The Golden Ring is a ring of cities, some of them are small towns, to the northeast of Moscow. These charming cities are well-reserved examples of medieval architecture: kremlins, monasteries, onion-domed churches, and wooden houses.
There is no official list of cities of the Golden Ring, but usually it includes Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Suzdal, Vladimir, Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, and Rostov Veliky. Sometimes smaller cities are also considered as part of the Ring: Palekh, Plyos and Shuya (Ivanovo Region) Gorokhovets, Gus-Khrustalny, Murom, Yuriev-Polsky (Vladimir Region) and Rybinsk, Tutaev and Uglich (Yaroslavl Region).
The golden moments of your trip to the Golden Ring are: bells ringing on the belfry of a white-stoned monastery, Volga river cruise, lunch in the dining hall of the Kremlin.
As the cities on the Ring are quite similar by the structure and appearance being founded almost in the same period of time, you don’t need to visit them all to catch the idea and have the impression of the destination. The itinerary may vary from visit to one city to 7 cities in a row, from 2 days trip to complete 4 days tour.
Departure from Moscow by high speed train Lastochka to Vladimir (1h30) or by car, with private transfer right to the destination.
Due to the weather conditions we recommend organizing the tour to the Golden Ring from April to October, to fully enjoy the landscapes and the magic relaxed atmosphere of rural life.
FIT and leisure groups are very welcome to visit this special destination. It can be a very nice extension to the trip to Moscow or it may also be a good combination of St.Petersburg, Moscow, and the Golden Ring tour, to receive very deep knowledge of the Russian history and soul.
The markets in the cities of the Ring are full of beautiful handicraft things that will serve you as souvenirs or may be of practical use too! The region was originally a trade center that was rich of all kind of craftsmen that kept on mastering in creating scarfs, linen tablecloths, enamel jewelry, porcelain toys and crystal tableware, wooden boxes and lacquer miniatures. It is impossible to avoid shopping while on the Ring!
Just like in Moscow or St.Petersburg, MAXIMA will be glad to offer you private services of guide speaking your language and transport — cars, mini-vans, and big coaches of different classes — from a tourist economy class to VIP and premium class vehicles. To fully enjoy your trip and take the maximum from your vacation!
Sergiev Posad — Vladimir – Bogolyubovo — Suzdal — Yaroslavl — Rostov the
Great – Pereslavl, 4 days/3 nights
10.00. Meet your guide. Departure to Sergiev Posad.
12.00. Arrival to Sergiev Posad. You will visit a museum of a toy where unique exhibits are collected! Then you will get acquainted with magnificent monastic ensemble The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius – the original Russian «Vatican.» You will visit Assumption and Trinity Cathedrals where the relics of Saint Sergius Radonezhsky are kept.
14.30. Lunch at the city restaurant.
15.30. Departure to Suzdal.
Check in, hotel 4* “Pushkarskaya Sloboda”
20.00. Dinner at the hotel.
09.00.Breakfast at the hotel.
10.00. You are going to visit pearls of Suzdal — the KREMLIN, the NATIVITY CATHEDRAL. Further you will visit MENS SAINT EVFIMIUS MONASTERY (a museum — reserve). Then you are going to THE MUSEUM OF WOODEN ARCHITECTURE AND COUNTRY LIFE. You will also visit a tourist-entertaining complex THE FARMSTEAD OF MASTERS where you can see the work of national craftsmen, get souvenirs.
13.00. Lunch at the city restaurant.
15.00. Free time, return to the hotel.
09.00. Breakfast, check out.
10.00.Departure to Vladimir
Excursion around this ancient city, visiting the unique Dmitrievsky CATHEDRAL decorated with carved stones as if lacy. You will visit the Assumption CATHEDRAL well-known for the Andrey RUBLEV’S and Daniil CHYORNY’S frescos and will see a symbol of the city — the GOLDEN GATE.
12.30. Lunch at the city restaurant.
13.30. Then you go into acting Bogolyubov nunnery, where you will get acquainted with life and customs of its inmates, see the tower with a spiral staircase, built with prince Andrei Bogolubsky. Near the nunnery meadows of white stone church you can admire the Cover-to-Nerl.
15.30. Departure to Yaroslavl.
20.00. Arrival to Yaroslavl. Check in, hotel 4* “Ring Premier hotel”
21.00. Dinner at the hotel.
09.00. Breakfast, check out.
10.00. Meet your guide at the hotel lobby.
You’ll hold the sightseeing tour «1000 STORIES OF YAROSLAVL». You’ll visit an ancient SPASOPREOBRAZHENSKIY MONASTERY (the XIII century), will listen to a small bell concert and will see the alive symbol of Yaroslavl — she-bear Masha (summertime). You will visit ILYA the PROPHET church — a unique monument of the XVII century where the world relic — a particle of God’s Cope was kept. Next you will have a tour to Metropolitan’s House, where you will find unique collection of icons.
12.00. Transfer to Rostov the Great.
13.00. Arrival to Rostov the Great.
You will take the excursion «PRINCE CITY». You will see the Rostov Kremlin and the Assumption Cathedral’s belfry known all over the world. You’ll visit the walls’ TRANSITIONS of the Rostov Kremlin (in summertime).
16.00. Transfer to Pereslavl.
17.00. Arrivial to Pereslavl.
Sightseeing tour of Pereslavl. You will go to a journey through the mysterious and legendary Pereslavl: a sacred place of the ancient Slavs on the shores of Plesheevo Lake — a mysterious Blue Stone, which has a mystical ability to move around and make desires come true. You will see old Transfiguration Cathedral of the XII century, where the son and grandson of prince Alexander Nevsky are buried. Powerful defensive earthworks surround the cathedral from which you will enjoy magnificent panorama of the city.
19.00. Departure to Moscow.
21.00. — 22.00. Approximate arrival to Moscow.
April—October
From 2 days
from Moscow: by a high speed train or by a car/minivan/minibus/coach
