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How To Plan A Day Trip To Alton Towers Theme Park

This post about a day trip to Alton Towers may contain affiliate links.

Every year for the past couple of years, I’ve taken my little sister to Flamingo Land for her birthday. As much as we love going to Flamingo Land, it can get a little boring when you’re going on the same rides year after year.

So it was an incredible surprise when I received an email about a collaboration with Peperami TV and Alton Towers . I knew straight away that I wanted to take my sister as neither of us had ever been to Alton Towers before, so it seemed like the perfect chance to visit for her birthday.

Since my first trip to Alton Towers, I’ve revisited the theme park on several more occasions, so I thought it would be a good idea to share my top tips and advice for planning the perfect day trip to Alton Towers theme park!

Read more: The Best Theme Parks In The UK – Flamingo Land, Lightwater Valley & More

The best rides and attractions at Alton Towers UK

There are so many incredible rides and attractions to enjoy on a day trip to Alton Towers; you can find some of my favourites below!

• Congo River Rapids

Some of the pictures aren’t the best quality but I don’t think they’re too bad considering my mum took them on her iPhone while we were whizzing past at 60mph on an enormous rollercoaster!

We began our day at Alton Towers with a ride on the Spinball Whizzer which was an excellent way to begin our thrilling day of exhilarating rides! The queue for this ride was pretty long so naturally, we used our fast-track tickets!

Next, we headed over to the scarier   rides; Rita , Thi3teen and The Smiler . The Smiler was by far our favourite ride of the day as it was the longest and definitely most thrilling, with a record-breaking 14 loops! We even went on this one twice throughout the day as it was just incredible! The 180 °  ascent was pretty damn terrifying but so much fun; I think we screamed the entire way around the roller coaster!

Rita and Thi3teen were also firm favourites of ours; Rita propelled us forward at a speed of 100kph, through the dark forest and around a plethora of twists and turns! Thi3teen is the world’s first vertical free-fall drop roller coaster and my god, was it amazing! The drop was so unexpected and when plunged into darkness, you could totally understand the reason behind the name of this terrifying ride!

The main reason for our visit to Alton Towers, however (aside from the fact that it was my sister’s birthday…) was the fact that they had teamed up with Peperami TV to promote their newest ride; The Wicker Man . I was challenged to test out the newest addition to the theme park and see what I thought of it!

The Wicker Man is the UK’s first new wooden roller coaster in over 20 years and it’s certainly a spectacular feat. The wooden structure is far from tame and provides guests with an incredibly enthralling experience.

While the roller coaster hurtles towards the Wicker Man himself, he theatrically bursts into ‘flames’, giving the illusion that the whole thing is on fire! It’s an incredible ride with all the special features and effects that you’d want to make it as realistic and exciting as possible. We were both thoroughly impressed with the newest ride to the park and certainly wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone… If you’re brave enough!

Enterprise was our next ride of choice and while it wouldn’t be classed as scary, it certainly did make us feel unbelievably dizzy! The ride resembles a structure similar to the London Eye , but rest assured that it will give you an entirely different thrill! As it spins, its momentum gradually increases until it feels like you’re hurtling around the theme park with no sense of direction at all! It made us both feel incredibly dizzy and quite sick but it was definitely worth it.

Another favourite ride of ours was Galactica ; a space travel machine replica that’s designed to take you on a journey through space. Its virtual reality technology provided through the use of VR headsets makes this ride truly one of a kind. You really do feel like you’re on a spaceship hurtling towards space and it’s such a fun ride!

Fast track passes

The queues for the rides at Alton Towers can often be several hours long, especially during the busy summer months, so it’s a good idea to purchase the fast-track tickets as an upgrade so that you can bypass the queues and enjoy as many rides as possible.

The upgrades don’t come cheap, at £10 per ride, but there are several fast-track ticket options available which mean that you can enjoy as many rides and attractions as possible for an additional £30, £50, £65 or £105 (depending on which fast-track package you buy).

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Have you ever been to Alton Towers? What’s your favourite theme park? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter at @imjustagirl_16 .

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I’ve never been to Alton Towers but I’m not a huge ride person! My boyfriend is, he’d go on absolutely anything so I wouldn’t be able to go with just him because the entire day would be him queuing on his own and me standing there on my own haha! I love the idea of the £60 fast pass. I think if you’re only attending once a year or for a special occasion that’s definitely worth it! I’d like to go on The Wicker Man and Rita would be okay. The Smiler though… Eeeeek I’ll sit that one out!

The fast track passes were definitely a a great idea! And I’m sure you’d love some of the rides haha! Xx

I can’t decide what my favourite park is! We’ve been to quite a lot though and Alton Towers is definitely up there! We went last Friday and finally got to experience Wickerman! Our thoughts after our first ride during the day were “meh, good but nothing special”, but the second ride in the dark was fantastic. Definitely a night-time ride! Operations were poor though and even worse on the Saturday I believe, some people were apparently queuing for 3-4 hours and only got on one ride all day! I was also brave enough this time to go on Oblivion (twice!) so I’m pretty chuffed haha!

Oh that’s not good at all! I love theme parks but it is incredibly frustrating when you have to queue for hours!

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10 Tips for Visiting Alton Towers 2024 Theme Park Guide

Are you looking for tips for visiting Alton Towers? Do you want to know how to make the most of Alton Towers?

You’re in the right place!

Below I’m sharing my Top 10 Tips for making the most of your day at Alton Towers if you’re visiting in 2024.

I’ve broken down exactly how much it cost us to book a trip to Alton Towers, how much money we spent on food and accommodation near Alton Towers, and the best time to visit Alton Towers.

If you’re looking for Alton Towers outfit inspiration, check out What To Wear To Alton Towers? Style Guide.

Note: this post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you, which means I can make a tiny kickback and continue to write helpful guides like these for you!

One of my first trips after London’s lockdown lifted took me to Alton Towers, the UK’s biggest theme park. What’s life without a little thrill, am I right?!

A two-and-a-half hour drive from North London, we set out towards our B&B hotel in Cheadle, a small town in Greater Manchester, which is a short 15-minute drive from Alton Towers. We stayed from Wednesday 19 May until Saturday 22 May, and visited the park twice using a 2-day pass.

Despite the UK’s typical May weather (strong winds, cold, pouring with rain), we had an absolute blast. We virtually walked onto most of the rides on day one (Thursday), with zero waiting time or queueing. The atmosphere was more buzzing on day two (Friday), despite longer queues, but it meant we enjoyed the day even more. Never let British rain hold you back from riding roller coasters!

10 Top Tips for Visiting Alton Towers

Table of Contents

Shop around for local hotels in neighbouring towns or villages.

If you’re staying overnight, look for cheaper accommodation before committing to the Alton Towers resort hotels. They’re very expensive and the cheapest lodge option (Stargazing Pods) don’t actually have a toilet inside your room! This, on a rainy day, was a dealbreaker.

Plus we snagged a room at a lovely B&B hotel – The Manor Hotel Guest House in Cheadle – that included a full fry-up breakfast every morning for almost £100 less than the cost of Alton Towers’ Stargazing Pods, which are basic, claustrophobic and overpriced.

The Manor Hotel cost me around £60 per night. It was quiet, leafy, comfortable and clean. The hotel was only a 15-minute drive to Alton Towers and a 3-minute walk to Cheadle’s high street, which had a (limited) number of shops, restaurants and cafe options.

BOOK NOW: THE MANOR GUEST HOUSE CHEADLE (BOOKING.COM)

2. Bring a water bottle or collapsible drink pouch.

Bottled water is expensive at the park, so having a refillable container is ideal. If you’ve got big coat pockets, you can keep an empty water bottle in there (it won’t get crushed during rides), or just stash it in the ride cages before you buckle up. You’ll then be able to use the free water refill dispensers located all around the park whenever you get thirsty. It’s a nice sustainable alternative to buying plastic bottled drinks too. I love my Water-To-Go bottle which has a built-in filter that eliminates 99% of contaminants – perfect if you’re a bit of a germophobe!

3. Bring your own snacks or lunch.

Next time I go to Alton Towers I’ll be bringing my own sandwiches, cereal bars and fruit. There’s an Asda (cheap supermarket) about 10 minutes drive away which you can stock up at, including meal deals. Just bring a small backpack, bumbag or even a plastic bag if you want. We didn’t eat that much on the day because we had full English breakfasts in the morning at our hotel. Most rides have a compartment you can leave your bags or backpack in (at your own risk), so make sure you keep your phone and valuables with you on the rides, but you can leave the sandwiches and snacks safely in the ride cages. On that note…

4. Wear clothes with zip pockets to keep valuables safe.

Bonus points if it’s a secret inner lining zip pocket. This is super duper important! You don’t want your mobile phone, car keys, hotel keys or wallet falling out during a ride – and you don’t want to risk leaving them unattended in the ride cages or storage. There are storage lockers all around the park, but you don’t need them. I really recommend North Face jackets which are light and warm though pricey (I recommend this down jacket or this hooded one ). I also wore a zip fleece with sturdy pockets that kept me warm and dry both days.

5. Bring a parka or poncho to deal with rain like a boss.

Unless it’s a baking hot day in summer, remember you’re in Northern England – so you’ve always got a 90% chance of getting wet! Whether it starts raining or you decide to go on the River Rapids ride, having a waterproof jacket will sort you out. I’m a big fan of these trusty colourful ponchos – cheap and cheerful for the whole gang, plus they have elasticated sleeves to avoid water drip. Make sure your parka or poncho is long enough to cover your butt, as there’s nothing worse than a damp soggy bottom. The heat drying machines cost £2 per minute – so stay dry!

6. Invest in Express Parking (£18) in advance.

If you’re going to invest in a day trip to Alton Towers you may as well make it as easy breezy as possible – I definitely recommend paying £12 extra for Express Parking compared to £6 on Standard Parking. On a busy day, the monorail (the free train from the Standard Car Park to the park entrance) will eat up at least 40 minutes of your time when entering and leaving. With Express Parking, we sailed into a bay and walked straight through the park entrance on our first day, taking a maximum of 5 minutes to get inside. On our second day, we had Standard Parking which is much further away. The monorail was heaving with people (no social distancing, though people wore masks) and we were stuck in a cold, rainy queue for 30 minutes. Boarding the monorail took ages because only one set of visitors were allowed into each carriage, as per COVID guidelines). Avoid the monorail at all costs!

7. Get there as early as possible.

The rides open at 10am but they let us in at 9.15am. We went to Oblivion first and stood there ready to go, first in line, by 9.30am. This was down to staying at a hotel very close to the theme park, arriving at 9am and having Express Parking. A worthy investment!

BOOK NOW: ALTON TOWERS CAR PARKING

8. Head straight for the biggest rides (or rides you most want to experience) first.

Queues are still very short first thing in the morning. On our first day (which was an empty and rainy Thursday morning) we were able to ride 4 roller coasters by 11.30am ( Oblivion, The Smiler, Rita , and Thirteen ). The rides with the biggest hype were The Smiler (which made us feel ill), Wickerman (which was amazing) and Gangsta Granny (which was closed). Make sure you head to those rides first in case they randomly close.

9. Invest in the Alton Towers digital photo app rather than buying printed photos vouchers.

We got royally mugged off at the park gates by investing in a £20 voucher for 4 printed photos, before swiftly finding out that firstly we had to wear our masks on every ride, and secondly, that they didn’t have keychains or fridge magnets on offer. The fact that the staff member who sold us the voucher didn’t disclose any of this felt shady. Whereas for £15 on the app, you have unlimited access to all your photos, so you can print them yourself.

10. Book your Alton Towers visit on a weekday outside of school holiday season (Monday-Thursday ideally).

You will 100% have the best time on a weekday, especially in the morning, as it’s far less likely to be busy, and you’ll have a better chance of walking straight onto rides without needing to queue for very long. Although we enjoyed the atmosphere on Friday, it felt very busy, whereas our day on Thursday was perfect. My iPhone Health app showed we did over 20,000 steps in 6 hours at the park, proving just how empty and easy it was to run around and do all the rides we wanted.

11. Bonus Tip: Download the Alton Towers app.

You’ll have all the ride queue times in the palm of your hand, and the location-based map tracker shows you all the routes you need to get to your next ride. It’s really handy and worth downloading!

If you have any other tips to add, or want to ask any questions, hit me up below.

For a detailed guide to Alton Towers, including how much we spent at the theme park and where we stayed, keep reading!

A Travel Blogger’s Guide to Alton Towers: Pros & Cons, Budget, Accommodation

Covid-19: What’s Alton Towers like post-lockdown?

Alton Towers has put a number of different social distancing measures in place since opening up after lockdown. They make you wear masks on every ride (and have themed masks available for sale in their shops). There are also hand sanitiser dispensers available for use before and after every ride, and one way systems in place to help control the flow and direction of people.

Accommodation: Where should you stay if you’re visiting Alton Towers?

We opted to stay at The Manor Hotel Guest House in Cheadle , which was around £60 per night. It was quiet, leafy, comfortable and clean. The hotel was only a 15-minute drive to Alton Towers and a 3-minute walk to Cheadle’s high street, which had a (limited) number of shops, restaurants and cafe options.

If you’re vegan, the hotel caters to you with vegan breakfast options, but for dinner, Wetherspoons is probably your best bet if you’re going for a meal. We had “Curry Club” deals on Thursday night. On our second night (Friday), my companion ventured out into the rain and got us a set menu for 2 from the local Chinese takeaway shop, Hong Tai, which we ate in our room. Peter, the hotel owner, kindly gave us cutlery to use. The walls in the hotel were thin so we could hear people next door and above us talking loudly, but the bed was cozy, shower pressure was strong, and the rooms were well heated. I’d stay again!

Beautiful orange sunset on the M1 during the drive from London to Cheadle.JPG

Budget: How much did I spend on a trip to Alton Towers?

In total, split between two people, we spent £550.40 (£262.60 each) , during our three-night, four-day trip to Alton Towers. For three nights, between two people, that feels reasonable. We could have cut costs significantly by packing sandwiches and bringing refillable water bottles, but decided that we wanted to go in and enjoy the park without carrying anything. We also managed to get a discount on a 2-day pass. See the full budget breakdown below.

As mentioned before, we could have cut down food costs, but the last thing we wanted to do after a tiring day at the park was cook or prepare food – especially since our room didn’t have a mini fridge. We did however desperately fiend for salad, vegetables and fruit afterwards, so went to get strawberries at Asda!

The Pros and Cons of Alton Towers in 2024

The pros: fun and fast roller coasters, lovely staff, beautiful forest surroundings.

I loved our trip to Alton Towers despite some of the hiccups. My favourite Alton Towers rides (as of 2022) were, in order: Wickerman , Galactica , Rita , Oblivion and Old Mine Train . We found Thirteen okay, but disappointing. Nemesis made me feel sick, it was very old school. The Smiler was overrated – mainly because it’s stuffed with twirling loops and spinning around didn’t make me feel good – same with the Spinball Whizzer – and we came off feeling nauseous. That’s probably suited to shorter people with a lower centre of gravity, i.e. 14 year old kids! If you’re above the age of 30, or above 5 foot 11, I’d steer clear.

Wickerman is amazing. We rode it three times. The quality of the wooden coaster and the thought behind the theming was solid. and it’s a real shame that COVID happened, because they had to remove a significant part of the VR storytelling beforehand where riders get locked in a room together beforehand. It would’ve added so much more atmosphere and emotion to the ride. But as far as wooden coasters go, it’s thrillingly fast, a wild ride, very smooth and electrifying, and we loved it. We definitely recommend that you ask to sit at the back, as it feels so much faster back there.

Galactica , the flying coaster, was super fun – it’s best when you’re at the front. Even though they removed the VR headsets component, which aren’t COVID-friendly, it feels like you’re flying, almost like you’re Harry Potter chasing the snitch. You go whizzing above trees and get flipped towards the sky. It’s a brilliant ride, even if it’s pouring with rain! Recommended. Same with Rita – going from 0 to 60mph within seconds meant that by the time the ride finished, our eyes were streaming with tears and our hair was blown back like Sonic the Hedgehog – but it was hilarious fun.

Another honourable mention is Old Mine Train , a small kids ride. We got on it as a laugh because there was no queue time, but ended up absolutely loving it. The staff member operating the ride was hilarious, shouting a friendly “choo choo!” everytime we set off. He ended up letting us ride three times in a row since it was quiet. Each time we thought the ride was about to end he’d shout “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” and send us off again. Great fun. I also recommend using the Sky Ride to get from one end of the park to the other. It’s a nice chilled moment to enjoy a birds-eye view of the park and see rollercoaster riders whizzing past.

The staff throughout Alton Towers were lovely. Very accommodating and full of smiles despite the weather. We’re really pleased that we managed to snag a 2-Day Park Pass at a discount too, because it meant we had one day to blitz through as many rides as possible, and another day to relax and revisit our favourite rides (cough, Wickerman ) at a more leisurely pace.

Alton Towers Cons: Overpriced Food and Amenities, Outdated Rides, Limited Food Options

Does alton towers feel like a rip-off.

We had a good time overall, but there were definitely some moments where we felt that Alton Towers were trying to con us, or pull the wool over our eyes – something you never want to feel as a paying customer.

Firstly, the minute we walked into the park on day one, a friendly staff member encouraged us to buy a £20 voucher for 4 photos, promising that we could use it printed photos, fridge magnets or keychains. We decided to invest. Lo and behold, it turned out keychains and fridge magnets weren’t actually available – and because she didn’t disclose that to us, the transaction felt wildly unethical.

Do rides close at Alton Park when it’s rainy?

Rides also kept closing throughout the day, either because of the weather or technical issues. Nemesis and Gangsta Granny weren’t open on the Thursday, so we managed to try them out on Friday (although we needn’t have bothered.)

Is there anything problematic about the rides at Alton Towers?

The Gangsta Granny “ride” was a huge let down. Not to mention, the cultural appropriation here is real, plus the only Black noble is predictably called ‘Lady Blingdon’ (insert BAME eyeroll). Do better, guys.

Having watched the incredible Imagineering documentary on Disney+ and witnessed the creative storytelling and technology being put into Disneylands around the world, the Gangsta Granny ride technology felt like a relic of early 1960s Disneyland. The ride storyline didn’t resolve itself, we were shot in the face with a weak stream of bubbles for an ‘underwater scene’, and worst of all, they didn’t even bother to hide their Epson projectors overhead. There was no magic.

Halfway through the ride my companion and I looked at each other with extreme disappointment. We understand the target audience for the ride isn’t for a 20-something audience, but other theme parks like Disneyland offer this style of ride so much better. The staff in the general Gangsta Granny area, however, were fully committed to their roles as Beefeaters – including the tongue-in-cheek characters working in Raj’s Shop, who made us laugh.

The River Rapids ride was extremely boring, with no “Congolese” theming other than a few sad Tiki heads tacked onto the wall. We also wanted to visit the Dungeons but realised it would cost even more money to book into the attraction, around £8 extra. It should probably just be turned into a ride.

It was pouring with rain, so, against our better judgement and ethics, thought we’d check out the small SeaLife ‘Sharkbait Reef’ attraction. It was heart-breaking watching majestic sharks, baby whale sharks and huge pufferfish roam sadly and manically around a tiny tank all day under glaring fluorescent lights. We think the park should just get rid of this. It’s unethical. Fish have feelings, people. We got the feeling a lot of these crappier, smaller attractions were stuffed in so that people with young toddlers or kids had something to see.

Is there anything healthy to eat at Alton Towers?

Finally, my last complaint is that if you’re looking for healthy options or vegan food at Alton Towers, it’s hard to come by. It’s all overpriced fast food centered around meat and sugar – not even falafels were available at the kebab/wrap place. Food options are probably different and offer much more variety in summer, as we saw closed Greek Food and Jerk Wrap street food stands knocking around, but not much is open right now (Spring 2021).

Should you visit Alton Towers in 2024?

Even though some of the rides felt a little ‘tired’ and in much need of a spruce up – and although the amenities on offer were fairly overpriced – we had a great day out nonetheless. I highly recommend visiting, whether you’re going with friends, as a couple, or with family. There’s plenty to do for all ages.

Thanks for reading this guide to visiting Alton Towers – I hope you enjoyed my top 10 tips for visiting the theme park this spring/summer season!

Feel free to drop me a comment below if you have any question or share this post with friends and family. Until then, I’ll catch you on Instagram !

Mel Legarda

Melissa Legarda is the founder of illumelation . She has worked as a travel blogger, creator and writer since 2015, and has collaborated with well-known brands worldwide. She has helped over 1,100+ students improve their travel photography skills since launching her creative courses. Her mission is to encourage and empower others to travel and create more. Find her on Instagram .

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You are here > Home > Inspire Me > Birmingham Blog > Alton Towers Resort prepares for ultimate celebration of its world-class rollercoasters

Alton Towers Resort prepares for ultimate celebration of its world-class rollercoasters

Alton Towers Resort is preparing to kick-off its thrilliant programme of events as Festival of Thrills returns for 2023 as it celebrates its awesome world-class rollercoasters with heart-pumping twists, heart-racing speeds and exhilarating G-forces.

This year’s event will come with an added twist for thrillseekers – The Smiler Takeover. With a series of marmalising experiences dedicated to the world’s first 14-loop rollercoaster, The Smiler, in its 10th year. The Smiler’s secretive organisation, Ministry of Joy, will take over the area of X-Sector on the Theme Park with a series of interactive elements, immersive theatre and optical illusions.

Guests will also get to experience other world-class rollercoasters including Wicker Man and Oblivion, and by completing all of them, guests will get the chance to win a fantastical overnight stay for a family of four, including one-day tickets to the Theme Park. Guests need to pick up a Ministry of Joy identity card from Towers Street, collect a stamp from each of the six world-class rollercoasters, then share on Instagram using #FestivalofThrills.

In its 10 years, The Smiler has delivered over 12 million riders. One of its biggest fans is Rachel Pender, aka @roller_coaster_rachel, who has amassed over 53k followers for her love of rollercoasters, said: “One of the reasons I enjoy The Smiler so much is the pure joy and escapism it brings. Not only is it the most incredible coaster I've ever ridden, it also has such a cool backstory too. This coaster holds a lot of special memories for me, from my daughter's first ride when she hit the magical 1.4 height restriction, to the special memories made with family and friends.”

To help thrillseekers make special memories this Spring, as part of the event, Alton Towers Resort has announced the return of its student ticket. From just £20, students who are registered with Student Beans can get access to world-class rollercoasters for mid-week fun and thrills.

The parent and toddler pass is also now available for those looking for smaller thrills. Guests can share massive giggles and mega thrills at the UK’s largest theme park including CBeebies Land for just £29 (one adult and one toddler under 5). The exclusive online offer is for visits on selected dates during off-peak periods and is not available during weekends and school holidays. Guests can choose to add on an extra toddler, under 5yrs, for just £5. In addition, under 3’s go free at Alton Towers Resort each and every day!

If one day just isn’t enough, guests can extend their stay with an overnight stay at the Resort’s iconic themed accommodation. From the UK’s only CBeebies Land Hotel and Caribbean themed Splash Landings Hotel, to enchanting log cabins and the eccentric Alton Towers Hotel, there are six delightfully themed accommodations to choose from, and with a buffet breakfast, live evening entertainment, free parking and a free round of Extraordinary Golf, it’s the perfect escape for friends and families.

Join us… for a series of marmalising experiences dedicated to the world’s first 14-looping rollercoaster, The Smiler, in its 10th year.

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A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

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I did right this in the middle of June. At ease, taking my time, admiring each of its twenty... read more

Recommend to see changing of the guards at the evening. Kids will be impressed, then continue to... read more

Very domineering and pretty too. Walk around them and see the previous leaders, changing of the guard, the flame for the fallen soldiers. Another must see in moscow.

We were very lucky to have a very knowledgeable guide who was able to bring to like the many hundreds of years of past history. Also did you know there are over 200 Kermlins around the world and the word mean fortress. Really stirred emotion in me hearing about the long battles of this very proud brave peoples. Unfortunately Lenins tomb was closed otherwise I would have been on cloud nine for months. Can't visit Moscow without a tour around the Kermlin and the towers

When I think back to my school years and the cold war, the Kremlin was a portrayed as a dark and forbidding place inhabited by war mongers and until 1990, that portrayal endured. Until then, it was (generally) difficult to visit Russia and the Kremlin was effectively out of bounds except (if at all) under the strictest supervision. Now, over 2 decades later since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, tourists flock to Red Square and the Kremlin to have virtually uninhibited access. There are numerous reviews of TripAdvisor about this area and I won't re-hash any of the details. Suffice to say, that Red Square and the Kremlin should be at the top of your list. The history is breathtaking - not just recent times, but looking back almost 1200 years to the very beginnings of the Russian Empire under the Czars. For history buffs like myself, Russia is a vast treasure trove and Moscow/Red Square is probably ground zero. (Not forgetting Volgograd, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg..... and Kiev, Odessa and Sevastopol..... in the Ukraine). By the way, if you intend to visit the Armory within the Kremlin, buy your entrance ticket BEFORE you queue up to get in. Tickets are not sold at the entrance gate - get them from the ticket kiosk approx 200m away.

In the middle of Russian summer it is bit of a walk around the Kremlin walls and the Towers but the views both of the inside and of the outside areas including the garden and greenery outside the walls makes the trip interesting.

The Kremlin was a place that existed into history books in high school. It was the Cold War and the USSR was dark and forbidden. Once I visited it, it became historical, interesting, and a very moving sight. The soldiers guarding the Kremlin are real people. It is a majestic sight with Red Square, a wonderful entryway, thousands of visitors. and memorials to the fallen. I visited the day before the Olympic torch passed through in October 2013. Moscow is a modern, beautiful city.

The whole is greater than its parts; these hundreds and hundreds of meters of dark red brick and masonry hold centuries of Russian history . To someone who gre up in the cold war paranoia of the 50's and 60's they inspire particular memories of fear and awe as well. There are a number of place where you can get the full impact of the scene with the walls, Kremlin Palace, Ivan tower and those of the other religious buildings. My favorites are on the bridges over the Moscow River, especially at night when those towers are illuminated and gleam white and gold against a black sky; just overwhelming.

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The Assumption Belfry and Ivan the Great Bell Tower

View from a corner of Assumption Cathedral on the architectural ensemble of the Assumption Belfry (at the left) and Ivan the Great Bell Tower (at the right) built in the Moscow Kremlin in 16th century. The tower’s name implies that it had once housed St. John’s Church, and that it used to be the tallest building in Moscow (height with cross is about 80 m). For many decades the bell tower was also the main watchtower in the Kremlin, and later also a fire tower. Petrok Maliy, the Italian architect who built the Kitai-Gorod wall in Moscow, started the construction of the church of the Resurrection, later renamed Church of the Nativity, next to the Ivan the Great Tower in 1532. Decades later was converted to a four-tier belfry for large bells, known today as the Assumption Belfry after its main 64-ton bell placed in the middle of the fourth tier. The Assumption bell tolled only on great holidays and to announce events of exceptional significance.

Photo #043 taken on June 29, 2016 during a tour of Moscow Kremlin with my dear client from Lebanon, Jacques Saade.

About Me in Short

My name's Arthur Lookyanov, I'm a private tour guide, personal driver and photographer in Moscow, Russia. I work in my business and run my website Moscow-Driver.com from 2002. Read more about me and my services , check out testimonials of my former business and travel clients from all over the World, hit me up on Twitter or other social websites. I hope that you will like my photos as well.

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Sitting on Parapet in Background of Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building

My dear clients from USA, Sergio and Odalys Cias, sit on the parapet of the river Moskva (Moscow) at Kosmodamianskaya Embankment in the background of the impressive Stalin skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya embankment in sweet light after sunset at the beginning of the Moscow by Night tour.

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