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Explore some of the world’s greatest natural wonders behind the wheel of Defender. Majestic wildlife, rich culture and iconic landscapes await you.

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Explore a new world of adventure. Off-road in the latest Land Rover, while receiving expert coaching to navigate various terrain, obstacles and creating memories.

An Experience Like No Other. Enjoy the great outdoors while developing off-road skills to tackle the most extreme terrain. Drive the latest Land Rover models and enjoy expert coaching. Whether you've never driven off-road or are a seasoned pro, you'll quickly build confidence, refine your techniques, have fun along the way and create memories. Prices from $275 per vehicle with up to 3 people.

HERITAGE DRIVES

Drive and explore all the Land Rover families including the iconic Land Rover Defender 90, a modern Range Rover and Discovery vehicle on an off-road trail, and make some history of your own. Prices from $1,200 per vehicle with up to 3 people.

Our expert instructors deliver specialist training courses for drivers at any level including winching, vehicle recovery, and trailer handling. Bespoke courses are also available for professional drivers. Prices from $1,200 per vehicle with up to 3 people.

Unique from typical Experience Center experiences, these events encourage owners to bring and drive their own vehicle, and spend the day with other Land Rover owners. Guests start the day off with breakfast, followed by 4 hours of off-road driving including ascents, descents, rock crawls, water crossings, and more. The day ends with lunch and memories to last a lifetime. Prices from $450 per vehicle 2024 Days: March 10 th June 2 nd August 25 th November 3 rd

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Land Rover Experience offers unique group programs. Whether you’re celebrating business performance, developing better working relationships, team building, or enjoying an exclusive family and friends reunion, each program is individually designed to meet your group’s needs. For groups of 6 people or more. Prices from $200 per person.

Currently Unavailable Have a family fun day with Land Rover. Drive off road with all members of the family (must be 14 years of age or older to drive), learn new techniques, and create family memories. These experiences are perfect for family outings, birthdays, vacations, and/or to celebrate special occasions. Prices from $450 per vehicle

Currently Unavailable Be the cool parent and teen duo! Learn some of the fundamentals of off-Road driving, create memories, and have fun while spending quality time. No prior experience required. Prices from $275 per vehicle

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Best Travel Trailers to Safely Tow with a Land Rover Defender

You’ve got your trusty, rugged Land Rover Defender and are ready to hit the road and explore some fresh terrain. Surely, you have been thinking that staying overnight in a remote campground or other off-path location would be great! And since you’ve got the perfect adventure vehicle, we’re here to help you find the best tow-behind RV camper that can be safely pulled with your Land Rover Defender.

3 of the Best Travel Trailer options for towing with a Land Rover Defender

2020 Land Rover Defender Towing and Off-road Specs

• All Wheel Drive
• Towing capacity: 7716 – 8201 lbs
• 35 inches wading capacity
• Carrying capacity 370 lbs dynamic / 661 static
• Tow Assist: Available option

source: https://www.landroverusa.com/vehicles/defender/specifications.html

To safely stay within the towing limits of the Defender, we chose 3 travel trailers under 6,000 lbs dry weight. Remember, once you add all your items, fill the gas and propane tanks and add a hitch you will be pulling a lot more than the dry weight of the RV! We recommend always staying on the low side of towing capacity of your Defender to account for hilly conditions, wind, and other factors that could make towing unsafe or wreak havoc on your transmission.

• Apex Nano by Coachmen. These lightweight, small length travel trailers are built using Adzel onboard composite sidewall panel technology on aluminum frames, making them strong and lightweight. The Nano has several floor plans to choose from, including the popular 193BHS will full bathroom and bunk beds. Even the largest Nano weights in under 4,000 lbs, so your Defender should tow the Nano line with ease if loaded properly. Here are some new and used Apex Nanos for sale .

2. Forest River Flagstaff Micro-Lite Travel Trailer. This luxurious pull-behind RV has floorplans for every need – bunks, slide-outs, walk-around beds and more. Ranging from 21 ft. to 25 ft. in length, there are 10 different layouts to choose from – all under 5500 lbs. And check out that storage! Micro-Lites for sale

3. Aliner Titanium and Aliner Ranger. Fun fact: you can raise the roof in these easy to tow travel trailers! The Ranger line of Aliner hard-side popup is the perfect companion to the Land Rover Defender. Check out the rugged options on the Titanium models, such as 14″ off road tires and front diamond-plate protection. These fun towables are easy to maneuver, see around while driving, and easy to pop up. If you like to camp lightly and have more off-road options available to you, the Aliner Ranger and Titanium models might be just right. Here are some Aliner Rangers for sale and here are some Aliner Titaniums as well.

Whether you are headed to the campground or to a peaceful riverside getaway, there are some great overnight adventure RV camping options with your Land Rover Defender. Happy camping!

Note: this article is for entertainment purposes only, please tow at your own risk and be sure to do your due diligence prior to any RV and car purchase / tow.

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• [ April 7, 2024 ] SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center on 1st ‘Bandwagon’ mission Falcon 9
• [ April 6, 2024 ] SpaceX begins commercial Direct to Cell Starlink constellation with Falcon 9 flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base Mission Reports
• [ April 5, 2024 ] News from the Press Site: Eclipse preview, spacecraft testing and space junk hitting a Florida home News
• [ April 4, 2024 ] SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Falcon 9
• [ April 4, 2024 ] NASA unveils three teams to compete for crewed lunar rover demonstration mission News

NASA unveils three teams to compete for crewed lunar rover demonstration mission

NASA selected three companies to move forward with developing crewed, unpressurized rovers capable of operating on the Moon’s South Pole on Wednesday.

Intuitive Machine’s Moon RACER (Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover), Lunar Outpost’s Lunar Dawn and Venturi Astrolab’s FLEX (Flexible Logistics and Exploration) rovers were selected by NASA as part of its Lunar Terrain Vehicle Service (LTVS) contract. The maximum potential value of the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, milestone-based contract is $4.6 billion, according to NASA.

Those three principles are each leading multi-company teams in this competition:

• Moon RACER – Intuitive Machines, AVL, Boeing, Michelin and Northrop Grumman
• Lunar Dawn – Lunar Outpost, Lockheed Martin, General Motors, Goodyear and MDA Space
• FLEX – Venturi Astrolab, Axiom Space and Odyssey Space Research

“Science is our toolbox for learning and enhanced mobility is one of the most important tools in that science toolbox,” said Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s Chief Exploration Scientist, during the announcement at the Johnson Space Center on Wednesday.

“The diversity of Apollo samples increased when the Lunar Roving Vehicle enabled exploration of more surface area per-mission. That diversity of lunar knowledge is what we seek now,” he added.

Lara Kearney, the manager of the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program at JSC said the contractors are being tasked with designing roving vehicle capability that would span 10 years. She said while there are certain high-level requirements placed on the providers chosen, they also have quite a bit of flexibility.

“We have asked the companies to meet a 10-year operating life. We did not define how they needed to do that,” Kearney said. “They could, for instance, come in and say, ‘I’m going to deliver one rover. It’s going to last 10 years’ or ‘I’m going to deliver 10 rovers that last only one year.’”

Congratulations to @Int_Machines , @LunarOutpostInc , and @Astrolab_Space for being selected to move forward in developing the #Artemis lunar terrain vehicle! This Moon rover will allow future astronauts to travel far on the lunar surface: https://t.co/mzOd4Yz5XC pic.twitter.com/eB1QMq0PoO — NASA (@NASA) April 3, 2024

The three companies will each receive a task order for the so-called “feasibility phase” of the LTVS program. It will last about 12 months culminating in a preliminary design review. That year-long period will allow NASA to work with them to “understand what their designs look like, iterating with them on where we can make improvements and understanding how they incorporate into our overall plan or architecture.”

“Once we get past that point, we will have a follow-on subsequent competitive request for proposal go out. They will then compete for what we call a ‘demonstration task order,” Kearney said. “That demonstration allow them to finish the development, get the LTV to the Moon and demonstrate it on the surface prior to the arrival of the Artemis 5 crew.”

Kearney said they will likely only be able to award the demonstration task order to one company. It will be followed by service task orders on an annual cadence to provided both crewed and uncrewed services throughout the remaining duration of the contract.

She said while NASA will be the primary customer via the Artemis program, about 25 percent of the rover’s usage will come from commercial customers.

“I think what’s really important also is to applaud NASA for this non-traditional, forward-thinking procurement,” said Steve Altemus, the CEO of Intuitive Machines. “It really is exciting that not only are we going to support the Artemis campaign, with crewed and uncrewed missions, but also it’s commercially available for us as a commercial business to sell capacity on that rover and do that for international partners and for other commercial companies and space agencies around the world.”

Challenges to cruising the Moon

As is the case with any mission on the Moon, the proposition of bringing a rover that can drive with or without humans is a tall task. Beyond the three companies chosen, rovers like the ones developed by the Teledyne Brown-led team (which included Nissan North America, Sierra Space, Textron and Bridgestone Corporation) and a partnership between Lidos and NASACAR didn’t make the cut.

One of the challenges faced by the teams selected for this next phase is that their vehicles will need to be operable not only when an astronaut is at the controls in person, but also remotely from Earth, in between the crewed Artemis missions.

“One requirement from NASA is we can’t have more than 10-meter error on the lunar surface at any given time. This is without any infrastructure in place,” said Justin Cyrus, the CEO of Lunar Outpost. “We don’t have GPS satellites around the Moon, we don’t have communication infrastructure and we have to understand our environment and understand our vehicle dynamics to a point that we know exactly where we are.”

Another challenge will be in establishing a power collection and storage system that can not only provide enough service for the vehicle to operate for 10 years, but also one that can survive the harshness of lunar nighttime.

“There’s a number of the subsystems that we’ve put in as the initial design that will be traded over that 12-month period. That will give us a better understanding of things like survive the night, operate during the night, how effective solar arrays are versus fuel cells, what the drivetrain needs to look like, what the battery life extensions are, what the suspension needs to be,” Altemus said. “And tires in particular, we brought Michelin on board, who’s done extensive work on lunar tires with the Glenn Research Center. And so, that research has been going on for years.”

The three representatives of the winning companies didn’t go into great detail about their designs or specific numbers when it came to capability, citing the ongoing competition for the demonstration portion of the contract. Some of the NASA requirements, highlighted by Astrolab founder and CEO Jaret Matthews, include being able to travel at least 15 km/hr, traverse 20 km on a charge and support an eight-hour spacewalk mission.

Astrolab said in a statement that its contract is worth up to $1.9 billion and Intuitive Machines (Nasdaq: LUNR, LUNRW) said it received $30 million as a prime contractor. Lunar Outpost didn’t disclose the value of its contract in its press release.

Matthews said his company built “a full-scale, fully-functional terrestrial prototype over two years ago and have been doing thousands of hours of testing in the field with it.”

“We frequently take it out to the Death Valley area of California and that has allowed us to stress the hardware and actually try out our tire prototypes in the real world environment as well as in our environmental chambers that we have at our company,” Matthews said. “Our tire technology has already been in thermal vacuum chambers. It’s currently on an endurance test rig at NASA Glenn.”

More rovers to come

While these three companies and their industry partners are working on these rovers, those aren’t the only ones being developed for use during the Artemis program.

Kearney said the LTV will be unpressurized vehicles, but they are also working to add pressurized rovers as an additional capability, such as the Lunar Cruiser developed by Toyota.

“The idea is that they work together as a part of a lunar system to support the crew,” Kearney said. “Where the LTV is unpressurized, it will likely be more limited in its range. A pressurized rover, when it comes along with the life support, we’ll be able to extend the cruise range even farther away from a lander.”

She teased that an announcement concerning the pressurized vehicles is coming “about a week from now.”

• Intuitive Machines
• Lunar Outpost
• Lunar Terrain Vehicle Service
• Venturi Astrolab

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f them lets see ferrari or lambo make a rover then were talking!

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The Golden Rules of Retirement Travel

By Stacey Lastoe

This is part of a collection of stories celebrating the many shapes retirement travel can take. Read more here.

Bonni and Bob Gumport travel regularly in their retirement. Not beholden to one short vacation a year (they average seven big ones), their compounding experience has allowed them to develop a code of rules by which they abide— tips and tricks to use wherever they go. After one too many of the small rooms common in boutique hotels, for example, they’ve cut them out entirely. Also out of the question are walking tours within two days of arrival in a new destination, as they prefer to settle in. Their daughter Lauren describes them as “pros on retiree travel,” but they are not the only ones with advice to give.

There are former museum curators who have learned not to overbook themselves; solo travelers who always learn a little of the local language. Adherence to anyone’s rules will never ensure a vacation free of hiccups, where no flight is ever delayed , every tour is worth the hours put in, and every meal sublime . But learning from others may improve your chances of a good time—even when things inevitably go sideways. We’ve spoken to over 20 retired travelers to hear how their Golden Years have informed the way that they travel. Below, find some of their savviest secrets for better trips.

1. Take a ride on the hop-on, hop-off bus tour

If she’s traveling in a city that offers one of those double-decker hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tours, Denver -based Heidi Burtoni, 65, who goes on multiple trips per year, is definitely stepping aboard. Burtoni says it’s a great way to figure out the rest of her itinerary, get tips from other travelers and the tour guide, and get a feel for the new city. “It’s the first thing I do to get the lay of the land,” says Burtoni. Her previous career in sales means the frequent solo traveler will “talk to anybody,” so these tours also open the door for socializing and making connections.

Know what to skip—“whether that means avoiding tourist traps, the most sweltering hours at fairs, or not putting yourself in danger by flagging a taxi when it's unsafe," says Lynn Zelevansky.

2. Figure out what to avoid

For Paul and Lynn Zelevansky (77 and 76, respectively), travel is less about hitting all the top spots and more about learning where not to go, “whether that means avoiding tourist traps, the most sweltering hours at fairs, or not putting yourself in danger by flagging a taxi when it’s unsafe.” They visit the Venice Biennale in fall, now, rather than at the opening, to avoid the worst of the crushes—it also helps them more effectively skirt the city's infamous pickpockets (Lynn's wallet was stolen on a crowded vaporetto ferry in 2022).

3. BYOTP (Bring Your Own Toilet Paper)

“Toilet paper in Europe is very scratchy … not good for sensitive parts,” says Florida native Karen Butera, an avid pickleball player who often travels with the sport in mind. Whenever overseas, she always travels with her own toilet paper. Butera, 66, is taking her granddaughter to see Taylor Swift in Paris this summer, and, yes, she will be packing TP—creature comforts are even more crucial on the road than they are at home.

4. Don’t overschedule

Packed-to-the-brim itineraries used to be J. Patrice Marandel’s MO, but these days, the former chief curator at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is more keen on scheduling “plenty of time for the unexpected.” Gone are the nonstop days with planned breakfasts, lunches, and dinners; instead, Marandel, 79, leaves room for the possibility of something unexpected and “exciting.” It often pays off.

5. Pack light

Buffalo, New York-based Lisa LaLonde, 74, and her travel companion Antoinette Judelsohn, 70, whom she’s been traveling with for over a decade, are pros at packing light . The pals can manage for a month on very little, relying on the versatility of black leggings and black tops, says LaLonde. The trick? Develop a travel uniform, bring just a few versions, and wash undergarments as necessary, says Judelsohn. Big suitcases stuffed to the brim with a ton of different outfits are more of a hassle than a luxury. “They’re a pain in the neck if you’re getting on a train or off a train … or moving from one city to another,” says LaLonde.

“Anybody and their brother with an RV travels on Sunday,” warns Jenelle Jones.

6. Don't get (too) excited

Judelsohn, a former teacher who met LaLonde when they worked together at the same school in Buffalo, has another travel rule that’s served her well: Letting go of expectations. “I never get excited about a trip,” says Judelsohn. Instead, the savvy traveler lets the excitement emerge based on what's in front of her in the moment.

7. Avoid traveling on Sundays

RVer Jenelle Jones, 64, is against traveling on Sundays. As she puts it, “anybody and their brother with an RV travels on Sunday.” Long weekend RVers who have to get back for work on Monday use Sundays to head home, so retired Jones, 64, simply avoids the day altogether. It's also, according to her, the “biggest day to get in an RV wreck”— yet another reason to sit back and relax. You have nowhere you need to be, after all. Take advantage.

8. Learn a few words of the local language

Charlotte Simpson , whose blog Traveling Black Widow documents her travels (100 countries and counting so far), says her number one travel rule is to learn a few key phrases—hello, goodbye, please, thank you—in the dominant language of the places she visits. Simpson says her efforts are always well received. “I just find, inevitably, it sort of stuns people when I even just say good morning.” Simpson, who prefers not to reveal her age, says she gets a lot out of bridging the language gap with just a few words: “It just makes people so friendly and so happy that you took this moment to learn [their language].”

9. Travel slower

When you cram too much into a single trip, “the whole experience just kind of becomes a blur,” say Gillian Batt, 43, and Stephanie Myers, 51, whose blog Our Freedom Years documents their early retirement and subsequent travels. The couple, who hail from Ontario, Canada, say staying in one place for an extended period of time helps them avoid travel burnout, keep costs low, and enjoy the whole experience more. All that rushing around on limited PTO? Well behind them.

For RVers like Norm, keeping things flexible is key.

10. Go your own way

The pandemic crystallized things for Kim Kelly Stamp , 65, and her wife Liz Schick, 62, who left it all behind and decided to travel around the country in a red 21-foot teardrop trailer. They’ve since gotten really good at going with the flow. “We know where we’re going to stay along the way, but we hold that really loosely and give ourselves the opportunity to make something else happen,” explains Stamp. This approach led them to Laurel, Mississippi, where the HGTV show Hometown —of which Stamp and Schick are big fans of, is based. Instead of following a regimented schedule, they followed their passion when the road forked, literally.

11. Keep an open heart and mind

In spite of being seasoned travelers, John and Bev Martin, 60, who started the RetirementTravelers site to share their journey with others, admit they still need to remind themselves that they can’t control everything. “We have to be patient and receptive to the lessons the world is trying to teach,” says the couple. One that keeps coming up? “Retirement is not the time to stop dreaming about new and different routes in life.”

12. Do your research

The Gumports appreciate getting a taste of the local culture wherever they are traveling, and they’re not opposed to tours or experiences that deliver on this front. But Bonni has a few words of advice: “If you’re looking at purchasing something that uses words such as ‘bespoke, artisanal, farm-to-table’ and more fluffy adjectives, make sure these experiences are as authentic as they sound.” Read reviews thoroughly and take the time to research before you buy, advises Bonni. It's fun to be spontaneous, but it's easy to be misled by clever marketing and buzzwords.

13. It’s a marathon—not a sprint

It wasn’t long before Brenda Huyhn adopted—and adapted— a popular van-lifer rule: Don’t travel more than 3 hours, get in by 3 p.m., and stay at least 3 nights. Huyhn, who at 47 retired earlier than many, is adamant about not trying to do too much in one day to avoid burnout. She and her husband take their time, prioritizing “quality over quantity” with their stops and stays. It makes the entire experience all the richer.

14. You can always head home

Diana Petterson is on track to hit the 100-country mark just in time for her 70th birthday in 2026. But as much as the Black solo traveler loves seeing the world, she’s not afraid to ditch a trip if something isn’t working out. “Wherever I am in the world, if for whatever reason I am uncomfortable, or I don't feel well … I’m going to plop down that credit card , and get home.”

15. Start the day early to avoid the crowds

Artist Simma Liebman, 76, enjoys going to museums while visiting new cities and places. But since the retiree is immunocompromised, she plans these outings a little differently. Now Liebman hits the museums “as early in the day as possible” and masks up while taking in the art "unless there are very few people inside.” Whatever your motivation, rising early is something you can be sure the hordes of 20-something backpackers won't be doing. Beat them to all the best spots.

“I like a very good hotel, but not necessarily the best,” says Betty. Focus on getting the right location.

16. Base yourself strategically

Betty, 80, an art collector who declined to share her last name, has found that mid-sized hotels (meaning about 200 rooms) in central locations, with just enough of the services she wants and needs, do the job. “I like a very good hotel, but not necessarily the best,” says Betty. As long as you have the basics covered, it's really about location, location, location.

17. Don’t wait for tomorrow

Instead of putting off travel for a later date, Chicago -based Ruthie Maldonado-Delwiche advises those interested in exploring the world to get out there and “do it now.” Because “tomorrow isn’t promised,” Maldonado-Delwiche, who’s been traveling since she retired in 2017, says. Don't wait if there’s something you want to do or a place you want to visit.

Former psychiatrist Ann Heaslett, 60, who aims to run the six major world marathons in her retirement, feels exactly the same way. “There’s no time like the present.”

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• SUB SAHARAN AFRICA
• NAMIBIA SAFARI
• SKELETON COAST SELF-DRIVE
• BOTSWANA SAFARI

DEFENDER JOURNEYS: SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA FAQS

Defender Journeys: Sub-Saharan Africa is operated by Agentur für Promotion und Service GmbH (APS)/Land Rover Experience Germany, who are licensed and authorised by Jaguar Land Rover.

You’re behind the wheel, but there will be a qualified instructor on hand to provide guidance and support.

The instructors and hosts will communicate with guests in English.

Driving activities, accommodation, breakfast, lunch & dinner, drinks with meals and airport transfers to/from Windhoek Airport for Namibia journeys, and transfer to/from Maun International Airport and Victoria Falls International Airport for Botswana journeys. There will be one fixed transfer arrangement for each group.

Flights, visa fees (if required), vaccinations, travel insurance, tips, all personal expenses (e.g. minibar in the hotel, spa treatments etc.), and any pre or post-trip arrangements that deviate from the itinerary.

We recommend comprehensive travel insurance.

Each journey is designed for drivers of all abilities. You will be accompanied by a qualified instructor who will provide expert guidance and support.

Guests will drive the latest Defender. All vehicles are equipped with automatic transmission.

Guests will generally travel in convoy using radio communication between vehicles.

All driving guests must be at least 19 years old and have held a full valid driving licence for at least one year. An International Driving Permit is required.

To participate in Defender Journeys, you should ensure that you do not know of any circumstances or conditions which would impair your ability to drive or disqualify you from driving, such as eyesight which doesn’t meet the standards for driving, pregnancy, or heart problems.

Prices are based on two people sharing a vehicle. On request, a third and fourth guest can be booked into the vehicle.

For safety reasons, solo travellers will be paired with another guest. If there is an odd number of guests, one of our instructors will accompany you in the vehicle.

It is not possible to participate with your own vehicle.

Your travel concierge will inform you in advance about the provisions of passports, visas, and health regulations. If you need an invitation to get your visa, please inform the concierge team, who’ll provide this to you. 

Information on recommended or prescribed vaccinations for the respective destinations can be found here .

Defender Journeys are generally suitable for children over 11 years, but please contact the concierge team for further details and to discuss your individual requirements.

We will gladly facilitate private journeys for group bookings of 10 guests or more. The programme can be tailored and adapted to meet the needs of the group.

Your travel concierge will gladly assist you with booking your flights and travel insurance. They will also inform you about any possible changes prior to departure.

To maintain an intimate and exclusive experience, the maximum group size for Defender Journeys are as follows:

-        10 guests maximum (two per vehicle) for Botswana Safari and 8 guests for Namibia Safari, with a minimum group size of 6 guests per journey.

-        8 guests maximum (two per vehicle) for Skeleton Coast, with a minimum group size of 8 guests.

Your travel concierge will be happy to assist with holiday planning and booking extensions before or after your trip. 

There are no specific luggage recommendations – Defender can handle various combinations of suitcases and travel bags.

The local currency is Namibian Dollar (NAD).

The local currency is the Botswana Pula (BWP).

Evening dress code is casual.

We endeavour to finalise all journeys and travel documentation 31 days prior to departure. Journeys are subject to change based on local conditions, accommodation, availability, and minimum guest numbers. Your travel concierge will be in contact should a withdrawal be necessary. Please refer to our terms and conditions for more information.

The itineraries and accommodation displayed may be amended and replaced with similar alternatives based on availability.

Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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