little journey size 2 diapers

Aldi Diaper Review: Are Little Journey Diapers Any Good?

Aldi diaper review : are little journey diapers any good.

Parents are looking for information on more store-brand diapers, so I’ve put together this Aldi diaper review to answer your questions! 

Low-cost grocery store Aldi launched its Little Journey line of baby products in the summer of 2016. Although it’s been around for some time, parents like you want to know about the quality of Little Journey diapers, and for good reason. Diapers, along with formula, are expensive! Your baby will use thousands of diapers before potty training,  so every penny makes a difference! 

Aldi diaper review summary

Overall, Aldi diapers are good for store brand diapers. They absorb well, fit well, and have wetness indicators. That is to say, they will work just fine for most children.

However, if your child is prone to diaper rash, diaper blowouts, or diaper leaks, I recommend investigating a name-brand or specialized diaper for your child’s needs

Related post:  How to prevent diaper blowouts, including the best diaper brands to stop leaks and blowouts .

Little Journey diapers are less soft than name brand diapers like Huggies and Pampers. But the softness is similar to the softness of other store brand

Wetness Indicator  

Aldi diapers do have a wetness indicator that’s visible on the front and back. Like many other diaper brands, it starts out yellow and turns blue when it gets wet. This feature is helpful for infants who need frequent diaper changes.

Waistband 

Like most store-brand diapers, Little Journey diapers do not have an elastic waistband. This is usually fine for most babies, but if your baby has diaper blowouts, try a brand like Huggies or Costco to keep the mess contained!

Related post: Compare Huggies and Costco’s diapers in my post here !

Leg cuffs help keep the diaper snug against your baby’s thighs and prevent leaks. The leg cuffs on Aldi diapers are pretty sturdy. My daughter did not have any leaks out the legs even when wearing them overnight! 

Related post: In-depth review of Luvs Diapers

Aldi diaper review- Fit

Aldi diapers are very bulky! They are even longer than Huggies, which are sort of baggy to begin with! The Aldi diapers will hang down more between your child’s legs. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but is one of the downsides to a store brand diaper.

Check out this separate in-depth review of Target’s Up and Up Diapers !

Size up indicators  

Little Journey diapers do not have size up indicators like other brands such as Target’s Up & Up, Pampers, and Huggies.

Size up indicators are a useful feature that let parents know when their baby is ready to move up a size. However, you can tell when to change diaper sizes without the indicators. Check if the diaper leaves red marks on your baby’s stomach, back, or legs. This means the diaper is too tight, and it’s time to change sizes. Or, if your baby’s diaper tends to leak, it may mean the diaper is too small and time to go up a size!

Related post: Walmart’s Parents’ Choice Diaper Review

Diaper Tabs

Like some other store brand diapers, Aldi diaper tabs leave a lot to be desired. The only sticky-velcro part is the area between my two fingers, which is about a quarter of an inch wide!

That being said, I did not have any issues with my daughter pulling off the diaper, or the diaper falling off.

You may also want to read our in-depth review of Member’s Mark Diapers .

Aldi Diaper Review- Absorbance 

Time for the fun science test! I mixed some green food coloring with water, and poured it into the diaper 1/4 cup (60 ml) at a time to see how much it would absorb!

After about four cups of water, the diaper stopped absorbing water quickly. It would puddle up on top of the diaper or in between the leg cuff and the diaper pad, and then soak up after a few seconds.

After 5 cups of water, the Little Journey diaper was full!

But what does that mean?

Aldi diapers are not particularly absorbent compared to other brands. I’ve tested a number of brands, like Target’s Up & Up diapers, and they hold much more water- 7 cups for a size 5! That’s 29% more.

That being said, does it really matter? Will your kid ever pee 5 cups worth before you change their diaper? Probably not. But if your kid pees a lot at night, you may want to use Aldi diapers during the day and another, more absorbent brand, at night.

You may want to read: Facts About Disposable Diapers

Are Aldi diapers good?

Aldi diapers are as good as other store brand diapers, like Target and Walmart. They do not have all the features of Pampers or Huggies . But they work for many babies, and are cheaper than name brands.

Who makes Little Journey diapers?

The company First Quality LLC makes Little Journey diapers. First Quality manufacturers many store brands and private label items . You may have heard of some of them, like Cuties brand diapers, Plenty paper towels, Panda toilet paper, and Fetchers doggie pads.

You may want to check out our review of Walmart’s Parent’s Diapers !

What sizes are Aldi Little Journey diapers available in?

Aldi’s Little Journey diapers are available in size newborn (N) through size 6, for children over 35 pounds

• Newborn — Up to 10 pounds
• Size 1 — 8-14 pounds
• Size 2 — 12-18 pounds
• Size 3 — 16-28 pounds
• Size 4 — 22-37 pounds
• Size 5 — 27+ pounds
• Size 6 — 35+ pounds

Related post: Check out our Healthybaby Diaper Review !

Conclusions: Aldi diaper review 

Aldi’s Little Journey diapers will work well for most babies. Similar to most store brand diapers, Aldi’s diapers are low cost but lack premium features like an elastic waistband, size up indicators, and extra absorbency.

If you are still on the fence after reading my Aldi diaper review, I recommend buying a small package of Aldi diapers, which are typically around $8-10. Use them during the day and see how they work for your child.

We have a comprehensive review on Amazon’s Mama Bear diapers that you might also find helpful!

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7 Best Diapers for Babies, According to Product Experts and Parents

Not all disposable diapers are created equal.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

By the time your baby is potty trained, you will go through thousands of diapers (and mountains of baby wipes), so it's essential to choose quality, absorbent diapers that are worth the money. Because your baby is spending most of their time in diapers, make sure they're comfortable, lightweight and unrestrictive. With new diaper brands popping up all the time and tons of options already on the market, it can be difficult to decide which ones are best for you and your baby.

Our top picks:

Best Overall Diapers

Huggies snug & dry baby diapers.

Best Value Diapers

Aldi little journey small strides.

Best Diapers for Newborns

Pampers swaddlers diapers.

Most Popular Diapers

Hello bello premium baby diapers.

Softest Diapers

Millie moon luxury diapers.

Best Sustainable Diapers

Freestyle hyper absorbent diapers.

Best Diapers for Sensitive Skin

The honest company clean conscious diapers.

Along with testing in the Lab, we have a panel of consumer testers rate each diaper for softness in a blind comparison, and as part of Good Housekeeping's Best Parenting Awards , we send samples to real parents who are able to try the diapers with their babies and report back with valuable insight. In recent years, we've tested more than 25 different diapers from popular brands and have collected thousands of data points for analysis.

Keep reading to learn more about how we test diapers and for a helpful shopping guide, but first, here are our top-tested diaper picks.

Huggies Snug & Dry Baby Diapers

With the highest overall score in our tests, Huggies Snug & Dry diapers stood out for their superior absorbency and top-notch construction . When we assessed absorbency, the diapers quickly soaked up fluids from different angles (babies don’t pee in just one position!) The liquid stayed inside the diaper's core and the diaper didn't feel damp at the surface, which results in a more comfortable feel for your baby. Despite being some of the most absorbent diapers we tried, they were some of the lightest in our tests, so they aren't bulky and won't hold your baby back.

None of our test liquid leaked out of the diapers, and thanks to thoughtful details like a fitted elastic waistband and double elastic leg openings, our consumer testers agreed that these diapers were great at containing messes and preventing blowouts.

The diapers are covered in a Mickey Mouse print, which one tester noted was visible under lighter clothing, but other testers weren't concerned about the design. Huggies also offers other styles like its Overnites diapers for sleeping, Little Snugglers for infants and Little Swimmers for a trip to the pool, and they've all been top performers in our evaluations. Plus, Huggies' diapers are less expensive than others we've tested, proving you don't have to spend a fortune to get a high-quality diaper.

Not only were these Little Journey diapers from Aldi the most affordable in our tests, coming in at less than half the cost of other popular styles, but they were also among our top performers. We were blown away by how quickly they soaked up fluids in our absorbency tests and were impressed by how dry the liner felt after being wetted repeatedly.

In a blind comparison test, these diapers earned high scores for softness, and one tester highlighted that her baby seemed comfortable when wearing them. When we evaluated the construction, we appreciated the lightweight design and elements like a wetness indicator so you know when it's time to change your baby. Double elastic leg openings also help to contain messes. Our testers said the diapers fit their babies snuggly around the waist and legs and shared that they experienced no leaks or blowout accidents.

These diapers are only available at Aldi and come in sizes 3 to 6, so they're more limited than other styles we evaluated, but you can opt for the brand's Tiny Bundles version to fit smaller sizes. In addition to its diapers, Aldi also carries high-quality Little Journey baby wipes at an incredible value.

Used by many hospitals for newborn babies, loved by GH analysts and favored by testers, these diapers are one of the most popular options on the market, and for good reason. In our Textiles Lab evaluations, the diapers were lighter than any other style we tested, and they received high scores for construction. We appreciated the helpful design elements like elastic stretch all the way around the waistband, front and back wetness indication and double elastic leg openings.

Ideal for newborns who are spending most of their time snuggling and sleeping, the diapers aced our pooling, strike-through and rewet absorbency tests , meaning the absorbent core is able to soak up tons of liquid in the same spot without leaking or feeling wet. Plus, there's an extra barrier at the back of the diaper to prevent blowouts. When we applied liquid at a 45-degree angle, we noted some runoff, which means a baby who is up and on the move could experience more leakage.

While most diapers start at newborn sizing, Swaddlers start at size 0 for premature babies and extend through size 7. It's important to note that the diapers have a powdery fragrance that some testers found strong, while other testers and analysts weren't bothered by the scent.

Co-founded by Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard in 2019, Hello Bello is a diaper brand with celebrity-like status. The diapers live up to the hype and were one of the top-rated diapers during recent evaluations. Our testers appreciate that the diapers are fragrance-free with no harsh smells, and they especially love all of the colorful and fun print and pattern options. To access the majority of the prints including seasonal styles, you'll need to create a bundle of diapers and wipes on the brand's site, which means you're purchasing more at one time, but for a better value.

During our Textiles Lab tests, these diapers earned some of the highest scores for absorbency. When we poured fluid onto the diapers, they were able to quickly soak up and hold onto the fluid at the core, so the diapers still felt dry and comfortable on the surface. They especially stood out in our 45-degree angle tests with barely any liquid runoff, which is an indicator that the diapers won't leak when babies are on the move.

Because the diapers are covered in an all-over print and don't feature a brand name or label, some testers found it difficult to differentiate between the front and back during diaper changes. There's also no wetness indicator, so it's not as clear when the diapers are full and ready to be changed.

Millie Moon describes its Luxury Diapers as "feather soft," and our testers and GH experts agree. In a blind comparison, testers unanimously gave the diapers perfect scores for softness, earning these diapers the highest softness rating in our test . They shared comments like, "Woah! They're so soft and plush!" and, "They're the best combination of soft and smooth."

In our absorbency tests in the Textiles Lab, we were impressed by how much fluid these diapers were able to absorb and how quickly the fluid soaked into the diaper. Even after being filled with fluid and pressed by a weight, the surface of the diapers still felt dry. We also appreciated the front and back wetness indicator, fitted waistband and leak guards at the leg openings.

Because the diapers are so soft and padded, they were some of the heaviest diapers in our recent round of testing and have a bulkier look. Our testers appreciated the fuller coverage design, though, and found the diapers protected well against leaks and blowouts.

Made from bamboo pulp (not viscose) instead of the standard tree pulp, these diapers from Freestyle are the perfect pick for eco-conscious shoppers looking for a more sustainable option that isn't a reusable cloth style. The bamboo diapers performed just as well as other disposables in our Textiles Lab tests, earning high scores for construction, softness and absorbency and receiving rave reviews from our parent testers.

When we poured liquid onto the diapers from different angles to measure absorbency, the diapers were able to absorb the fluid quicker than others we tested, and they held onto the moisture without leaking or feeling wet. Our testers happily reported that they didn't experience leaks or blowouts, either. The diapers feature double elastic leg openings and elastic all the way around the waistband for a secure fit that testers loved. Plus, there's a wetness indicator on the front and back of the diapers so you know when your baby is ready to be changed. One caveat: the all-over print made it difficult for some testers to distinguish between the front and back of the diapers, which they found frustrating during diaper changes.

Know that if you order from Freestyle's website, you will have to create a bundle of six packs of diapers and four packs of wipes, which will be delivered to you monthly in a subscription model for $100, but you're always free to delay or cancel your subscription. If you prefer to shop for individual packs, Freestyle diapers are available at select grocers , including Whole Foods.

If you're looking to give your baby the best comfort and protection without any of the added stuff like fragrances or parabens, consider diapers from The Honest Company. Thousands of online reviewers say their babies wear these diapers with no adverse skin reactions. Our testers agreed, highlighting that the diapers were gentle on their babies' delicate skin without irritation.

In a blind comparison test for softness, these diapers beat out dozens of other diapers from popular brands, and they performed well in Textiles Lab evaluations. When we poured liquid on the diapers at a 45-degree angle, the diapers soaked it up quickly without major runoff, and the absorbent core held onto the liquid even after we applied weight to the surface. The only downside was the absorption rate was a bit slower and caused the liquid to pool when we poured it onto the diaper in a cupped position.

Each box comes with diapers in two adorable prints including baby animals, sweet fruits, pretty florals and simple geometrics. Our testers love the variety of options and appreciate features like the wetness indicator and the front and back barriers to stop blowouts.

How we test diapers

At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we test baby care products of all kinds, including the best baby detergents , baby clothes and baby wipes and diapers. When we evaluate diapers, we review them in the Textiles Lab and share them with parents who can try the diapers out with their own children and provide real-user feedback. In recent years, we've tested more than 25 different styles and have collected thousands of data points for review. Here are some of the characteristics we consider when testing diapers:

✔️ Construction: We visually assess each diaper, scoring its design features like elastic waistbands, front and back wetness indication, double elastic leg openings and extra absorbency layers. We also weigh the diapers and measure the length of the absorbent cores.

✔️ Absorption: Because babies spend so much time in diapers, either lying down or crawling around, it's important that the diapers are able to absorb liquid quickly from different angles and hold onto the liquid without feeling wet. We conduct multiple absorbency tests on each diaper to ensure it will keep your baby dry and comfortable:

• Pooling: During pooling tests, we clamp diapers in a cupped position in a steel bowl and place the bowl under a funnel that's positioned above the diaper. We fill the funnel with a set amount of liquid and then release the liquid onto the diaper, recording the amount of time it takes for the liquid to fully absorb into the diaper. We then repeat this process on the wet diaper and score our results.

• Strikethrough and rewet: We lay the diapers flat and tape them onto a countertop. Then we place a pouring ring on the diaper, pour a set amount of liquid into it and record the time it takes for the liquid to be fully absorbed. After waiting 10 minutes, we place blotting paper on the wet diaper and lower a 10-pound weight onto it, leaving it to sit for two minutes. We then lift the weight and weigh the blotting paper to determine how much liquid it has absorbed. We repeat the process on the wet diapers and calculate a score for the diapers based on their absorbency time and their ability to hold onto the liquid when subject to pressure.

• 45-degree angle runoff: The diapers are mounted at the side of a sink at a 45-degree angle. We release a set amount of liquid onto the angled diaper, and any liquid that doesn't soak into the diaper's absorbent core runs off and is collected in a metal tray. We weigh the runoff, let the wet diaper sit for five minutes and then repeat the test. We score each diaper based on the amount of runoff liquid left behind.

✔️ Softness: We stretch the diapers out on a countertop and tape them securely into place with the inside facing up and all labels or visible branding covered. We then invite GH analysts and testers to touch each diaper and rate it for softness in a blind comparison.

✔️ Consumer testing: We share the diapers with parents who try the diapers at home on their own babies of different ages and sizes. Our consumer testers rate characteristics like how well the diapers fit their children, how easy they are to put on and take off, how well the diapers protect against leaks and how soft the diapers feel. Testers also share if they would recommend the diapers to other parents and explain what they specifically like and dislike about the diapers.

What to look for when shopping for diapers

When you're looking for a new pack of diapers to buy, here are some things to keep in mind:

✔️ Size: Diapers typically come in sizes 1 to 6, with some brands offering newborn or premature options (size 0) and others offering a larger size 7. It's important that you choose the right size diaper for your baby to prevent unnecessary irritation or leaks.

Diaper sizes are determined based on baby weight, not age, so while your baby is 6 months old and wearing a size three, another 6-month-old baby could be wearing a size four. Most diaper brands follow the same weight classes when distinguishing their sizes, but we recommend following each brand's size guide before buying to ensure that you're getting the best fit for your baby.

✔️ Special features: During our evaluations, we've found that diapers with special features can be helpful for containing messes and can even ease the changing process. Look for diapers with elastic on the front and back of the waistband, as well as double elastic leg openings for a secure fit to minimize leaks. Extra panels or "pockets" inside the diaper near the waistband can contain messes or blowouts, as well. We also appreciate wetness indicators on the front and back of the diapers which turn color when your baby's diaper is wet. Some diapers have stickers on the back that you can use once the diaper is soiled to securely seal it closed, prevent messes and minimize unwanted odors.

✔️ Materials: Most disposable diapers are made of wood pulp from trees and polymers that work together to keep your baby comfortable and dry. If you prefer something more sustainable, look for diapers made of bamboo pulp (not viscose) instead of wood pulp. For babies with sensitivities, check to see if your diapers are latex-free and fragrance-free.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Amanda Constantine is a home and apparel reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab and has tested and covered a variety of baby and children's products, including clothing, kids' luggage and crib mattress protectors. She recently tested more than 15 different styles of diapers in the Lab and coordinated consumer testing to gather feedback from real parents.

Lexie Sachs is the executive director of strategy and operations at the Good Housekeeping Institute and has a fiber science background. She has extensively evaluated a variety of children's products for the Textiles Lab, including diaper bags , swaddle blankets and kids' clothing. She is also a mom and has tested diapers from many of these brands herself and with her own children.

Lexie Sachs (she/her) is the executive director of strategy and operations at the Good Housekeeping Institute and a lead reviewer of products in the bedding, travel, lifestyle, home furnishings and apparel spaces. She has over 15 years of experience in the consumer products industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University. Lexie serves as an expert source both within Good Housekeeping and other media outlets, regularly appearing on national broadcast TV segments. Prior to joining GH in 2013, Lexie worked in merchandising and product development in the fashion and home industries.

Amanda (she/her) researches and reports on products in the Good Housekeeping Institute 's Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab, ranging from clothing and accessories to home furnishings. She holds undergraduate degrees in apparel merchandising and product development and advertising and marketing communications, as well as a master of science degree in consumer sciences from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2022, Amanda was a lecturer for the fashion and retail studies program at Ohio State, where she taught fashion and textiles courses.

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Little Journey Disposable Baby Diapers and 2 Packs Wipes | Size 2 (12-18 lbs) | Starter Kit or Shower Gift Set Bundle, Responsibly Sourced (Fragrance-Free Diapers, Aloe and Chamomile Wipes)

Similar item to consider.

Product Description

Little Journey Disposable Baby Diapers and 2 Packs Wipes Size 2 12 18 lbs Starter Kit or Shower Gift Set Bundle Responsibly Sourced Fragrance Free Diapers Aloe and Chamomile Wipes Little Journey Pañales desechables para bebé y 2 paquetes de toallitas Tamaño 2 12 18 libras Kit de inicio o paquete de regalo de ducha de origen responsable pañales sin fragancia toallitas de aloe y manzanilla Little Journey 일회용 아기 기저귀 및 물티슈 2팩 사이즈 2 5 4 8 2kg 12 18파운드 스타터 키트 또는 샤워 선물 세트 번들 책임감 있는 공급 무향 기저귀 알로에 및 카모마일 물티슈

Product details

• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10 x 7 x 6 inches; 3.5 Pounds
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ October 3, 2023
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Little Journey
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CK8M8KXK

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Little Journey Small Strides Baby Diapers (Aldi)

• Post published: April 20, 2019
• Post category: 8.5 / aldi / baby/toddler / little journey / permanent inventory
• Post comments: 0 Comments

As pretty much everyone in the world knows, diapers are expensive. Even if you don’t have children, your parenting friends have probably casually mentioned this to you at least a thousand times over the course of conversations that have nothing to do with babies or finances. Unfortunately, they are also completely necessary. As tempting as it might be to tape a plastic bag to your child just to save a few bucks sometimes, that’s obviously not a logical (or hygienic) approach. (Can you imagine the looks on the faces of stunned parents as you whipped out a tape gun and plastic bag in the changing station of your local mall? Come to think of it, that could be a funny public skit idea…)

Of course, there are alternatives—the main one being cloth diapers—but those require higher upfront costs and ongoing maintenance (constant washing), not to mention the learning curve of figuring out which of the half-dozen different kinds of cloth diapers will work best for you. There’s a big reason disposables are the most popular kind of diaper on the market, and it’s the same reason most things become popular: convenience. People are lazy, and no one wants to deal with extra loads of laundry every couple of days. At least, I know I don’t.

It shouldn’t come as much of a shock that Aldi’s Little Journey line, which showed up in stores literally two months before we had our little guy back in 2016 (I swear they plan their product lines around us half the time!) offer some of the most “inexpensive” diapers on the market, even besting the prices of those in some membership clubs. But as we also know, price is only half of the equation: a good price just isn’t a good deal if a product sucks. So how well do Little Journey diapers perform? Let’s take a look!

Just to reinforce parenting stereotypes, I’m pretty laid back when it comes to most aspects of parenting. My wife, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of me: This is the woman who refused to take our son ice skating at two years old because she was afraid he would fall too many times and hurt himself (actually, when you’re a kid, falling and sliding on the ice is the best part anyway, and I swear kids don’t feel pain when they’re having fun). She’s also the reason why I had to literally wait until she left the house to change his diaper for the first time when he was three months old, because she was afraid I would do it wrong. (Aww, her heart’s in the right place.) Needless to say, she’s also the type that has to make sure all of his clothes are carefully coordinated to match, down to the socks, any time we go out in public.

For these reasons, I just give her free rein to decide every aspect of the products she uses on our child, from wipes, to lotions, to shampoos and soaps—and of course, diapers are included in that bunch. Thanks to a baby shower, we had quite the stash of various name brand diapers to test out, and after going through those, she bought even more brands to try, attempting to find the perfect mix of performance and value. It probably wasn’t until some time after the six month mark that she even gave Little Journey diapers a try, hesitant that they would cause some kind of rash, or constant blowouts. As such, this review also blends her perspectives along with my own to give you a more accurate, thorough examination.

Let’s just say after she was finally willing to give them a shot, we haven’t gone back to using anything else (except for the odd “emergency situation” where they were out of stock, or whatever.)

Now that’s not to say they are her favorite diaper overall, or that they are even the “best diaper” on the market…and probably not by a long shot. She prefers the more “natural” brands, that “naturally” cost twice as much (or more!) than other disposables. You know, the ones with names and packaging that look like they’re trying too hard to convince you that they are worth the price increase, because piss and shit looks better in their diapers, or something. However, when cost is factored in, she finds that Little Journey offers the best balance between the two: blowouts and leaks are rare (and generally only happened when we needed to go up a size), they have never broken out his skin, and they can hold a lot (how can such a little person have so much waste?), arguably the three most important features of a diaper. Leaks have occurred a few times overnight, but not enough to where it’s any sort of ongoing problem (and could also be from user error, or extra liquid intake the night before), they are very stretchy and easy to put on (as most are) and seem to be comfortable for him, as he’s never complained or acted like they bother him. The light animal designs are also cute, and make them a little more “fun” than a plain diaper would be.

The only downside I can think of (aside from the occasional leakage) is that these don’t have the color-changing “wetness indicator” strips that other brands have (though maybe that’s why they’re cheaper?). My wife was disappointed to learn these were without, but has easily adapted to where she no longer misses it. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, it’s really kind of a pointless feature—how hard is it to tell if a diaper is full of piss or not?–but it can be nice to have in certain rushed situations and save you from wasting a diaper by changing one that doesn’t really need changed.

Onto the value: Aldi offers their diapers in two case sizes: soft packs, which surprisingly come in soft packs, and club size, which are larger and come in boxes. Curiously, club packs are only offered beginning with size 3 and up through 6, though I guess from their limited-inventory standpoint that makes some sense as babies seem to grow quicker in their early years (we had to give away several packs of newborn and size 1 diapers that we had received because he outgrew them so quickly). However, the price for all soft packs (with varying numbers of diapers in each) are $4.99 in our area, while the larger club packs offer almost three times as many for $10.99—even at size 6 where you only get 60 diapers per box, that works out to just $.18 per diaper! (Keep in mind that pricing varies by region, so your stores might be more or less expensive.)

If you’re a parent looking for ways to cut some costs–and unless you’re a rich prick, you should be–the whole Little Journey’s line offers up some great products for your little one, and at great prices to boot; their diapers are no exception. A reminder if you’re still a little hesitant about having your baby soil an unknown brand of diaper, remember that you really don’t have anything to lose thanks to Aldi’s money-back satisfaction guarantee!

Overall: 8.5/10 . They aren’t perfect (what is?) but Little Journey diapers provide the best balance of performance-to-value out of any brand that we’ve tried (and we’ve tried at least a dozen): Blowouts and leakage are rare, they’ve never broken out our baby’s skin, have cute little designs, are easy to put on and remove, and seem to be comfortable for him. They are missing the color-changing wetness indicator that many brands have, but despite being disappointed by that at first, we’ve learned to adapt to it and only miss it on rare occasions. They have two sizes available: soft packs, which are smaller, and club size boxes, with prices ranging from around $.10 per diaper, up to just $.23, offering incredible value compared to most other brands. If you don’t have time to clip coupons or hunt for deals, these are a great go-to option, provided you have an Aldi store near you. If they can win my wife’s seal of approval, then they will more than likely do the same for you!

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Moscow Itinerary: How To Spend 3 Days In Moscow

By: Author Lotte

Posted on Last updated: March 2, 2023

Categories Trans Mongolian Express

Moscow is the capital of Russia and there are few cities in the world that have played such a significant part in history.

Home to the Kremlin, the Red Square, the colorful St. Basil's Cathedral, and many more famous landmarks, Moscow is a city like no other.

This Moscow itinerary will help you plan your trip and make the most of your time in Moscow. From the best places to see in Moscow to how to get around, this post has got you covered.

Moscow itinerary

Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!). We're very grateful when you use our links to make a purchase:-).

Moscow 3 day itinerary: map with highlights

Click here for the interactive map .

What to do in Moscow in 3 days

• Day 1: The Red Square, GUM Department Store, St. Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum, and the State Historical Museum.
• Day 2: The Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Gorky Park, and the Bolshoi Theatre.
• Day 3: Izmailovsky Market, Bunker 42, and Zaryadye Park.

Important things to know when planning a trip to Moscow

The best time to plan a trip to Moscow is April-May and September-October . During these months temperatures are (generally) quite comfortable, though even in April there can be a bit of snow! The summer months are hot, both in regard to temperature as well as activities in the city. While it's a nice time to visit, it's also the busiest time of the year to visit Moscow. Hotel prices reflect this as well and summer definitely isn't a great time for budget travelers to visit Moscow. Winter in Moscow is cold, and I mean seriously cold (-15°C isn't rare). However, if you can withstand the subzero temperatures and freezing winds, it can be a magical time to visit. A snow-covered St. Basil’s Cathedral is a sight you will never forget. Keep in mind that days are short in winter and be sure to bring plenty of warm winter clothes!

The official currency in Russia is the Russian Ruble (₽ or RUB). Here you can find the current exchange rates, at the time of writing €1 is approximately 70RUB and $1 is around 62RUB.

Yes, you probably do. Getting a visa for Russia requires a bit of time and effort. You need to fill out several forms and provide a detailed travel itinerary and information about your accommodation. Also, you will need a Visa Support Letter which can be provided by your travel agency or your hotel. Depending on your nationality, there may be additional requirements, please refer to the information provided on the website of your country's Embassy in Russia.

While most of the things to see in Moscow listed in this post are within walking distance of each other, sometimes you will have to travel a bit further afield. The best way to get around in Moscow is by metro. It's cheap and efficient and a sightseeing activity in itself, because Moscow has the most beautiful metro stations in the world ! Among the most exquisitely decorated stations are Komsomolskaya, Novoslobodskaya, Mayakovskaya, Taganskaya, and Prospect Mira Station, but there are many more worthwhile stations to be found in the Moscow underground. You can purchase a single ticket from one of the ticket machines or get a rechargeable Troika Card when you plan on taking the metro several times. Read more details on how to use the Moscow metro here . If you prefer to get around by taxi, that's possible too. We used the Gett app to order a taxi (similar to Uber) to avoid confusion about our intended destination and having to negotiate in Russian. A convenient extra for families is the Gett Kids option, these cars are outfitted with a car seat.

The best things to do in Moscow

While you could easily spend a week in Moscow (or more), most of us, unfortunately, don't have that much time available.

This 3-day Moscow itinerary will guide you to the most popular and important places to visit in Moscow, as well as to some of the more unusual things to do in Moscow.

Below you can find the list of the Moscow sightseeing highlights included in this post.

The Red Square

Gum department store, st. basil's cathedral, lenin's mausoleum, the state historical museum, the kremlin, cathedral of christ the saviour.

• The Bolshoi Theatre

Izmailovsky Market

Zaryadye park.

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Moscow itinerary day 1

There is no better place to start your first day in Moscow, than at the world-famous Red Square.

This square is considered the central square of Moscow, not just because all the major streets start here, but also because no matter where you look when standing on this square, there are historic buildings all around.

Starting with the impressive GUM store and going clockwise, there is the colorful Saint Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin, Lenin's Mausoleum, the State Historical Museum, and the Kazan Cathedral.

However, before entering any of these Moscow must-see attractions, allow yourself a moment to take in the view and let it sink in that you're standing on historical grounds (and a UNESCO site).

The Red Square was the official address of the Soviet government and played an important part in history. Many military parades have been held (and are still being held) here. It's the place where protests have taken place, as well as high-profile concerts from famous international artists.

All in all, it's one of the places in Moscow you can't miss during your Moscow city trip!

Yulia from That's What She Had: it might seem like visiting a department store is not something you’d do on the first visit to Russia’s capital.

But GUM is not like any other department store and is well worth your time, if only for its unique architecture.

First of all, it’s located right on Red Square which makes it an easy stop on your Moscow trip itinerary. Second, GUM is not a simple mall, but an institution built in the late XIX century.

The abbreviation stands for  Glavniy Universalniy Magazin or Main Universal Store. Its impressive facade extends for over 240 meters along the eastern side of Red Square.

Inside you’ll find a beautiful glass ceiling supported by a metal framework, not unlike the ones found in the old train stations of Great Britain. 

While shopping in GUM will cost you an arm and a leg, there’s one reason why tourists and locals come here anyways:  traditional Russian food  at Stolovaya #57. Stolovaya is Russian for canteen and this is where you can get your  pelmeni , borsch , and  pirozhki  fix!

Afterward, don’t forget to get the famous  plombir  ice cream in one of the kiosks on the ground floor.

Saint Basil's Cathedral with its colorful domes is easily recognizable and one of the most popular Moscow tourist attractions. The building, built on orders from Ivan the Terrible, was completed in 1561 to commemorate the victory over Kazan and Astrakhan.

Until the construction of Ivan the Great Bell Tower (which can be found within the walls of the Kremlin), it was the tallest building in Moscow.

The design of St. Basil's Cathedral is truly unique; it's shaped like the flame of a bonfire and not one building in a similar style can be found in the whole of Russia.

A legend tells the story of how Ivan the Terrible had the architects of the Cathedral blinded so they could never build anything comparable.

This is a myth, however, but the fact remains that Saint Basil's Cathedral is one of a kind and it's not surprising it has become the symbol of Russia.

Wendy from The Nomadic Vegan: Lenin Mausoleum is hard to miss. It's a stepped-pyramid construction that sits right at the base of the Kremlin walls on the western side of Red Square.

Entrance is free but note that opening hours are quite limited, with visiting hours lasting only from 10 am to 1 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

If seeing Lenin's embalmed body is important to you, be sure to take this into account when planning your itinerary in Moscow.

One of my  top tips for travelers to Russia  is to arrive early, well before the mausoleum opens, as the queue is usually quite long. However, usually, the queue does move pretty quickly.

This is especially true now that they have lifted the ban on bags and cameras.

It used to be that all cameras, smartphones, and bags of any size had to be checked at a left-luggage office nearby. But now you can bring a small handbag or backpack as well as your camera and phone.

Photography inside the mausoleum is still strictly forbidden, but you are allowed to take photos of the graves of various other important Russian figures that line the path leading to the mausoleum.

Once you finally enter the mausoleum, the atmosphere is surprisingly peaceful and uncrowded. It doesn't feel nearly as rushed as when visiting Mao Ze Dong's tomb in Beijing or Ho Chi Minh's body in Hanoi , for example.

The illumination of the body is very well done and would make for superb photography if it wasn't forbidden. As an added bonus, just after you exit, you'll see the grave of Joseph Stalin outside.

Rai from A Rai Of Light: the imposing crimson building at the northern end of the Red Square is the State Historical Museum.

By decree of Alexander III, the museum was built with the support of Russian historians, philosophers, and artists. The red brick building, dating from 1875, was designed in the Russian revival style by Vladimir Shervud.

The National Museum of Russia houses a collection of over four million items, devoted to the history of the country's ancient and imperial period.

The exhibitions include many items previously owned by members of the Romanov dynasty, such as documents, artwork, personal items, furnishings, and decorations from the palace interiors.

Another exhibit features relics of the prehistoric tribes that once inhabited this region.

Notable items include ancient manuscripts, birch-bark scrolls, a longboat excavated from the banks of the Volga River, and the largest coin collection in Russia, sourced from the museums in St Petersburg .

The State Historical Museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. The entrance fee is 700₽ per adult.

Moscow itinerary day 2

When listing the best Moscow things to do, one cannot miss the Kremlin! The Kremlin houses the current seat of power in Russia and has done so for several decades.

Within its walls, the offices of the Russian Government can be found. During Soviet rule, the Kremlin was where all the important decisions were made but its history goes back for many centuries.

The first mention of the Kremlin in history books was in 1147, however, the current citadel dates from the 16th century.

The Kremlin is one of the major fortifications found in Europe, with walls that are up to 6.5 meters thick and 19 meters high in particular sections.

Inside the complex, there are many government buildings, however, these aren't accessible to the public.

Around Cathedral Square you'll find (as the name suggests) many churches and cathedrals, such as the Cathedral of the Archangel, Annunciation Cathedral, the Church of Laying Our Lady's Holy Robe, and Ivan the Great Bell-Tower.

While Cathedral Square is definitely worth visiting, the highlight of the Kremlin is a visit to the Armoury.

Inside you can find an impressive collection of Faberge eggs, beautiful dresses worn by Catherine the Great, intricately decorated thrones used by the Tsars, and much more. Unfortunately, photography is forbidden inside the Armoury.

Practical information about visiting the Kremlin

In order to visit both Cathedral Square and the Armoury, you will have to buy two separate tickets. A ticket to Cathedral Square costs 700₽ and a ticket to the Armoury is 1000₽. Prices mentioned are for adults, children below 16 years old are free.

Tickets can be bought at the ticket office onsite on the same day, however, there's no guarantee tickets will be available, especially during peak season.

Conveniently, tickets can be bought online as well, which is highly advisable if you want to make sure you'll be able to visit the Kremlin during your city trip to Moscow.

How much time to spend at the Kremlin

Be sure to allow plenty of time to explore the Kremlin, at least half a day but it's easy to spend more time as there is so much to see.

Please note there isn't any food sold inside the Kremlin, so bring a snack and enough water (especially in summer when it can get pretty hot).

Luggage storage

Backpacks aren't allowed inside the Kremlin, they can be stored (for free) in the cloakroom, but you can bring your camera and a small purse.

We could also take our Babyzen Yoyo stroller inside, which was very convenient as our 10-month-old son could take a nap while we explored the sights.

After the original Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was demolished by Stalin in 1931, a new version was completed in 2000.

The imposing building is the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the world (103 meters high), and is beautiful on the outside as well as on the inside.

Visiting the Cathedral is free of charge and it's open any day of the week from 10 am to 5 pm (except on Mondays when the opening hours are 1 to 5 pm).

When visiting the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour it's important to dress appropriately. For men, this means no shorts or tank tops.

Women can't enter with mini skirts or shorts, strap tops, or anything too revealing. Also, women are advised to cover their heads with a scarf as a sign of respect.

Inside the Cathedral photography isn't allowed, but believe me when I say there is plenty to see. There are beautiful frescoes, colorful icons, impressive statues, and other vivid decorations.

For a beautiful view over Moscow, walk up the stairs to the 40-meter high observation deck (entrance fee 400₽).  

Visit Gorky Park

Helen from Holidays from Hels : Gorky Park, named after the Soviet writer Maxim Gorky, has recently undergone extensive regeneration to become Moscow's central leisure hub for young Muscovites.

Every day of the week you can find many Moscow residents strolling along the banks of the river in the summer, hiring bikes, picnicking on the grass, or dining at one of the many restaurants.

Open-air cinemas, petanque, and ping pong are all on offer. Not to be missed is the iconic white stone entranceway and museum, complete with columns carved with Soviet hammers and sickles.

In winter, look out for the ducks waddling across the frozen Moskva River, and watch boats attempting to navigate through the cracked ice. However, the real winter highlight is to try ice skating on one of the biggest rinks in Europe!

Ice skating in Gorky Park

The park’s maze of pedestrian pathways is transformed into one huge skating rink, which can play host to up to four thousand skaters. 

Not surprisingly, Russians are talented ice skaters and there is a good chance you will find yourself next to a pirouetting ballerina.

Handily, you will find you will already be wearing most of what you need – gloves, hat, scarf, and thick socks and you can hire skates on-site. Lockers are included in the price if you don’t fancy skating with your day pack.

Disco tunes fill the air, and the whole arena is backlit in spectacular neon lights. Rest your weary legs and warm up at one of the cafes dotted along the frozen pathways, with the added bonus of not having to take off your skates.

Opening times

The rink is open from 10 am until 11 pm on weekdays and until midnight at weekends but closes between 3 and 5 pm. Like most attractions in Moscow, the rink is closed on Mondays. 

The prices range from 350-650₽ and go up in the evening, which is the best time for the light show. Arriving at 5 pm, just as the rink opens for the evening session will give you time to find your ice legs before it fills up with more confident skaters.

Whilst waiting for the rink to open, try out the nearby tubing track where you can shoot down a snowy hill on an inflatable ring repeatedly for a very enjoyable half an hour!

How to get to Gorky Park by metro

The nearest metro is Park Kultury Station, on the other side of the river. As always, check out in advance what this looks like in the Russian Alphabet so you know when to get off!

Bolshoi Theatre

James Ian at Travel Collecting : one of the best places to go in Moscow is the famous Bolshoi Theater, located only a short walk from Red square. Bolshoy means big in Russian, and the theatre is not only big but also beautiful.

There are two ways to see the theater: on a guided tour or by watching a performance .

Take a guided tour

• English tours are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11:30 am. Tickets for these tours can be bought (on the same day) at the ticket office located in the Historic building of the theatre (door #12).
• A ticket costs 2000₽ per person, tours last one hour, and the number of people on a tour is limited to a maximum of 20. The tour takes you inside the theater and to the historic main stage.

Watch a performance

My favorite way to see the theater, though, is to enjoy a performance and experience the theater as a patron.

The entrance is a little underwhelming when you first arrive, the street lobby is small and quite plain and you will be immediately directed up to your floor.

There are helpful attendants on each floor to guide you to the correct door. Arrive a little early and head up to the Grand Salon on the top floor where you can enjoy a glass of champagne while people-watching (Russians dress up for the theater).

Then head to your seat and take in the stunning theater before enjoying the famous Bolshoi Ballet or another performance.

Be sure to book a show at the historic stage, there is a modern stage as well but that isn't nearly as much fun.

Moscow itinerary day 3

Karen from WanderlustingK : one of the most interesting Moscow places to visit is the Izmailovsky Market .

This flea market and tourist attraction a bit outside of the tourist center is a recreation of a Tzar’s Palace, known as a Kremlin, produced in a colorful 16th-century style.

The market is filled with tiny stalls that sell everything from snacks to kitsch to authentic items from Soviet times such as hats, pins, and other pieces of memorabilia.

You'll also find authentic antiques such as vases, paintings, and other religious items if you're looking to splurge within the interior parts of the market.

Negotiating in English is not always possible as many vendors only speak Russian, so be sure to practice your Russian numbers and see how well you can do with haggling.

It's important to carry cash when you visit given that many vendors do not accept cards. We ended up purchasing a series of hats at the market, along with a beautiful hot tea glass with a metal holder with a typical Russian scene.

Elsewhere in the market, you’ll also find a few tourist shops that sell typical Russian products. It takes a few hours to see the market in full, so arrive early as the best items go quickly! 

Lindsey from Have Clothes, Will Travel : Bunker-42 was once a top-secret, Soviet military complex. Stalin commissioned its construction after the United States succeeded in creating a nuclear bomb.

An impressive 65 meters (or about 213 feet) underground, was the desired depth to protect Russia’s top officials from a nuclear attack.

Bunker 42 became operational in 1954. Fortunately, it was never needed for its true purpose, and instead it was used as the command center of strategic bombers for nearly 30 years.

Nowadays it's a museum dedicated to the Cold War and visiting is a truly unique experience!

You will need to join a tour in order to see the museum. You can call ahead to book your tour (the number is: +7 499 703-44-55), there are several English tours throughout the day that are held at 13:30, 16:30, and 18:30 (the price is 2200₽).

On Mondays, there is an extra tour at 17:30, which lasts an additional 30 minutes and costs 2800₽ per person. There is also the option to book a private tour. However, I am unsure of the price for this.

You will have to wait until exactly 15 minutes before your tour begins before you'll be admitted inside. After paying for your tickets and a quick restroom stop you will descend 65 meters underground…

Another option for visiting Bunker-42, if you would rather not do the tour, is to visit the restaurant inside Bunker-42. Actually, I highly recommend visiting the restaurant before or after a tour as well!

While the food is not that great, it’s worth visiting for a drink. The restaurant is also located within the bunker and is decorated in the old Soviet style.

From time to time there will be live performances and visiting Bunker 42 is definitely an experience worth having while in Moscow! After all, how many people can say they've had a drink in a top-secret Soviet military bunker?

If you’re visiting Moscow during peak season (June-July-August), it would be worth making a reservation, to avoid having to wait. Otherwise, I would not say you need to worry about a reservation at the restaurant.

Bunker-42 is a short cab ride away from Red Square (10-15 minutes). But I recommend taking the metro to get there. The closest station is Taganskaya, which is a beautiful metro station very much worth visiting.

Park Zaryad'ye or Zaryadye Park is a lovely place for a stroll and a nice place to relax after a day of sightseeing in Moscow, especially when exploring Moscow with kids.

There are many things to see and do in this park, but I recommend starting your visit at The River Overlook , a 70-meter-long boardwalk with beautiful views over the river and the Kremlin.

Other interesting places to visit in Zaryadye Park are the Ice Cave, The Museum of Nature, and The Glass Crust. But most importantly, do as the Muscovites do and find yourself a nice place in the park to sit down and relax.

Enjoy the view, do some people-watching, and take a moment to think back about all the Moscow top sights you've seen in the past couple of days.

Where to stay in Moscow

There is a huge amount of hotels in Moscow, ranging from budget hostels to exquisite 5-star hotels. Below you can find three well-reviewed Moscow hotels (rating of 8.5+ on Agoda and  Booking ).

3-star hotel in Moscow: MIRROS Hotel Mokhovaya

This 3-star hotel is one of the best budget Moscow hotels and is all about location! From the hotel, it's just a 10-minute walk to the Kremlin and only 600 meters to the Christ the Savior Cathedral.

Set in a historic 19th-century mansion, the hotel features classic rooms with ensuite bathrooms.

The staff is friendly and there is a metro station nearby (Borovitskaya), making it easy to get to the Moscow attractions a bit further afield.

Click here to book

Modern hotel in Moscow: Barin Residence Myasnitskaya

The Barin Residence Myasnitskaya is a newly built hotel, located about 1.2km from the Red Square (about a 15-20 minute walk).

The rooms and bathrooms are very modern and clean, the beds are comfortable and room service is available. This hotel is an excellent choice for travelers looking for a nice hotel without a hefty price tag.

Luxury hotel in Moscow: Hotel National Moscow

Hotel National is potentially the best Moscow hotel. It's a gorgeous 5-star hotel located just a stone's throw away from the Bolshoi Theater, the Red Square, and the Kremlin.

The building was designed by architect Alexander Ivanov and completed in 1903 and has been welcoming international travelers ever since.

With its imperial architecture, luxury design, and charming classic rooms (some with a view of the Kremlin!), the Hotel National is a unique property.

Furthermore, you can enjoy an indoor pool, sauna, and fitness center as well as the well-reviewed Beluga restaurant that serves both Russian and European dishes.

While this hotel doesn't come cheap, your stay at the Hotel National will make your trip to Moscow an unforgettable experience.

Districts [ edit ]

Central Moscow districts [ edit ]

Outlying districts [ edit ], understand [ edit ].

Moscow is the financial and political centre of Russia and the countries formerly comprising the Soviet Union. It has a population of around 13 million and an area of 2,511 square kilometres (970 sq mi) after an expansion in 2012. One-tenth of all Russian citizens live in the Moscow metropolitan area. Moscow is the second most populous city in Europe, after Istanbul . Moscow is in the UTC+3 time zone; there is no daylight saving time.

Many years since the break up of the Soviet Union, the economy has improved, and the modern era has brought upon a wide variety of construction projects, modern architecture and newer transport systems replacing the derelict ones during Soviet times.

Geography [ edit ]

Moscow is a large metropolis on the Moskva River, which bends its way through the city. The historical center is on the northern bank of the river. The other major waterway is the Yauza River, which flows into the Moskva east of the Kremlin.

Much of Moscow's geography is defined by the 3 'Ring Roads' that circle the city at various distances from the centre, roughly following the outline of the walls that used to surround Moscow. With Red Square and the Kremlin forming the very centre, the innermost ring road is the Boulevard Ring ( Bulvarnoye Koltso ), built in the 1820s where the 16th century walls used to be. It runs from the Christ the Savior Cathedral in south-west central Moscow, to the mouth of the Yauza in south-east central Moscow.

The next ring road, the Garden Ring ( Sadovoe Koltso ), derives its name from the fact that landowners near the road in Tsarist times were obligated to maintain gardens to make the road attractive. In Soviet times, the road was widened, and there are now no gardens there.

The Third Ring Road, completed in 2004, is not much use for tourists but is a heavily used motorway which absorbs a bit of Moscow's traffic. It roughly follows the outline of Kamer-Kollezhsky val , the customs boundary of Moscow in the 18th – early 20th century. The outer edge of Moscow is largely defined by the Moscow Ring Road (widely known by its abbreviation: MKAD-Moskovskaya kolcevaya avto doroga), a motorway which is 108 km (67 mi) long and encircles the entire city (similar to London's M25 and Paris' Périphérique ).

Climate [ edit ]

The climate of Moscow features warm summers and long, cold winters.

Get in [ edit ]

See Russia#Get in for visa requirements to Russia.

By train [ edit ]

Moscow is a railway hub, with connections to all parts of Russia and far into Europe and Asia. Due to its hub status, Moscow's train stations are often crowded; trains are the usual form of intercity transport for most Russians. The stations have a reputation for being unsafe but paradoxically the threat of terrorism has improved things: security gates, policing and surveillance deter the casual thugs and villains. Guard your valuables and yourself as you would in any big city.

All long-distance trains are operated by Russian Railways and its subsidiaries, except for a few international trains with other operators. Tickets can be bought at stations or online . For domestic trains, you can show the ticket officer your online boarding pass; however, international trains require a printed ticket. There are usually ticket counters with English-speaking personnel - they may be marked as such, or the clerk may direct you to another counter if they can't cope with your English. See Russia#By train 2 for more details on travelling in Russia by train.

From Europe [ edit ]

All trains from Europe halted since 2020

Train stations in Moscow [ edit ]

Moscow has 10 train stations, 9 of which are near metro stations close to the center of Moscow. Be sure to note the station from which your train is departing, which will be indicated on the ticket, or online . Three stations ( Leningradsky , Yaroslavsky , and Kazansky ) are on one huge square, informally known as the "Three Stations' Square". A running joke among Moscow taxi drivers since the Soviet times is to be able to pick up a fare from one of them to the other, taking the unwary tourist on an elaborate ride in circles. Be prepared for enormous queues trying to enter or exit the Metro at peak times, as people are getting off or on the commuter trains.

By car [ edit ]

Many entry points to Moscow over the Ring Road and into the city feature rotating roadblocks, where teams of traffic police may stop a vehicle, especially if it is not featuring Moscow plates. You may be stopped and questioned but you'll be allowed to proceed if you have all the proper documents.

Foreign cars, especially expensive cars, might attract unwelcome attention, and there is cumbersome paperwork involved to enter Russia by car.

By boat [ edit ]

There is no scheduled passenger service to Moscow by boat; however, cruise ships do provide service to the Northern River Terminal, on the Moscow Canal near the Khimki Reservoir. The pier is not convenient to the city and it can take over 2 hours to reach the city centre by car.

A system of navigable channels and locks connects the Moskva River with the Volga River, which is further connected to the Baltic Sea , White Sea, the Azov, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea. In the Soviet times this allowed the official propaganda to refer to Moscow as "a port on the five seas".

By bicycle [ edit ]

Moscow is the easternmost destination of the EuroVelo cycling routes . Eurovelo Route 2 , the Capitals Route, is a 5,500 km (3,400 mi) route starting in Galway , Ireland , passing through Dublin , London , Berlin , Warsaw and Minsk before terminating in Moscow.

By metro [ edit ]

The Metro is open from 05:30-01:00. Station entrances are closed at 01:00, and at this time the last trains depart from all of the termini stations. After 01:00, many locals will enter the train station using the exits, which are still open. Service on the ring line runs until 01:30, although entrances are closed at 01:00. The down escalators are also shut off at 01:00.

There is signage in the Metro stations in English and the Latin alphabet, but these signs are not everywhere. Each train carriage has a map in Latin script and there is one near the entrance to each station. Note the direction of the train before you alight. It is worth printing a map of the metro system in both Cyrillic and Latin letters to take with you.

All trains in the system have free WiFi onboard, but you will need to have a Russian phone number to get the authorization code to access the WiFi. Some of the older train cars are not climate controlled.

2 or 3 stations may be connected as transfer points but will each have a different name. There are 2 stations called Smolenskaya and 2 stations called Arbatskaya , but the station pairs are not connected to each other despite having the same name. Some of the stations are very deep underground, and transfer times between certain metro lines can take a lot of time. In the city centre, it can save time to go directly to the above-ground entrance of the line you want to take rather than to enter at a connecting station and transfer underground. On the escalators, stand on the right and walk on the left except for peak hours, when standing on the left side is also allowed.

Some of the train stations include beautiful architecture and it is worth taking a guided tour of the metro system. The most interesting stations in terms of decor are Komsomolskaya (ring line), Novoslobodskaya (ring line), Kievskaya (ring line), Kropotkinskaya (Line #1 - red), Kievskaya (Line #3 - dark blue), Arbatskaya (Line #3 - dark blue), Ploschad' Revolyutsii (Line #3 - dark blue), Mayakovskaya (Line #2 - dark green). Also look at the architecture of the ground entrance building of Arbatskaya (Line #4 - light blue) and Krasnye Vorota (Line #1 - red). History buffs may appreciate that Metro Line #1 (red) has the oldest stations, opened in 1935.

The Vorobyovy Gory Metro Station on Line #1 (red) is unique in that it is on a bridge crossing the Moscow River. This bridge also carries auto traffic road on another level. There is a beautiful view through the transparent sides of the station. A great observing point around Moscow is located nearby on Vorobyovy hills, next to the main building of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

There are a couple of unique trains operating through the system and you will be lucky if you get to ride them. Aquarelle (Watercolor) is a train that includes an art gallery. The train operates daily on Line #3 (dark blue). The Sokolniki Retro Train is a train modeled after the original 1930s trains and it occasionally is placed into service, usually around a major anniversary of the metro system.

The metro is relatively safe, although pickpockets are a problem, as they are in any environment where a lot of people are pressed together. Opportunistic petty crime, such as snatching someone's mobile phone and jumping out just as the doors are closing, is also commonplace. Take the usual precautions at night when gangs of inebriated teenagers may look for an excuse to beat someone up. There is no train guard or conductor, so the first car near the driver may be the safest. Every car is equipped with an intercom to the driver's cabin; they are beige boxes with a grill and a black button near doors, and mostly work, unless visibly vandalized.

By tram [ edit ]

There are several tram routes, although trams are not common in the city centre.

By monorail [ edit ]

Moscow Monorail is a 4.7 km (2.9 mi) monorail line with 6 stations. It is slower, less frequent, and has shorter operating hours when compared with the metro (every 30 min, 08:00-20:00). However, the view is picturesque. It is useful to get to the Ostankino Tower, or to get to the VDNKh exhibition centre from Metro Line #9 (silver). Interchanges between Moscow Metro and Monorail is free, no additional fee will be charged.

By hop-on-hop-off bus [ edit ]

The hop-on-hop-off bus is a convenient way for tourists to see the major sights quickly and efficiently. The buses feature English-speaking guides to answer any questions. A 1 day pass costs $24 for adults and $15 for children.

See [ edit ]

Do [ edit ].

Moscow has many attractions, but many of them are not friendly to a non-Russian-speaker. English-language newspapers like The Moscow Times , Element [dead link] , Moscow News and others can help to navigate towards English-language friendly attractions and services.

Circuses [ edit ]

Theatres [ edit ].

• Bolshoi Theatre , one of the oldest and best known ballet and opera companies in the world.

Learn [ edit ]

Moscow remains the educational center of Russia and the former USSR. There are 222 institutes of higher education, including 60 state universities & 90 colleges. Some of these offer a wide-spectrum of programs, but most are centered around a specific field. This is a hold-over from the days of the USSR, when Sovietwide there were only a handful of wide-spectrum "universities" and a large number of narrow-specialization "institutes" (mostly in Moscow & St.Petersburg). Moscow offers some of the best business/management, science, & arts schools in the world. Moscow is also a popular destination for foreign students to learn Russian.

Work [ edit ]

You will need a work visa which is not an easy process. The visa needs to be arranged well in advance of traveling. It is possible to work in Moscow, you just need to find a good company to support you. The main obstacle for many foreigners will be a mandatory Russian language exam required to obtain a work permit.

Shopping malls [ edit ]

Large shopping malls are common near metro stations.

Tipping [ edit ]

For information on tipping in restaurants, see Russia#Eat .

Ethnic food [ edit ]

Authentic ethnic food from countries of the nearby Caucasus ( Azerbaijan , Georgia , Armenia ) is common in Moscow. Japanese food, including sushi, rolls, tempura, and steakhouses are very popular in Moscow. Other Asian cuisines including Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese are becoming increasingly more common.

Budget [ edit ]

Street food [ edit ].

Free-standing kiosks serving sausages, meat pies, or kebobs are plentiful, although the origins of the meat served is questionable and the food has been known to occasionally make people sick.

Muscovites are also fond of their ice cream, consumed in any weather, even in the dead of winter, cheap and usually of superior quality; kiosks can be found all over the center and near all Metro stations.

Foodcourts 2.0 [ edit ]

This term is used in articles by local food critics: since 2016, several special food courts were opened with independent and small food chains, for those people who get bored of McDonald's-like food. They offer a wider choice of cuisines.

Clubs [ edit ]

Nightlife in Moscow is bustling, intense and exciting. It starts quite late; it's common for the headliners to start at 02:00-02:00. Most noticeable are areas near Solyanka street and Krasniy Oktyabr' place. At summer time a lot of clubs opening open-air terraces called "verandas". Most of clubs in Moscow are very picky of who they let in, so make sure you have a positive attitude and dress up if you are going to a fancy club.

Gazgolder [dead link] (not far from Kremlin) is among the best.

Cafes [ edit ]

Moscow has several café chains with great coffee including Coffeemania and Coffee Bean [dead link] . Moscow also has a good selection of tea saloons. High-quality infusion teas such as Newby, are widely available in cafes, both in packets and loose.

Asking to add boiling water to the tea you ordered earlier is a practice that some cafes don't welcome, but normally it's acceptable.

Sleep [ edit ]

Stay safe [ edit ].

Moscow enjoys a relatively low crime rate.

Drunk people are the most likely sources of problems. In the past years, lots of policemen were corrupt, and it was best to avoid them. Nowadays Moscow has a Tourist Police force, whose officers are able to speak foreign languages and help tourists. Police officers are equipped with body-cameras.

It is preferable to avoid some parts of the outer districts of Moscow, especially in the south. Some of those areas are notorious for gopniks (drunkards notorious for muggings and starting fights with strangers, and will do so seemingly unprovoked), who normally hang out in sparse residential areas and in industrial zones. The same problems can be witnessed in the surrounding regions and in other Russian cities as well.

While traveling in Moscow, as in the rest of Russia, you should always have your passport with you. If you look non-white, your papers may get checked more often than otherwise. The police may demand to see your papers to check if you have been registered within 7 business days of your arrival into Moscow. Always remember that if you stay in a hotel then you are automatically registered and will be handed a confirmation paper at a time of check-in, so don't worry in this case. The police are usually looking for migrants from Central Asia and unless you fit this profile, you are unlikely to be questioned.

Women should take caution walking alone late at night since they may receive unwanted attention from drunk men. Women should also stay clear of large companies of men in front of bars, restaurants, etc. It is best to walk with a friend if possible.

Streets can become very slippery in winter. Wear shoes or, even better, boots with decent grip to prevent twisted ankles. Ice patches can be hard to spot. A waterproof raincoat is also sensible.

Traffic is poorly handled, and vehicle accident rates are very high. Stay safe.

If you need help with translation, ask students or pupils: younger people are more likely to be able to help you than the older generations.

Connect [ edit ]

For information on using telephones and buying SIM cards in Russia, see Russia#Connect .

Mobile Internet is quite affordable in Russia, but you have to buy Russian SIM-card first.

Wireless Internet [ edit ]

Moscow Metro has Wi-Fi in all trains. It is ad-supported.

Mosgortrans has Wi-Fi spots on every bus, trolleybus and tram. Also sometimes you can find Wi-Fi spot on a public transport stop.

Beeline Wi-Fi [dead link] operates the largest network of both paid and free Wi-Fi access points. If there is a charge, you can pay online via credit card.

There is a large network of free Wi-Fi hotspots in the city centre; check your device in the middle of a busy area and you may find one.

Many cafes and restaurants offer Wi-Fi - ask for password. Most bookstores offer free Wi-Fi, including "Dom Knigi" on New Arbat Street or "Respublika" bookstore on Tverskaya near Mayakovskaya Metro Station.

Some establishments that offer free Wi-Fi may require you to verify an authorization code sent to a Russian phone number before gaining access, but for the most part, foreign numbers also work as of 2016.

Cope [ edit ]

Embassies [ edit ].

Moscow is one of the global diplomatic capitals, competing with Berlin , Brussels , Beijing , Paris , London , Tokyo and Washington D.C. . Most of the world's countries have their embassies in the city.

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In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

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

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

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

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

A Brief Introduction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buying Tickets

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

Rules, spoken and unspoken

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

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

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

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

An Easy Tour

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

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

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

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

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

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

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

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

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

Keep going one more stop west to:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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21 Things to Know Before You Go to Moscow

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