11 Days in Moscow in Summer 2026: My Second Trip to Russia

Almost two years after my first trip to Russia, I'm finally back. And just like how spontaneous my trip was back then, this year wasn't so different. I had just come back from Sri Lanka in May 2026, and financially, I was in no position to afford another trip this year.

But my piling leave credits — which I couldn't carry over to next year — plus the upcoming audits at work (not just one, but TWO audits!) were already making me hate my job. So, I decided I needed to at least breathe and enjoy life for a while.

Unlike my first trip in 2024, this time, my plan was much simpler: Explore Moscow, visit my boyfriend, and meet some of his friends.

Instead of city hopping (which was nice, to be fair), I really wanted to explore Moscow as deeply as possible. I also felt that I didn't experience that much of the city during my first trip, which is probably why I have very few posts about Moscow on this blog.

If this is your first time reading about my travels in Russia, you can start with my 2024 Russia travel story, Oh Russia, you're my sweetest mistake, when I traveled through Moscow, St. Petersburg, Murmansk, and Teriberka during Autumn.

Planning a Russia trip? I also have a Travel to Russia Guide covering the practical stuff: safety, sanctions, payments, internet, and immigration. I originally wrote it in 2024 and will be updating the information that has changed since then.

Before the Trip: Getting a Russian Visa

During my first trip to Russia in 2024, I went through the traditional tourist visa process. For this trip, I finally applied for Russia's unified electronic visa or e-Visa as a Filipino passport holder.

The process was much simpler and cheaper than what I experienced two years ago. I will write a separate step-by-step Russian e-visa guide for Filipinos covering the application, requirements, cost, and what to expect at immigration.

If you're not eligible for the e-Visa or your trip doesn't fall within its conditions, you may instead need a traditional visa. You can use my older traditional visa guide as a reference, although I recommend checking the latest official requirements as the process may have changed since my application.

🔗 Related Posts: 

• Applying for a Russian Tourist Visa as a Philippine Passport Holder in 2024
• Russian E-Visa Application Guide for Filipinos in 2026 (work in progress)

Getting to Moscow: Flying with Etihad Airways

Another big difference this time was my choice of airport and airline.

Back in 2024, I flew with Air Arabia from Sharjah. While the flight itself was fine, getting all the way to Sharjah Airport wasn't really worth it for me once I factored in the taxi cost and additional travel time.

This time, I flew with Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi. Although Abu Dhabi Airport is also outside Dubai, getting there was much more convenient for me because of the bus transfer from Ibn Battuta.

I actually wrote a comparison of the best airports in the UAE for tourists, but you can also use it to compare your options if you're a UAE resident deciding whether to fly from Dubai, Sharjah or Abu Dhabi.

If you're still looking for flights to Russia, you can compare available routes and fares through Aviasales. You can also use it to search for domestic flights within Russia.

Our 11-Day Moscow Itinerary at a Glance

This wasn't the itinerary we originally planned. Not even close. Because apparently, my boyfriend and I are both overachievers when it comes to planning trips!

Well, change is the only constant thing in this world, and apparently, so are our travel plans. Read further to find out what actually happened during our 11 days in Moscow.

Days 1-3: Back in Moscow, Stay in Izmailovo, and Moscow Metro Tour

After arriving in Moscow, we went to visit Red Square right away. It's iconic, timeless, and as photogenic as ever. Unlike my first visit, there wasn't the same pressure to see everything around Red Square this time. So, I skipped GUM and the Moscow Kremlin Museums, both of which I had already visited before.

I also wanted to visit Lenin's Mausoleum, only to find out that it was already closed by the time we arrived. Oops, someone didn't do a quick Google check beforehand. Yes, that's me.

After that, we explored St. Basil's Cathedral from the inside and walked towards the floating bridge at Zaryadye Park. Both were nice and easy activities for our first day back in Moscow.

Since we were staying at VEGA Izmailovo Hotel, we spent the next day exploring its next-door attraction: the colorful Izmailovo Kremlin and Market.

Despite the name, this isn't the Kremlin beside Red Square. It's a much newer cultural complex filled with colorful towers and Russian-inspired architecture. But the part I was actually most excited about was the market.

On our third day, there was a bit of rain. Instead of forcing an outdoor activity, we decided to tour several Moscow Metro stations that we found particularly beautiful. I won't reveal all of them at once, but here's one of my favorites: Komsomolskaya Metro Station.

And because the Moscow Metro network is HUGE, touring every beautiful station is almost impossible. We didn't even make it to ten before I called it quits; the stairs and endless transfers killed me. 😂

Days 4-5: From Sparrow Hills to Cycling the VELO1

Despite not really being a hike, I was ecstatic to finally visit Sparrow Hills, or Vorobyovy Gory. It has ecotrails which I thought could pass as an urban hike in Moscow.

While the trails were shorter than I expected (but I would still write a guide about them!), I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy the experience. Sparrow Hills has one of the best views of Moscow — at least as far as my experience goes since I haven't been on any rooftop tours yet. Plus, it's such an easy escape from the noise of the city and probably one of my favorite places from this trip.

The next day, we took a train to Yakhroma to start our cycling journey along VELO1.

Cycling the full route all the way to Dubna was really tempting. But considering that I had no proper training beforehand — except for that one time I went cycling in Al Qudra in Dubai — we decided to cut the ride a bit short.

Even then, my butt hurt so bad by the end of it. 😂 And as if that wasn't enough, I even fell off the bike near the end of our ride and went home with a huge violet bruise afterwards. In the end, we still managed to cycle around 34 kilometers. Worth it though!

Days 6-7: A Slower Side of Moscow — Tea, Arcades, Termoland & Soviet Architecture

During these days, I was really forced to take it slow as I unexpectedly had some vertigo episodes. It had started before our Sri Lanka trip, but there had been no signs of it for about a week before Moscow. At the same time, there were continuous forecasts of rain, so...

We spent the next two days exploring cozy yet fun and interesting indoor places instead. The first memorable stop was a teahouse where I experienced a simple tea ceremony. I'm not much of a tea lover, but the whole experience was actually really pleasant. It made me really, really want to book a flight to China soon.

Next was the Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines, where we were taken back to our childhood and reminisced about the days when all we had to do was play and not pay bills! The museum doesn't only have several old-school arcade machines; it even has a vintage photobooth. It took us FOUR attempts to finally get our photo printed properly. That's the price of vintage, I guess. Lol.

Another indoor activity, and probably my favorite of them all, was Termoland.

After experiencing the famous Sanduny Baths during my first Moscow trip, Termoland felt completely different. My experience in Sanduny's women's section was more expensive, smaller, and much more traditional. Meanwhile, Termoland was more affordable, family-friendly, gender-mixed, with multiple saunas, pools, wellness facilities, and even a gym.

For the kind of wellness day I personally enjoy, I'd rather spend my money at Termoland!

Last but not least was The Narkomfin Building (Dom Narkomfina), an experimental housing project designed around collective living and communal facilities.

I'm neither an art nor a history expert, so trying to understand the ideas behind the building was quite a learning experience for me. I'll try to explain what I learned — in much simpler terms — in a separate post. Maybe? 😂

Day 8: VDNKh Was Much Bigger Than I Expected

This was probably the day I was most excited about — VDNKh.

I already knew VDNKh was huge. My boyfriend described it to me as something similar to Expo 2020 in Dubai, and that information alone told me there was absolutely no way I could see everything in one visit. So, for once, I tried not to be too ambitious. 😂

Between the enormous Soviet-era pavilions, the Friendship of Nations Fountain, Stone Flower Fountain, museums, national pavilions, and the sheer amount of walking involved, VDNKh easily became one of the biggest sightseeing days of the trip.

It was one of those places where I kept stopping to take photos while simultaneously realizing:

There is absolutely no way I can explain this properly in just two or three paragraphs.

So, VDNKh eventually earned its own post in this blog; it's still a work in progress though!

Days 9-11: Kolomna & Our Final Days in Moscow

My last few days in Moscow were a bit slower. We kept them for a day trip out of Moscow, catching up with my boyfriend's friends, last-minute souvenir shopping, and a repeat visit to Termoland — because why not?

Along with some of my boyfriend's friends, we took a train to Kolomna, a historic city famous for its local delicacies, pastila and kalach. It was nice to get out of Moscow for a day and explore somewhere smaller and quieter after spending more than a week in such a massive city.

We also met several other friends during my last few days and squeezed in some last-minute souvenir shopping at Alyonka, home of probably one of the most recognizable chocolate faces in Russia.

Not only did I have so much fun choosing candies and chocolates to bring home, but a random man approached us and gave us his mobile number, which we used to get 50% off our total bill! 😂 Большое спасибо!!

And since I loved Termoland so much, we decided to squeeze in one more session before my flight. Who knows how long it will be before I get to experience it again?

And with that, my 11 days in Moscow came to an end.

The Moscow Trip We Planned vs. The One We Actually Had

Looking back at our original itinerary, we were really overachievers.

But we failed to consider several factors such as commuting time, sudden rain, burnout, and even a vertigo episode. There were supposed to be visits to Losiny Ostrov, Bunker-42, Tsaritsyno, Kolomenskoye, the observation deck in Moscow City, and so much more.

Almost every day, we kept changing our plans depending on the weather and how we felt. Sometimes it was frustrating, sometimes it was annoying. I would see an opportunity for a potential blog post, only for it to disappear before I could actually visit the place.

But we had to go with the flow. There is no such thing as a perfectly planned vacation itinerary.

And just like how my previous visit forced me to simply enjoy the city as it is, I eventually did the same thing this time. Some cities are just meant to be absorbed, wandered, and felt.

Instead of forcing myself to accumulate potential blog posts, we compromised. We skipped some places and focused our energy on the destinations and experiences that were non-negotiable for us.

And while part of me still felt like I didn't complete my "Moscow assignment," we kept reminding ourselves of one thing:

Moscow isn't going anywhere. 😉

So, Was Moscow Worth Visiting Again?

Absolutely.

Looking back at our 11 days in Moscow, I'm actually glad we didn't manage to follow the original itinerary. Because if we did, maybe I'd finally say, "Okay, I'm done with Moscow," and wouldn't have that same yearning to come back for a third visit.

On my first visit, I wanted to see Russia. On this trip, I wanted to see the deeper layers of Moscow. Not every famous attraction, but the parts that genuinely interested me — urban hikes, a Soviet communal apartment building, and even cycling outside Moscow.

At the same time, traveling to Moscow during summer was a completely different vibe.

Long sunny days (okay, not all days though), parks filled with families, couples and groups of friends spending quality time together, fresh fruits sold on the streets, random walks along beautiful boulevards, Termoland days, and beautiful sunsets.

Similar to how I experienced Kyrgyzstan through its different seasons (read my travel story: Four Seasons of Happiness in Kyrgyzstan), the idea of coming back to Moscow for another season interests me too.

Maybe winter in Moscow next time?

For now, though, I have a lot of stories left to write from this one.