►Tours ► Golden ring of Russia tours ► Weekend in Vladimir and Suzdal

  This three-day tour around the Golden Ring of Russia includes some of the most beautiful cities on the route: Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Suzdal and Vladimir. You will see masterpieces of mediaeval Russian white stone architecture: the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, the Suzdal Kremlin, and Vladimir’s Dormition Cathedral, St Demetrius’ Cathedral and Golden Gates. Plus you will be able to immerse yourself in the quaint atmosphere of these ancient provincial cities, away from the noise and hassle of the capital.

Sergiev Posad - Russia’s main monastery- the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra - is found in this city. It has taken 400 years to complete its architectural complex of white stone cathedrals and thick walls.

  Pereslavl-Zalessky - this city boast ones of the oldest churches in Central Russia, a completely intact earthen mound, several monasteries and the beautiful Lake Plescheevo, where Peter the Great developed his love of sailing.

  Suzdal - this is the most popular city on the Golden Ring as the city’s appearance has changed little in centuries. Coming here is like going back in time to a provincial Russian city with many churches, wooden houses and monasteries

  Vladimir  - this city was the nominal centre of north eastern Rus for two centuries and the grand princes of Vladimir were crowned here in the city’s Dormition Cathedral. The city is also famous for its Golden Gates - the only part of the city’s walls, which once had seven sets of gates, to survive to this day. As well as serving a defensive function, it was also used as a triumphal arch and was decorated in gold plated metal, hence its name.

 Total distance of the tour:  518km

DAY 1 | MOSCOW - SERGIEV POSAD - PERESLAVL

 Meeting with a driver at the hotel and transfer to Sergiev Posad - the transfer will take around 90 minutes depending on the traffic situation.

 Distance: 75km

 Three-hours stop in Sergiev Posad - Sergiev Posad is the only Golden Ring city in the Moscow Region. Its main sight is the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra - the spiritual centre of Orthodox Russia and consisting of an active monastery, the Moscow Theological Academy and a seminary.  The lavra (a title given to an important Orthodox monastery)  was included on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1993 and its architectural image has been added to from the 15th to the 19th century by some of Russia’s most celebrated architects and icon-painters. The lavra’s main cathedral is the Trinity Cathedral, which was completed in 1422 and now houses the relics of St Sergius - the lavra’s founder. Another famous feature of the lavra is its five-tier belltower with a golden summit.

 Stop duration: 3 hours

  Transfer to Pereslavl-Zalessky - this city is located 70km from Sergiev Posad. The driver will drop you off at your hotel.

 Distance: 70km

 Night in Pereslavl.

DAY 2 | PERESLAVL - SUZDAL

  Breakfast in the hotel.

 Free time in Pereslavl.

 Pereslavl - Zalessky is one of the most interesting cities on the route, not just because of its architectural monuments, but also due to its beautiful natural surroundings on Lake Plescheevo. The city has its own Red Square and several monasteries. You can spend your free time exploring these or by visiting its museums - including one displaying a boat of Peter the Great’s Toy Fleet which he sailed on Lake Plescheevo. Just outside the city is the Museum of Railway Equipment, which has a large collection of train engines and wagons. Another option could be renting a boat and sailing on Lake Plescheevo or renting a bike and riding around it.

 12:00 | Transfer from Pereslavl-Zalessky to Suzdal. 

 Distance: 140km

 14:30 | Arrival in Suzdal. Free time in the city.

 Night in Suzdal.

DAY 3 | SUZDAL - VLADIMIR - MOSCOW

 Breakfast in the hotel.

 Free time in Suzdal.

 Suzdal was once the capital of Rus, but today it is a small provincial city. Partly due to it being overlooked when plans were drawn up for the railways, the city has been virtually untouched by industry and many architectural monuments have been preserved, leading to the city being referred to as an open-air museum. The main sights are the Suzdal Kremlin, the Spaso-Ufimiev Monastery (which is now a museum) and the Wooden Architecture Museum.

 14:00 | Transfer from Suzdal to Vladimir.

 Distance: 35km

 3 hours stop in Vladimir.

 Like Suzdal, Vladimir too once served as the capital of Rus and the most senior of the Rus princes was granted the title of prince of Vladimir. The city’s Dormition Cathedral was built to hold the Our Lady of Vladimir Icon, which is considered the protector of the city and state. Today the cathedral, with its fragments of frescoes by Andrey Ryublev, is protected as a World Heritage Site, while the icon is now housed in Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery.  Another important monument is the Golden Gates which were erected in the 12th century by Prince Andrey Bogolyubsky, who wanted to make Vladimir a worthy rival to Kiev in terms of influence and beauty. The gates were not just for decoration though, as they also served a defensive function, which was tested during the siege of the city by Batu Khan during the Mongol-Tatar Invasion

 18:00 | Transfer to Moscow - Moscow is 200km from Vladimir and you should arrive back in the capital between 22:00 and 23:00, depending on the traffic. It is possible to get a high-speed train to Moscow, so the way will take just 1h45 minutes.

• The tour is available the whole year round starting on any day.
• Optional excursions should be booked before the start of the tour to schedule the itinerary.
• In cities of the Golden Ring where there are no 4 or 5 star hotels, the calculation includes hotels of 3 or 4 stars.
• Best time to travel on this route: from the end of April to mid-October and from December to mid-March.

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