Khimki
Introduction
Khimki is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, situated roughly 18 kilometres northwest of central Moscow. It forms part of the Moscow metropolitan area, so you can treat it as an extension of the capital rather than a separate destination.
Before you go
Khimki sits within the Moscow conurbation, on the banks of the Moscow channel and the Klyazma river, and is one of the most densely settled places in the region. It grew out of a landscape of noble lands whose villages still survive, and from the late 19th century the area around Khimki station became — and remains — a place of Muscovite dachas. Since being granted city status and the completion of the Stariye Khimki development, it has turned from countryside into an important economic and trade centre of the conurbation.
Plan your visit around the city's three distinct parts. Stariye Khimki is the main part of the city, with Stalinist architecture. The Khimki forest area is the quiet side, known for classic Russian country houses and dachas. Noviye Khimki is the residential district and not the destination to explore.
Getting there
Khimki sits close to Moscow, and the pressure of daily movement between the two shapes how you arrive. The city is effectively under blockade by the capital, which protects its transport infrastructure from the flood of people and vehicles migrating in and out each day, so there is no comfortable and fast way in.
- By car: use the Leningradsky Highway from Moscow. The stretch from Moscow to the end of Khimki's city limits is the busiest road in Russia.
- By suburban train: from Leningradskii station to Khimki station or Levoberegnaya platform, a district on the left bank of the Moscow channel.
- By bus or marshrutka: many run from Rechnoy Vokzal metro station, at the north end of the Green Line.
- From Planernaya metro station: you can also reach Khimki by marshrutka, bus or trolleybus.
Getting around
Khimki sits just beyond the Moscow Ring Road and is woven into Moscow's transport network, but it has no metro station of its own, so most journeys involve a suburban train, a bus or marshrutka, or a car. The source describes the city as effectively "under blockade" by Moscow, protecting the capital's transport infrastructure from the daily flood of people and vehicles, so there is no single comfortable, fast way in or out — plan for connections rather than direct hops.
- Suburban rail: The elektrichka is the backbone of public transport. Khimki station lies on the Moscow–Saint Petersburg Railway, and the corridor is served by Levoberezhnaya, Khimki, Podrezkovo, Skhodnya and Firsanovskaya. Trains run frequently at peak hours and connect the city to Moscow; from the Moscow side they depart from Leningradsky station, with Belorussky also cited for suburban services toward central Khimki. Buy a ticket for your specific destination station before boarding, as these are suburban rather than metro services.
- Metro gateways: Rechnoy Vokzal, at the north end of the Green Line, is a major hub for buses and marshrutkas into Khimki; Planernaya is the other key interchange, reachable by marshrutka, bus or trolleybus. Myakinino serves the Crocus City mall complex. The usual pattern is metro to an outer station, then surface transport for the final leg.
- Buses, trolleybuses and marshrutkas: Run by a mix of operators including Mosgortrans and private companies. Trolleybus routes link Ulitsa Druzhby with Rodina Stadium and with Planernaya, and Rodina Stadium with Planernaya. Stops concentrate along Ulitsa Geroev Panfilovtsev and its parallel duplicate road, Smolnaya Ulitsa, Festivalnaya Ulitsa and Ulitsa Dybenko. Pay on board; marshrutkas are typically cash-based, so keep small notes handy.
- Taxis and ride-hailing: Yandex.Taxi and Gett offer door-to-door trips, orderable through the Yandex or Telegram apps — often the most comfortable option for a specific address, especially with luggage or outside peak hours. Prices rise with demand and traffic.
- Walking and cycling: Khimki is sprawling and densely built rather than a compact historic centre, so walking works within a neighbourhood but less so for crossing town. The source's own advice is that the most comfortable way to explore is to bike or take a car.
- By car: Reached from Moscow via Leningradsky Highway; the stretch from Moscow to the end of Khimki's city limits is described as the busiest road in Russia, so allow generous time and avoid peak hours.
- From the airport: Sheremetyevo is the main airport serving Khimki, with parts of it inside the city limits. The Aeroexpress runs between Sheremetyevo and Belorussky Railway Station, from where you continue by metro or suburban train; a taxi to central Khimki is a short hop. Domodedovo lies far to the south, so reaching Khimki means crossing the whole city — usually Aeroexpress to Paveletsky, then metro, suburban train or taxi northwest.
Carry your passport as ID and expect security checks at large venues such as Crocus City Hall events. Petty theft on public transit is cited as the main safety concern; the area is otherwise a relatively safe suburb. Queue properly, dress warmly in the colder months, keep small cash for marshrutka fares, and buy rail tickets before boarding. Build in extra time for any journey involving Leningradsky Highway or the metro-to-bus interchange at Rechnoy Vokzal or Planernaya.
Where to stay
As a result, there is little concrete guidance to offer on where to base yourself in the city.
Food & drink
For a sit-down meal, head to Uryuk on Molodejnaya Street, where the kitchen serves Uzbek cooking in a dining room decorated with tapestries and light displays on the walls. It is the one eating option the guide singles out, so plan around it if you want a proper restaurant meal rather than a quick bite. Beyond that, the city's food and drink listings are sparse. If you are looking for a specific cuisine or a particular kind of evening out, it is worth checking what is available before you arrive rather than assuming you will find it once you are there.What to see and do
In Stariye Khimki you can see a strong example of 1930s Stalinist architecture, with several notable buildings along ulitsa Moskovskaya, including the town hall at Moskovskaya 15 and the addresses at Moskovskaya 13/1 and 28/2. The Khimki Art Gallery occupies the third floor of the town hall, and the Park named after the 50th Anniversary of October sits between Chapayevskaya and Kalinina streets. For modern architecture, head to the Khimki Business Park on Leningradskaya Street, reachable only from Leningradskaya Highway. Castle Klyazma in Gorod Naberezhnikh was built as a castle and serves as a gateway to Khimki forest and the Klyazma river, making it a convenient place to rest during transit to Sheremetyevo Airport. You can also visit Yakovlevo Park. For entertainment, the Nash Dom Theatre is on Kalinina Street and Arena Khimki stadium is on Kirova Street, while fishing is available at Vashutino.Three days in Khimki
Day one: Arrive in Khimki, a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, just outside Moscow. It sits along the Leningradsky Highway and the Saint Petersburg Railway, so you can reach it by suburban train from Leningradsky or Belorussky station, or by metro to Rechnoy Vokzal on the Green Line and then onward. Settle into the older part of town, Stariye Khimki, where the Stalinist plan left its mark on the street layout. In the evening, walk the Leningradskii corridor and get your bearings along the Leningradsky Highway.
Day two: Cross to Noviye Khimki, the newer side of the city, and use the Leningradskii and Leningradsky Highway connections to move between the two halves. Head toward Levoberegnaya and Levoberezhnaya, near the Moscow Ring Road, where the city meets Moscow. From Planernaya you can pick up the metro, and from Rechnoy Vokzal the Green Line runs into the centre. If you want a longer outing, the suburban line continues through Podrezkovo, Skhodnya and Firsanovskaya, and trains also link toward Klyazma.
Day three: Use the Mosgortrans buses that run through Khimki to fill the gaps the metro and rail leave. From Planernaya or Myakinino you can reach Crocus City, and the Belorussky and Leningradsky rail corridors keep Moscow within easy reach. Buy a ticket for the suburban train and ride out past the Moscow Ring Road to see how Khimki sits between the Muscovite capital and the wider Moscow Oblast. End your stay back in Stariye Khimki, where the older streets give the city its character.