close to lots of major attractions, this is the birthplace of Seattle and is a good spot to base yourself if you don’t have a car.
• Belltown:  Just north of the center of downtown, this is a lively and well-situated neighborhood that is very close to Pikes Place Market and other major tourist attractions.
• Queen Anne:  This neighborhood has two distinctly different sections; Lower Queen Anne is more lively, with bars and the Seattle Center (where you can find the Space Needle, among other attractions). Upper Queen Anne on the other hand, is quieter and has historic houses and shopping streets with quirky boutiques.

Hotels in Seattle:

High-End/Luxury Hotel:   Fairmont Olympic Hotel  – The best Seattle has to offer. Perfect for the business traveler or a weekend splurge.

Mid-Range/Couple Stay:   11th Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast  – Lovely B&B in a great location on Capitol Hill.

Budget/Social Hotel:   Green Tortoise Hostel Seattle  – Steps away from Pike Place Market, this hostel has a social atmosphere and a good breakfast.

Airbnbs in Seattle:

Airbnb is also a good choice to save money while staying in Seattle. Check out our list of Airbnbs we’ve either personally stayed in or would book ourselves below. Or, browse all of the  Seattle Airbnb listings  to find one that’s in your budget and in your preferred neighborhood.

Here’s just a small selection of the amazing quality of Airbnbs in Seattle:

Studio Apartment Pioneer Square 201 :  1-bedroom apartment with exposed brick walls and fantastic reviews, sits in a perfect location in Pioneer Square. You’ll be able to walk everywhere! 

Tranquil Secluded Studio Steps from Woodland Park :  This tiny house has a great location just south of Woodland Park. Check yourself in and out and enjoy being in a quiet neighborhood. 

Artsy Charmer in Center of Cap Hill :  Everything you need for a weekend in Seattle. Small space but a great location with a kitchen. (We also stayed here!)

Cozy Private Loft Apt with Balcony :  You’ll get this quirky loft with a balcony all to yourself. It has a great location near Pike and Pine.

Vintage Loft with Historic Features in Vibrant Capitol Hill:  This chic loft is an Airbnb Plus property that can fit 4 guests. It comes with a full kitchen, 2 bed and 2 bathrooms. Located on the edge of Capitol Hill within walking distance to shops, restaurants and bars. 

Bonus!  We have loads of info on how to book Airbnbs, red flags to watch out for when booking, and our favorite Airbnbs in our  Airbnb article .

Seattle has a massive metro area and quite a few neighborhoods to explore. We’re sharing the best ways to get around in Seattle:

If you are flying into SEA, you can pick up a rental car after you land. Seattle Airport has an off-site Rental Car Facility that connects to the airport via a free shuttle. 

We usually reserve cars through  Booking.com (formerly RentalCars.com) because we have used them before and they have the best deals for rental cars. When searching I found deals around $38 per day for a standard sedan, which is all you would need in Seattle.

Warning:  Make sure your hotel or Airbnb has parking (hopefully free parking) because spaces get pretty tight in Seattle. 

Uber or Lyft

If you plan to have a few beverages out in the city, don’t risk driving. Instead, order an Uber or Lyft to get you where you need to go. Downtown Seattle decently sized but you can get to and from most places pretty quickly.

Seattle is very well connected city when it comes to public transportation. They have buses, light rails trains, street cars, and monorails throughout the city.

A typical one-way fare is between $2.25 to $3 depending on how far you go.  There are apps to find a route and time schedules (like the Trip Planner App from King County), but we prefer to use Google Maps to plan out our trips. 

Bicycle Rental

There are actually quite a few bike share programs around the city, so if you feel most comfortable on two wheels, go ahead and give it a spin!

Are you planning a trip to Washington?

We’ve had the privilege of calling Washington state “home” for a while and we have tons of resources to help you plan your trip. Start with our Washington homepage and be sure to check out the articles below. Leave us a comment if you have any more questions!

• You’ll wanna read up on where to stay in Seattle and keep this guide to the best Airbnbs in Seattle handy.
• These day trips from Seattle make for nice retreats from the city. 
• Don’t miss the cutest little town in the state: Leavenworth (we lived there for 8 months and have all the local secrets!).
• Keep this Washington National Parks guide close by. 
• Read this if you’re planning a trip to Olympic National Park !
• Start checking these Mt Rainier hikes off your bucket list. 
• And don’t miss the incredible things to in Washington State (our favorite US state!).

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We want to hear from you!

Of our top things to do in Seattle, which activities are you most excited about? How would you spend a weekend there? It’s your choice, now start planning. Let us know your perfect weekend in Seattle in the comments below!

Comments (49) on “ 65 Crazy Fun Things To Do in Seattle ”

I live in Seattle and have done all of this list. Beautifully done! I would like to add taking an electric boat on Lake Union, docking at Ivars for fish and chips. Don’t worry they are like driving a golf cart. You can see the houseboats up close. French toast at Geraldine’s in Columbia Center with a movie at Ark Lodge. Foot ferry from downtown to West Seattle and Marination Mai Kai and bike or walk to Alki Beach. White Center for FOOD! In season ghe Ice Cream Tour Lake Union!

This is BY FAR the most informative article I’ve seen yet! I’ve been wanting to visit Seattle for a very long time and, I’m finally planning the trip. I couldn’t have asked for a better resource. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!!!

Thank you for all the great recommendations!! We spent 3 weeks in Seattle and used your guide a lot 🙂 Our favorite places to eat were the Oddfellows Cafe and Ba Bar (we went back twice!). We loved the Whale watching tour (Maya’s Legacy from San Juan is the best!), the Japanese garden, Theo chocolate factory, the Twin Falls hike, the Smith Tower, the Chihuly gardens and the MoPoP! Couple of comments: 1) Would suggest visiting San Juan island and trying the seaplane to get there (Kenmore Air). This was for sure the key highlight of our stay! 2) Another amazing visit is the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge island. Definitely recommended! 3) Note that you cannot see the Space Needle from the Smith Tower observatory, but it was still a great experience! Also, I would say the Space Needle was amazing with its unique rotating floor – also highly recommended. 4) You can book a tea ceremony at the Japanese Garden (usually only on weekends) and that was also an incredible experience! 5) Unfortunately Theo chocolate factory will close at the end of August 2023 but the retail store will stay and is worth a visit! (They also organize chocolate workshops). 6) Unfortunately the Boeing factory tour is closed since Covid-19 and not sure when it will re-open… 7) A trip to Victoria, Canada, is highly recommended via boat (the Clipper) or plane. Thanks!!

seatle is a gem, didnt know all the listed are found in seatle, certainly a must visit place

wow !!! seatle seems underated interms of places to visit and things to do , this article is such a ahuge eye opener.

This is by far the best travel blog for a city I have ever seen and I travel a TON. THANK YOU!

Great list! Seattle has so many amazing things to see and do.

Thanks for this!!! So very much appreciated. I’m visiting from Maui with my family for a girls trip and we are sooo excited for our visit, we arrive on Monday!!! Keep up the good work, this was super helpful and ignore the negative Nancy’s (Nunyas) 🙂 MAHALO NUI LOA

this amazing

I heard that pandas live their!

This is so stupid. Horrible suggestions. Are you seriously telling people that drinking coffee in the morning is a “Crazy Fun Thing”. Be so fr and give actual fun things. And all these people in the comments saying this is helpful, don’t lie to yourself hun. Nothing about this is helpful. If anything its irritating. If you’re not gonna post real entertainment ideas then don’t post at all. You’re embarrassing yourself.

OMG NUNYA! YOU ARE SO SELF-ABSORBED! I CANT EVEN WITH YOU! THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PUT THIS WEBSITE TOGETHER HAVE WORKED SO HARD! BFFR

Thanks PandaGirl for having our back 😉 We appreciate it! We hope your trip planning to Seattle is going well. Please reach out if you have any questions!

Hey Nunya, thanks for your comment. While it might not be the “Crazy Fun Thing” you were expecting, there is a HUGE coffee culture in Seattle, and definitely worth checking into.

As with most comments on our site (and especially ones like yours), we leave them up. You had a choice to write a comment, no one made you. And you chose negativity when most others choose positivity. This is a great reminder to us that there is way more positivity in this world than negativity, so thank you for your comment and we hope you have a great day!

Awesome response!

Who pissed in your cereal Nunya?!?

Great post! The bubble gum one is quite interesting LOL!

Wow…very informative pieces of information you have provided in this blog. Must read blog before visiting in Seattle.

I have been following you for a long time, whatever blog or article you post. I read your post because your post is very useful and effective. I think I will share it with everyone I know. If a person wants to travel by air, whether in the USA or any other country, we will help him book his flight.

Thank you! Used this post as a jumping off point for a Seattle trip in August.

Seattle is a beautiful place recommended to all the people

CRAZY!!! Are their pandas there?

Such an amazing blog! I visited Seattle ones but half of the things on this list I haven’t done so I’m afraid I’ll have to go back :))

I appreciate you both sooooo much……You know how to inform and equip others. Thank you very very very berry much!

Impressive! There are many quirky things that make up beautiful works of art. I really like the color of the gum wall. Because i love chewing gum and playing games about it, there are many on apkdownload. I also want to try the food and drinks here, not sure how great they are

Lovely read I can’t wait for more articles like this.

Hi thanks for sharing this amazing blog post. It is well written and informative. I am waiting for your next blog post.

This article was very helpful! We’re from Nebraska and traveling to Washington and Oregon for our first time in August of this year. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on a good itinerary for about 7-8 days (3-4 in both states). We’re getting a little overwhelmed by the amount of things to do.

Hey Laura, great question! It really depends on where you start and what you’re into. Tons of nature and hiking along with big cities and coastal hot spots. Be sure to check out our itineraries in our Destinations -> USA section for more info!

OMG! Great article. Love the pictures.

Thanks so much! We’re hoping to get back there this summer 🙂

This is a great blog post! I am planning my trip to Seattle for July 4th (fingers crossed we can travel by then!) to visit my daughter. I’ve added several of your ideas to our itinerary! Thanks so much!

Oh, we hope you can make it too! (And glad this article was helpful!) We are hoping to get back up there sometime this summer ourselves. Fingers crossed!

This is such a great post! I went to Seattle last month but missed a lot of these.

There’s always next time, Meghan 😉

What a great list! I’m from Seattle but am travelling right now and this is definitely making me miss my home town. I love Vietnamese food too and didn’t realize how spoiled I was until I left home.

You are definitely spoiled for Vietnamese Food in Seattle. We’re super jealous!

Hey guys, what a comprehensive article! I’ve been to Seattle a couple of months ago for the first time, but definitely wasn’t the last, especially because I didn’ get the chance to explore the surroundings. I live in Portland, Oregon since July, so it’s not far. Best, Stefanie

Living in Portland makes it an easy weekend trip up to Seattle. Let us know if you have any questions, we’d be happy to help!

Wow. So much to see and do. I’m looking forward to hitting Seattle soon, particularly looking forward to sampling some of the food.

There is so much good food in Seattle! I can’t wait to go back!

I went to Washington state last year, but I only spent a short day in Seattle! It looks like I missed out on alot! I really hope I can go back someday.

There are so many things to do in Seattle it can be overwhelming to choose. But hopefully you can narrow it down with this list 🙂

Hey, thanks for all the advice! I’m moving to Tacoma in a few months and Seattle being so close I’m sure I’ll visit a lot. So now I have some ideas!

We’re happy to help, Janice! Hope you have a great move and circle back if you have any questions about things to do in Seattle!

Hi, just FYI, it’s not “Pike’s Place”. It’s Pike Place. ?

Good catch! Thanks for that 🙂 We’ll have to correct it!

Such a nice and informative blog! Visiting Seattle soon. Definitely going to do all the things mentioned 🙂

Hey Shari, have fun visiting Seattle. There are so many great things to do there.

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Historical Events You Most Want To Go Back And See

Every history buff has considered the historical events they would want to witness—from the construction of the pyramids to the moon landing, the historical milestones on this list would have been amazing to see firsthand. And don't forget, woolly mammoths were still alive  when the pyramids were built, though you probably wouldn't spot one in Egypt.

And then there are all the historical mysteries you could solve with a little time travel. Who really shot JFK? Do the Illuminati control the world ? And what were the completely naked Ancient Greek Olympic games like?

So if you could go back to a moment in history, which would you choose, and why? Wars and battles might not be the best historical events to witness, but what about Hannibal crossing the Alps or the Gettysburg Address? Or would you choose to party with Marie Antoinette or watch Leonardo paint the Mona Lisa? These are some of the most significant historical events we'd want to go back in time to see in person.

The Building of the Great Pyramids At Giza

What Was It?

Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World , only the pyramids of Giza still stand. But they looked quite different when they were built around 2400 BCE. Then, the pyramids were encased in white limestone and may have been topped with a gold capstone . The tallest pyramid contains 2.3 million blocks of stone, and each averages about 2.5 tons, or 5,000 pounds.

Why It Would've Been Awesome To Experience:

How were the pyramids built? Were they constructed by slaves or farmers? And what did they look like when they were brand new? The pyramids are more than just marvels of engineering––they are also shrouded in mystery. A first-hand account would finally settle the age-old debate: was it aliens who actually built the pyramids ?

The Construction of Stonehenge

The 100 upright stones that make up Stonehenge  stand in a circle. For centuries, historians and visitors have wondered about the massive monument. In the twelfth century, Geoffrey of Monmouth even speculated that the wizard Merlin built Stonehenge. Today, we know that it likely took 1,500 years to build Stonehenge, but the purpose of the monument is still a mystery. 

Was the massive stone monument just a burial ground, or did it serve other purposes? How did people move the enormous stones as far as 200 miles? And how was Stonehenge constructed, without even using the wheel? Stonehenge is one of the great mysteries in history, and by witnessing it first hand, you'd know all the answers.

The Ancient Greek Olympics

Fans of the winter and summer Olympics know that the modern games date back to 1896, but the Olympic Games  are much older than that––their roots go back 3,000 years to athletic competitions held in the Ancient Greek city of Olympia. Originally, the only event was a 192-meter footrace called the  stade,  which gives us the modern word "stadium." 

Fun fact: Roman Emperor Nero competed in an Olympic chariot race in 67 CE, and declared himself the winner even though he fell off his chariot during the event. And yes, the male Olympians during the ancient games competed in the buff . Apparently clothing just slowed them down.

The Moon Landing

On July 20, 1969, the first human set foot on the moon. The moon landing  was, according to Neil Armstrong, "one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." NASA's amazing technological feat fulfilled President Kennedy's challenge to put a man on the moon and showed humans' ability to reach beyond our planet.

Half a billion people watched the moon landing live, but none of them saw Armstrong step onto the moon's surface in person. That would be a historical event worth witnessing, and would clear up all the conspiracy theories about whether or not the moon landing was faked.

The Birth of Jesus

Around the year zero in a manger in Bethlehem, a child was born. Jesus founded one of the most important religions in history , but it started with humble beginnings. As Christians believe, the adult Jesus practiced miracles, died on the cross, and was resurrected. And it all began with the nativity.

Admittedly, childbirth isn't typically a spectator event, but all the paintings  make the Nativity seem pretty amazing. And many would love to go back in time to meet Jesus, so why not check out his birth?

The Signing Of The Declaration of Independence

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence , an aspirational document asserting America's right to choose its own government. The founding document of the United States influenced revolutions around the world, including the French Revolution, and boldly made a case for inalienable rights.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal"—the United States might not always live up to Jefferson's lofty goals, but witnessing the moment that the country declared its independence would be pretty amazing.

The Wright Brothers Flying

On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright took flight, coasting at 6.8 miles per hour for about 120 feet. The Wright Brothers made history with their flying machine. It almost happened three days earlier, but Wilbur stalled out and crashed the plane.

Fun fact: Wilber and Orville decided who would take the first flight with a coin toss. They managed four flights on that historic day, until a gust of wind tossed their flyer and damaged it. The take off was a major technological achievement in the history of mankind and a historical event worth witnessing first hand.

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln's most famous speech was only 272 words long, but it encapsulated America's ideals. The Gettysburg Address  was delivered on November 19, 1863 at the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Lincoln's powerful address, beginning with "Four score and seven years ago," also introduced generations of schoolchildren to the archaic "score" as a measure of time.

The Gettysburg Address is one of the most important speeches in American history, and witnessing it live on a historically significant battlefield would be powerful. Plus, it would settle debates surrounding Lincoln's speaking voice. Was it, in fact, shrill and squeaky , as some have claimed?

An Original Shakespeare Play

William Shakespeare , the greatest playwright in the English language, wrote for the masses in Elizabethan England. But what were his plays like when they were first performed? The  raucous crowds  were almost another character in the show, and Shakespeare's stunning works were always crowd pleasers. 

The costumes, the stage, and the crowds of Romeo and Juliet ,  Hamlet , or maybe  Macbeth  would be incredible to see. Watching one of Shakespeare's plays performed live would be amazing, and maybe you'd get to see the Bard himself––he reportedly played the ghost of Hamlet's father. Just don't expect to see any women on stage.

Party With Marie Antoinette

The French aristocracy knew how to throw a good party, and few raged as hard as  Marie Antoinette . The queen's royal lifestyle, gilt with gold and dazzling luxuries, was so extreme it helped to provoke a revolution against the entire monarchy. But before the French Revolution brought it all crashing down, Marie Antoinette knew how to celebrate.

Marie Antoinette's wild masquerade parties featured extravagant gowns, jewels, champagne fountains, and towers of candies and cakes. Who wouldn't want to don a mask and join the soirée?

Watch Leonardo Paint The 'Mona Lisa'

It's the world's most famous painting. Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa  might be in the Louvre today, but the artist completed the masterpiece between 1503 and 1519 when he lived in Florence. The Mona Lisa changed art for the next 500 years, making it one of the most influential works in history.

First, just watching Leonardo paint would be amazing. But witnessing the painting of the Mona Lisa would also solve a few historical mysteries. Who, exactly, was the woman who sat for Leonardo's portrait? And what's the story behind her mysterious smile?

The Harlem Renaissance

The music of Louis Armstrong, the words of Zora Neal Hurston and Langston Hughes, the jazz clubs of Harlem—the Harlem Renaissance  turned a New York City neighborhood into a Black cultural mecca, stretching from the 1910s through the mid-1930s.

Why It Would've Been Awesome To Experience:

Speakeasies sold illegal liquor and boomed with the sound of jazz—Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Fats Waller, and Cab Calloway performed in Harlem, putting a sound to W.E.B Du Bois's Black Pride movement. The sights and sounds of Harlem in the 1920s just call out to time travelers.

John F. Kennedy's Assassination

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Millions of Americans watched the horrific events on television and remember where they were that fateful day. But even decades later, conspiracy theorists still wonder who  really  shot JFK.

The bloody shooting would be terrible to witness in person, but it would provide important answers to the still-raging mystery behind who shot JFK. Was Lee Harvey Oswald really acting alone? What was happening on the grassy knoll? And was there a conspiracy to assassinate the president? 

Hannibal Crossing The Alps

In 218 BCE, one of the greatest generals in history led one of the greatest sneak attacks in history. Hannibal  kicked off the Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome when he led a massive force of 100,000 troops and 40 war elephants across the Alps to invade Rome. His plan may have ultimately failed, but over 2,000 years later it is still remembered as one of the most astonishing military campaigns of all time.

Let's be honest: there are a lot of reasons to avoid going back to see wars. Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo , the downing of the Spanish Armada , or the attack on Pearl Harbor  were all momentous historical events—and they were all incredibly destructive. But if you're a fan of military history, seeing Hannibal lead a massive army, including elephants, across the snowy Alps would be amazing, and a lot safer than other war-related historical experiences. 

California's Gold Rush

In 1849, thousands of people descended on California, hoping to strike gold and become rich overnight. The Gold Rush of 1849  transformed America and the West Coast after James Wilson Marshall, who was building a water-powered sawmill, found flakes of gold at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. “It made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold," Marshall said. Within weeks, three quarters of the men in San Francisco were off to hunt for treasure.

The Gold Rush probably didn't  smell  great, but it was a crazy moment in history. The 49ers extracted $2 billion worth of gold during the Gold Rush—and time travelers might just manage to snatch a nugget or two to bring back.

• Historical Events

Whatcha thinkin' about? Instead of pennies for your thoughts, here are lists of interesting things to ponder while you gaze at your navel and explore the depths of your true self.

Protect Your Trip »

The 7 best 3-day cruise itineraries for 2024.

Plan a long weekend getaway aboard a cruise for fun, scenery and entertainment.

The Best 3-Day Cruise Itineraries

Courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line

Hop aboard the Carnival Radiance for a short but fun-filled cruise weekend.

Whether you're short on vacation days or you only have a long weekend to spare, three-night cruises offer a fun and affordable way to get a change of scenery. These shorter sailings from the U.S. often amount to a weekend cruise and only depart from Florida and California for now. However, short cruises still let you dine and dance on board, enjoy world-class entertainment, and visit nearby destinations like Nassau in the Bahamas; Key West, Florida; or Ensenada, Mexico.

If you're looking for short cruises that pack a lot of good times into a weekend vacation, you should know that many cruise lines offer these trips, including Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises. Read on to find out which short cruises we recommend, where they depart from, and everything you can see and do over the span of three incredible nights.

3-Day Cruises From Florida

Norwegian sky from miami.

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Dates: Aug. 2 to 5, 2024

Departure port: Miami

Stops: Key West, Florida; Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas

Starting price: $399 per person

This three-night cruise on Norwegian Sky departs from Miami in August 2024 with stops at two iconic tropical destinations. The vessel's first stop is Key West , where cruise passengers will have the day to visit the southernmost tip of the United States, book a snorkeling or kayaking tour, or bar hop along the world-famous Duval Street. From there, the cruise stops at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, which is a private island paradise that's only for cruise passengers. Here, visitors can enjoy some beach time, plan a WaveRunner adventure or snorkel the clear waters to watch out for wildlife.

When not at port, passengers on Norwegian Sky can enjoy the ship's 10 dining options, onboard spa, casino at sea, and variety of pools and hot tubs. The Norwegian Cruise Line vessel even has a sushi bar and a Starbucks onboard, and it was completely renovated from top to bottom in 2019.

Book a Norwegian cruise on GoToSea , a service of U.S. News.

MSC Seashore from Port Canaveral

Conrad Schutt | Courtesy of MSC Cruises

Dates: Multiple dates in November and December 2024

Departure port: Port Canaveral, Florida (Orlando)

Stops: Nassau and Ocean Cay Marine Reserve, Bahamas

Starting price: $169 per person

This three-night cruise on MSC Seashore departs from Port Canaveral near Orlando and takes passengers to two tropical destinations in the nearby Bahamas . The first is the island of Nassau, which is known for its luxury resorts (including the exclusive Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas), huge casinos and powder white sands. After that, guests can spend a second day at port at MSC Cruises ' private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. This island offers a perfect beach retreat for people who just want to relax, including several expansive white sand beaches with ample seating, an interior ocean lagoon for swimming, and beach bars and eateries dotted throughout.

MSC Seashore features huge pools, an onboard water park for kids, the expansive MSC Aurea Spa and 11 distinct dining venues for passengers to choose from. The ship also boasts the exclusive "ship within a ship" Yacht Club area, which offers the best of everything for discerning guests.

Find an MSC Cruises deal on GoToSea.

Celebrity Reflection from Fort Lauderdale

Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

Dates: Ongoing in 2024

Departure port: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Stops: Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau, Bahamas

Starting price: $273 per person

This three-night cruise on Celebrity Cruises ' Celebrity Reflection departs from Fort Lauderdale and leaves for two days in the sunny Bahamas. The first stop gives guests a full day to enjoy at Perfect Day at CocoCay, a cruise line private island that's typically reserved for Royal Caribbean guests. This island paradise features an exclusive beach club, idyllic white sand beaches for swimming and floating, a water park, a zip line, and plenty of places to eat and drink all day. The next stop is Nassau: Visitors can dine and shop their way through the port area or book a fun day pass to the Baha Bay water park, which is located at resort Baha Mar and features waterslides, an expansive lazy river and incredible cuisine options right at the park.

Celebrity Reflection was recently refurbished in 2022. It features an incredible array of included dining options, eight specialty and exclusive dining establishments, and bars and lounges throughout the ship. The Retreat, a VIP ship-within-a-ship concept, is also offered on board for those who want an elevated cruising experience.

Explore Celebrity Cruises on GoToSea.

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Disney Dream from Fort Lauderdale

Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

Dates: Nov. 6 to 9, 2024

Stops: Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point and Disney Castaway Cay, Bahamas

Starting price: $1,973 per stateroom

This three-night Bahamian cruise on Disney Dream stops at two exclusive destinations in the Bahamas – Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, then Disney Castaway Cay. The first stop offers incredible beaches with play areas and crystal-clear water for swimming, as well as the Bahamian Arts and Culture Pavilion for families who want to learn something about the local culture on vacation. At Disney Castaway Cay, families can relax the day away on white sand beaches, go biking or kayaking, ride two waterslides, and more. Both destinations even have adults-only beach areas for cruisers who are traveling kid-free.

Disney Dream holds a maximum of 4,000 passengers and has everything you would expect on an exclusive Disney Cruise Line vessel, including kids and family areas, adults-only dining options and pools, and two large theaters. The ship also has several supervised kids clubs as well as dedicated clubs for teenagers and tweens .

Read: The Top Cruises for Babies and Toddlers

Liberty of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

Stops: Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas

Starting price: $263 per person

Royal Caribbean International also boasts a Bahamas cruise from Fort Lauderdale that stops in Nassau and at the line's private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. In Nassau, cruisers get the chance to explore one of the most popular cruise ports throughout the Caribbean, where you can book an excursion to a local beach, plan a snorkeling adventure or play in one of the two biggest casinos throughout the region at Atlantis or Baha Mar. At Perfect Day at CocoCay, families can stay active with waterslides, book a kayaking tour or ride a hot air balloon up to 450 feet in the air.

Liberty of the Seas is also an ideal ship for families thanks to fun features like a huge onboard water park with slides, an ice skating rink with shows and the Broadway at Sea theater. The Royal Caribbean vessel also has nearly a dozen different dining venues, including Cupcake Cupboard, Johnny Rockets, a pizza kitchen and an old-world Italian eatery called Giovanni's Table.

Compare Royal Caribbean International cruises on GoToSea.

3-Day Cruises From California

Navigator of the seas from los angeles.

Dates: Throughout 2024

Departure port: Los Angeles

Stops: Ensenada, Mexico

Starting price: $282 per person

Royal Caribbean offers a three-night West Coast adventure on Navigator of the Seas that includes a fun day at sea and a full-day stop in Ensenada, Mexico. This Mexican destination is known for the many activities that can be enjoyed along its rugged shores, which can include leisurely days at nearby Estero and Mona Lisa beaches, hiking experiences, exploration of Baja California's wine region, whale watching and more.

Dates for this sailing are offered throughout 2024, and the ship itself has plenty to keep passengers enthralled while at sea. For example, Navigator of the Seas features the longest waterslide at sea, enlarged pool deck areas for relaxation, ice skating shows and shopping – not to mention Broadway-style shows with dancers, acrobats and singers. There are also 12 unique dining options onboard, including Starbucks, Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver and Johnny Rockets.

Carnival Radiance from Los Angeles

Dates: Jan. 26 to 29 and Sept. 24 to 27, 2024

Departure port: Long Beach (Los Angeles)

Starting price: $244 per person

Carnival Radiance also embarks on three-night journeys to Mexico from Los Angeles throughout the year, including in January and September 2024. This Carnival Cruise Line itinerary includes a fun day at sea and a stop in Ensenada, Mexico, where passengers can plan a sightseeing trip, nosh on the unique Baja cuisine the area is known for, shop for silver jewelry and other keepsakes, or spend the day relaxing on the beach.

Carnival Radiance itself serves as the perfect floating vessel for this fun weekend vacation, with onboard amenities that span the Cloud 9 Spa and WaterWorks water park with slides to a comedy club and special clubs for kids and teens. The ship also boasts an adults-only solarium and 10 different bars to choose from.

Book a Carnival cruise on GoToSea.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is a professional travel writer and cruise expert who has covered family travel and cruises for more than a decade. She has cruised more than 40 times across most of the major cruise lines in destinations throughout the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East. Johnson used her personal experience and research expertise to curate the itineraries for this article.

You might also be interested in:

• Cruise Packing List
• Beach Packing List
• Cruise Drink Packages: Your Options by Cruise Line
• First-Time Cruise Tips
• The Best Cruise Insurance Plans

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An infamous Ukrainian time-traveller story has finally been explained

If there’s one thing we like on indy100 , it’s a good time traveller story.

There’s been an influx of people on TikTok claiming to be from the future over recent times, but nothing will come close to the story of Sergei Ponomarenko for sheer weirdness.

In one of the most infamous cases of its kind, the story centers around a man who turned up in Kyiv, Ukraine back in 2006 claiming to be from years in the past.

He told authorities that he was born in 1932. He looked the part, carrying an old-fashioned camera and a dated outfit.

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The most compelling thing was that he held a Soviet document from the 1950s, which he claimed showed he was the age of 25.

@bethany.gets.weird Time Traveler Sergei Ponomarenko #timetravel #ufo #conspiracy #unexplained

Ponomarenko then proceeded to show people pictures that he claimed he’d taken on his camera in Kyiv. After they’d been developed, authorities found that the images did indeed show Kyiv in the 50s, and they also showed him with an unnamed woman – as well as an image that Ponomarenko claimed showed a UFO.

The bizarre story took another turn when authorities looked back into the records and found a man by the same name who went missing in 1958. Strangely, they tracked down the man’s girlfriend who by that time was in her 70s. It turns out that the girlfriend was the woman in the photographs.

She then told authorities that Ponomarenko had disappeared for two years and then reappeared in the 50s. Not only that, but she then received a photograph showing him as an older man, with the picture purporting to have been taken in Kyiv in 2050.

It’s all kinds of weird, but the mystery might finally have been solved all these years later.

YouTuber Joe Scott has delved back into the case, and come up with an explanation that might put the whole incident to bed.

As Joe finds, the picture of Ponomarenko purportedly from 2050 Kyiv has been “cloned” and possibly includes the Empire State Building.

More compellingly, Joe also found that the photos were taken from the Ukrainian TV show Aliens . The show discusses the possibility of extraterrestrial life and is similar to the type of show you would see on The History Channel but according to Scott has a number of inaccuracies.

It was fun while it lasted, but it looks like the ‘time traveller’ has been busted.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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15 Tips to Make Traveling With Family More Fun & Less Stressful

Posted: July 4, 2023 | Last updated: July 4, 2023

Traveling with your brood is the time to make memories. Sure, you will encounter moments where you start to question why you ever leave the house in the first place, but ideally you should enjoy the experience as much as your children. Smart and useful family travel tips can make all the difference between a grueling and exhaustive excursion and a wonderful, relaxing getaway.

For Expert Family Travel Advice: Go Straight to the Source

For medical advice, you seek out a doctor. For educational advice, you turn to teachers. For family travel advice, head straight for the moms. They are the experts who know what works and what doesn't when it comes to setting out on adventures with kids in tow. They have tried it all, discovered the best family travel hacks, and have zero qualms about sharing their experiences with other moms ready to embark on trips with kiddos.

Debbie Dubrow is one of those "traveling moms" who has spent much of her children's lives packing up suitcases, loading up kids, and setting out to see the world. The Seattle-based mother of three shares her personal travel stories and best family travel tips with other parents ready to hit the road on her blog, Delicious Baby .

Beginner Traveler? Start Small

If you are new to the idea of traveling with children, Dubrow suggests you start small. Take your family on a smaller, local day trip and test drive your tips and hacks while being close enough to home to pull the trigger and abort the mission if necessary. Don't become discouraged if your first few local expeditions are a flop. Reflect on what worked and what didn't, make adjustments and try it again! A few trips to nearby locales will help build your confidence so you can easily transition into bigger getaways soon enough. Dubrow offers, "Most parents are pleasantly surprised to find that their worst-case-scenarios don't come true, and that they even enjoy the experience."

Pay Extra Attention to Planning

Once upon a time, you packed a bag, bought a plane ticket on the fly, and ventured out to see the world. Now that you have kids, and kids have needs, and spontaneity is as distant a memory as sleep is, you'll want to spend extra time in the planning stages of the trip . The more work you put in on the front end, the less thinking you will have to do once vacation begins.

Work Within a Budget

Vacationing with kids can get pricey, so work within a previously agreed-upon budget when planning your next getaway. Letting expenses get away from you will instantly create stress, so staying in the anticipated price range will make it easier for you to relax and enjoy. Anticipate and plan for a few unexpected expenses too.

Spend Time Scoring the Right Accommodations

There are plenty of ways to cut corners and save a dollar during travel, but if you are vacationing with several children or young children, your lodging accommodations should not be one of them. Your days will be long and action-packed, so your home base needs to be a space of reprieve, your little temporary sanctuary.

Find a family-friendly hotel or rented home that fits most of your family's needs. If you are traveling somewhere hot, be sure there is air conditioning or working fans in your accommodation. If you will need to do laundry, check and see if those facilities are on property or nearby. Look into whether the room or rental is baby-proofed and whether it has a mini-fridge and microwave for all of those snacking needs.

It is a good idea to make a room "wish list" and then scour the net and read reviews to see which accommodation best suits you (and your budget!). There will undoubtedly be a few accommodation must-haves when traveling with children that you don't want to compromise on. Know what they are and make sure they are available to you before booking.

Adjust Your Travel Pace

Another tip Dubrow emphasizes to parents taking the travel plunge is to adjust the travel pace to best suit their children. Kids find joy in the most minor of details, so allow them to experience these travel days at their leisure. You might be used to packing in eight to ten hours of sights in a big city, but should you try to apply the vacationing pace of yesteryear to travel with kids, you are likely going to fizzle out fast. Dubrow elaborates, "Avoid trying to go at the same pace you did before you had children. Slow down and give your baby or toddler time to enjoy things at their level. They might be looking at the marble floors in the Vatican instead of the arches and artwork, and that is OK."

Decide beforehand what you really want to do with the kids. Think about if it will be of interest to them and if they will be able to make it through whatever it is you are hoping to do on vacation. Build in plenty of snack breaks or a mid-day siesta or rest period, so children don't become overly tired, cranky, and downright miserable. Pack your patience-pants, as this new, slower pace of seeing the world might be a bit of an adjustment for you.

Load Up on Water and Snacks

Throughout her journeys, Dubrow discovered the power of snacks. Snacks can pretty much fix anything at a moment's notice, and you don't want to be without them. Pack items that are easy to eat while on the go and make sure they aren't loaded with sugar. Choose grain or protein-based items to give kids energy without the dreaded sugar crash looming ahead. She also reminds parents that airplanes no longer provide the delectables of days past. Small snacks and beverages are typically offered, but if you have picky eaters or children with specific dietary needs, pack plenty of your own nibbles for a lengthy flight.

Get Travel Paperwork in Order

If you are flying or planning to leave your home country, be sure that all pertinent travel documents are ready and in order. Large families mean lots of passports, boarding passes and more. Sort and organize what you can. Place a small sticky note with family members' initials on the back of all passports and slip boarding passes into them. Place a rubber band around each travel packet, so when a name is called upon, you can quickly grab the documents you need in the moment.

For families needing to get passports , be sure that you do so well ahead of time to receive them before you leave for your trip. Obtaining passports can be tedious, and nothing will ruin a family vacation faster than one family member being left without proper travel documentation.

Make Emergency Plans

When it comes to vacation, you want to think about lounging around a pool or hiking through breathtaking forests... not about losing track of your kid! Not being able to locate your child is every parent's worst nightmare, and while it is something you don't even want to contemplate, it is best to have a plan in place for this type of emergency. Sit your kids down and discuss the plan for if someone becomes lost or strays from the group during travel. Older kids should have the means to contact parents, or at the very least know their parents' phone numbers. Write parents' names, kids' names, and contact numbers inside a shoe for little children. Be sure everyone understands how to get help in the event that they find themselves alone in a foreign space.

Be Prepared for Every Eventuality When Flying With Kids

Imagine being stuffed in a small airplane with a crying child who is bored to tears or covered head to toe in apple juice (or worse) and still having several hours of air travel to go. That's the stuff nightmares are made of, and a bit of thought and preparation in this department can make all the difference. Aside from packing drinks and snacks on a flight, be sure to pack several entertainment options for kids. Great ideas are:

• Coloring books and crayons
• Electronic devices
• Games galore - both word games and paper games
• Downloaded movies and shows
• Comfort toys

Aside from entertainment options, you will want to pack a change of clothes in your carry-on. The only thing worse than having a kid get sick or have an accident while flying the friendly skies is having nothing to change them into. Toss the following into your carry-on so you are never left high and dry (or rather high and soaking wet).

• Extra undies, pants, and shirt
• Lots of disinfectant wipes and a small towel
• Pajamas if you are traveling long distances through the night
• A plastic, sealable bag for soiled clothing
• Remember to pack a first aid kit and a car seat for plane and car travel

Be a Perfect Packer

Packing for a fun family trip comes with a bit of a learning curve unless you know how to do it properly right out of the gate! Parents tend to pack in one of two ways: overpacking and underpacking. They either take along everything they can think of and then curse themselves throughout the entire trip for spending more time acting as a family pack mule than enjoying a well-deserved vacation, or they bring next to nothing and spend more time scouring the earth for those forgotten necessities than they do relaxing.

You want to strike a packing balance. Try making a list of things you need several weeks before you depart. Next, revisit your list and remove items you think you can live without. Add a few new items that you skipped over the first time around. Consider what items your accommodations might have readily available. Many rental spaces have cribs, cots, and even high chairs for families to borrow, meaning you don't have to lug that stuff with you. If your accommodations have easily accessible laundry facilities, then pack half the clothes you originally planned on taking and spend a few hours mid-vacation doing laundry (maybe while the tots take an afternoon nap).

Know When to Schedule Flight Times

If you are flying with little ones, you might want to schedule your flight during nap time or during the evening hours. This is particularly important if you have a long journey ahead of you. A few hours of snooze time can make all the difference to a family stuck in the air for several hours. Furthermore, pay attention to your layover times. It is much harder to rush through a busy airport to catch a connecting flight with three kids, two strollers, and several carry-on bags in hand.

Be Flexible and Realistic

Planning is a beautiful thing, but so is flexibility. Again, balance is the key to travel happiness, especially when kids are involved. Yes, you want the major details hammered out before you take off for fun and adventure, but you also need to remember that things happen, plans unravel, and you need to be able to pivot, recover and carry on. Expect some bumps in the road, know when to make alterations in vacation plans to suit everyone's needs, and let go of any preconceived notions that every minute of the trip will be downright magical.

Don't Forego Routine

Sure, this is vacation, and routines will vary simply due to the nature of the beast, but travel doesn't have to mean nixing all routines and structure. Kids thrive on the routines you have created for them. They help keep them safe and healthy. While plenty of routine aspects will shift during travel, keep the ones you can in place. Try to eat and sleep near the times you would typically eat and sleep at home. If you do a daily rest or nap time, see if you can swing that same routine while vacationing. If you throw the kids completely out of whack, you will soon learn that a no-rules vacation is a no-fun vacation for parents.

Establish Spending Rules Pre-Vacation

Rules. Kids don't love them, but they are necessary on so many levels. Traveling with kids means taking the littles past countless souvenir and trinket stations and stores. Get ready for your children to beg you for every little, shiny piece of whatever catches their eye. They will cry and whine for everything they see; you will stress and maybe cry a little too as you attempt to stay calm while explaining that no, they cannot have another Beanie Boo.

Set rules for souvenirs ahead of time. Maybe they get one small thing at the airport and one thing at your vacation destination. Maybe you give each kid an allotted amount of spending money and how and where they spend it is up to them. Make rules that work for your children and your budget, and be sure everyone understands those rules ahead of vacation to minimize the stress that comes along with kids begging for everything.

Don't Put Off Travel Plans

Lastly, don't put off your travel plans because you are afraid of failure. Yes, everyone will be older and wiser in a few years, but life happens, circumstances constantly change, and you never know if this travel opportunity will circle back around. Take those vacations with the little kids or the angsty teens. Make the memories, spend the money, and know that the kids won't be kids forever. Remember, parts of your vacation may flop, but other parts will be amazing. In the end, you will likely be so glad you went for it and traveled with your kids.

Family Vacation Memories to Cherish

Travel is all about the adventure of life and being together in a wonderful new time and space. Use tips to reduce stress, but know that the greatest advice you can receive is to be in the moment and try to enjoy your family vacation no matter what. Kids won't remember every detail of every vacation they took during their childhood, but they'll treasure the memories of how they felt spending time together as a family in a fun-filled environment.

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School breaks and summers during my childhood were packed with enrichment programs, summer camps , day trips to museums or beaches, amusement park visits, and heading up North to spend time with extended family. However, we’re a long way from the ‘90s, and things are incredibly expensive now.

With inflation impacting our daily lives , it’s no surprise that it’s hitting our vacation funds , too. There are several elements to consider when planning group travel that can be costly: the destination, transportation, food, entertainment, etc. It adds up very quickly. The average cost of a stateside vacation for an individual is $1,984. For couples, that average is $3,969. Families of four average $7,936, and a group of six can see upwards of $11,904.

To help you, we rounded up some travel deals, savings, and destination suggestions to help you plan a memorable and affordable summer trip or two, or even a staycation in your city.

Plane, Train, and Transportation Savings

• Frontier offers a Kids Fly Free program on select domestic routes, an exclusive offer for members of their Discount Den Club. For each adult ticket, children ages 2-14 can fly at no additional cost .
• Amtrak is a great way to get scenic views while skipping the traffic. It has over 500 destinations across the United States (and Canada). Plus, it offers savings that the whole family can enjoy, making it an affordable option for multigenerational travel. Senior citizens, veterans, members of the military, passengers with disabilities, and college students are all eligible for a fare discount. Infants travel for free, and fares for children ages 2-12 are half-price.
• Brightline, a Florida-based train service, also offers a family savings program . Similar to Amtrak’s family discount offer, infants (0-24 months) travel for free, and fares for children ages 2-12 are half-price. Families traveling in groups of four or more can see additional savings of 25 percent. ( Note: Brightline only services routes between Miami, Orlando, Ventura, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Boca Raton.)
• Amid the influx of gas prices, rideshare surging, and rental car shortages, there’s a lot of appeal in traveling to walkable cities to cut down on transportation costs in a destination. However, through city and county partnerships, Circuit is an app-based, on-demand electric vehicle shuttle service. In most cities, it’s free to hail a ride. In others, the highest rate is $3 per person. ( Note: Circuit only operates within cities in the following states: California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington, Texas, and Washington, DC.)

Museums, Aquariums, and Area Attractions

• Entertainment is one of the best parts of any trip, but it’s also one of the most costly elements. Don’t turn up your nose at using Groupon to find attractions. I have scored great deals on comedy shows, wine tastings, cooking classes, and last-minute excursions through the marketplace.
• Most of your major cities will offer City Passes or something similar, allowing you to explore multiple spots at a discounted flat rate instead of paying per attraction. I’ve done this several times in Orlando, Chicago, Seattle, and San Diego.
• Although it moves past the summer months, Jacksonville , Fla., hosts Kids Free November every year. Visitors and their families can enjoy free or discounted entry to many of the area’s local attractions. Some of the participating draws are the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens , the Museum of Science & History , and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens .
• The National Park Service facilitates the Every Kid Outdoors program for nature lovers and eager learners in the fourth grade. Eligible children will receive a pass, valid for one year, that grants free admission into any national park (or its partners). The savings are for the entire family. Each fourth grader can bring their family and friends (if they are in the same vehicle) at no additional charge. For families without an eligible elementary student, children 15 and younger can visit any national park at no cost (for entry).
• If you bank at a credit union, you can purchase state-specific museum, aquarium, and amusement park tickets directly through them at a discounted price. Additionally, membership programs like AARP and AAA offer travel savings.

(Note: Recipients of state-supported subsidy programs may be eligible for free or discounted admission to educational attractions such as museums, art exhibits, zoos, and aquariums. Ask your local facility for details.)

Sail into Savings

• Family cruises can be ideal because they eliminate some of the individual elements associated with traveling, making it a cost-effective option. Plus, they have cool kid’s clubs for parents who want to sneak away for a night out, check out fine dining, or enjoy spa treatments. Adventurous families (think glacier dog sledding, zip-lining, and ATV tours) may enjoy sailing into Alaska on Holland America Line’s Koningsdam ship. With their current anniversary sale , cruises are up to 45% off, and third and fourth guests who book in the same stateroom sail for free. On select itineraries through Hawaii and the Caribbean, children 18 and under sail free when booked as the third or fourth guest in a stateroom.
• Other cruise lines, such as Norwegian, Star Clippers, and Royal Caribbean, regularly offer a Kids Sail Free promotion for guests 12 and under.

Let’s Go International 

• Another cost-effective travel option for families looking for fun in the sun is to book an all-inclusive vacation. Club Med Resorts have global destinations, each with a Kids Stay Free Package. Children under four are free. Parents will pay 50% for children between 4-11 and receive a 20% discount for each child 11-17.

(Note: The current rate for a passport is $120, which may be a costly expense for larger families. Some may be exempt from the passport fee or qualify for a fee waiver based on the eligibility requirements outlined here .)

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• Holidays & Entertaining
• Entertaining

Fun Dinner Party Themes to Level Up Your Next Event (or Holiday)

Forget the everyday dishes and get creative with these thematic menus, dinner party decor, and DIY ideas.

SolStock/Getty Images

The holidays and entertaining go hand in hand, but it doesn't have to be the holidays to throw a dinner party or get creative with it. Whether you're throwing a formal dinner party or doing some casual entertaining, dinner parties are a fun way to bring people together.

If you need a little inspiration, these creative starting points will guide you to the perfect dinner theme idea—there are even some specific themes (and recipes!) in each category that you can run with for your own culinary adventure.

Dinner Party Themes Ideas

If you're getting ready to host friends and family for a dinner party, picking a theme might feel overwhelming. First, consider your surroundings or situation. Be sure to consider factors like the occasion, time of year, weather, and location when deciding on a theme. With this in mind, here are some dinner party themes to explore.

Pick Destinations Around the Globe

Pick a favorite vacation destination (or something from your travel bucket list), research a menu from there (don't forget dessert!), and perhaps go a little further by playing music or watching movies from that country.

Don't be afraid to travel to more than one destination either; you can offer a trip around Asia with a dish from each destination, or opt to serve different cultures' versions of dumplings as appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Mexican food with mojitos
• Indian curry or a vegetarian masala
• Fish and chips and English trifle
• Italian lasagnas (and affogato!)
• Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches
• French crepes and clafoutis
• Greek-style orzo and shrimp with avgolemono soup
• Japanese okonomiyaki and udon
• Korean bibimbap and bulgogi with cucumber kimchi salad
• Middle Eastern falafel and hummus
• Chinese dumplings and fried rice

Want to keep it all American? Consider choosing delicacies from places you've visited or lived. Here are a few suggestions:

• New Orleans Cajun or Creole fare
• Chicago-style deep-dish pizza
• New York cheesecake
• New England lobster rolls
• Tex-Mex fajitas and enchiladas

Set Up a DIY Food Party

If you're looking for a fun dinner theme idea that's low-effort, high reward, choose a menu theme that's really interactive. Setting up DIY food bars may require a bit of prep and presentation, but your guests (or your family) will take it from there to build customized creations.

Bonus: This is an excellent option when your fellow diners have dietary restrictions or are simply picky eaters, as they can skip over any ingredients that don't work for them. Some make-your-own-dinner theme inspiration includes:

• Tacos , burritos, or nachos
• Mac-and-cheese (with fun toppings!)

You might even choose to turn your next dinner into a Chopped -style competition, where you give a set secret ingredient, open access to the kitchen or DIY bar, and offer a time limit to produce something awesome.

Think Outside the Dinner Box

Sometimes, the best dinner isn't actually dinner. Consider dining options that aren't usually served in the evening (or as a full meal). Some options to consider include:

• Breakfast for dinner (think egg dishes or waffles)
• Charcuterie boards (add enough veggies and fruit alongside the meat and cheese, and it's a meal)
• Hors d'oeuvres as a meal

You can also look for ways to minimize (or maximize!) your menu to have a little fun with your dinner. Consider serving all miniaturized foods (think sliders, French onion soup bites , mini hot dogs, and mini desserts ) or supersize (giant cookie for dessert).

Consider Time Travel

Take a trip back in time, whether you opt for retro favorites from a bygone era. Or maybe you want to take it way back to medieval times or the Victorian era. Dinner parties like this are even better if costumes are involved—think disco costumes and a menu with a 1970s vibe. A few dinner menu theme ideas include:

• 1970s style with cheese fondue , old-school casseroles, and a 1970s-style icebox cake
• Medieval with meat pies, hearty stews, and desserts with fruit and honey
• 1920s with deviled eggs (invented in the 1920s), tea sandwiches, canapés, and oysters with Roaring '20s cocktails like Tom Collins and French 75

Celebrate Minor Holidays

Obviously, there are the big holidays like Thanksgiving, New Year's, and the 4th of July. If your dinner party falls around the holidays, it might be fun to go with a holiday theme. But honestly, any day can be a celebration. Get inspiration from those fun food holidays like Ice Cream Day on July 16th, or National Hamburger Day on May 28th. Celebrate minor holidays (like creating a red, white, and blue something for Flag Day on June 14th). You can even make up your own holiday and make a menu perfect for it.

Be mindful of the presentation. The presentation of your dishes (and decor) can really enhance the guest experience—and it's half the fun for a holiday-themed dinner party.

Get Pop Culture Inspired

If you're plotting dinner party associated with a binge watch or movie marathon, take inspiration from what you're showing. Your book club may also love having a book-inspired menu. (I recently hosted my book club's discussion of Lessons in Chemistry, and I opted for a chicken pot pie and brownies , as they were featured in key plot points in the book.)

Or maybe you'll want to find a theme with a twist, like only serving TikTok famous recipes. (A dinner party is the perfect opportunity to revisit the viral baked feta pasta, cowboy caviar, upside-down puff pastry, or whatever TikTokers dream up next.)

Stick to the Season

Consider having a seasonal theme for your next dinner party (or do a dinner party every season!). A season theme offers you the opportunity to celebrate the flavors of the season with the freshest ingredients.

For instance, a summer dinner party might be a picnic theme with refreshing cocktails, barbecue, and vibrant salads with ripe tomatoes or even strawberries. Incorporating seasonal elements into the decor, like fresh flowers (perhaps with edible flowers as well!) for the spring or warm vanilla candles in the winter, adds to the memorable experience for guests.

The seasons don't have to do with the weather either; you can also consider sports seasons. For example, if it's football season and you're gathering for or before a game, a tailgating theme may also make sense for you.

Opt for creative menus, decorations, and mood music to match. Perhaps even what you wear can be part of the whole experience.

Pick a Color

A color dinner party theme might sound silly, but it can be lot of fun to get creative with different foods of the same color. For example, you might have a pink-themed dinner party to celebrate the birthday of your friend who loves the color pink.

For a pink-themed dinner party, you might have smoked salmon canapés or pink radish soup. A purple theme might incorporate veggies like graffiti cauliflower, beets, purple potatoes, or fruits like grapes, plums, blackberries, and elderberries.

For a color-themed party, experiment with food coloring. Make the cake for dessert blue. Top the brownies with green icing. Use red sprinkles on the ice cream. Whatever color you choose, there are tons of ways to get creative with adding it to your dishes.

Entertaining Preparation Tips

There are plenty of ways to make any dinner—regardless of the theme you choose—more fun. Here are some tips to keep in mind when thinking about your dinner party menu.

• Offer a range of options to suit all dietary restrictions. For example, you might include vegetarian or gluten-free options depending on your guests. Ask your guests if they have any allergies and label any dishes that contain allergens like eggs, nuts, shell fish, and other common kinds.
• Aim for a balanced meal. Your dinner party menu should include a variety of flavors and textures to create an exciting and satisfying experience for your guests. This might also mean including drinks that pair well with each dish.
• Choose dishes that you can prepare in advance. If that's not possible, at the very least, choose dishes that require minimal last-minute preparation. This way, you can spend more time enjoying the meal with your guests (and entertaining them) than cooking during the event.

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Science | April 26, 2024

Ten Amazing Facts About Tornadoes, Explained

To prepare you for the movie “Twisters,” we’ve compiled some jaw-dropping details about the powerful phenomenon

Catherine Duncan

Staff Contributor

As looming thunderstorm clouds spit out baseball-sized hail and torrential rain, a narrow whirlwind of air stretches its way toward the ground, signaling the arrival of one of nature’s most violent phenomena: a tornado.

Also known as twisters, these violent cyclones can reach wind speeds of 300 miles per hour and blaze a path of destruction that can last from mere seconds to several hours . While most people flee or take shelter at the sight of these alarming conditions, others dive headfirst into them. Storm chasers, people who get dangerously close to extreme weather events, sometimes for scientific research, jump at the chance to pursue the ever-unpredictable tornado.

The 1996 disaster classic Twister follows a group of these daring storm chasers, a university professor and her team of students who rush toward an outbreak of severe twisters sweeping Oklahoma. Their goal: deploy a revolutionary weather alert device, aptly named “Dorothy,” within the heart of multiple tornado systems to track and possibly tame the forces of nature. After a series of disastrous attempts to deploy their invention within multiple cyclones, a final, massive tornado rips through the area. In the nick of time, the team successfully sets up their device in the twister’s center and collects crucial data.

The highly awaited sequel Twisters sees the continuation of this research nearly two decades later, with a new generation of storm chasers and technology. The story’s hesitant protagonist Kate Cooper, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, joins forces with adrenaline junkie Tyler Owens, played by Glen Powell, as twin twisters ravage the plains of central Oklahoma. The pair races against a rival team and devastating weather conditions to conduct groundbreaking analysis. Though the film is fictionalized, its overarching circumstances—the treacherous nature of twisters and the difficulty of predicting their arrival—ring true.

In anticipation of the July 19 release of Twisters , we contacted three scientists to unravel some of the secrets wrapped within these catastrophic cyclones. Here are a few of the coolest finds we uncovered.

Supercell thunderstorms are responsible for creating tornadoes

Tornadoes are born within supercell thunderstorms , an anvil-shaped cloud with a rotating updraft called a mesocyclone. As an extremely rare weather event, only one in thousands of storms yields a supercell thunderstorm. One in five or six supercells , though, produces a tornado.

“To get a thunderstorm, we have to have an unstable atmosphere, and generally, for a tornado, we need the thunderstorms to rotate,” says William Gallus, a meteorologist at Iowa State University. “That happens if we have wind shear, which means that the wind speed and wind directions are changing as you go up.”

Warm air rises, cold air falls, rough winds whip within the storm system, and an updraft occurs. If this rotating updraft descends toward the ground, lowering itself below the storm, a tornado can emerge from the chaos.

The tornado forms as the mesocyclone accelerates from the bottom up—and the feature intensifies its rotation, in a way similar to an ice skater who pulls her arms into her body to spin faster, says Jana Houser , a supercell thunderstorm and tornado radar analysis expert at Ohio State University.

The strongest winds of the tornado are closest the ground

In the atmosphere, the winds get stronger the higher up you go. Tornadoes reverse these conditions, with their strongest winds appearing at the lowest points. This powerful rotation starts at the ground and then floats its way upward to converge into the visible funnel cloud.

“This process happens very quickly,” says Houser, who, alongside her team and National Geographic cameras, captured the very tornadoes set to appear as background footage in the upcoming film Twisters . “In under a minute, you can go from a weak rotation to, all of a sudden, a full tornado.”

According to Gallus, computer models of tornadoes have shown that the strongest winds could lie just 15 feet above the ground—their most brutal region lining up with the height of homes and buildings.

“That’s pretty unfortunate for all of us who live on Earth, because that means that in a tornado, unlike any other weather system, the very worst winds are impacting buildings, people and trees down near the ground,” says Gallus.

Tornadoes can form anywhere, anytime

Most tornadoes are formed in the Great Plains of the United States, in an area deemed “Tornado Alley.” Flat terrain combined with unstable conditions—warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with dry winds drifting in from the Rocky Mountains—provides the ideal breeding ground for twisters to spawn. But tornadoes can happen almost anywhere. They have been reported in all 50 states and all continents except Antarctica, and they’ve struck major urban areas , such as Dallas, Miami and Minneapolis.

But cyclones don’t follow any sort of pattern or path, contrary to popular misconceptions. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in a downtown part of the city, in a hilly area or even a mountainous area,” says Houser. She adds that some terrain may reduce or increase the probability of tornadoes, but complete protection from the twisters can’t be guaranteed.

Similarly, while peak tornado season ranges from May to July depending on location, tornadoes can hit at any month and any time, both day and night.

Tornadoes have uniquely powerful upward motion

In most weather phenomena, the most aggressive winds blow horizontally, directing their potency outward toward the north, south, east and west, rather than upward and downward. Tornadoes defy these expectations. Things resting in the tornado’s path—the roofs of homes, cars, animals—can be suddenly whisked straight up and into the whirl of debris, victim to the sheer power of the tornado’s upward winds. According to Gallus, the strength of a tornado’s upward motion is comparable to the speed at which it moves along terrain, with 100- or 200-mile-an-hour winds shooting up toward the sky.

“That’s why the damage that a tornado does to buildings is very different than if you have the exact same mile-per-hour wind from just a thunderstorm,” says Gallus. “It’s also why you hear these stories of people or things getting picked up and seeming to levitate or fly up into the air—it’s because the tornado has such strong upward motion.”

The air pressure inside a tornado can cause just as much damage as the wind itself

When visiting the site of a Missouri hospital ravaged by a tornado, Gallus recalls, a nurse he spoke with had to tilt her head a certain direction to hear. Due to the intense air pressure change caused by the tornado, her eardrum ruptured. The air pressure in the middle of a tornado can drop suddenly and strongly, as if you were riding on a plane flying up into the air extremely fast. Many people near tornadoes have reported their ears “popping” during the phenomenon. “That change in pressure is almost like nature’s way of giving you a very last warning by having your head experience this strange rapid adjustment and popping going on in your head,” says Gallus.

The change in air pressure can also create an additional force on buildings that, along with the strong winds, can intensify and quicken their destruction.

Terrain can change a tornado’s behavior

Researchers have a difficult time predicting when a tornado will form—and where it will go. Changing winds and differing terrain can make it hard for meteorologists chart the exact path of a twister.

“Tornadoes are incredibly susceptible to very small nuances in the land cover, in the environment, in the storm itself, and it’s very difficult, I would say impossible, to account for every single factor that could possibly go into changing what a tornado is doing,” says Houser. “They defy generalization.”

While predicating a storm is hard, meteorologists say that some features of terrain may enhance the conditions needed for a twister to form. For example, sprawling urban areas can affect thunderstorms, which, in turn, can affect tornadoes. Since cities have more precipitation on their downwind side because of the way water systems interact with urban structures, they produce more rain and more hail, and can be warmer, helping set up an environment that’s more likely for a tornado to form.

“Sometimes urban areas are warmer than rural areas due to the urban heat island. What happens if a tornado goes over a warmer city?” says Jason Naylor, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Louisville. “It looks like the urban heat island could potentially enhance the low-level updrafts in the storm and may help instigate tornadoes in a theoretical way.”

Tornadoes usually rotate counterclockwise, but they can switch directions

In the Northern Hemisphere, about 98 percent of tornadoes spin counterclockwise , which meteorologists label as cyclonical. However, a clockwise-swirling tornado is not out of the question—just much less common.

The counterclockwise motion of most tornadoes has long been attributed to the Coriolis effect, the force caused by the Earth’s rotation. But, according to Houser, this is merely a myth. Tornadoes exist on “too small a space scale and time scale for the Coriolis force to affect it,” she says. Rather, the counterclockwise motion results from how vertical winds change in speed and height within the storm.

Meteorologists call clockwise tornadoes anti-cyclonic. “You get an anti-cyclonic tornado when you have a very strong surge of air within the storm,” says Houser.

Storms can produce more than one tornado at a time

Twisters sees two groups of storm chasers unite as two different tornadoes converge over a small town in central Ohio. This event isn’t just movie magic: The same storm system can really eject multiple tornadoes at once. As winds change, the storm itself can begin to form a new tornado in a slightly different location from the original tornado—with the fledgling rotating updraft gaining power as the other twister slowly dies down. Or, if the original tornado is particularly violent , the level of agitation can churn out smaller whirlwinds that extend toward the ground.

And Houser says that other freak circumstances, such as extremely strong rotation along the edges of a storm, can also produce multiple tornadoes. A clockwise and counterclockwise tornado can even appear in the same storm system.

Tornadoes themselves can’t be forecast—only the conditions that produce them can

The 1996 film Twister and its 2024 companion Twisters center around the same key issue: the frustrating impossibility of forecasting tornadoes. “We don’t even really try to forecast exactly when and where a tornado would hit, because we simply cannot do that ahead of time,” says Gallus.

Warnings for tornadoes are only issued when a twister is already forming and has been sighted—or indicated by weather radar—and the alerts cover an area that may be impacted.

Scientists are able to predict, however, the conditions favorable for supporting thunderstorms that spin and would be more likely to produce tornadoes. Up to a couple of hours ahead of time, when increased weather severity is detected, local television and radio news stations issue a tornado watch.

But a tornado’s intensity can’t be determined until after its wake. Scientists determine a tornado’s level of destruction by using the Enhanced Fujita Scale . The scale assesses the damage a tornado does to trees, buildings and homes. Scientists then use that information to calculate its probable wind speed. The rating system ranges from F0, the weakest cyclone, to F5, a vicious, deadly tornado, which a character in Twister deems the “finger of God.”

Climate change is affecting tornadoes

Tornado Alley is moving eastward . In the past decade, twisters have been inching their way into the Midwest and hitting states such as Missouri in record-breaking severity . Meteorologists attribute this shift to climate change.

“Now, with climate change, places that were normally too cold in the winter are finding themselves with days warm enough that you’re starting to see tornadoes at times of year, parts of the country, where they didn’t used to happen,” says Gallus.

This is caused by climate change’s impact on weather. Gallus says that climate change is making conditions warmer and more humid near the ground, which is increasing the level of instability that leads to stronger, tornado-producing storms.

According to Gallus, we may see more days that meteorologists call tornado outbreak days, where five to ten tornadoes crop up. But climate change could also decrease the frequency of days where one or two tornadoes crop up. Essentially, the number of tornadoes could be concentrated on fewer days.

“We can’t say that tornadoes are going to become stronger. We can’t say that we’re going to have less,” says Gallus. “But what we do know is, because of how the temperature is changing, we are going to start finding them in weird times of the year and places where it always used to be too cold to have a tornado.”

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Catherine Duncan | READ MORE

Catherine Duncan is an intern with  Smithsonian magazine.