Hello,



I posted a question recently about access and tickets to the Kremlin, Armoury, and Diamond Fund. I received a most helpful answer from Nicu on these things.



But as we are still debating whether it's worth hiring a guide to accompany us, I'm wondering if anyone has been to the Diamond Fund recently and can tell me what our chances are of getting a ticket / tour time for the Fund if we go to the Kremlin first thing on a Friday morning in early June.



I have looked at past posts on this over the last few years and some people seem to say it is not a problem, while it has also been said that we could miss out as tickets are very few.



Does anyone have current insights into this?



Thank you so very much again!



Stephanie

It is not an easy answer, because it differs a lot from day to day.



But maybe the way to do it is to go there as you suggest and try to buy entrance by yourself. If you do not manage to do it, the area in front of the entrance is full of independant guides who can help you with guiding and entrance for a couple of hundred rubles. These guides are generally very good too, with many times deeper education than understandable. Some do it in Russian only, but most speak other languages too.



On your way to the ticket office you are likely to be approached (in a sofisticated and humble way) by a handful.



Go to the main entrance in Aleksandrovskij Sad, not the corner tower gate.



Good luck

Hello!



Thank you both very much for your helpful suggestions. It seems like we could have done it on our own, but in the end we did decide to arrange for a guide for the Kremlin, just so that we don't have to think about it!



We are in St. Petersburg now and heading to Moscow later in the week, so we look forward to our second grand Russian city.



Thank you again!

Stephanie

I visited the Diamond Fund last Tuesday, May 22nd, and just walked up, purchased a ticket and went in. They require that you check cell phones and cameras to enter and we didn't really have time to do that as it required finding the coat check wherever that is so the lady behind the cash register held them for us while we went in.

Skifast

You can leave clothes, baggage etc just downstairs under the entrance to Kreml. It is safe, easy and cheap.