The Golden Ring Tour.
The Golden Ring is a collection of medieval cities located around the region of Moscow. The most visited of these cities are Sergiev Posad, Suzdal, Vladimir and Yaroslavl. They are characterised by their unique historic architecture, religious art and beautiful prairies.
This tour is available in English and Spanish.
Itinerary
The Golden Ring Tour.
8 DAYS & 7 NIGHTS
Day 1
ARRIVAL DAY
Overnight: St. Petersburg four-star Hotel Sokos.
Arrival to St. Petersburg airport SPB.
Day 2
ST. PETERSBURG
Overnight: St. Petersburg four-style Hotel Sokos.
Morning: City tour of St. Petersburg.
Afternoon: Optional excursions.
Today we'll visit the Venice of the North: St. Petersburg. During this morning tour you will see the Fortress of Peter and Paul, the Winter Palace, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Church of the Saviour, the Nevsky Convent and more.
In the afternoon you can take the optional excursion to Zarskoye Selo which includes Catherine's Palace and the famous Amber Hall. In the evening you can enjoy as well of an optional folklore performance with champagne and snacks.
Day 3
ST. PETERSBURG
Overnight: St. Petersburg four-star Hotel Sokos.
Morning: Optional excursion.
Evening: Optional excursion.
Today you can choose how would you like to spend your day in St. Petersburg. We offer three choices for you: a visit to Peterhof Palace, one of the most stunning buildings conceived in times of Peter the Great. In this tour you can see the Grand Palace, the Grand Cascade and the Water Avenue. In the afternoon you can enjoy an encounter with the arts at the world-famous Hermitage Museum. Finally in the evening you will enjoy of an optional Russian dinner at one of the most remarkable restaurants in the city.
Day 4
ST. PETERSBURG - MOSCOW
Overnight: Moscow four-star Hotel Azimut.
Morning: Optional excursion to the canals.
Afternoon: Railway transfer to Moscow.
In the morning you have a choice to take a cruise on the famous canals of St. Petersburg. In the afternoon we'll take the fast train (SAPSAN) to the next leg of our journey: Moscow.
Day 5
MOSCOW
Overnight: Moscow four-star Hotel Azimut.
Morning: Moscow city tour.
Afternoon: Optional excursion.
Moscow is the economic centre and the political heart of Russia. On this tour you will visit the landmarks of this legendary city and perhaps uncover some of its secrets. We'll experience all the highlights with the famous Red Square and St Basil's Cathedral, Theatre Square and the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow University and the Sparrow Hills.
We'll also have opportunity to visit the Kremlin's grounds. The afternoon gives you choice of an optional excursion to the stunning Moscow Metro and the popular Arbat street. The evening provides you with choice of a night river cruise with the White Flotilla.
Day 6
MOSCOW
Overnight: Moscow four-star Hotel Azimut.
Day: Optional excursion.
Today you can choose how would you like to spend your day in Moscow with an offer of a tour to the ancient city of Sergiev Posad, home of one of the most important orthodox monasteries in Russia: Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.
Day 7
MOSCOW-VLADIMIR-SUZDAL
Overnight: Suzdal four-star Hotel Nikolaevsky.
Morning: Tour of the Golden Ring.
Afternoon: Arrival in Suzdal.
Today we begin our tour of the Golden Ring. Through the scenic roads we will reach the city of Vladimir, ancient capital of Russia. During the tour we will visit two UNESCO world heritage sites: the Assumption Cathedral and St. Demetrius Cathedral and you would have opportunity to see the famous Golden Gate. In the afternoon we'll transfer to the city of Suzdal for our overnight.
Day 8
SUZDAL
Overnight: Suzdalfour-star Hotel Nikolaevsky.
Day: Optional excursion.
In this day you have the choice to visit the city of Suzdal at your own pace or to take the day-tour that includes the Museum of Wooden Architecture, the Kremlin, the Nativity Cathedral, St. Ethymius Monastery and the Cathedral of the Transfiguration.
Day 9
SUZDAL-BOGOLYUBOVO-MOSCOW
Overnight: Moscow four-star Hotel Azimut.
Morning: Excursion to Bogolyubovo.
In the morning we head to the village of Bogolyubovo for a visit of the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, a beautiful construction that stands uncannily on the banks of the river Nerl. After this excursion we'll head to Moscow.
Day 10
DEPARTURE
Today we depart from the city of Moscow, MOW
What's Included in the Tour
Services
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9x Nights accommodation in four-star category hotels:
- 3x nights in St Petersburg, Hotel Sokos.
- 4x nights in Moscow, Hotel Azimut.
- 2x nights in Suzdal, Hotel Nikolaevsky.
- 9x Buffet-style breakfasts at hotels.
- Welcome drinks.
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Entrances and visits:
- Peter and Paul's Fortress.
- The Moscow Kremlin.
- The Assumption Cathedral.
- The Church of the Intercession.
- Escort guide for the entire journey.
- Comfort coach with climate control.
- SAPSAN high-speed train between SPB-MOW.
- Portage service at hotels and train stations.
Note:
Hotel ratings are shown according to the date of this publication. Bear in mind customer reviews may vary.
Hotels
The Golden Ring Tour.
Moscow and St. Petersburg are without a doubt the most important urban centres of Russian. But it wasn't always like this. Around Moscow exist a number of smaller cities that once represented the religious and political centre of Russia. These collection of cities is known as the Golden Ring. From eight cities that from the Golden Ring, the most visited are Suzdal, Vladimir, Sergiev Posad and Yaroslavl.
Perhaps one of the reasons why the Golden Ring has awaken so much interest amongst tourist is because it represents a look into Russia's past. A time when life seemed much simpler than today's technology-driven days.
Cities like Suzdal, Bogolyubovo and Vladimir (capital of Russia, centuries before Moscow) are crowned with beautiful orthodox churches and carpeted with lush green meadows that contrast with the bright colours of their onion-shape cupolas. To come here is really to go back in time into the heart of Russia.
If you ever wanted to get into the substance of what really is Russia, this trip might give you some of the answers.