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Europe Travel Agents & Reviews

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• Travel Agents

Customers rate Zicasso's travel referral service  5  on a scale of 1 to 5 based on  1532  reviews on Trustpilot

We match you with top tour companies that specialize in the trip you want,  whether it's a customized private tour or a group tour.

Our Europe travel agents pride themselves on crafting once-in-a-lifetime luxury tours across this culturally captivating continent. Whether you envision admiring majestic Alpine vistas, exploring medieval villages, or relaxing on Mediterranean coastlines, our travel agencies in Europe tap into their extensive connections to design a bespoke grand tour or multi-country trip catered to your unique preferences. With our dedicated Europe travel agencies personally orchestrating every detail with care and insider knowledge, your bucket-list journey unfolds beautifully and effortlessly.

Discover our Europe travel agents, the top 10% of local specialists

Our Europe travel agents pride themselves on crafting once-in-a-lifetime luxury tours across this culturally captivating continent.

Whether you envision admiring majestic Alpine vistas, exploring medieval villages, or relaxing on Mediterranean coastlines, our travel agencies in Europe tap into their extensive connections to design a bespoke grand tour or multi-country trip catered to your unique preferences.

With our dedicated Europe travel agencies personally orchestrating every detail with care and insider knowledge, your bucket-list journey unfolds beautifully and effortlessly.

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Jorge's Travel Agency

 Based on  27  reviews

Destinations:

Verified review.

I worked with our travel agent for my trip to Spain. He prepared an itinerary for us which was perfect, with all the places we intended to travel. I loved that he was flexible in working with us on a final itinerary that met our expectations. Our travel agent was available every step of the way, advising of any changes by tour agencies or in transportation, which gave us peace of mind during our entire trip. The tour agencies were exceptional and knowledgeable about all the places we visited. The private transportation worked out well. All drivers were accommodating and helpful with our luggage. The hotels were all central and within our budget. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend our travel company to anyone looking for a special experience in Spain. I know that when the opportunity comes I will use our travel company again. I have already recommended his services to friends and family planning to visit Spain.

Peter's Travel Agency

 Based on  16  reviews

This is our third trip booked through Zicasso. They make it very easy to find strong, reliable in-country travel agents. It’s a great service! We used a travel partner to plan our trip to Germany to see the Christmas markets. It was perfect. They selected great hotels that were perfectly located for walking to markets. The local guides for city tours were personable, knowledgeable, and engaging. Our itinerary was a great blend of seeing a lot, but not being overwhelmed. We visited Berlin, Dresden, Nuremberg, Rothenburg, and Munich, with some day trips to smaller towns. We did have some travel problems. Our inbound flight to Munich was canceled due to weather and a rail strike created a problem for our trip to Dresden. The travel agency was able to manage these events without any impact on our planned events. We rebooked flights into Berlin directly instead of taking a train from Munich, and they secured a private driver for the trip to Dresden on about 24 hours' notice. The travel team made these adjustments with minimal stress for us.

Alexandra's Travel Agency

 Based on  137  reviews

This was the second trip Zicasso's travel partner planned for us in Italy. The first was in 2019, when we visited many wonderful locations in mainland Italy. This time we decided to spend two weeks in Sicily over the Christmas holidays. The trip was so well planned, with a good balance of sightseeing and leisure time. Sicily is a fascinating island loaded with history and natural beauty. Our guides and drivers were so knowledgeable and personable. Our tour operator hit another home run for us with this wonderful, well-planned vacation. We are already considering where else we would like to go in Italy, since we know it will be another fabulous experience.

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Mario's Travel Agency

 Based on  476  reviews

We thoroughly enjoyed our first trip to Italy and Zicasso's travel partner did a marvelous job putting it all together. They were able to get things set up promptly as it was under three months from the time we decided to schedule the trip to the departure date. During that time, it went from being just my husband and me to adding our three adult sons, and they helped readjust the schedule and budget to make it more affordable for five of us. All three hotels (Rome, Florence, and Venice) were excellent regarding location, cleanliness, and customer service. That we were American and were unfamiliar with Italian transportation because we had never been to Italy, it was extremely nice to have private transfers and all the train transfers set up. Even when we arrived by train in Venice, they had a person there to meet us and assist with transport to the water taxi, then walk us to the hotel. Everyone was professional, helpful, and on time. The tour guides were also wonderful and so well-educated. There were several modifications needed as we worked through the itinerary and changes to who was coming when, and our tour operator was very easy to work with on these. The only negative was that it was non-refundable if you needed to cancel in the 70 days before departure, even though many of the hotels stated refundable if canceled within a few days. Many tours I looked at and used on this trip could be canceled and refunded within 24 hours. I found this a much safer way to schedule tours and not lose out if there were any issues affecting our tour days. It's always a risk not knowing if someone in the group will be ill or injured and not able to participate. There is a $250 service fee for each change if the team needs to make changes once the final itinerary has been completed, so that does need to be taken into consideration. We were fortunate that we did not need to make any last-minute changes. I would strongly recommend our travel agency and will use them for our next trip.

Lisa's Travel Agency

 Based on  41  reviews

We worked with Zicasso's travel specialist for our trip to Alsace during the winter carnival. She provided us with so many things to enjoy, like the hotels and private, small-group excursions in Strasbourg and Colmar. She also provided vegan restaurant recommendations as my wife is vegan (although in Colmar, one had reverted to a tea-only service when we wanted dinner). The hotel in Strasbourg was excellent. The staff were great and the breakfast had lots of options that met our needs.All the guides were good. The tours of Obernai and Selestat, as well as Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle, were very interesting and informative. This was probably the highlight of our trip and is highly recommended. In Colmar, we were so overwhelmed and disappointed by the ridiculous overcrowding. All that we could see were people. In my opinion, the number of people needs to be restricted as at times, it was dangerous. Having been to Colmar many times, I was so disappointed as you could barely get around, and getting into any restaurant was almost impossible. Our guide gave us a walking tour of the town. Fortunately, he knew some quieter streets. The hotel was OK, but on the first night, we woke up to no power. The small group tour to the winery and local villages was OK, but still so very crowded. At the hotel at Mulhouse on our last day, we had a small suite, which was nice. Generally, we still enjoyed our trip.

Lalo's Travel Agency

 Based on  48  reviews

Zicasso's travel agent was absolutely outstanding in handling our recent trip to Spain. Planning, communication, and execution were everything we could expect. He listened to us, understood the nuances of our thinking, and provided a plan that fulfilled our hopes (including making last-minute schedule changes that we needed). Everything went exactly according to plan … the drivers were professional and on time, the guides were extraordinarily knowledgeable, and the hotels and train tickets were all as promised. His use of the "trip plans'' app provided real-time information for everything. We'd recommend our travel team to our best friends without hesitation. Five stars.

Ben's Travel Agency

 Based on  38  reviews

My sister and I had a wonderful trip to Italy thanks to our travel agent. He accommodated our specific requests and put together a very busy itinerary that allowed us to see a great deal in 11 days, which is exactly what we wanted. He selected individual tours that were excellent and offered more than the typical tours I have experienced in Italy. That made a big difference to the quality of our experience. Our travel agent's hotel choices met our request very nicely, all being well priced and well located, and providing excellent customer service. Zicasso’s agent was always available for questions and clarifications, and he put together a last-minute add-on trip for us which was very special. We truly appreciated his customer service and attention to detail, and highly recommend him for your travel needs.

Neil's Travel Agency

 Based on  47  reviews

The trip was wonderful and the support from the travel agency was unstinting. From the first day, they were quickly responsive and continually exceeded our expectations. We had no hiccups along the way, so we didn't need to call on them during the trip, but I am confident they would have sorted any issue that arose.  Their reputation was reinforced by our guide in Bath, who said they were a great company to work with and emphasized that anybody who "picked up the phone" would provide the high level of service we'd experienced.

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Find your ideal travel style and vacation destination in our collection of over 300 guided tours and river cruises to Europe and beyond. From great value guided tours to once-in-a-lifetime experiences, every vacation delivers exceptional value, with everything arranged for you, not by you, including trusted hotels, must-see sights and comfortable transportation. When you book with Grand European Travel, you'll always receive unparalleled customer service from our team of travel experts based in the USA, who will work with you to find perfect trip that fits your travel preferences, securing you the best pricing and available airfare from your chosen departure city.

Only Grand European Travel gives you insider access to our internationally renowned family of award-winning travel brands.   Trafalgar tours offer the best best value for your vacation dollar with fully loaded itineraries that are perfectly balanced including sightseeing, visits to major sites and attractions, locally hosted dining experiences and free time. Insight Vacations offer a Business Class experience on Premium guided tours that offer more inclusions, hands-on experiences, regional dining and business class extended leg-room on all motorcoaches.  For a more luxurious experience consider a Luxury Gold  guided journey or an all-inclusive  Uniworld Boutique River Cruise with luxury accommodations, a choice of included experiences and world-class gourmet cuisine. If you are looking for semi-independent, budget tour,  Costsaver trips are perfect for travelers opting for less inclusions, 3-star accommodation and more free time to explore each destination.

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• Europe Tours
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Top Tour Operators and Travel Agencies in Europe 2024/2025

Top Tour Operators and Travel Agencies in Europe. Below you will find 172 of the best tour operators and travel agencies in Europe offering in total 4200 tours and holidays through-out Europe. Combined they have received 6109 customer reviews and an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The top tour activities offered in Europe are: Sightseeing, attractions, culture and history, Adventure and sport & Boat tours, water sports and marine wildlife.

• Tours in Europe
• Europe Travel Guide

173 Tour Operators in Europe with 6,109 Reviews

Discovery Nomads

• Address 27 Gloucester str, London, England
• Response Rate 86%
• Response Time 1 hour

• Best-in-Class Top 5% of companies
• Excellent Service Top 10% of companies
• Superior Service Top 15% of companies

• Address Guram Rcheulishvili 1, Tbilisi, Georgia
• Response Rate 91%
• Response Time 2 hours

• Address 6 Fife Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey,, London , England
• Response Rate 83%

Taste and Slow Italy

• Address via Borghetto, 30a, Fossato di Vico, Italy
• Response Rate 99%

Expat Explore

• Address 10 Merryweather Place, London, England
• Response Rate 90%

G Adventures

• Address G Adventures Ltd, 60 Bastwick Street, London, England

Iceland Untouched

• Address Meistaravellir 11, Reykjavík, Iceland
• Response Rate 100%

Sunnova Travel

• Address Korkutreis Mah. Ilkiz Sok. 12/2 Sihhiye Cankaya, Ankara, Turkey
• Response Rate 98%
• Response Time 3 hours

Sail in Greece

• Address International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London, England

Penguin Travel

• Address 2, Sveta Gora str. , Sofia, Bulgaria

Choose Balkans

• Address Rruga Reshit Çollaku, Pallati 38, Shkalla 2, Tirana, Albania

Exodus Travels

• Address Grange Mills, Weir Road, London, England
• Response Rate 85%

• Address 33 Kern Road, Toronto, Canada
• Response Rate 88%

CroisiEurope

• Address 12 Rue De La Division Leclerc, Nedre Rhin, France
• Response Rate 87%

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Europe Tour Companies

Looking for an unforgettable Europe tour? Book a fully-organized trip with the best tour companies in Europe and let the tour operator take care of everything for you. Check out the tour details and read 254621 reviews from our customers to help you choose the perfect tour for you.

List of Europe travel companies & tour operators with 254621 reviews

• Excellent - 858 reviews for Europe tours

The best trip ever. Very well paced and you literally get to see everything.

Inconsistency. You where not upto date with travel directions & changes. You did not deduct gratuities as indicated. I think it best to go direct with the company & not a 3rd party. This way one gets a better idea of the extra costs involved. BUT thank you for enlightenment & I did have a great trip.

Expat Explore Travel

• Excellent - 4,217 reviews for Europe tours

The tour was absolutely wonderful. Luke, out tour director and Karl our coach driver were the perfect team. We will travel with Expat again!

Amazing!! Highly recommend. This tour is the trip of a lifetime.

G Adventures

• Excellent - 19,054 reviews for Europe tours

Was an amazing tour!

Hotels had dead cockroaches lying around, guide was sweet but not experienced at creating a cohesive group feel. On top of which, the credit that GAdventures gave me to compensate for the mediocrity of the trip expired in 6 months - even the airlines give you a year! And some trips have no option to have a private room (yes, I';m willing to pay extra for that).

Europamundo

• Good - 2,920 reviews for Europe tours

First time travelling within a tour group and the experience with Europamundo was amazing and unforgettable. From the pickup at the airport on the first day of arriving in Athens Greece right through to the departure in Zurich Switzerland - 12 days later -Europamundo did not disappoint. The service provided, the professionalism, the interactions and friendliness of staff was absolutely superb, thank you.

Every thing went well

Intrepid Travel

• Excellent - 11,678 reviews for Europe tours

The area covered was perfect. The guide was fantastic. Her knowledge thorough and well delivered with great personality. She had the patience of a saint!

Excellent trip in the wonderful outdoors!

Travel Talk

• Excellent - 6,371 reviews for Europe tours

Rooms were very small for triple occupancy. Breakfast and dinner choices good, could have little better for vegetarians.

Our tour leader Bojan was great. Loved the optional made personal experiences. Would recommend to friends and family as a tour and tour guide.

Penguin Travel

• Excellent - 474 reviews for Europe tours

Our trip to Moldova, Romania and Transnistria was a great adventure. We learned so much about the history previously unknown to us. We explored very interesting towns and landscapes, we gained a genuine insight into local life. Guided by an exceptionally knowledgeable and hospitable guide, we savored delicious traditional cuisine and left with a longing to return and explore further. Overall, our experience was deeply enriching and one we wholeheartedly recommend to others seeking an authentic cultural journey.

Our journey through Moldova and Romania, including Transnistria and Gagauzia, was a nice blend of history, culture, and hospitality. The itinerary was well-crafted. Transnistria is a very interesting place to explore its Soviet echoes and also the Turkic traditions of Gagauzia. The accommodations surpassed our expectations. Our guides were not only knowledgeable but also passionate and had fascinating insights and personal anecdotes. Overall, it was a truly unforgettable adventure that left us with cherished memories and a newfound appreciation for this lesser-known corner of Eastern Europe.

• Excellent - 74,881 reviews for Europe tours

Loved that I was able to see so much.

Terrible customer service. Globus forgot to include airfare and then were never going to book it until I brought it to their attention. Then they refused to let me speak to anyone in management. These people will ruin your vacation.

Choose Balkans

• Excellent - 287 reviews for Europe tours

Excellent! Very well organised, extremely interesting and informative. The most famous ancient sites in Greece mixed with lots of cultural activities and a variety of geographical areas. Our tour director, Nikos Kontogiannis, was superb. Nikos has a great sense of humour, is extremely knowledgable and an excellent organiser. We were very impressed!

We had an excellent experience. Everything was well organized. The tour company was very receptive to any questions. The guide was very knowledgeable. A couple of the hotels were just OK, but in general, they were just up to our standards. I will say that having an electric car was somehow stressful as our guide could not always find a place to recharge the car at night. He had to go back several times and wait for hours. It made his days very long as it had already been our driver and our guide all day.

• Excellent - 5,343 reviews for Europe tours

I am satisfied with all the tour. The tour was so amazing. The tour guide (Bento) was so informative, helpful and efficient with everything. The couch driver (Greg) was so helpful with everything and feel safe as he has excellent driving skill with welcoming smile. I would say the tour was fabulous.

Best trip with awesome people!

• Excellent - 4,618 reviews for Europe tours

Roxy (tour guide) and Adam (driver) are legends! They are so knowledgeable and professional. Definitely made the trip amazing for all of us. Thank you so much Roxy and Adam!

It was an incredible, well-organized, and fun trip!

• Excellent - 1,880 reviews for Europe tours

The Best of Greece was an excellent tour: a good mix of antiquity sites, cultural activities and scenery. Our bus driver was excellent and always provided the best possible service to our group. Our tour director was simply the best! Nikos was perfectly organised and gently spoken but he had a wonderful sense of humour and was full of interesting information.

The best trip in my life!

Intrepid Premium

• Excellent - 320 reviews for Europe tours

I very much enjoyed seeing the beautiful Croatian coastline. Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable and seemed to have a real love for his country. My main criticism was that there were frequent incidents where things such as guides in the different areas were not included in the tour, so it felt like we were often paying for services that I would have thought would be part of the overall tour. I would have preferred to have paid more money up front than to have had the frequent requests for additional money.

The six of us enjoyed an excellent stay in the multicity tour and would gladly tour again with this company.

• Excellent - 19,639 reviews for Europe tours

Wonderful! First time traveling outside of the US alone. It was a beautiful tour! Henry was amazing! He was full of knowledge and fun facts. The itinerary was awesome and well organized. So happy I went! I made life long friends sling the way! Recommend and will be using this tour again soon! Just book it! You’ll love it!

l Little bit of rain, but didn't affect the trip at all Tour guide Mike was excellent Ray Pfeiffer

Overland Ireland - Small Gr…

• Excellent - 466 reviews for Europe tours

Everything about our Overland Ireland tour was a fulfillment of a dream. Our guide was knowledgeable, kind and personable. The bus was solid and clean. Ireland is a place of magic and we were immersed in its beauty. All That said I am extremely displeased with the service of Tour radar. Your communication skills are so sadly lacking. We went to the wrong starting point but it was the place YOU posted to go. We Wil NEVER se Tpur radar again. It was only through the kindness of our tour guide and several well placed phone calls that we actually got to go on the tour even though we were where we thought we needed to be at the right time.

Mike was an excellent guide, informative, very knowledgeable and flexible with the itinerary when necessary

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• Deutsch: Reiseveranstalter für Europa Reisen
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At Eurobound, we are committed to the travel agent. We understand how the internet has been both a boon and a bust for the industry. Consequently, service is what we are all about. We provide elegant, professional full-service proposals, rich in content that comes with experienced input that would be difficult, if not impossible, to find.

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Based in the US and in Europe, we provide perfectly planned itineraries across Europe. From must-see attraction to hidden gems, we have the experience and access to tailor your requests into reality.

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Our philosophy: "Get the most out of every journey". Subsequently, we only supply private and small group tours. Unlike some bigger named operators that market themselves as providers of picture perfect experiences. It is simply not possible to match ours to theirs when theirs incorporates a coach tour with 30 to 50 people.

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Eurobound specializes in providing tailor-made European tours packages. Working exclusively with travel agents, Eurobound is truly a one-stop shop, arranging every detail of your client's trip from take-off to landing. For you, this means one centralized Eurobound contact and one commission, paid up-front. We don't believe it's your responsibility to take the risk associated with currency exchange rates which is why our prices are guaranteed in U.S. dollars. And with suppliers based in every European country we can promise thoughtful, local insight into current travel trends. LEARN MORE

The Top 10 Must-See Places in Moscow

1. red square.

3. The Moscow Metro

Perhaps you already know, but there is a great difference between Moscow, St. Petersburg, and all other towns and cities in Russia. Visiting the countryside is a great opportunity to travel the real Russia and to see the common life of ordinary people. The best choice for a one-day Russian countryside experience is the Vladimir and Suzdal tour.

Vladimir and Suzdal are small towns that are famous worldwide because of their great history and picturesque architecture with numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the 12th century. Aside from golden cupolas of stunning churches and monasteries, you will experience a very rural real Russian outlook with bubbling streams and grassy meadows, chickens and livestock, and interesting and authentic local residents. All are a common sight on the streets, some of which remain unpaved. Be ready for a full-day trip and many unforgettable experiences during your Russian holidays!

•Road-tripping from Moscow to St. Petersburg

•Ecotour along the Volga River with visiting limestone quarries

•Real Russian countryside

•One day in a traditional Russian village

There is a great difference between Moscow, St. Petersburg, and all other Russia... The concept of this tour is to show you the real Russia with numerous small towns, pristine nature, abandoned churches and the life of people.

This tour does not include Golden Ring towns! Instead, you will see Staritsa town and Novgorod the Great, beautiful places to visit in Russia!

We will also visit an elderly couple living in a traditional Russia village. We will help them with their daily work - plowing the land (not by tractors, but by horses), caring for the livestock and cooking food in a traditional Russian oven… And surely we will taste some real fresh milk and eggs while they will be telling us about their common life, their habits, and the households.

The itinerary is perfect for those who are going to St. Petersburg. It takes only 4 hours to get there from Novgorod by a cheap local train.

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Why travel to Moscow

Contrasts: 12th century monasteries and some of the tallest skyscrapers in Europe can be found side-by-side in this complex and captivating city. The diversity of this mega-city is astounding. Only a few steps away from the solemn red facade of the Kremlin and the sounds of righteous church bells, a buzzing night scene and alternative-fashion boutiques can be found.

Culture: In Moscow only the best goes. Be it a theatre, restaurant or gallery, the standards are certain to be world-class. The Bolshoi ballet company is reputed to be even better than the Mariinsky’s and “MMOMA” (Moscow’s museum of modern art) exhibits works of art as profound as any that could be found in the famed MOMA.

Convenience: Unlike the rest of Russia, it’s easy enough to get by with just English in Moscow and, driving excepted, it is surprisingly safe: the murder rate is lower than in some of America’s major cities.

Top Sights in Moscow

St. Basil’s

Novodevichy Convent

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Why visit Moscow

It would take more than two days to walk around the perimeter of the biggest city in Europe, Moscow. Many of its inhabitants barely know what’s beyond the few blocks around their flat and there are so many attractions that it’s almost impossible to know where to start. If there is such a thing as an antidote to boredom, Moscow City is it. The mind-boggling range and diversity of things to do, places to eat, parks, historical monuments and more means that a vacation in Moscow has a wealth of activities to offer for every type of traveler, from young families to retirees.

Reasons to Vacation in Moscow in 2022

The Bolshoi theatre is familiar to almost everyone as Russia’s grandest theatre, but what people don’t know is that there are many more bolshoi (big) sites in Moscow that are worth travelling all the way to Moscow to see. For more than 100 years, the world’s biggest bell has been hidden behind the Kremlin’s walls and inside Moscow’s main park (which is bigger than some countries!) there is the world’s largest outdoor ice-rink. Travelers that visit Moscow can stay at the Izmailovo, Europe’s biggest hotel, then eat at the largest and most historic McDonald’s in Europe and after that have fun at the largest European indoor theme park!

Ancient Past & Stunning Architecture:

As those who travel to Moscow will see, just because Moscow is a city of record-breaking, glitzy high-rises doesn’t mean that there is no history. On the famous Arbat street, time-worn, wooden storehouses and century-old churches are squashed up against grey, soviet blocks which are then towered over by 21st century office-blocks. Unlike its much younger sibling, St Petersburg, Moscow’s roots stretch way back to the 12th century. Within the walls of the Kremlin, the city’s oldest building the Cathedral of Assumption can be admired in all its 500+ years of age.

Culture & Convenience

For a foreigner who has never visited Russia, Moscow is the perfect stepping stone into this great land of mystery. From the country’s best classical ballet troupes to snow-white troikas trotting through the parks, all the highlights of Russian culture can be had in Moscow without any of the complications that would be expected in other, less developed regions of Russia.

Cheap as Caviar

In Moscow, everything is bargain when with the current foreign exchange rates being what they are. Even caviar doesn’t seem so dear when the exchange rate is at 60rub to the dollar, so go on indulge yourself! Take your 2022 vacation in Moscow and have the best of both worlds, with European luxury at very affordable prices.

Lena, our guide in Moscow was excellent. She was very knowledgable and could answer any question we had for her. We liked that she could pick up on our interests and take us places we might not have thought of to go. When we realized that one of the places we had chosen to see would probably not be that interesting to us, she was able to arrange entry to the Diamond Fund and the Armoury for us. Riding the Metro with Lena was a real adventure and a lot of fun. In Saint Petersburg we found Anna well versed in the history of the Tsars and in the Hermitage collection. Arkady in Veliky Novgorod was a very good guide and answered all of our questions with ease. Novgorod was perhaps a long way to go for a day trip, but we did enjoy it. Vasily was a great driver to have and kept us safe with good humour and skill. We enjoyed ourselves so much, my daughter says she is already planning to return. We would both have no hesistation to recommend ExpresstoRussia to anyone we know.

Just wanted to let you know that My grandson Bruno and I couldn´t have been more pleased with our week in Moscow (6/15 - 6/21). We were absolutely enchanted with the whole experience, including getting lost a couple of times in the Metro during our free time. Although both our guides (both Eleanas) were excellent, I would particularly commend the first one (she took us to the Tatiakov, the KGB tour, and to that beautiful cemetery where so many great Russian artists, authors, composers, musicians, militarists, and politicians are buried). Her knowledge is encyclopedic; and her understanding of today´s Russia as a product of its past was, for us, truly enlightening. I will be taking another tour in Russia, with my wife, within the next two or three years. I will be in touch with you when the time comes. Meanwhile, I will refer you to other potential visitors to Russia as I meet them.

We had a great time both in Moscow and St Petersburg. Your travel agency was excellent in coordinating the whole trip. Everything worked like clockwork. The guides assigned to us were very nice and friendly. They had a great knowledge of their subjects. The cars and the drivers were great. The hotels were good and the itinerary was good. All in all, it was a wonderful experience. It was nice dealing with you and your company. Thank you very much for a great Russian experience. Have a great future ahead

• 31 reviews of Express to Russia Moscow Tours in Moscow

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Planning a trip to Moscow? Our travel guide contains up-to-date, personal information on everything from what to see , to when to visit , where to stay , and what to eat !

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Why visit Moscow?

Majestic churches, impressive historic fortresses, and palatial buildings: Moscow is a fascinating city whose emblematic architecture reflects the turbulent history that has defined Russia throughout the centuries.

The traces of the USSR can be found around every corner of the city , side by side with the iconic relics of Imperial Russia , like the mythical Red Square , the imposing Kremlin , and the beautiful  St Basil's Cathedral . 

Discover a fascinating world of Cold War bunkers, golden-domed basilicas, world-class art museums, and the legendary "palace of the people,"  as the Moscow Metro has been nicknamed. Whether you fancy watching a classical Russian ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre , perusing the fine arts at the Pushkin Museum , or marveling at the sheer size of the monuments to the Soviet state's achievements at the  All-Russia Exhibition Centre , this travel guide will help you on your way!

Where to start?

If you're going to travel to Moscow and you don't know much about the city yet, the first thing to do is to dive into its legendary history - understanding the past will help you understand the present. Next, check out our practical hints and tips on traveling to the city before discovering which of its most important museums , monuments , and attractions pique your interest.

Looking for a place to stay?

Booking your accommodation in advance is the best way to get great discounts. Our detailed guide on where to stay in Moscow  will help you decide which neighborhood you'd like to look for hotels or apartments in, and our hotel search engine will find you the best deals!

Why is our Moscow travel guide the best?

Introducing Moscow is a  city guide written by travelers for travelers  and contains personalized advice to help you make the most of your trip to the city.

All the information in this guide is valid as of December 2022. If you find any errors or have any comments, please feel free to contact us .

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Visual Investigations

Videos and Online Profiles Link Suspects to Moscow Attack

Clothing and other details appear to show a connection between four suspects detained by Russia and the men who carried out the concert hall massacre of more than 130 people.

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By Aric Toler ,  Malachy Browne and Paul Sonne

When four men were detained by the Russian authorities in connection with the massacre at a concert hall outside Moscow last week, they were dressed in the same attire as the assailants seen in videos of the attack, according to a New York Times analysis of footage from the hall, social media profiles and images leaked or released by Russia.

The identical clothing and other corresponding details suggest they carried out the attack. A video of one of the suspects being detained, for instance, shows him wearing a light brown T-shirt with a distinctive logo on the left breast and pants with a Boss label: Those details match the clothes worn by a gunman in propaganda footage of the attack released by the Islamic State, a.k.a. ISIS.

In addition, the Times analysis shows, the car that the suspects were driving when they were apprehended is the same color and type as one seen in footage from outside the concert hall during the attack.

The four suspects in the assault that left more than 130 dead were identified in a Moscow court hearing on Sunday night as Saidakrami M. Rachabalizoda, Shamsidin Fariduni, Muhammadsobir Z. Fayzov and Dalerjon B. Mirzoyev. They were charged with committing a terrorist act and remanded to custody until May 22.

Three of the suspects told the court they were from Tajikistan, and in interrogation videos reviewed by The Times, at least two men spoke Tajik. The videos show some of the men being beaten during their detention, and two of the men had clear injuries when they appeared in court. The fourth suspect appeared in court in a wheelchair with apparently limited ability to respond; a leaked copy of his passport suggests he is also a citizen of Tajikistan.

U.S. officials said the attack had been conducted by the Islamic State, which claimed responsibility and released photos of what it said were the attackers and video of the attack itself. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia blamed the assault on “international terrorism” but did not mention the Islamic State. Russian state media laid the groundwork for blaming Ukraine, which denied any involvement.

Despite carrying out one of Russia’s deadliest terrorist attacks in decades, the gunmen seen in the footage did not appear to be highly trained, according to Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, which is based in Philadelphia. He said the men seemed to be grouped together during the attack, instead of spreading out and potentially inflicting more damage.

The suspects also did not change their clothes after the massacre, and appeared to have fled in the same vehicle they used to arrive at the scene, both of which would make it easier for the authorities to track them down and link them to the scene.

Russia’s Investigative Committee, a top law enforcement agency, said on Saturday that the suspects had been detained near the city of Bryansk, about 230 miles southwest of Moscow, and that weapons had been recovered from a Renault car. Mr. Putin claimed the men had been trying to escape toward the border with Ukraine.

A video verified by The Times shows at least one suspect, Mr. Rachabalizoda, being marched through the woods to the M3 highway near Bryansk. A photograph also verified by The Times shows a heavily damaged white Renault nearby.

Mr. Rachabalizoda was filmed being detained in the woods, a couple of hundred yards from the car, and identifying himself under questioning. A video of his arrest shared on Telegram shows men cutting off a part of Mr. Rachabalizoda’s right ear and stuffing it into his mouth before leading him out of the woods. State media later published a video interrogation of Mr. Rachabalizoda that shows his ear is heavily bandaged.

In each of the videos, he is wearing clothes identical to those worn by one of the Crocus City Hall attackers.

Mr. Rachabalizoda wears the brown T-shirt with the distinctive logo and pants with a Boss label; they match the clothes worn by a gunman in the Islamic State video and photograph.

The Russian authorities identified a second suspect who was detained and interrogated as Mr. Fariduni.

During his questioning, Mr. Fariduni is seen wearing a gray collared T-shirt matching that worn by one of the four men in the Islamic State photograph.

The shoes worn by Mr. Fariduni during his interrogation also match those worn by one of the assailants seen in the Islamic State video of the attack; they bear the same distinctive white marking and thick soles.

Mr. Fariduni says during his interrogation that he traveled to Russia from Turkey on March 4, the footage showed. Several photographs posted to what appears to be his Instagram and Facebook accounts in February showed Mr. Fariduni at the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul.

A third suspect, Mr. Fayzov, is a 19-year-old barber who appears to have lived in Russia since last year, according to his profile on the Russian social media platform VKontakte. A short video that circulated on the Telegram social media platform shows him being interrogated in a hospital room, where he speaks Tajik and discusses receiving documents at an airport.

A leaked copy of his passport — bearing a face that matches one both in the VKontakte profile and in videos of the detained suspect — suggests he is from Tajikistan. The passport notes that he recently arrived in Russia and lived in Ivanovo, which corresponds with his VKontakte profile.

After his detention, Mr. Fayzov was photographed wearing a green T-shirt with a distinctive, dotted logo on the left breast, the same T-shirt worn by one of the men in the photograph of the assailants released by the Islamic State. Mr. Fayzov also wears the same T-shirt in a photograph posted to his VKontakte account.

A fourth suspect, Mr. Mirzoyev, spoke Tajik through an interpreter during an interrogation that was broadcast on Russian state television. The bearded man also appears to have been beaten during his detention, and his cheek, nose and forehead were bruised and bloodied.

In the video, Mr. Mirzoyev is seen wearing a long-sleeved, crew-neck green shirt, bluejeans and a black belt; they match the attire of one of the attackers in the Islamic State video.

In the ISIS video, the assailant slices the throat of a victim who is lying on the ground, apparently unconscious.

Dmitriy Khavin and Oleg Matsnev contributed reporting. David Botti contributed production.

Aric Toler is a reporter on the Visual Investigations team at The Times where he uses emerging techniques of discovery to analyze open source information. More about Aric Toler

Malachy Browne is enterprise director of the Visual Investigations team at The Times. He was a member of teams awarded the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 2020 and 2023. More about Malachy Browne

Paul Sonne is an international correspondent, focusing on Russia and the varied impacts of President Vladimir V. Putin’s domestic and foreign policies, with a focus on the war against Ukraine. More about Paul Sonne

• International

March 23, 2024 Shooting at Moscow concert venue leaves over 130 dead

By Chris Lau, Andrew Raine , Catherine Nicholls, Issy Ronald, Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Tori B. Powell , CNN

Our live coverage of the Moscow concert venue shooting has moved here.

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un sends condolences to Russia’s Putin over deadly Moscow attack

From CNN’s Sophie Jeong and Manveena Suri

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has offered his condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin following the deadly concert attack in Moscow, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday.

Kim “expressed deep condolences and sympathy” to Putin, the Russian people, the victims and their families on the news of heavy casualties caused by a “large-scale terrorist attack in (the) Moscow region,” KCNA reported.

North Korea opposes “all sorts of terrorism and nothing can justify the heinous terrorism threatening human life,” Kim said in the KCNA report. “Our people regard the misfortune and sorrow of the friendly Russian people as their own pain.”

ISIS releases graphic video they claim shows Russia concert hall attack

From CNN's Kareem El Damanhoury and Paul Murphy

ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq released a graphic video on Saturday that purports to show Friday’s attack at a concert hall in suburban Moscow recorded by one of the attackers, suggesting the perpetrators had a direct link to ISIS in order to be able to send the video.

CNN has geolocated it to the concert hall and notes that its identifying metadata has been erased.

The video, which is about 90 seconds long, shows four attackers with their faces blurred and voices distorted in what appears to be the Crocus City Hall complex.

The video shows one attacker signaling to another gunman, who then walks past a door where people are hiding and opens fire on them.

Bodies and blood can be seen on the floor, with fire raging at a distance.

The video also shows one of the attackers slitting the throat of a man lying on his back.

The video ends with the four attackers walking away inside the building as smoke can be seen at a distance.

On Friday, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a short statement published by Amaq.

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Ukraine was behind the attack, stating the perpetrators had “tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the border.”

Ukraine has vehemently denied any connection to Friday's attack.

Company that owns Crocus City Hall venue calls attack a "monstrous tragedy"

From CNN's Masha Angelova

The Russian company Crocus International, which owns Crocus City Hall, expressed its deep condolences in a statement Sunday to the victims of the terrorist attack at the concert hall in the Moscow region Friday, which left more than 130 people dead.

"Together with the whole of Russia, we mourn the dead and hope for a speedy recovery of those who’ve suffered in this monstrous tragedy," the company said. "In these difficult days, we are doing and will do everything possible to help the authorities and special services with their difficult work, and together with the whole country help victims of the terrorist attack."

The statement thanked concert-goers, partners and artists for their support and assistance.

"Special thanks to the concert hall team, who acted professionally, clearly, and heroically in a crisis situation, and thanks to this, managed to save most of the guests and employees who were in Crocus City Hall that evening," it continued.

White House says there was "no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever" in Moscow region onslaught

From CNN's Natasha Bertrand and Samantha Waldenberg

US Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House National Security Council said there is no evidence that Ukraine is behind the attack at a concert hall near Moscow.

“There is no, whatsoever, any evidence — and in fact, what we know to be the case is that ISIS-K is actually, by all accounts, responsible for what happened,” Harris said in an interview with ABC News. “What has happened is an act of terrorism and the number of people who've been killed is obviously a tragedy and we should all send our condolences to those families."

National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said:

"In early March, the US government shared information with Russia about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow. We also issued a public advisory to Americans in Russia on March 7. ISIS bears sole responsibility for this attack. There was no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever."

US had warned Russia ISIS was determined to attack | CNN

Here's what you should know about the moscow area concert venue shooting.

From CNN staff

A Friday night attack at Crocus City Hall, a popular concert venue complex near Moscow, left more than 130 people killed and even more wounded after assailants stormed the venue with guns and incendiary devices. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, without providing evidence.

Four suspects involved in the attack were detained in the Bryansk region and taken to Moscow, where they are now in the custody of Russia's Investigative Committee, Russian state media TASS reported Saturday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said "miserable" Russian President Vladimir Putin waited   overnight before publicly addressing Russians, only to accuse   Ukraine of having a hand in the terror attack at a concert hall near Moscow.

Here are other headlines you should know:

• More on the attack: According to the interior ministry, “all terrorists detained in the Bryansk region are foreign citizens ,” Russian state media reported. RIA Novosti published on Telegram the purported confession of one of the apprehended men. CNN cannot independently verify the RIA Novosti report or the statements made by the alleged attacker, which may have been made under duress.
• Ukraine vehemently denies any connection: Defense Intelligence of Ukraine spokesperson Andrii Yusov firmly denied his country had anything to do with the terror attack. Earlier Saturday, Putin  told the Russian people  that the perpetrators had “tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the border." A handful of Russian officials have suggested  without evidence  that Ukraine may have been involved in the attack as well.
• Global reactions: Leaders around the world — such as the French, Israeli and Turkish presidents — have expressed their condolences and condemnation of the onslaught. The United States “ strongly condemns ” the shooting, according to the White House and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also denounced the attack , stressing that ISIS is a significant global threat at a news conference Saturday.
• Belarus claims it thwarted suspects: Belarusian special services helped Russia prevent the "terrorists" who allegedly carried out the deadly attack from escaping across the border Friday night, the country's ambassador in Moscow said.
• Estimated damage total: The total estimated damage to the Moscow region's Crocus City Hall after Friday's terror attack is between 9.5-11.4 billion rubles, or approximately $103-124 million, according to a shopping union vice president, as reported by Russian state media RIA Novosti.

Zelensky accuses Putin of trying to blame concert hall attack on Ukraine

From CNN's Maria Kostenko

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said "miserable" Russian President Vladimir Putin waited overnight before publicly addressing Russians, only to accuse Ukraine of having a hand in the terror attack at a concert hall near Moscow.

On Saturday, Putin told the Russian people that the perpetrators of the Crocus City Hall attack had “tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the border.”

Zelensky and several Ukrainian officials have vehemently denied Ukraine has any kind of involvement in the attack.

In his nightly address, Zelensky also said that Russians "have come to Ukraine, burn our cities – and try to blame Ukraine."

Zelensky added that if the Russian people do "not ask any questions to their security and intelligence agencies, then Putin will try to turn such a situation to his personal advantage again."

More background: The terror group ISIS claimed responsibility for Russia's attack, according to a short statement published by ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram Friday. ISIS has not provided evidence to support the claim.

Earlier this week, Putin had dismissed warnings by the US embassy that there could be terrorist attacks on large groups, telling the Federal Security Service (FSB) that the embassy warnings were "provocative" and "outright blackmail."

White House "strongly condemns" Moscow region terror attack

From CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Saturday that the United States “strongly condemns” the terrorist attack at a concert venue complex near Moscow that left at least 133 people dead.

She added that ISIS, which has claimed responsibility for the attack without providing evidence, is a “common terrorist enemy that must be defeated everywhere.”

“We extend our deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones and to those who were injured or affected by these unconscionable attacks against innocent civilians," Jean-Pierre said in a statement issued by the White House. "ISIS is a common terrorist enemy that must be defeated everywhere."

4 suspects in Friday's attack are being questioned by Russian investigators, state media reports

Four suspects in Friday's terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall were detained in the Bryansk region and taken to Moscow, where they are now in the custody of Russia's Investigative Committee, Russian state media TASS reported Saturday.

The suspects were brought in two prisoner transport vehicles, which are still in the courtyard of the committee, a TASS correspondent reported. This indicates that the suspects are being interrogated and the investigation is ongoing, according to TASS.

In the coming days, investigators are expected to file a court motion asking for imprisonment as the chosen preventative measure. All four suspects face life imprisonment, TASS reports.

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Russian authorities say at least 115 killed in Moscow concert hall attack

ISIL says it was behind attack on Crocus City Hall after gunmen in combat fatigues opened fire during a rock concert.

Gunmen in combat fatigues opened fire and detonated explosives at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall killing at least 115 people and injuring 187 in a brazen attack claimed by the ISIL (ISIS) group .

At least five camouflage-clad gunmen with automatic weapons burst into the packed concert hall in the Russian capital’s western suburbs on Friday night as the audience was gathering to watch the veteran rock band Picnic, shooting into the crowd and setting off explosives that started a massive fire.

Keep reading

More than 130 killed in moscow concert hall attack, russia-ukraine war: list of key events, day 758, moscow concert hall attack: what do we know so far, ‘heinous, cowardly’: world reacts to attack on moscow concert hall.

At least 115 people have been confirmed killed, Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Saturday, adding that the number of victims was expected to rise further.

At least 187 people including eight children were injured.

Health officials earlier said 60 of the injured were in critical condition.

ISIL, the hardline group that once sought control over Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the attack on its Telegram channel, saying the gunmen had escaped. It was not possible to independently verify the claim.

On Saturday, a spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee said it was too early to say anything about the fate of the attackers, state news agency RIA reported.

The concert hall, one of the most popular in Moscow, can hold some 6,200 people.

Alexei, a music producer, was about to settle into his seat ahead when he said he heard “several machineguns bursts” and “a lot of screams”.

“I realised right away that it was automatic gunfire and understood that most likely it’s the worst: a terrorist attack,” Alexei told the AFP news agency, declining to share his full name.

As people ran towards the emergency exits, “there was a terrible crush” with concertgoers climbing on one another’s heads to get out, he added.

Another witness, speaking to the Reuters news agency, also described the terror and panic inside the venue.

“A stampede began. Everyone ran to the escalator,” they said, declining to share their name. “Everyone was screaming; everyone was running.”

The attack, which left the concert hall in flames and its roof in a state of collapse, was one of the worst in Russia since the 2004 Beslan school siege in which more than 330 people, half of them children, were killed. The death toll appeared set to rise, according to unconfirmed reports.

Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari said that while the capital was not under lockdown or a curfew, “a number of events over the weekend here have been cancelled, including concerts”.

Russian officials said security has been tightened at Moscow’s airports, railway stations and on the metro system. The mayor cancelled all mass gatherings, while theatres and museums in the area, home to more than 21 million people, were ordered shut for the weekend. Other Russian regions also tightened security.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Friday’s raid was a “huge tragedy.” President Vladimir Putin was being given continuous updates about the situation, according to his spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Putin also wished a speedy recovery to those injured, state news agency TASS reported on Saturday, citing Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova.

An ‘act of terrorism’

The prosecutor’s office said several men in combat fatigues had entered the concert hall, about 20km (12 miles) from the Kremlin and next to the Moscow ring road, and fired on those inside.

Repeated volleys of gunfire could be heard in videos posted by Russian media and on Telegram channels. One showed two men with rifles moving through the venue. Another showed a man in the auditorium saying the assailants had set it on fire, as repeated gunshots rang out in the background.

Others showed up to four attackers, armed with assault rifles and wearing caps, shooting screaming people at point-blank range.

Security guards at the concert hall were not armed, and Russian media said some could have been killed at the start of the attack.

ISIL, in a statement posted by its Amaq news agency, claimed its fighters had attacked on the outskirts of Moscow, “killing and wounding hundreds and causing great destruction to the place before they withdrew to their bases safely”.

Russia has reported several incidents involving ISIL this month, with authorities saying they killed six alleged members of the group in a shootout in Ingushetia in the restive Caucasus region, and the Federal Security Service (FSB) saying on March 7 it foiled an attack by Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) , an Afghan affiliate of ISIL, on a Moscow synagogue.

The United States had also warned of a heightened threat. Several hours after the FSB announcement, the US embassy in Moscow issued a warning that “extremists” had imminent plans for an attack in Moscow. On Friday night, a US official said Washington had intelligence confirming ISIL’s claim of responsibility for the attack on Crocus City Hall.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said what had happened was a “bloody terrorist attack”. Investigators from Russia’s Investigative Committee, which deals with major crimes, said they had “opened a criminal probe under article 205 of the criminal code [terrorist act]”.

There was condemnation of the attack from across the world .

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his shock at the attack, which his spokesman said he “condemns in the strongest possible terms”, while the UN Security Council condemned what it called a “heinous and cowardly terrorist attack.”

French President Emmanuel Macron “strongly condemns the terrorist attack claimed by the Islamic State”, the Elysee Palace said.

“France expresses its solidarity with the victims, their loved ones and all the Russian people.”

Spain said it was “shocked” at events in Moscow, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned what she said was an “odious act of terrorism” and expressed her “full solidarity with the affected people and the victims’ families”.

Engulfed in flames

The Kremlin did not immediately blame anyone for the attack, but some Russian lawmakers were quick to accuse Ukraine .

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev wrote on the Telegram app that if those responsible for the attack turn out to be Ukrainian, “all of them must be found and ruthlessly destroyed as terrorists”.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied Ukraine’s involvement.

“Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods,” he posted on X. “Everything in this war will be decided only on the battlefield.”

Rosgvardia, Russia’s national guard, said it was searching for the perpetrators of the attack, and its units were helping evacuate concertgoers from the burning building.

Rescue services had evacuated about 100 people from the basement of the Crocus City Hall, but there are still people on the roof, Russian news agencies reported.

Media reports said firefighters were trying to contain the fire, as plumes of black smoke rose above the venue into the night sky.

Helicopters were also deployed in an attempt to douse the flames that had engulfed the building.

In the early hours of Saturday morning, authorities said most of the fire had been put out.

“There are still some pockets of fire, but the fire has been mostly eliminated. Rescuers were able to enter the auditorium,” Moscow Governor Andrey Vorobyov said on Telegram.

• International

March 25 Moscow concert hall attack

By Antoinette Radford and Aditi Sangal , CNN

Putin says Moscow attack was carried out by "radical Islamists." But he also blames Ukraine

From CNN's Mariya Knight in Atlanta, Darya Tarasova and Sugam Pokharel in London

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the brutal attack at a Moscow concert hall on Friday was carried out by “radical Islamists.” 

“We know that the crime was committed by radical Islamists, whose ideology the Islamic world itself has been fighting for centuries,” Putin said.

He also again suggested that Ukraine was to blame for the attack.

“It is also necessary to answer the question why the terrorists tried to go to Ukraine after committing a crime, who was waiting for them there? It is clear that those who support the Kyiv regime do not want to be accomplices of terror and sponsors of terrorism, but there are really a lot of questions,” he said in a meeting via videoconference with government officials, special services and law enforcement agencies on measures taken after the terrorist attack, according to the Kremlin.

“We know by whose hands this atrocity was committed against Russia and its people, and we are interested in who the instigator is,” Putin said.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the massacre and released graphic footage showing the incident – but the Kremlin has alleged, without evidence, that the perpetrators planned to flee to Ukraine. Kyiv has vehemently denied involvement and called the Kremlin’s claims “absurd.”

Putin on Saturday also claimed that a “window” had been prepared for the attackers to escape to Ukraine. He did not provide evidence.

The post has been updated with more details from Putin's remarks.

Death toll in Moscow concert hall attack rises to 139, Russian official says

From CNN’s Dasha Tarasova in London

Two more people have been confirmed dead following a brutal attack at a Moscow concert hall on Friday, taking the death toll to at least 139 killed, a senior Russian official said on Monday.

“Initial results of the investigation indicate that the attack was carefully planned and prepared,” Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, said in a live TV broadcast.

Here's the numbers he provided:

• Deaths: 139 people killed. 137 died on the spot, two died in hospitals.
• Identified: 75 of 139 people have been identified, including three children.
• Cause of death: 40 people died from gunshot wounds, two people died from a combination of gunshot and stab wounds. As a result of the fire, 45 people died from exposure to high temperature and combustion products.

US says that it warned Russia in early March of possible terror attack despite ambassador's denial

From CNN’s Michael Conte 

The US State Department said Monday that the United States had warned Russia in early March about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow “potentially targeting large gatherings, including concerts."

Spokesperson Matthew Miller was responding to a denial by the Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov that Moscow received any warning.

“We gave them that private warning consistent with our duty to warn ... when we see or when we gather intelligence of terrorist attacks or potential terrorist attacks,” Miller said at a press briefing. 

He noted the United States on March 7 warned US citizens to avoid large gatherings in Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had described the security warning as “provocative” and “outright blackmail” before the attack.

“It was because of that warning that we passed on to the Russian government that we issued a security warning on March 7, where we again said to US citizens that we had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow… potentially targeting large gatherings including concerts,” Miller added. 

Here's what you need to know about the Moscow concert hall attack that killed 137 people

From CNN staff

All four suspects in the Crocus City concert hall attack case have been remanded into pre-trial detention until May 22. They are charged with committing a terrorist act, according to the courts of general jurisdiction of the city of Moscow, which under the Russian Criminal Code is punishable by up to life imprisonment.

Three of the defendants pled guilty to all charges, according to state media news agency TASS.

All four are from Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic, and had been in Russia on either temporary or expired visas.

On Monday afternoon, authorities said they had identified an additional three people who they believed were involved in the attack — two brothers and a father.

Friday's attack killed at least 137 people. The attack is Russia's deadliest in two decades .

Catch up on the latest developments:

• Day of mourning: Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Sunday a day of national mourning for the 137 victims in Friday's attack .
• Authorities work to identify victims: Procedures to identify those killed in the attack have begun, the city’s Department of Health said, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. The Russian Investigative Committee said 62 bodies had been identified so far, adding that "for the remaining victims, genetic examinations are being carried out to establish their identities."
• Fighting terrorism in Syria and Turkey: Putin held separate calls with his Turkish and Syrian counterparts, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bashar al-Assad, on Saturday and promised closer cooperation in fighting terrorism following the attack, according to a Kremlin readout.
• Russian Embassy says no warnings from US: The Russian Embassy in Washington says it did not receive any warnings about a potential attack in Moscow from the US. Last week, Putin dismissed warnings by the US embassy in Russia that there could be attacks on large groups.
• Putin links attack to Ukraine: Putin said the main suspects arrested planned to flee into Ukraine. Ukraine has denied any connection. The UK warned that Russia was creating a "smokescreen of propaganda."
• Terror alert: France has lifted its terror alert to its highest level following the deadly attack in Moscow, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Sunday.

Russian social media channels show apparent torture of Crocus City suspects

From CNN’s Nathan Hodge

Video footage and still images have appeared on Russian social media that appear to show the violent interrogation of several of the men alleged to have taken part in the deadly terror attack on a concert hall outside Moscow Friday. 

One video appears to show one of the suspects, Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, being held on the ground while having part of his ear cut off by a camouflage-wearing interrogator. Rachabalizoda later appeared in court with a heavily bandaged ear. 

The Grey Zone, a pro-Kremlin Telegram channel, published a still photograph that claims to show the electrocution of one of the detained suspects.

Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Russian state propaganda network RT, posted a video that appears to show the interrogation of another suspect, Shamsidin Fariduni, who is shown stammering and shaking as he is questioned by interrogators off camera. Fariduni subsequently appeared in court with a bruised face. 

CNN asked the Kremlin about the “visible signs of violence” committed against the suspects, but spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment.  

Russian Investigative Committee asks court to detain three more in connection with concert hall attack

From CNN's Tim Lister and Darya Tarasova

The Russian Investigative Committee says it has established that more people were involved in Friday's Crocus City terror attack beyond the four men alleged to have carried out the attack.

“According to the investigation, in order to commit a terrorist act, Shamsidin Fariduni recruited Aminchon Islomov into the organized group no later than January 2024, and Dilovar Islomov no later than March 11, 2024,” the Investigative Committee said on Telegram. 

The three individuals are two brothers and their father, Russian state media agency TASS said. Investigators are asking the Basmanny Court of Moscow to choose a preventive measure for the three defendants, the court told TASS.

“Three more materials were received regarding the accused Islomov Aminchon Isroilovich, Islomov Dilovar Isroilovich, as well as the suspect Islomov IsroilIbragimovich,” the court said, according to TASS. Fariduni was one of those detained in Bryansk Saturday. Both Aminchon and Dilovar Islomov appeared in Basmanny court in Moscow Monday. State news agency TASS said that Dilovar Islomov is a citizen of the Russian Federation and works as a taxi driver, citing court documents.

Russian state news agency RIA said Dilovar Islomov “owned the Renault car in which the terrorists fled the crime scene, sold it in February, and the compulsory motor liability insurance remained on him,” citing a source familiar with the situation.

Here's what to know about ISIS-K, the group linked to the Moscow concert hall terror attack

From CNN's Jessie Yeung

ISIS, also known as the Islamic State group, claimed responsibility for  Friday’s deadly assault  on a concert venue in Moscow, releasing graphic footage purporting to show its gunmen carrying out what was Russia’s worst terror attack in decades.

Here's what we know about the group:

When was it formed?: ISIS-K was formed in 2015 and has been active in  Afghanistan , Pakistan and Iran. It is a branch of ISIS, the terror group that emerged in Syria and Iraq and, at its peak, controlled a huge stretch of territory. Five years since the  fall of ISIS’ self-proclaimed caliphate  across Iraq and Syria, the group has morphed into a terror network with cells spread around the world, including in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.

How is it linked to ISIS? The connection between the groups is not entirely clear. The affiliates share an ideology and tactics, but the depth of their relationship – such as the chain of command and control – has never been fully established.

What is its ideology?: Like its parent organization, ISIS-K aims to create a “pure Islamic state,” according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) – describing the group’s vision of a “global, transnational caliphate” governed by Sharia law.

Why attack Russia?: ISIS has a longstanding animosity against Russia and Putin, several experts told CNN. “Russia has been at the top or near the top of the list of ISIS for many years,” said Daniel Byman, director of Georgetown University’s security studies program.

Read more about  ISIS-K here.

Russians return to site of Moscow terror attack to offer condolences

From CNN's Matthew Chance and Katharina Krebs in Moscow

Four days after Friday's Moscow terror attack, some 200 people gathered at the site of the attack Monday morning, offering condolences to the victims, a CNN team in Moscow reports.

While the crowd was much smaller than the numbers who were at the Crocus City hall on Sunday, a steady flow of people were bringing flowers and stuffed toys to the scene, according to the CNN team. Candles were also laid next to the memorial.

A Russian Red Cross tent is set up at the location to provide psychological help. The CNN team said volunteers are helping people with directions on where to pick up belongings or cars left on Friday. The main entrance of the Crocus hall remains barricaded off, with police buses and emergency vehicles clearing rubble. Search operations are still ongoing.

The victims: Moscow's Department of Health published an updated list of those still hospitalized in the capital's medical institutions after the attack, consisting of 76 names.

At least 137 people died in the attack after gunmen opened fire on people inside the hall, and set fire to the building. Of them, at least three were children. President Vladimir Putin declared Sunday a day of national mourning, vowing to punish the perpetrators and expressing condolences to those who had lost loved ones.

Tajikistan reiterates readiness to cooperate with Russia against terrorism after Moscow concert attack 

From CNN's Anna Chernova

Following the identification of the four men charged with carrying out the attack in Moscow on Friday as Tajik nationals, Tajikistan has reiterated its readiness to fight terrorism together with Russia.

The Russian state news agency TASS published video Monday showing Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda writing a note in the book of condolences at the Russian embassy in Dushanbe.

State-run RIA Novosti reported on its Telegram channel that Tajikistan is providing assistance to the Russian investigation “in the case of the terrorist attack in Crocus,” citing a source in Tajikistan’s special services. It reported that a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry had confirmed that “Tajikistan specialists are providing assistance to investigators from Russia in connection with the arrest of citizens of the republic in the case of a terrorist attack.”

On Sunday, the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had spoken with his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon, who had expressed “deep condolences and feelings of solidarity with the Russian people in connection with the death of civilians as a result of the vile terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall."

“During the conversation, Vladimir Putin and Emomali Rahmon noted that special services and relevant departments of Russia and Tajikistan are working closely in the field of countering terrorism, and this work will be intensified,” the Kremlin said. 

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Gunmen kill more than 60 in concert attack near Moscow, Islamic State claims responsibility

• Camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire at Crocus City Hall
• More than 60 dead, 145 injured - Russian officials
• Russia says it was 'bloody terrorist attack'
• Islamic State claims responsibility
• US official says its intelligence confirms IS claim

ISLAMIC STATE

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As Moscow bureau chief, Guy runs coverage of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Before Moscow, Guy ran Brexit coverage as London bureau chief (2012-2022). On the night of Brexit, his team delivered one of Reuters historic wins - reporting news of Brexit first to the world and the financial markets. Guy graduated from the London School of Economics and started his career as an intern at Bloomberg. He has spent over 14 years covering the former Soviet Union. He speaks fluent Russian.

As Russia Chief Political Correspondent, and former Moscow bureau chief, Andrew helps lead coverage of the world's largest country, whose political, economic and social transformation under President Vladimir Putin he has reported on for much of the last two decades, along with its growing confrontation with the West and wars in Georgia and Ukraine. Andrew was part of a Wall Street Journal reporting team short-listed for a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting. He has also reported from Moscow for two British newspapers, The Telegraph and The Independent.

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Four suspects in Moscow concert hall terror attack appear in court

Footage of gunmen reinforces Islamic State’s claim to have masterminded worst terror attack on Russia in two decades

Four suspects have appeared in court in Moscow charged over the terrorist attack on the Crocus City concert hall on Friday that left 137 people dead.

The men were officially identified as citizens of Tajikistan, the Tass state news agency said, and were remanded in custody for two months at Sunday’s hearing.

The court released a video showing police officers bringing one of the suspects into the courtroom in handcuffs, as well as photographs of the same man sitting in a glass cage for defendants. One of the suspects was led blindfolded into the courtroom. When his blindfold was removed, a black eye was visible. Another suspect was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair.

The men, identified as Saidakrami Murodali Rachabalizoda, Dalerdzhon Barotovich Mirzoyev, Shamsidin Fariduni and Muhammadsobir Fayzov, face charges of a “terror attack committed by a group of individuals resulting in a person’s death”, according to the Tass news agency. All four pleaded guilty.

Earlier on Sunday, Islamic State had released new footage of the attack, corroborating the terror group’s claim to have masterminded the slaughter even as Russia has sought to place the blame on Ukraine, which Kyiv denies.

The incident near Moscow is the deadliest IS-claimed assault on European soil and the deadliest attack by any group in Russia since the 2004 Beslan siege.

The footage, published by IS’s news agency Amaq, showed gunmen filming themselves as they hunted victims in the lobby of the hall and fired from point-blank range, killing scores of people. At one point, one gunmen tells another to “kill them and have no mercy”.

Vladimir Putin said 11 people had been detained, including the four gunmen. Russia’s investigative committee released a video earlier yesterday showing the suspects being led, blindfolded, into its headquarters.

Russia observed a nationwide day of mourning on Sunday for the worst terror attack on the country’s soil in two decades, as the official number of wounded rose to 154. Russian authorities have said they expect the death toll to rise with at least one dozen victims still in critical condition.

Thousands of people brought flowers and other tributes to the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, as local emergency workers say they are still continuing to search for anyone who may be left wounded or dead inside the severely damaged entertainment complex.

Putin has not yet visited the site of the shooting. The Kremlin published footage showing the president lighting a candle at a church at his residence outside Moscow on Sunday evening to honour those who died.

Foreign embassies in Moscow have also voiced their solidarity with the victims of the terrorist attack. Flags were lowered to half-mast at the embassies of the US, the UK and the Netherlands amid high tensions over the war in Ukraine .

The Russian leader also claimed, without evidence, that Ukraine had “prepared a window” for the terrorists to cross the border from Russia into Ukraine. Kyiv has vociferously denied any links to the attack and has indicated that it believes Moscow is preparing a pretext to escalate the conflict.

The US has said it received intelligence that the terror group acted alone. “Isis bears sole responsibility for this attack. There was no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever,” the national security council spokesperson, Adrienne Watson, said in a statement.

Russian officials and state media have largely ignored IS’s claims to be behind the attacks. Meduza, an independent Russian-language website, has reported that Russian state-funded and pro-government media had been instructed by the Putin administration to emphasise possible “traces” of Ukrainian involvement in the attack, according to two state media employees.

Olga Skabeyeva, a prominent state television host, claimed on Telegram that Ukrainian military intelligence had recruited assailants “who would look like Isis. But this is no Isis”.

Putin did not name the Islamist terror group during his public statements on the attack, while directly accusing the “Ukrainian side” of involvement. IS also released a photograph of the purported gunmen before the attack. Researchers have noted that their clothing matches that worn by some of the attackers.

On Sunday, the Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, disregarded the US intelligence reports that IS was behind the attacks. “I wish they could have solved the assassination of their own President Kennedy so quickly,” she wrote on Telegram. “But no, for more than 60 years they have not been able to find out who killed him after all. Or maybe that was Isis too?”

“Until the investigation into the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall is completed, any phrase from Washington exonerating Kyiv should be considered as evidence,” she added. “After all, the financing of terrorist activities of the Kyiv organised criminal group by the American liberal democrats and participation in the corrupt schemes of the Biden family have been going on for many years.”

Fresh details have emerged of how the gunmen stormed the concert hall and began firing into crowds of people, then set fire to the building and fled the scene, leading to a fevered manhunt for the terrorists. The Russian investigative committee said those killed in the concert hall died of gunshot wounds and “poisoning” related to the fire.

The gunmen appear to have planned the attack carefully, setting fires by an emergency stairwell in order to herd people toward a killing zone in the middle of the lobby.

The men were caught in the southern Bryansk region, where authorities said they disabled their vehicle, and then apprehended several of the suspects as they fled into a nearby forest. New videos have been published showing Russian security forces interrogating the men, at least one of whom spoke Tajik during an interrogation. Tajikistan’s foreign ministry initially denied that the suspects were citizens of the country.

In a phone call on Sunday, Putin and the Tajikistan leader, Emomali Rahmon, “noted that security services and relevant agencies of Russia and Tajikistan are working closely in countering terrorism, and this work will be intensified”.

Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has previously been reported to have recruited radicalised nationals from central Asia, including Tajikistan.

Some of the videos of the interrogations suggest that the men were tortured by Russian security services. One of the clips, circulated by Russian bloggers, appears to show members of the security forces cutting off the ear of a man who is later interrogated over the attack and then stuffing it into his mouth. Another appears to show security forces beating a suspect with their rifle butts and kicking him as he lies in the snow.

Russian independent media noted that the officer who apparently cut off the ear of the suspect was wearing patches that indicated his support for neo-Nazi groups and appeared to have contact with the far-right Rusich paramilitary group, which is active in Ukraine. The patches included a black sun and a symbol resembling the Totenkopf – or death’s head – worn by several Nazi divisions.

Experts have described Friday’s attack as a failure of the country’s sprawling security services, which have been distracted by the war in Ukraine and a relentless crackdown on political opposition at home.

“The FSB obviously had their priorities wrong. They had their main resources on Ukraine and on the domestic opposition,” said Mark Galeotti, an expert on the Russian security services.

“What is striking is the catastrophic incompetence of our security services,” Ivan Zhdanov, the former head of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation, told AFP.

Andrei Soldatov, a leading Russian researcher, wrote that the FSB had become “very efficient and innovative at repression … But these are not the qualities that help to prevent attacks happening, and time and again the FSB has failed as an intelligence collection agency because other things are needed: information-sharing capabilities between agencies, both domestic and foreign, and trust between those agencies and within those agencies.”

Meanwhile, Jeremy Hunt said that the UK should “absolutely” be concerned about the threat that IS poses to the country after the terror attack in Moscow.

“We are very lucky in this country that we have incredibly impressive intelligence agencies, who have been successful in stopping, in foiling a lot of terrorist threats over recent years,” the British chancellor told Sky News.

“But we have to remain vigilant. And if it is Islamic State, they are utterly indiscriminate in what they do. They’re prepared to murder in the most horrific way.”

• Moscow concert hall attack
• Islamic State
• Vladimir Putin

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