Contrary to the Lonely Planet guidebook, I will advise you to bargain aggressively. The merchants have learned to rip off tourists. I was able to talk the guy down to 40% his original price when I made a purchase; yet, there were sometimes "honest" merchants who didn't jack up the price. So look around before reaching for your wallet. The... more

I admit, I have purchased many things from Izmailova. Look around and don't be taken in by the savvy stall sellers. Izmailova does have genuine artisans and MANY fakes. As a rule of thumb, the artisans will not haggle prices with you. It is worth a visit, and I've purchased my wonderful things there...but not from the touristy vendors, but... more

This is the place to shop for all your souvenirs in Russia. There is so much to choose from so make sure you give yourself plenty of time. You can haggle the prices with the vendors especially once you have looked around and seen what the other prices are. There are places to eat here also that are very reasonably... more

The Vernisage at Ismailovo is a large, outdoor shopping market, full of all sorts of Russian souvenirs, crafts and other interesting things to buy, along with paintings, "flea market" items, rugs from central Asia, and a few places to get a bite to eat or a drink. You can easily spend the better part of a day just wandering around... more

You really don't want to go to Moscow without visiting this place. It has EVERYTHING! Any kind of nesting doll is available and if you can't find what you're looking for, you can bring them your own designs and they will paint them for you. I'm a graduate from Texas A&M University and they even had Aggie nesting dolls. This... more