Photo: Юрий Д.К. (CC BY 4.0)
Culture and heritage · Russia
The Kremlin and Red Square with a private guide
A full day inside the Kremlin walls and on Red Square with a private Arabic-speaking guide, from Cathedral Square to the treasures of the tsars. Tickets booked ahead, at a pace that suits you.
Moscow · Russia
The experience
The Kremlin, "the fortress inside the city", has been the heart of Moscow for centuries. Its red walls run 2,235 m and carry 20 towers, built by Italian masters between 1485 and 1495; the tallest, the Trinity Tower, rises 80 m. It was closed to visitors until 1955.
Your day begins on Cathedral Square, with the Cathedral of the Dormition (1479), the Cathedral of the Annunciation (1489) and the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael (1508), and nearby the Tsar Bell, the largest bell in the world, and the Tsar Cannon. Then the Armoury, with the carriages, crowns and diplomatic gifts of the tsars, and the Diamond Fund and its historic stones.
After lunch you step out onto Red Square, whose name once meant "beautiful square". At one end rise the coloured domes of Saint Basil's Cathedral, built between 1555 and 1561; along one side runs GUM under its glass roof, and at the far end stands the red facade of the State Historical Museum.
Your guide is licensed and Arabic-speaking, knows the place and its history, and sets the pace for you and your children. We book timed tickets for the Armoury and the Diamond Fund in advance, plan the day around the museums' opening days, and, if you wish, end it with an evening at the Bolshoi nearby.
Where to stay
Stays close by
City
Moscow
Four Seasons Hotel Moscow
A few steps from the Kremlin and Red Square, a modern take on the legendary 1930s Hotel Moskva. Some of the city's largest rooms, Italian and Russian cooking, and the Amnis Spa.
Price on requestExplore
City
Moscow
Hotel Metropol Moscow
A historic hotel five minutes' walk from the Kremlin, Red Square and the Bolshoi, where old Moscow meets modern comfort. Renovated smart-home rooms, the Michelin-starred Savva, and a breakfast voted the best hotel breakfast in Russia.
Price on requestExplore
City
Moscow
LOTTE HOTEL MOSCOW
A five-star hotel on Novinsky Boulevard in central Moscow, opened in 2010, with 300 rooms and suites. OVO for Italian, MEGUMI for Japanese, the Balinese Mandara Spa, an indoor pool and the largest royal suite in Moscow.
Price on requestExplore
Russia
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