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8 Married Couples Who Met on a Birthright Israel Trip

There’s no denying that a Birthright Israel trip leaves an impact in more ways than one. It’s an opportunity to connect with one’s roots, visit ancient holy sites, and experience once-in-a-lifetime adventures with friends from all around the world. The chance to make those memories aspire thousands of young Jewish adults to sign up for this trip each year. And for many, a Birthright Israel trip was also the chance to find their soulmate, whether it was in line to board the flight to Israel or beneath the stars in the Negev Desert. In honor of that love, here are some beautiful stories from couples who met on their Birthright Israel trip and had their lives changed forever.

Jenna and Braden Jenna got a call that someone had dropped off a Birthright Israel trip, which made her eligible to attend. As fate would have it, this person was her future husband’s (Braden’s) best friend. After being seated next to him, they spent the entire flight talking, and by the end–felt like they had known each other forever. They then spent the next 10 days realizing they were meant to be. Happily ever after: “On day 8 we knew we couldn't leave Israel just yet.  We extended our trip together for an additional 10 days and never looked back...We have bought a house, had a baby girl, and have still made our Jewish identities a top priority. We have attended fundraisers at Charles Bronfman's home, volunteered at temples, soup kitchens, and really have made a commitment to give back to this community that gave everything to us.  With all the love and appreciation in this world-we are expecting another baby girl this May 28th on the exact day we met on that flight to Birthright 8 years ago.”

Brian and Jennifer On the first night of a Birthright Israel trip in June 2017, Brian and Jennifer met for the first time and knew it was meant to be. They shared their first kiss in Jerusalem, and Jennifer now wears a bracelet with the Holy City’s coordinates, gifted by Brian. Happily ever after: “We were the ‘mom and dad’ of the group and now we talk about the "mom and dad" we will be to our future children. Since this trip, I believe that everything happens for a reason and that souls are meant to be together.”

Katelyn and Nil Katelyn, a participant from San Diego, met Nil, an Israeli soldier participant, 10 years ago on their Birthright Israel trip. They flirted throughout the trip but it wasn’t until Nil’s last night that they really connected. Knowing they had something special, Katelyn extended her trip at the last minute and met Nil one more time before heading back to the states. They Skyped every Friday when he was home from the army, and when he was denied a visa to the US after his service, Katelyn returned to Israel for 5 months. Happily ever after: “Fast forward to 2016 when we got married, and 2017 when we moved back to the US. In 2018 he got his green card and in 2019 our daughter Eve was born. It’s 10 years later in 2021 and we just bought our first home.  Needless to say Birthright Israel changed my life forever and I couldn’t be more grateful. 🇺🇸💘🇮🇱"

Courtney and Shahriar Courtney and Shahriar met on Birthright Israel in the summer of 2014. At the airport, she noticed a guy sitting on the floor nearby the designated meeting area. She hoped he’d be one of the participants, and her wish came true. It was on the second day in Tiberius, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, that she knew they had something special. They spoke all night and from that point on, they were inseparable! Happily ever after: “We repelled down a mountain together, watched the sunrise on Masada, rode a camel together, floated in the Dead Sea, and so many hikes I lost count! Fast forward about 5 years, Shar and I were on a cruise over Hanukkah with my family and he proposed in front of the menorah on the 7th night of Hanukkah. Less than a year later, we were married!”

Erica and Chase Erica and Chase met on Taglit in May 2013 through the University of Michigan. Erica signed up for the trip with her oldest childhood friends and friends from Michigan. They had a big group already and were joined on the bus by Chase and some of his friends. After an early morning hike to the top of Masada, they stayed up all night to celebrate Erica’s birthday. Happily Ever After: “We were all exhausted, but Chase wouldn’t let me celebrate alone. And that’s when I knew that Chase would be the one! We dated for 7.5 years and he popped the question to me 2 months ago!”

Lior and Shayna When a group of Israeli soldiers joined bus 1215 on New Year's Day in 2015, Lior and Shayna didn’t yet know that this would be the day that they would meet the person they were meant to spend forever with. When Shayna returned to the US, she and Lior decided to begin a long distance relationship. In summer 2015, she returned to Israel for an internship and by the end of the summer, Lior got down on one knee and asked her to spend forever with him. Happily ever after: “On June 24, 2016, Lior and I got married and he moved to the US to be with me. More recently we moved from New Jersey to Illinois and finally bought our first home together. Lior and I can't wait to see what the future holds next. Shoutout to bus 1215 for being the most amazing group.

Brooke and Alex Brooke and Alex met on a Birthright trip in February 2012. At 25, she wasn’t expecting to find love, but rather a connection to her heritage. She ended up finding both, as well as a new group of friends. Happily ever after: “Not only did we meet on Birthright, but one of our trip leaders is a rabbi who happened to help get my husband on the trip in the first place. That rabbi ended up marrying us in 2017. Now we have a beautiful daughter too.”

Shelby and Todd After the grief of losing her bubby in 2014, Shelby was considering signing up for Birthright Israel to get closer connected with her roots. After a few months, she reached out to one of the only Jewish kids she knew, which was her friend Todd. They had discussed it in years past, but this time, Todd had a friend who was going to lead a Birthright Israel trip that summer and they both decided it was an offer they couldn’t refuse. Despite leaving for that trip with sorrow still in her heart from losing her loved one, in Israel, she discovered that another love had been right in front of her the whole time. Happily ever after: “It’s crazy looking back because I never knew that prayer I left in the Western Wall was right around the corner. That trip not only brought me closer to my culture but gave me my life back! Between the camel rides, Dead Sea, and desert there’s no one else I would have rather experienced life with. That trip I left a single girl and came back taken by one of the most incredible human beings to walk this earth. Not only am I thankful for the trip but for the life it helped us make ❤️ 2 kids and what feels like a lifetime later he’s still the one for me.”

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At Honeymoon Israel (HMI), we use a highly subsidized group trip to Israel as a catalyst for building a lifelong Jewish community at home. Participants spend ten exhilarating days in Israel sharing fun, meaningful experiences with couples from their city. Then, the journey continues at home as we learn, grow, and explore together. HMI is so much more than a trip to Israel.

The application, beyond the trip.

The Application

The HMI Experience is open to couples of all cultural, racial, religious, gender, and sexual identities who are looking to create connections with each other and to Jewish life. HMI is geared toward couples with at least one Jewish partner, between the ages of 25 and 40, and who are within the first five years of marriage or early in their lifelong committed partnership.  We build cohorts for our group trips that are reflective of the diverse demographics of the particular community, including couples with interfaith, Jewish, and multi-racial backgrounds. HMI is most powerful and impactful for couples who have yet to find a strong connection to Jewish community or Jewish life and are searching for the right ways to incorporate Judaism into their relationship, family, and home.

Ready to see if this is right for you?

Spend ten exhilarating, romantic, and memorable days exploring Israel with the one you love and 19 other couples from your city. You’ll return home with a new community and friends who feel like family.

Before the trip itself, we’ll host gatherings where you’ll get the chance to meet the couples you’ll be traveling with and get to know each other. 

On the trip, you’ll experience Israel’s culture, beauty, and society in a way you could never do on your own. You’ll hit the best tourist spots like the Western Wall, Jerusalem’s Old City, and the beaches of Tel Aviv, as well as having unique experiences you wouldn’t get on a standard vacation like meals with local families and meetings with high-level public officials and business leaders. You’ll have group tours, choose content-specific tracks that let you customize your experience, and have time to explore alone with your partner. 

HMI creates opportunities for connection with yourself, your partner, your community, and Israel. We’ll open the door to an exploration of what Judaism means to you. Throughout the trip, you’ll engage in what we call “HMI Conversations” that are designed to bring you closer to your partner and build bonds with your fellow participants. 

In addition to enjoying Israel’s traditional tourist destinations, delicious food and wine, and vibrant art and nightlife, you’ll meet Israelis from a wide range of religious and cultural backgrounds (religious and secular Jews, Arabs, Druze, and others) to gain a full picture of Israeli society. You’ll also visit historic sites and learn about their ties to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and beyond.

We know vacation time can be hard to come by, so HMI ensures you can make the most of your visit and your time with your partner. Israel is a vibrant, exciting place. It’s a hub for technology, global politics, world religion, culture, and so much more. Not only is Israel a beautiful Mediterranean destination, but it’s also a powerful place to think about questions of religion and identity. 

We can all but guarantee you’ll return home with more questions than you came with and develop a stronger shared sense of your relationship with each other and with Judaism. You’ll gain a new perspective on your identity and what it means to you as a couple. You’ll have an opportunity for shared experiences and meaningful conversations about Jewish values and traditions and how they might fit into your family. 

Building and creating community is why HMI exists. In addition to traveling with couples from your city, each trip has a staff leader and a rabbi/Jewish educator from your city who will serve as your group facilitators in Israel and at home. Throughout your time on the ground in Israel, an Israeli Tour Educator will be with you every step of the way to answer questions and share knowledge. 

On your HMI trip, you’ll have the chance to explore personal connections to the Jewish community and figure out how to build personal, meaningful family traditions. While in Israel, you’ll see first-hand how individuals, families, and society can integrate diverse cultural and spiritual identities. Every trip also includes two unique Shabbat (sabbath) experiences: a traditional Shabbat in Jerusalem and a modern, secular Shabbat in Tel Aviv.

In every HMI city, we work closely with local partners who are integral to the entire HMI Experience. Our local partners are senior educators and community organizations who share HMI’s vision and values. 

Your safety, health, and security are our top priorities. We ensure that all groups are following the most updated safety and security guidelines in Israel. We work with experienced, accredited, professional tour guides and trip operators who have access to the most up-to-date security information, and our trip itineraries are reviewed continually to ensure you have the best experience possible.

Your staff leaders will go over safety and security protocols during one of your pre-trip gatherings and will be available before and during the trip to address any questions or concerns.

Beyond The Trip

After the Israel trip, the journey continues at home. The cohesive community we built on the ground in Israel is sustained and nurtured, formally through HMI-organized efforts and informally by grassroots efforts from the participants themselves.

HMI is so much more than a trip to Israel. Couples tend to participate in this experience for all the same reasons: to find friends, build community, and connect with Judaism in a new way. HMI provides opportunities for organized local programming, financial grants to help participants create and bring their own programming to life, and ongoing support to help sustain connections to Jewish life. Our team and local partners understand the unique needs of each city and work directly with participants to co-create Jewish experiences that fit their needs. 

What kind of things happen with HMI at home? Get excited for city-wide Shabbat dinners, alumni-led yoga sessions, group baby celebrations, family-friendly camp weekends, High Holy Day festivities, and so much more.

In Their Own Words

“We thought we were going on a Honeymoon trip. Well we were wrong! What we actually signed up for was much, much more than we could have ever expected. We went on a trip that filled our heads with incredible rich history, our bellies full of fantastic food and wine, and our hearts with love, life, and culture. We have a renewed, refreshed, and revamped understanding of what it means to have a Jewish home and a Jewish life. The deepest thanks to HMI for cultivating this adventure for us to traverse together!” Marissa and Oliver Atlanta Sept. '19

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Jewish Journal

Connect. inform. inspire., taglit for two: honeymoon israel growing as ‘birthright for couples’.

• By Eitan Arom
• Published June 8, 2016

Standing in the Western Wall plaza at the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City, Alex and Bianca Ross discussed the religious and spiritual roller coaster that brought them there.

“I never asked her to become a Jew for me [in order] to marry me,” said Alex, a tall, gregarious redhead from Northridge. “That was never part of our understanding.”

But once Bianca, a Mexican American who grew up Catholic, converted to Judaism, she had reasons all her own to want to visit the Holy Land.

“This is not for him,” she said. “This is very personal.”

The pair traveled to Israel in March with a group of 20 young couples from Los Angeles on a trip led and heavily subsidized by a year-old program called Honeymoon Israel.

For the Rosses, it was also literally their honeymoon: The two married on Jan. 30 and headed to Italy after their nine-day stint in Israel. It was her first time in Israel and his second — he originally visited six years ago on Taglit-Birthright Israel.

If finding love in Israel is the dream of many Birthright participants, for Honeymoon Israel, having a committed partner is a prerequisite. 

The group leads trips of up to 20 couples at a time from around the United States who are either interfaith, have one member who has converted or are figuring out how to incorporate Judaism into their new relationship. Last year, its first year in operation, the organization took six trips. This year, it plans on taking 16.

“Our message is, ‘Welcome to the family,’ ” Mike Wise, the organization’s co-CEO, told the Journal during an interview in Jerusalem.

Wise first conceived of an Israel trip for interfaith or ambivalently Jewish couples after reading the results of the Pew Research Center’s 2013 report “A Portrait of Jewish Americans,” which showed high rates of intermarriage. Young Jews were leaving the Jewish tent, so Wise decided to make the tent bigger.

“It isn’t about getting people to convert,” he said. “It’s about welcoming young couples who are the future of our community.”

Wise has held a number of leadership posts in Jewish organizations, most recently serving as the executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo. He began blogging about his idea after reading the Pew report. Avi Rubel, then the North America director of Masa Israel Journey, which offers internship, study and volunteer opportunities in Israel, read something Wise had written and reached out.

The two joined forces, obtained funding and launched the first trip from Atlanta in 2015, charging couples $1,800 for a trip they estimate costs more than $10,000. (Wise declined to name the benefactor organization, which committed to a three-year funding agreement, saying it prefers to remain behind the scenes.)

The Honeymoon Israel trip is much like Birthright in that it tries to hit all the major tourist attractions, such as Masada, Old Jaffa and the Western Wall. But the itinerary also includes some items specifically catered to its crowd: Couples on the March trip took a sunset cruise on the Red Sea.

Rabbi Adam Greenwald, a Conservative rabbi who runs the Miller Introduction to Judaism program at American Jewish University, accompanied the Los Angeles cadre in March. The trip affords him the chance to work with interfaith couples and “ambivalent Jews” in a casual and nonjudgmental setting, he said. 

His job is to “sit over dinner and talk to people about what they believe and what they’re doing with their interfaith family,” he said.

Honeymoon Israel relies heavily on local partner organizations to keep the ball rolling when the couples come home. Locally, that means the likes of Greenwald and The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles are responsible for keeping the couples involved in the Jewish community. Greenwald said the previous Los Angeles trip in May 2015 has led to “a new, incredibly tight inclusive community in Los Angeles.”

The March trip the Rosses participated in shows signs of a similar success. Diana Lovati, who went on the trip with her wife, Karen Lovati, was worried beforehand they might be isolated because they were the only same-sex couple.

Diana Lovati and her wife, Karen, in the Jerusalem Archaeological Park adjacent to the Western Wall.

“I didn’t think I would connect with anybody,” said Diana, who grew up Catholic but doesn’t practice. “I’ve found a connection with every single person on this trip.”

The sense of acceptance she felt after arriving, both from her fellow travelers and members of Karen’s Israeli family here, has even made her consider converting to Judaism.

“It wasn’t a thought in my mind, but after this trip it has crossed my mind a couple of times,” she said, adding that she often felt shunned by the Catholic community for being gay.

For Bianca Ross, it was her fraught relationship with the church that led her to leave the Catholic faith. The 30-year-old, easily a foot shorter than her husband, has the manner of a fierce free thinker who rarely speaks without something significant to say.

Right about the time she started dating Alex, leaders of her local church in Los Angeles gathered the congregation to announce the removal of a priest. They made a point of emphasizing his dismissal didn’t have to do with sexual abuse. 

“I don’t want to be associated with an organization that feels the need to clarify something like that,” she said.

But she had deeper, philosophical problems with the Catholic faith, saying it carried a sense of fatalism and hopelessness that turned her away. When Alex took her to High Holy Day services, she read a very different message in the Jewish prayers, one that embraced personal responsibility and openness to change.

When she was ready to convert, she chose a Hebrew name that reflected what she found in Judaism that Catholicism couldn’t provide her: tikva, the Hebrew word for hope.

Coming to Israel, that concept took on new meaning at Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, where she learned about how Jewish statehood emerged from the crucible of war and on the heels of the Holocaust.

“It really speaks volumes of the Jewish people and how they continue despite all the atrocities that have been committed with them,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion. “I love that hard idea: Just keep going.” 

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Young couples now getting Birthright-style ‘honeymoons’ in Israel

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Jay and Mikelle sat next to each other on the bus as it ascended the road to Jerusalem.

Later the same day they accompanied each other on an emotional trip to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum. The next day they planned to trek up to the desert fortress at Masada and swim together in the Dead Sea.

During its week-and-a-half journey through Israel, their bus would stop so they could hike up north and relax at the beach in Tel Aviv. Some of the group had been here before; for others it was their first time.

But unlike the hundreds of Taglit-Birthright Israel buses that traverse Israel every year, there were no random hookups on this tour. Its participants were couples, some with children. About a third of the participants weren’t Jewish.

Called Honeymoon Israel , the trip is a “Birthright” for married couples aged 25 to 40. Like Birthright — the free 10-day journeys to Israel for 18- to 26-year-old Jews — the couples’ excursion hopes to foster Jewish identity in its participants as they are settling down and having kids. Acknowledging the growing number of intermarried families, the trip mandates that only one of the two partners be Jewish.

“We plan on raising our household Jewish,” said Jay Belfore, a trip participant who was raised Catholic and whose wife, Mikelle, is Jewish. “In order for me to gain a better understanding of the culture, seeing Israel is important to us.”

On their second date, Mikelle told Jay that she wanted to raise Jewish children. Jay appreciates Judaism’s emphasis on family, and said the trip has given him a frame of reference for Jewish life, teaching him about the origins of holidays and customs. The couple has two children, 3 and 1.

“My hope was that Jay would learn about Judaism on a deeper level and would feel more involved in our children’s upbringing,” Mikelle said. “Honeymoon Israel has created a safe place for couples in similar situations.”

That safe place is the trip’s goal, said Honeymoon Israel co-CEO Avi Rubel, who launched the project with co-CEO Mike Wise. Families and Jewish communities at home can be judgmental of intermarried couples or those without much Jewish background, he said, and coming to Israel together allows them to have an immersive and supportive Jewish experience.

“What if they did feel welcome and not judged, and at home in the Jewish community?” said Rubel, formerly the founding North American director of Masa Israel Journey, which coordinates long-term Israel programs for young people. “Then at this time they’re looking for meaning, and they would find it in the Jewish community.”

Honeymoon Israel’s two pilot trips, from Los Angeles and Phoenix, arrived in late May with 20 couples each. There was an outsize demand — 85 couples applied from Los Angeles and 51 from Phoenix — and interviews were part of the process.

While the trip’s total expenses add up to about $10,000 per couple, the couples pay only $1,800. The Boston-based Jacobson Family Foundation is the primary funder. The trip is not linked to Taglit-Birthright Israel, which is paid for in part by the Israeli government.

Rubel and Wise, the former CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo in New York, hope to run 50 Honeymoon Israel trips a year.

Such initiatives, said Jewish sociologist Steven M. Cohen, are crucial in light of the results of the Pew Research Center’s 2013 “ A Portrait of Jewish Americans ,” which showed that 71 percent of non-Orthodox Jews were intermarrying. Showing intermarried couples a Jewish society, Cohen said, can give the non-Jewish spouse a larger context to connect personally to Judaism.

“Being Jewish in yourself is connected with being Jewish in your family, in your community and in your people,” said Cohen, a research professor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. “These circles of social identity are layered from top to bottom.”

Honeymoon Israel is one of a few imitation Birthright programs to emerge in recent years. The Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project runs eight-day group trips to Israel for Jewish mothers. An organization called Covenant Journey plans to bring groups of Evangelical Christian youth to Israel for subsidized trips starting this year.

Honeymoon Israel takes its participants across the country, but spends more time in Tel Aviv than most Birthright trips, aiming to show Israel’s modern culture as well as its historical and biblical sites. Participants on the Phoenix trip did Havdalah, the closing ceremony of Shabbat, with Beit Tefillah Israeli, a liberal prayer group that meets on the beach. And the group spent a day in northern Israel learning about coexistence efforts between Arabs and Jews.

“This is not a Disney World trip,” Rubel said. “We want people to see Israel in all its complexity. We want people to have a positive experience in Israel. We think part of doing that is giving people a chance to see the whole picture.”

The trips also aim to maintain connections among the couples after they return to their home city. Couples met at a Shabbat dinner before the trip, and monthly Shabbat dinners are planned for when they return. A trip staff member will also be available to meet with the couples back home.

“In this modern world where we have almost no boundaries, the new face of Jews is definitely an international one,” said Khai Ling Tan, who was born in Malaysia and whose husband, Jonathan Levine, is Jewish.  “You don’t want to be exclusive because when you do that, your world becomes smaller and smaller and smaller.”

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• X (Twitter)

Now there’s a ‘Birthright’ for those over 26 and intermarried — ‘Honeymoon Israel’

Famously, Birthright Israel is a program designed to foster support for Israel in the U.S. (and other countries) by sending Jewish kids there for free for 10 days during which they meet Israeli soldiers and hook up with other Birthrighters. Birthright is limited to 18-26-year-old’s who have “one Jewish birth parent ,” whatever that means, and who haven’t been to Israel on their own before. Sheldon Adelson and Norman Braman (big Republican donors) support Birthright.

But sadly Birthright won’t pay for your honeymoon if you meet your spouse on the trip.

Well I just learned about Honeymoon Israel : “Israel with the one you love.” You can go on this luxury trip if you’re 25-40, and if you’re intermarried.

At least one person in each couple must be Jewish. Jewish individuals are those who identify as Jewish and are recognized as Jewish by their local community. Jewish individuals must have at least one Jewish parent or must have completed Jewish conversion.

Here are the scheduled trips, more than 20 planned. The Washington DC promotion is here . There are hurdles to go over to show you’re Jewish, but they have a loose definition of honeymoon: “Couples must either be married or in a life-long committed relationship.” It’s not completely free either. The trip costs about $10,000 per couple of which the couple has to spend $1800. “The remainder is a gift from the Jewish community.”

Seems a little desperate to me, but there’s probably some big money behind it, and studies showing that up to age 40 a Jew can still be molded into a Zionist…

Thanks to Scott Roth.

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“It’s not completely free either. The trip costs about $10,000 per couple of which the couple has to spend $1800. “The remainder is a gift from the Jewish community.”

I wonder how many elderly and impoverished Jews could be helped by that money.

Perhaps it is also evident of the desperation among the Birthright folks, that they feel the need to find more ways to increase their propaganda. Maybe it’s a sign that the Birthright program for younger folks isn’t producing the results they wanted.

Oh, shoot! My DH and I do meet the requirement regarding the intermarriage thing, unfortunately we are both well over 40 ……… and the honeymoon has also been over for quite some time. On the plus side, I wouldn’t go on this kind of trip even if it were 100% free.

I wonder whether the non-Jewish partner can be Palestinian?

RE: “Now there’s a ‘Birthright’ for those over 26 and intermarried — ‘Honeymoon Israel’”

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See all that Moscow has to offer by choosing one or more of our incredible Moscow day tours. Visit Red Square , St. Basil’s , the Kremlin or perhaps a vodka museum and the fantastic Moscow metro system , we have it all. Our expert, informative and fun guides will help you get to know Europe’s largest city. Please click on the day tour details to learn more or contact us for more information about our Moscow tours using the form at the side of the page.  You can also schedule a call with one of our Russian travel specialists to learn more.

Head to the heart of Moscow with a professional guide on a 4-hour private walk through the city center. See Tverskaya and Old Arbat streets, Theatre Square with the world-famous Bolshoi Theatre, and the former KGB headquarters...

• Schedule Daily 09:00 - 20:00
• Languages English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
• Walking tours Transportation is not included
• PRIVATE TOUR This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group

Panoramic City Tour. This Moscow tour is a great start to your trip and the best way to get acquainted with many of the city’s major highlights. Our professional guide will escort you on a route that includes Vorobyevi...

• Schedule Daily 09:00 - 18:00
• Tours by car Transportation by private car/minivan is included

This tour offers a detailed look into the history and present-day life of the Jewish community of Moscow. On the tour, you will visit sites connected with the cultural and religious life of different Jewish families, as well...

• Schedule Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday 11:00 - 20:00 Friday 10:00 - 14:00 Saturday not available

The tour begins with a drive or walk down Tverskaya Street – a Soviet masterpiece. In the years of Soviet power, Tverskaya began to undergo a transformation: it was widened to two and a half times its original size,...

This is a very interesting and insightful tour. You will visit places connected with Stalin’s terror - a time of great repression and fear. You will be shown monuments to the victims of the repression. You will then...

You will be told of the street’s interesting history and view the street’s artisan culture. You will also have the opportunity to view and purchase souvenirs from the street’s many craftsmen....

The Kremlin is truly a fascinating structure, at the same time it is an ancient tower, the city’s former military fortification, a palace, an armory, the sovereign treasury and the workplace of the Russian President....

• Schedule Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00 - 17:00 Thursday not available

This world-famous gallery contains masterpieces of Russian art beginning in the 10th century up until today. You will view exquisite Russian icons and paintings from the 18th and 19th century including works by Rublyov, Karavak,...

• Schedule Monday not available Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday 10:00 - 17:00 Thursday, Friday, Saturday 10:00 - 20:00

Tour of the Novodevichy Monastery. Founded in 1524 by Grand Prince VasiliIoanovich, the original convent was enclosed by fortified walls and contained 12 towers. The structure served as a convent for women of noble birth...

• Schedule Daily 09:00 - 17:00

The Moscow Metro is one of the largest and most grandly built metro systems in the world. It was meant to be a showcase of the Soviet Union’s achievements for both the Russians themselves and for visitors from abroad....

• Schedule Daily 10:00 - 17:00

The history of Kolomenskoye stretches back for centuries. In 1380, Dmitri Donskoi’s army passed through Kolomenskoye on their way to the Kulikovo battlefield, and it was here that Donskoi celebrated his victory over...

• Schedule Monday not available Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday 10:00 - 17:00 Saturday 11:00 - 18:00

Considered by some to be the Russian Vatican, Sergiev Posad is the temporary residence of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Trinity St. Sergius Monastery (Lavra) was built in the first half of the 1340s by...

The Tsaritsyno Estate is located in the southern part of Moscow. The estate was constructed for Catherine the Great by the Russian architects Bazhenov and Kazakov in a romantic gothic style. The complex includes a landscape...

• Schedule Monday not available Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 11:00 - 17:00 Saturday 11:00 - 19:00 Sunday 11:00 - 18:00

The Kuskovo Estate often called the Moscow Versailles due to its perfectly preserved French park, is an example of an 18th century, luxurious Moscow summer residence. Its history dates back to 1715, when the village of Kuskovo...

• Schedule Monday, Tuesday not available Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00 - 18:00

Vodka is an important component of Russian life, an element of national identity and everyday culture. We invite you to visit the Vodka Museum and feel the atmosphere of long-gone centuries. You will get to know the story...

• Schedule Daily 10:00 - 19:00

Take this opportunity to learn more about the Russian writer Lev Tolstoy. During the visit to the museum you will see part of a vast collection of exhibits connected to Tolstoy and his family including books and personal...

• Schedule Monday not available Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00 - 17:00 Thursday 12:00 - 19:00

This apartment museum located close to Patriarch Ponds became the prototype of the "bad apartment" described in the novel "The Master and Margarita." Currently the museum's collection includes more than three thousand...

• Schedule Monday not available Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12:00 - 19:00 Thursday 14:00 - 21:00

Express to Russia specializes in Moscow city excursions, an essential part of your Moscow travel itinerary. We offer a large variety of day excursions throughout Moscow and its suburbs. From  Red Square  and the  Kremlin  to a city tour of Moscow’s  Old Arbat Street  or the  Moscow metro , an excursion specializing in Stalin and the KGB and much more. No travel to Moscow is complete without taking a few of our day tours that most meet your interest in Russia.

Moscow City Tours

Our Moscow day excursions can be organized on foot or with transport. All of our excursions are led by an experienced guide, specializing in the subject matter of the tour. Excursions are privately run and can be booked for 1 traveler all the way up to large groups of travelers. We run our Moscow city tours in every season. This is because travel to Moscow is excellent in any season. In the summer take a stroll through  Gorky Park  or take a riverboat tour along the Moskva River. In the winter, see Moscow’s winter wonderland of ice and snow and then settle in for a cozy lunch or dinner with a hot bowl of borsht. In winter, spring and fall, you can beat the crowds at all of Moscow’s main attractions and museums. Regardless of when you come, Express to Russia will make sure that your trip is one of your best vacations ever.

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A Steady Stream of Road Trips Made Falling in Love Easy

As Deborah Yarchun and Benjamin Parr traveled across the country during the pandemic, their bond became stronger at each stop.

By Joshua Needelman

Deborah Jennifer Yarchun was shocked when her friend swiped left on Benjamin Ernest Parr.

“Why would you do that?” she asked of her friend’s rejection of Mr. Parr on the League, a dating app for ambitious people.

She had been drawn to his photo. “He just looked so happy and kind,” Ms. Yarchun said.

A few weeks later, Ms. Yarchun came across Mr. Parr on the same app. She quickly swiped right.

On Feb. 3, 2018, Ms. Yarchun wore a red turtleneck sweater to their first date, at Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels, a wine bar in SoHo. When she admitted she had been inspired by Mr. Parr’s 2015 book, “Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention” — a woman wearing red on a date is likely to prompt a man to sit closer, Mr. Parr had written — Mr. Parr’s eyes lit up.

The six-hour date flew by. So did their second date, when they walked into a Chelsea bar that happened to be hosting a burlesque show. On their third date — Valentine’s Day — Ms. Yarchun and Mr. Parr officially became a couple.

“I kept thinking, ‘What’s the catch?’” said Ms. Yarchun, 38. “It turned out there was no catch. He was the catch.”

They bonded over their shared love for writing. Ms. Yarchun’s 2019 play, “Drive,” won Dartmouth’s Neukom Institute Literary Award for Playwriting, and she has taught playwriting at the University of Iowa and Indiana University. Ms. Yarchun graduated from Drexel University with a bachelor’s degree in screenwriting and playwriting, and then earned her M.F.A. in playwriting from the University of Iowa. She grew up in New Jersey and Germany before her family settled down in Austin, Texas.

Mr. Parr, 39, is a founder of a pair of artificial intelligence companies, Octane AI and Theory Forge Ventures, and writes a regular column for The Information. A native of Princeton, Ill., Mr. Parr graduated from Northwestern University with a double major in political science and science in human culture.

In November 2019, Ms. Yarchun moved into Mr. Parr’s apartment in NoLIta. The next day, the apartment directly above theirs caught on fire, leaving their home with extensive water damage. They spent the next few months bouncing around New York, Los Angeles and Fort Worth, Texas, before planning to return to Manhattan in March 2020.

Two days before their scheduled move to a subleased apartment, however, they learned the space had bed bugs. Mr. Parr and Ms. Yarchun, who had been staying in a nearby hotel, canceled the sublease and fled to an Airbnb in Woodstock, N.Y. It proved to be prescient: By the end of the month, New York, like much of the world, was in pandemic lockdown.

[Click here to binge read this week’s featured couples.]

So Ms. Yarchun and Mr. Parr embraced their nomadic lifestyle, choosing a new location each month, booking an Airbnb and hitting the road.

“It was super clear how durable our relationship was, and how much we enjoyed spending time together,” Mr. Parr said.

They spent time on a farm in Vermont and in a cottage in the Poconos. They visited Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon. They ate Thanksgiving dinner on a rock just over Arizona’s border with New Mexico, feasting on turkey, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes from Cracker Barrel as the sun set.

“I was like, ‘How are we never having fights at all?’” Ms. Yarchun said. “If you can pack your life into a car together over and over and your relationship survives, you might as well get married.”

In May 2021, they moved into a permanent apartment in Culver City, Calif. Then, on March 4, 2023, Mr. Parr proposed to Ms. Yarchun. She said yes.

They were married on April 6 at the Cedar Bend in Austin in front of 91 guests. Christina Beleck, a Universal Life Church minister and the mother-in-law of Ms. Yarchun’s younger brother Daniel, officiated. They incorporated both Jewish and Thai traditions, a nod to Ms. Yarchun and Mr. Parr’s respective backgrounds. The ceremony was held under a huppah and they received two traditional Thai wedding blessings. During the cocktail hour, they served rugelach, a Jewish pastry, and Thai summer rolls.

Before guests dined on fajitas, all eyes turned to Ms. Yarchun and Mr. Parr for their first dance to “ Good Day for Marrying You ,” by Dave Barnes. The song had often come up randomly on Spotify as they traversed the country, their bond deepening with every mile.

“I’m not a natural dancer, but when it came on my body couldn’t help dancing to it,” Ms. Yarchun said. “I’d just be overcome with joy at the idea of marrying Ben.”

Weddings Trends and Ideas

‘Edible Haute Couture’: Bastien Blanc-Tailleur, a luxury cake designer based in Paris, creates opulent confections for high-profile clients , including European royalty and American socialites.

Reinventing a Mexican Tradition: Mariachi, a soundtrack for celebration in Mexico, offers a way for couples to honor their heritage  at their weddings.

Something Thrifted: Focused on recycled clothing , some brides are finding their wedding attire on vintage sites and at resale stores.

Brand Your Love Story: Some couples are going above and beyond to personalize their weddings, with bespoke party favors and custom experiences for guests .

Going to Great Lengths : Mega wedding cakes are momentous for reasons beyond their size — they are part of an emerging trend of extremely long cakes .

Popping the Question: Here are some of the sweetest, funniest and most heartwarming ways that c ouples who wed in 2023 asked, “Will you marry me? ”

Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow: The Best of Moscow!

I just got back from one week in Moscow. And, as you might have already guessed, it was a mind-boggling experience. It was not my first trip to the Russian capital. But I hardly ever got enough time to explore this sprawling city. Visiting places for business rarely leaves enough time for sightseeing. I think that if you’ve got one week in Russia, you can also consider splitting your time between its largest cities (i.e. Saint Petersburg ) to get the most out of your trip. Seven days will let you see the majority of the main sights and go beyond just scratching the surface. In this post, I’m going to share with you my idea of the perfect travel itinerary for one week in Moscow.

Moscow is perhaps both the business and cultural hub of Russia. There is a lot more to see here than just the Kremlin and Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Centuries-old churches with onion-shaped domes dotted around the city are in stark contrast with newly completed impressive skyscrapers of Moscow City dominating the skyline. I spent a lot of time thinking about my Moscow itinerary before I left. And this city lived up to all of my expectations.

Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow

Day 1 – red square and the kremlin.

Metro Station: Okhotny Ryad on Red Line.

No trip to Moscow would be complete without seeing its main attraction. The Red Square is just a stone’s throw away from several metro stations. It is home to some of the most impressive architectural masterpieces in the city. The first thing you’ll probably notice after entering it and passing vendors selling weird fur hats is the fairytale-like looking Saint Basil’s Cathedral. It was built to commemorate one of the major victories of Ivan the Terrible. I once spent 20 minutes gazing at it, trying to find the perfect angle to snap it. It was easier said than done because of the hordes of locals and tourists.

As you continue strolling around Red Square, there’s no way you can miss Gum. It was widely known as the main department store during the Soviet Era. Now this large (yet historic) shopping mall is filled with expensive boutiques, pricey eateries, etc. During my trip to Moscow, I was on a tight budget. So I only took a retro-style stroll in Gum to get a rare glimpse of a place where Soviet leaders used to grocery shop and buy their stuff. In case you want some modern shopping experience, head to the Okhotny Ryad Shopping Center with stores like New Yorker, Zara, and Adidas.

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To continue this Moscow itinerary, next you may want to go inside the Kremlin walls. This is the center of Russian political power and the president’s official residence. If you’re planning to pay Kremlin a visit do your best to visit Ivan the Great Bell Tower as well. Go there as early as possible to avoid crowds and get an incredible bird’s-eye view. There are a couple of museums that are available during designated visiting hours. Make sure to book your ticket online and avoid lines.

Day 2 – Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Tretyakov Gallery, and the Arbat Street

Metro Station: Kropotkinskaya on Red Line

As soon as you start creating a Moscow itinerary for your second day, you’ll discover that there are plenty of metro stations that are much closer to certain sites. Depending on your route, take a closer look at the metro map to pick the closest.

The white marble walls of Christ the Saviour Cathedral are awe-inspiring. As you approach this tallest Orthodox Christian church, you may notice the bronze sculptures, magnificent arches, and cupolas that were created to commemorate Russia’s victory against Napoleon.

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Unfortunately, the current Cathedral is a replica, since original was blown to bits in 1931 by the Soviet government. The new cathedral basically follows the original design, but they have added some new elements such as marble high reliefs.

Home to some precious collection of artworks, in Tretyakov Gallery you can find more than 150,000 of works spanning centuries of artistic endeavor. Originally a privately owned gallery, it now has become one of the largest museums in Russia. The Gallery is often considered essential to visit. But I have encountered a lot of locals who have never been there.

Famous for its souvenirs, musicians, and theaters, Arbat street is among the few in Moscow that were turned into pedestrian zones. Arbat street is usually very busy with tourists and locals alike. My local friend once called it the oldest street in Moscow dating back to 1493. It is a kilometer long walking street filled with fancy gift shops, small cozy restaurants, lots of cute cafes, and street artists. It is closed to any vehicular traffic, so you can easily stroll it with kids.

Day 3 – Moscow River Boat Ride, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park, the Moscow City

Metro Station: Kievskaya and Park Pobedy on Dark Blue Line / Vystavochnaya on Light Blue Line

Voyaging along the Moscow River is definitely one of the best ways to catch a glimpse of the city and see the attractions from a bit different perspective. Depending on your Moscow itinerary, travel budget and the time of the year, there are various types of boats available. In the summer there is no shortage of boats, and you’ll be spoiled for choice.

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If you find yourself in Moscow during the winter months, I’d recommend going with Radisson boat cruise. These are often more expensive (yet comfy). They offer refreshments like tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and, of course, alcoholic drinks. Prices may vary but mostly depend on your food and drink selection. Find their main pier near the opulent Ukraine hotel . The hotel is one of the “Seven Sisters”, so if you’re into the charm of Stalinist architecture don’t miss a chance to stay there.

The area near Poklonnaya Hill has the closest relation to the country’s recent past. The memorial complex was completed in the mid-1990s to commemorate the Victory and WW2 casualties. Also known as the Great Patriotic War Museum, activities here include indoor attractions while the grounds around host an open-air museum with old tanks and other vehicles used on the battlefield.

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The hallmark of the memorial complex and the first thing you see as you exit metro is the statue of Nike mounted to its column. This is a very impressive Obelisk with a statue of Saint George slaying the dragon at its base.

Maybe not as impressive as Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower , the skyscrapers of the Moscow City (otherwise known as Moscow International Business Center) are so drastically different from dull Soviet architecture. With 239 meters and 60 floors, the Empire Tower is the seventh highest building in the business district.

The observation deck occupies 56 floor from where you have some panoramic views of the city. I loved the view in the direction of Moscow State University and Luzhniki stadium as well to the other side with residential quarters. The entrance fee is pricey, but if you’re want to get a bird’s eye view, the skyscraper is one of the best places for doing just that.

Day 4 – VDNKh, Worker and Collective Farm Woman Monument, The Ostankino TV Tower

Metro Station: VDNKh on Orange Line

VDNKh is one of my favorite attractions in Moscow. The weird abbreviation actually stands for Russian vystavka dostizheniy narodnogo khozyaystva (Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy). With more than 200 buildings and 30 pavilions on the grounds, VDNKh serves as an open-air museum. You can easily spend a full day here since the park occupies a very large area.

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First, there are pavilions that used to showcase different cultures the USSR was made of. Additionally, there is a number of shopping pavilions, as well as Moskvarium (an Oceanarium) that features a variety of marine species. VDNKh is a popular venue for events and fairs. There is always something going on, so I’d recommend checking their website if you want to see some particular exhibition.

A stone’s throw away from VDNKh there is a very distinctive 25-meters high monument. Originally built in 1937 for the world fair in Paris, the hulking figures of men and women holding a hammer and a sickle represent the Soviet idea of united workers and farmers. It doesn’t take much time to see the monument, but visiting it gives some idea of the Soviet Union’s grandiose aspirations.

I have a thing for tall buildings. So to continue my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow I decided to climb the fourth highest TV tower in the world. This iconic 540m tower is a fixture of the skyline. You can see it virtually from everywhere in Moscow, and this is where you can get the best panoramic views (yep, even better than Empire skyscraper).

Parts of the floor are made of tempered glass, so it can be quite scary to exit the elevator. But trust me, as you start observing buildings and cars below, you won’t want to leave. There is only a limited number of tickets per day, so you may want to book online. Insider tip: the first tour is cheaper, you can save up to $10 if go there early.

Day 5 – A Tour To Moscow Manor Houses

Metro Station: Kolomenskoye, Tsaritsyno on Dark Green Line / Kuskovo on Purple Line

I love visiting the manor houses and palaces in Moscow. These opulent buildings were generally built to house Russian aristocratic families and monarchs. Houses tend to be rather grand affairs with impressive architecture. And, depending on the whims of the owners, some form of a landscaped garden.

During the early part of the 20th century though, many of Russia’s aristocratic families (including the family of the last emperor) ended up being killed or moving abroad . Their manor houses were nationalized. Some time later (after the fall of the USSR) these were open to the public. It means that today a great many of Moscow’s finest manor houses and palaces are open for touring.

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There are 20 manor houses scattered throughout the city and more than 25 in the area around. But not all of them easily accessible and exploring them often takes a lot of time. I’d recommend focusing on three most popular estates in Moscow that are some 30-minute metro ride away from Kremlin.

Sandwiched between the Moscow River and the Andropov Avenue, Kolomenskoye is a UNESCO site that became a public park in the 1920’s. Once a former royal estate, now it is one of the most tranquil parks in the city with gorgeous views. The Ascension Church, The White Column, and the grounds are a truly grand place to visit.

You could easily spend a full day here, exploring a traditional Russian village (that is, in fact, a market), picnicking by the river, enjoying the Eastern Orthodox church architecture, hiking the grounds as well as and wandering the park and gardens with wildflower meadows, apple orchards, and birch and maple groves. The estate museum showcases Russian nature at its finest year-round.

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If my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow was a family tree, Tsaritsyno Park would probably be the crazy uncle that no-one talks about. It’s a large park in the south of the city of mind-boggling proportions, unbelievable in so many ways, and yet most travelers have never heard of it.

The palace was supposed to be a summer home for Empress Catherine the Great. But since the construction didn’t meet with her approval the palace was abandoned. Since the early 1990’s the palace, the pond, and the grounds have been undergoing renovations. The entire complex is now looking brighter and more elaborately decorated than at possibly any other time during its history. Like most parks in Moscow, you can visit Tsaritsyno free of charge, but there is a small fee if you want to visit the palace.

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Last, but by no means least on my Moscow itinerary is Kuskovo Park . This is definitely an off-the-beaten-path place. While it is not easily accessible, you will be rewarded with a lack of crowds. This 18th-century summer country house of the Sheremetev family was one of the first summer country estates of the Russian nobility. And when you visit you’ll quickly realize why locals love this park.

Like many other estates, Kuskovo has just been renovated. So there are lovely French formal garden, a grotto, and the Dutch house to explore. Make sure to plan your itinerary well because the estate is some way from a metro station.

Day 6 – Explore the Golden Ring

Creating the Moscow itinerary may keep you busy for days with the seemingly endless amount of things to do. Visiting the so-called Golden Ring is like stepping back in time. Golden Ring is a “theme route” devised by promotion-minded journalist and writer Yuri Bychkov.

Having started in Moscow the route will take you through a number of historical cities. It now includes Suzdal, Vladimir, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Sergiev Posad. All these awe-inspiring towns have their own smaller kremlins and feature dramatic churches with onion-shaped domes, tranquil residential areas, and other architectural landmarks.

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I only visited two out of eight cities included on the route. It is a no-brainer that Sergiev Posad is the nearest and the easiest city to see on a day trip from Moscow. That being said, you can explore its main attractions in just one day. Located some 70 km north-east of the Russian capital, this tiny and overlooked town is home to Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, UNESCO Site.

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Sergiev Posad is often described as being at the heart of Russian spiritual life. So it is uncommon to see the crowds of Russian pilgrims showing a deep reverence for their religion. If you’re traveling independently and using public transport, you can reach Sergiev Posad by bus (departs from VDNKh) or by suburban commuter train from Yaroslavskaya Railway Station (Bahnhof). It takes about one and a half hours to reach the town.

Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a great place to get a glimpse of filling and warming Russian lunch, specifically at the “ Gostevaya Izba ” restaurant. Try the duck breast, hearty potato and vegetables, and the awesome Napoleon cake.

Day 7 – Gorky Park, Izmailovo Kremlin, Patriarch’s Ponds

Metro Station: Park Kultury or Oktyabrskaya on Circle Line / Partizanskaya on Dark Blue Line / Pushkinskaya on Dark Green Line

Gorky Park is in the heart of Moscow. It offers many different types of outdoor activities, such as dancing, cycling, skateboarding, walking, jogging, and anything else you can do in a park. Named after Maxim Gorky, this sprawling and lovely park is where locals go on a picnic, relax and enjoy free yoga classes. It’s a popular place to bike around, and there is a Muzeon Art Park not far from here. A dynamic location with a younger vibe. There is also a pier, so you can take a cruise along the river too.

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The Kremlin in Izmailovo is by no means like the one you can find near the Red Square. Originally built for decorative purposes, it now features the Vernissage flea market and a number of frequent fairs, exhibitions, and conferences. Every weekend, there’s a giant flea market in Izmailovo, where dozens of stalls sell Soviet propaganda crap, Russian nesting dolls, vinyl records, jewelry and just about any object you can imagine. Go early in the morning if you want to beat the crowds.

All the Bulgakov’s fans should pay a visit to Patriarch’s Ponds (yup, that is plural). With a lovely small city park and the only one (!) pond in the middle, the location is where the opening scene of Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita was set. The novel is centered around a visit by Devil to the atheistic Soviet Union is considered by many critics to be one of the best novels of the 20th century. I spent great two hours strolling the nearby streets and having lunch in the hipster cafe.

Conclusion and Recommendations

To conclude, Moscow is a safe city to visit. I have never had a problem with getting around and most locals are really friendly once they know you’re a foreigner. Moscow has undergone some serious reconstruction over the last few years. So you can expect some places to be completely different. I hope my one week Moscow itinerary was helpful! If you have less time, say 4 days or 5 days, I would cut out day 6 and day 7. You could save the Golden Ring for a separate trip entirely as there’s lots to see!

What are your thoughts on this one week Moscow itinerary? Are you excited about your first time in the city? Let me know in the comments below!

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24 comments.

Ann Snook-Moreau

Moscow looks so beautiful and historic! Thanks for including public transit information for those of us who don’t like to rent cars.

MindTheTravel

Yup, that is me 🙂 Rarely rent + stick to the metro = Full wallet!

Mariella Blago

Looks like you had loads of fun! Well done. Also great value post for travel lovers.

Thanks, Mariella!

I have always wanted to go to Russia, especially Moscow. These sights look absolutely beautiful to see and there is so much history there!

Agree! Moscow is a thousand-year-old city and there is definitely something for everyone.

Tara Pittman

Those are amazing buildings. Looks like a place that would be amazing to visit.

Adriana Lopez

Never been to Moscow or Russia but my family has. Many great spots and a lot of culture. Your itinerary sounds fantastic and covers a lot despite it is only a short period of time.

What was their favourite thing about Russia?

Gladys Parker

I know very little about Moscow or Russia for the\at matter. I do know I would have to see the Red Square and all of its exquisite architectural masterpieces. Also the CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOUR. Thanks for shedding some light on visiting Moscow.

Thanks for swinging by! The Red Square is a great starting point, but there way too many places and things to discover aside from it!

Ruthy @ Percolate Kitchen

You are making me so jealous!! I’ve always wanted to see Russia.

Moscow is in my bucket list, I don’t know when I can visit there, your post is really useful. As a culture rich place we need to spend at least week.

DANA GUTKOWSKI

Looks like you had a great trip! Thanks for all the great info! I’ve never been in to Russia, but this post makes me wanna go now!

Wow this is amazing! Moscow is on my bucket list – such an amazing place to visit I can imagine! I can’t wait to go there one day!

The building on the second picture looks familiar. I keep seeing that on TV.

Reesa Lewandowski

What beautiful moments! I always wish I had the personality to travel more like this!

Perfect itinerary for spending a week in Moscow! So many places to visit and it looks like you had a wonderful time. I would love to climb that tower. The views I am sure must have been amazing!

I was lucky enough to see the skyline of Moscow from this TV Tower and it is definitely mind-blowing.

Chelsea Pearl

Moscow is definitely up there on my travel bucket list. So much history and iconic architecture!

Thumbs up! 🙂

Blair Villanueva

OMG I dream to visit Moscow someday! Hope the visa processing would be okay (and become more affordable) so I could pursue my dream trip!

Yup, visa processing is the major downside! Agree! Time and the money consuming process…

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This Retired Couple's Delhi To Kanyakumari Road Trip Is Pure Relationship Goals

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Last Updated: April 25, 2024, 19:24 IST

Delhi, India

The couple has over 72,000 followers on Instagram. (Image credits: Instagram/retiredpunjabi)

The couple started on a 52-day long road trip from Delhi to Kanyakumari in a camper van that was fitted with a makeshift kitchenette.

Going on a pan-India road trip is a dream of several travel enthusiasts. Now, a retired couple is living this dream and they are sharing their journey with others via social media. The couple embarked on a 52-day long road trip from Delhi to Kanyakumari back in January. For the road trip, they got a campervan that is fitted with a small makeshift kitchenette. Most of the videos shared by the duo involve them documenting the sumptuous meals that they make while on the road. Both of them work together to prepare the meals and take turns to drive.

Recently, one of their Instagram videos went viral with over 15 lakh likes. The video shows the couple making a pit stop at the Aurangabad highway to make their lunch. Despite having a limited set-up, they prepare the nourishing meal of aloo-vadi curry with rice. The man enthusiastically narrates their lunch plans and says, “Aaj apni camper van mein lunch mein bana rahe hain aloo vadi chawal, Aurangabad highway par. Ek imli ke ped ki chhaaon mein, aur kar rahe hain apni life ko enjoy. (Today we are making aalo vadi curry with rice for lunch in our camper van. We have parked under an imli tree and are enjoying ourselves fully."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Retired Punjabi (@retiredpunjabi)

In the comments, people wrote encouraging comments for the couple. In India, it is rare to see an older couple going on a road trip and prioritising their hobbies. Therefore, this couple sets a unique example of people living their lives to the fullest even after they move to their 50s.

An Instagram user commented, “Finally, at some point, parents are living their lives and making unforgettable memories." Another person wrote, “That’s what all parents need to do! Enjoy life, they’re also living for the first time." Actor Kavita Kaushik, best known for playing Chandramukhi Chautala in SAB TV’s sitcom F.I.R., noted, “Proud of you! Inspiring…more power and love to you both."

Many people mentioned that they see the couple as an aspirational figure for their future. Expressing this sentiment, an Instagram user mentioned, “Future me with my wife in my 50s." Another person asserted, “This is the dream." Someone else stated, “If this isn’t me in 20 years, then I don’t want it."

Even though the couple goes by the name “Retired Punjabi", they have settled in a scenic cottage in Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand.

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Live updates, nevada couple reunited with missing cat after 5 years and a 1,200-mile trip: ‘it is a miracle’.

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A Nevada couple received their own “miracle” when they were reunited with their lost cat who somehow ended up more than 1,200 miles away in Arkansas.

Cindy and Jeff Hall were devastated when their rescue cat, Sam, a Russian Blue, went missing five years ago while at their former Arizona residence.

“We had him for seven years and then one day he got out,” Cindy told KARK News .

Sam, who was adopted at just 12 weeks old, was nowhere to be found, but last month, the Halls received a phone call that he had been picked up at an Arkansas animal shelter, where they called him Luke.

The cat was picked up by two volunteer workers who were transporting dogs and spotted the Russian Blue at a gas station in Brinkley.

“It is a miracle that he walked up to these two women that were in rescue,” Cindy said of the chance encounter.

The volunteers from handed the cat over to the Jacksonville Animal Hospital, where the staff were able to scan his microchip and alert the Pawsitively Cats pet shelter, where the Halls had adopted Sam.

“We contacted his family to find out how Luke wound up being left at that gas station; they were thrilled to know he was alive,” the shelter said in a Facebook post update .

After receiving a bit of pampering, Sam began the long journey back home as volunteers drove him to El Paso before handing him off for the second leg of the trip to Tucson.

The final stretch saw the Russian Blue drive out to Nevada, where he was reunited with his parents.

“When we got him it was surreal,” Cindy Hall told KARK. “It’s such a beautiful story.”

“This story just can’t underestimate the power of a microchip,” she added. “We are so grateful for everyone that was involved.”

Despite now being 12 years old, Sam is behaving the same as ever, the Halls said, with their domestic life finally back to normal.

While it remains unclear how Sam managed to find his way to Arkansas, Cindy said she’s just happy to have him back.

“Having him home makes our family feel complete,” Cindy Hall said. 

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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Took Couples Trip With Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, Donna Kelce Says

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce sped off in a getaway car for a couples vacation with Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper following the release of Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department .

Travis’ mom, Donna Kelce , revealed during the QVC’s Age of Possibility summit in Las Vegas on Wednesday, April 24, that her son, 34, sent her a sweet photo of the foursome enjoying time in the coastal town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, according to People.

Per the outlet, Donna, 71, shared that Travis realized Cooper, 49, would be attending the Summit alongside his mom. When Cooper showed up to the event to serve Danny and Coop’s Philly Cheesesteaks, Donna reportedly greeted the actor by saying, “Travis told me you were going to be here.”

Donna and Cooper were at the first-of-its-kind Summit to kick off the brand’s new platform, Age of Possibility, which celebrates women over 50 from all walks of life. Christina Applegate , Patti LaBelle , Rita Wilson , Naomi Watts , Martha Stewart and Queen Latifah were just a few of the fellow A-listers in attendance being honored.

Related: Taylor Swift's Inner Circle

While at the event, Donna reportedly told fellow guests that she wished Travis could have attended the event with her but he’s currently filming Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? . The Are You Smarter Than 5th Grader?  spinoff series will appear on Prime Video with the athlete serving as host.

Swift and Travis have been spending as much time together as possible in the past month before Swift heads back out for the next leg of her Eras Tour in May. The pair were last seen together at weekend one of Coachella, where they danced and packed on the PDA while supporting Jack Antonoff and Ice Spice .

“Taylor and Travis were in the wings of the stage watching the Bleachers set,” an eyewitness exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month. “Taylor and Travis were screaming, dancing and full-on making out during the set.”

According to the onlooker, the duo “looked like they were having the best time and very much in love.”

Travis, for his part, opened up about time at the music festival during the latest episode of his and brother Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, where he shared how enjoyable it was to experience different music genres.

“It was fun getting out there and seeing a few new bands that I really wasn’t that familiar with,” he explained. “And [I] just became an absolute lover of their music because of how they perform and how they captivated the crowd and got everybody into it.”

Hadid, meanwhile, has been friends with Swift for more than a decade. She and Cooper were first linked in October 2023 when they were spotted hanging out in New York City.

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At the time, an insider told Us that the duo “have a lot in common” despite their 20-year age gap, adding, “They’re both single parents to a young daughter, and they share a similar sense of humor.” (Hadid shares her 3-year-old daughter, Khai, with ex Zayn Malik , while Cooper shares his 6-year-old daughter, Lea, with ex Irina Shayk .)

Related: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Relationship Timeline

While a second source told Us in December 2023 that the duo haven’t had “the talk” in terms of defining the relationship, they aren’t “seeing anyone else.” That same month, Cooper purchased a home near Gigi’s mother Yolanda Hadid’s Pennsylvania farm.

“[Gigi] is very dialed in terms of what she wants in a life partner and the kind of life that she wants,” a third source told us at the time. “They both intellectually stimulate each other. They’re driven and family-focused. They share a lot of mutual friends and their relationship is just, easy, natural and relaxed.”

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U.S. tourist faces 12 years in prison after taking ammunition to Turks and Caicos

An Oklahoma man faces up to 12 years in prison on a Caribbean island after customs officials found ammunition in his luggage.

Ryan Watson traveled to Turks and Caicos with his wife, Valerie, to celebrate his 40th birthday on April 7. They went with two friends who had also turned 40.

The vacation came to an abrupt end when airport staff members found a zip-close bag containing bullets in the couple's carry-on luggage. Watson said it was hunting ammunition he had accidentally brought with him — but under a strict law in Turks and Caicos, a court may still impose a mandatory 12-year sentence.

"They were hunting ammunition rounds that I use for whitetail deer," Watson told NBC Boston in an interview conducted last week that aired after their first court appearance Tuesday.

"I recognized them, and I thought, 'Oh, man, what a bonehead mistake that I had no idea that those were in there,'" he said.

The couple were arrested and charged with possession of ammunition. Authorities seized their passports and explained the penalties they faced.

Valerie Watson said in the interview: "When I heard that, I immediately was terrified, because I was like we can't both be in prison for 12 years. We have kids at home, and this is such an innocent mistake."

The charges against her were dropped, and she returned home to Oklahoma City on Tuesday after the court hearing to be reunited with her two young children.

"Our goal is to get Ryan home, because we can’t be a family without Dad," she said.

The couple also spoke about the financial burden of a much longer-than-planned trip. "This is something that we may never recover from," Ryan Watson said.

The U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas issued a warning to travelers in September about a law that strongly prohibits possession of firearms or ammunition in Turks and Caicos, an overseas British territory southeast of the Bahamas that is a popular vacation spot.

It said: "We wish to remind all travelers that declaring a weapon in your luggage with an airline carrier does not grant permission to bring the weapon into TCI [Turks and Caicos Islands] and will result in your arrest."

The embassy added: "If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, we will not be able to secure your release from custody."

The embassy and the government in Turks and Caicos did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The same thing happened to another American, Bryan Hagerich, of Pennsylvania, who was arrested after ammunition was found in his luggage before he tried to board a flight out of Turks and Caicos in February. He said he accidentally left it in his bag.

Hagerich was on a family vacation with his wife and two young children but has now been in the country for 70 days. He spent eight days in prison before he posted bail.

"It’s incredibly scary. You know, you just don’t know what the next day may bring — you know, what path this may take," Hagerich told NBC Boston.

"You know, it’s certainly a lot different than packing your bags and going away with your family for a few days. It’s been the worst 70 days of my life," he said.

Hagerich, once a professional baseball player, was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the MLB 2007 June amateur draft from the University of Delaware.

His case goes to trial May 3.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.