Water walks along the Moscow River are a universal activity: for a romantic date, for a family dinner, and for tourist entertainment. And for Muscovites, this is a way to diversify a walk between a trip to the park and gatherings in a cafe.
I myself enjoy (although not as often as I would like) riding boats: fresh wind, water surface and familiar places from an unusual angle. A win-win set to cheer up! If you are also a fan of boat trips, I will be happy to help you figure out how much a trip along the Moscow River costs, what routes river transport runs from, where you can go sailing on a boat, and how to find the perfect water tram ride in Moscow.
Last time, I took a camera with me on purpose and clicked on a lot of photos for this article – so that it would be visual and not boring!
Where can I ride on the water in Moscow?
Regardless of which pier you land on, the walk route will be plus or minus identical: most likely, you will pass through Red Square and the Kremlin walls, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the statue of Peter I, the Gorky Park embankment and Sparrow Hills.
< p> Prices for boat trips in Moscow in 2023 range from 99 to 2000 rubles per person – a decent spread. Why is that? There are many nuances: the length of the route, the presence of beautiful views on the way, the modernity and well-being of the ship.
In general, the simplest sightseeing walk will cost 600–800 rubles if you buy a ticket in advance on the website (I took it on Sputnik8). But if you spontaneously decide to ride a boat and buy a ticket on the pier, the price will be higher – from 1000 rubles. Therefore, if you want to save money, I advise you to plan and book a trip in advance.
Most often, motor ships and river buses in Moscow depart from these berths:
- The Radisson pier is the hotel building Radisson, this is where their famous super-comfortable motor ships with a restaurant on board leave.
- Berth “Moscow City” – as you might guess, it is located very close to the complexes of skyscrapers; from here they usually go for night walks.
- Pier “Kiev” – not far from the station of the same name (this is where my walk began).
- Pier “Gorky Park” – located on the territory of the main capital park culture and recreation: when I walk along the embankment, I often notice modern yachts and boats with satisfied tourists and Muscovites.
- The Vorobyovy Gory pier is near the local observation deck and within walking distance from the main building of Moscow State University (its you will definitely see the spire from the water during the walk).
- Ustyinsky Pier — next to Kitai-Goro metro station and Bolshoi Ustyinsky Bridge, a 5-minute walk from Zaryadye Park and close to the skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya Embankment.
- Zaryadye Pier — one of the newest, but already popular berths, which opened a few years ago right on the territory of the park. It is impossible to walk around Zaryadye and not receive an invitation to go for a walk right here and now.
The specific pier will be indicated in your tour.
In total, the city has more than 30 moorings, from where boat trips along the Moscow River begin. Basically, the piers are located in the center – and this location does not mean at all that the pier is heavily loaded. For example, only in the vicinity of Moscow City there are already three berths (in addition to Moscow City itself, there are Expocentre and Bagration Bridge nearby).
From the small pier “Tretyakovskiy” at the metro station of the same name, despite the flurry of tourists in the area of the old Tretyakov Gallery, not many ships depart and you can skip the line. Yes, and from the pier “Patriarch” next to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior depart only a few flights a day.
There are also many berths in residential areas: for example, motor ships depart from the Northern River Station at the River Station of the same name, from Frunzenskaya Embankment and from Serebryany Bor in the Khoroshevo area (the nearest station is the MCC Khoroshevo), from the Maryino and Pechatniki districts, and in Kolomenskoye there are already two berths: the eponymous and Klenovy Boulevard. Walks from such areas are much cheaper than the ring route from the central berths. For a purely symbolic amount, you can also ride along the Khimki reservoir from the Northern River Station.
Schedule of river buses in Moscow
Usually, the first motor ships appear on Moskva River in April, but most of the walking season begins in May (and with them promoters return to the streets, cheerfully inviting tourists and citizens to look at the city from the boat).
In summer, boats actively ply around the capital. The season also continues in September – especially in the first couple of weeks, when the city is no longer hot, but still sunny and quite warm. By the end of September, there are fewer flights, but the choice is still large, and in October, with the first frosts, the season for most ships ends – until next spring.
- In general, a clear annual start date and There is no end of river walks – it depends on weather conditions. Last year, for example, in April, snow fell in the capital, and there was no hurry to put the river trams on the water. And a couple of years ago, October turned out to be so warm that they rode a boat in Moscow almost until the very end of the month.
But the discovery for me was the fact that some yachts and boats go along the Moscow River even in winter: after all, in the cold months it does not freeze (well, or it is covered with very thin ice , which the ship will not notice). True, you are unlikely to want to admire the city on the open deck – in winter such a wind blows on the water that even in a down jacket, hat and scarf you can turn into an ice sculpture! Fortunately, there are covered, glazed lower decks with panoramic views.
Among those sailing in the off-season are the Radisson yachts, and from a simpler one, the Maestro and Chizhik. For events, you can rent the Rio boat, thanks to which I learned about winter routes: once, at the very beginning of spring, when the snow had not even begun to melt, I saw a ship in the Sparrow Hills area, on the deck of which, judging by the music, something then noted.
Which water trip is better to choose? Prices for water excursions in Moscow
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Of course, on boat trips along the Moscow River, the options do not end with the story of an audio guide: you can choose a cruise with live music or a disco on the ship. Well, if the scenery of the capital's center gets bored, you can rush beyond it and go to an old village near Moscow.
By the way, on some ships (such as cruise ships, with restaurants and live music) you can bring your own alcohol (except for foam), but you must present a check at the entrance. No other food and drinks can be taken on deck: bags are checked at the boarding gate.
So, on to the excursions!
P.S. if you are cool to selections, reviews and ratings of third-party people, then go straight to Sputnik8 or Tripster – sites that contain all the options for boat trips in Moscow. On the first one, I booked my entertainment for the weekend, which I will tell you about now.
Standard boat trip in Moscow – my experience
The most popular option is classic boat trips along the Moscow River on a water bus through the city center. Almost all the top locations in one bottle – in an hour and a half.
Actually, I went on such a river walk. The flight was on the motor ship Moscow-21 – from the Kyiv pier to Ustyinsky on Kitay-Gorod. The ship itself is quite comfortable, albeit simple: on the lower closed deck there is a buffet counter (where you can buy juices, water and beer, snacks such as nuts, croissants and cookies, and even order pizza), tables and soft sofas.
On deck, the audio guide tells basic facts about the history of Moscow from the time of the princes and the formation of the kingdom to Soviet times. About the formation of the city as the capital of Kievan Rus, about the beginning of stone construction, about urban settlements and even about the traditional food of the first Muscovites, their main modes of transportation and ancient festivities.
- I hope you didn’t blunder 🙂 Actually in fact, being on the water all sounds exciting!
When the next attraction was sailing (even if it was not visible behind the trees), its story sounded. It seems to be such a purely “student” text, as if from school textbooks – but it is really interesting, therefore it is addictive. I sat down to listen for about 10 minutes (the audio guide was hard to hear in the far part of the deck with the best views) – but in the end I stayed until the end, sometimes leaving only to take a photo from a good angle.
Along the way, I saw a lot – from the dome of the Novodevichy Convent (the monastery itself is not visible, but the colorful tops are clearly visible) to the statue of Peter I and the skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya. Well, the little things from the not very well-known were the valley of the Setun River, which flows into the Moscow River, the first coastline of the Zamoskvorechye with merchant houses.
The walk turned out to be very calm: there were just no people on the flight 25–30). The day turned out to be hot, so in the first half of the excursion everyone gathered on the upper deck, but when a strong wind blew in the middle of the walk and the “Antarctica” began, some went down.
Why am I all this – even if you go on a river walk on the warmest and sunniest day, it is better to bring a sweater, shirt, or windproof jacket with you: believe me, it will come in handy, even if it doesn’t seem so at first.
< p>Well, after the tour, you can enjoy walking around Zaryadye: as I said above, it is only 3-4 minutes walk from Ustinsky pier.
Price: without meals one way – 600 rubles; with lunch one way – 850 rubles. Children's ticket (from 6 to 12 years): one way – 400 rubles.
Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes.
Guide/audio guide: there is an audio guide.
Walking along the Moskva River on the Radisson motor ship
Probably the most desirable option among walks with increased comfort is a walk on the Radisson motor ship with dinner. A modern yacht, the lower deck with a restaurant (where you can buy food or drinks for an additional fee) is glazed with panoramic windows, and the upper one is open. All sorts of little things are thought out on board: for example, if you freeze upstairs, they will give you a blanket. The reviews note that the ideal scenario is to order a glass of wine and admire the panoramas of the capital in a calm atmosphere.
The ship departs and returns to the pier near the Radisson Hotel near the Kievsky railway station. The route is slightly longer than the previous river walk: in addition to the Central House of Artists, the monument to Peter I, the main city cathedrals and the Kremlin complex, you will see the Moscow House of Music and the Novospassky Monastery.
Such a walk is well suited for a date, a birthday with a small circle of friends or for family gatherings, but it is most popular with tourists who want to get to know the capital from an unusual angle. Tickets are advised to take well in advance – they fly apart once or twice.
Price: 1640 rubles. Children's ticket (from 6 to 12 years old) – 1280 rubles.
Duration: 3 hours.
Guide/audio guide: there is an accompanying guide.
River walk from Moscow City
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River walks from Moscow City are best planned at night, when the towers are beautifully illuminated. Or on a clear day/evening, when the rays of the sun and the clear sky are beautifully reflected in the glass of skyscrapers.
The location is fashionable, so modern ships with a restaurant on board and an open upper deck with wicker furniture usually leave from here – you can’t ride a simple old boat from here.
- You can go on a trip on a comfortable premium-class liner with two decks. The route runs from Moscow City to the House of Music on Taganka and back – of course, through the Kremlin, Sparrow Hills, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the monument to Peter I and other top locations. For an additional fee, you can double the pleasure of the trip and choose a set of dishes from the chef – salad or appetizer, main course, dessert and drink. And all this splendor is accompanied by live music!
Price: without food – 1100 rubles, with food – from 2540 to 4780 rubles. Children's ticket (from 6 to 12 years old) – from 600 rubles.
Duration: 3 hours.
Guide/audio guide: no.
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- Another option is a trip on a large modern two-deck motor ship from Moscow City to Gorky Park and back. First, you will be treated to lunch or dinner on board (the dishes are simpler than on board the first ship, but also from the chef, and there is also a special children's menu), and then you can dance to covers of retro songs from professional saxophonists. In addition to the skyscrapers themselves, you will also see the Kremlin towers, the churches of St. Basil the Blessed and Christ the Savior, the embankment of Gorky Park and the monumental statue of Peter.
Price: from 1190 rubles.
Duration: 3.5 hours.
Guide/audio guide: none.
Evening boat trip in Moscow
If you want to spend the sun at sunset or admire the lights of the capital from the water, the easiest and most economical option is to book a regular trip (for example, from point 1, or any of the same type) for the evening. Let's say at 19:25 or 20:25. For example, an evening trip on the motor ship Moscow costs the same at any time, so the price will be exactly the same as during the day – from 600 rubles. As a result, you will get a simple, no-frills, but economical and most complete water excursion around Moscow at night.
But you can choose a more interesting option:
- On such a boat trip with dinner in the evening city, you can try dishes from the chef in the banquet hall of a local restaurant (quite simple, but, judging by the reviews, very tasty, besides, they are included in the ticket price), and then go up to the deck and spend the sun . The route will start and end at the Ustinsky pier near Zaryadye, and during the trip you will see the two main cathedrals of the capital (Christ the Savior and St. Basil's), the Kremlin, the White House, the Kiev railway station, the Luzhniki Stadium, Vorobyovy Gory and the Gorky Park embankment. And, of course, the skyscrapers of Moscow City.
Price: 1590 rubles. Children's ticket (from 6 to 12 years old) – 1290 rubles.
Duration: 3 hours.
Guide/audio guide: there is an audio guide.
< p>Another nice option is a trip from Moscow City to Zaryadye and back to the skyscrapers with live saxophone music (sometimes invited cover artists perform instead). Such a walk begins at 20:30, during sunset, and the next couple of hours pass in the scenery of the lights of the night city, brightly illuminating the main sights of the center: Kievskaya Square, Sparrow Hills and Gorky Park, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Kremlin and Red Square. You can complement the trip with a dinner from the chef. By the way, for events you can rent a separate cabin for 9 people: such a pleasure will cost 35,000 rubles, and this amount already includes dinner from the chef.
Price:without meals – 2190 rubles, with meals – 2890 rubles. Children's ticket (from 6 to 12 years old) – 1590 and 1290 rubles, respectively.
Duration: 3 hours.
Guide/audio guide: no.
DJ Set Cruise
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A more incendiary and fun river trip along the Moscow River on a motor ship. The ship is the same “Moskva-21” or “Moskva-24”, which goes on standard boat trips along the Moscow River during the day, and in the evening takes on an unusual format – a disco with modern hits is held on the upper deck of the ship.
It will start and end at the Ustinsky pier on Kitay-gorod, and during the walk you will drive from the Kremlin and Zaryadye to Gorky Park and back. On Saturdays, the route changes slightly: the boat reaches the skyscrapers of Moscow City, and then heads back to Zaryadye. There is a bar on board with snacks and drinks (non-alcoholic, but you can take alcohol with you – most importantly, do not forget the receipt).
It will not work with a child to go on such a mini-trip, you can only buy an adult ticket, but even for those who are older and at first glance have outgrown discos, judging by the reviews, they really like it.
Price: without food – 1100 rubles, with food – 1590 rubles.
Duration: 2.5 hours.
Guide/audio guide: no.
Trip to the village of Troitse-Lykovo by boat
< p>If sightseeing walks along the Moscow River are not new to you and everything has been looked at in the center, I advise you to pay attention to this excursion along the Moscow River to the village of Troitse-Lykovo, where the Trinity Church of the 17th century in the Russian Baroque style has been preserved.
The ship (rather simple, but with all the basic amenities) departs from Moscow City. Along the way, you will be able to enjoy both city views and pretty rural landscapes, and at the same time you will be able to watch how the ships moor. Upon arrival in the village, a tour of the ancient Trinity Compound will be held and, of course, you can visit the Trinity Church: all this is already included in the price of the cruise. To be honest, I wanted to go on such a trip myself!
Price: without food – 2490 rubles, with breakfast – 2790 rubles, with breakfast and lunch – 3190 rubles. Children's ticket (from 5 to 12 years old) – 2290, 2490 and 2890 rubles, respectively.
Duration: 6 hours (including a walking tour of the village).
Guide/audio guide : there is a guide.
Which river trip to choose in Moscow? Tourist reviews
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< img title="Water trips along the Moscow River — prices in 2023 and my review" src="/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/vodnye-progulki-po-moskve-reke-ceny-v-2023- godu-i-moj-otzyv-dabc235.jpg" alt="Water trips along the Moscow River — prices in 2023 and my review" /> |
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If in conditional St. Petersburg the options are not limited to the Neva, and river walk routes run along other city rivers, canals and even the Gulf of Finland, then in Moscow the choice of options is not so diverse. The fact is thatpractically no rivers of the capital, except for Moscow itself, are suitable for water walks.
For example, on the same Yauza, the largest tributary of the Moscow River, along the way there are obstacles that are difficult to bypass, then the water level is completely shallow. A few years ago, they tried to launch boats on it, but they quickly realized that the idea was not a good one, and they turned the bench, so now only a few daredevils go kayaking there.
Otherwise, most of the popular river walks in the center of Moscow follow the historical, northern or central route. All these routes invariably lie through the main attractions of the city. The differences are small:
- The Historical Route is the most popular route in the historical center of Moscow: it starts in the Vorobyovy Gory area and ends near the Novospassky Monastery, at the Proletarskaya metro station.
- Central route– faster and shorter: you start at the Crimean bridge near Gorky Park and turn back near Zaryadye, looking at Red Square along the way.
- Northern route is the one that I used boat: starts from the Kievsky railway station and berths next to the skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya embankment (in principle, also not far from Zaryadye and the Kremlin).
In general, although there are slight differences in the walks (one ship will sail closer to Moscow City, and the second will travel from afar; one will get to the Tagansky House of Music, and the other will stop in the Zaryadye area), these routes are similar to each other. But you can’t see the rest of the sights of the capital from the boat.
Sometimes small single-deck motor ships on a circular route depart from the Tretyakov pier- Moscow River and Vodootvodny Canal. At first you see all the top sights (which I have already mentioned above), but in the area of Gorky Park, before reaching the Sparrow Hills, the ship dives into a narrow channel, after which it goes around Balchug Island, passes over low-hanging bridges from above and runs among the complex of fountains on water. There are few reviews for such walks, so I don’t presume to judge how worth it is – but it sounds intriguing, so I’m thinking of buying a ticket in the near future and checking it myself. This pleasure costs from 800 rubles per person (on weekends – from 1200 rubles), and the duration of the tour is 1 hour 20 minutes.
If your goal is to look at the sights of the city from an unusual angle – a water bus in Moscow – choose one of these four routes: the first three are more classic, the fourth is for those who are looking for variety. Personally, to be honest, in different years I managed to ride only along the historical, central and northern routes, but I plan to look into the circular route in the near future!
I advise fans of unusual trips to pay attention to these two routes, where tourists ride a water bus in Moscow:
- Zapadny — from Moscow City to the ancient village of Troitse-Lykovo, where you can walk around the territory of the ancient courtyard and go to the temple of the 17th century .
- Silver Bor– the route from the Khoroshevsky coniferous forest park, where in summer people like to have picnics, ride Sapah and just walk by the lake, to the village of Troitse-Lykovo.
Of course, not everything rests on swimming in the center of Moscow . Other routes do not reach the central must-see:
- Southern– from Kitay-Gorod (Zaryadye district) to Klenovy Boulevard (near the Technopark, the same station where the huge Dream Island amusement park is located). Such a route is suitable as an unusual way to get to the center or the “Island of Dreams”, but not to explore interesting places in the capital. Of the sights on the way, only the skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya and the Tagansky House of Music await you, and the main part of the route will lie through the industrial zones and buildings of the former ZIL. A tram ticket will cost only 99 rubles, and given that the prices for boat trips in Moscow in 2023 are usually noticeably higher, this is a big plus.
- Northern River Station—Khimki– route along the Moscow Canal and the Khimki water area. Again, you can’t call it a species one: you can only look along the way at the Left Bank Park, the cargo port and the canal itself with the water area. It does not take a course to the city center. But, again, you can ride for only 99 rubles, which residents of nearby areas do with pleasure.
- Kolomensky– from one sleeping area (actually, Kolomenskoye) to others – Maryino and Brateevo. It doesn’t even get close to the center, but the park-estate in Kolomenskoye itself is of stunning beauty, but it’s still more convenient to get to it by metro.
- Nagatinsky is another route far from the center through sleeping areas: from Klenovy Boulevard to Pechatniki – through Nagatinsky backwater and Kolomenskaya embankment.
Such walks along non-tourist routes are not only cheaper, but also calmer: not many people choose them. It is understandable – not everyone is interested in just riding on the water surface and looking at the half-empty shores and former factory buildings. But if you are one of those who like the process of quiet, measured river travel, this is a good option to save money. There are fewer flights from there than from the center, so it is worth checking the departure schedule from the pier you need in advance, otherwise there is a risk of accidentally falling into a break of several hours.
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In any case, pick up the best river walks in Moscow are always available on these sites:
- Tripster
- Sputnik8 (I booked the excursion here)
There you can get acquainted with the proposed route and read reviews from tourists and locals. True, the routes on these sites are mostly standard: for something less familiar, such as traveling along the Vodootvodny Canal or the water area, you can look at the Teplokhod website. In the “River Walks” section, you can find out how much a ticket for a river tram in Moscow costs, read about the characteristics of the ship and the equipment on board (is there air conditioning, a toilet, blankets, free Wi-Fi, a guide or audio guide, etc.), and at the same time – immediately find out which route the mini-cruise goes on: this is written in the header of each excursion. On Tripster and Sputnik, this often has to be found out through reviews, but the Motor Ship is quite convenient for checking the characteristics of water excursions in Moscow.
By the way, just the other day, river buses were launched in Moscow as public transport
strong>. Now they run along the route “Kiev Station – Fili Park”, while stopping near the skyscrapers of Moscow City (no more hours spent in traffic jams at the entrance to the business center), and very soon they will launch them along the route from Avtozavodsky Bridge to Pechatniki. More to come, they say!