busiest travel days around 4th of july 2021

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The Best Days to Fly Around the Fourth of July in 2024

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The best and worst days to fly July Fourth weekend

The smarter, cheaper fourth of july travel itinerary, what about driving on july fourth.

Making Fourth of July travel predictions is tricky this year because the holiday falls midweek, on a Thursday. Some folks may take Monday off to enjoy a long weekend, while others may save their vacation time for a different holiday.

With that in mind, here’s some guidance around booking July Fourth weekend air travel in 2024 and how you might be able to avoid the crowds (and potentially save money on airfare ).

TSA collects data daily to capture the number of passengers screened at its U.S. checkpoints. NerdWallet analyzed the 2019-2022 air travel data for the seven days before and after July Fourth.

In each of the analyzed years, the Friday before July Fourth was the busiest travel day ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.

Are airports busy on July Fourth? The data shows the holiday is the least busy day to fly, with airport crowds averaging just 81% of what they are relative to the busiest travel day. The FAA's predictions show the same.

Based on an average of the analyzed years, here are the worst days to travel around July Fourth weekend, ranked from most to least crowded.

Pre-holiday:

Friday before.

Thursday before.

Monday before.

Post-holiday:

Sunday after.

Monday after.

Thursday after.

Instead, consider these options. Here’s what the data showed as the best days to travel over July Fourth, ranked from least to most crowded:

Saturday before.

Tuesday before.

Sunday before.

Saturday after.

Friday after.

Wednesday after.

Based on recent historical trends, most people will kick off their Fourth of July weekend as early as possible, jetting off on the Friday before — or even ducking out of the workweek early by departing on the Thursday prior. Most travelers will likely maximize their weekends, waiting until the Sunday after the holiday to fly home.

But following typical July Fourth holiday travel patterns could mean costs in terms of airfare and time spent waiting in line at the airport. Deviate from that schedule to find lighter crowds and perhaps better July Fourth flight deals, too.

Try these travel days instead:

Embrace Saturday travel: Rather than rush out from work on Friday afternoon to jump on a flight, relax at home that evening and depart Saturday morning instead. Simply shifting your trip by one day could likely result in going from one of the busiest to lightest travel days of the July Fourth travel period.

The same goes for traveling back home. While it can be tempting to extend your trip as long as possible before work starts on Monday, skip the Sunday flight and fly home on Saturday instead. Bonus: You’ll give yourself a day at home to rest and recover before you hit the next workweek (how responsible of you).

Fly on July Fourth: If you don’t mind traveling on the holiday, you’re looking at the single emptiest air travel day of the period analyzed.

Do one better by flying out early on the holiday. Travel booking app Hopper’s spring 2023 Flight Disruption Outlook found that flights that depart from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. are half as likely to be delayed versus flights with scheduled departure times after 9 a.m.

Plus, a morning flight improves your odds of catching the fireworks at your final destination.

Fly on July 5: Will July 5 be a busy travel day in 2024? Likely yes. This year, July 5 falls on a Friday, one of the most expensive days to fly year-round.

July Fourth travelers in 2024 should feel leery that their flight itinerary will cost them in terms of price and airport queue congestion.

While airports will be packed, the roads won't be much better. According to AAA 2023 projections, an estimated 43.2 million people will drive to their destinations, an increase of 2.4% over 2022 and 4% higher than 2019 — and thus setting a record for the number of Americans traveling by car for the holiday.

The uptick in drivers might have something to do with gas prices. For the 2023 holiday, the national average for a gallon of regular gas has been more than $1 less over the past couple months than what it was on July 4, 2022, according to AAA.

If you are driving and are seeking to save money on gas , use gas price apps and pay with a gas credit card so you earn bonus points at gas stations.

If you're driving a car that you expect to book from a rental car agency, be prepared to pay up. The average cost of a car rental today is significantly higher than the same month in 2019 pre-pandemic, according to NerdWallet's travel price tracker , which is based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Boats and buses will be just as busy. AAA expected 3.36 million people will travel by bus, cruise, or train over the long weekend in 2023, which was 24% more than folks who used those transit methods last year.

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July 4th Travel Is Set to Break Records—Heres How to Navigate It

By Jessica Puckett

This weekend, Americans will see a familiar sight: roads, planes, and trains across the country brimming with people for 4th of July travel.

“We saw strong demand for travel around Memorial Day and the kick-off of summer, and all indications now point to a busy Independence Day to follow,” Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel said in a statement.

The 4th of July travel period (from July 1 to July 5) is not only estimated to be the busiest since the pandemic began, but it’s also predicted to be the second busiest July 4th for travel on record, according to AAA, with a total of more than 47 million Americans slated to take trips . That’s just 2.5 percent fewer travelers than in 2019.

In fact, the number of people traveling by car is expected to surge past 2019 levels. Both AAA and travel data firm Arrivalist predict that about 43 million Americans will take road trips over the long weekend. That figure exceeds pre-COVID levels by 5 percent, AAA says.

“We continue to see travel demand hold at a steady pace over the last few weeks,” Cree Lawson, founder and CEO of Arrivalist, said in a statement. “With travel demand at an all-time high and the President’s promise to mark this holiday as an independence from the COVID-19 virus, we expect that Americans will continue to shatter records for the upcoming July 4th holiday.”

Most major cities will see increases in traffic, but the worst road delays will come on Monday evening in Boston and San Francisco , where roads are expected to be more than 300 percent more congested than normal. In general, AAA says the best times to be on the road—and avoid traffic—will be Thursday night after 7 p.m., Friday before noon, and Monday before 1 p.m.

Additionally, the rental car shortage that has beset road trippers shows no signs of slowing down over the 4th. In fact, searches for rental cars are up by 70 percent compared to the same dates in 2019, according to Kayak. An additional 620,000 Americans are expected to travel on other modes of transport, including buses, trains, and cruise ships , according to AAA's forecast.

Travelers heading to the airport should also expect congestion. This year, there are nearly 19 million seats scheduled on U.S. airlines for the week leading into the long weekend. That number is approaching pre-pandemic levels, but it's still about 19 percent lower than in 2019, according to aviation data firm OAG .

AAA predicts that 3.5 million people will fly over the holiday weekend—about 90 percent of 2019’s total. That's significant, as it was over Independence Day Weekend 2019 that the TSA saw its busiest day ever . Air passengers will want to arrive at the airport early to leave plenty of time for security. In addition to crowds, the TSA has been dealing with a shortage of officers at its checkpoints, which has contributed to longer wait times in some airports. 

The TSA advises arriving at least two hours before departure for domestic flights, and three hours early for international routes. But some airports around the country, such as in Austin, Texas , are advising fliers to arrive closer to three hours before their departure times, no matter the destination, because of the crush of passengers. Major hubs like San Francisco International Airport and New York's JFK are encouraging passengers with cars to pre-book parking spots since garages will fill up. The Seattle-Tacoma Airport is even promoting an app called Spot Saver , which allows passengers to reserve a timed appointment in the security line for faster processing. To speed things along at checkpoints, TSA also recommends fliers have their required face masks already on and consider checking bags instead of carrying them on board.

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The Best and Worst Times to Travel for July Fourth Weekend

See recent posts by Caroline Morse Teel

The Fourth of July weekend looks like it will be a busy one for 2021, as AAA forecasts a return to pre-pandemic travel levels, with more than 47.7 million Americans expected to drive or fly for a vacation.

If you’re planning an Independence Day road trip, prepare for sticker shock at the gas pump and plenty of traffic. According to AAA, gas prices will be at a seven-year high, yet 91 percent of people who are planning on traveling will be doing so by car. 

“Higher gas prices won’t deter road trippers this summer. In fact, we’re expecting record-breaking levels of car travel this July Fourth,” said Jeanette C. McGee, AAA spokesperson. “Though prices will remain above $3 a gallon, travelers are likely to look for more free activities or eat out less, but still take their vacations as planned.”

That doesn’t mean the airports will be empty—3.5 million people are planning to fly to their Fourth of July destinations, which is a 164 percent increase compared to last year (and will be back to 90 percent of typical pre-pandemic air travel volume). 

Related: The Top 10 Summer 2021 Destinations

The Best Times to Travel for July Fourth Weekend

Follow AAA’s advice and leave before 7 pm on Thursday, before noon on Friday, or after 2 pm on Saturday. Head home a day early on Sunday to beat the traffic, or leave Monday morning before 1 pm.

The Worst Times to Travel for Fourth of July Weekend

If you can, AAA advises avoiding traveling between 3-5pm on Thursday, 4-5pm on Friday, 11am-1pm on Saturday, and 4pm-5pm on Monday, when the traffic is anticipated to be the worst. 

Traffic is expected to be particularly bad in Boston, with a 330 percent increase in congestion forecasted for Monday between 3pm-5pm. San Francisco is also expecting heavy traffic of 340 percent more than normal on Monday between 6-8pm.

Images via INRIX Feature Image via candy1812 | Adobe Stock

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July 4th holiday weekend expected to be busiest travel period since start of pandemic

Car travel is expected to be higher than it was in 2019, AAA said.

The July 4th weekend is expected to be the busiest travel period since the start of the pandemic, with more Americans taking to the roads and skies .

AAA forecasts 43 million Americans will hit the roads over the holiday -- 5% more than the volume the organization saw in 2019.

"What's interesting is compared to 2019 travel, volume by car is actually up," Jeanette McGee, director of AAA's external communications told ABC News. "It just proves that the road trip is back stronger than ever."

MORE: What are your rights if your flight is canceled or changed?

McGee said major metropolitan areas like Atlanta, Boston and San Francisco will see traffic three to five times higher than a typical day. McGee said drivers should avoid traveling at peak times.

"If you're headed out for the holiday weekend, you're going to want to avoid traveling between 3 and 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday," McGee said. "You're going to have commuters mixing with people getting out of town. So, the best day to travel is going to be Sunday, and if you're returning on Monday, definitely do so earlier in the day."

Before hitting the road, be prepared for high prices at the gas pump -- according to AAA, prices will be the highest since the same period in 2014.

"Gas prices are expensive, and they are not letting up," McGee said. "The national average is $3.09 and we expect it to increase ahead of the holiday weekend."

Rental car prices are also expected to be high, with the global microchip shortage still affecting vehicle supply.

"Rental cars are definitely expensive this summer, and it's really important that if you're planning a trip that you reserve early," McGee said.

According to Hopper, an online travel booking tool, rental car prices are up 100% relative to where they were at the beginning of the year.

"They were about $50 in January and they're about $110 each day, currently," Hopper economist Adit Damodarn told ABC News. "We thought that those prices would start to slow down, but the catalyst for kind of bringing those prices back down would be increasing the supply of rental cars."

MORE: Groups call for DOJ to prosecute unruly passengers to 'fullest extent of the law'

While air travel is not expected to exceed 2019 numbers, experts said airlines will carry the most passengers since the start of the pandemic.

Domestic destinations like Las Vegas, Miami and Orlando are the most popular, according to Hopper. The Caribbean and Mexico are the most popular international destinations, according to Damodarn.

"July 4 is the most searched weekend of summer 2021 thus far," Damodarn said. "It's going to be the busiest travel weekend since the start of the pandemic."

American Airlines expects to operate nearly 5,500 daily flights from Thursday to Monday, with the busiest travel days being Thursday and Friday, a spokesperson said.

United Airlines expects to fly 2 million customers from Thursday to Tuesday, with Thursday and Monday anticipated to be its busiest days.

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More than 50M Americans are traveling this weekend: The best, worst times to drive

If you’re planning to take a trip for the Fourth of July weekend, get ready for busy airports and roads. 

AAA projects 50.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or farther from home over the holiday weekend, marking a record high for the holiday, the membership organization said Monday. The previous record was 49 million travelers in 2019.

Domestic travel will rise by 2.1 million people compared with 2022 numbers, according to AAA.

“We’ve never projected travel numbers this high for Independence Day weekend,” AAA Senior Vice President of Travel Paula Twidale said in a news release . “What this tells us is that despite inventory being limited and some prices 50% higher, consumers are not cutting back on travel this summer. Many of them heeded our advice and booked early, another sign of strong travel demand.”

AAA’s forecast defines the holiday travel period as June 30 to July 4.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

What can travelers expect during July 4 weekend?

Fourth of July weekend is expected to see record numbers of road trippers and air travelers alike. AAA projects that 43.2 million people will drive, up more than 2% from 2022, when gas prices were higher. That number is also 4% higher than 2019.

The organization expects 4.17 million travelers to fly, up more than 11% from 2022 and higher than the previous record of 3.91 million in 2019. “The share of air travelers in the overall holiday forecast this year is an impressive 8.2% – the highest percentage in nearly 20 years,” AAA said in the release.

Some will take other kinds of trips. A predicted 3.36 million people will travel by bus, train or cruise during the holiday weekend, AAA said. That number is 24% higher than in 2022.

What are the best times to drive on July 4 weekend?

INRIX, which works with AAA on holiday travel projections, said roads are likely to be busiest on Friday, with average travel times almost 30% higher than usual. The transportation data and insights provider predicts drivers in major metropolitan areas like Washington, D.C., Boston and Seattle will face the worst traffic.

“With record-breaking travelers expected on the road this holiday weekend, drivers should prepare for above-average delays to their favorite destinations,” Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, said in the release.

Sunday and Monday are expected to see minimal traffic, however.

➤ These are the best times to drive on the other days: 

• Thursday, June 29: Before noon.
• Friday, June 30: Before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
• Saturday, July 1: Before noon.
• Tuesday, July 4: Before 11 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 5: Before 2 p.m.

➤ These are the worst times to drive:

• Thursday, June 29: Between 4 and 6 p.m.
• Friday, June 30: Between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Saturday, July 1: 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 4: Between noon and 3 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 5: Between 3 and 6 p.m.

“Using traffic apps, local DOT notifications, and 511 services are key to minimizing holiday travel traffic frustrations this Independence Day,” Pishue said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

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• Holiday Travel

These Will Be the Busiest Travel Days of the 2021 Holiday Season

As many Americans continue to work from home, the holiday travel schedule is going to look a little different this year.

Editor's Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure.

While the travel industry is certainly rebounding from its lowest point during the pandemic, things are getting a little dicey with all the COVID-19 variants out there. This summer, it seemed as if travel was almost back to normal, but with new restrictions in place both at home and abroad, it's possible that the numbers of travelers hitting the road (or the skies) might slow down a little bit once again as we head into the holiday season. But many travelers are determined to continue with their vacations. According to a survey of more than 5,000 travelers by vacation rental site Evolve, 32 percent of travelers are not factoring the Delta variant into their travel plans at all, and of the travelers who are, 46.5 percent won't consider canceling their plans because of it "until much closer to the trip dates." If you're planning on traveling for the holidays this year, here's what you can expect.

How Holiday Travel Will Be Different in 2021

Despite numbers still being a bit lower than they were before the pandemic, demand is rebounding, especially regarding air travel. "We're already seeing significant momentum around international and domestic flight searches when compared to 2020, up 155 percent and 212 percent, respectively," says Matt Clarke, the VP of marketing at online travel agency, Kayak. "When compared to 2019, however, both international and domestic flight searches are down, 52 percent and 43 percent, respectively."

But unlike in the pre-pandemic era, when Americans would book holiday flights weeks if not months in advance, Clarke suspects folks are sitting tight as they monitor travel restrictions, waiting until the holidays approach to purchase tickets. "The trend for last-minute bookings is strong," he says.

This wait-and-see mentality is especially true for international travel, and for good reason; Europe just designated the U.S. a high-risk country, prompting some countries like the Netherlands to reinstate quarantines for American travelers . It remains to be seen if those restrictions will be lifted in time for Christmas, a traditionally popular period for overseas travel.

As such, you can expect a surge in domestic travel in the coming months — something Kayak has already seen in the car rental industry. "The demand for car rentals in the U.S. this holiday season is already up 229 percent compared to 2019 and up 244 percent compared to 2020, an indicator that we could experience another car rental shortage this holiday season as we're seeing an increase in those searching further in advance for car rentals than years prior," says Clarke.

Most Popular Travel Days for Thanksgiving in 2021

Interestingly, the busiest travel days didn't change between 2019 and 2020. According to Priceline data, the most popular departure date for Thanksgiving weekend in 2019 and 2020 was the preceding Wednesday, with most travelers returning the following Sunday in both years. The only difference was the number of travelers: In 2019, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), logged 2.6 million travelers passing through security checkpoints at airports that Wednesday, while in 2020, it only logged one million passengers that same day.

But as of September 9, 2021, this year is looking different. Priceline reports that the busiest travel day for the Thanksgiving holiday is Monday, November 15, while the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the second busiest. It's likely that after 18 months of remote work, Americans are finally getting accustomed to the idea of working from anywhere, allowing them to travel more freely.

Most Popular Travel Days for Christmas in 2021

Winter holiday travel is slightly more complicated, as the popular travel days are dictated by the day of the week on which Christmas falls. Most often, December 23 is the busiest travel day preceding Christmas, while on the other side of the holiday, the Sunday after Christmas is the busiest travel day. According to Kayak data, that trend held in 2020, but in 2021, those dates are changing slightly. As of September 9, 2021, the most popular travel day before Christmas is Wednesday, December 22, and the most popular travel day after Christmas is Tuesday, December 28. Again, travelers are likely taking advantage of work-from-home policies to travel more flexibly.

When to Book Holiday Travel in 2021

Though some travelers might be hesitant to book travel early given the uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 variants, experts suggest taking advantage of the flexible cancellation policies offered by travel companies, as prices are only going to rise as the holidays approach.

Stefanie Waldek is a freelance space, travel, and design journalist. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @stefaniewaldek.

Simple Flying

July 4th: what us travelers should know about flying this year.

Over 3.5 million US travelers are set to fly over the upcoming holiday weekend as travel rebounds in the face of delays and disruptions.

Over 3.5 million passengers will take to the skies over the upcoming Fourth of July weekend in the United States. The Federal Holiday celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain on July 4th, 1776.

Today, the long weekend hosts an array of festive activities and is one of the busiest weekends to travel in the nation over the summer. It follows the Memorial Day long weekend at the end of May, which marks the beginning of the US summer season and saw 2,700 canceled and widespread disruptions across the country.

In the weeks since Memorial Day, over 21,000 flights have been canceled by US airlines, representing roughly 2.7% of the scheduled total flights during the period, almost double last year's rate. The recent Father's Day and Juneteenth holiday weekend also saw significant cancellations, with 6% and 5% of flights canceled on Thursday and Friday of that weekend, respectively.

Independence Day 2022 expectations

An estimated 3.5 million passengers will travel over the holiday weekend, making it the second busiest since the year 2000. Friday, July 1st is shaping up to be the busiest day for air travel during the holiday weekend of June 30th – July 4th, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), with Monday, July 4th being the lightest.

This past Friday, June 24th, the US Transportation Security Administration ( TSA ) screened 2.45 million air passengers, its highest daily number since February 2020. The increased traffic was despite weather and staffing issues resulting in travel disruptions, yet remained below the 2.73 million fliers on the same day in 2019. Friday also saw 711 flights canceled and more than 6,000 delayed.

There is also an increasing demand for international flights over the Independence Day weekend. Up to 40% of all flight reservations during the holiday weekend will be to international destinations as US travelers seek to take advantage of pandemic-era restrictions ending overseas. The top global destination for the period is the city of London, which has seven airlines serving the New York City area alone this summer.

The entire industry also is hampered by severe staff shortages worldwide. The US is facing staff shortages, especially among pilots , and industrial action has continued throughout the year. This summer has also seen a lack of Air Traffic Controllers , a situation the FAA is actively looking to address but has had far-reaching ramifications.

Discover more aviation news .

What is being done this year?

The FAA has issued calls for airlines to meet customer expectations ahead of the long weekend. The United States Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, met with airline industry executives earlier this month and specifically urged them to focus on ensuring smooth operations over the upcoming holiday.

Major US airlines have withdrawn an estimated 15% of their schedules this summer compared to what was initially envisioned for June - August at the beginning of the year. Delta Air Lines announced it would be cutting roughly 100 flights a day between July 1st and August 7th, and JetBlue cut its summer flight schedules by close to 10%.

United Airlines announced it would cut 50 daily departures from its New York City hub at Newark Liberty International Airport , starting on July 1st. The airline's chief operations officer Jon Roitman said the temporary cuts should help address congestion and help minimize delays to improve on-time performance and will not affect any other United hubs. A spokesperson for the airline shared its travel predictions when reached for comment by Simple Flying:

"We anticipate the Fourth of July travel period to be amongst our busiest travel days of 2022 thus far."

"For the Fourth of July travel period, we anticipate nearly 5.2M customers will fly with United. This is more than a 24% increase from 2021 and about 92% of the customers we flew in 2019."

Fellow legacy carrier Delta Air Lines will significantly allow customers to change their flights for free and waive any resulting difference in fare over the holiday weekend. The systemwide fare difference travel waiver covers travel booked for July 1-4 and allows customers to rebook their trip before or after potentially challenging weekend travel days.

Delta expects to carry more customers from Friday, July 1st, through Monday, July 4th, than it has since before the pandemic. The SkyTeam carrier has confirmed it will not charge any fare difference or change fees, even on Basic Economy fares, as long as customers travel between the same origin and destination.

All customers whose tickets were issued on or before Tuesday, June 28th, 2022, are eligible, and rebooked travel must take place by July 8th, 2022.

When contacted by Simple Flying, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines confirmed the airline, which does not charge a change or cancelation fee, had not issued any fare-difference waivers for this weekend but noted the airline's cancellation rate is among the lowest of ranked carriers. The airline has hired more than 14,500 Employees in the past 12 months to support operations and is on track to hire more than 10,000 Southwest Employees in 2022.

When asked how the airline was planning to cope with increased demand, a representative for Alaska Airlines highlighted the carrier's low cancelation rate, even as the company prepares to cope with a decreased workforce due to staff sickness:

"We’ve pulled every lever in our control to increase our stability this summer, resulting in a strong June in which we completed over 99% of our flights. This reliability came from the combination of proactively trimming our summer schedule earlier this spring and hiring and training thousands of new frontline employees."

"Like the communities in which we live and serve, we continue to experience positive COVID cases among our employees, which adds some uncertainty to our staffing levels beyond what we can always plan for."

How to make your travel easier this weekend.

Be kind to your flight attendants and check-in staff to make the whole process easier for everyone. Ground and aircrew have faced unprecedented pressure and demands throughout the crisis in the face of significant harassment from passengers. Former cabin crew Patricia outlined Five ways to make your cabin crew's life easier for Simple Flying earlier this month.

Check with your airport and airline before departing for your trip. Many airports and most airlines have an active social media presence and flight tracking capabilities on their websites and often mobile applications to verify the status of your flight before departures. Additionally, it might be helpful to pack more essentials in a carry-on bag as airports worldwide are struggling to process baggage, with customers waiting days to receive checked bags.

Two of the first pilots to graduate from the academy have moved to the mainline fleet from Envoy Air. Photo: Airbus

Passengers traveling internationally can also expect significant disruptions this summer. Several major hubs in Europe have been seeing substantial delays and cancellations, with some airports going as far as to cap summer arrivals to reduce congestion.

For passengers arriving in the US this summer, ensure all your information is up to date with the airline as phone numbers and email addresses, to provide timely notification of flight changes. Arriving visitors who need an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) must get the document approved in advance or face potential delays at the airport.

Simple Flying has compiled a guide to European summer strikes here .

For those traveling by car, the most significant congestion on highways in major cities will take place on the afternoons of Thursday, June 30th, 2022, and Friday, July 1st, 2022.

Source: Reuters , AAA

These are the busiest days to travel this holiday season

2023 has been a record-setting year for air travel, and there's no reason to think the end-of-year holidays will be any different.

After logging its busiest summer ever at U.S. airport security checkpoints, the Transportation Security Administration saw more passengers on Nov. 26 — the Sunday after Thanksgiving — than on any day in its 22-year history.

And the crowds are just getting started.

AAA expects 7.5 million Americans will fly over the 10-day Christmas and New Year's holiday period. That's a number larger than both last year's holiday airport crowds and those seen in 2019.

At security checkpoints, agents will be working to keep lines moving. Their goal: wait times of 10 minutes or less in the TSA PreCheck lanes and a half-hour or less in the standard lanes.

"We expect this holiday season to be our busiest ever," TSA administrator David Pekoske said in a statement last month.

It was a prediction that the Thanksgiving rush confirmed, and one that tracked with the crowds seen all year. Seven of the 10 busiest days ever at TSA checkpoints have come in 2023. The 2.9 million air travelers seen on Nov. 26 beat out the previous record from June 30, set by Fourth of July weekend travelers.

Suffice it to say, if you're traveling for a December holiday, it's a good time to make sure that your TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Clear membership is active. Also, make sure your Known Traveler Number is attached to your flight reservation.

Meanwhile, all eyes will be on how airlines perform following 2022's headaches, most notably the Southwest Airlines December meltdown . That meltdown was an operational disaster the airline says it will avoid this year thanks to a host of changes.

Fortunately, airlines are off to a good start with this year's holiday season. Between Nov. 19 and 26, during peak the peak Thanksgiving period, U.S. based carriers canceled a collective 0.2% of flights, according to FlightAware data analyzed by TPG. That was down slightly from a similarly impressive 0.3% cancellation rate during the equivalent period last year. The rate of delays among those carriers hovered at a consistent 17% from last Thanksgiving.

However, travelers have learned all too well the last couple of years that the end-of-year holiday season can bring a plethora of potential roadblocks, including the possibility of bad weather and the lingering threat of air traffic control-related disruptions.

"Mother Nature is always the x-factor," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg acknowledged at a news conference last month.

Busiest days to travel at Christmas and New Year's

The TSA anticipates heavy volume throughout the Christmas and New Year's holiday period. However, it may likely come in the form of sustained crowds, as opposed to any single, record-setting days. (In recent years, the busiest day of the year has typically been the Sunday after Thanksgiving, as it was this year.)

Exactly which days will be the busiest days to fly this month? It's a little harder to predict the end-of-year holidays, which fall on a different day of the week each year. Also, recent years have held no shortage of abnormalities, from last December's bad weather and Southwest meltdown to COVID-19 and the omicron variant surge disrupting travel in 2020 and 2021.

Last year, the three busiest days for air travel over the December holidays were as follows, per TSA data:

• Dec. 21, 2022 (a Thursday)
• Dec. 30, 2022 (a Friday)
• Jan. 2, 2023 (a Monday — and a federal holiday following New Year's Day)

This year, Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall on a Monday. It seems a safe bet that airports will be busy leading into the weekends prior to the two holidays, particularly Christmas.

Airlines for America, a trade group for the largest U.S. carriers, says the busiest days will be:

• Thursday, Dec. 21
• Friday, Dec. 22
• Tuesday, Dec. 26
• Wednesday, Dec. 27
• Thursday, Dec. 28
• Friday, Dec. 29

On the other hand, if you can find a way to travel on Christmas Day, you may find ultra-light crowds — if Thanksgiving was any indication, at least. Thanksgiving Day was the second least crowded day of 2023 at U.S. airports, according to TSA data. Likewise, Airlines for America projects Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day will be similarly uncrowded.

What about driving?

As usual, even more Americans will drive than fly for the holidays, although the share of air travelers is up from recent years.

More than 103 million U.S. travelers will take year-end holiday road trips during the 10 days around the end-of-year holidays, according to AAA. That's up nearly 2% from last year.

There's some good news for drivers, too. The national average for a gallon of regular gas currently sits at $3.15, down slightly from this time last year.

That's despite airlines battling cost pressures from jet fuel prices in recent months.

Still, if you are driving for Christmas or New Year's, be sure to pay at the pump with a credit card that offers bonus points or cash back at gas stations . Consider stacking those bonus points with gas rewards programs and other ways to save on gas.

Bottom line

The holiday season is already off to a busy start, and that trend will likely continue this month with Christmas and New Year's travel. With those airport crowds in mind, it's a good time to double-check that you booked your flight and all other trip elements with a credit card that includes travel insurance protections.

As you travel, don't forget to take advantage of those airline fee credits on cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express . Also, don't forget to use an airline credit card for credits on checked bags or travel. This is where you can really offset that annual fee.

Download the MyTSA app so you can check security checkpoint wait times and read up on your rights as an air traveler in the event something goes wrong — including when you're owed a refund.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a beginner or expert traveler
• The best travel credit cards
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without

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The busiest days, airports for july 4th travel.

Fourth of July travel is poised to bounce back in a big way this year as Americans do their best to put the COVID-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror. The vaccine rollout and destination reopenings mean that travelers can venture from home with confidence in 2021 and the latest data suggests that many will do just that.

Travel website Hopper recently published its July 4th Travel Outlook for 2021, predicting Independence Day to be the biggest travel weekend since the start of the pandemic nearly 16 months ago, forecasting a TSA throughput of around 2 to 2.1 million passengers.

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Hopper also revealed the busiest travel days and airports this Independence Day. While there aren’t many surprises travelers will want to take note to give themselves the best shot to avoid potential delays and headaches.

According to Hopper’s research, Friday, July 2 will most likely be the busiest travel day of the holiday weekend with 3.33 million departing seats. That’s 50,000 more compared to Thursday, July 1. With the July 4 festivities falling on a Sunday this year, Hopper anticipates that Monday, July 5 will be the busiest day to return home with a whopping 3.34 million seats flying.

Major cities will see plenty of passenger traffic this holiday weekend but Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is expected to be the busiest airport for Independence Day travel, boasting 100,000 more departing seats than the next two busiest airports, which are Los Angeles International Airport on the West Coast and American Airlines’ hub Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Hopper predicts that O’Hare will be the busiest on Friday night with about 21,000 departing seats alone heading out between the one-hour block of 7-8 p.m. local time.

When it comes to where travelers are going this Independence Day, Las Vegas tops the list as the most booked destination for July 4. Miami and Orlando rank second and third, respectively, for domestic getaways. Internationally, Cancun, San Juan, Puerto Rico (a U.S. territory that doesn’t require a passport) and Mexico City were determined to be the most booked destinations on Hopper.

In addition to being booked, Florida is trending ahead of the holiday, with Sarasota ranking as the most popular domestic destination, followed by Panama City Beach and Fairbanks, Alaska. Overseas, travelers are showing significant interest in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, San Salvador, El Salvador and Montego Bay, Jamaica, according to Hopper.

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These Are the Busiest Travel Days of the Year, According to TSA

The holidays and holiday weekends often bring with them some of the most congested days at the country’s airports and on the roads..

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The Tuesday and Wednesday just before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Thanksgiving are often among the busiest travel days of the year.

Photo by Jim Lambert / Shutterstock

Every year, millions of people embark on journeys, whether for business or leisure. After a few years of much less crowded airports due to the pandemic, the International Air Transport Association is reporting that passenger numbers are just about what they were prepandemic levels.

However, there have already been a number of days that have surpassed prepandemic levels and they’ve largely fallen right before or after holidays.

Take Independence Day, for example. In 2023, AAA projected that 4.17 million people flew over the July Fourth holiday period, surpassing the previous air travel record of 3.91 million travelers, set in 2019. Similarly, TSA screened a record number of passengers on the Sunday following Thanksgiving in 2022, with more than 2.56 million passengers.

According to the TSA, the busiest travel days of the year are usually the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Thanksgiving . TSA recorded its highest passenger screening volume in its history on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2019, when nearly 2.9 million passengers passed through TSA checkpoints. But Thanksgiving and Christmas aren’t the only times we can expect busy airports. Here are the busiest travel day of the year.

Busiest travel days of the year

Thanksgiving and Christmas tend to be the busiest travel days of the year, but other holidays like Memorial Day, July Fourth, and Labor Day also see some of the highest volumes of air passengers.

So far this year, daily passenger numbers have been growing each month. In all of 2022, only one day had more than 2.5 million air passengers in the United States: November 27 (the Sunday after Thanksgiving), with 2.560 million. As of August 20, 2023, there had already been more than 75 days in the calendar year that had surpassed 2.5 million air passengers, according to TSA checkpoint data .

These have been the five busiest travel days in the last full year:

• July 30: 2.793 million passengers
• July 28: 2.785 million passengers
• July 23: 2.789 million passengers
• June 30: 2.884 million passengers (the new record for the busiest air travel day ever in the United States)
• June 16: 2.785 million passengers

For reference, the busiest travel day in all of 2019 was November 27, with 2.882 million passengers.

The busiest travel days around Christmas and New Year’s, historically

As for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the number of travelers is likely to ramp up during the end of December and into early January as well. In 2019, the highest number of travelers during the Christmas and New Year period was on Friday, December 17 (one week before Christmas), when 2.6 million travelers passed through TSA checkpoints. The second busiest day was Christmas Eve, with 2.58 million travelers, followed by the day after Christmas with 2.57 million travelers.

New York City consistently ranks as one of the top domestic travel destinations for the holidays.

Photo by Elias Andres Jose/Unsplash

Tips for flying during the busiest times of the year

There are a few ways to make travel easier and clear busy TSA checkpoints more quickly, this holiday season.

Get TSA PreCheck, Clear, and/or Global Entry

Never have these security expediting services been more valuable than during the current congestion happening at U.S. airports. TSA PreCheck recently reduced its prices from $85 to $78 for a five-year membership, and it’s only $70 to renew . Clear costs $189 per year. International travelers should consider the $100 Global Entry, which includes TSA PreCheck, for expedited customs screening upon arrival in the United States—and there’s a secret way to speed up the application process .

Check to see if your airport has a fast-pass security lane you can book in advance—for free

No TSA PreCheck or Clear? Select U.S. airports are giving travelers the option to make an advance “fast pass” reservation to head to the front of the security line—free of charge. We’ve compiled the full list of airports that offer this service .

Consider traveling with carry-on only

For those who don’t want to risk their luggage getting lost during a busy travel time when airports remain understaffed, traveling with carry-on may be your best bet. Another alternative? Luggage-shipping services .

Know what you can bring through security

If you’re traveling with carry-on, know what you can and cannot pack in said carry-on. By now, you know you can only carry on liquids in containers 3.4 ounces or smaller, so be sure that holiday items such as gravy, cranberry sauce, or wine are either left behind or packed in a checked bag as they are considered liquids and could otherwise be confiscated (and create delays). Check AFAR’s in-depth guide to what foods you can bring through TSA to make sure that what you’ve packed in your carry-on can pass through security.

Thoroughly check your bags before leaving the house

TSA recommends that travelers fully empty their bags prior to packing to make sure that they don’t accidentally bring something to the airport that they didn’t intend to bring, which could cause further delays.

Monitor the weather

Check the weather and forecasts that are available on sites such as the National Weather Service , the Weather Channel , and AccuWeather so that you can be prepared for possible disruptions and establish back-up plans for delayed travel.

Get to the airport earlier than you’d think

The lines and wait times at the country’s airports (and abroad, too) are longer than they’ve been in years. Best to arrive early and have some extra time postsecurity than risk missing your flight waiting in an hours-long check-in or security line. Aim for at least two hours before domestic flights and at least three for international flights.

Know if and when you are due a refund because of a delayed or canceled flight

On September 1, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) launched a new Aviation Consumer Protection website to help travelers track down what kind of refunds or compensation their airline should provide when there is a cancellation or delay.

Airlines aren’t required to compensate passengers when flights are delayed or canceled due to problems deemed beyond the company’s control, like bad weather. They also aren’t required to provide a refund when the passenger initiates the cancellation or flight change. But a refund is required by U.S. law when the airline cancels, delays, or alters a flight, or passengers are involuntarily bumped from a flight that is oversold or due to issues originating from the airline, such as operational or staffing problems.

Additionally, after the federal government began cracking down on airlines this year, all of the major U.S. airlines vowed to provide meal vouchers for delays of more than three hours and to provide transfers and hotel stays to passengers affected by an overnight cancellation. They have all also agreed to rebook travelers on an alternate flight at no added cost due to a delay or cancellation and most will also rebook on a partner airline.

This article originally appeared online in 2018; it was most recently updated in August 2023 to include current information.

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In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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21 Things to Know Before You Go to Moscow

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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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Here Are 7 Unique Day Trips In Idaho That Are An Absolute Must-Do

Super-rad musician, scholar, photographer, and traveler. The Mountain West and larger PNW = home, but can be found wherever there's adventure.

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While extended road trips over weekends are always an adventure, sometimes a long excursion simply isn’t possible. Instead, a quick day trip or outing with the family is your destiny. So instead of obsessively planning, forget about those other complicated vacations and hit the road to enjoy these quick, easy, and inexpensive day trips from nearly every major city. Or, mini-vacays, if you will. If you’ve ever Googled “road trips near me in Idaho”, today’s your lucky day!

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