Golden Ring Tours and more

Our 10 Best Golden Ring Tours of 2022

Journey to Russia’s Golden Ring with us and let us take you back in time to medieval Russia when the Tsars ruled. The Golden Ring is a set of beautiful, ancient and mysterious Russian cities not far from Moscow. Tours can be combined with any of our Moscow tours and customized to fit your plans and budget. Our most popular classic tours are listed below. Please click on the tour details to learn more or contact us for more information about our Golden Ring tours using the form at the bottom of the page. Feel free to also schedule a call with one of our Russian travel specialists. Many travelers have found this to be the best way to together, create an unforgettable customized tour for you.

Sergiev Posad, Russian Vatican

1 day

This short tour takes you to Sergiev Posad, the temporary residence of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. You will visit the magnificent Trinity St. Sergius Monastery which is included in the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage.

  • Schedule
    Tour can be started on any day
  • Route
    Moscow - Sergiev Posad - Moscow
  • Languages
    English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
  • Accommodation
    The following hotel options are available:
    This is a one-day tour, accommodation is not included.
  • PRIVATE TOUR
    This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group
$194 From/Per person

Details

Sergiev Posad and Vladimir

1 day

This Golden Ring tour covers two ancient Russian towns. Vladimir dates back to the XI century and is one of the oldest and most important towns along the ring. Sergiev Posad dates back to the XIV century and is sometimes called the Russian Vatican.

  • Schedule
    Tour can be started on any day
  • Route
    Moscow - Sergiev Posad - Vladimir - Moscow
  • Languages
    English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
  • Accommodation
    The following hotel options are available:
    This is a one-day tour, accommodation is not included.
  • PRIVATE TOUR
    This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group
$232 From/Per person

Details

Sergiev Posad and Suzdal

1 day

This short tour takes you to Serviev Posad, the temporary residence of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, and Suzdal, a quiet, beautiful town with an ancient Kremlin and a museum of wooden architecture.

  • Schedule
    Tour can be started on any day
  • Route
    Mocsow - Sergiev Posad - Suzdal - Moscow
  • Languages
    English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
  • Accommodation
    The following hotel options are available:
    This is a one-day tour, accommodation is not included.
  • PRIVATE TOUR
    This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group
$254 From/Per person

Details

Vladimir and Suzdal

1 day

This tour includes two very important towns on the Golden Ring. Vladimir dates back to the XI century and it is one of the oldest towns along the ring. Suzdal is full of old churches, wooden houses and the sounds of bird song and the ringing of church bells.

  • Schedule
    Tour can be started on any day
  • Route
    Moscow - Vladimir - Suzdal - Moscow
  • Languages
    English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
  • Accommodation
    The following hotel options are available:
    This is a one-day tour, accommodation is not included.
  • PRIVATE TOUR
    This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group
$255 From/Per person

Details

Express Golden Ring (hotel in Vladimir)

2 days and 1 night

Although this tour covers only a small section of the Golden Ring, it is probably the most beautiful part. You will visit Suzdal with its beautiful old churches, Vladimir with its famous Golden Gate and the small village of Bogolyubovo.

  • Schedule
    Tour can be started on any day
  • Route
    Moscow - Vladimir (overnight) - Bogolyubovo - Suzdal - Moscow
  • Languages
    English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
  • Accommodation
    The following hotel options are available:
    3 stars - 4 stars
  • PRIVATE TOUR
    This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group
$392 From/Per person

Details

3 Gems of the Golden Ring

2 days and 1 night

This Golden Ring tour covers three ancient Russian towns: You will learn about Russia�s tumultuous history in Vladimir, listen to the church bells ringing in beautiful Suzdal and admire the grandeur of Sergiev Posad, sometimes called the Russian Vatican.

  • Schedule
    Tour can be started on any day
  • Route
    Moscow - Sergiev Posad - Vladimir - Suzdal - Moscow
  • Languages
    English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
  • Accommodation
    The following hotel options are available:
    3 stars - 4 stars
  • PRIVATE TOUR
    This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group
$394 From/Per person

Details

Express Golden Ring (hotel in Suzdal)

2 days and 1 night

This tour covers two ancient Russian towns and one ancient village along the route of the Golden Ring. You will visit Vladimir dating back to the XI century, Suzdal with its ancient churches, and the marvelous, tranquil village of Bogolyubovo.

  • Schedule
    Tour can be started on any day
  • Route
    Moscow - Suzdal (overnight) - Bogolyubovo - Vladimir - Moscow
  • Languages
    English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
  • Accommodation
    The following hotel options are available:
    3 stars - 4 stars
  • PRIVATE TOUR
    This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group
$397 From/Per person

Details

Highlights of the Golden Ring

3 days and 2 nights

Travel to the Golden Ring with us! Visitors will enjoy this tour to 6 ancient Russian towns along the Golden Ring. This Golden Ring tour takes you through Suzdal known as the Russian Mecca, majestic Kostroma, beautiful Yaroslavl and Vladimir. You will truly feel the heart and soul of Russia.

  • Schedule
    Tour can be started on any day
  • Route
    Vladimir - Bogolyubovo - Suzdal - Kostroma - Yaroslavl - Rostov Veliky
  • Languages
    English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
  • Accommodation
    The following hotel options are available:
    3 stars - 4 stars
  • PRIVATE TOUR
    This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group
$705 From/Per person

Details

Classic Golden Ring

4 days and 3 nights

Visitors will enjoy this tour to 6 ancient Russian towns along the Golden Ring. This tour takes you through Suzdal known as the Russian Mecca, majestic Kostroma, beautiful Yaroslavl and Vladimir. One of our most popular tours, you will truly feel the heart and soul of Russia.

  • Schedule
    Tour can be started on any day
  • Route
    Moscow - Vladimir - Bogolyubovo - Suzdal (1 night) - Kostroma (1 night) - Yaroslavl (1 night) - Rostov - Sergiev Posad - Moscow
  • Languages
    English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
  • Accommodation
    The following hotel options are available:
    3 stars - 4 stars
  • PRIVATE TOUR
    This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group
$883 From/Per person

Details

Treasures of the Golden Ring

5 days and 4 nights

This is our most complete tour across the entire Golden Ring. You will visit magnificent Vladimir, serene Bogolubovo, picturesque Suzdal, majestic Kostroma, beautiful Yaroslavl, ancient Rostov Velikiy, and Sergiev Posad sometimes called the Russian Vatican.

  • Schedule
    Tour can be started on any day
  • Route
    Moscow - Vladimir - Bogolubovo - Suzdal (2 nights) - Kostroma - Yaroslavl (2 nights) - Rostov - Pereslavl Zalessky - Sergiev Posad - Moscow
  • Languages
    English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
  • Accommodation
    The following hotel options are available:
    3 stars - 4 stars
  • PRIVATE TOUR
    This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group
$1073 From/Per person

Details

Ancient Russia, the Beginning

6 days and 5 nights

The Central European part of Russia is known for its ancient towns. On this tour you will make stops in the most important towns of the Silver Ring - Velikiy Novgorod, Pskov, Izborsk and Pechory. Each of these towns are home to unique monuments of Russian history and culture.

  • Schedule
    Tour can be started on any day
  • Route
    St. Petersburg - Novrogod (1 night) - Pskov (2 nights) - Izborsk - Pechory - Smolensk (1 night) - Moscow
  • Languages
    English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
  • Accommodation
    The following hotel options are available:
    3 stars - 4 stars
  • PRIVATE TOUR
    This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group
$1185 From/Per person

Details

The Golden Ring Tours
4.56 based on 9 customer reviews

Customer
Marna & Keith McLendon, USA

Just returned from a fanstastic and rich experience in moscow, the Golden cities and St. Petersbrg. We felt taken care of as if we were royalty! our guides were extremely knowledgable and so we learned so much and gained such an appciation for the people, the struggles and the country. Witout the guide and driver, we would have just appreciated the architecture but learned nothing. You helped at every turn - this could not have been a better experience and we cannot thank you enough.

Customer
Charles Kosan, Indonesia

I just want to inform you that we have completed our trip to Russia. We really enjoyed the arrangement you have made for us, from the airport transfer, picking up our Bolshoi tickets, the hotel in Moscow, and of course the Golden Ring tour itself. Our tour guide, Irina, provided us with a lot of information on the buildings and history, which make our following visits to Moscow+St. Petersburg more rewarding. Thanks again for making our visit to Russia a wonderful one.

The Golden Ring of Russia

The Golden Ring is a group of medieval towns and cities that form a ring to the northeast of Moscow. These towns played a significant role in early Russian history and in the formation of the Russian Orthodox Church. The towns are full of ancient Russian architecture from the Middle Ages including kremlins (walled fortresses), monasteries, cathedrals and churches. Visiting the Golden Ring will give you a chance to go back in time and imagine a Russia that used to be. The cities are associated with Russian Princes and knights, early Tsars such as Ivan the Terrible, the Mongol invasions and many other historical figures and events. Listening to the history and legends told by your experienced guide will evoke memories of storybooks and fairy tales. The towns of the Golden Ring are all in the Russian countryside which is beautiful – full of forests and fields and rivers and lakes. Apart from the Golden Ring, we also offer tours to the Silver Ring of Russia. These tours include such famous towns as Veliky Novgorod and Pskov. Your time in these ancient areas will be a great break from the bustle of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Walk along ancient Kremlin walls and see the onion domes rising from cathedrals where time has stopped, or follow paths along old riverbanks – travel back in time with our Golden Ring tours. An unforgettable adventure awaits.

Ipatiev Monastery, Kostroma

Tours to the Golden Ring

Our Golden Ring tours are offered as land only where you arrange your own airfare and we meet you at the airport and handle everything else. You can easily book the discount tickets yourself through our own discount internet ticket office. Please browse our discount air tickets section to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions From Our Travelers

The Golden Ring cities are located within 2-4 hours drive of Moscow. The distance by road between Moscow and Suzdal is 219 km (3-4 hours drive), between Moscow and Sergiev Posad – 73 km, nearly a 2 hour drive. However, the distance between the cities of Golden Ring is rather short: e.g. between Vladimir and Suzdal it’s only 37 km.

The following cities are the most well-known and attract the most attention: Suzdal, Vladimir and Sergiev Posad. If you have more than 1-2 days, we recommend Yaroslavl, Rostov Veliky and Kostroma.

The cities of the Golden Ring, located northwest of Moscow, are spread out in a ring shape. The term was created in 1967 by historian and journalist Yuri Bychkov who wrote travel articles under the name “Golden Ring” because his route took the shape of a ring as he travelled through these cities.

You can travel by train from Moscow to Vladimir, Sergiev Posad, Kostroma, Rostov Veliky and Yaroslavl. Alternatively, you can order a private tour and go by car with a private driver

Golden Ring cities and towns are very different from Moscow and St Petersburg. Instead of visiting art museums and ballet performances, you can enjoy exploring local Kremlins and fortresses, ancient churches and monasteries, listening to the church bells ringing, enjoying local foods and drinks, visiting banyas, spending time in pristine nature, and strolling along the Volga river.

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