bmw gs safari enduro

2022 BMW GS Safari Enduro

The 2022 BMW GS Safari Enduro begins at the Central West NSW town of Dubbo and will wrap up 7 days later in South Australia’s wine country at the Barossa Valley. In between you will ride through and stay at some of the most iconic outback riding destinations Australia has to offer.

You will tick off locations like Wilpena Pound, Cameron Corner, Strezlecki Track, White Cliffs, Tibooburra and Arkaroola just to name a few.  We spend a very solid three days riding in and around the Flinders Ranges including two nights spent at the spectacular Arkaroola Village.

The BMW GS Safari Enduro is an official BMW Motorrad Australia event and open to GS riders only. The GS Safari Enduro is designed to offer an authentic adventure riding experience with 5 star support in the background. The route will be mostly off road and may include some small amounts of sand, although sand is generally avoided where possible. You will get to experience the Australian Outback and it’s amazing remoteness, with the full safari support crew in tow giving you peace of mind. There will be multiple camping nights along the way too.

You will also have the opportunity to sharpen up your skills prior to the event with a 2-Day BMW Off Road Training Pre-Safari course, located in Dubbo.

Safari is about the riding and the mateship; our goal is to conduct an event where that is all you will experience. Leave the worry behind.

More detailed information is available in the guide below.

Entry Inclusions

• 7 days of adventure riding
• 4 – 7 nights accommodation (depending on package)
• 1 – 4 camp nights (depending on package)
• Route marked each day by lead riders
• Route sheet and GPS file as additional navigation
• Official BMW Tech Support
• Medical Support
• Luggage Support
• Full Tyre Service
• Multiple Support Vehicles
• 6 Breakfasts
• 3 included fuel top ups
• Feature length event video
• Event Photographer

Event Pack; inc. T-Shirt, luggage tags, stickers & more.

Start: Sunday 14th August, Dubbo NSW Finish: Sunday 21st August, Barossa Valley SA

Pre-Safari Off Road Training

There is nothing quite like high quality training to sharpen you up for a week of adventure riding. At this year’s GS Safari Enduro we will again offer a 2-day Pre-Safari Off Road Training Course. This course will be similar to our Adventure Expert (Level 2) course which will include valuable information and skills training, with a focus on outback riding, to give you the best preparation for this 7-day adventure.

Off Road Training dates for this event will be 13 – 14 August at a location close to Dubbo.  Sometimes riding to and from the Safari is an event in itself. For those that are time poor we can arrange bike transport, details will be updated when registration opens.

What You Need

• Motorcycle Licence
• Off Road Riding Safety Gear
• Off Road Style Boots
• Off Road Tyres (Can be ordered and fitted at the event.)
• GPS capability is optional
• Ambulance Cover
• Maximum 2 x 55L Soft Luggage Bag (1 for luggage, 1 for camp gear)
• Camping gear (tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag, pillow, camp chair)
• The ability to have plenty of fun riding your GS!

Safari Package Options

Adventurer Single accommodation. You will be allocated a room to yourself for 4 nights, share a room for 3 nights and camp for 1 night. Keep in mind if riding with a friend you can nominate them to share accommodation with. This package is limited so get in quick.

Explorer Shared accommodation. You will be sharing a room for 7 nights and camping for 1 night. This package is our most popular, keep in mind if riding with a friend you can nominate them to share accommodation with.

Wanderer You will be sharing a room for 4 nights and camping for 4 nights. This package is for our hardcore adventurers! Keep in mind if riding with a friend you can nominate them to share accommodation with.

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Riding the 2021 BMW GS Safari

There is no happier person on the planet than a well-ridden motorcyclist.

It’s a bold claim, perhaps, but a logical conclusion after covering more than 1800km on the 2021 BMW GS Safari – together with another 200 smiling riders only reaffirming our theory.

Last month, bikesales joined the 2021 GS Safari as a guest of BMW Motorrad Australia, riding the new BMW R 1250 GS Adventure 40 Years Edition . The annual trek, this year covering the stunning region between Townsville and Cairns, has been a go-to option for BMW enthusiasts in Australia since the concept began in earnest in 1994.

Our recent trip was one of the most enjoyable weeks in memory. Not just for your correspondent, but it seems for the other 200-odd participants taking part.

How do I sign up?

The GS Safari is open to any BMW GS owner in Australia.

As a rule, there are three different tours to choose from: the road-based and pillion-friendly TS Safari, the more challenging and technical dirt-based GS Enduro and the GS Safari we’re doing here, which combines a mix of those two.

Pricing varies depending on which tour you’re interested in, but our five-day trek started at about $2500 for a participant with their own machine. That cost includes accommodation, some meals and full tour support, but you need to pony up additional funds to get your bike to and from the tour’s starting and end points, personal transfers plus fuel, bike consumables, remaining meals and other incidentals.

The GS Safari is not a guided tour as such: each day’s route is marked by arrows, route maps and GPS files, but riders are free to go at their own pace. The ability of rider here is varying: from wily veterans on their 10th Safari to new BMW owners who have never taken their machines on dirt.

Managing the entire event are Shane Booth, Chris Urquhart, Anthea Verdoorn and their well-oiled team, which includes personnel from BMW Motorrad Australia and event co-ordinator Moto Development.

Shane and Chris are familiar names to most in the moto community, having raced motocross professionally through the 90s and noughties. Their Moto Development company has run BMW’s off-road rider training program since 2013.

The team behind the BMW Safari take great pride in the fact that no two Safari rides have ever been the same in the history of the event. “This makes every Safari a new adventure,” they say.

The machinery

There’s an eclectic mix of machinery on offer at GS Safari. From an original 1980 BMW R80 G/S to the latest R 1250 GS Adventure (GSA) 40 Years Edition that we’re riding.

At the risk of sounding crude, thankfully there’s no proverbial dick-waving present at BMW Safari either. Participants do not discriminate against whatever bike your budget or ability allows. It is a refreshing reminder about motorcycling’s ability to promote an open-minded community.

As such, this year’s Safari features more learner-oriented BMW G 310 GSs and more women than in previous years. There are also five father-son pairings present on this year’s GS Safari.

It helps cultivate a truly inclusive and immersive environment; new friendships are formed out on the road during the day or over a quiet beer at each evening’s event.

We manage to start plenty of conversations with the R 1250 GSA 40 Years Edition. Complete with a striking ‘Bumblebee’ colour scheme and top-spec equipment, the 40 Years celebrates four decades of BMW’s adventurous two-wheeled spirit.

More on its performance shortly.

The daily run sheet

Each day of the Safari takes on distinctly different terrain. Day 1 lends a real outback theme as you set off from Townsville past Ingham towards Mission Beach.

Days two and three stick to the coastline around Port Douglas, with incredible photo opportunities at what feels like every corner, and a mix of tar and dirt riding.

For your correspondent, day four is the undoubted highlight. Setting off from Port Douglas in the morning, we head north before boarding a ferry across the Daintree River and entering the dense but beautiful Cape Tribulation rain forest. It is incredible riding – stopping for lunch at the iconic Lion’s Den hotel before the option to ride the same dirt road back or take an extended road loop back to Port Douglas.

Day five of the 2021 GS Safari heads west into the stunning Atherton Tablelands, one of Queensland’s largest food bowls and a home to some stunning twisty bitumen and dirt roads alike.

Regardless of the route, you’ll find yourself completely enamoured by Queensland’s stunning scenery and wildlife. From spotting wild cassowaries and crocs to being blanketed by dense rainforests, you return to base each day having genuinely felt as though you’ve been on a safari.

Throughout the five days, organisation is the name of the game for Anthea Verdoorn, the chief organiser of the GS Safari and the glue that holds the event together.

Anthea’s organisation is magnificent. She somehow manages to stay across the individual itineraries of guests, is personable yet doesn’t mind pulling stray comrades into line.

There’s a rider briefing on the eve of each day’s riding. It runs through the general loop conditions, things to keep an eye out for, ideal photo stop and pit stop opportunities and much more.

Additionally, Anthea personally checks off each rider as they return from the day’s adventure to ensure everyone is accounted for.

The organisational element of the adventure isn’t just for show. Unsurprisingly, things can and do go wrong.

Just ask Peter Petherbridge, who broke his tibia and ankle in a seemingly innocuous shunt on day three of this year’s Safari. Peter certainly wasn’t alone; others bent subframes while plenty dinted their pride. There are speeding tickets, close calls and even a domino-effect on four bikes at a set of traffic lights after one participant discovered his legs were shorter than he’d remembered.

The point is the Safari is carefully managed to minimise the chance of things going awry, and when they occasionally do, there is excellent help and support at hand.

The perfect machine

A big part of our obsession with GS Safari lies in the machinery.

The R 1250 GS Adventure is incredible across all conditions. It belies its large size and 268kg kerb navigating tighter trails and open tracks, has very little trouble scaling greasy hills and is equally enamouring over an extended mountain pass.

We get to grips with the big-bore adventurer within a couple of hours in the saddle, making use of its low-rev torque and engine refinement, its incredible stability under heaving braking and its ability to transition through sweeping corners with ease.

Electronic aids are a big part of the GS’ ability to build confidence. Rain mode gives the rider a huge security blanket, while Enduro Pro loosens the reins enough to encourage tail-happy proceedings while still offering gentle assistance when called upon.

About the only blight on the 1250 GS’ dynamic score card is the rear end’s tendency to skip over acceleration bumps. On an off-camber ascent, for example, even a whiff of eagerness with the throttle hand can cause the rear to jolt over bumps – triggering a subsequent frenzy from the traction control system, which often further stymies the exercise.

We found a sure-fire remedy in maintaining a higher corner speed and turning the traction control system off on dirt. But you loosen the reins quite a bit as a result.

On the road, the purchase and predictability of the Metzeler front tyre is particularly astonishing. It has no qualms with aggressive turn-in, helping cultivate rider confidence even in mixed wet conditions.

Sweetening the deal are everyday niceties such as two-stage hand warmers, a hill start assist function, cruise control and much more.

The GS is right at home on the open roads or across snotty hill climbs and rocky river crossings. And the GS Safari is the perfect advertisement for the enduro machine’s wares.

The verdict

The short story here is that I’m hooked.

The GS Safari is the perfect week of camaraderie, fun and adventure. It is also an outlet for people to check out from the busyness of daily life; a reminder of how soothing seat time on a motorcycle really is. At least, that was our take-away.

Riding motorcycles is one element of the week, but it is bolstered with fine food and a five-star hotel pillow to rest on most evenings.

The week culminates in an award night at the Shangri La hotel in Cairns. It is an opportunity to reflect on the way and enjoy the room’s common passion: two wheels.

On the return flight home, I find myself unknowingly scouring bikesales for a cheap BMW GS as a means of a return pass. ‘GS Safari withdrawals’ that are joked about by regulars soon inflicts itself into the quieter moments of the succeeding week.

It’s true - there is no happier person on the planet than a well-ridden motorcyclist.

BMW GS Safari 2021

How much? About $2500 for a rider with their own bike (excluding transfers, fuel and some meals and bike incidentals)

Further information: https://bmwsafari.com/

Sam Charlwood was hosted by BMW Motorrad Australia .

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BMW GS Safari Enduro for the brave

Video of the 2015 BMW GS Safari Enduro has been released showing some incredible skills in very tough conditions, proving that the event is only for the brave and talented.

BMW Safaris started 21 years ago and after a few years, the event was split into a TS Safari for road bikes and GS safari for off-road bikes. However, with the advent of more GS models and calls by riders for tougher events, the GS Safari was split a few years ago into the standard Safari and the Enduro for highly skilled riders.

The first Enduro event was held in the cold, wet Victorian high country in 2013 and the 2014 event was a contrast across the hot, dry north.

The third GS Safari Enduro last month featured the toughest conditions yet.

It started in Bourke, NSW, with 110 riders and headed down the Darling River from its headwaters to the mouth of the Murray in South Australia.

Riders were faced with challenging terrain, soft sand, mud, bulldust and an abundance of wildlife. The group travelled north towards the famous border track, following the Murray River to Victor Harbor in South Australia.

The ride was a scenic run criss-crossing the Murray all the way to the mouth, where participants were able to smell the salt air and see the Murray flowing into the ocean after six days of dusty outback riding

Camping along the way allowed participants to travel to remote destinations and explore tracks less travelled. Highlights included stopping at beautiful riverside stations, sitting around the fire and hearing stories of the amazing history of the remote areas.

This year’s Safari included four father-and-son teams, riders from across the globe and an age range from 17 to 73 years.

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BMW GS Safari 2023

The 2023 BMW Safari GS will begin in Victoria’s Yarra Valley at the beautiful town of Healesville. From there we will make our way over 5 incredible days of adventure riding through the Victorian and New South Wales high country, through Australia’s Capital, over the Great Diving Range and finish up in the central tablelands city of Bathurst.

Five days of unforgettable riding awaits, the route offers up a huge selection of terrain and scenery from mountain fire trails to twisty roads and open plains. We can’t wait to head off and share this route with everyone!

Week 1 sold out! Week 2 bookings now open, secure your place: 

Event Details

When:  19-24 March, 2023

Location:  Healesville VIC - Bathurst NSW

Week 1 sold out! Week 2 bookings now open, secure your place:

2022 GS Safari - Event Video

Recap the epic adventure that was the 2022 BMW GS Safari. 

Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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