View prices and You can order an individual Moscow Sightseeing Tour by car or minibus from the Radius agency here. And below we have performed an analysis of sightseeing tours as such.
Definition
A sightseeing tour is aa tour during which you get a broad understanding of the history, culture, architecture and urbanism of the city being viewed, its past, starting from the first mention of it, and, what is important in a current tour, its present and development prospects.
A sightseeing tour is a story told by a guide against the backdrop of your movements from one attraction to another. You can travel by bus, car, scooters/bicycles, along the river or on foot.
During the excursion, in 3-5 hours, guests should form a 3D composition of the city with its historical buildings, structures, famous enterprises, parks, monasteries and residential buildings, and evaluate it on a national scale, and possibly the world.
Other types of excursions (thematic excursions and trips to museums) clarify the picture of the city in detail and reveal new topics.
And of course, during the sightseeing walk you can take the most colorful photographs against the backdrop of diverse and impressive sights! Especially when it comes to Moscow.
Sightseeing tour of Moscow
A sightseeing tour of Moscow is perhaps the most comprehensive in Russia, both in terms of historical and cultural material, and in terms of the quantity and quality of attractions and “places of power”.
What attractions are there in the capital?
Below is just part of Moscow’s “cultural and historical set” of attractions and visually impressive additions.
- Kremlin, Red Square, Zaryadye Park, Alexander Garden, GUM, Mausoleum, Lobnoe Mesto, monument to Minin and Pozharsky, Iverskie (Resurrection) Gate. Zaryadye Park, Trade and Exhibition Complex "Manege", Shopping and Entertainment Complex "Okhotny Ryad", a complex of fountains on Manezh Square, monument to G.K. Zhukov, Library named after Lenin, State Duma on Okhotny Ryad, Lubyanskaya Square with the KGB (now FSB) building, Bolshoi Theater, Memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill, Moscow City skyscraper complex with observation decks, Ropeway on Sparrow Hills, Khodynskoye Field, Great Communist Utopia VDNKh, Ostankino Tower, Luzhniki sports complex, main building of Moscow State University. Lomonosov, monument to Peter I, Gorky Park of Culture and Leisure.
- 700 museums and panoramas, the most famous of which are: Tretyakov Gallery, State Historical Museum, Pushkin Museum
- With three dozen historical hotels, the most famous of which are the Metropole, National, "Savoy" Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya, "Soviet", Radisson Collection (formerly “Ukraine”) and Four Seasons (formerly “Moscow”), “Cosmos”.
- Majestic cathedrals. In total, there are more than 1,200 churches, chapels, mosques, and synagogues in Moscow.
The most famous Orthodox churches: the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, St. Basil's Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God on Red Square, Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin.
And: Blagoveshchensky cathedral, Cathedral of the Archangel, Bell tower of Ivan the Great (on the territory of the Kremlin), Krutitskoye Patriarchal Metochion, Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Kolomenskoye, Temple of the Holy Blessed Prince Igor of Chernigov, Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Borisov Ponds, Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Altufyevo, Church of St. George the Victorious on Pskovskaya Gorka, Church of Barbara the Great Martyr on Varvarka, Church of St. Maxim the Blessed on Varvarka, Church of Simeon the Stylite on Povarskaya, Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki, Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Ostankino, Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fili, Cathedral of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, Temple in the name of the Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome, Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill, Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in Nikitniki, Temple of Gregory of Neocaesarea, Temple of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Krapivniki, Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Rogozhskaya Sloboda, Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills, Church of the Great Martyr Catherine on Vspolye, Church of the Ascension on the Pea Field, Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God “Consolation and Consolation” on Khodynskoe Field, Church of Boris and Gleb in Zyuzino, Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” in Kuntsevo, Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God “Life-Giving Spring” in Tsaritsyn, Church of Metropolitan Philip in Meshchanskaya Sloboda, Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Troekurov, Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” in Aksinin, Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Khamovniki, Temple of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Raev,
Catholic and Lutheran churches: Catholic Church of St. Louis of France, Anglican church St. Andrew, Armenian temple complex, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Lutheran Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.
Mosques: Moscow Cathedral Mosque (is the second largest mosque in Russia), Historic Moscow Mosque, Memorial mosque on Poklonnaya Hill.
Synagogues: Moscow Choral Synagogue, Memorial Synagogue on Poklonnaya Hill, Synagogue on Bolshaya Bronnaya, Darkei Shalom Synagogue, Jewish Museum of Tolerance, Synagogue in Maryina Roshcha.
- 15 monasteries: Mother of God-Smolensk Novodevichy Convent (or simply Novodevichy Convent), Danilov, Donskoy, Spaso-Andronikov Monastery, Novospassky Stauropegial Monastery, Znamensky Monastery, which is in the Old Sovereign's Courtyard, Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery, Marfo-Mariinskaya Convent of Mercy, St. Andrew's Stauropegial Monastery, Mother of God Nativity Convent, Nikolo-Perervinsky Monastery, Sretensky Stauropegial Monastery monastery, Zachatievsky stauropegial convent, St. John the Baptist monastery, Epiphany monastery
- Magnificent boyar chambers: the chambers of the Romanov boyars, the Old English Court, the chambers of Simon Ushakov
- Famous cemeteries: Novodevichye, Vagankovskoe
- Lefortovo Park and German Settlement
- House-museums of famous personalities: Chaliapin, L. Tolstoy, A. Tolstoy, Yesenin, Mayakovsky, Tsvetaeva, Stanislavsky
- Arbat with Tsoi's Wall, Patriarch's Ponds
- Olympic Sports Complex (now demolished and being rebuilt), the largest mosque in the city
- Exchange Square, Printing and Old English Courtyards
- Historical streets: the main street of the country Tverskaya, Kamergersky Lane, Varvarka with many churches
- Theaters
- Estates and parks: Kolomenskoye, Tsaritsyno, Izmailovo Kremlin
- Prechistenskaya embankment, Patriarchal Bridge, Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge, Trifonov’s “house on the embankment”, Kharitonenko’s mansion.
- St. Ambrose Church with the refectory and chambers of Irina Godunova, the Assumption Church with the refectory, the bell tower with the Church of Saints Varlaam and Josaph, the chambers of Princess Evdokia Alekseevna, the Treasury Chambers, the Singing Chambers, the Sophia Tower (Naprudnaya Tower), the Gate Transfiguration Church, the gate Church of the Intercession, Bolshoi Novodevichy pond
- Film studio "Mosfilm"
- Historical, still active stations: list
- Stalin's skyscrapers (eight): list
- Grand metro stations, the most famous of which are:
It is impossible to cover such diversity during one sightseeing excursion, so the organizers of the excursion (private guide or excursion agency guide) choose for the route the most important, impressive and suitable for such a “gallop through the beauty” excursion format.
The location of the attractions relative to each other is also taken into account. For example, if a sightseeing tour of the center of Moscow is planned, as well as Kolomenskoye Park, Moscow-City, VDNKh, the observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory with a visit to the cable car and the Izmailovsky Kremlin, then the guide understands that these objects are located in different parts of Moscow, and the sightseeing program for them cannot last less than 4, or even better - 5 hours.
What offers and prices are there for sightseeing tours in Moscow?
First, a few words of theory. Prices for a sightseeing tour depend on its parameters:
- Individual or team. An individual excursion is an excursion that is conducted only for you and your group of friends/family. In general, without strangers. A group excursion is when other people who have purchased a ticket for the same time participate in the excursion with you. For example, the presence of a schedule like “On weekdays, at 18:00” is a sign of a group excursion. Group excursions are significantly cheaper than individual ones, but for a large group of tourists they can be compared when calculating the price per person.
Advantages of individual excursions over group tours:
— You hear everything the guide says.
— Special attention is paid to those places that particularly interest you.
- Nobody is in a hurry. Take a good look at the sight - they won’t leave without you.
— You don’t have to get up early or come at an inconvenient time. You choose when.
— The guide doesn’t stop at points of sale (at least we don’t).
— Without loud laughter and inappropriate jokes from other excursion participants.
— The guide’s full attention is on you.
- Deeper dive.
- Transport: bus, car, boat, walking (and metro), scooters/bicycles. (flights of helicopters and airplanes over Moscow are prohibited). The price is also affected by the crew: a driver with a guide costs more than a guide who is also a driver.
- Guide (experience, appearance and age, education, charisma).
- Bureau or private guide. Private services are cheaper).
We scoured the first pages of Yandex and Google and analyzed typical offers for sightseeing tours in Moscow.
Let's start with the most inexpensive group options and move towards individual sightseeing tours of the capital.
Walking "sightseeing" tours of Moscow
- Walking “sightseeing” tour, 600 rubles per person, 2 hours, team.
In fact, this is not a sightseeing tour of Moscow in the traditional sense. This is a tour of Red Square and the surrounding area - Ilyinka and Nikolskaya streets, a bit of Varvarka (the chambers of the Romanov boyars), Birzhevaya Square, Pechatny and Old English Yards...
The fact is that you cannot walk through the most famous places in Moscow in 2 or even 4 hours. Therefore, this option is sometimes also called “Sightseeing tour of Red Square.” What does it look like? You buy a ticket for a certain time, go to the designated place, walk with the guide and other excursionists, follow his story to the right and left, periodically stopping at the points specified by the guide’s script.
- Walking “sightseeing” tour, 2600 per group of up to 5 people, 2 hours, individual.
This route also goes through Red Square and around it, but individually, that is, only for you and your company. In terms of geography, the excursion is similar to our Radius excursion “The Heart of the Capital”.
The advantages of an individual excursion are communication with the guide and the opportunity to ask questions.
- Sightseeing tour on foot and by metro, 3 hours, 5200 rubles per group, individual
The metro allows you to see different areas of Moscow in one day. In 3 hours of this excursion, the author proposes to explore the triangle of the Red Square, Cathedral of Christ the Savior and Arbat districts, as well as a couple of outstanding metro stations.
We go further - by bus.
Bus sightseeing tours
- Sightseeing tour by bus, 3 hours, 800 rubles per person, team
- Sightseeing tour by bus, 4 hours, 1000 rubles per person, team
The tour buses have high panoramic windows and are equipped with professional tour guide. A satisfactory “economy” option and very popular, because if you have come to Moscow for the first time, then, of course, you will go for a walk to Red Square, where you will hear the speech of bus touts who offer to see the “must see” places of Moscow in 3-4 hours. Red buses are usually waiting on Vasilievsky Spusk and on its side near GUM. The main advantage is the price. But it is clear that the guide from this bus drives 1-3 such routes every day, and the text of the guide bounces off his teeth, like that of an excellent school student. Clear, dry and soulless. You will be able to ask a question, but there will be no pleasant contact. In the agency we call this “old school”. Although, of course, this is subjective and there are cool exceptions everywhere.
- Buses Hop On - Hop Off, 48 hours, 1800 rubles per person, team
Cool option! “Hop On — Hop Off” is a system that allows you to get off the bus and get on it or another bus at any stop an unlimited number of times during the validity of the ticket (48 hours). They travel on three routes (temporarily, on two). The advantage is that you are not tied to the bus and plan your travel routes for two days. There is no tour guide, there is an audio guide, an earphone. About 30 stops: get on any, ride and get to know Moscow “from above”. No one will answer your questions, there are no insights, but it is stylish and cool. They also work in Kazan and St. Petersburg.
And finally, we move on to the “reviews” of the car.
Individual sightseeing tours by car
Here are some proposals:
- 7,800 rubles, 5 hours by Hyundai Creta, up to 4 people. Irina.
- 8,000 rubles, 4 hours by Kia Optima car, up to 4 people.
- 14,000 rubles, 4 hours by car Mercedes A-class, up to 4 people, Alexander.
- 22,500 rubles, 3 hours by car, up to 4 people, George.
Before analyzing these proposals, we list the obvious advantages of individual excursions.
Safety
What can you say about these proposals?
It is immediately clear that the price of Mercedes is higher than that of Hyundai. This is precisely about the fact that the car brand affects the price.
Further. In all the above-mentioned offers, the excursions are conducted by a guide who himself drives the car. Frankly speaking, this is a violation of technology and, perhaps, safety - the driver, in theory, should only watch the road, which means he cannot be in full contact with the excursionists and show them the sights of Moscow, examining them together with them.
Why do these offers always indicate a number of up to 4 people? Because the proposed excursions are carried out in passenger sedans. That is, one excursionist is offered to sit in the passenger seat next to the driver, and the remaining three - together in the back seat... This is more or less normal if you are quickly returning home in a taxi from a nightclub, but not for an excursion that involves leisurely admiring the views from the windows. Remember that sedans do not have very high windows, which means that the view upwards will be so-so, and this despite the fact that you will spend most of the walk through the golden-domed forest in the car. And the worst view will be for the poor guy sitting in the middle back seat.
For comparison, our offers (Bureau “Radius”):
Mercedes Viano is a comfortable minivan with 6/7 passenger seats. Its large windows allow you to fully enjoy the views of the capital. This is, so to speak, Full HD in the world of urban viewing!
Our driver and guide are different people. This means that each is a professional in their duties and is engaged in the work entrusted to them: the driver delivers excursionists along the route designated by the guide and monitors the safety of passengers, and the guide is in direct contact with the participants and the city's attractions.
The sights on all the sightseeing routes are generally the same, since Moscow's calling cards are unchanged, but the routes that connect them and the order of visits are different, since each guide, each author puts together their program in their own way. But, for example, in one of the sentences above the starting point is the Taganskaya metro station, and you will need to arrive at the starting point and then travel according to a pre-planned and practiced by the guide scenario. We start the excursion from any point: from a hotel, home, train station, airport, from the region. And we also finish the excursion at a place convenient for you. This means that any of our routes is always truly original and unique.
Another little thing: as a rule, excursion offers indicate that parking is paid for separately. But we almost always pay for parking on our excursion ourselves, unless the client initiated the car stop, for example, for lunch. And even then, only if the parking cost more than 1,000 rubles. And even then - not always.
By default, it is assumed that the guide is fully aware of the topic of the excursion. Therefore, it is really cool when the guide is also attractive in a broad sense. The whole point is that the guide is a person with whom you and your guests will communicate and share visual and cultural-historical pleasures for several hours. For example, we often ask for a "young and active male guide" or "female guide". Therefore, most of our guides are under forty. But there are exceptions, because a charismatic guide is not subject to age.
If there are more than 6 of you, we will offer a Mercedes Sprinter, if there are more than 20, a bus. The duration of the excursion is also any.
We are ready to offer a car of increased comfort and prestige. For example, an excursionand a Mercedes S-Class costs 26,000 rubles for one or two people. Additional payment for Maybach: +24,000 rubles to the base price, Rolls Royce: +40,000 rubles, Lamborghini + 84,000 rubles. True, you won’t be able to drive it, and it’s better to check the current price.
Of course, during a good historical and cultural overview tour it is useful to get some modern insight into today - from the sphere of politics, economics and the life of a famous person. "Old school guides" cannot always give such pleasure. Yes, they can tell historical sequences learned over many years, but they do not always have their "finger on the pulse of the city", since modernity and famous persons of today may not interest them at all. Psince we We often take cultural walks with people who are considered well-off and sometimes even “elite”, so our guides know “quite a bit of interesting stuff” from the world of city gossip.
However, the guide’s charisma, knowledge and professionalism are the main thing. Our guides.
River sightseeing tours
By You can sail along the Moscow River with other passengers during a group excursion on one of the many motor ships and listen to the story of an "old school" city guide. Price: around 500-700 rubles.
We are ready to rent a yacht and offer our own guide to our clients who want to swim and learn culturally and historically individually. Price: several thousand rubles (specify).
The consensus option is a river cruise on the designer ship Radisson Royal, where you can, among other things, enjoy the signature bar and cuisine of the legendary flotilla and listen to a personal (just for you) story from a Radius guide about the sights sailing by: the price is about 10,000 rubles (check).