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65+ Best Video Game Room Ideas for 2024

July 28, 2021 by Martyna Stachowiak in  Home Decor

2023 has proven to be a huge year for the gaming world, with titles like Baldur’s Gate 3, Diablo IV or Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom making their way into stores. No wonder gamers of all stripes and ages have been leveling up, killing monsters for good loot, and looking for gaming room ideas to upgrade their setup.

After all, long gaming sessions are all about comfort, so huddling over a television or PC in a cramped corner simply won’t do. Besides, what gamer doesn’t want an awesome gaming setup with multiple screens, gaming accessories, consoles of every kind, and ambient lighting?

Luckily, in the fertile imaginations of video game fans, every cubby hole, dull wall, and beat-up desk turns into an opportunity for reinvention. During the past twelve months, thousands of gaming enthusiasts posted up their very own battlestations for our satisfaction and inspiration (thanks, internet). And so, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to gather the 65+ best-themed game room ideas to help you build the ultimate gaming den that will make your friends drool.

Ready to take your gaming experience to the next level? From Cyberpunk 2077 to superheroes, here are 65+ top video gaming room setup ideas for you to get inspired!

Cyberpunk Gaming Room Idea

You can’t redecorate your apartment in Cyberpunk 2077, but you can decorate your gaming room Cyberpunk 2077 style. Even if you can’t afford to completely revamp the entire room, you can check out these officially licensed Cyberpunk 2077 posters for some insanely cool wall art. Welcome to the Night City.

Tech Meets Nature Gaming Room Ideas

Love tech, but love nature too? This gaming setup makes the best of both! The nature-themed desktop wallpaper and indoor plants balance out the cold combo of PC gear and furniture and add an overall softness to the entire decor. If you really have a green thumb there’s no reason why you shouldn’t push the boat out and cultivate a full vertical garden wall! You’ll feel as though you’ve been out in nature even if you’ve been glued to the screen all day.

Wolf Wall Decor

Singer Gaming Desk

Plant Panel Wall

Black and White Gaming Room Ideas

Bash out a simple but effective scheme in black and white. White speakers, a white keyboard, and a matching headphone stand keep this design crisp and clear. Using white and black as your base colors gives you a lot of wiggle room to experiment with LED lighting. No matter which colors you use for your lighting, it will always look good. Also, we absolutely love the idea of sitting down to a game at a desk that feels like it belongs on the bridge of a spaceship.

Star Wars Themed Gaming Room

LED Backlit Gaming Setup Idea

Monochrome Wall Art

Anime Paradise Gaming Room Ideas

This kawaii gaming room is just dripping with pastel aesthetic. Everything from the keyboard to the chair is adorned in baby pink, and the whole space is gently illuminated by a neon blue sign written in Japanese. The walls have the iconic Demon Hunter masks from the anime ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’ hanging just above the PC, and on the floor there’s a cute rug featuring Killua Zoldyck from the classic Hunter X Hunter.

Anime Setup with Pink Accents

Anime Setup with Neon Sign

RGB-Lit Anime Setup

Star Wars Themed Gaming Room Ideas

You won’t have to go to a galaxy far, far away to enjoy this Star Wars-themed room. Bathed in eerie blue and red lighting, it features Star Wars lightsabers, figurines, and Star Wars-themed wall art.

Color-capable LED lights, laser dot projector, and Nanoleaf triangles help create a next-level gaming experience by transforming a dark bedroom into a sci-fi movie set.

And if you happen to be in the market for Star Wars posters , Displate has you covered with officially licensed posters from your beloved franchise.

Triple Monitor Star Wars Setup

Mandalorian-Inspired Battlestation

Stormtrooper Gaming Room

Pink Gaming Room Ideas

Every girl otaku would be obsessed with this bubblegum pink gaming setup . Undeniably cute without being suffocatingly pink, the pastel accents and a matching Nanoleaf panel tie in nicely with the cherry blossom wallpapers and the backlit keyboard, taking this cutesy build to the next level. 

Kawaii Wall Art

Fluffy Pastel Gamer Girl Setup

Neon-Lit Gaming Setup

Cozy Gaming Room Ideas

Very often our gaming space doubles as a functional room, such as a home office. If you’re a gamer by night, but a stay-at-home worker by day, this snug home office will fit you to a T. You can almost feel the cozy vibes coming from this desk situated near a bright window with lots of surrounding greenery. But even with a window and some plants around, you might still end up staring at a blank wall. To solve that problem, go for beautiful wall art that features scenes of nature , forests , flowers , and wildlife .

Home Office Gamer Room

Rustic Gaming Room

Vintage Gaming Setup

Small Gaming Room Ideas

Every gamer’s dream is to have an entire room (and a large one at that) dedicated to video gaming. Some of us aren’t so lucky and have to make do with a tiny space or use a common room as our gaming room. So, if you’ve ever had to turn a closet or a corner of a bedroom into a gaming area, this one here is for you. Small but no less impressive, this tiny video game nook is complete with Nanoleaf Panels, a display keyboard collection, and a giant mousepad.

Small Closet Gaming Room Setup

Ikea Closet Battlestation

Minimalist Gaming Room Ideas

Minimalist without feeling cold or bare, this gaming setup is absolutely on point. The wooden desk and the peach LED strip behind it make the space feel calm and inviting, and we absolutely love the lamp and side cabinet . Also, if there’s one thing that sticks out in any gaming setup, it’s the computer chair, so make sure to pick a great one! For minimalist inspo, check the wireframe computer chair in the middle (below). It has an airy vibe to it and seems perfectly geared to you fans of simplicity out there.

Nanoleaf Canvas Gaming Setup

Wireframe Chair Gaming Setup

All-White Gaming Setup

Gaming Cave Ideas

A fully-fledged video game room with all the bells and whistles, it can comfortably accommodate your monitors, keyboards, mouse, speakers, and other gaming accessories, plus it can easily become the most epic entertainment center in the whole neighborhood. Gaming caves come in all shapes and sizes, this one right here features a display cabinet for action figures, floor-to-ceiling shelves for collectibles, and a colorful gallery wall of posters.

LED Strip Gamer Room

Basement Office Gamer Cave

Soundproof Gaming Room

RGB-Lit Gaming Room Ideas

We’re super impressed when someone manages to sync up the RGB lighting on multiple devices, and this stunning gaming setup definitely feels well-coordinated. Purple and pink internals, matching nebula wallpapers, and an RGB keyboard case make it glow like no other. Before you ask, the clouds in the backdrop are made from addressable Christmas lights, a WLED Controller, and some hobby fill glued onto old signage. DIY doesn’t get any cooler than this.

Funko Pop Gaming Room

Living Room Game Station Ideas

Out of the basement and into the spotlight! We have something comfy and nice for hosting a group of friends. A living room doubling as an entertainment center slash gaming room is great for impressing your guests.

A comfy couch with a decent TV stand and a dedicated gaming area can be the perfect hub for just about everything from the morning news to Saturday night movie marathons to heated video game competitions.

His and Hers Gaming Room Ideas

A couple’s game room is one of the best ways to enjoy your favorite hobby together. The key thing is to design the layout of the desks based on room dimensions and limitations. You two can sit side by side, facing each other, back to back, or in freestyle if you have a really big open space. This cute couple’s side-by-side gaming setup features a long desk with space for four screens and a pink and blue color scheme.

Wood-Themed Gaming Room Ideas

Nature lovers all hail this earthy-themed gaming setup. A wooden desk keeps in line with the matching mid-century gaming chair and speakers , while the coral reef wallpaper and RGB rig fill the space with a soft, peachy glow, adding an extra warm touch to the whole scheme. 

Honeycomb Wall Decor

DIY Gaming Hub

Lightning Bolt Neon Sign

Neon-Lit Gaming Room Ideas

It’s always amazing what a simple neon sign can do to a gaming room decor. It transforms this simple desk and monitor into an awesome gaming battlestation. You can find a bevy of gamer neon signs on eBay , Etsy , and Amazon . Top it off with a Nanoleaf panel and a LED strip in the back of your desk and you got yourself a Blade Runner-style setup.

Dreamy Gaming Setup

Neon PlayStation Sign 

Guitar Gaming Corner

Retro Gaming Room Ideas

This gaming room will have retro fans swooning. It’s a shrine to retro games from Donkey Kong to Pac-Man, filled with old TV sets, game consoles, vintage furniture, and arcade machines (because who doesn’t want their own arcade machine at home). Plus a massive library of games and collectibles that has us all drooling.

Super Mario Retro Shrine

Retro Spaceship Gaming Room

Arcade Entertainment Room

Attic Battlestation

Your average attic is so much more than just a dusty storage unit and a creepy crawl space. In fact, it has the potential to become the ultimate entertainment center when given the right game room decor treatment. This attic gaming hub features an L-shaped desk and a multi-screen setup. The sloped ceiling might be tricky to decorate but what gamer shies away from a challenge?

Comic Command Center

If you’re a gamer who also enjoys the DC or Marvel franchises, don’t overlook the possibility of creating a superhero-themed gaming room! You just need the right decor and cool wall art to really bring your room together. The walls of this gaming room are dressed in Marvel comic cover posters , and the all-black furniture and gear give it a dark and mysterious vibe. If you’re looking for superhero posters, you can decorate your walls with officially licensed DC Comics Posters and Marvel Posters from Displate.

Over to You!

Gaming rooms are fun, recreational spaces that you can decorate any way you want. One idea is to think of a theme and then decorate the room accordingly. After all, it’s really easy to buy gear and just throw it all together, but it really takes creativity and time (and a little inspiration from Displate) to take it a step further with design and personalization. 

Some gamers believe that wall art for your gaming room is just as important as the games themselves. If you’re one of them, check out our ever-growing portfolio of  officially licensed designs , including collections from your favorite video games such as Hearthstone ,  The Elder Scrolls ,  Doom ,  The Witcher ,  Overwatch ,  Fallout ,  World of Tanks ,  Cyberpunk ,  Assassin’s Creed , and more.

If you are struggling with gaming room ideas we hope our suggestions help you craft the battlestation of your dreams. What is your favorite game room decor or a game room furniture piece you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments!

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The Arcade Blogger

Game room tour: the les potts collection.

I’ve got to know many UK-based arcade collectors over the years. It’s fair to say that each approaches the hobby in a different way. Some take a technical approach to arcade games – delving deep into the repair side of things in a quest to understand how cabinets work and figuring out ways to maintain and preserve the old electronic components. Others literally hoard parts and machines, (with or without an end game), and there are a group of us who will manage a collection of machines and develop a gamesroom or mancave to reproduce the arcade environment at home. I guess I fall into the latter camp.

So it’s always interesting to visit other cabinet owners to see what they’ve got and how they display their collection. Some time ago I got talking to fellow collector Les Potts, who gave me an open invite to visit his place and take a look around. Life of course got in the way, and I had to be reminded several times by Les that the invitation still stood! Well last month I finally got round to making time to jump in the car and take the four-hour drive up north to pay him a visit, along with my buddy Alex, who was going to shoot some video.

Like most of us, Les was a keen arcade goer from back in the day – he remembers well the transition from electromechanical machines to video games in the late 70s, citing Space Invaders as the game that got him hooked. He started his collection in the late 90s with a pinball machine and things grew from there.

Les is fortunate enough to have a basement in his house and figured early on that it would be an ideal environment to house a collection of classic arcade and pinball machines.

He wasn’t wrong either. After arriving at Les’ place, he led Alex and myself to a door under his staircase:

We wandered down the stairs:

And this is the initial view from the foot of the staircase:

As you can see, Les has a great collection. These machines have been acquired over the years, and have been curated into a gaggle of machines that provide a great variety of styles and game types. Here’s a full panoramic view of everything:

The first thing you’ll notice is how well maintained everything is. Every machine is close to mint condition and everything is in perfect working order. No mean feat this – keeping well over 20 machines fully operational requires dedication and deep pockets. Here’s the highlights from Les’ collection:

As well as video games, the room played host to a nice selection of 90s pinball machines. All classics:

Great to have a change of pace from the video games. Each pinball provides a suitably different play experience ensuring they all get played.

Always popular in Les’ room are the driving games. He has three in total:

Getting the huge F355 Challenge cabinet into the basement was a challenge in itself. Here’s the steps Les had to go through to get it inside. One part even had to be sawed in half to get it through the window!

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The details are what makes this games room – every available wall space is filled with framed arcade flyers:

Here’s a few more shots taken on the day:

And here is Alex’s video tour of our afternoon with Les:

Many thanks to Les for the tour of his very impressive games room – probably the nicest I’ve seen on these shores. Les has more cabinets on the way – can’t wait to see his new additions next time round!

So there you have it. I’m really looking forward to my second visit already!

See you next week.

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Many thanks to Les for being the perfect host, and Alex for making it a memorable afternoon. The better pictures in this article were provided by Les himself!

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10 Comments Add yours

A beautiful collection of perfectly-maintained machines in an outstanding set-up. Many thanks to Les, and to yourself, Tony, for sharing this with us. And count me equally stunned regarding that F355 – truly a thing of wonder.

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Stunning games room and collection.

One of the nicest collections that I have seen. The attention to detail in the additional decorations really put this over the top. That Joust flyer, if that is what that is, looks incredible.

Dare I say … walking down… “the stairway to Heaven!”.

I like the frames for the flyer collection. I’ve got a few choice Atari flyers on my own wall. Some flyers, like Tron, fold out quite nicely and I’ve thought of framing them that way. Thanks for sharing!

Great article! It’s unusual to find a house in the UK with a good size basement though right? I live in NYC so there’s no chance for me 😦 Must be a great feeling to be able to replicate that childhood arcade environment. A place to chill out and have fun with friends and family. Maybe one day… Thanks for sharing!

Amazing! I was wondering how the heck he got that huge machine downstairs and *boom* picture collection. Glorious collection and amazing write up, Tony!

Everything looks so mint! That’s just amazing!

Excellent Games, I really want to try these.

I want to be friends with Les!

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The Gratuitous Rainbow Spectrum

Stone age gaming: 2023 game room tour.

Kris Randazzo April 3rd, 2023 29 minute read

After years of work, Kris's game room has finally come together. So what does it look like? Let's take a tour!

Transcript of the video:

All right. So this is door and it's got a bunch of aprons on it. And this is how we get down to my basement, which is where the game room is, where I do all this stuff. So let's start at the start. We open up the door and we have the staircase itself. Now, originally, the whole basement used to be this yellowish color. And then I painted everything to the grass color that you see down there, which is actually the color of a Gameboy, which was hard to match. But I made it work. And I think I looked at it, looked it looks pretty good. I should really get around to painting the rest of this. But anyways, as you walk down the stairs, you'll see I have crammed all of my old DVDs here. So this is my old DVD collection. They're more decorative on Blu rays too, but I guess they're kind of more decorative than anything at this point. But such is the way of a lot of physical media. I do still look through them from time to time. 

[00:00:50] Anyway, we come down the stairs to the basement. We have a metro Dread poster that's framed over here, and then we have this a fun Star Wars poster because I'm a Star Wars fanatic. I don't know if if anyone just watches my videos, you may not know I'm a Star Wars nut, but anyway, here we are. This is the room. This is my basement. This is where my whole situation is. And we're going to go through it bit by bit. So let's start with the most obvious thing. The thing that everybody has seen, the most of which is this. Here is a here's where my shot usually is. And if I back up a bit, you can see more of where it is. It's just three Billy bookcases from IKEA with a bunch of games organized meticulously on them. I have spent an insane amount of time organizing these games over the years, but I think the most interesting thing I'll point out about them is that if you look at any of my older videos, you'll see that the the games were actually pushed back a lot further. And I had my amiibo all lined up in front of them and I didn't like the way that looked because I felt like it detracted from the games themselves. As much as I love amiibo figures, like it's all about the games themselves, right? That's what's most interesting to me to look at. So I found out from I grab a couple of these games right off the shelf here. If you take VHS tapes and Latham flat on a billy bookcase, pretty much any video game you want to put in front of them, it's going to sit perfectly flush, like with a nice, decent lip in front of the shelves there, which I think is really cool, and I think it makes these shelves look super nice. It does. You know, it seems like a little bit of a waste of space there as far as like the games that really come to here. But still, it's hard to find bookcases that look nice, that are you know, I had to buy extra shelves for all these to make this work. But thinner bookcases that fit these kinds of games, they don't really they're hard to find ones that look look as nice as these. 

[00:02:45] So just a quick rundown. You know, I've got NES on this side. No, those aren't all real boxes. They're real games and real manuals. I have the games, the carts and manuals for all the black box games. Some more of them are in my closet over there. But these are real. Everything. Almost everything up here is real. These are all real. But when you come to Wrecking Crew, these are reproduction boxes or boxes that never existed, like the Mario Dotcom here, just because I love black boxes and I wanted to have them on display. And I'm not going to drop thousands of thousands of dollars to try to get them all done. And then I have my I organize the first party Nintendo stuff up top because I think it looks really nice together. And then I go third parties and then I have a down the bottom here. There's PlayStation two, a solid row of that, and then some Xbox and Xbox 360. Next to it. Middle row is mostly Super Nintendo. Again, I put all my first party Nintendo stuff up top there. I have some fun shows here, like the Mario paint. It was came in a big box. Bill. This is a custom small box. Same with my Earth Earthbound here, a custom small box. This is a custom box from our all stars and world. And then the rest of these are all real. None of these are repro is going down here to the bottom where I have two rows of Nintendo 64. I like N64, I just don't love it. But I do love the way these boxes look, except you get your weird outliers like Star Wars racer down there and then I through the Zelda games all at the end. It's the regulars on the collector's edition. So this shelf is pretty interesting. So at the top here used to be second mass system games, but second master system cases are ugly as seen. So I replaced it with odds and ends. Colorful stuff pretty much arranged by a publisher. You know, you got some sun, soft ones together and renovation stuff together, etc. And then we go with the Black checkerboard stuff there, the black grid pattern games and groups, the big Genesis logo ones together, the middle size ones and the small ones, because I'm really anal about that stuff. And then you get the red red line Genesis games. This is my favorite. My favorite box are as the red line Genesis games. I love the way these look this. Whole Sega thing they had with the red, the blue for the Sega CD, the yellow for the 32 x white for the Saturn and of course purple for game gear. I don't have any boxed game gear games. I always love the way this looked. So I arrange these guys here in the sexy the underneath it and Saturn down there and then we get a solid row of Gamecube. I have a few more of those in my closet. And then we continued. We and then we u down on the bottom. Now, some of this stuff. I know people have issues with the wall of games that's used as a backdrop in videos, but honestly, this wall of games is. Excuse me. 

[00:05:43] Now, I know people have said I've heard people have major issues with the whole wall of games thing. And honestly, this wall of games is not meant to just look impressive, like, Oh, look how cool this is. I, I love this stuff. And the goal is to fill this wall with games that all have meaning to me. Now. There's stuff in here that doesn't like. Perfect example. I have Incredible Hulk here. I don't care about this game. I got that boxed in a lot with other stuff that I do care about. What I do care about is Jurassic Park one on Super Nintendo. I don't have a box for that. Eventually, the goal is to to weed out all the stuff that I'm using as filler just to kind of fill spots on these shelves and replace them only with games that I genuinely care about having in my collection. I think this looks great. I will often, at the end of the day, lay down on this couch and just look at my wall of games because I think it's fun. I love this stuff to death. So what happened to the Amiibo? Well, when I swoop around and look up, I got these shells. These are shoe shells that I bought off of Amazon. And I just kind of drilled them right into this air conditioning duct that's going across my basement here. And I just lined them all up, going all the way across the room. I know you see some Pittsburgh Steelers stuff there. I am not a football fan, but my wife is a huge Steelers fan. She is from Pittsburgh. So that explains that. So, yeah, that's where all the amoeba landed. And I think they look pretty good up there. I have a few extras actually on the other side of the aisle because I ran out of room. So there's more stuff my Chrono Trigger figures and some extra amiibo over there. So let's see what's next. 

[00:07:27] Let us go in this direction. So over here you'll see my ugly couch. I always shoot around this couch. Every time I make videos. I try to avoid showing off this couch because it is ugliest and it's all torn up and stuff. But it came with the house, so I haven't gone out and bought a new couch yet. Also, this rug doesn't really match, but again, you know, it's all very piecemeal. It's a work in progress. But over on the wall, we have this wonderful artwork. This is from the Tim Pitino's art of Atari poster book, which if you are a fan of Atari artwork, you have got to get this thing because frames fit perfectly. These are just for store bought frames. They're nice and easy to find. They're super cheap and they just look spectacular. Video Pinball. This is my favorite Atari box. Art is video pinball. I've always loved that one, but here you go. Here's my my calendar, my Nintendo Power Game calendar. I have all four of them and I just cycle through them year after year. Whether or not they they actually line up with the year that we're currently in. So that's fun. I love I love these calendars. 

[00:08:35] And then we'll move over here to on top of my desk, I have more art of Atari up there and then I have these first four figure statues. This Samus Aaron and the various suit here is actually damaged. My wife got this forming off of somebody in these seats. It's all damaged. It's kind of chipped up. But I was able to glue together. I think it looks wonderful. And then this one I bought new link on a pony. It's. I just love this. It's fantastic. It was stupid, expensive at the time, but I don't regret the purchase. I was able to afford it back at the time. And I love this thing to death and then this little mario amiibo here. I won't pan out. And this is this is my desk. So this is where I do all of my my work. I've got, you know, ask me about loom sticker, not sticker pin. I've got a stress toc stress taco. I have a squishy little hotdog that my daughter colored in for me out of some sort of craft kit. And this the Bowser trophy from Club Nintendo and my Pac-Man clock is super cool. There goes. That is a really cool clock, except it runs slow. So I have to change the time every now and then. Oh, no, Over here we got a couple of fun things hiding back here. These are my old bobbleheads. I got them kind of stuff back here for lack of anywhere else to put like a fox, beautiful Joe, Megaman Samus Link and Mario because Samus is more of a bubble torso. And then one last secret in here. So besides some wonderful drawing my daughter made for me in here, I have in case I need some inspiration. It was Tuesday. I love that thing. 

[00:10:08] Okay, so next up, let's see this shelving unit here that you see was actually built into the wall when we bought this place. It's got electricity on a couple like outlets on a couple of different things there, which is pretty wild. So it worked out perfectly for putting putting game systems on. I got a switch stock up top here for whenever I want to play down here in the basement. I have that one up here because this is more shallow than the rest of it that's got this little chunk sitting there. And then down here I've got an Xbox 360 and Apple TV in the corner there. Here's my Atari VCs, which I love, the stupid thing I play with here. Every week is my PlayStation three and my PlayStation four with a Gamecube on tap for HD, a Gamecube playing my CRT on the other side of the room. We'll check that minute and some cool dragon ball art up there. And then this is my ancient television. This is a plasma TV from Panasonic that was struck by lightning. I love living in a house and it got struck by lightning. And the HDMI ports don't work anymore, but I have this weird component HDMI switch box situation that kind of makes it work, so I'll replace it one of these days. Anyways, down here we have PlayStation stuff, so I've got these shelves. This was an IKEA TV stand here and this was designed to have stuff like a VCR, a video game system and all these shelves, but that doesn't really work out for me, especially when we had really small children because they would just, you know, poke and prod and destroy everything. So I've had various things on the shelves over the years, and it occurred to me that they're kind of the perfect size for this setup. So PlayStation one is up here. I got the single disc games here and then the double disc games over here, just because I think it makes a nicer, prettier presentation to have them separated. But I just took some some molding and nailed it into the the, the actual shelf down here and measured it out so that the PlayStation games would sit up on the edge like that. So that's how that works. And then underneath that I got PlayStation three and four and Xbox One titles and Blu rays. And then over here you've got switch games, which again, they just fit so perfectly here. This is my excess switch stuff. I have more switch games upstairs where the actual switch lives. That's where the switch, the Xbox One, the Wii U and my like NES and SNES mini live they live upstairs in the living room because that's where we tend to play together. And then these drawers are hilariously filled with an obscene amount of hot Wheels because my kids love Hot Wheels and we've just been getting them for close to ten years now, and they're just all collected in these drawers. Someday they will be something more videogame related. 

[00:12:50] All right, let's see, what do we have next? We have victrex. So this is the bar that was in built into the basement, which is really freakishly nice. And I figure there is no better place to put this victrex than right here on the bar. So, you know, it's it's a I don't think it's plugged in right now, but I have my multicast down there and it is prep for good old fashioned victrex playing with the commander video statue on top there and some other artwork and let us continue to move around the room. Got our pool table here. Lots of kid stuff. I share this space with my kids still, so it's not a 100% game room, but it's got the all the the trappings of getting it started. But there's pool table is a dinosaur over there. And then this this is pretty fun. So this is my complete run of Nintendo power. This is every issue of the Nintendo Fan Club newsletter, all of Nintendo Power, all of Nintendo Force, and then a bunch of strategy guides and other such things down here they are. I got a full run of Atari age here. This is the the Nintendo official Players guides I'm missing. What is it? Not top secret codes. I'm missing the game Atlas. That's the one I'm missing besides all the game specific ones. But I was going for a set of just the non game specific, like the weird guides. And that's what. That's what I'm missing. I have to track that one down still. But this is cool because if you ever see on our social media on Tuesdays I do Hot tips, I just grab an issue of Nintendo Power, go to the classified information section and find whatever tips. I think I can fit into a Twitter character count, and that's where I get all those from. So let's let's move. Let's swing back around this way. Let's keep going. 

[00:14:35] We've got some board games over here, mostly family related stuff. But I do have these guys here. These are all of my videogame related board games all stuffed up here beside the Tetris one over there. But the Zelda and Centipede, Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, Turbo is Jackson, Pac-Man, and then a couple of Monopoly sets. This really awesome Super Mario Brothers puzzle, which is super cool. That's awesome. And then we have over here, Why don't you Tetris puzzle get in my way. This is my arcade machine. So for my 40th birthday, my astonished Gamer podcast co-host Dan, as well as several of my friends, raised money to build. They got this X arcade stick here and then they built the cabinet from scratch. There's a computer in there that runs Main, and I have this arcade cabinet in my corner, which is super awesome and I love it to death. 

[00:15:26] So. All right, let's get to the first closet, because closet spaces are pretty neat. This one, again, I have work to do. So I move this society's got my, you know, my water heater and all that stuff in it. Go ahead and hit this light and you'll see that there are. Systems here. This is where I keep my excess game systems and a couple of big box accessories. Now I know there's pipes all over the place here and some pretty expensive stuff on these shelves. I am well aware of that. It is a work in progress. I need to get some sort of shielding just in case a pipe burst. I don't want this stuff to get ruined. This is. This is a temporary measure. I promise. I am aware of the risk here. I am working on it. I am working on it. But up here, if we come in here, we can see I got an odyssey up there. This is actually signed by Ralph Baer. And get this hyper King Square out of the way and I'll take it down. This is an honest to goodness one of my favorite things in my collection. I just don't have anywhere to properly display it yet. But there we go. Autographed by Ralph Baer. I got this at a convention that he was at ages and ages ago. I know that's not the specific one that he made or anything like that, but he was still super graceful to sign it. And he was a really nice guy. I don't have an original odyssey, otherwise I would have had to sign that. But let's see, that's full of gaming watch systems and tiger LCD games, a couple of boxed handhelds, more Gameboys and stuff, loose game boy, some new geo pockets and link systems and stuff. More N64 is lined up and the S's and I used to work at Funko and a long time ago, so shelves full of old broken systems are extremely installed for me. Most of these do work, but I'd say a good like 20% of them actually don't. And they're just waiting around to be repaired or sold off in some way, shape or form in the future. And down here we've got Sega stuff, a couple of Sega CDs and like a three turbo duo that I don't have the right power supply for. And we have more Sega stuff, a Jags CD, a couple Xboxes, a three yo over here is all the really older stuff like your channel if you're in televisions and clicker vision there and some more Atari related things, including my very first game system from when I was a kid. This is the Atari 2600 junior my parents bought for me at KB Toys when I was a kid as my very first game system. And then over here is another one of my favorite things. That is a tower of 32X systems. Back when I worked at Funco Land, people used to try to trade these in and we weren't allowed to take them. Mike stands for doing videos and stuff, and so they would just tell me to throw them out and so I would go right into my car and that's how I got a stack of 32 Xs. And there's a super scope hanging there for some reason. 

[00:18:15] Okay, let's see, we're going to save that closet for last because that's my favorite. We're going to move over to here. So you've probably seen if you've watched any of the videos, this is the setup for the end of the videos. This is where I do all my CRT gaming. I love my old Trina Tron. Love it to death. It's been it's seen better days for sure. This got this big dent on the side here from where I dropped it when we were trying to move it down to this basement. Because while we're all getting old and these TVs away a lot. So let's start at the top here. We've got this really cool artwork on the walls. Friend of mine got these for me at a comic convention and I got them framed because they're super cool looking. And then this was a Club Nintendo and yes, Donkey Kong thing that I also think looks great fits right behind the TV. Then we've got the shelf with all of the game systems on it. We got a virtual boy up top. This is my VCs joystick because I usually play the VCs with the regular controller, not the joystick, but whenever I need it, I just kind of grab it off here and then 2600 on display because, well, it's an awesome looking system and I love it. And then I kind of went for a pairing thing of like, there's a mass system to any top loader, you know, the redesigned ones because they fit on these shells better. This is a an IKEA kallax unit and they sell these glass shelves that you can just they have spacers for them, so you can put them perfectly in the center. And I thought that was a really good way to get more game systems on there because they each game system really does not need the full height. You know, the Gamecube cuts it really close, especially if you wanted to put a Gameboy player on it. But really everything else you're totally fine with. So I had a Super Nintendo, Saturn, N64, Dreamcast and Gamecube. I used my black ink over here, but I wanted to play in HD over on the other side of the room, and this one doesn't have the right ports on it. So the black ones over there throwing in the color scheme off this whole thing, but whatever. Then we got a three yo Jaguar PS2 Turbo Graphics and both of these bands are just filled with the various controllers for these systems then are behind the TV. I've got a wee hidden back there and then we've got an Xbox CDI, the original MASH system. Because if I'm going to play a master system, that one is purely decorative, like I just like that it matches next to the s. If I'm going to play MASH system, I'm going to do it on this because that's the only one that has the start up screen, which my favorite start of screen. Except maybe the PlayStation one. I love that one too, but I love the start of screen in the MASH system and of course, a VCR just in case. And that's just for plugs and stuff. So looping around the corner. 

[00:20:52] Oh, wait, I forgot to show these things. The system selectors. I got these off eBay, these little stickers, and they're just perfectly matched to, like, all the different systems. They even had one for the CDI. Or is it? There it is. They even had one for KDR and three Dio Turbo Graphics, so I can easily tell which button to press to line up which one of these systems. So. Oh yeah. Back over to here. I did a fun trick for the back of these that my friend Mike kind of taught me about. So the wires would normally show on something like this. So I went to the dollar store and I bought a poster board and I just velcroed it at the top here and just hung poster board down the back of it. And now that I from a distance, it looks nice. All right. And then we go over to this one. I do the same thing of a poster board on the back of this because you can see it's not fully finished on the back. So thank you. Poster board. 

[00:21:44] This guy here has all of my, you know, stuff on my boxed Gameboy and Gameboy Color. Gameboy Advance Virtual Boy this the for us virtual boy line up with a couple of repro boxes again cards and manuals are all official, but I'm not spending the money for an official Morris tennis box. I'm not that crazy. And same with Nestor's funky balling. I have the card out of the manual. I was not able to track down an original box, not for any kind of reasonable price anyway. And then we got DS and 3DS and some card games down here because I'm a loon. Yes, I do have the Zelda games today. 

[00:22:21] All right, now we get to the closet. This is one of my favorite things. I'll point out this X-Men poster I had when I was a kid that I got framed. And then these square painter images here, a square painter. Adam does a really, really awesome work, and I'd like to get a few more to kind of go all the way down around this corner. But, you know, I only have so much money with these guy. These things are awesome. I love them, and this is the rest of the stuff. So here's the famous stone age gamer hoodie that's where it stays. There's the only one in existence I know. There's a couple of people who like to comment that they'd like to buy that hoodie someday. And maybe someday they will. But anyway, here we go. Here's the closet. This is a lot of really cool stuff in it, too. So I got some collector's editions and box three video games, oversize box stuff like that, big box, create games, big box Gamecube and Super Nintendo over here. These two shelves here, this is a complete run of the Atari colored box games. So this is all the color box games that is missing. Fun with numbers. I do own that game, but it is currently on loan to Jeremy Parrish and Kevin Bunch who are using it to take pictures for a new Atari book. No, I don't know them personally. It was all a fun coincidence. I'm not trying to namedrop. It sounds super cool. I'm nowhere near as cool as those two guys. I'm just super proud that my game box is going to be in their book. So there's the rest of my Saturn games. Couple of legacy things. Some DVDs, the 32 X games, Genesis games, more stuff that just didn't fit on the shelves out there. Turbo Graphics. I don't have a very many Turbo Graphics games, but I have a few. And then we go over to this side and we have Rob chillin up there with a Who is that star? It's the growing. What's that game called? StarLink. I think the the switch game where you could it was worth it for the air wing alone I think is awesome. But anyway Activision stuff silver box games tell games some in television over here, my three gatefold games. I would love to have a gatefold set for a Atari 2600. But again, tourist for my blood. Maybe something in a couple of Famicom games over here. Just the ones. I don't have a disk system, but I always wanted to like collect these just original ones because I'm such a big fan of their history and these manuals are gorgeous on the inside, so that stuff's pretty cool. Extra Gamecube games. Sure. All my loose and games, mostly in alphabetical order. I built these shelves and I did a terrible job because I should have built them so that I could have the game standing on their side. But none of the shelves. I didn't measure them right. And none of them can fit two rows across like that. So that's the most space efficient way to do them. And yeah, goodjob me. And he goes over here in the corner. This is neat. 

[00:25:12] So I built these shelves right into the wall. I just kind of screwed them right in bit by bit so that I would have these little shelves to put all my Gameboy games and stuff on. So I have these are all my loose ones. I made these little labels on all of them. So there's the Game Boy advance ones. I bought these, got these cruddy little game cases on eBay, I think. And then I just use my label maker to label all of them. And I did the same thing for a game gear. All of these are old cases I just had for my Funko land days or whatever, but. Kengor stuff. This is I got a couple of games recently and I keep forgetting to make labels for them. But yeah, that's where those are. And then Super Nintendo lose games, go down here and then lose N64 games down on the bottom. And over on this side we have my loose Atari games including Shoot Rocks and a really cool old Pac-Man plush. But yeah, these are all my loose Atari Tristar Games, pretty much just organized by label, which is fun. And then underneath them we go down to VHS tapes, including my Star Wars tapes, and I have sort of Captain N and all those promotional things like the Donkey Kong country and the Yoshi's Island and of course coming out of their Shells tour. Who could what collection would be complete without that? And then back here, we've got a bunch of bins for random stuff, really boxed accessories, links, games, things that I don't really have room for anywhere else. Bunch of paperwork is filed back there. Stuff that I get from storage games or to make videos out of the keep in there. And then we move over here and we've got Dreamcast games up here. I don't have nearly enough Dreamcast games. I should have more Dreamcast games than we have the master system stuff safely hidden in the closet where people can't see how ugly they are. I love master system. I do. I just the these games. There's no way to make these look good. They just don't look good. I got PSP and another of PS2 stuff. I have so many PlayStation two games it's ridiculous. And I have one of these giant bins. There's another one behind these. That's almost all. It's like half full of PS2 two games that I have a very little interest in even keeping at this point. Just I inherited a big collection from a couple of friends and they're mostly just worthless sports games and stuff, but I have way more PS2 games than I think I should. But anyways. And then I got these pearler things that I put together here. I love doing pearler beads. I don't do it as often as I would like, but I put these together. I think they're pretty neat and that is pretty much it. I've got my rubber chicken with the pulley in the middle right here, as anyone should have. I got Donkey Kong hanging out there and that pretty much wraps it up. That is the game room tour. That is what my office slash game room looks like. 

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Horror crash at the Basque Tour, Vingegaard, Evenepoel and Roglic involved and injured

About an hour ago, on the 4th stage of the Basque Tour, a horrible mass crash happened in a downhill curve at the head of the peloton. I’m reporting this watching Eurosport and only have their information. The curve looked innocuously enough, the road was dry and there wasn’t much wind, but something not revealed yet (oil or diesel?) led to the crash of most riders at the head of the peloton, including all three big guns and favorites, Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and the current leader, Primoz Roglic. What made it extremely nasty was that the crash zone had a lot of rocks and a wide cement drain pipe. It has been reported that both Evenepoel and Roglic suffered clavicle fractures, but at least there was footage of them walking and talking, while Vingegaard lay motionlessly in that drain pipe for several minutes before medical help arrived. It looked very bad for him, but in the meantime it was reported that he’s at least conscious again.

I’ve been following profi cycling for almost fifty years, but this was the most terrible crash I’ve witnessed. And I’ve never seen a crash that eliminated the three favorites of the race in one go.

ETA: here’s the story

Vingegaard has a broken collarbone and several broken ribs. According to the team nothing worse.

That’s bad enough, but also good to hear, I had feared a skull or back injury. Collarbone and rib fractures are part and parcel in cycling, sadly, so I’m glad it’s nothing worse, as bad as Vingegaard looked. I hope all three riders will be fit again for the TdF, them and Pogacar all doing the same Tour would be epic. I seem to remember that Evenepoel also wanted to do the Giro, which might come to soon for him now with his broken collarbone.

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72 Fun & Unusual Things to Do in Moscow

Sure, Moscow is the Russian political capital and the nation’s most populous city, but describing it as such couldn’t be any further from the truth. More accurately, Moscow is a city of contrasts.

It exudes history — its Kremlin dates back centuries, nodding to royalty and leadership old and now, while the famed Red Square, the poster child of the city, blends striking color with ancient tradition and religion.

On the other hand, it’s a city of modern pop culture and towering skyscrapers; a place where you’ll come across new-age museums, arts centers, manmade parks, and an efficient transportation system that’s one of the most beautiful in Europe.

It’s a city of longstanding culture — the Bolshoi Theater is an international symbol for excellence in classical dance, while Russia’s National Ballet Company remains renowned worldwide — as well as upbeat nightlife, with some of the world’s most celebrated rooftop bars and nightclubs.

While it’s a city filled with opposites, there remains no shortage of things to do in Moscow for all types of travelers — from those who want cultural immersion to those looking for an epic night out, you’ll be spoiled for choice. And if you’re not sure where to start, here’s a list of suggestions!

The Moscow Kremlin

If there’s any particular district begging to be the first place you visit on your trip, it’s the Kremlin.

Built in the 16th century by Ivan the Terrible, the UNESCO-listed area has since become the heart of Russia’s capital city, where you’ll find several churches, palaces, and other noteworthy buildings.

We’ll dive into each of its main attractions in a second, but regardless of what you visit, try to make it to the Kremlin in time for sunset — because seeing its golden domes glinting in the late-afternoon light makes for one spectacular tourist photo!

Click here to learn about Kremlin tickets prices .

1 – Admire the abundance of Kremlin towers | the Kremlin

As your eyes dart down the towering red-brick Kremlin wall, the first thing you’ll notice is its large towers of all different styles and sizes.

With a whopping 20 separate minarets towering above the historic area, each with its own name, colors, features and history, a guided tour to learn each of their fascinating stories is a must.

To give you a little taste, the Konstantin-Yeleninskaya Tower once housed a torture chamber. Saviour’s Tower at the main entrance boasts a famous chiming clock, the Secret Tower houses a secret escape tunnel, and the Trinity Tower is the tallest of them all.

• Moscow Kremlin tours

2 – Visit the enormous Grand Kremlin Palace | the Kremlin

A remarkable attraction in terms of both beauty and history, the Grand Kremlin Palace is an ornate rococo-style building that was commissioned during the reign of Nicholas I, and today acts as the official residence of none other than the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

Perched atop Borovitsky Hill, its 125-meter-long facade is unmissable, making for impressive photos.

Take note: guided tours are few and far between, so you’ll have to book a few weeks in advance if you want to check out the decorated inner sanctum.

Directions in Google Maps

3 – People-watch in Cathedral Square | the Kremlin

One of the most popular areas in all of Moscow (sometimes called Sobornaya Square), with multiple massive churches at its heart, Cathedral Square is flanked by several historic buildings and is never shy of a tourist crowd.

The three main churches — each spectacular works of architecture in their own right — are the Cathedral of the Assumption (the oldest and the biggest of all Kremlin churches), the 16th-century Cathedral of the Archangel Michael (known for its beautiful Corinthian gables and turrets), and the golden-domed Cathedral of the Annunciation (which connects to the Grand Kremlin Palace’s main building).

Throw in the 60-meter-high Ivan the Great Bell Tower, the lesser-known Church of the Twelve Apostles , the Church of the Deposition of the Virgin’s Robe (underrated yet famous for its marvelous stained-glass windows), and the medieval residence-turned-museum that is The Patriarch’s Palace, and you can see why this square is regularly number one on any visitor’s list of things to do in Moscow.

4 – See a show at the State Kremlin Palace | the Kremlin

Just like the Grand Kremlin Palace , this theater and prestigious concert hall — with its grandiose facade and multiple sculptures — is another ornate building that’s worth admiring.

A popular place to hold conferences, the State Kremlin Palace was originally built as part of a larger complex for Communist Party meetings, but today hosts some of the biggest events in Moscow — we’re talkin’ sold-old ballet performances, world-famous concerts, opera shows, and festivals.

Check the website to see what’s on the calendar for your visit!

5 – See centuries worth of national treasures at the Armoury Chamber | the Kremlin

For anyone with an interest in historical weaponry and armor, this museum — which dates back to the early 1500s when it was created as the royal armory — is a must-see.

The Armoury Chamber (as well as the Diamond Fund Exhibition) is home to some of the most valuable objects that were originally owned by Russian monarchs — from jeweled heirlooms and intricate boxes to ornately decorated pistols and swords — many of which are centuries old.

Within the armoury chamber, you’ll also find the Russian historical regalia, a collection of artifacts that belonged to Russian tsars and emperors between the 13th and 20th centuries, highlighted by the Ivory Throne and the Monomakh’s Cap.

• Armoury Chamber tours

6 – Step inside the Palace of the Facets | the Kremlin

The Palace of the Facets is one of the most underrated buildings in all of Moscow, largely because it’s not as widely promoted or photographed even though its exterior adorns some postcards.

From the outside, it blends in with the crowd. But step inside and you’ll discover a world of beauty and wonder — its frescoes, golden columns and enormous rooms are a sight to behold

The Palace of the Facets is not only a piece of art (literally, with painted walls), dating back over 500 years, but also acted as the dining hall for the Tsars.

7 – Feel small next to the Tsar Bell | the Kremlin

Making Philadelphia’s famous Liberty Bell look diminutive in size, this monument , which never actually functioned as a bell due to its immense size (at 205 tons and standing 20.1 feet high!), has found fame in recent years for being the heaviest attraction inside The Kremlin.

With the bronze landmark’s claim to fame of being the biggest bell in the world, it presents as a great, quick photo op when roaming through the Kremlin.

8 – Check out the Senate Palace | the Kremlin

Another architectural masterpiece that’s tucked away within the Kremlin, this palace is famous for being one of Moscow’s most beautiful buildings — its yellow façade curves around to face inward and truly engulf anyone who stands near it.

Built back in the late 1700s, today it houses the Russian presidential administration and, unfortunately for us, is off limits to the general public.

Still, admiring it from outside, with the nearby Tsar Cannon, is certainly good enough.

9 – Grab a photo in front of the Tsar Cannon | the Kremlin

One of Moscow’s most iconic symbols, Tsar Cannon (or Royal Cannon) is a cannon that was manufactured in 1586 and resides — yep, you guessed it — within The Kremlin.

Following the theme of the enormous Tsar Bell, it weighs a whopping 39 tons — making it one of the world’s largest cannons even though it has never been shot.

And while its size may be impressive on its own, what makes this cannon so special is that it’s adorned with intricate carvings, ornaments, inscriptions, and a figure of a horse-riding Tsar Feodor the Bellringer.

• walking tours in Moscow

10 – Join a tour of the Terem Palace | the Kremlin

A stunning, fairytale-like palace that’s steeped in history and detail, the five-story Terem Palace is one of the most underrated attractions within The Kremlin. However, as part of the official residence of the Russian President, much of it is off-limits to snap-happy tourists.

That said, there’s still plenty to be seen in the accessible areas by joining a group tour: a beautiful white-stone carved staircase; curved, decorated, and painted ceilings; and an enchanting low-vaulted Antechamber with lancet windows.

The Red Square

As we move away from the Kremlin, our next stop is the most photographed, picturesque public area in the country.

Flanked by gorgeous, colorful towers and buildings, the Red Square is the most famous square in all of Russia — and one that’s steeped in history, patriotism, and communist symbolism.

Home to some of Moscow’s greatest landmarks including St Basil’s Cathedral (featuring its iconic onion domes), Lenin Mausoleum, GUM department store (an architectural masterpiece that is the most famous shopping mall in Russia), The State History Museum, and more, it’s not just a sight to see in Moscow but also one that has been seen by hundreds of millions from around the world.

11 – Make your way inside St. Basil’s Cathedral | Red Square

Built back in the early 1500s, this quirky-looking, 65-meter-tall Orthodox church is so unique and detailed that it’s earned its place as one of 16 UNESCO cultural sites in Russia — and, thanks to many Hollywood productions like Bond: Skyfall (2012), has only continued to increase in fame.

Its exterior boasts multi-colored domes crowned with golden onion top spires. Meanwhile, inside, you’ll find nine small, separate chapels, and plenty of decorated walls and windows — all best viewed as part of a walking tour of Red Square.

• Red Square tours in Moscow

12 – Visit the State Historical Museum | Red Square

One of seven museums that can be found around the expansive Red Square, the State Historical Museum is one of Moscow’s most revered.

Housed in a neoclassical building (the same as GUM), it features more than 4 million items relating to Russian history — making it so vast and incredible that you’ll need at least two hours inside to see just a fraction.

While you’re in the area, be sure to check out the Marshal Georgy Zhukov Monument, a towering horse-riding statue of arguably the most famous and heroic Soviet military commander of WWII, which can be found in front of the museum.

13 – Shop till you drop at GUM | Red Square

The official state department store of Russia, having opened in 1893 and become one of Moscow’s most iconic attractions for shopaholics over the years, is known for its gorgeous architecture that looks more like a palace than anything else.

Entering through its massive golden doors, you’ll be surprised to find an extensive shopping center with more than 100 luxury and world-renowned brands of clothing and accessories for men, women, and youngsters.

Even if you don’t plan on buying anything, stop into the Gastronom №1 for a bite to eat or take a stroll through its corridors to appreciate the building’s history and beauty.

14 – Visit Lenin’s Mausoleum | Red Square

Another iconic Red Square attraction is Lenin’s Mausoleum, a small yet foreboding building that houses the embalmed corpse of Communist leader Vladimir Lenin (who led Russia through the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917).

Opened in 1930 after his death and standing at more than 12 meters tall, it presents as both a unique and macabre site — and, considering the life-like nature of the body, certainly isn’t for the faint of heart.

Note: Entrance is free of charge, but expect to be searched by security before being allowed in.

15 – Ride the Moscow Metro, enjoying the beautiful stations along the way

As we leave the Red Square, the next cab off the rank is Moscow’s unbelievable artistic Metro network (rivaled only in beauty by that of Stockholm). Constructed between the 1930s and 1950s, its stations were built by hand with a wide range of artistic themes — from socialist realist to Slavic pagan.

Tips: The best way to experience them is as part of a Moscow Metro tour, which can be booked online. However, if you prefer exploring solo, then make sure to visit the Mayakovskaya Metro Station which is known for its seemingly endless archways.

You may also check out Dostoyevskaya, named after a famous writer with murals depicting his stories. The Ploshchad Revolutsii Metro Station is another option where a handful of Socialist statues provide a wonderful contrast to the red marble arches.

• metro tours in Moscow

16 – Spend the afternoon exploring the State Tretyakov Gallery

Boasting the reputation of being one of the world’s leading art museums, the State Tretyakov Gallery is home to a stunning collection that features well over 100,000 works from Russia and around the globe.

Featuring everything from ancient Russian icons to Soviet-era artifacts and contemporary pieces, the museum also houses a charming green garden perfect for recharging.

Visitors are advised to allocate at least three hours inside to properly appreciate everything on show — or consider booking a private VIP tour to skip the lines and focus on the best sections.

• Tretyakov Gallery tickets

Click here to find out the best Moscow tours .

17 – Get out of town to the Tsaritsyno Museum & Nature Reserve

Located a short drive from the hustle and bustle of the Red Square, this incredible attraction is both a palatial museum and cultural center, with an enchanting open-air garden to boot — spread across 405 hectares altogether.

Boasting beautiful 18th-century baroque architecture, it was originally built as a country retreat for Catherine the Great. However, it has since been transformed into an outdoor museum with several museums inside — including exhibits dedicated to Russian history and culture.

18 – Tick off the main haunts with a hop-on hop-off bus ride

Short on time or just can’t be bothered walking around anymore? Then make sure to check out the double-decker Hop-on-Hop-off Bus, a convenient and cheap way of seeing all the main attractions in one go.

With unlimited-ride tickets lasting between 24 and 72 hours, there’s plenty of flexibility to soak in must-see areas like Red Square, the Kremlin, Arbatskaya Square, Theatre Square, and the Red October neighborhood — and with a free audio tour (in English) throughout the ride, you’re sure to learn a thing or two as well.

Busses usually run every 15 minutes, with the full city loop taking roughly an hour — of course, you can disembark and reboard to your heart’s content.

• bus tours in Moscow

19 – Learn about military history on Poklonnaya Hill

For an up-close and personal experience with the past, make sure to check out Poklonnaya Hill — a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 20 minutes out from the city center that’s home to several relics from Russia’s pre-revolutionary era.

It has everything from Great Patriotic War memorials dedicated to fallen soldiers of the Russian military forces, to the Eternal Flame and the Museum of Great Patriotic War. This is an unmissable opportunity for history buffs.

Hot tip: While you’re in the area, be sure to stop into the Victory Museum (the nation’s biggest military history museum) and check out the gold-tipped Church of St. George the Victorious .

20 – Get artsy at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts

Home to one of the finest and most significant art collections in Russia, the highly-regarded Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts showcases everything from medieval icons and paintings. With over 500,000 pieces of works by renowned artists like Rembrandt, Renoir, Picasso, Matisse, Karl Bryullov and Rubens, the museum is undeniably one of the best things to do in Moscow for art lovers.

The museum also houses impressive exhibits dedicated to ancient Greece, archaeological collections, decorative arts and a 200,000-item Numismatic library.

21 – Take a charming stroll down Arbat Street

Boasting everything from galleries and craft stores to souvenir shops, cafes, and some of Russia’s finest restaurants and hotels — as well as top-notch street performers (like jugglers and caricaturists) — Arbat Street is one of Moscow’s most famous pedestrian hubs for good reason.

The entire walkway, flanked by colorful buildings, stretches about a kilometer through the historic district, making it the perfect start to any day of inner-city exploring.

22 – Lounge around at the Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure

One of Moscow’s biggest and most beloved green spaces, Gorky Central Park is a must-visit for anyone looking to soak in some fresh air.

The park boasts 45 hectares of picturesque grassland, forests, Golitsinsky Ponds (home to squirrels and ducks), walking trails, fountains and the Neskuchny Garden. This place is also home to the wooden Olivkovy beach, a hot spot for photographers looking to appreciate the Moskva river.

Plenty of cafes line the well-manicured park, likewise public art projects and picnic spots and an open-air cinema in the summertime!

While a relaxing day in the gardens is never a bad idea, if you’re looking for something a little more interactive, there’s the 18-meter-tall Observation Platform and a handful of museums on site. The Gorky Park Museum , Muzeon Park of Arts , Garage Museum of Contemporary Art and New Tretyakov Gallery are all noteworthy stops within walking distance.

23 – Stare at the ceiling of the Christ the Savior Cathedral

On an easy stroll from the southwest side of the Kremlin, you’ll find a majestic memorial cathedral doused in history: the 5-golden-domed Christ the Savior Cathedral .

With a beautiful color-contrasting exterior that still falls short of the intricately painted inner walls and ceiling, this underrated (due to not being in Red Square with the other main cathedrals) attraction is a must for the bucket list.

24 – Zoom around town in a Soviet van

If a hop-on-hop-off bus screams of cliche tourism, why not get a little more cultured by skirting around the city’s main haunts in a real, war-era soviet van?

Undeniably one of Russia’s most emblematic vehicles as both a symbol of a Soviet past and a comical cultural nod to its boring exterior (dubbed the “loaf of bread”), the UAZ-452 vans are iconic.

So whether you opt for a pub crawl, landmark sightseeing tour, or day of adventure with wintertime off-roading, be sure to ride shotgun in one of the loaves of bread at some stage!

• soviet tours

25 – See sharks up close at the Moskvarium

The mightiest aquarium in Europe (by size), the Moskvarium is an impressive modern space dedicated to the beauty and diversity of aquatic life.

Located right on the outskirts of Moscow’s city center (about 20 minutes drive from Red Square), this huge complex encompasses over 70 interactive exhibits. These include live shows, and the chance to go swimming with dolphins — that are sure to impress the whole family.

26 – Go underground at the Bunker 42 Cold War Museum

In the depths of Moscow’s shadow-strewn streets, hidden 65 meters beneath the tourist crowds are a Cold War-era bunker and former secret communications center.

Bunker 42 was built in 1955 as a nuclear-proof hideaway, but today you can book tours that reveal its secrets and stories — a must for the common history buff.

• Bunker 42 tickets

27 – Immserve yourself in the soviet culture at the VDNKh theme park and exhibition space

Sprawling across the Ostankinsky District, VDNKh is a massive open-air museum and theme park paying homage to Russian industry and Soviet values.

The enormous complex is decked out with several gold-clad statues and palatial pavilions, each uniquely designed to represent different Soviet interests and endeavors, such as geology and the space race.

Hot tip: For a wonderful view of the Moscow skyline, be sure to jump on the Ferris wheel after riding the small roller coasters and merry-go-round.

28 – Take a trip to the Kolomenskoye Palace

Overlooking the sparkling Moskva River about 20 kiometers south of central Moscow, the postcard-worthy Kolomenskoye Palace is a former royal estate. It’s now open to the public as an extensive park with carefully-kept gardens, including one of Russia’s oldest white stone churches (the tent-looking UNESCO-listed Ascension Church ).

It has walking trails through peaceful wooded areas and gorgeous views out over the region from its high hilltop location. The park has long been considered one of the hidden gems when it comes to things to do in Moscow.

29 – Enjoy the view from the Ostankino TV Tower

With the coveted claim to fame of being the tallest free-standing structure in Europe (and 11th tallest in the world) — standing above the Empire State Building, for reference — the 540.1-meter-tall Ostankino Tower is picturesquely located next to Park Dubovaya Roshcha, not too far from VDNH, the Moskvarium, and the widespread Park Ostankind.

So long as you’re not left lighthearted by heights, the 337-meter-high observation deck is the go-to spot for panoramic views.

30 – Blast off at the Museum of Cosmonautics

One for the space nerds and future astronauts, the Museum of Cosmonautics is dedicated to the history, present-day relevance, and future possibilities of space exploration. It provides a spectacular insight into the Soviet perspective of the 1960s space race.

Located on a lovely green site in one corner of VDNKh, the museum features an outdoor planetarium, interactive displays for children, as well as inside exhibits that showcase original spacecraft parts.

For the best experience, consider a pre-arranged tour that includes access to both the Museum and VDNKh.

31 – Complete your Moscow culinary experience with a food tour

Foodies, listen up! Moscow has gained a reputation for being one of the finest cities in Europe for foodies, with an excellent range of restaurants and bars.

For those looking for a complete Moscow culinary experience that includes some of the best hidden gems and experiences, food tours are an ideal way to go.

Depending on your tour of choice, expect to sample a few Pelmeni (dumplings), Blini (wafer-thin pancakes), and world-famous Ponchiki doughnuts. Then wash it all down with some locally-distilled vodka or Nalivka (a sweet berry-infused liquor).

• food tours in Moscow

32 – Smell the flowers at the Main Botanical Garden — the largest botanical garden in Europe

Constructed in 1945, the Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences is a 340-hectare space of plant collections and lakeside walkways to explore.

It’s one of those places that gets better as you make your way around it on foot (or even rollerblades). There are many well-kept gardens, beautiful ponds filled with turtles and waterfowl, a charming Japanese Garden and some very rare trees.

33 – Wander around the Novodevichy Monastery

The Novodevichy Convent and surrounding Kremlin-style walls combine to be one of Moscow’s most picturesque sites — a UNESCO-listed complex that was founded in the 1500s and includes an interweaving of churches, cathedrals, bell towers and a cemetery.

After admiring the buildings, check out the monastery which is surrounded by green spaces perfect for a stroll and a snack.

To learn all about its architecture and history, opt for a guided tour as recommended by most travelers.

34 – Ride the coasters at Family Park SKAZKA

If you’re traveling with youngsters who seem to never be able to burn off their energy then make a beeline for the Krylatskoye District neighborhood, home to the popular SKAZKA adventure park.

Kids can enjoy everything from bumper cars to the petting zoo, while parents might want to pop into one of the cafes or restaurants.

Even if you don’t have kids in tow, the adrenaline-pumping roller coasters invite thrill-seekers of all ages.

35 – Understand the deeper meanings of “Soviet Jew” at the Jewish Museum & Centre of Tolerance

Opened in 2012, the Jewish Museum and Centre of Tolerance is a fascinating institution dedicated to exploring and honoring the diverse complex Russian-Jewish history and culture.

Explore every facet of the role of Russian Jewry throughout the centuries — including food, artifacts, religious beliefs and cultural traditions. Visitors can also see an array of exhibits made from testimonial footage, as well as a large collection of works of Jewish artists.

For history buffs, the museum dives into the intriguing role that Jewish soldiers played during World War II.

36 – Cruise down the Moscow River!

For those looking for a unique perspective on the city, there are stacks of tours (romantic, sightseeing, luxury-themed or party-vibed) that explore Moscow from its riverfront.

Take in some of the most iconic landmarks around the Kremlin and Gorky Park on a boat. Cruises can also take you underneath bridges, entertain you with live music and offer insights into the landmarks that pass by with live audio narration.

• boat tours in Moscow

37 – Grab a table at Café Pushkin

A favorite of many Muscovites, Cafe Pushkin on Tverskoy Boulevard is an intimate spot to enjoy some authentic Russian dishes.

It’s hand-picked by locals for its traditional décor resembling a nobleman’s house and charming atmosphere (thanks largely to the rustic bookshelves). You’ll find that the menu consists mainly of classic European cuisine mixed with a few local favorites. It’s complemented by a wooden bar with a fine collection of vintage wines and regular live music.

38 – Spend the day at the Karibiya Aquapark

After a hard day exploring the city, why not spend some time out to relax and unwind at one of Moscow’s largest water parks?

Karibiya has a handful of pools (including a heated salt-water spa) and fun but not too wild slides, plus a bowling alley for the kids, a fitness center and bar for the adults. There’s something to keep everyone entertained.

39 – Take a day trip to Sergiev Posad

A photographer’s dream with blue-and-gold cupolas contrasted by snow-white walls, the ancient town of Sergiev Posad (just over an hour’s drive from Moscow) is a quaint tourist favorite. It’s famous for being home to one of Russia’s most important and sacred monasteries — the free-to-visit Trinity Lavra St. Sergius monastery complex.

Founded in 1340 AD by Saint Sergius, today it serves as an active monastery where visitors are free to attend daily services. Admire its truly remarkable artworks and historic museum collections.

• Sergiev Posad day trip

40 – Spot starfish (and monkeys?) at the Crocus City Oceanarium

One of the latest attractions in Moscow, Crocus City Mall’s iceberg-shaped  Oceanarium is a vast three-floor aquarium. It has more than 5,000 species swimming gracefully under one roof — not to mention the reptiles, birds, and monkeys that also call this place home.

Since the mall also boasts shopping centers, a pair of concert halls and a skating rink, there’s no shortage of activities on offer to whisk away a rainy day.

41 – Button-mash at the Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines

Where are the gamers at?

For anyone curious about the video games and technology of Russia’s yesteryear, there’s no better place to visit than this retro museum (complete with Soviet-era soda).

Filled with an impressive collection of more than 100 vintage arcade machines dating back as far as the late 1970s (like ”Pull the Turnip”), it’s sure to take you on a trip down memory lane.

42 – Take a walk through the Alexander Garden

While the majority of Moscow’s other top attractions require a ticket or entry fee, there is at least one gem that doesn’t. It happens to be right on your doorstep if you’re staying anywhere near the Kremlin.

Alexander Garden (also known as Alexandrovsky Sad) is an expansive park that stretches the entire western wall of the Kremlin (nearly 1km in length). It’s filled to the brim with colorful flower beds, winding walkways and calming fountains.

Don’t miss the tomb of the Unknown Soldier while you’re there.

43 – Sign up for a dog sledding adventure!

Cliche? Sure, maybe a little. Seriously fun? You better believe it!

Winter is coming, and that means it’s time to get out there and experience Russia the way only locals can — by dog sledding.

Typically lasting seven or eight hours, these outdoor adventures (which include hotel pick up and drop off) are a wonderful way to experience nature and immerse yourself in ancient Russian traditions — and hang out with a handful of adorable huskies, of course!

Seriously though, this is one of those things you’re going to want photos (and videos) for when you get back home because, really, words just wouldn’t do it justice.

44 – Walk beneath the Iberian Gate and Chapel

Facing away from the Red Square and linking Manezhnaya Square, the Iberian Gate and Chapel (sometimes called the Resurrection Gate) is overflowing with history. It acts as the spiritual entrance to the Red Square and the home of the wooden chapel that houses icons of the Iberian Virgin.

Many believe it is customary to kiss the Iberian icon before entering the gate and for boys to take off their hats. For an insight into the local culture, join a walking tour and learn more about the gate’s significance to religion and history.

To add to the importance, the gate is also the location of ‘Kilometer Zero’ — the official central point of Moscow.

45 – Play all day at the Dream Island theme park

After opening its gates early in 2020, Dream Island earned itself the coveted title of being the largest indoor theme park in Europe (yep, that means it’s even open in the harsh winter).

It’s a delight for kids and adults alike. Throughout the park you’ll find an array of rides themed around classic cartoons like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pinocchio, the Smurfs, Hotel Transylvania and Hello Kitty. It also has charming and well-arranged streets that transport you to bustling cities like London and Barcelona!

Throw in live performances, plenty of eateries, a cinema and a hotel, and you can see why it’s become all the rage recently.

46 – Race against the clock in an escape room

An unmissable and quick activity for any budding Sherlock Holmes out there, escape rooms challenge your mind and require wit, teamwork, and logic. Figure out the puzzles and escape from each room before time runs up.

Moscow’s escape room games usually last around 60 minutes and cover a range of themes (like a USSR Nuclear Bunker or even an outdoor, app-led scavenger game) — perfect for the whole family.

47 – Chill out by the Patriarch’s Ponds

Surrounded by residential buildings in the fancy downtown Presnensky District, the enormous (9,900 square meters, to be exact) the Patriarshiye Prudy is a beautiful oasis. It’s frequented by dog walkers, picnickers, artists and musicians alike.

In summertime, you’ll find people picnicking on the grassy banks or sunbathing by the ponds. In the winter, it transforms into a magical wonderland of snow and ice, morphing into a popular public skating rink.

Directions on Google Maps

48 – Go behind the scenes at Luzhniki Stadium

Moscow’s Lujniki Stadium is one of Europe’s biggest soccer complexes, capable of hosting some 80,000 fans with an electric-like atmosphere — as we saw during its phase as the main stadium of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Besides being the current home ground of Russia’s National Football Team, it also hosts concerts by some of the biggest international acts and was also the focal point of the 1980 Olympic Games.

If your trip doesn’t line up with any sellout matches, you can still join a backstage stadium tour that explores the dressing rooms, press conference room and the field.

49 – Head to Suzdal and Vladimir for a day

A fantastic option for anyone who wants to get out of the chaos of Moscow for a minute, these two towns are parts of the Golden Ring of ancient Russian cities. They present as perfect day trips, thanks to their rich history, diverse culture and white-drenched architecture.

In Suzdal , the Kremlin fortress is the main event, with the Cathedral of the Nativity (and its 13th-century Golden Doors) captivating visitors year after year. In Vladimir , the awe-inspiring Assumption Cathedral (Dormition Cathedral) teaks center stage, with its five golden domes making for a wonderful photo backdrop

Don’t feel like hiring a car? Take the hassle out of your getaway and book a pre-arranged tour that visits both ancient towns on the same day.

50 – Escape the crowds at the Botanic Gardens of Moscow State University

Wielding the title of Russia’s oldest botanic garden, the Botanic Gardens of Moscow State University (founded in 1706) is a fantastic place to escape the city and learn about Russia’s rich flora.

The beautifully arranged garden boasts more than 6,000 plant species that span various climates across the world, allowing visitors to see everything from roses and tulips to cacti and bamboo trees!

51 – Climb inside a tank at the Kubinka Tank Museum

A must-see for any military history buff, the Kubinka Tank Museum showcases dozens of tanks and armored vehicles from across the globe, with a particularly heavy focus on Soviet Union models (to be expected, right?).

The collection includes everything from Polish TKS tankettes to the only remaining Panzer VIII Maus, a captured WWI British Mark V and the Object 172 — as well as plenty of cannons, weapons and missiles.

Serving traditional Russian military meals and national staples, even the cafe-restaurant is military-themed!

52 – Sit front row at the Moscow International House of Music

A world-renowned performance complex on the picturesque Kosmodamianskaya Embankment, this state-of-the-art venue is best known for hosting Vladimir Spivakov’s Virtuosi of Moscow Chamber Orchestra. It showcases everything from classical concerts to jazz, folk music and more!

The venue’s three magnificent concert halls welcome an array of local and international performers. Check the website to see who’s taking center stage during your visit!

53 – Drift through fresh powder on a snowmobile!

While it’s not always winter (though if you want to make the most of your snowy trip, come between December and March), as soon as that first snowfall hits, it’s time for snowmobile tours. Make for a fantastic way to explore the out-of-the-way locations and magical forests beyond Moscow’s city limits.

Even if you’ve never ridden a ski-doo or snowmobile before, the friendly expert instructors will be with you every step of the way, with safety and enjoyment always priorities.

54 – Crank your head skywards in Moscow City

A stark contrast to the ancient and colorful onion domes in the Red Square, Moscow City’s skyscape (aka the Moscow International Business Center ) is full of towering, modern glass-heavy (even twisting) skyscrapers. Many of which are vying at the top of the list of Europe’s tallest buildings.

At 374 meters tall and with 95 floors — and a wonderful restaurant on its 60th floor — the Moscow Federation Tower is a popular choice for tourists. Meanwhile, the 85th and 86th floor of the OKO Towers play host to a Russian restaurant and skating rink respectively.

Be sure to walk through the modern Bagration Bridge and, for the shopaholics, check out the stores and IMAX theater inside AFIMALL City.

55 – Check out Zaryadye Park

Within arm’s reach of the famed Red Square, the peaceful slice of greenery that is Zaryadye Park is a breath of beautiful and natural air amidst the concrete jungle. It’s the first new city park to be opened in Moscow for more than half a century.

At various points around the 10-hectare park, you’ll find a few restaurant pavilions, a media center, a museum and a botanical collection housing over a million plants. It also houses the two-stage Zaryadye Concert Hall where thousands of passersby take a seat on the steps every day.

While you’re there, don’t miss the Chambers of the Romanov Boyars, an unusual museum above the northern side of the park.

56 – Stroll around the cozy Hermitage Garden

Small yet incredibly charming and found conveniently smack-bang in the middle of the city, the Hermitage Garden is a perfect spot to relax and unwind after a day of learning about Russia’s vast history.

Surrounded by the Sfera Theatre and The Kolobov Novaya Opera Theatre of Moscow , this lovely, leafy garden can be both a relaxing oasis or the prelude to an entertaining evening out.

57 – Treat yourself to a ballet show at the Bolshoi Theatre

With a reputation that precedes it, the impressive and world-famous Bolshoi Theatre is a must for any theater lover. Its rich history is making it one of the most iconic theaters in Europe.

While there are several performances to choose from throughout the year — from ballet to opera, classic dramas and even acrobatic shows — you can also get your own private backstage tour.

58 – Get artsy, then party at ArtPlay

This old tea factory turned cultural hub of Moscow’s creative arts is heaven on earth for rotating exhibitions by local artists.

Depending on what piques your interest, you can join in on everything from live music to dance classes, art studio workshops, flea markets and film screenings here. However, after the sun goes down, its alter-ego comes out to play.

So, if you’re feeling peckish, stop into the Domozhilov restaurant nearby for a shashlik. Then wash it down at the English pub with a beer before partying it up at Rodnya, a pumping techno club.

59 – Head to the PANORAMA360 Observation Deck

A surefire hit for the social media feed, the observation deck at the top of Moscow’s Federation Tower skyscraper — PANORAMA360 — is a must-see selfie stop for its killer views and … ice cream factory.

From the 89th floor, you can soak in the wonder of Moscow old and new from above. It has floor-to-ceiling windows providing 360-degree vistas, a rotating restaurant and mini-cinema to boot.

60 – Throw down a picnic blanket in Sokolniki Park

One of the largest green spaces in Moscow, Sokolniki Park is a very popular gathering place for locals and visitors alike.

Spread across the northeastern Sokolniki District, it’s the perfect distance from the city’s main haunts where the crowds remain small but the accessibility stays high.

With its many activities — from sports to live music to festivals — not much beats this park when it comes to outdoor fun!

61 – Catch a traditional Russian dance show

To get a true sense of the rich and diverse culture in Moscow, you can’t go past one of its many folk dance shows.

While there are several to choose from, “Kostroma” and “The Golden Ring” are two crowd favorite choices. Each is thoroughly unique with traditional music and costumes sure to make for a once-in-a-lifetime night of entertainment.

Of course, due to high popularity, be sure to book in advance.

62 – Book a table at the White Rabbit restaurant bar

Perched above the historical center of Moscow on the 16th floor of the Smolensky Passage building, this lavish restaurant is a must-visit for any foodie-obsessed traveler. Why? Because it continually ranks as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world.

The drool-worthy menu made by fifth-generation chef Vladimir Mukhin consists of creative, beautiful plated meals. The coveted eaterie also boasts 360-degree panoramic views of the city and a fine collection of wines and cocktails.

63 – Have dinner inside the Vysoko-Petrovskiy Monastery

Whether you’re an architecture or history buff, while visiting Moscow, it would be a shame to miss out on the rare chance to eat in an actual monastery.

This one is particularly special as it dates back some 700 years. Not only will you get to dig into an authentic Russian menu, but learn about the history of the building and (depending on your booking package) get a guided tour too.

64 – Pass by the ‘Children Are the Victims of Adult Vices’ sculpture

This free public art installation in Bolotnaya square was created by Mihail Chemaikin in 2001. A somewhat controversial landmark, it depicts how children are influenced by vices — alcohol, theft, ignorance, violence, addiction, poverty and war, to name a few.

The sculpture’s uniqueness and thought-provoking nature makes it an essential stop on any day of wandering around.

65 – Get wild on a pub crawl!

You’re on vacation, so it’s time to let your hair down, mingle with some fellow thirsty travelers and party it up Moscow-style!

High-energy pub crawls are a great way to get acquainted with new friends while seeing Moscow’s unique nightlife scene first-hand. Let the locals lead you to hidden gems, tourist hot spots and quirky dive bars.

If you don’t feel like walking, why not join a Soviet minivan crawl instead (where you can drink Soviet champagne onboard!)?

66 – Roll up for the Nikulin Circus!

If you haven’t had the chance to see a live circus before — and especially if you’re traveling with kids — why not head over to the Nikulin Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard?

It blends traditional Russian acrobatics with modern-day technology, animals, and the classic circular circus stage. This beloved local entertainment is also considered one of the most enjoyable things to do in Moscow!

67 – Get romantic on a Moskva River dinner cruise

What better way to take in the city’s skyline than from a luxury yacht as you enjoy entertainment, fine dining, and (strong) specialty drinks?

Whether you’re looking for something large that can accommodate groups of friends or something smaller with a bit more VIP style, there are several dinner cruises available to suit any taste and budget.

68 – Explore the wonderful Izmailovo District

One of the city’s best-kept secrets, Izmailovo ‘s focal point is its Kremlin, a colorful wooden complex. Built in 2007, it has had unique museums and flea markets pop up nearby in the years since.

Throughout the area, you’ll uncover museums dedicated to vodka, break and Russian folk art. The district’s charming open-air flea market has all kinds of crafts and souvenirs are haggled on the daily.

Don’t miss Izmailovo Park , which is an enormous 300-hectare space that plays host to souvenir vendors, forest walking paths and even an ice rink in winter.

With so much to see in the district, savvy travelers typically opt for a guided tour.

• Izmailovo tours

69 – Sip on a cocktail at the award-winning City Space Bar and Lounge

Self-dubbed as one of the world’s top 10 bars, with accolades like Luxury Travel Guide’s Bar of the Year 2018, this iconic and luxurious watering hole doesn’t need much of an introduction.

Perched sky-high on the 34th floor of Swissotel Krasnye Holmy, the circular lounge bar slings signature cocktails and dishes up truly stunning views of the city.

Hot tip: While there’s never a poor time to visit, aim to arrive an hour or so before sunset, that’s when the city will truly sparkle below.

70 – Pamper yourself at the Sanduny Baths

If you’re looking for something to ease that throbbing headache after a night of pub crawling, why not try the famous Sanduny Baths , a quintessentially Russian experience?

Famed as one of the world’s most beautiful public bathhouses, Sanduny’s steam rooms and pools are said to be some of the best in Moscow. But for something totally unique, you can’t go past the birch twigs massage (read: beating).

71 – Spruce up your social media feed at some Insta-worthy restaurants

While a good meal is always part of the restaurant experience, getting a good pic for Instagram is half the fun!

Luckily, there are tons of excellent eateries that combine great food with gorgeous aesthetics.

Big Wine Freaks has a fantastic drink selection (naturally), and its dark, classy rooms full of elegant light fixtures and plush furniture bring to mind a spy’s hideout.

Meanwhile, Sempre adopts more of a naturalistic approach, surrounding diners with ferns and greenery.

And at Black Market Moscow , you can choose between indoor and outdoor spaces, each featuring their own unique designs and dining experiences.

Take a bite and snap some pics!

72 – Unleash your inner party animal at the Night clubs

When the sun goes down, you’ll get to see a whole new side of Moscow: its amazing nightlife!

Head to Propaganda for a bite or a beverage, then dance to some quality club tunes.

Or get a little wild at Chesterfield , where you can pay a flat fee and drink as much as you want – the perfect recipe for fun!

And at Rock’N’ Roll , there’s a new form of excitement every day, from DJ sets to live bands, all playing a lively mix of rock music from across the decades.

With all this excitement, you won’t want to book anything early the next day!

How to get to Moscow?

Unless you’re feeling up to the challenge of a long train journey, you’ll most likely be flying into Moscow.

Luckily, it has three international airports to choose from: Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, and Domodedovo.

Once you’ve arrived, you’ll be able to easily reach the city via the Aeroexpress train.

Where to stay in Moscow?

Golden Ring Hotel  will make you feel like you’re on top of the world, whether you’re getting pampered at the beauty salon or enjoying a meal in the rooftop restaurants.

Or check in to Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel & Business Center , which boasts everything from riverside views and a gym to nearby shopping areas and relaxing Turkish baths.

At AZIMUT Hotel Olympic Moscow , the massages, international cuisine, sauna, and swimming pool will keep you happily occupied in between excursions.

And at sister property AZIMUT Hotel Smolenskaya Moscow , you can savor a nice meal or admire the scenery from the lounge, or stroll over to Gorky Park or roam along Stary Arbat Street.

Meanwhile, Oblaka Hotel blends simple charm and a convenient location, with charming red brick exteriors and easy access to historic sites and a metro station.

• best hotels in Moscow

Visiting Moscow on a budget?

There’s nothing like seeing a city on foot… especially on a free walking tour !

These excursions aren’t just a way to save money while still learning a lot; they also offer a wonderful opportunity to gain local perspectives, courtesy of your guides.

But despite the name, they do accept tips for a job well done, so bring a bit of money with you!

Where to go next?

If you’re short on time but still want to see the best of Moscow, try some multi-day tours ; they’ll provide all of the coolest sights and experiences in an efficient format.

After that, it’s time to start exploring further afield!

Though it’s a bit of a trek, St. Petersburg is well worth the journey!

With its famously decadent buildings to its lively arts scene, this is the perfect place to soak up some culture; but there are also some more offbeat options, like folk shows, vodka tastings, and even an amusement park!

And from the jaw-dropping designs of the metro stations (yes, you read that correctly) to the glimmer of Faberge eggs, it showcases beauty at every turn.

Ready to go beyond Russia?

Dive into the best places to visit in Europe , a smorgasbord of art and history, nature and architecture, showcasing some of the most beloved cities and countries in the world.

Final thoughts

While Russia’s capital may seem imposing, its dynamic culture, live-wire entertainment scene, and remarkable history make it an unbeatable destination, with unique adventures that will linger in your memory long after you’ve returned home.

You may feel a little overwhelmed by all of the incredible things to do in Moscow… but that’s all the more reason to come back!

If you have any other must-see suggestions, noteworthy day trips or quintessential tours worth booking, feel free to write in the comments!

As always, happy travels!

🏀 Women's Tournament

🔥 Iowa survives UConn

😤 South Carolina downs NC State

👀 See the bracket

Check your bracket

📊 Records by conference

Iowa escapes UConn, 71-69, advances to national title game

• Championship Info
• Game Program

March Madness

• 📆 2024 March Madness schedule
• ❓ How the field of 68 is picked
• 👀 Best performances in tournament history

Women's Final Four Most Outstanding Players from 1982 to present

Schools with the most DI women's basketball national championships

The 13 highest-scoring individual performances in March Madness women's history

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Best performances in NCAA women's basketball tournament history

Follow march madness women’s championship.

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😮‍💨 IOWA ESCAPES: Hawkeyes win, will face South Carolina for national title

Even when Caitlin Clark's shot is off target, it's still somehow right where it needs to be. 

UConn had handled the Clark problem nearly perfectly, limiting her to just 7 of 18 shooting and forcing the typically suave superstar into a choppy offensive outing, and as Iowa led by two in the closing seconds, her typically automatic free throw clattered off the front rim. Sydney Affolter leapt right into the path of Clark's miss, however, securing Iowa's possession on a jump ball, and a savvy inbound maneuver ensured Iowa escaped with a 71-69 victory, advancing to Sunday's national championship game with South Carolina. 

While Clark headlines Iowa's top-ranked offense, it was UConn that looked flawless from the field early on, nailing 5 of 8 field goals to start, including both of its 3-point attempts, and leading 13-7 at the first media timeout.  With a rotation dwindled to only six by grueling injury luck, the Huskies leaned heavily on its stars to build a 32-26 halftime lead. Familiar suspects Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards hooked up on a sweet transition bucket out of the first intermission, ultimately finishing the second quarter with nine combined points, but KK Arnold proved to be a crucial piece for Geno Auriemma's squad. The freshman had finished with more than 10 points just once in her last six outings but had already crossed double-figures by halftime, also dishing out three assists and grabbing a rebound. 

A flurry of gritty Bueckers buckets, who joined with Edwards to lead the Huskies with 17 points, kept UConn ahead early in the second half, but Clark managed to swing the momentum with a stunning four-point play. From there, Hannah Stuelke, the game's leading scorer with 23, knocked down four straight free throws, and Iowa regained the lead for the first time since 2-0 at 47-45.

Iowa would grow its lead as large as nine midway through the fourth quarter thanks to an untimely Husky scoring drought, and while ravenous UConn defense forced consecutive Iowa turnovers and gave Connecticut a chance at the victory down just one, an offensive foul call on Edwards set up Clark's free throw magic and sent her squad to another national title game.

🥶 KATE. MARTIN. Gutsy bucket gives Iowa late lead

As Caitlin Clark struggled with erraticism throughout a difficult afternoon, Kate Martin has been the assurgent hero in the Hawkeye backcourt. The veteran guard has 11 points and a collection of timely buckets that have helped Iowa hold its late lead.

None have been bigger than her most recent attempt, a turnaround fader from just inside the left elbow that proved pure. Martin's second-straight bucket gives Iowa a 70-64 lead with less than two minutes remaining.

Big-Bucket Kate 💪 @kate_martin22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/HQ8QQ5gggu — Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 6, 2024

💪 Hawkeyes in control: Huge run puts Hawkeyes on the precipice

➡️ into the 4th: iowa-uconn tied at 51.

One of the most anticipated games of the tournament has lived up to the hype in every way, tied at 51 entering the fourth quarter with Paige Bueckers leading the Huskies in scoring while Caitlin Clark eyes yet another triple-double. 

The NCAA.com crew has you covered live from Cleveland for the final 10 minutes, so stay tuned!

😳 FOUR-POINT PLAY: Caitlin Clark 3 through contact sparks Hawkeye run

Caitlin Clark provided her own inspiration on a rough 4 of 13 shooting night, nailing a 3-pointer before being driven to the floor and igniting a thunderous roar from the Iowa fans. The Hawkeye sensation nailed her attempt at the line, and Hannah Stuelke sandwiched a Geno Auriemma timeout with two perfect trips to the foul line, giving Iowa its first lead since the game's opening seconds at 47-45. 

Watch Clark's remarkable shot below:

4-point play 🔥 @caitlinclark22 x #Hawkeyes 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/RhGPYQEKHu — Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 6, 2024

💪 Paige takeover: Bueckers on fire to start second half

With Iowa clawing itself even after a stirring start to the second half, All-American Paige Bueckers rallied once more with a dominant stretch for the undermanned Huskies. The Minnesotan has scored seven points in the first five minutes out of the locker room and is torching Iowa at all levels, stepping into an audacious rhythm 3 before sealing her defender for an easy two. 

Bueckers' efforts have helped the Huskies reclaim a five-point edge at the third quarter media timeout.

👌 Big 3: Bueckers, Edwards and Arnold lead UConn to halftime lead

Devastated by five season-ending injuries, UConn's now six-woman rotation has leaned heavily on its stars to build a 32-26 halftime lead.

Familiar suspects Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards hooked up on a sweet transition bucket out of the first intermission, ultimately finishing the second quarter with nine combined points, but KK Arnold continued to be a crucial piece for Geno Auriemma's squad. The freshman had finished with more than 10 points just once in her last six outings but has already crossed double-figures by halftime, also dishing out three assists and grabbing a rebound. 

Paige Bueckers ➡️ Aaliyah Edwards pic.twitter.com/DhIPkR9UsG — UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 6, 2024

Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark's struggles continue, finishing the half just 3 of 11, and a short-armed missed produced a long rebound and allowed Bueckers to stem a late-half Hawkeye run and convert at the rim just before the horn. Here's a look at the complete box score from half 1. 

🕒 First quarter update: UConn leads after tough Clark quarter

With a packed crowd at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse primed to roar every time Caitlin Clark touches the ball, the Hawkeye megastar has instead struggled. The newly crowned AP Player of the Year has managed just two points in the first quarter on 1 of 5 shooting, along with a turnover. The opportunistic Huskies took full advantage, as pass-first point guard Nika Muhl drilled two of her own 3s, and the Huskies led by as much as eight. 

Hannah Stuelke offset Clark's struggles — at least in part — with a pair of tough finishes at the rim, and Iowa's Kylie Feuerbach drilled a 3 at the quarter's end, bringing the score to 19-14.

🔥 UConn scorches the net to take early lead

For all the fanfare Caitlin Clark and her transcendent shooting have generated in recent months, is the Huskies that can't miss in the early going. UConn has nailed 5 of 8 field goals to start, including both of its 3-point attempts, and leads 13-7 at the first media timeout. 

The Huskies' third-option KK Arnold is stepping into the spotlight in Cleveland, drilling a triple and converting a tough and-one, star guard Paige Bueckers hit a flawless mid-range pull-up and Nika Muhl knocked in a rare 3-ball of her own. 

🚨 Game two underway!

📺 how to watch iowa-uconn.

Today is the day. The 2024 Women's Final Four is here. In the second semifinal of the night, (1) Iowa and Caitlin Clark take on (3) UConn and Paige Beuckers for a chance to play in the national championship final.

Here's how to watch:

• Date : Today — Friday, April 5
• Time : 9:32 p.m. ET
• TV channel : ESPN
• Location : Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | Cleveland, Ohio
• 📈   Live stats

📊 Iowa vs. UConn: How they stack up

Here are how the stat lines of (1) Iowa and (3) UConn compare from the 2023-24 season: 

🟡 How they got here: Iowa

Inside a sold-out MVP Arena, Iowa escaped from the jaws of the LSU Tigers in a 2023 national championship rematch in the 2024 Elite Eight. Behind a 41-point, 12-assist performance by Caitlin Clark, the Hawkeyes built an 11-point advantage at the end of the third to eventually top the third-ranked Tigers, 94-87.

The 2024 Final Four is the Iowa's third appearance in program history and second consecutive for the Hawkeyes, as the 2024 Big Ten champs ride their 10-game win streak to Cleveland.

🔵 How they got here: UConn

The Huskies rounded out their regular season with a dominant 36-point win over Georgetown for their fourth consecutive Big East championship. They've since battled Jackson State, Syracuse, Duke and Southern California to reach the Final Four. In their first three tournament games, the Huskies held their opponents to scoring just 57.6 points on average. UConn faced its tallest task yet in Southern California, putting up an 11-point run in the fourth period to knock out Juju Watkins and the top-seeded Trojans.

Their matchup against Iowa will be their 23rd national semifinal, the most of any school.

📖 UConn vs. Iowa: Series history

The series history of these two powerhouses only dates back to two matchups in just the last four seasons — UConn leads the all-time series 2-0. The teams first met in the Sweet 16 of the 2021 March Madness women's tournament , during which UConn routed the Hawkeyes by 20 points (92-72) and made a Final Four run. This was also the freshman season of stars Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark — in their first collegiate matchup against each other, the Bueckers and Clark put up 18 and 21 respective points. 

The only other meeting between these two teams occurred a year and a half later in the championship game of the first Phil Knight Legacy women's tournament. UConn beat Iowa by a 86-79 margin, with Aaliyah Edwards notching a 20-point, six-assist performance for the Huskies.

Luzhniki Stadium

• Vorobyovy Gory • 9 min walk

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