Russia's capital: Red Square, the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Bolshoi Theatre, palace-like metro stations and the Moscow City skyscrapers. Long summer days in the parks, New Year light displays in winter. Mongolian citizens stay 30 days visa-free (with an advance RuID application). In 2026 there is no direct flight from Ulaanbaatar — connect via Irkutsk, Beijing or Istanbul. Airports close suddenly during drone attacks and foreign cards don't work, so bring cash and a flexible plan.
🛂 Visa: Visa-free · 30 days✈ Flight: 11h☀ Best months: May, June, July, August
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: May, June, July, August, September, December.
Things to see (13)
🧸 for kids
Red Square and GUM★ 4.8 (60,000)
CityFreeSquare usually open (closed during events); GUM 10:00–22:00
The heart of Moscow: the Kremlin wall, Lenin's Mausoleum, the State Historical Museum and Kazan Cathedral. Beside it, GUM, the 19th-century glass-roofed arcade — famous ice cream and 'Stolovaya No. 57'. In winter, an ice rink and a New Year market on the square.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goNo visa is needed, but since 2026 visa-free entry to Russia requires an advance application, Mongolian cards barely work there and there is no direct flight — sort these out at home.+
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30 days visa-free
Mongolian citizens with any type of passport stay in Russia up to 30 days without a visa, no more than 90 days in total within 180. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your return. Work or study needs a visa.
From 1 July 2026 visa-free visitors must apply in the 'Gosuslugi RuID' app at least 72 hours before crossing the border (and no earlier than 90 days), uploading a face photo and passport. Once approved you get a QR code to show at the border with your passport. Children under 6 are exempt; parents apply for those aged 6–18.
Tip: The rule is new and enforcement may change — check with the Russian embassy or a travel agency before you go. Print the QR code on paper too.
There is no direct Ulaanbaatar–Moscow flight in 2026, so connect via Irkutsk, Beijing or Istanbul. Moscow's airports close for hours during drone attacks, so book connections on a single ticket with a long gap between them. Visa and Mastercard don't work — take all your trip money in cash and check that your insurance covers Russia.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityMoscow has three big airports; connecting flights usually land at Sheremetyevo (SVO), sometimes at Vnukovo or Domodedovo.+
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Border and migration card
At the border show your passport and the RuID QR code and fill in the migration card — write 'tourism' as the purpose. Keep the second half of the card with your passport until you leave; losing it causes trouble on exit.
From Sheremetyevo the Aeroexpress train reaches Belorussky station in ~50 minutes, 500₽ online or 560₽ at the counter; a family ticket for up to 4 people is 1,250₽. It runs roughly 5:00–00:30. It avoids traffic jams, so a taxi is rarely faster.
At night or with lots of luggage, order a Yandex Go taxi or a hotel transfer; the fare is shown upfront. Don't get in with unofficial drivers touting at the exit. If your flight is delayed, tell your hotel.
Roaming from Mongolian operators such as Unitel and Mobicom works in Russia but data is expensive — check your Russia roaming package before leaving. Foreign eSIMs such as Airalo usually aren't sold for Russia.
Tip: Download the Moscow maps in Yandex Maps and 2GIS for offline use — essential when mobile internet is switched off.
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Russian SIM — passport and biometrics
Since 2025 a foreigner buying a SIM needs a passport, the migration card, a verified Gosuslugi account and biometrics (photo and voice) taken at the operator; it takes 30–45 minutes. Buy at an official MTS, Beeline, MegaFon or T2 store.
In 2026 mobile internet in Moscow has repeatedly been cut for days at a time, with only a short whitelist of sites working. Some foreign apps and sites are blocked permanently. Use hotel and café Wi-Fi, and keep your hotel address, QR code and tickets saved on your phone and printed on paper.
🚇Getting aroundThe metro is fast, cheap and clean — most places are reached by metro and on foot.+
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Troika card and the metro
Get a Troika card at a metro ticket office for a 150₽ deposit and top it up with cash. A metro, MCC or MCD ride costs 75₽; the '90 minutes' fare is 112₽ for one metro ride plus unlimited buses. An unlimited 1-day 'Yediny' ticket is 415₽.
Surface transport is also paid with Troika; see routes and arrival times in Yandex Maps. Yandex Go taxis show the fare upfront and accept cash. Traffic in the centre is heavy at rush hour, so the metro is faster.
In summer river boats run along the Moskva between Zaryadye, Gorky Park and Moscow City — a pleasant way to see the city. Most central sights are close together and easy on foot; use the underground pedestrian crossings.
💳Money+
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Cash roubles — the main way to pay
Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards don't work in Russia. Buy roubles at a bank in Ulaanbaatar, or exchange dollars, euros or yuan at a bank in Moscow (Sberbank, VTB, etc.) with your passport. Markets, minibuses and small cafés take cash only. Up to $10,000 can be brought in without a customs declaration.
UnionPay cards from Mongolian banks sometimes work in big Russian shops and hotels, but not reliably — ask your bank before going. For a longer stay you can open a MIR card at a Russian bank with your passport and then pay by phone through SBP or MirPay.
Tip: Split your cash and leave part in the hotel; compare exchange rates between banks.
🍜FoodMoscow has everything from traditional Russian food to Uzbek, Georgian and Asian cuisine.+
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Russian food
Borscht, pelmeni, blini, beef stroganoff, 'herring under a fur coat' salad, kvass. Chains like Stolovaya, Teremok and Mu-Mu are cheap with picture menus, easy with children. 'Stolovaya No. 57' in GUM serves food in a historic setting.
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Georgian and Uzbek food
Close to Mongolian tastes: Uzbek plov, samsa and lagman; Georgian khinkali (like buuz), khachapuri and shashlik. The city has a great many such restaurants at mid-range prices.
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Where to eat and tipping
Food halls such as Depo and Tsentralny Rynok put many cuisines under one roof. Supermarkets (VkusVill, Pyatyorochka, Perekrestok) sell ready meals and fruit. Tipping is optional; leave a little if the service was good.
Tip: Some restaurants only take Russian cards — ask whether they accept cash before sitting down.
🛡️Safety and health+
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Emergency numbers
The unified number 112 works 24 hours, free, even from a phone with no credit. Also fire and rescue 101, police 102, ambulance 103. English-speaking operators are rare — have basic Russian phrases or a translation app ready.
In 2025–2026 all of Moscow's airports have closed for hours during Ukrainian drone attacks, delaying or cancelling hundreds of flights. If an air alert is announced, go inside a building or into the metro. Foreign governments advise against travel to Russia.
Police check passports — always carry the original and your migration card; copies are not accepted. Don't photograph airports or military and official sites, and keep away from protests. In trouble, contact the Embassy of Mongolia: 11 Borisoglebsky Lane, +7 495 690-67-92.
🙏Manners+
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In churches
In Orthodox churches men remove hats, women cover their heads with a scarf and a skirt is appropriate; no shorts or bare shoulders. Don't take photos during services and keep quiet.
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Red Square and memorials
The Kremlin and Red Square have security checks and large bags aren't allowed. Treat the Eternal Flame and war memorials with respect and keep your voice down. On metro escalators stand on the right and leave the left for walkers.
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Dealing with people
Russians don't smile at strangers but are friendly when asked for help. Hello is 'Zdravstvuyte', thank you 'Spasibo'. On public transport give your seat to elderly people and those with children. Drinking alcohol in public places is banned.
📱Useful apps+
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Border and transport
'Gosuslugi RuID' — the visa-free entry application and QR code. Moscow Metro — the metro map and Troika top-ups. Yandex Maps — routing. Yandex Go — taxis. Aeroexpress — airport trains.
2GIS — opening hours of shops, clinics and cafés, offline maps. Yandex Translate or Google Translate's camera mode translate menus and signs — download Russian for offline use.
Get to the airport at least 3 hours ahead — it can close during drone attacks and security checks are slow. At the border hand over your passport and the remaining half of the migration card. Overstaying the 30 days brings a fine and a re-entry ban.
Matryoshka dolls, Pavlovo Posad shawls, Alyonka chocolate, tea and honey make good presents. Spend or exchange leftover roubles before leaving — the rouble rate in Mongolia is poor. Cash over $10,000 must be declared at customs.
The tsars' fortress: the gold-domed cathedrals of Cathedral Square, the Tsar Bell and Tsar Cannon. The Armoury holds crowns, carriages and Fabergé eggs. Buy tickets online early; bags must be left in the cloakroom.
CultureForeigners 2,000₽ (Russia/EAEU 700₽)11:00–18:00 (Nov–Apr until 17:00, May–Aug from 10:00); closed the first Wednesday of each month
The colourful onion-domed 16th-century cathedral — Moscow's symbol. Inside are 10 small chapels, narrow stairs and painted walls. Photograph it free from the south end of Red Square.
NatureFree (pavilions and ice cave extra)Park 24 hours; pavilions 10:00–20:00 (Mondays from 14:00)
A modern park next to the Kremlin: the 'Floating Bridge' over the Moskva River gives great views of the Kremlin and St. Basil's. Tundra, taiga and steppe zones, an ice cave and a media centre — easy walking with children.
Culture700₽ (reduced 500₽, under 6 free)Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–20:00 (Thursday and Friday until 21:00), closed Mondays
Original ancient Egyptian and Greek finds, Old Master paintings and a hall of plaster casts of antique sculpture. Opposite stands the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour — golden domes and a footbridge over the river.
CultureTickets ≈500–50,000₽ (depending on seat)Performances usually at 19:00; summer break in July–August
The world-famous ballet and opera house: 'Swan Lake', 'The Nutcracker'. Tickets cost the same for foreigners and Russians and sell out early — buying at the theatre box office with your passport and cash is the most reliable way.
A palace-like metro: Komsomolskaya's ornate ceiling, Mayakovskaya's mosaics, Ploshchad Revolyutsii's bronze statues. One fare lets you hop between stations without exiting; avoid rush hours.
KidsFree (Moskvarium and museums extra)Grounds daily; pavilion hours vary
A vast Soviet-era exhibition park: the golden 'Friendship of Peoples' fountain, the Space pavilion, a Vostok rocket and the Moskvarium aquarium. In winter one of Russia's largest ice rinks. The Cosmonautics Museum is next door.
Gorky Park, Neskuchny Garden and Sparrow Hills★ 4.7 (40,000)
NatureFree24 hours
A green belt along the Moskva River: bikes, scooters and playgrounds in Gorky Park, skating in winter; walk on through the woods of Neskuchny Garden up to the Sparrow Hills viewpoint — the Moscow State University tower, Luzhniki and a city panorama.
Old Moscow's pedestrian street: street artists, musicians, matryoshka dolls, souvenirs and cafés. The Mongolian embassy is nearby on Borisoglebsky Lane.
A 360° observation deck on the 89th floor of the Federation Tower, one of Europe's tallest buildings; the ticket includes tastings at chocolate and ice-cream workshops. Go at sunset to watch the city lights come on.
CultureGrounds free; museums from ≈200₽Grounds 5:30–22:00 (May–Sep until 00:00); museums Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–18:00
The tsars' country estate: the UNESCO-listed white Church of the Ascension (1532), the rebuilt wooden palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, apple orchards and a riverside ravine. Good for walks and picnics.
